Recruiting for Fall 2012
A huge thank you to all of the volunteers who have helped Miami in its quest to recruit the brightest and best students for the Class of 2016.  As you can see from the information below, your efforts made a huge impact this fall.  Whether you attended a college fair, assisted an admission staff member at a prospective student reception, or simply dialed in for one of the training sessions, your participation and involvement are greatly appreciated!

While the majority of the recruitment efforts for Fall 2012 are over, the Office of Admission will continue to accept applications through February 1, 2012. Though we won’t know the final number of applications received for several months, the Office of Admission is currently (as of 12/9/2011) reporting an increase of more than 10% in the number of first-year applications. Additionally, Early Decision applications (students who are committed to attending Miami should they be accepted), increased by an amazing 96% this year. Admission decisions for these newest additions to the Miami family will be announced on December 15.

Miami ranks as a national leader for undergraduate teaching
Miami University has again gained national recognition for its commitment to undergraduate teaching in the U.S.News and World Report 2012 edition of America's Best Colleges.  Miami ranks third nationally—trailing only Dartmouth College and Princeton University who tied for this year’s premier spot—and is the top public university in this category, as voted by top college administrators throughout the country.

Miami is once again in excellent academic company with this latest ranking; University of Maryland Baltimore County, Yale, Brown University, Stanford, College of William and Mary, UC Berkeley and University of Notre Dame rounded out the top 10 spots.

Ground broken on Armstrong Student Center for 2014 opening
A vision more than a decade in the making took an important step Thursday, Oct. 6 when ground was officially broken for Miami University's new Armstrong Student Center.

“The Armstrong Student Center represents a remarkable achievement by the Miami University family,” said President Hodge. “From the students who challenged the university to build a focal point for its 21st-century student experience to the alumni and friends who have supported and invested in that dream, we are creating a legacy that will enhance the Miami experience and lead directly to the success of future Miamians.”

Scheduled for first-phase completion in 2014, the Armstrong Student Center will create a focus for the Miami experience and will provide students opportunities to come together to collaborate, exercise leadership and connect globally through advanced technologies.  The 203,000-square-foot structure will include a 500-seat theatre, the largest formal event space on campus, and a two-story Center for Student Engagement and Leadership (SEAL).

President Obama honors Miami professor
Carole Dabney-Smith, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Miami University, was among 94 researchers named by President Barack Obama to receive the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). This is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government for outstanding scientists and engineers who are in the early stages of their independent research careers.

“It is inspiring to see the innovative work being done by these scientists and engineers as they ramp up their careers — careers that I know will be not only personally rewarding but also invaluable to the nation,” President Obama said. “That so many of them are also devoting time to mentoring and other forms of community service speaks volumes about their potential for leadership, not only as scientists but as model citizens.”

Dabney-Smith, who joined Miami in 2008, received a $750,000 grant from the DOE’s Early Career Research Program in 2010 for her work in the assembly of photosynthesis complexes and its impact on the future of biofuel production.

She, “has attracted a talented group of graduate students and five undergraduates to her research laboratory,” said Chris Makaroff, chair and professor of chemistry and biochemistry. “She is an excellent mentor who works side by side with her students in the lab helping them develop into independent scientists, as evidenced by the fact that each of her students is a co-author on manuscripts that are either submitted or in preparation.”

Miami to open Digital Innovation Center in San Francisco
Beginning in January, students taking part in Miami University’s distinguished Armstrong Interactive Media Studies (AIMS) program will have the opportunity to study at the school’s new Digital Innovation Center in San Francisco.

The AIMS program is an interdisciplinary program that develops new approaches to the creation and use of digital technologies. Electronic Gaming Monthly is calling the program one of the “top six programs to watch,” along with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Students who enroll at the AIMS Digital Innovation Center in San Francisco will have access to internships at technology companies in the Bay Area, as well as lectures from leading industry experts and rising stars of digital innovation.

“We’re building a bridge and a presence from Oxford,” said Glenn Platt, AIMS co-director. “We believe our students will not only get something from being out there, but they will bring something as well. Besides expertise in interactive media, our students have the perspective of the heartland, and that’s something of value to the companies we’re partnering with.”

Institute for Entrepreneurship named Ohio Center of Excellence
Miami University's Institute for Entrepreneurship was recently named an Ohio Center of Excellence in Cultural and Societal Transformation.

The Institute for Entrepreneurship includes the Thomas C. Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, which focuses on undergraduate teaching and research, and the Center for Social Entrepreneurship, which has been internationally recognized for its award-winning program that seeks to apply innovative solutions to persistent social problems.  A unique feature of the Institute for Entrepreneurship is that it brings together students with different majors from across the university. This interdisciplinary approach encourages innovative thinking, and prepares graduates to be leaders in their workplaces and communities.

The Institute annually ranks as one of the top entrepreneurial programs in the nation and was ranked 15th in 2011 by The Princeton Review/Entrepreneur magazine.

At Miami’s institute, entrepreneurship is taught through immersion in real-world experiences such as client projects, internships, student-run businesses and its own business incubator called the RedHawk Hatchery.

Miami captures "Aha" moment in newly created ad campaign
Trying to depict the transformative moments that take place daily within its academic classrooms that forever shape the future of its students, Miami University recently launched its Fall 2011 advertising campaign.

“As educators, we live for the moments that change students, driving them to become who they are, whether it is an ‘Aha’ moment in the classroom, during a group project, or even while writing a paper. These are the moments we live for, why we teach and who we are,” said Tracy Hughes, director of Miami’s marketing and creative services department.

The message will be represented in television spots and radio announcements, on billboards, in cinema ads, and online on Pandora and Facebook.  The commercial also aired during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, Nov. 24.