Marshall University’s accomplishments and a look at what lies ahead were highlighted at the State of the University address in Washington, D.C. last week to promote ‘Marshall on the Rise.’ 

The annual event aims to acknowledge what the faculty, staff and students have accomplished in the last year and what success they hope to see in the year to come.

Mike Hamrick, Marshall athletic director, served as master of ceremonies for the event, and was first to mention the accomplishments that Herd Zone had this season. 

Hamrick said he was proud of the football team’s bowl game success, the men and women’s basketball team competing in post-season play, as well as the men winning the CIT. 

Hamrick also discussed the acquisition of the Flint property in the Highlawn area of Huntington and the plans of the new university baseball stadium to be constructed there.

Senator Shelley Moore Capito also attended, congratulating those who helped Marshall reach R2 Research status.

“Those things build and build and build,” Capito said. “This is not something that just happens, it is not something that happens overnight either. It is something that you build on and you work toward. With good things you get good things, by upping your status as a research university you are going to see a lot more research dollars flowing toward Marshall.” 

The R2 classification ranks Marshall in the top 6% of American universities, landing  it among universities such as Baylor and Wake Forest.

President Jerry Gilbert’s State of the University speech emphasized the new theme that is ‘Marshall on the Rise.’  

Gilbert said one of his early goals when becoming Marshall University president was to take the research expenditures to 50 million dollars a year. 

“We are now at 32 million dollars,” Gilbert said, “A strong indicator that Marshall is on the rise.” 

Other successes and improvements that Gilbert discussed were the donation of 25 million dollars from Brad and Alys Smith, which is the one of the three largest private donations in Marshall history, the completion of the Marshall School of Pharmacy, the new residential hall and other changes coming for students in the fall.  The university is also renovating parts of Old Main, the Memorial Student Center and the bookstore. 

“We are on the Rise,” Gilbert said “We want you to rise with us. Go Herd.”

Sydney Shelton can be contacted at [email protected].