Cheryl Schrader has been selected as the seventh president of Wright State University. She is the first female president in the university's history, and the current Chancellor of the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
"Thank you Board of Trustees for the confidence and trust that you place in me today," she said at the announcement ceremony on March 6 in the Student Union Atrium.
"As the president designate of this fine university, I believe that institutions like Wright State must take a leadership role in addressing challenges, and we must provide abundant opportunities for young men and women to excel in fields that will define our future, our success and will help improve our world and the human condition," Schrader said. "We must nurture an ecosystem that allows creativity and innovation to thrive among all of our students, scholars, researchers and employees. Only through creative thinking and the convergence of ideas will we be able to address the critical issues of our time as well as prepare the coming generations for the issues they will face int he future. Innovation is at the core of this university's founding. Research universities like Wright State play a pivotal role in addressing important national and state changes, however the old playbook for higher education is undergoing significant revision, and no single institution can solve these challenges on its own."
"Over the first year, I will focus on threefold mission: Financial sustainability, administrative transparency and campus conversation."
"Now I suspect that you are viewing this leadership transition with excitement, and probably a little healthy nervousness. Frankly, so am I," Schrader said. "From today until the day I set foot on this campus as president, I will be preparing for my new role, assessing vulnerabilities, and laying the groundwork for our success....I look forward to getting to know you, to building relationships, to creating network and support coalition, to understanding Wright State and its culture."
