Marquette Today

Campus News and Events

Submit news

Menu

  • Campus News
    • Top News for Students
    • Top News for Faculty & Staff
    • Magazines at Marquette
    • Campus Alerts
  • Archives
  • Submit news
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • Contacts
  • @MarquetteToday
  • Events Calendar
  • Topics
    • Community Engagement
    • Diversity
    • Innovation
    • Master Planning
    • Marquette Momentum
    • Research
    • Strategic Planning
  • April 1, 2023

President Lovell announces several new initiatives at Presidential Address

January 24, 2019

Photos by Jesse Lee.

Nearly 450 faculty, staff and students packed the AMU Monaghan Ballroom on Jan. 23, 2019 to hear President Michael R. Lovell deliver his fifth Presidential Address. President Lovell spoke about the state of the university and implementation of Marquette’s strategic plan, Beyond Boundaries, and also announced several new initiatives and three Difference Maker Award winners. At one point, he brought up the student entrepreneur behind Headphones+, the first product invented in the 707Hub to be available on Amazon, for an audience giveaway. The full address is available online.

Campus to celebrate 50th anniversary of EOP during the 2019-20 academic year
During the 2019-20 academic year, Marquette will honor the Educational Opportunity Program’s 50th anniversary with a yearlong series of events. Marquette’s EOP program was established in 1969 in response to racial unrest and student concerns, and was so successful that it became the model for the federally funded TRiO program.

President Lovell announced the creation of an EOP 50th Anniversary steering committee, co-chaired by Rana Altenburg, vice president for public affairs; Dr. William Welburn, vice president for inclusive excellence; Dr. John Su, vice provost for academic affairs; and Maureen Hoyler, president of the Council for Opportunity in Education. Watch Marquette Today for updates on the steering committee and celebratory events during the 2019-20 academic year.

$5 million gift will establish research-based Institute for Women’s Leadership
Building upon its historic role as the first coeducational Catholic university in the world beginning in 1909, Marquette will establish a research-based Institute for Women’s Leadership. The institute is expected to launch in summer 2019, and will focus its efforts on research, leadership development programming and networking opportunities related to women’s leadership topics and gender equality in education and the workplace.

The new Institute for Women’s Leadership will help Marquette develop cutting-edge research to influence the national discussion on gender inequality, as well as enhance leadership and career development programming for women on campus and in the community. It will be overseen by Marquette’s Office of Research and Innovation, led by Dr. Jeanne Hossenlopp.

The creation of the Institute for Women’s Leadership was made possible by a generous $5 million gift from the Thomas J. Rolfs Family Foundation. A faculty director will be named, and a to-be-determined space on campus will be designated for the institute.

$250,000 President’s Challenge grant awarded to team of faculty and community organizations
Developed in partnership with the Johnson Controls Foundation, the President’s Challenge provides a $250,000, two-year grant for one interdisciplinary, collaborative proposal that seeks to change the trajectory of lives in our community.

The winning proposal, led by Dr. Amy Van Hecke, associate professor of psychology, along with Marquette nursing, education, counseling psychology, computer science, communication, psychology, and speech pathology and audiology faculty members, is titled, “Next Step Clinic: A Partnership Targeting Mental and Developmental Health for Milwaukee’s Underserved Children and Families.”

The Next Door Foundation, located in the Metcalfe Park neighborhood of Milwaukee, has an empty space that will be transformed into the Next Step Clinic to serve Milwaukee children and families struggling with mental health and developmental concerns. The clinic will seek out and serve Milwaukee families adversely impacted by racial and socioeconomic health disparities, with an additional focus on families who have been affected by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma or chronic toxic stress and developmental delays. View this video to learn more.

Marquette is first major conference NCAA Division I institution to add a varsity esports program
After speaking about the increasingly competitive landscape of higher education, President Lovell announced the creation of a Marquette varsity esports team, which will be the first in the nation to be run by a major conference Division I athletics program. Esports — the world of competitive online video gaming — is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with an estimated global audience expected to increase to 580 million people by 2020.

Marquette’s new varsity esports program is expected to positively impact student engagement and enrollment. Faculty from computer science, physics, mathematics and other disciplines throughout the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences will collaborate closely with Intercollegiate Athletics to help connect students who have an interest in esports with relevant academic content and hands-on learning opportunities.

