President Hopkins touts achievements, points to future during convocation

Wright State University President David R. Hopkins speaking at his State of the University address.

Increasing numbers of new, graduate and international students are helping grow the vibrancy of Wright State University, which is piling up successes and plans to build on its strengths and showcase its achievements to the world, President David R. Hopkins said in his State of the University Address.

“There is so much to brag about,” Hopkins said in delivering the annual address Sept. 4 during convocation in the Student Union Apollo Room.

Hopkins said that more than half of the new students who enrolled for Fall Semester at Wright State are transfer students, graduate students or students who have been out of high school for more than a year. There is also a significant increase in graduate students, and the number of international students is at an all-time high, he said.

“These are individuals who could study anywhere in the world, so we are tremendously proud that they have chosen to come to Wright State,” he said.

During his address, Hopkins highlighted recent achievements of each of Wright State’s colleges and schools, ranging from high national rankings to research successes.

He noted that construction is under way on the Neuroscience Engineering Collaboration Building and that the university just opened the Welcome Center in the Student Union that houses RaiderConnect and Admissions. In addition, Wright State will soon break ground for its new Student Success Center and Classroom Building and begin designing the renovation and expansion of the Creative Arts Center.

Hopkins said the quality and quantity of internships and co-ops have grown, community service and engagement is at an all-time high and the university’s commitment to diversity has never been stronger.

He noted that the university has doubled the number of its alumni networks and active volunteers in the past two years and has seen a nearly 400 percent increase in alumni donations for Alumni Association-sponsored scholarships.

He said that in the coming years, the university will also continue to focus on its student success initiatives and engage in market research to develop a Wright State brand that will serve the school well into the future.

Hopkins told the gathering of faculty, staff and students that the university’s Strategic Plan for the next five years will center around three overarching principles—that they will be able to see how their work impacts and contributes to the success of Wright State, the school will continue to be nimble and agile to adapt to changing economic environments, and the university will continue to build on its strengths.

“We will showcase to the world what we do best and continue to promote the many steeples of excellence on our campus,” he said.

During the convocation, recipients of this year’s Faculty Awards for Excellence were recognized: