As a member of our extended Ferris community you understand how much we believe in the distinctive, special mission of Ferris State University, something we trace back to our founders, Woodbridge and Helen Ferris. Like you, we are immensely proud of the quality education and life-changing experiences we provide to our students. It is always gratifying to see this validated by others. This fall the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings recognized Ferris State University as one of the top 500 institutions in the nation, one of only five public universities in the state and the only one in West Michigan. This rating uniquely included a survey of students, and out of all Michigan public universities, Ferris scored highest in engagement (17 out of 20) and right choice (8.92 out of 10). These ratings reflect the very positive responses from our students in this survey. It is wonderful to see our University recognized by this survey’s criteria and research, reflecting our ongoing success at engaging students and helping them prepare for successful futures.
The next time you are in Big Rapids, I encourage you to see a wonderful example of what student and faculty engagement with the community can create. This fall our community honored completion of the Celebration Pavilion located in Mitchell Creek Park. Under the direction of faculty member Dave Murray, Welding students invested thousands of hours of effort in creating and installing the 25-foot diameter, 23-foot high structure (see page 1). Beyond exemplifying how theory meets practice for Ferris students, it also demonstrates the increasing global nature of our educational programs. Students who worked on this project are not only from Michigan and throughout the Midwest, but also from Botswana and Saudi Arabia. Imagine the sense of pride for our students, from both near and afar, on creating such a beautiful and lasting contribution to the Big Rapids community.
Ferris is a unique place where faculty create new, innovative and creative degrees that meet the changing needs of our economy. During the past five years our faculty have developed and implemented over 20 new degree programs. An example of this is our new Professional Brew Management associate degree, preparing students for careers in Michigan’s rapidly-growing craft beer and culinary tourism industries (see page 9). This degree aligns well with our bachelor’s degree in Industrial Chemistry that has a concentration in Fermentation Science. The quality of our faculty, together with their ability and willingness to innovate, creates wonderful new opportunities for our students.
The futures of our students are at the core of our efforts at Ferris. In July we launched the Ferris Futures Scholarship Challenge seeking to develop $36 million in scholarship endowments for our students by 2022. During this campaign gifts to new and existing endowments will be matched dollar-for-dollar. In four months we have raised more than $1.8 million dollars, creating $3.6 million in endowed student scholarships. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a lasting legacy of support for our students. The story of Pharmacy alumnus Adel Makki, profiled in this edition (see page 31), is a wonderful example of how each of us can make that important difference.
We are very excited about our future at Ferris State University. Nearly $71 million in construction projects are underway in Big Rapids, from a new 402-bed, four-story residence hall next to our new University Center to the expansion of the Swan Annex to create Centers for Welding Excellence and Advanced Manufacturing. Please stay in touch and know you are always welcome on our campuses and at events. Thank you for all you do for our students and our University, it is deeply and sincerely appreciated.
David L. Eisler
President