December 2019 Newsletter

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Dear fellow Miamians, Renate and I wish you all a peaceful holiday season. We look forward to seeing you back on Miami’s campuses in 2020, and we are excited about the things we can accomplish together. Love and Honor,Greg Crawford TOP STORY Executing our MiamiRISE strategic plan Three months into our new MiamiRISE strategic plan, Academic Affairs is re-envisioning our programs, processes and goals to position Miami University as a leading public university for the future. We have engaged multiple shared governance groups to focus our curricular offerings on areas of student demand and employer need while maintaining our deep… Read more

November 2019 Newsletter

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Dear fellow Miamians, As we near the season of Thanksgiving, I am honored to reflect on the accomplishments and success of our students, faculty, staff and alumni. Our community members continue to set high standards, seek excellence in all they do and constantly move us forward in amazing ways. I am grateful to be surrounded by such talented and dedicated colleagues and friends. Thank you for all that you do. Love and Honor,Greg Crawford TOP STORY Planning underway for new health science building Miami has taken the first steps toward building a new health science building on the Oxford campus.… Read more

September, 2019 Newsletter

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Dear Miami community, It is hard to believe we are already more than one month into the fall semester. There are so many exciting things happening on our campuses. I am more optimistic than ever about Miami’s bright future. Thank you for all you do for Miami. Love and Honor,Greg Crawford TOP STORY Introducing MiamiRISE Thank you to the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, the dedicated group of 14 Miamians that worked throughout the 2018-2019 academic year to complete our new strategic plan. Co-chaired by Professors Julia Guichard and Bob Applebaum, the committee engaged campus broadly through listening sessions, departmental meetings… Read more

Science lovers rejoice – Science Friday is coming to Miami University

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Renate and I are so excited about the second semester, and especially about one of the signature events we are bringing to the Oxford campus – the popular public radio show Science Friday. We are both physicists. We love the fundamental question, the intrigue of a hypothesis and the revelation of a conclusion. For science lovers like us around the world, it doesn’t get much bigger than Science Friday. On April 21 at 7:30 p.m., host Ira Flatow and the Science Friday crew will host a special live performance in Hall Auditorium. Tickets go on sale Monday, Feb. 12, to… Read more

Seven trends for higher education in 2018: How does Miami look?

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We all know that higher education is changing dramatically. I would encourage you to read this recent article from “Inside Higher Ed,” outlining seven trends facing higher education in 2018. I found it interesting and wanted to offer you a few thoughts on how Miami is responding and will respond in the future. First – I believe that at Miami, we are working from a strong position. We offer an immersive undergraduate experience with access to outstanding faculty and excellent research. Our students work side-by-side with our faculty, making our education highly personalized and distinctive. We offer access through regional… Read more

In appreciation of Western College

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Miami University’s commitment to international engagement, social justice, and diversity draws on the deep roots of Western College for Women that became part of our family through the establishment of the Western College Alumnae Association more than 40 years ago. In the past year, I have experienced the ongoing benefits of collaboration and the honor of being associated with that courageous institution and its loyal, generous, and rightly proud Western College Alumnae Association. When it comes to international engagement, Western was far ahead of its time. In the mid-1950s, the college was recruiting international students and faculty, offering international travel seminars… Read more

We flourish following the Code

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A thoughtful Miami undergraduate asked me the other day, if I could expand the Code of Love and Honor, what would I add? I’d never considered that, and the question provided an opportunity for deep reflection. It gave me more appreciation and gratitude for the Code – and encouraged me to review its strength and the values, morals, and character it promotes. Following the Code fortifies the individual. It encourages us to stand for something – “honesty, integrity, and the importance of moral conduct,” “good judgment and … personal responsibility.” It provides a foundation of “character and intellect” and a… Read more

This is what Love and Honor looks like

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Miami University Students: This is what Love and Honor looks like. I saw it Saturday night in the student section of Yager Stadium; the multitude of students who packed the stands were magnified by a unity beyond measure. Thank you to every Miami student who turned out to show our spirit. Your presence and support mean so much to so many; to the team that played their hearts out; to the band, from which Love and Honor resounded in our fight song; to Swoop and the cheer squad that channeled our energy; to the dance team that dazzled us; to… Read more

Comments shared at the Memorial Service for Coach Ara Parseghian (’49)

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August 6, 2017 Greg and Renate Crawford Greg Crawford: When I told Coach Ara about the opportunity to become president of Miami University last year, he responded: “I guess there’s only one place I’d let you go.” He had often told me about Miami in the years we worked together in the fight against Niemann-Pick disease Type-C (NPC). It’s where he met Katie, Class of 1950 – we call such marriages a Miami Merger. He played football at Miami, he earned a bachelor’s and a master’s in education, he became head football coach, he served on the board of trustees.… Read more

Finding Your Voice

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I was recently asked to speak to Hamilton High School students on the topic “Finding Your Voice.” I enjoy interacting with high school students, so after eagerly accepting the invitation, I started wondering what finding your voice really means. Is it about me? Is it about others? How do they use their voice for others? Answering these questions was an energizing opportunity for reflection. As Miami president, it seemed that reflecting on “How Miami students find their voice” would be most relatable to students trying to decide about college and where the rest of their future would begin. My answer… Read more