Ralph O. Mueller ’83, grateful for his Elon education, made a $1.8 million estate gift to support underrepresented groups in quantitative fields of the natural and social sciences. The Dr. Ralph O. Mueller ’83 Endowed Professorship will be awarded to emerging faculty from historically marginalized groups in these fields. Additionally, an endowed Odyssey Scholarship will support underrepresented students pursuing majors in the social or natural sciences. Mueller was one of Elon’s first international students, earning a degree in mathematics. He holds a master’s degree in mathematics from Wake Forest and a doctorate in educational research from Virginia Tech. He is currently provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Baltimore.
John and Kristin Replogle P’18 of Raleigh, North Carolina, donated $100,000 to name a home in Elon’s new EcoVillage, a sustainable living-learning community on Loy Farm. When completed in fall 2025, the project will include 12 sustainably designed homes and offer 24 students hands-on experience in sustainable living and farming. “This is a truly inspiring project and to help bring it to life with our gift is a great honor. I’m a huge believer in the need to live sustainably, and when you combine sustainability with education and inspire the next generation of leaders to think about sustainability, that’s a powerful combination,” Replogle, an Elon trustee, said.
Nicholas Muller ’24 remembers the moment that transformed his academic journey — and began a new chapter for Elon’s Department of Engineering.
In his first year, Nicholas was inspired by stories of Engineering Lab Manager Matthew Banks’ stories about fabricating and racing cars in Formula SAE competitions while an undergraduate. With Banks’ mentorship and the engineering department’s support, Nicholas recruited classmates to form Phoenix Racing. By his senior year, the team established partnerships with external donors and mentors at and beyond Elon.
Eighteen students spent the year designing and fabricating Elon’s first electric race car in Founders Hall’s Clark Prototype Lab — from welding the chassis, to designing the driver’s cockpit and controls. Their early designs took second prize in a statewide design competition hosted by Hendrick MotorSports of Mooresville, North Carolina. Their work was also featured on local Fox News affiliate’s “Made in N.C” programming. Phoenix Racing will test its first car against other prominent engineering programs in the June 2025 International Formula SAE competition.
How do films shape and inform global and societal narratives?
The Global Film and Cultures Program, a new interdisciplinary minor launched in fall 2023 by faculty in the Department of English and the School of Communications, guides students in examining the cultural influence of film and media from multiple perspectives. The minor includes three key areas of film studies — history, industries, and theory/interpretation — with foundational courses and specialized studies through electives that culminate in a capstone project. The minor is coordinated by Assistant Professor Dan Burns and Assistant Professor of Television and Cinema Arts Kai Swanson.
Signifying continued growth and rise to prominence, the Department of Engineering added a mechanical engineering concentration to its ABET-accredited Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree program.
Mechanical engineering is the most popular among engineering disciplines globally and is in high demand by employers. The new concentration complements Elon’s general engineering degree with an emphasis on technical proficiency through courses in mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, materials science and structural analysis.
Engineering also offers degree concentrations in biomedical engineering, computer engineering and environmental engineering.
