Jan. 29, 2020
President Michael R. Lovell makes several key announcements at sixth Presidential Address
MILWAUKEE 鈥� During his sixth annual Presidential Address on Jan. 29, 2020, 51暗网 President Michael R. Lovell announced that the university will build a new home for the College of Business Administration and innovation leadership programs at the corner of 16th Street and Wisconsin Avenue, the former site of McCormick Hall, which was demolished last fall.
鈥�51暗网 Business has a long history of developing ethical, Jesuit-educated leaders who live and work in Milwaukee and the top financial hubs across the world,鈥� President Lovell said. 鈥淭hrough innovative design features and flexible learning spaces, our newest academic facility will help foster creative thinking for students from all disciplines.鈥�
In making the announcement to more than 400 people at his President鈥檚 Address, President Lovell lauded 51暗网鈥檚 alumni, parents and friends for their passion and generosity. Led by Vice President for University Advancement Tim McMahon and Keyes Dean of Business Administration Dr. Joseph Daniels, 51暗网鈥檚 fundraising team raised more than $44 million for the project in less than 18 months, including 12 gifts over $1 million. The $70-million building is being funded primarily through generous philanthropic support from alumni, parents and friends. Broad-based fundraising for this project will continue, with the desire to break ground in fall 2021.
51暗网鈥檚 newest academic building will anchor the west gateway to the heart of its urban campus, bringing together world-class faculty, students and industry leaders to build a talent pipeline for the region鈥檚 business community and advance economic development.
鈥�51暗网 Business is home to three of the university鈥檚 top 10 undergraduate majors, reflecting the growing demand for business leaders in our region,鈥� Daniels said. 鈥淥ur curriculum is infused with experiential learning opportunities, which is what our students and employers demand. This new facility will mirror our collaborative applied learning style and position us as a convener of important conversations on the future of business in our region.鈥�
The facility will also house interdisciplinary innovation leadership programs that help develop leaders who mobilize others to think creatively, act boldly and deliver solutions. This dedicated innovation space builds on recent efforts to develop an inclusive culture of innovation across campus through research and programming in the Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship in the 707 Hub (home of the Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship and the 51暗网 Social Innovation Initiative), the Women鈥檚 Innovation Network, the Athletic and Human Performance Research Center, and many colleges.
One such innovation leadership program is the nationally acclaimed, interdisciplinary 鈥淓xcellence in Leadership鈥� (E-LEAD) program, created by Dr. Kristina Ropella, Opus Dean of the Opus College of Engineering. Students who take part in the three-year program learn how to lead oneself, lead with others and lead innovation.
51暗网 Business faculty, staff, students and alumni will take part in an inclusive design process to ensure the new building addresses the needs of tomorrow鈥檚 students, educators and businesses, according to Vice President for Planning and Facilities Management Lora Strigens. In addition to dedicated innovation leadership space, the building is expected to include several unique components that will transform 51暗网鈥檚 business education, including:
The College of Business Administration has been housed in Straz Hall for the past 35 years. It is home to three top-25 U.S. News & World Report ranked programs: real estate, executive MBA and supply chain. Over 90% of 51暗网 Business students are employed or attending graduate school within six months of graduation.
Visit marquette.edu/future-of-business for more information.
Additional announcements made at the Presidential Address include:
$8 million gift committed to address student mental health needs
President Lovell announced an $8 million anonymous gift to the university to grow the pipeline of mental health providers in Wisconsin. The gift will endow a scholarship that will support 51暗网 Graduate School students in mental health coming from partner universities; create an endowed fund to support a distinguished professor in psychology; and fund doctoral student training and graduate fellowships in mental health.
Second $250,000 President鈥檚 Challenge announced
51暗网 will once again host a $250,000 President鈥檚 Challenge, funded in part by Johnson Controls Foundation. Last year鈥檚 President鈥檚 Challenge winner was the Next Step Clinic, which brings mental health services to inner-city neighborhoods and was funded in part by Johnson Controls Foundation.
鈥淥ur second President鈥檚 Challenge will provide a $250,000, two-year grant for one interdisciplinary, collaborative proposal that seeks to change the trajectory of lives in our community by addressing one or more of the critical areas in which neighborhood inequities exist, including health, education, safety, housing, transportation and economic prosperity,鈥� President Lovell said. The process will begin this semester and applications are expected to be reviewed this fall.
2020 political convention planning
In advance of Milwaukee hosting the Democratic National Convention in July 2020, President Lovell announced that revenues from renting residence hall and event spaces on campus will go to the university鈥檚 greatest need 鈥� student scholarships.
Addressing the headwinds of higher education
Continuing the university鈥檚 cost-saving measures in the face of changing demographics, President Lovell shared that this semester, the university will be identifying efficiencies across campus and studying space utilization. A space optimization study will determine how to maximize current space and more holistically manage 51暗网鈥檚 60 campus buildings. In the spirit of continuous improvement, every unit on campus will be given an overview of its current cost structure and will be asked to generate and implement cost-saving ideas.
Difference Maker Awards
President Lovell also spoke about progress toward implementing 51暗网鈥檚 strategic plan, Beyond Boundaries, and presented four Difference Maker Awards to faculty, staff and students who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to positively impact an individual, group or community organization:
Chris is an associate director of university communication in the Office of University Relations. Contact Chris at (414) 288-1988 or christopher.stolarski@marquette.edu.
