EMU Today

YPSILANTI – A dinner marking the inauguration of James M. Smith as the 23rd president of Eastern Michigan University raised more than $25,000 for a scholarship to assist an outstanding student attending EMU.

The entire proceeds from the dinner, the final event of the inauguration celebration on Thursday (March 2), will benefit the newly established Presidential Difference Makers Scholarship, which will go to either an undergraduate or graduate student at Eastern.

The dinner was held at the Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest, and reflected President Smith’s focus on providing students with the opportunity to excel and graduate. More than 100 guests attended the dinner, which cost $150 per guest. Many who did not attend the dinner also donated to the scholarship.

“I’m very gratified and overwhelmed by the exceptional response we received in raising funds for the Presidential Difference Makers Scholarship,” President Smith said. “Our supporters – which includes EMU staff, faculty, friends and stakeholders – demonstrated the essence of Eastern, which is to support student success.” 

The inauguration ceremony, which occurred earlier that day in Pease Auditorium, featured a Parade of Nations, with EMU students carrying flags denoting the many countries representing the University’s student body, along with remarks by President Smith.

During his speech, the President emphasized three themes: campus unity stemming from a shared focus on the student experience; seizing opportunities in areas such as fundraising and growth in international students; and an emphasis on innovation.

Smith was selected as the University’s 23rd president by the EMU Board of Regents on February 12, 2016. He assumed his duties as President on July 1, 2016.

Before joining EMU, he served as President of Northern State University (NSU) in Aberdeen, South Dakota since June 2009. He has been an active fundraiser and was instrumental in helping NSU obtain the largest donation in its history, a $15 million gift.

Smith grew up near Columbus, Ohio, in the small town of Washington Court House. He became an elementary and middle school teacher after earning his bachelor of science degree in elementary education, from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 1979. He would go on to earn a master’s of education, educational administration, from Xavier University in Cincinnati and a doctorate in educational leadership from Miami University.

Over the next 28 years, he served as an elementary school principal, an assistant professor at Miami, director of the Experiential Program for Preparing School Principals at Butler University in Indianapolis, and director of the Educational Leadership Program and coordinator of doctoral studies at West Texas A&M University. Smith also was vice president for Economic Development at Bowling Green State University before heading to Northern State.

About Eastern Michigan University
Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest university in Michigan. It currently serves 22,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.