© 2024 WYSO
Our Community. Our Nation. Our World.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Wright State President Hopkins To Retire

WSU

Wright State University President, David R. Hopkins has announced he’ll retire in June, 2017 when his current contract expires.   

Hopkins spent three years as university provost before becoming president in 2007. Since then, he’s overseen dramatic expansion of the campus and its curriculum. He says, in that time, more than 30,000 students have finished degrees at Wright State.

“But what’s really remarkable about those 30,000, almost 40% are first generation college students," he said in an interview with WYSO. "Nobody in their family ever finished a college degree, and having been one of those, it means a lot to me because we’re not only changing that individual’s life, we’re changing their family’s for generations to come.”

During Hopkins’ tenure, Wright State has seen national prominence with the recent visits from actor and director Tom Hanks—Wright State’s newly renovated film department bears Hanks' name, and Pulitzer Prize-winner David McCullough. The university will also host the first presidential debate this fall.

In a statement released earlier in the day, Hopkins said, “Serving as the president of this great university has truly been the most gratifying experience of my 42-year career in higher education. My goal was to lead Wright State to become a more relevant public research university in meeting the 21st century needs of our students and the communities we serve."

Hopkins said, "To achieve that, we have aspired not to be the best university in the world, but rather the best university FOR the world.”

In 2015, Wright State came under scrutiny for possible violations of its H-1B visa program for guest workers and they recently announced $19 million dollars in cuts due to a budget shortfall.

The 67 year-old Hopkins is the 6th president at Wright State and says he looks forward to spending more time with family.

Jerry began volunteering at WYSO in 1991 and hosting Sunday night's Alpha Rhythms in 1992. He joined the YSO staff in 2007 as Morning Edition Host, then All Things Considered. He's hosted Sunday morning's WYSO Weekend since 2008 and produced several radio dramas and specials . In 2009 Jerry received the Best Feature award from Public Radio News Directors Inc., and was named the 2023 winner of the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors Best Anchor/News Host award. His current, heart-felt projects include the occasional series Bulletin Board Diaries, which focuses on local, old-school advertisers and small business owners. He has also returned as the co-host Alpha Rhythms.