Good afternoon. As I stand before you today, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the many people who have supported me throughout my journey.
To my beloved family — Amy, Jacob, Nathan, Adam and Tessa — your unwavering love, encouragement and patience have been my constant source of strength and resilience. Your belief in me has carried me through every challenge and triumph, and I am profoundly grateful to share this moment with you.
To my parents, Carolyn and Denny, your steadfast guidance and support have been the bedrock of my life.
Thank you for being my compass, my confidants, and my greatest champions.
I would also like to express my deep appreciation to the many others who have made today possible.
To our speakers — thank you for your very touching sentiments!
To the members of the Board of Trustees … esteemed colleagues and friends from across the country … university leaders … and the entire Spartan community — students, faculty, academic and support staff, alumni and friends — your presence here today is a testament to the strength of the Michigan State family.
It’s an honor to stand alongside you as we embark on this new chapter together, united by our shared commitment to the values and vision of this great institution.
It’s especially fitting that we gather today in the majestic Wharton Center for Performing Arts — a space that bears the names of Clifton and Dolores Wharton, two individuals whose legacies at Michigan State are both profound and enduring.
Clifton Wharton’s presidency, during turbulent times in the early 1970s, was marked by a steadfast commitment to justice, equality and the advancement of knowledge. Dolores Wharton, as first lady, brought grace, dignity and an unwavering dedication to the arts and education.
Their contributions left an indelible mark on this university, and their legacy continues to inspire us as we move forward.
My time with them in New York this past April is a memory I will always treasure. Their wisdom, their passion for education and their enduring love for Michigan State continue to guide and inspire me as I step into this role.
As we gather here today, we are reminded of the enduring values that have guided this university through times of challenge and change — values that will continue to guide us as we navigate the complexities of the 21st century.
Coming to MSU
Some of you have heard me tell the story of my first visit to Michigan State. Amy and I quietly slipped onto campus last fall to see if this was the sort of place we could embrace.
I enjoyed an early morning jog across campus on that mild fall day — a football Saturday. We watched a big win in Spartan Stadium and enjoyed dinner downtown. There was so much energy everywhere, it felt inviting it felt like home.
Our second visit sealed the deal. We returned in mid-December with our daughter, Tessa. It was spitting snow, and, having grown up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, I didn’t mind — but I remember thinking it might have caused a run for milk, bread and toilet paper at the grocery stores back in North Carolina.
Tessa hadn’t seen much snow, so it was actually a treat. I remember how that early winter day made our welcome feel even warmer.
The highlight for me was a wide-ranging conversation with a wonderfully diverse group of students in the Brody dining hall.
At a school with such a rich agriculture and dairy heritage, I guess it’s inevitable even in December that we came around to the topic of ice cream. I learned then of one of the great responsibilities and privileges that comes with the job: selecting a Dairy Store ice cream presidential flavor.
People talk about the weighty burdens of leadership and, well, I knew it would be a tough choice. But luckily, I found eager helpers during my spring visit to one of our residential colleges. So, a shout-out to the students at Lyman Briggs who eventually helped Amy and me land on my signature flavor: Presidential Gus-tachio. And it’s even green!
Over those few days in December, I saw that our university attracts wonderfully curious and engaged undergraduates … incredibly talented graduate students — who are so vital to our research and teaching … dedicated staff … and world-class faculty. We engaged with alums and friends of the university, and were inspired by their passion for Michigan State and their Spartan will to make a difference.
And we were warmly welcomed at Cowles House by Interim President Teresa Woodruff and her husband, Tom, who both exude such a deep commitment to the mission, values and legacy of this university.
I knew I wanted to be part of this special community. So did my family … and we took it as a good sign that Tessa’s first social media post with Sparty was a hit.
Michigan State’s story
And so, nearly 10 months later, I am deeply honored and grateful to work alongside so many dedicated Spartans to build on the strong foundation laid by those who came before us.
Michigan State’s story is one of a great and passionately public university embracing its three-part mission of education, research and outreach.
From day one, I have asked our university community to continue to strive to be bolder and more contemporary … to be strategic and student focused … and to serve the public good not just in Michigan, but around the world.
Our story began in the mid-19th century, driven by the recognition of the profound impact that scientific knowledge could have on economic advancement. The spirit of experimentation and curiosity has always been a cornerstone of our institution’s history.
From our earliest days, Michigan State has been a place where curiosity is not just encouraged — it is celebrated.
