This is an amazing sight; so many friends, colleagues, and supporters. This day carries such significance for me personally and professionally. And it is so meaningful to me and my family that you are here sharing this special day with us.
I am beyond proud and humbled to be standing here today as your President and a member of a very special Florida Tech family. (See photo gallery at the end.)
Forward Together. Boundless Potential – That’s the theme for our 65th anniversary this year and, ultimately, our new vision and strategic plan. To me, that phrase resonates and is far more than some tag line. It represents the limitless opportunities that lay before us and speaks to how we will capitalize on them, together.
There is something inherently special about the dynamics of a real team, all pulling in the same direction, towards a common objective, and the resulting outcomes and successes that it can achieve are truly boundless.
Henry Ford articulated it well. “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”
What I’ve learned over my career is that a leader without the right team is going nowhere. It’s the surrounding team that gives motion and substance to progress. To that end, I am eternally grateful to some very important people that I consider to be my team. You have supported me and this amazing institution. We’re here today, in large part, because of the role you have played.
I want to first thank our students for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here. Thank you, Erik, for your kind words. Thanks to our incredibly talented and dedicated faculty and staff for everything you do on a daily basis to make this University great, always seeking to improve. These are the people that really deserve recognition today because they are the teachers, the researchers, and the supporters and mentors that impact students the most on a daily basis.
I take your trust in me seriously, and it is an honor to serve you. Alan and Sarah, your partnership means so much to me and to our future success.
A special thanks to our Board of Trustees members here today and especially to Chairman Travis Proctor. I appreciate your leadership, wisdom and support of this incredible University and the impactful work we do here.
Thank you to our alumni that are joining us today for your support of your alma mater and for paying it forward to the next generation of Panthers, and thank you, Sherry for your kind words.
Thank you to our elected officials who are here today. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedules to be here today. And thank you to Michael for your remarks on behalf of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce. Your leadership and support of Florida Tech are vital and very much appreciated.
Thank you, President Catanese, for being here today and for playing such a pivotal, leadership role in laying a strong foundation for Florida Tech’s future.
I need to recognize the incredible team of individuals who worked so hard and tirelessly to organize these amazing events today’s events. Thank you to the Planning Committee: Allie Biagioni, Aaron Breaux, Al Brown, Rachel Carroll, Gary Grant, Sarah Irizarry, Jenn Havery Johnson, Shelley Johnson, Caroline Johnston, Ann Marie Kousari, Chelsea Lewis, Andy McIlwraith, Cat Nanney, Evan Olsen, Hamid Rassoul, Jeff Richardson, Leslie Smith, Mine Subasi, Wes Sumner, and Cheryl Trainer-Hazelett. Also thanks to Anke Backer of my office.
I’m so grateful to our numerous sponsors for today’s festivities—and they are also highlighted in your program—I extend my personal thanks to: Leonardo DRS, the Florida Tech Alumni Association, Hedrick Brothers Construction and Florida Power and Light.
I’m very proud to announce that around today’s events, we have raised more than $160,000. The majority of those dollars are for scholarships that benefit Florida Tech students and support their goal of a life-changing education. Thank you.
I want to express a special thanks to our distinguished University Presidents here today, as well as representatives and delegates of other universities around the country; I am honored you chose to be here. Thanks also to my long-time friends and colleagues attending from around the country; it means so much that you are with us to share in this celebration.
And a heartfelt thank you to my family here today, as well as my brothers and sisters who are viewing from afar. Your encouragement and continuing support have been important throughout my life. I also want to thank my late mother and father. I know they are here with us today and smiling down on us. I could not have asked for better teachers and mentors.
And last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my son, Ethan, and my wife, the other Dr. Nicklow.
Ethan, I am so proud of the man you have become, and I’m honored to be your father. Thanks for your support and all of the lessons you have imparted to me that have made me a better person, a better leader, and, most importantly, a better dad.
And Stacy, you’ve been my best friend and most ardent cheerleader for years. The Presidency is a team effort, and you’re the perfect teammate and partner. Thank you for your support and love. I couldn’t do this without you. I love you.
There are many reasons Florida Tech was so appealing to Stacy and me, and it begins with its rich history and impact.
We are proud of the 65 years of education and research support that we have provided to the space industry and to NASA, in particular. From our original founding as Cape Canaveral’s own ‘Countdown College’ for missile men and women, we have evolved into the world-renowned STEM institution we are today that supports and partners with all kinds of industries across the Space Coast and the globe.
Indeed, NASA’s founding in July 1958 and Florida Tech’s first cohort of students welcomed two months later demonstrate the value of partnerships. When you reflect upon “America’s Space Program,” it is easy to see our University as one of the most enduring and valuable gifts of that program.
From those small beginnings, we have become a 10,000-student, national research university that creates new generations of scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and more who push the boundaries of human knowledge and exploration.
We have an amazingly diverse campus, with students from every corner of the globe, and pride ourselves on creating a sense of belonging for each of them. And we continue to create lasting, unique impact and positive influence on others each and every day.
We’re now a leader and major asset in the education and research landscape, generating talent and technology for industry partners, and we’ve become a major economic player across the Space Coast and beyond. And there’s much more to come.
