Baker Proud Spring 2017 - 2

BAKER PROUD | Spring 2017

A Message from
Dr. Murray
Dear alumni,
Even by Baker University's standards, this has been a historic year. The following pages bring
to life the record-breaking fall sports season, but even more than that, they demonstrate your
remarkable dedication to your alma mater. It brought a huge smile to my face to flip through the
Daytona photo essay (page 14) and see so many familiar faces who made the road trip to watch
our Wildcats play in the National Championship. Without question, my favorite image from last
winter is of Tom Kennedy, Baker's groundskeeper, pulling up to the stadium with our inflatable
BU helmet in the back of his truck after driving 1,282 miles. BTID, indeed!
The athletic arena is not the only place Baker University has enjoyed important gains, however. As alumni, you'll be pleased to know enrollment at the College of Arts and Sciences is
trending significantly upward. In fact, based on the number of deposits already received, the
Class of 2021 is shaping up to be the largest in the university's history. This, of course, comes on
the heels of last year's freshman class, which was the largest since the university added wrestling and bowling in 2009. At the graduate level, the School of Education graduated a record 27
doctoral students in December and has received more than 40 applications for next August's
term. Moreover, the Alumni Referral program continues to generate applications to Baker; we've
received more than 350 referrals across all four schools. Thank you for spreading the word!
Your commitment has been felt on the fundraising trail, too. In January, we received a $1 million matching gift to establish an endowed chair for the Department of Business and Economics
at the College of Arts and Sciences. And, thanks to your support, we've secured enough private
funding to renovate our weight room and fitness center, as well as start the Rice Auditorium
renovation project. As many of you know, last fall, we received a $300,000 gift from the Sunderland Foundation in Kansas City to rehabilitate the performing arts center. We are eager for
that facelift, in particular, because of its potential to draw guest speakers, musicians, and other
performers to our campus.
Lastly, friends, I'd like to point your attention to the Alumni Weekend calendar on page 24.
STAG, sports, or science, wherever your Baker affinity lies, we'd love to see you!
Baker Proud,

Dr. Lynne Murray
University President

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baker Proud Spring 2017