Sharing Good News

February 2, 2026

"Our fingerprints don't fade from the lives we touch." — Judy Blume

Good morning BW,

As members of the BW community, we know that at the heart of Baldwin Wallace is an incredible experience. We live it every day — in our classrooms, labs, stages, fields, and courts.

The thread that runs through every week is my interactions with staff, faculty, and alumni. Each of them leave their fingerprints on our students' lives, and my daily interactions with our students show that our students leave their fingerprints on each other's lives.

This past week, I had the opportunity to speak with our staff at the first-ever Staff Senate meeting, where I shared our goals and priorities and answered thoughtful questions about our future. I also attended the New Year, New Opportunities Career Fair, which brought more than 35 companies and organizations to campus to recruit talented Baldwin Wallace University students. In addition, I joined the 14th Annual Economic Insights Summit, featuring alumni and experts including Michael Weidokal '94, Executive Director of International Strategic Analysis; BW Professor Kevin Jacques, Boynton D. Murch Chair in Finance; and community partner Jacob Duritsky, Vice President at Team NEO. I also appreciated the chance to connect over lunch with State Representative Mike Dovilla '97 and to join many faculty and staff in celebrating Interim Provost Linda Chase at her retirement reception.

Later in the week, I traveled to Columbus at the invitation of Susan Van Vorst, Dean of our Conservatory of Performing Arts, to watch an amazing concert by the 83 talented students in our BW Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Douglas Droste, BW Professor of Conducting and Director of Orchestral Studies. The concert featured the music of Professors Clint Needham and Carolyn Borcherding and performances by Professor Khari Joyner (cello) and Professor Steve Koh (violin). The large audience of music educators from throughout Ohio responded with a standing ovation.

After the concert, we hosted an alumni reception with BW alumni, and I was impressed by the great turnout — a testament to BW's reach throughout Ohio. I also had the opportunity to meet separately with several prominent alumni on Friday and Saturday.

Some more good news:

• For the 14th straight year, BW sports management students are headed to the Super Bowl for the hands-on and networking opportunities that can yield big rewards when job hunting.
• A recent showcase of BW's next generation of STEM professionals celebrated student success in computing, engineering, mathematics, and the sciences.
• BW students, enrolled in engineering and environmental science, are working with the Port of Cleveland on a research project that can help the Port better manage operations.
• BW is helping fill the void of mental health professionals by placing its first cohort of graduate-level students from the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at internship sites across Northeast Ohio.
• Our No. 15 nationally ranked men's volleyball team earned three victories in three matches this past weekend, including defeating No. 13 nationally ranked University of California-Santa Cruz.
• Our No. 10 nationally ranked BW women's basketball team dominated Otterbein University and Marietta College this past week on their way to a great season.
• Both our men's and women's track and field teams finished first among five teams in the Taraschke Team Challenge.
• The men's bowling team placed fourth out of 20 teams that competed at the recent Ohio Bowling Conference Tournament.

Many more new students have already chosen BW than at this time last year — and that momentum continues to grow as the good news spreads.

Let's share the good news of BW with everyone we know.

Lee Fisher
President, Baldwin Wallace University