Each December, the College of Science faculty, staff, board members and other stakeholders gather to hear the State of the College address given by the dean of the college. Dean Louisa Hope-Weeks gave her first State of the College address on prep day. Along with giving updates on demographics and fundraising efforts, the dean, directors and department chairs introduced new members of the College. Below are some of the highlights Dean Hope-Weeks mentioned in her address, which was followed by a reception.
Hope-Weeks acknowledged that next year symbolizes not only the University’s 150th anniversary, but also the College of Science’s 20th anniversary.
"Our numbers tell a compelling story."
Students pursuing degrees in the College of Science number 3,546. They represent approximately 17% of the University’s students. Of these students, 22% identify as first-generation students, 44% identify as students of color and 62% identify as female.
The College of Science generated $30.6 million in research funding, and was supported heavily by the grants team, who provided technical editing for 23% of the 233 proposals submitted this year.
The College’s search coordinator supported the hiring of 36 faculty and staff members, bringing the College’s total employee count to 987, of which 205 employees are academic faculty. The new hires number does not include the dean, who started in August of this year.
Gifts to the College have totaled $6.95 million in 2023, from 284 individual donors who made 552 gifts. Approximately 25% of the faculty and staff in the College have given to the University this year.
One gift that made University and local headlines was the historic $36 million donation from the George W. Gillemot Foundation, which was given to support a new aerospace engineering program in the College of Engineering and the installation of a new, state-of-the-art LED dome in the Fleischmann Planetarium. The gift will also fund K-12 visits to the Planetarium.
Another fund the dean highlighted is the College of Science Student Emergency Fund, which supports students experiencing financial crises. There is a unique opportunity for donations to be doubled until the University’s Giving Day with a matching promise made by two alumni up to $50,000.
Dean Hope-Weeks closed her address with a note of optimism.
“Our numbers tell a compelling story,” Hope-Weeks said. “In the last twenty years, the College of Science has grown into a large, integral component of the University. This growth is due to our outstanding faculty, staff, and students. I look forward to being a part of what we build together in the next twenty years.”
