Let’s take a walk down 2021’s “memory lane.” There have been many great accomplishments to cheer about here at Marian University, and these are the 10 best as we close out another year’s chapter.
1. The first students began classes at Marian University’s Ancilla College campus Fall 2021. That’s when Marian University announced its newest location. Marian University also started an accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program on the Ancilla campus.
2. We jumped again! This time we’re #2 in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of Most Innovative Midwest Regional Universities 2022 published by the national magazine. (In 2020, we were ranked #3.)
3. We begin celebrating President Daniel J. Elsener’s 20 years of service to Marian University and the central Indiana community. Since his inauguration in 2001, President Daniel J. Elsener has propelled Marian University forward at a phenomenal pace.
4. The groundbreaking for the new E. S. Witchger School of Engineering claims this spot. The new engineering school will offer undergraduate degrees in various engineering disciplines, including biochemical engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and engineering physics programs. 
5. And we’re halfway there! The #5 spot goes to the opening of our newest residence hall, Caito-Wagner Hall. It’s a 57,000 square foot facility that houses 210 students in 112 rooms, which opened August 2021. It includes a bell tower dedicated to the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, Indiana–Marian’s founder and sponsor.
6. Our Center for Vibrant Schools and City Connects claims this spot among rave reviews. Mayor Joe Hogsett and President Daniel J. Elsener announced the launch of City Connects in Marion County last week; an initiative that will invest $7.5 million in 12 public schools on the city’s Far Eastside over the next three years.
More than 16,000 students in 34 schools in Indiana and six in Ohio will soon receive free, personalized community-based programs and supports to help them succeed through the new City Connects, being implemented by Marian University.
7. We already know we have some very talented students on campus, and specifically three women are among that group. Three Marian University seniors are Orr Fellows. Olivia Thomas ’22, Sandy Sledge ’22, and Lauren Kenny ’21, were awarded the prestigious Orr Fellowship Fall 2021. How big of a deal is this? On average, the elite program only accepts less than eight percent of those who apply each year.
8. Marian University added “research” to our mission as we’re doing more research on campus.
9. The Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine has a new dean. She’s Amanda Wright, DO, who was named dean after serving as interim dean of the college since June 2020. Her appointment comes after an extensive national search and interview process.
10. And the last, but certainly not the least, spot goes to our Marian University champion cycling team! The team put the finishing touches on their third national championship of the 2021-22 season earlier December in DuPage County, Illinois, at the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships. Congratulations!