WILMINGTON — Millions will be funneled into the healthcare industry in the region, thanks to a major donation given to the university.
UNCW trustee Dr. Yousry Sayed and his wife Linda Sayed have gifted $25 million in total — the largest philanthropic commitment in UNCW history — to help advance the health sciences at the university and assist those looking to be educators.
“I can’t think of more needing areas than education and health care when it comes to our region,” Chancellor Aswani Volety said to Port City Daily following the announcement.
Volety provided some details of how the university plans to allocate funds. A majority of the money will be geared toward increasing opportunities for students, whether that be through scholarships, internships or new class offerings.
The allocation will include $20 million over five years to advance programs and medical education, clinical care, research and healthcare accessibility. The money will support a wide range of healthcare and workforce programs and research initiatives, as well as to develop an academic health sciences center.
“Whether we like it or not, it is an aging demographic as a nation — the healthcare needs are going to grow, they’re not going to shrink,” Volety said.
The chancellor added the money could also be used to expand university offerings like the simulation labs, which provides nursing students with realistic technology to develop their skills in clinical settings.
An additional $5 million will go toward supporting teacher preparation, including scholarships for students who want to transition into a teaching career. Volety said the university is committed to addressing the teacher shortage affecting the state and nation.
More than 10,000 North Carolina teachers left the state’s classrooms in 2023, the highest exodus in the past two decades. Addressing the needs in these two pivotal fields were what prompted the Sayeds’ donation, they said Friday.
“Education is the foundation of everything we do in life,” Linda Sayed, a former educator, told media Friday.
She added improving education and healthcare outcomes in their community was important to her and her husband.
“We want to empower students with the knowledge and skills to help others lead productive and fulfilling lives,” Yousry Sayed said. “Linda and I believe in the mission and vision of this great university, and we are pleased to contribute in a way that will allow UNCW to continue to grow in service to our region and state.”
Several leaders from the local community and on the state level, some of them UNCW alumni, were present for Friday’s announcement including, Rep. Charlie Miller (R-Brunswick, New Hanover), Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne), UNC System Board of Governors Chair Wendy Murphy, UNC System Board of Governors member Woody White, New Hanover County Commissioner Chair Bill Rivenbark and Commissioner Dane Scalise, and Wilmington City Council Member Luke Waddell.
Volety also thanked Sen. Michael Lee (R-New Hanover), Rep. Ted Davis (R-New Hanover), and Sen. Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick), who he said could not be present Friday.
The Sayed donation will help advance several of the university’s recent actions to address the healthcare workforce in recent years.
UNCW is partnering with Cape Fear Community College, New Hanover County Schools and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce in developing a healthcare pipeline with a $22.3 million grant from the New Hanover Community Endowment. The partnership is intended to increase pathways for K-12 students seeking medical field employment; UNCW and CFCC have also committed to expanding courses and increasing enrollment capacity for these degree fields.
The North Carolina General Assembly has also provided $8 million for a health sciences building, and the university is planning for an integrated science building, where programs from the College of Health and Human Services and College of Science and Engineering will be housed together to stimulate inter-disciplinary research and innovation.
Volety said part of the $25-million allocation will be looking at expanding the university’s current partnerships and and working with state representatives to “see if the state can support or max out these dollars to make a bigger impact in our area.”
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