Words of Williams for July 30, 2024 - Presidential Updates (2024)

I’ve been a resident of Springfield for over a month now. Kristin and I are starting to feel like regulars — although I still need Google Maps to get to all the places I need to be.

Apparently, there might be some confusing destinations for Google since it has taken me to a couple of places that weren’t where I was supposed to be … stories for another time.

I started my last update with a gift to the university. This time, I want to acknowledge a $1 million National Science Foundation grant awarded to the provost office for ADVANCE: Organizational Change for Gender Equity in STEM Academic Professions. This is very exciting. Congratulations to the grant writing team and all those who will reap the benefits of this grant!

Board meetings

I’ve met with a lot of boards in these first few weeks.

I participated in my first Board of Governors meeting. The passion and commitment of this board to make Missouri State a leading university is palpable.

I was fortunate to meet and participate in the Foundation Board of Trustees Executive Committee meeting as they worked on their strategic plan. The dedication of these alumni volunteers to the university is invaluable.

I toured the Alliance for Healthcare Education facility at CoxHealth and attended my first board meeting — so much has been accomplished in a relatively short amount of time. There are several MSU employees who have been working behind the scenes to make this partnership a success. I’d like to commend them and Dr. Mark Smith and Zora Mulligan, who have been leading the charge for the university. The branding for the alliance even won a national award.

Administrative Leadership

I’ve been spending time with members of the Administrative Council team over the last few weeks.

I met with Vice President Jeff Coiner and the information services team. I appreciate their focus on how to best serve the technological needs of the campus. I was awed by the cybersecurity team. They’re the quiet heroes protecting our campus systems from hacks, phishing, intrusions, etc. literally on a minute-by-minute basis.

I also met with Natalie McNish, director of internal audit and risk management, and her team. This is a group that flies under the radar yet provides the university and the Board of Governors with critical guidance and advice.

Algerian Hart, assistant to the president for inclusive engagement, and his team impressed me with their efforts in advancing inclusion on our campus and being a leader in Springfield. This is so important to our faculty, staff and students.

Vice President and General Counsel Rachael Dockery and her team led me through the inner workings of the legal affairs and compliance office. We’re fortunate to have such an astute team leading us through the complexity of regulations and compliance that bombard universities on a regular basis.

As a president who had his start in athletics, I really appreciated touring the athletic facilities with Interim Athletic Director Casey Hunt and her staff. Their work with our student athletes is inspiring. Keith Boaz definitely has his hands full with managing both the athletic and entertainment venues as we prepare to join Conference USA.

Vice President of Student Affairs Dee Siscoe and her team walked me through the vast workings of this organization. Success is in the details for this generation of students and this team is doing an amazing job of supporting them.

Students

I’ve met with SOAR leaders and Student Government Association (SGA) leadership. What a talented and motivated group of students! I look forward to working closely with SGA leaders in the coming year.

Community

As I’ve noted before, Springfield is such a collaborative community. It was demonstrated to me again when I attended my first Community Leadership Forum, followed by a meeting with Rusty Worley, who chairs the Downtown Council of Champions. I also had the opportunity to tour the Loren Cook Company. There are just so many good things happening in Springfield.

I met with the university’s state lobbyists, Jay Hahn and Ryan Deboef. They’re our advocates in Jeff City for appropriations and policies. I appreciate the relationships that have been developed with our legislators and state leadership. I’m looking forward to attending Gov. Parson’s State of the State later today.

West Plains

I had the opportunity to return to the West Plains campus to visit with Chancellor Dennis Lancaster and his team. This is my first visit since my interview in February. I started my academic journey at a two-year institution, so the West Plains campus and students hold a special place in my heart.

More from last week

I attended the Economic Development Leaders lunch, the Springfield Cardinals Chamber night, the Springfield Public Schools Back-to-School-Bash and the MSU Day at Busch Stadium with a stellar group of alumni.

I continue to meet with alums across the state during breakfast and other events.

Phew! I’m ready to take off my tie and get down to work, but I have a lot more people to meet and programs to learn more about.

Thanks for checking in. It’s great to be a Bear!

Biff