Fortifying the future, Miami goes "Boldly Creative"

Miami's Center for Analytics and Data Science (CADS) brings together students and faculty from a wide range of disciplines. Fifth Third bank recently became the center's seventh partner. CADS will host its third DataFest competition April 6-8. The nursing program (students in a nursing lab at the Hamilton campus, below), centered at the Regionals campuses, will expand to the Oxford campus in fall 2018.

Miami University will invest $50 million in a new generation of academic excellence, enhancing its nationally recognized undergraduate teaching, learning and research with a sharpened focus on innovation and creativity.

Called Boldly Creative, the multiyear initiative will emphasize data, analytics and programs that span traditional disciplines, creating engaged citizens and workplace leaders who will help expand the Ohio economy.

Miami faculty will generate the ideas for investment, all aimed at sustaining Miami's premier undergraduate experience and creating new partnerships with industry and government.

"We will unleash creativity and innovation to equip our students with the skills they need to solve the biggest challenges in our state, nation and world,” Miami University President Gregory P. Crawford said. “These programs will also enhance the undergraduate experience that has defined Miami for generations, allowing us to continue to attract top students and faculty to Miami.”

Pilot projects this year will help train Ohio health care workers in advanced data and analytics, expand nursing programs to fill a critical workforce need, and create professional degrees to help workers advance their careers. In future years, faculty will propose projects for annual funding through a rigorous application process.

“We are thinking big,” said Miami Provost Phyllis Callahan. “We’re encouraging proposals that will generate new achievement, research, student enrollment and that will become self-sustaining.”

Crawford, an Ohio-trained physicist who holds 21 patents and patent applications and who has co-founded two companies, launched Boldly Creative earlier this year. On March 21, he unveiled it to state leaders during an event at the Ohio Statehouse.

Miami generated the funds internally for the initiative through budget savings, and all of the money will be invested back into academics.