Year in Review

Highlights from the past year through the lens of Boldly Elon, the university’s strategic plan for 2030.

Theme 1: Learn

We will make bold innovations in relationship-driven learning and mentoring, launch a distinctive school of engineering, add nursing programs and advance students’ data competency.

  • a person with a net of sensors covering his head takes part in a neuroscience experiment
  • three nursing students stand around a patient mannequin which is lying in a hospital bed. The students are discussing how they might treat their mock patient in this instructional simulation
  • people sit at tables in a conference room listening to elon president connie book speak from a podium
  • students and a teacher sit in a circleon the lawn outside of an academic building to have a discussion

Expanding Academic Programs

Elon launched two new majors in fall 2025. The neuroscience program brings together biology, psychology and data analysis to help students understand how the brain learns and adapts. The digital content management program brings together biology, psychology and data analysis to help students understand how the brain learns and adapts. Graduate offerings also expanded, including plans to double enrollment in physician assistant studies on the main campus and extend the program to Charlotte in 2027; the launch of a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in fall 2026; and a new Graduate Business Certificate in Operations Excellence through the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.

Nursing Program Growth

Elon’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs received initial accreditation from the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation. Since launching in 2021, the programs have gained momentum, with the first four-year BSN cohort graduating in 2025. Reflecting strong student demand, nursing ranked No. 8 among intended majors for the Class of 2029.

AI Innovation

Elon continued its national leadership in artificial intelligence, guided by six core principles the university helped establish for higher education. The Imagining the Digital Future Center co-hosted a national AI summit in September at RTI International, drawing more than 600 participants, and released a national survey examining humans’ future with AI. Elon also published its second Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence in partnership with the American Association of Colleges and Universities, reaching more than 25,000 readers worldwide. On campus, AI integration expanded through workshops and seminars, the release of more than 100 generative AI tools and chatbots, and the opening of a dedicated AI lab.

A National Model for Living and Learning

The Residential College Society honored Elon with the Institutional Excellence in Residential Education Award and recognized Sandy Marshall, faculty director of the Global Neighborhood, with the Outstanding Faculty Member Award. Together, the recognitions affirm Elon’s national leadership in integrating academic and residential life to strengthen community, high-impact learning and belonging.

Excellence in Scholarship

Elon students and alumni earned prestigious national and international honors for academic and scholarly excellence. Fulbright U.S. Student Program recipients included Celia Roskin ’20, Margo Buchanan ’25, Rachel Maccini ’25 and Cristy Mariné ’25. Jacob Karty ’26 was named a Goldwater Scholar, and Holly Miranda ’20 received a Rotary Global Grant while pursuing graduate study in global health.

Theme 2: Thrive

We will build a healthier and more diverse, equitable and inclusive community, where all students, faculty and staff experience belonging and well-being.

  • three students kneel at the edge of a grassy hill to plant more seedlings in the ground
  • a teacher holds up a book she is reading so three toddlers sitting on the classroom floor can see the pictures
  • two people sign a poster hanging on a wall representing the Okanagan charter. One person watches and waits for their turn to sign.

Creating a More Sustainable Future

Elon advanced its commitment to carbon neutrality by 2037 with the release of the Sustainability Master Plan 2025. Developed over 18 months with input from more than 300 students, faculty and staff, the plan outlines goals across academics, facilities, dining, transportation, purchasing and waste reduction to guide sustainability efforts over the next decade. elon.edu/sustainability/smp2025

A Place to Grow

Acorn Academy, Elon’s on-site child care and early learning center, opened with full enrollment of children from infancy to age 2 whose parents are members of the university community. Operated in partnership with Vivvi, the center offers employer-sponsored child care, early learning and summer camp, with plans to expand capacity and age groups in 2026.

Promoting Holistic Wellness

Elon adopted the Okanagan Charter as a member of the U.S. Health Promoting Campuses Network (USHPCN), reaffirming an institutional commitment to nurturing a campus culture that prioritizes health, belonging and well-being for students, faculty and staff. The charter encourages higher education institutions to integrate health into all aspects of campus life and to lead collaborative efforts to promote well-being both locally and globally.

