Advancing Boldly Elon

Theme 1: Learn

We will make bold innovations in relationship-driven learning and mentoring, launch a distinctive school of engineering, add nursing programs and advance students’ data competency.

AI Insights for Students

As artificial intelligence continues to impact industry and higher education, Elon joined with AAC&U to launch “AI-U/V1.0,” a free guide to help students navigate college in the AI era. The first of its kind, the guide has been downloaded by thousands of users around the globe. It was developed with the collaboration and review of faculty, scholars, academic leaders and students at universities around the world. It will be updated regularly to keep pace with AI advancements.

Expanding Academic Offerings

Elon introduced new programs to meet professional demands. The Elon Law Flex Program, a part-time, in-person Juris Doctor program at the university’s National Campus location in Charlotte, offers experiential learning through clinics, journals and moot court. The graduate certificate in health care analytics, offered by the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, prepares professionals for roles in a field projected to grow by 28% by 2032. Additionally, a new cybersecurity management minor equips students with vital skills to navigate the digital business landscape.

Global Scholarship Success

Elon University students and alumni achieved notable success in 2024, securing prestigious national and international awards. Multiple students and alumni were selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, supporting their global endeavors. Furthering the university’s global impact, several alumni received Rotary Global Grants. Domestically, Rony Dahdal ’26 was named a Goldwater Scholar, and Elon honored nine students for their completion of the Peace Corps Prep Program. These achievements underscore Elon’s dedication to academic rigor and cultivating globally minded leaders.

Forecasting the Future

Elon launched the Imagining the Digital Future Center in the spring to expand upon the work during the past 20 years of the Imagining the Internet Center. Scholar-in-Residence Lee Rainie, who worked at the Pew Research Center for 24 years, serves as the new center’s director. The center’s inaugural report, “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence by 2040,” explored opinions of the general public as well as scores of experts about where ai would be by 2040, and found that both believe enormous upheavals are on the horizon as ai spreads.

Fostering Meaningful Connections

Reflecting the university’s commitment to cultivating a robust mentoring ecosystem, Elon hosted its inaugural Mentoring in Meaningful Relationships Summit in June. The summit brought together nearly 60 participants from 16 higher education institutions and focused on sharing best practices to foster meaningful connections among students, faculty and staff. Participants collaborated in cross-institutional groups, culminating in poster presentations on topics such as institutional leadership and faculty engagement.

Theme 2: Thrive

We will build a healthier and more diverse, equitable and inclusive community, where all students, faculty and staff experience belonging and well-being.

Expanding Living and Learning

Several new construction projects offered opportunities for students, faculty and staff to live, learn and collaborate on campus:

• The EcoVillage’s first phase opened, featuring six sustainable houses designed for hands-on learning in horticulture, agriculture and environmental research. It will expand to 12 homes and a renovated ranch house as a common area.
• East Neighborhood Commons, a 45,000-square-foot building, debuted with 90 residential rooms, faculty/staff apartments, office space and a large multipurpose forum, serving as an “eastern gateway” to Elon’s main campus.
• The Gerald L. Francis Center’s renovations concluded with the addition of a nursing faculty office suite and updated common space for Elon’s School of Health Sciences.

Redefining Well-Being

Elon has raised $15.7 million toward its $25 million fundraising goal for the HealthEU Center, a 135,000-square-foot hub for holistic well-being. Scheduled to open in 2026, the center will integrate academics, recreation and health resources rooted in six dimensions of wellness — community, emotional, financial, physical, purpose and social.

Expanding Family Support

Recognizing the need for accessible child care, Elon announced the opening of a state-of-the-art child care center. Managed by Vivvi and slated to open in 2025, the center will provide care for infants and toddlers aged 2 and under, serving faculty, staff and students. With an initial capacity for 30 children, the center will improve child care access and cultivate a family friendly environment at Elon.

Championing First-Gen Success

Elon was honored as a FirstGen Forward Network Champion, one of 14 institutions selected for leadership in advancing first-generation student success. The program recognizes institutions for advancing first-generation student success through evidence-based practices and leadership. With over half of undergraduates nationwide identifying as first-gen, Elon’s efforts align with FirstGen Forward’s goal of transforming student experiences and boosting graduation rates.

National Funding Awarded

Hwayeon Ryu, associate professor of mathematics, received supplemental funding from the National Science Foundation to support her collaboration with a colleague at Inria Saclay in France to focus on stochastic modeling of immune responses to SARS-COV-2. The project complements Ryu’s current $300,000 NSF-funded research that explores covid-19 treatment questions and opens new avenues for future research.

Recognizing Teaching Excellence

From left: Fletcher Moore Distinguished Emerging Scholar Professorship recipient Jonathan Poquette, Stella S. and John C. O’Briant Developing Professorship recipient Yidi Wu, Dr. Jo Watts Williams Emerging Professorship recipient Stephanie Hernandez Rivera, William S. Long Professorship recipient Jeffrey Carpenter, J. Earl Danieley Distinguished Professorship recipient Rissa Trachman and A.J. Fletcher Professor in Communications Qian Xu.

