A large crowd gathered for this year’s State of the University, which unveiled new collaborations with JLab and an expansion of the Barry Art Museum. (Credit: ODU Photo Department)

On Nov. 3, 2023, President Brian Hemphill delivered his State of the University address to a crowd of several hundred community members and students, covering topics ranging from student and faculty accolades to new programs and initiatives coming to ODU.

The speech, which took place at the Chartway Arena at 10 a.m. last Friday, was given to reflect on the past year’s events at ODU and inform attendees of programs and changes coming shortly.

Hemphill’s speech struck a positive tone, with almost half of the address focused on the accomplishments of ODU students and faculty, including recognition for the teams who made the coming initiatives possible.

One such initiative covered was the upcoming merger between ODU and EVMS. While no major announcements were made with regards to this merger, emphasis was placed on the university’s enthusiasm for this merger and what it will mean for the future of ODU.

Another initiative announced during the speech was that of an addition to the Barry Art Museum to be completed in 2027. Hemphill emphasized the importance of the museum as both a link to the community and as a resource for education. This news comes in the wake of the 2023 gift of glass art from the Waitzer collection worth $10 million.

Towards the end of the speech, Hemphill announced a partnership with the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, more commonly known as ‘JLab,’ via the establishment of the Joint Institute on Advanced Computing for Environmental Studies.

The ODU School of Data Science describes the institute as being created with the purpose of  “addressing resilience and population health challenges in southeastern Virginia and beyond through a combination of cutting-edge computational approaches and community-engaged participatory research.”

When asked what impact this partnership would have on students, Hemphill stated that it will “absolutely” lead to more internship and research opportunities, as well as open the pathway for students to attain jobs in their respective fields.