Letter From the President

You hear it in the cheers echoing through the Bobcat Tunnel as new students arrive. You see it in the way faculty, staff and students help our new students move in. You experience it during any number of alumni conversations and interactions.

The fact is, we have a lot to be proud of. In the last three years, we’ve opened four new buildings — most recently, The SITE and our new School of Business. These newest additions — along with our Recreation and Wellness Center and The Grove — feature vibrant, state-of-the-art spaces that elevate student experiences across wellness, residential life and learning.

And we’re not only expanding our physical footprint — we’re expanding our academic offerings, too. This year, we’re launching a new sports communications major and a master’s degree in informatics. These programs show we’re not only abreast of trends, but we’re building programs to leverage them.

These are just a few of the many examples that point to the pride we share in both our community and our progress. That pride is reflected not only in the strides we see on campus but in the growing recognition we’re receiving. This fall, for the second year in a row, The Wall Street Journal ranked Quinnipiac among the top 100 universities in the country, moving us up 40 spots from 91 last year to 51 this year. It’s a powerful indication of the momentum we’re building as we write our next chapter.

That sense of pride will also be important as we embark on our Strategic Visioning Initiative. We’re asking bold questions like: What values define us? What goals will guide us? How will we build on our strengths to meet the needs of a changing world? I know many of you added your voices to this effort, filling out the survey that was sent to alumni, faculty, students and staff in August.

As we shape our future together, we also take pride in our alumni who are shaping the future of the next generation. An example is the One Million Reasons Scholarship, launched through a $5 million matching gift from Bill and Barbara Weldon ’71. One recipient is Jenny J. Lizarraga, MD ’27. Raised in rural Arizona by a single mother, she saw firsthand the devastating effects of limited healthcare access. She dreamed of becoming a physician, but financial barriers loomed large. Jenny is now pursuing that dream as a Quinnipiac medical student and thanks to Bill and Barbara’s vision, the scholarship not only helped to relieve financial stress — it enabled her to focus fully on learning medicine.

Everywhere I look, I see a university taking pride in who we are today and who we can become in the future. As we write our next great chapter together, I invite you to stay connected, share your ideas and help shape what comes next.

Marie Hardin, President

Photo credit: Aaron Kotowski