Seven faculty members were honored with endowed professorships for their commitment to students and service
to the university:

• Rissa Trachman, professor of anthropology, was awarded the J. Earl Danieley Distinguished Professorship for her exceptional dedication to teaching, research and mentoring. For the past 15 years, she has mentored numerous students in research projects and professional presentations.
• Qian Xu, professor of strategic communications, was named the A.J. Fletcher Professor in Communications. Xu’s research explores the psychological and social impacts of online technology.
• Jeffrey Carpenter, professor of education, received Elon’s William S. Long Professorship. His scholarship focuses on social media’s role in professional development and student learning.
• Rod Clare, associate professor of history (not pictured), received the William J. Story Sr. Professorship. He specializes in women’s history, African American history and early 20th-century U.S. history.
• Jonathan Poquette, assistant professor of music and director of bands, was honored with the Fletcher Moore Distinguished Emerging Scholar Professorship, which supports an emerging scholar in the arts, humanities or social sciences.
• Stephanie Hernandez Rivera, assistant professor of education, was named the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams Emerging Professorship. She teaches in Elon’s Master of Arts in Higher Education program.
• Yidi Wu, assistant professor of history, was honored with the Stella S. and John C. O’Briant Developing Professorship. Her research focuses on student activism and social movements, including 1950s Chinese protests.

Leadership Appointments

• Hilton Kelly was named dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. The former dean at University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Kelly is an interdisciplinary scholar specializing in sociology of education. He brings a strong focus on experiential learning, collaboration and inclusive excellence.
• Elon named Anu Räisänen as its first director of HealthEU initiatives. Räisänen, an expert in public health and wellness, brings to the role global experience in fostering resilience and lifelong wellness to create a national model for personal and community well-being at Elon.
• Mustafa Akben was named Elon’s inaugural director for artificial intelligence integration. The assistant professor of management is a leader in AI research and education, and he is tasked with guiding AI integration across the curriculum and in Elon’s operational practices.

Theme 3: Connect

We will develop lifelong alumni personal and professional learning and networks; will partner with our local communities to enhance education, health and economic development; and will win athletics conference
championships and lead our conference in academic performance.

Excelling On and Off the Field

In late November, the men’s basketball team achieved an 84-77 victory over Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, marking the program’s first win over an acc opponent since 2005. In the classroom, all 17 of Elon’s sports teams boast multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores of 980 or above, with baseball, women’s basketball, football, men’s golf, women’s golf, softball and volleyball leading the Coastal Athletic Association in apr rankings. In addition, Elon had a league-high five student-athletes honored as recipients of the 2023-24 CAA Leadership and Sport Excellence Award.

Deepening Career Resources

Elon’s Student Professional Development Center expanded career coaching offerings for graduates by hiring the university’s first associate director of career services for alumni and adding two staff members to support alumni applying to graduate school and pursuing careers in the health professions. In addition, the university launched Elon Q&A through a partnership with a local software provider. The AI-driven platform allows students to ask questions and receive responses from alumni within days.

Preserving Community Stories

The Power+Place Collaborative, a partnership between Elon University and several Alamance County organizations, held the county’s first History Harvest. The event’s goal was to preserve lesser-known local histories and make them accessible to the public through a digital, community-sourced archive. Through projects such as “Stories of Alamance County,” the collaborative highlights themes of migration, faith and community-building. In collaboration with North Carolina Humanities, the 2024 “Stories of Faith and Community” theme promoted awareness and dialogue on challenges faced by diverse groups, fostering understanding across racial, religious, cultural and generational divides.

Positive Impact Through Internships

The university’s Campus Alamance program connected over 40 students with summer internships, enriching the local community. Guided by the theme “Campus Alamance Contributes,” the initiative aimed to highlight students’ active participation and positive impact. Interns applied their skills in diverse settings, from the Burlington Police Department to local businesses, gaining valuable experience while bolstering community organizations. This immersive program fostered civic engagement and provided tangible benefits to Alamance County.

Building a Golf Complex for the Phoenix

Elon launched a $3 million campaign to enhance its golf facilities with the aim of creating one of the best in college athletics. A $1 million challenge gift jump-started the project, which includes improvements to the driving range, renovations to create a club house (Image 1) and upgrades to the Worsley Golf Training Center. Key features include the addition of Trackman technology for advanced performance analytics. These enhancements will elevate the student-athlete experience, attract top talent and improve training conditions.

Theme 4: Rise

We will position the university globally, expanding our admissions footprint, raising resources to support increased access and financial aid, and sharply defining international reputation and value.

Women in Philanthropy

More than 100 Elon alumnae, parents and friends attended the inaugural Women of Elon Weekend in March. The event featured a keynote by Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee, empowering panels on personal development and philanthropy, and the launch of the Women of Elon initiative, which aims to raise $2.5 million by 2026 to endow 50 student internship scholarships.

Expanding Global Horizons

Elon launched a new Global Strategic Plan to further its reputation as a leader in global education. The plan enhances academic rigor, intercultural learning and student experiences. It emphasizes the integration of global learning across all four years while strengthening support for international students, faculty and staff. Key goals include creating a new center abroad, expanding partnerships and amplifying Elon’s global identity and accomplishments, reinforcing its commitment to internationalization.

A Strong Class of 2028

After receiving more than 18,000 undergraduate applications, Elon welcomed to campus in the fall 1,607 first-year and 74 transfer students hailing from 43 states and 14 countries. More than 785 graduate students also were enrolled in one of nine programs.

Raising the Bar for Athletics

Elon’s 17th annual Night of the Phoenix set a new fundraising record by raising $521,923 to support athletics, a 16% increase from the prior year. Since its inception, the event has generated more than $3.6 million to enhance opportunities for student-athletes and bolster the university’s commitment to athletic excellence.