Our history, as imperfect as it may be, is defined by the successive generations who have tried to close the gap between what we are and what we can be.
Our power as an institution does not come from tradition alone; it also comes from the vision and energy of our community.
Our power does not come from stale ideas. It comes from innovation, fresh ideas and action.
I often speak of the importance of curiosity — the value of asking “why or why not.” as we imagine “what we can be”. It’s this spirit of inquiry that drives innovation, fosters discovery and leads to the breakthroughs that define us as a leading global public research university and, in fact, Michigan’s state university.
I think about how distinguished MSU botanist William J. Beal wondered how long weed seeds stayed viable in the soil to vex farmers. He famously buried bottles of seeds to test their germination over time, and now we know that, for some species, it’s 140 years and counting!
More recently, MSU plant scientist Federica Brandizzi wondered if fortifying seeds with amino acids would enhance their viability against harsh cosmic rays. If humanity is to ever live and travel in space, NASA wants to know — and so her 2022 space seed experiment orbited the moon.
From the earth’s soil … to lunar orbit … and now, from the depths of Lake Huron, come the latest articles of curiosity for Spartan plant scientists.
Just two weeks ago, divers retrieved a sample of rye seeds from a schooner sunk off Cheboygan in an 1878 storm. Already in the laboratory of wheat geneticist Eric Olson, the seeds are being analyzed and, hopefully, will sprout in the tradition of the Beal experiment.
Our stakeholders in such discoveries today count not only farmers as in Beal’s day … or future space travelers … but entrepreneurs like Chad Munger and his wife, Tracey, who Amy and I spent time with this past summer on Torch Lake.
Chad and Tracey are engaged Spartan alums and owners of Mammoth Distilling. They worked a few years ago with Dr. Olson to revive a heritage variety of grain they now raise in the isolation of South Manitou Island in Lake Michigan.
If those 146-year-old rye samples recovered from Lake Huron can be similarly revived, Chad and Tracey could develop new, Michigan-made products and Michigan State’s plant science — through an MSU Innovation Center collaboration — would claim another historic accomplishment.
Today, we are poised to bridge the university’s past and present as a leading global public research university — which was confirmed once again last week in the latest rankings. We will continue to prepare the next generation to address the grand challenges of today and tomorrow. And we will do it our way.
Talent activator for Michigan
Today, I’d like to define some examples of what I hope will serve as our “true north” on our journey together to provide the very best education and culture for Spartans and bold service to the public.
Our work begins by fortifying our position as a proudly inclusive university. We are one of only five such universities with an acceptance rate above 65% and a graduation rate above 80%. And we remain committed to closing our graduation gaps.
We start with access and retention or should I say, we continue with access and retention of our students.
In 1858, with just one year of operation behind Michigan State, our first president, Joseph Williams, concluded his report to the controlling board with this memorable phrase: “… the Institution should be good enough for the proudest and cheap enough for the poorest.”
A century later, our 12th president, John Hannah, reiterated that inclusive approach in his memoirs, reflecting that during his time, no American university surpassed “ … MSU in its effort to maintain and extend the land grant concept of a willingness to offer its services to all who were interested.”
And as we prepare to enter the second quarter of the 21st century, I’m proud to renew that pledge. Together, as one team, we are poised to make Michigan State an even greater talent magnet and activator for the state of Michigan and beyond: Truly, Michigan’s State University.
To support access and affordability, we already have some great programs in place, notably our Spartan Tuition Advantage, which covers tuition for qualifying in-state students.
To bolster these efforts and reduce financial roadblocks in the recruitment of the nation’s most accomplished students, I’m proud to announce today a new merit-based undergraduate scholarship named after our first president and first lady, Joseph R. and Sarah L. Williams.
He was a tenacious voice for the democratization of higher education and for Michigan State. She was an equally strong advocate for women’s rights.
Their legacies speak to us today as we prepare students for lives of success and purpose. I look forward to working with our generous alums and donors as we seek to fund this prestigious full-cost of attendance scholarship, which will also include an education abroad or other high-impact experiential learning opportunity.
I’m also happy to announce an expansion of Spartan Tuition Advantage through the establishment of the Native American Tuition Advantage Program.
Students from anywhere in the United States or Canada who meet tribal affiliation criteria will qualify to attend MSU at in-state tuition levels — and might also qualify for the Spartan Tuition Advantage.
