Accomplishments
Focused the University of Evansville by creating a new strategic plan, which resulted in the $80 million U•Envision 2010 capital campaign. U•Envision 2010 is the largest capital campaign in UE’s history, resulting in:
- Design, construction, and opening of Vanderburgh County’s first LEED®-certified “green” building, the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration building.
- Design and construction of $23.6 million Ridgway University Center, which was honored in 2009 with one of five Facility Design of Excellence awards given nationwide by the Association of College Unions International.
- Opening of the brand new, 92,000-square foot Ridgway University Center at the heart of the UE campus.
- Opened new, state-of-the-art Dunigan Nursing Laboratory for UE’s accredited Department of Nursing.
Enhanced the University of Evansville’s focus on global education by securing a generous, $15 million transformational grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. as part of U•Envision 2010. The grant has allowed the University to:
- Create the Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana with the purpose of developing and delivering services that improve international business success to three publics: UE Students, UE Faculty, and the Tri-State business community.
- Create a Global Scholars program, which gives faculty the opportunity to engage in scholarship, curriculum development, travel and/or research activities related to the impact of globalization on UE’s learning environment.
- Reach out to the local business community through programs like the International Speaker Series, global internships, and the Global Assistance Program, which aids local businesses in entering the global market through work with the Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana.
- Begin offering an Executive Masters in Business Administration to those professionals seeking continuing education from the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration.
- Increase UE Study Abroad participation from 30 percent in 2001 to nearly 60 percent in 2008, consistently landing UE among nation’s Top 10 in Study Abroad participation.
- Established Global Studies Learning Community, a residential program for immersion in language and culture
- Receive a second, $7.85 million grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc., for the continuation and expansion of these programs.
Successfully completed $64-million-plus Widening the Circle campaign, which was – until the launch of U•Envision 2010, UE’s largest-ever capital campaign, resulting in an addition to the Koch Center for Engineering & Science and growth of the UE endowment.
Raised an average of $1.2 million per month for students and programs at the University of Evansville throughout his presidency.
Garnered national attention for the University of Evansville, including consistent recognition that includes:
- Annual listing as one of U.S.News & World Report Top Tier Masters-Granting Universities in the Midwest.
- Consistent Top 5 Best Value among Masters-Granting Universities in the Midwest, according to U.S.News & World Report.
- Being named to Princeton Review’s list of Midwest’s Best Colleges.
- British campus Harlaxton College’s annual ranking among nation’s Top 25 Study Abroad programs.
- Department of Theatre’s listing as one of ARCO Performing Arts Major’s College Guide’s most recommended undergraduate programs in the nation.
- Department of Theatre’s formal recognition at the Kennedy Center in New York City.
- Music Management program’s ranking among Rolling Stone magazine’s top 10 music business degrees in the nation.
- Science recognized as a 2007 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Program by the Merck Institute for Science Education and American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Creating an environment that allowed both students and employees to thrive, leading to:
- The Schroeder Family School of Business Administration’s earning accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
- 2008 Civil Engineering graduates scoring a rare 100 percent pass rate on nationwide Fundamentals of Engineering exam.
- 50 percent of all UE graduates attending graduate school; more than 90 percent of graduates either attend graduate school or are immediately employed.
- High student scores on national tests in the discipline, including highest percentiles in psychology and business
- Mechanical Engineering students winning the 2008 international NASA Moon Buggy competition in Huntsville, Alabama.
- Civil Engineering students placing #1 overall in 2009 American Society of Civil Engineers’ Great Lakes Regional Championship, unseating 14-time defending champion University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- Former vice presidents John Byrd and Stuart Dorsey ascending to the presidencies of Simpson College and the University of Redlands, respectively.
- The awarding of the first earned doctorate degree in the city of Evansville, a doctorate of physical therapy, first awarded in May 2009.
- Enhanced enrollment at Harlaxton college, renovations of the Gate House, and significant renovations to the Manor House.
Created an open environment between the University of Evansville and both the academic and Evansville communities by:
- Expanding programs in adult education, including the creation of degrees in Global Leadership and Organizational Leadership for adults with some or no previous college experience.
- Chairing the board of the Independent Colleges of Indiana.
- Serving as Secretary of the National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities.
- Serving on the president’s council of the New American Colleges & Universities.
- Serving as past chair of the president's council of the Missouri Valley Conference.
- Serving on the boards of WNIN, Signature Learning, Evansville Rotary Club, Koch Enterprises Inc., Old National Evansville Metro Community Bank-South District, and the Economic Development Coalition of Southwestern Indiana, and Evansville’s Celebration of Diversity Lecture Series.
- Encouraging faculty, staff, and administrators at the University of Evansville to serve in the community through volunteer and financial commitments.
- Inviting the Evansville community onto campus for events ranging from theatre and music performances to speakers and open forums, many of which are free.
Maintained academic excellence by:
- Hiring and maintaining faculty where 85 percent have achieved terminal degrees in their field.
- Keeping the UE student body a consistent size, allowing for a small, 13:1 faculty-to-student ratio.
- Establishing the Academic Analysis and Advising Committee to review all academic programs for relevancy with mission, cost, enrollment, and effectiveness.
- Increasing UE’s student retention rate.
- Creating an environment that fosters hands on-experiential learning programs in all colleges/schools.
