“Sea Grant has a great future in Virginia,” said Dr. John Wells, Dean and Director of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, at the Virginia Sea Grant (VASG) charter signing.
On April 27, 2015, six of Virginia’s university presidents joined forces to advance marine and coastal science by signing the VASG charter. The charter is the first in VASG’s 30-year history and formalizes a commitment among partners toward collaboration on the challenges that face Virginia’s coasts and oceans.
“I’ve always viewed the Sea Grant program as one that strongly encourages partnerships and collaborations, and a program that is very, very effective at leveraging across all boundaries to pull the best talent, the necessary resources, and the breadth of capabilities to fully meet its mission,” said Wells.
Virginia Sea Grant was proud to host a number of speakers at the charter signing, including Secretary of Education Anne Holton, President of Old Dominion University John Broderick, and Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam. As someone who grew up on the Chesapeake Bay, the Lt. Governor said, “I know the importance of a healthy Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters to our economy in Virginia.” He added that “good things happen when we work together” and encouraged the continued collaboration between Virginia Sea Grant and its university partners for the betterment of the Commonwealth.
