President Gary A. Olson delivered a powerful State of the University address to staff and faculty on Friday, Oct. 25, as he shared the university’s progress and his vision for its ongoing success.
Dr. Olson discussed milestones across multiple projects, including:
The nearing completion of West Royal Park, featuring an Athletics Complex for Daemen, located less than two miles from campus.- An Athletics front entry makeover that instills Daemen’s commitment to Division II Athletics.
- The university’s first-ever NASA grant to fund Dr. Hannah Attard’s research around forecasting stratospheric events and impacted weather patterns.
- Completion of the Gross Anatomy Lab renovation, which is instrumental to the education of future health professionals.
- Expansion of the Center for Inter-Professional Learning and Simulation (CILS) to include a state-of-the-art hospital ICU simulation room, as well as an observation room.
- The Institute for Mobility, Innovation, and Technology (IMIT), which will be housed at Villa Maria College and that was funded through a $1.2 million grant secured by Senator Tim Kennedy.
The President applauded the over 80 faculty and staff participating in self-study committees for their dedication to achieve reaffirmation of accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. “I am delighted to report that the working groups found that Daemen is in compliance with all seven standards,” said Olson.
Dr. Olson also celebrated crucial funding, including a $5 million gift – the largest single gift in Daemen’s history – from Thomas Golisano, and a $1 million National Science Foundation S-STEM grant to support students in the sciences.
President Olson addressed challenges facing the university, including entering the first year of the enrollment cliff where there will be 400,000 fewer college-age students.
“As Daemen enters its first cliff year, I applaud our cabinet for their exemplary leadership that has strategically positioned the institution to navigate the challenges ahead,” said Olson. “I am confident that our leadership will continue to propel the university forward and distinguish Daemen’s academic excellence in an increasingly competitive environment.”