Michigan State has a longstanding commitment to expanding access to an affordable four-year degree and has advanced programs and partnerships to provide students robust support in transferring to MSU.
So, I’m pleased to announce that new grant funding from the state of Michigan’s 60 by 30 initiative will support MSU’s efforts to help reach the goal of getting 60% of the state’s adults to a post-secondary credential by 2030 through enhanced partnerships with Michigan’s community colleges.
For example, we will expand Envision Green, our already vibrant transfer student partnership with Lansing Community College, while establishing a transfer student success center here on campus.
I want to thank Gov. Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential for this support and for their advocacy for higher education.
I’ve told our local government officials that we will do more to support the greater Lansing community. So, as we’ve seen the success of access programs elsewhere, we will expand our Detroit M.A.D.E. Scholars program concept to high school graduates in our local community. Similar to our Detroit students, our Lansing students will participate in community service and internships here at home, with cohort support from Michigan State.
Finally, I am excited to introduce the First Gen Center, a new initiative focused on supporting first-generation college students. The center will aggregate a variety of supportive programs, including our bridge-to-college programs, ensuring that first-generation students have the resources and guidance they need to thrive at Michigan State.
Students at Michigan State today are preparing for careers that will likely last into the 2060s. And if you think a lot has changed in the workplace over the last generation or two, imagine what’s in store for today’s students.
So, we need to prepare graduates for jobs that don’t yet exist — occupations we probably can’t even imagine.
Like the institution’s earliest students, who sought more than just an occupational education, today’s students challenge us to offer courses and experiences that help them pursue lives of purpose and meaning.
That should start with a modern general education curriculum, developed by a committee of our world-class faculty, following a thorough review to be initiated later this year.
I would further advocate an expectation for — and expansion of — experiential opportunities including directed research, internships, service-learning and education abroad. Such experiences offer meaningful reinforcement to classroom learning and differentiate students through their acquired breadth, depth and practice.
To support our shared work I’m launching a Green & White Council of civic and business leaders, funders and government officials. Such allies offer an extraordinary wealth of talent and knowledge and will advise us on how to best prepare our students to meet current and future workforce needs.
We will also launch a new presidential speaker series that will help our students learn to better navigate a world of diverse beliefs and viewpoints.
The series will focus on bringing thinkers and doers to our campus in an atmosphere of civil discourse across differences — a subject I’ve often written about this season.
And as we work to prepare citizens and leaders for the 21st century, I’m pleased to announce the establishment of the Michigan State University Ethics Institute.
It will be the only such institute in the state to move beyond its educational aspects to address institutional transformation —calling on all of us to model ethics and live our values in an ethical way.
Our annual ethics symposia over the past three years have laid a strong foundation for the institute.
This year’s symposium will explore the theme of professionalism, signaling that our work will range beyond theory and instruction to integrating ethical principles into the fabric of university life, research and community.
We’ll mark the institute’s establishment in early 2025 with events during Ethics Week in February.
Welcoming, safe and inclusive
And as I’m speaking about ethics, I want to reaffirm our values of diversity, equity and inclusion. We need to ensure a university that is welcoming, safe and inclusive if all our students are to not merely persist but to thrive.
This isn’t about buzzwords. It’s about leveraging the perspectives and lived experience of every Spartan to fulfill our individual and collective potential. It’s the foundation for our very future.
I’ve seen how classroom conversations among diverse students with different lived experiences bring a curriculum to life. Such interactions prepare graduates to be contributing citizens of the diverse world they will enter.
And so, we’ve added diversity programming to student orientation, created inclusive hiring practices and resources and added online dashboards and reports to track our progress.
We’re also expanding our 1855 Professorships, forming a cross-disciplinary faculty group working together to help advance MSU’s DEI objectives, enhance collaborations campuswide and foster new partnerships.
And I look forward to cutting the ribbon for our beautiful new multicultural center in February.
Additionally, we will continue our progress in preventing and responding to relationship violence and sexual misconduct.
I’m pleased that 21 of the 26 initiatives in our RVSM strategic plan have been completed, including actions such as building “pass the harasser” safeguards into our hiring processes.
And in the spring, we’ll issue our third “Know More” survey to gauge our campus community’s perceptions of our culture, policies and practices and inform decisions moving forward.
