It is a function of higher education that even in the wake of an extraordinary success like the Boldly Forward Capital Campaign—a triumph overwhelmingly due to our generous donors—we must continue to keep our eyes forward, on both immediate and future priorities.

The priorities of the past decade—primarily infrastructure—provided the focus for the Boldly Forward Campaign. The Learning Commons is both the culmination and the symbol of our success in bringing the campus into the next era. The attendant additions in laboratories and classrooms and upgrading basic physical needs, while not carrying as high a profile as the Learning Commons, were equally critical. Thanks to all of this, our students and the students of tomorrow have the facilities they need to maintain pace with the future.

With the campaign closed and the infrastructure complete, it is now those very students who demand our attention. If we are to make it possible for them to take advantage of the university we have built together, then we must make it affordable for the best and the brightest to attend. Many of them will need scholarships, so scholarships will constitute our highest priority from this point on. At the same time, we need to continue to support facilities and programs, and of course, our incredible faculty, so these, too, are priorities for the future. But it is a future we must commit ourselves to create or the recent successes will be for naught. 

As the new vice president for advancement, this is my task—one I am deeply excited about. It was my role as chief advancement officer at the National Academy of Engineering in Washington, D.C., that demonstrated to me how critical engineering and STEM are to shaping our world, our livelihoods, and our quality of life. This experience set me on a course to apply my 25 years of advancement experience to STEM education—ideally in Michigan, where my husband and I have summered for years and have long desired to live.

Given these personal goals, it is a dream for me to arrive at Kettering, which has not only a strong foundation—again courtesy of the Boldly Forward Campaign—and a rapidly developing culture of giving but also a bright and well-defined future. 

Kettering students have unexpectedly added to my excitement with their quality and enthusiasm. I knew they were bright and hardworking, but I quickly learned they are also informed, engaged, and passionate far beyond my expectations. By way of example, I attend speakers’ series as often as possible, and I have been delighted by the preparation and quality of questions students bring to these extracurricular learning opportunities. They study ahead of time, they listen, they take notes, they inquire, and they challenge. Consequently, I have learned from them, following up avenues of inquiry they have introduced and pursuing reading materials they have referenced. 

I am incredibly humbled to have the opportunity to support these students and the students who will follow. It is these students who demand our attention. The future is coming rapidly, and it is my privilege to work alongside all of you to create that future by ensuring, in fundraising efforts to come, that these exceptional students of today and tomorrow will continue to have the opportunity to study at Kettering.

Jennifer Patterson

Vice President of University Advancement and External Relations