Feature Stories

Share this Story

VWU President Accepts M.A.S.K.E.D. Award

Dr. Scott D. Miller honored at annual UNCF gala

University News | March 5, 2024

Watch Acceptance Video    View Photo Gallery

VWU President Scott D. Miller was honored to accept the UNCF M.A.S.K.E.D. Award at the 2024 Hampton Roads United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Mayors’ Masked Ball on March 2. The Award is bestowed upon those who have committed to fostering hope and opportunity for deserving students and the broader community. 

“I am beyond honored and humbled to receive this award,” said Dr, Miller. “I accept it in the name of Virginia Wesleyan University and all the wonderful faculty and staff who work to make our campus a place of inclusion and accessibility.” 

VWU is proud of its many initiatives to foster educational equity for all, and this award exemplifies those accomplishments under President Miller's leadership including VWU First. Designed for first-generation students and their families, it provides a wide array of resources to assist them in navigating the college experience such as academic support, counseling services, and financial resource guidance.  

“Two of my roommates in college were deemed as ‘others’ either because of the color of their skin or their sexual orientation. Seeing how they were treated – and how I was treated for my association with them – made me want to be an advocate for equal treatment and opportunity for all people, especially in higher education.” 

The 2024 UNCF Virginia Mayors’ Masked Ball is an annual event created to support historically black colleges and universities and to equip students with the resources necessary to transition into college, graduate, and expand and diversify America’s highly-educated workforce. “A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in,” said Dr. Miller. “There are so many ways to spend your time these days, and this motto reminds us to spend our time and our funds wisely.”