There is more work ahead, and we will continue assessing our culture and climate, make adjustments as necessary and become a more accountable institution. We will be guided by an unwavering commitment to providing a safe and equitable environment for all.
Taking on grand challenges
Preparing students for the careers of tomorrow — and to be curious and engaged citizens and leaders — is a critical obligation we hold. Just as important is leveraging our strengths in research to meet the grand challenges of today and tomorrow.
I’m pleased to say we’re well on track to reaching our goal of $1 billion in annual research and development expenditures by 2030.
And we see great potential for further growth and impact in areas such as women’s health, nuclear physics, agriculture, microelectronics and health equity just to name a few.
Consider, for example, the strong research collaborations provided by our partnerships with Henry Ford Health, Corewell Health and other health systems around the state
And our new university Health Sciences Council, that will help take our efforts to the next level by optimizing and coordinating our medical education, biomedical research and health care delivery.
In agriculture and natural resources — our first scientific specialty — we have an abundance of opportunities to address climate change, safeguard our water from substances such as PFAS and expand our leadership in plant science.
And in nuclear physics, we have another great example of our breadth, depth and practice in the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.
FRIB provides MSU a unique opportunity to not only unlock secrets of the physical universe, but to innovate for the common good — including isotope harvesting for a wide variety of purposes such as diagnostic medicine.
Faculty excellence will continue to be the chief driver of research success. So while saluting our faculty, I want to highlight a new hiring initiative for additional world-class faculty in line with MSU’s strategic vision for high-value areas of research.
Our Global Impact Initiative, launched in 2015 to recruit 100 faculty for new and expanding research areas, has been a resounding success. Global Impact faculty, along with the recruitment of top-tier graduate students, have greatly contributed to our recent growth in research expenditures and to the promise of new breakthroughs in vital areas.
Many of us know that cisplatin, found here in the 1960s to be an effective cancer treatment, became a gold standard in chemotherapy. Think about things like targeted cancer therapies that don't damage healthy cells and harnessing artificial intelligence to accelerate drug discovery.
And for other grand challenges, our Global Impact researchers are working to apply advanced remote sensing to better map rapidly changing land usage developing cybersecurity for autonomous vehicles and designing new materials for applications in energy storage.
So, I want to announce the launch of the next phase of our Global Impact Initiative, which was approved by the Board of Trustees in June. Seven new research proposals encompassing 20 new faculty positions have been selected, including in the areas of space electronics, computational biology and public health.
Meeting grand challenges means renewing our commitment and our legacy of learning from the communities we serve. That’s why I’m looking forward to the inaugural Spartan Bus Tour in three weeks, with a loop around Michigan touching base with communities around the Lower Peninsula.
I’ll join about 50 faculty members as we meet residents, business leaders and legislators in towns and communities our students call home — to learn their challenges and find ways to partner with them in our community-engaged tradition … represented so well by MSU Extension for more than a century.
Next-generation university
To forge ahead, we will need to marshal all our assets. That’s why we will redouble our efforts to become a next-generation organization focused on financial stewardship and operational excellence.
We already have a great start in our information technology and finance areas. I believe there is much more we can do to improve our services to our students and to one another.
I say that because I have been so impressed with the dedication and talents of our support staff, who — often unnoticed and behind the scenes — make this institution one that is effective and efficient and who make the work of all the rest of us possible.
I’ve mentioned the partnership of several stakeholders in our university, and I also want to shout-out our alums for helping to empower us for a bold future. You are 570,000 strong and passionate Spartans, and I want you to always be proud of your alma mater. Your voice matters!
A successful comprehensive capital campaign will be a game-changer for our campus and a testament to the belief you have in us. The details will be announced this spring when we launch, and we will provide our alumni and donors with many good reasons to support or expand their support for Michigan State.
Today, I’ve outlined just some of those reasons for you.
At the end of the day, we need to persuade all our partners of the meaningful return on investment offered by Michigan State. MSU has a great ROI for our graduates and their families, and also for our state and its taxpayers, who count on us to improve their quality of life. We will continue to deliver on that commitment.
An investment in Michigan State University is an appreciating asset, whether we’re talking about earning a degree or giving back to the next generation through what I intend to become known as Michigan’s state university!
Together, as one team, we will deliver on the promise of our university. I hope today that the glimpse I’ve shared of our “true north” for the journey ahead is as exciting to you as it is to me.
Thank you for your partnership and for placing your trust in me.
Our future is bright. Go Green!