Marquette’s new varsity esports team will be managed by the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, in close collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs, the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, and the Office of Admissions. When it launches in fall 2019, Marquette’s varsity esports team will be run like any other varsity sport — there will be tryouts, a coach will be hired, regular practices will be held and the team will represent Marquette at esports tournaments.

Marquette has had an esports club team since 2015. About 40 students currently participate in the club team, which represents Marquette at BIG EAST-sponsored esports tournaments. More information about esports is online.

Difference Maker Awards
In addition to the new initiatives, President Lovell gave out three Difference Maker Awards to faculty, staff and students who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to positively impact an individual, group or community organization. This year’s recipients were:

  • Katie Simet, assistant director for academic services in Intercollegiate Athletics, along with student-athletes who travelled to Costa Rica to build a basketball court for underserved kids, in partnership with the nonprofit Courts for Kids.
  • Angela Schultz, assistant dean for public service at Marquette University Law School, for her leadership of the Milwaukee Justice Center, a collaboration among Milwaukee County Clerk of Courts, Milwaukee Bar Association and the Law School. The Milwaukee Justice Center addresses unmet legal needs of low-income individuals through court-based programs and legal resources.
  • Malaina Moore, a junior in the Diederich College of Communication and the playwright behind “White Privilege,” a play about how the color of one’s skin can lead to a very different experience of the world. The play was selected for the regional Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Madison.

Filed Under: For Faculty/Staff, For Students, Home - Top Stories, News

More news

Virtual Parent Prayer Circle, May 4

April 1, 2023

On the Issues: Unconscious Bias—Knowing What You Don’t Know, April 12

March 31, 2023

IWL WISDOM conversation, April 17

March 31, 2023

The promising future of integrated motor drives in e-mobility applications, April 11

March 31, 2023

HeART of Milwaukee, April 22 in AMU

March 31, 2023

St. Joan of Arc Chapel honored in 2022 Faith & Form Awards for Religious Architecture & Art

March 30, 2023

Kate Trevey named to BizTimes Milwaukee’s Notable Women in STEM

March 30, 2023

Spring General Election Day, April 4

March 30, 2023

More news

Quick Links

  • Faculty/Staff News
  • Student News
  • Magazines at Marquette
Submit news

Featured Stories

Student-Made Marquette gives student entrepreneurs an e-tail platform

Student-Made Marquette gives student entrepreneurs an e-tail platform

By Kevin Keenan, communication intern in the Office of University Relations  In the same vein as other popular online marketplaces, Marquette students can now showcase their entrepreneurial spirit on Student-Made Marquette, a largely student-led arts collective made up of creators and innovators within the campus community. It officially launched on Feb. 1, 2023. Kelsey Otero, senior […]

Page, stage and beyond

Page, stage and beyond

When a production of “Les Misérables” came to Milwaukee in late 2022, Dr. Ben Pladek extended the reach of Romantic Studies by leading the community in conversations about the musical’s 19th century origins and contemporary relevance. Illustration by Robert Neubecker By Laura Bengs Like one of Victor Hugo’s characteristically ludicrous coincidences woven through his classic novel […]

World-class alliance

World-class alliance

Membership in the Newberry Library’s Center for Renaissance Studies Consortium opens doors — and valuable funding and fellowship opportunities — for Marquette scholars. Illustration by Stephanie Dalton Cowan By Jennifer Walter To better understand the present, sometimes it helps to look to the past. “When I read about the social worlds depicted in 18th-century literature, […]

Read more featured stories.

Safety

Free steering wheel locks available from MUPD; new software available for Hyundai vehicles

Safety Task Force efforts help lead to reduced crime on campus

Marquette University makes safety a top priority

Human Resources News

The importance of dental health – Access services at Marquette’s School of Dentistry

Register for upcoming GROW classes 

GROW courses on performance review process 

Research

Page, stage and beyond

World-class alliance

Apply for NMDSI mini-grants by April 7

Awards & Accomplishments

St. Joan of Arc Chapel honored in 2022 Faith & Form Awards for Religious Architecture & Art

Kate Trevey named to BizTimes Milwaukee’s Notable Women in STEM

Nursing professor honored with Vel R. Phillips Trailblazer Award from Milwaukee Common Council

Marquette UniversityCopyright 2022 by Marquette University
MARQUETTE.EDU // A TO Z