Highlights
From creating community partnerships and advancing student achievement, to promoting research, scholarship, and creative activity, we work hard to achieve our goal of becoming a top 100 American research university. Check out our highlights to learn our impact.
51ԹϺ Partners with The Defensive Line
As part of its efforts to address the critical mental health issues in our community, the School of Public Health has partnered with The Defensive Line, a national nonprofit organization focused on suicide prevention. The partnerships aim to educate adults about youth suicide and create safe places for young people to be honest and vulnerable about what they are going through.
Best for Vets
51ԹϺ remains a top choice for military veteran students, once again named among the nation’s top 10 “Military Friendly” campuses by Victory and G.I. Jobs Magazine. 51ԹϺ was ranked number three overall and was also named a Military Spouse Friendly School for the first time. Through the Military Veteran and Services Center (MVSC), 51ԹϺ enrolls more than 1,850 military-affiliated students.
Sports Innovation Institute Launches Conference
51ԹϺ Sports Innovation partnered with Syracuse University’s David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics to create the Sports, Entertainment and Innovation Conference (SEICon). A first of its kind conference, SEICon brought global thought leaders, subject matter experts, and industry executives together to explore the latest innovations in sports and entertainment, esports and gaming, sports sociology and diversity, broadcast brands and media, research and development, and more.
Student Athletes Maintain Strong Academic Performance
51ԹϺ student-athletes continue to excel academically — achieving a record 14th-straight semester with a 3.0 grade point average or higher. 168 51ԹϺ student-athletes earned Dean's Honor List recognition for spring 2024, and the 88% student-athlete graduation rate set a record for the third straight year.
51ԹϺ Enrollment Bucks Higher Education Trends
51ԹϺ has seen record enrollment — contrary to state and national higher education trends — thanks to a restructured financial aid office and implementation of 51ԹϺ Rebel EDGE, a program that combines federal, state, and institutional aid to offer low-income full-time students free tuition and fees for up to 15 credits. Spring enrollment for degree-seeking undergraduates at 51ԹϺ was up 3%, compared to last year. Enrollment for degree-seeking graduates was even higher, with a recorded a 9% increase in student enrollment.
Empowering Tomorrow’s Environmental Leaders
A 51ԹϺ research team led by Zhange Feng and Hanqing Pan, both assistant professors with the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, recently secured a $2.1 million Department of Energy award to create an academic curriculum and training system. The funding will help 51ԹϺ to develop the next generation of leaders to address soil and groundwater remediation throughout the Southwest.
Dreamscape Learn Center
51ԹϺ is among the first R1 universities in the nation to partner with Dreamscape Learn Center. The high-tech interactive platform boosts student success by bringing introductory STEM courses to life through innovative story-driven virtual reality (VR) courseware. The Dreamscape Learn Center is expected to debut at the university’s main campus on the second floor of Lied Library in 2025.
51ԹϺ Hosts Inaugural Car Show
Nearly 100 car enthusiasts rallied to join the university's inaugural car show, sponsored by President Keith E. Whitfield and 51ԹϺ Alumni Association. The Rebel Ride, Whitfield's own ’69 Chevy Blazer, also made an appearance. The car show was an opportunity for community members to visit 51ԹϺ and for alumni to reconnect with the campus.