You may have heard that we surged in the most recent Global Employability University Ranking and Survey, where we were ranked directly by employers and HR professionals as 17th in the entire country, and certainly tops in the state of Florida. That makes our graduates some of the most employable talent in the country.
And in the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse Rankings, we were 8th in the country for the quality of the career and learning-related opportunities we provide to students.
And lastly, one I’m especially proud of is also from the Wall Street Journal that ranks us 6th in the entire country and tops in Florida for the best student experience. It’s special because the ranking was based on student and alumni surveys, and we’re hearing directly from those we serve how much they value the experience they had at Florida Tech.
There are certainly other accolades, but those are just a few that demonstrate the impact we are having and the countless lives we are transforming.
Stacy and I have discovered since arriving that it’s the wonderful people at Florida Tech that make this such a very special, inclusive community. It truly is a family, built on a sense of respect and belonging. And we feel so fortunate to be a part of it. And, oh yeah, living near the beach and in the backyard of the busiest spaceport in the world is definitely icing on the cake!
There’s certainly much more, but I offer these as examples of why I am so excited to lead this amazing institution and to be part of the Florida Tech team. And I look forward to building on our history, together, to create a new legacy and vision for Florida Tech – a legacy that when we look back years from now, we can say that together we began a new era for Florida Tech, one of sustained growth, vitality, and impact.
I’m often asked about what exactly that vision looks like. I have certainly had a sense of priorities, and they are all rooted in raising our visibility and impact, making sure that Florida Tech becomes the top choice for students interested in STEM fields from all over the state, nation, and world.
To achieve that outcome, we must continue to expand our academic excellence and research enterprise. That means attracting the top faculty and staff, expanding our student-centric academic and research enterprise, and giving students a truly one-of-a-kind, Florida Tech experience. Doing so will also help us become the preferred partner for business, industry, and government, as we strengthen the talent pipeline and research collaborations.
And we can accomplish these things while also cultivating a deep sense of pride and a culture of paying it forward among our alumni and friends.
And as many of you know, the details of that vision and exactly how we realize it is something we’ve worked on together. Before we began developing our new mission, vision, and strategic plan, we embarked on an information intake phase, during which we heard from over 1,200 voices, and we had nearly every constituency group at the table providing input.
That plan, which our Board of Trustees endorsed yesterday, charts a course for our future. First and foremost, it represents a commitment to our people, empowering and championing our students, faculty and staff, and propelling them to attain success at their highest potential.
In particular, I am especially proud to be leading a campus community that shares my passion for student success in a broad and impactful ways. This is a top priority for me – to ensure more students, locally and from afar, have access to Florida Tech and the opportunity to obtain the life-changing education we provide.
And the hard work and persistence of each member of our team, regardless of their position and responsibilities, all working together to give students a one-of-a-kind experience, will get us there.
Second, our plan commits to strengthening our academic and research programs and ensuring they are driven by innovation. That means both providing an experienced, solutions-oriented talent pipeline, equipped with state-of-the art knowledge, and expanding our research enterprise.
Research, innovation, and creative activity are a part of our DNA and must be an increasingly important part of our future.
Thirdly, it commits to nurturing existing relationships and significantly growing new, transformative partnerships with business and industry, other educational institutions and schools, government, and especially with our alumni.
Those mutually beneficial partnerships will support comprehensive experiences for Florida Tech students, faculty, and staff that best position them in their career and helps us be the change makers in addressing economic, cultural, and societal needs.
Those partnerships come in the form of internships and outstanding, practical experiences that business and industry provide our students, as well as collaborative, applied research opportunities to help solve the world’s most pressing problems.
When businesses need talent or when they are challenged with some of the most difficult problems, I want Florida Tech to be at their side, creating solutions.
The plan includes partnering with our local schools, including Brevard Public Schools, to offer more students a clear and affordable pathway to a degree, like our new Brevard Boundless Opportunity Program. And perhaps most importantly, it includes broadening relationships and engagement with alumni and friends that have the ability and passion to give back to Florida Tech with their time, talent, and treasure.
Lastly, we commit to optimizing our learning and social environments. We want to be a leader in providing the best campus experience and collaborative, inclusive culture for the university community. That means implementing a master plan, thinking strategically about what we want our campus to look like in 10, 20 and even 30 years, and working to engage students, faculty and staff in new ways to ensure they know they belong here.
As we embark on that shared vision, we’ll inevitably face challenges. That doesn’t worry me because we’ll face them together, and with the talent on this team, nothing will stop us. And that is what motivates and inspires me – our future together and the opportunity to grow our impact exponentially – Forward Together. Boundless Potential.
My call to action to you is to work together to be a part of that vision; think about how you can contribute to the impact and growth of Florida Tech. We’ll certainly need engagement from every stakeholder and every member of the team and our community.
I want to again express my thanks to everyone here today and to our entire Florida Tech family. I consider myself very lucky, each and every day; I get to do what I love. I get to have an impact on students’ lives and, hopefully, help transform them in meaningful and even unimaginable ways. And I get to lead an amazing community that is committed to that mission.
My commitment to you is that I will work tirelessly to ensure we realize our new legacy and vision, together. And I’m excited for the shared journey ahead of us and I have confidence in our future together!
Go Panthers!
