Laura Lunsford, director of the Swain Center at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, is leaving her position to become the department chair of the psychology program at Campbell University's School of Education.
Lunsford will also be a full professor of psychology.
Lunsford said she decided to transition from her position at the Swain Center after working as the
director since 2016, because the offer to move to Campbell University could potentially lead to more career options.
“I love it here; we’ve done a lot of terrific work,” Lunsford said.” “But faculty full professor jobs don’t come up often, and it opens opportunities down the road.”
Lunsford said she was motivated to take the job after a visit to the Campbell University campus in Buies Creek.
“I have written books on liberal arts colleges, and I have always been attracted to them, but after visiting with them, they are a place on the move,” Lunsford said. “They have a new medical school and a president that is really focused on the undergraduate experience … it is exciting to be in a place that is growing.”
There were many things accomplished at the Swain Center during her time there, making it hard to pinpoint all the successes, she said.
“I have a terrific team and we built that team while I was here,” Lunsford said. “We repositioned the center and worked hard to be a partner with businesses in the community. And I think that the revenue has almost doubled, and the number of programs has increased and we're at capacity.”
She said she was fortunate to meet and have a relationship with David and Diane Swain, whose donation to the school led to the center being named after them.
The Swain Center provides economic services like forecasts and impact studies, and executive and professional education for the community in subjects such as accounting, finance and managing.
The current assistant director, Matt Mylott, will be the interim director, she said. The open director position was posted July 11 on the UNCW human resources webpage.
Lunsford will still have ties to Wilmington. She will keep her home here and plans on getting a small place in Raleigh. Lunsford said the next director will continue the center’s mission.
“I think the next person will be able to take it to the next level in terms of being known for our leadership program really seeing [it] as part of the business community,” Lunsford said.
