Mazey installed as 11th president of BGSU

Assisted by Dr. Carol Cartwright (left), William Primrose, chair of the board of trustees, presents the presidential medallion to Dr. Mary Ellen Mazey.

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Surrounded by family, friends and the University community, Dr. Mary Ellen Mazey was formally installed as the 11th president of Bowling Green State University on Dec. 2 in a ceremony at the Stroh Center.

Introduced by former BGSU President Carol Cartwright, Dr. Peter Magrath, president of Binghamton University and a former colleague of Dr. Mazey’s from West Virginia University, gave the keynote address. A well-known leader in higher education, Magrath has served as president of several universities and in leadership roles for national educational organizations.

Magrath urged the BGSU community to “love and support” Mazey not just in the coming months but throughout her tenure as president. “Mary Ellen assumes her leadership role in a context where the role of higher education is vastly different from when we were younger,” he said.

“There are big challenges ahead for Bowling Green State University and for Mary Ellen. She will meet those challenges as successfully as is humanly possible,” Magrath predicted. Being a university president in today’s new, tough environment “is a hard job and one for those who want to preserve and serve the public good.” Her job requires vision and the ability to inspire and lead, to make difficult calls, he added.

Gary Cates, senior vice chancellor for innovation and enterprise development at the Ohio Board of Regent, congratulated Mazey on behalf of the governor, Chancellor Jim Petro and the regents, noting that the “University has played an integral part in the development of the great state of Ohio for more than a century. . . . We are proud and thankful that the majority of BGSU graduates choose to remain in the Buckeye State. The contributions of our colleges and universities are more critical than ever. Just a one percent increase in the number of Ohioans with bachelor's degrees means $2.5 billion per year in economic activity.

“So, Dr. Mazey, Ohio is counting on you and BGSU for a lot more alumni,” Cates said.

Following her investiture, Mazey pledged to uphold that charge and to “make this great institution even greater . . .  We are experiencing a renaissance as these second 100 years begin,” she said, citing the new campus facilities and the redevelopment of the undergraduate curriculum. “We all want to position Ohio to have a workforce that meets the future needs of our economy and ensures that the American Dream is within reach of all of our citizens. Our degrees must be innovative and flexible. We will always be a residential University, but we must find new ways to deliver our curriculum and give students across the state and around the world the flexibility to receive a degree from BGSU.”

A series of events were held throughout the week leading up to the historic ceremony. An academic symposium on “Geography in the Changing World of Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges” was held on Nov. 28. President Mazey served as the honorary coach for the women’s basketball win against Western Kentucky Nov. 29 and a Student Research Symposium was held Nov. 30. A weeklong food drive was also held, with collection bins around campus.

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(Posted December 02, 2011 )