UNCW broke ground this week on its new allied health building.
 
The facility will increase the university’s ability to provide future health care professionals with the highest level of education and training available.
 
The College of Arts and Sciences is thrilled to be a partner in this project, and we are looking forward to working with the College of Health and Human Services to advance health care education in our region.
 
The new facility will include laboratory and classroom space for several of the college’s chemistry programs, including pharmaceutical science. The importance of pharmaceutical science to our area cannot be overstated. The industry directly contributes to the Cape Fear Region’s economy and the well-being of individuals across our state.
 
UNCW plans to develop new graduate programs in pharmaceutical sciences to meet regional workforce needs. Last year, the university received a $5 million gift commitment from Quality Chemical Laboratories founder Dr. Yousry Sayed and his wife, Linda, to support this effort. Dr. Sayed is a longtime UNCW faculty member and Linda Sayed holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the university. 
 
The Sayeds’ generosity will enable the university to educate the next generation of scientists and provide them will the skill sets necessary to obtain high-wage opportunities in the growing pharmaceutical science industry.
 
“UNCW has played a significant role in the development of the southeast region of North Carolina over the last seventy years,” Dr. Sayed said. “We must continue to plant more seeds and provide new and important educational programs that will ensure UNCW graduates are highly trained and prepared to join the pharmaceutical industry, which will further their career and success.”
 
Dr. Sayed points out that the creation of new programs is critical to “providing educational and career opportunities to UNCW students that will benefit the region and the entire state.”
 
Expanding UNCW’s chemistry programs reflects the university’s commitment to preparing students for post-graduate success and community engagement. Employment projections for pharmaceutical science occupations are high, particularly in research science, clinical trials and regulatory affairs.
 
By preparing UNCW graduates to fill these roles and remain here in the Cape Fear Region, UNCW is supporting local industry, strengthening our area’s workforce, and contributing to the cultural and economic vitality of our community.

Aswani Volety, Ph.D., is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and a professor in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology. Volety earned a Ph.D. in marine science from the College of William & Mary, and a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from Andhra University. The College of Arts and Sciences is UNCW’s largest academic unit, employing over 450 full-time and 150 part-time faculty members and awarding approximately three quarters of the university’s academic credits. Volety serves as the chief academic, fiscal and administrative officer of the college, which is responsible for educating students across the arts, sciences, humanities and social sciences, and includes the UNCW Center for Marine Science. Volety is also the current president of the Southern Association of Marine Labs.To learn more about the UNCW College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.uncw.edu/cas. Questions and comments can be sent to [email protected].