BY CATHERINE TSAI
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS -- James C. Votruba, president of Northern Kentucky University, announced Wednesday the names of three new gift officers who are expected to help match the school's development with private funding. Linda Baxter and William Hoeb Jr., both of Cincinnati, and Michael Murray of Fort Mitchell were introduced at Wednesday's meeting of the Board of Regents.
The regents are expected to approve the appointments within the next few months.
Dr. Votruba has said he wants to reinvent NKU's image to make it a more viable, visible and metropolitan university as it becomes more nationally recognized. NKU has grown from 1,662 students in 1970 to more than 11,000.
"We are poised for an exciting year," Dr. Votruba told the board. "We have a vision that represents the consensus of the university community."
The development officers' goal will be to raise about $3 million in three years.
Money would be used for scholarships, faculty development, endowments, first-year and honors programs and support for international studies.
The president is expected to appoint another person to a development position to be responsible for the three new officers.
NKU is also working on a proposal for a math and science "program of excellence" that would receive extra funding from Kentucky's legislature. Eleven proposals had vied for the status, but math and science won out.
The other proposals could still get extra funding from the university and local sources.
Rogers W. Redding, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the focus on math and science accompanies an emphasis on those subjects in high schools and an initiative to integrate science into studies at the university. The school also plans to break ground on a $38 million science center next summer.
Other regional universities in Kentucky have chosen to focus on justice and safety, applied research and technology, and telecommunications systems management.
