Making Moments That Matter

Living Shoreline Partnerships Flourish

Using oyster shells and marsh grasses to combat erosion and restore marine habitats, the living shoreline initiative, a 20-year collaboration with the Town of St. James, is informing a new three-year project with the Town of Oak Island.

“Coastal resiliency is a core component of research at UNCW … students gain valuable hands-on experience by planning events, collecting reef samples and processing monitoring data.” — Troy Alphin '92, '98M, Benthic Ecology Lab senior research associate and donor.

"Because You Believed in Me."

Honors college and first-generation student Olga Romero Zelaya has conducted research in El Salvador, studied international policing models and trained with SWAT and CSI teams through an internship with the Wilmington Police Department under Chief Alejandra Sotelo ’00 — all experiences preparing her for a career with global impact.