WILMINGTON – “We are a source of expertise,” says UNC Wilmington Chancellor Jose “Zito” Sartarelli.

“I see community engagement as give and take – we give to the community our expertise,” Sartarelli says in the accompanying video.  “… And also we benefit from it – we learn from it.”

Together, UNCW and Cape Fear Community College create $1.2 billion in added income in the Cape Fear region.

In addition, Sartarelli says UNCW offers an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) that provides continuing education for more than 1,500 senior citizens a semester. It also offers Quality Enhancement for Nonprofit Organizations (QENO) to help local nonprofits be more effective.

Sartarelli also highlights how UNCW works to supply researchers for 30 contract research organizations (CROs) in the region that perform clinical trials for the pharmaceutical industry.

“This industry did not exist 40 years ago,” he says. “This is a new industry that came and developed itself as part of the big PhARMA industry.”

And the students who major in clinical research?

“These individuals are graduating and getting jobs right in the spot,” Sartarelli says.