Eastern Kentucky University President David T. McFaddin was inaugurated as its 14th president during a ceremony held Friday, April 29, 2022, at the EKU Center for the Arts.
McFaddin is the third EKU alumni to serve as president.
“Many of you may already know that Eastern has played a pivotal role in my transformation as a professional, an academic and a person,” McFaddin said. “This university placed me on a path that I could not have imagined as a student growing up in the foothills of Appalachia. I am proud of where I come from and I know firsthand the responsibility we have to our region and to those we serve.”
The day’s festivities were organized around the theme, “One Eastern.”
“In order to achieve all that is possible, we must work as one and be as one,” McFaddin said. “That is the heart and the essence of my vision for our university. We must be One Eastern with one vision, one goal and one purpose. We must hold shared values, a shared vision and shared victories. One Eastern is a vision of excellence in all that we do and all that we are as we transform lives and minds in hopes of bettering our society and the lives of our students.”
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear congratulated McFaddin in his role.
“We are looking forward to continuing the tradition of excellence and changing student lives for the better,” Beshear said. “I personally look forward to working with President McFaddin as we watch the next generation of students graduate from this university. A dream of every parent and grandparent is that our kids and grandkids won’t have to leave this state to achieve their dreams. EKU plays a really important role in making that dream happen.”
As part of College Commitment Day, six students from nearby high schools who have made a commitment to attend EKU were recognized by McFaddin during the ceremony.
“The experiences you will have here as a part of our campus community will shape your lives and your futures in ways that you cannot yet imagine,” McFaddin said. “I hope that for each one of you, you will leave this institution knowing that you have been made better in every way and commit yourself to going out in the world to make that same impact on the lives of others.”
The Presidential Medallion was presented to McFaddin by EKU’s 12th President Dr. Doug Whitlock and EKU Board of Regents Chair Lewis Diaz. The current chain of office is hand-crafted from antique silver-plated bronze. Its links are engraved with the names and service dates of EKU’s past 13 presidents.
Greetings were provided by Dr. Aaron Thompson, president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, Jenna Grace Smith, president of EKU’s Student Government Association, Dr. Jason Marion, EKU faculty regent, Jeremiah Duerson, EKU staff regent, Bob Sullivan, president of EKU’s Alumni Association, Troy Ellis, president of EKU’s Foundation Board, Dr. Michael Benson, EKU’s 13th president, and Diaz.
President McFaddin announced a scholarship in honor of Michael J. Bowen, a close friend from high school and Keene Hall roommate, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2016. The Michael J. Bowen Scholarship will be awarded to a student pursuing the creative and performing arts, in recognition of Bowen’s career.
The ceremony in its entirety may be viewed by visiting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juLxVSISPeo