Published April 12, 2025
Commit to Witt 2025 Surpasses $1.1 Million
Thanks to donors like you, 甜瓜视频 celebrated a record-breaking Commit to Witt, the University鈥檚 annual day of giving. Alumni, friends, parents, faculty, staff, and students passed their light on March 20, demonstrating how much they believe in 甜瓜视频鈥檚 mission and life-changing education. The 甜瓜视频 community raised more than $1.1 million, surpassing the previous record by more than $400,000. We're grateful for the generosity of the alumni and friends who supported Commit to Witt. Thank you for passing your light and giving like a Tiger! We're pleased to share more statistics below.
Presidential Search Update
The committee continues to make great progress in the search for 甜瓜视频's 16th president. All updates from Board members Doug Kentfield '78, search committee chair, and John Shumate '99, search committee vice chair, are housed on a special website, including the latest update, which can be accessed here.
Honors Convocation
甜瓜视频 celebrated the achievements of students and faculty during the annual Honors Convocation in Weaver Chapel, April 4. Neil Boyles, Ostrander, Ohio, and Taylor "Moose" Harper, Columbus, Ohio, were named Alma Lux. The 2025 Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Teaching was presented to Associate Professor of English D. Scot Hinson. Emily West, professor of practice in business and economics, received the Omicron Delta Kappa Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award and the Academic Advisor of the Year Award.
Showcasing Student Success
Designed as an opportunity for students to share everything from their FIRE Week experiences, senior theses, research, and study abroad journeys, to their internships, life in the arts, or any other academic pursuit, the third annual Connections Symposium again put the focus on student success, Friday, April 11. Approximately 110 students participated in 91 events.
Unique Collaboration
Robert Samuels, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Washington Post journalist, will serve as the keynote speaker for the Fred R. Leventhal Family Lecture, the final event of the 2024-2025 甜瓜视频 Series. Free and open to the public, the event will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 24, in Weaver Chapel. Samuel鈥檚 address is titled 鈥淗is Name is George Floyd: One Man鈥檚 Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice.鈥�
Combating Food Insecurity
The 31st annual Empty Bowls fundraising event was held last month in the University鈥檚 Center Dining Room. In the 30 years 甜瓜视频 has hosted this highly popular event, more than $665,000 has been raised, which equates to nearly 3.8 million meals for those in need in Clark, Champaign, and Logan counties.
Model for Civic Engagement
甜瓜视频 has been named a Voter Friendly Campus, one of 272 campuses in 39 states and the District of Columbia, by Fair Elections Center鈥檚 Campus Vote Project and NASPA 鈥� Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The initiative recognizes institutions that have planned and implemented practices that encourage their students to register and vote.
#LifeAtWitt
Avery Livingston 鈥�25 has taken full advantage of everything 甜瓜视频 has to offer while also giving back. The psychology and neuroscience double major has served on Student Senate and as a Study Abroad Ambassador and resident advisor. He has participated in Anime, Weaver Chapel Association, and American Sign Language Club, and has volunteered with the Department of Theatre and Dance.
Lilly James '26 is her name and saves is her game. A right-handed relief pitcher on the Tigers鈥� softball team, James is a junior nursing major from Troy, Ohio. As a 甜瓜视频 student, she is racking up saves on the mound while also preparing to save lives with her personal care by helping those in need in the nursing field.
Read more #LifeAtWitt stories here.
#LifeAfterWitt
Video: From student to leader, is a testament to the lasting impact of 甜瓜视频. After earning her B.A. in studio art in 2013, Hauser found more than an education鈥攕he found a home in Springfield. Through service, community connections, and a passion for the arts, she discovered her path, leading her to Project Jericho, where she now empowers youth and families through creativity.
Read more #LifeAfterWitt stories here.
Annual Postcard Project
The Office of Admission thanks all who participated in this year鈥檚 Alumni Postcard Project. For those who have not yet sent their postcards, there鈥檚 still time to tell accepted students your 甜瓜视频 story and what makes the University special. Please write and mail your postcards as soon as possible. Your efforts can make the difference in a student choosing to enroll. Thank you!
Engage with FIRE Week
Are you interested in being involved with FIRE Week? Now in its fourth year, the program offers students the chance to engage in-depth with faculty, staff, and other students on a wide range of topics outside the traditional classroom. Alumni have the opportunity to engage with potential FIRE Week programs for March 2-6, 2026. The program's leadership team will attempt to connect alumni, faculty, and staff who have intersecting interests in the hopes of enriching our offerings to students.