National Faculty Recognitions

  • Chris Richardson, associate professor of astrophysics, received a $300,000 NASA Research Initiation Award to continue his ongoing scholarship into intermediate mass black holes with undergraduate student researchers.
  • Mustafa Akben, assistant professor of management and director of artificial intelligence integration, was named one of Poets&Quants’ 50 Best Undergraduate Business School Professors.

Excelling in Teaching and Scholarship

Six people stand in a line and smile at the camera while outside on a brick pathway underneath some trees with green leaves. All six people are Elon professors who were awarded endowed professorships in 2025

Elon awarded six endowed professorships recognizing excellence in teaching, research and service. Pictured from left:

  • Cassandra DiRienzo, professor and department chair of economics
  • Titch Madzima, associate professor and department chair of exercise science
  • Dave Gammon, professor of biology
  • Nancy Scherich, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics
  • Lauren Kearns, professor of dance
  • Smaraki Mohanty, assistant professor of marketing

Leadership Appointments

Elon announced several key leadership appointments, including:

  • Haya Ajjan as dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business
  • Melissa Clodfelter as associate vice president for human resources and chief human resources officer
  • Elle Collins as executive director of the Center for Access and Success
  • Whitney Gregory as dean of students
  • Brian Mathews as dean and university librarian
  • Jeff Stein as executive vice president and chief integration officer, providing leadership in the merger of Elon with Queens University of Charlotte.

    Theme 3: Connect

    We will develop lifelong alumni personal and professional learning and networks; will partner with our local communities to enhance education, health and economic development; and will win athletics conference
    championships and lead our conference in academic performance.

    • softball players raise their hands in the air in celebration around a player holding the 2025 conference championship trophy
    • a member of the occaneechi band of the saponi nation holds a ceremonial bowl with smoke coming out of it. An Elon representative stands at a podium in front of the historical plaque before it is revealed
    • two elementary students sit a a table and examine cow intestines while an elon professor and an elon student look on and offer advice
    • career coach lasse palomaki sits across a table from an alumni with a computer open and her back to the camera. Lasse is gesturing and giving advice

    A Championship Season

    In a banner year for Elon Athletics, seven teams clinched Coastal Athletic Association championships. Men’s golf, softball, women’s tennis and men’s soccer all secured first-ever conference titles. Women’s track and field clinched its fourth league title while women’s cross country earned its sixth CAA title. Women’s soccer captured its second title, making Elon one of only two CAA schools in the past 16 years to sweep both soccer championships in the same season. Student-athletes continued to excel academically, with all 17 varsity teams earning multi-year Academic Progress Rate scores of 978 or higher.

    Impactful National Polling

    The Elon Poll conducted two national surveys in partnership with the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, examining public opinion and campus leadership perspectives on athlete compensation, governance, financial sustainability and the future of Division I athletics.

    Honoring Indigenous Roots

    Elon deepened its partnership with the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation through the dedication of a historical marker near Schar Hall Under the Oaks, recognizing the tribe’s longstanding presence in the region. The university also continued collaboration through the OBSN Heritage Language and Learning Working Group to support its efforts to revitalize the tribe’s heritage language, Yesa:sahį́, and share new heritage learning opportunities for campus.

    Supporting the Next Generation of Health Care Professionals

    Alexis Moore, assistant professor of physician assistant studies, is expanding the university’s Start Early in Medicine initiative through support from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Based in the School of Health Sciences, Start Early in Medicine partners with the Alamance-Burlington School System to introduce students who are traditionally underrepresented in the health sciences to academic and career pathways in medicine. Since its launch in 2021, the program has engaged more than 300 children through immersive, hands-on experiences and sustained mentorship from Elon PA students and faculty.

    Alumni Career Growth

    The Student Professional Development Center expanded free career resources for alumni through Career Search Foundations, an on-demand library of guided modules, templates and videos. Led by Lasse Palomaki, the initiative complements one-on-one coaching, LinkedIn networking and professional development webinars.

    Theme 4: Rise

    We will position the university globally, expanding our admissions footprint, raising resources to support increased access and financial aid, and sharply defining international reputation and value.

    • a young girl and an elon student look at children’s books in a library as the young girl picks a book off the shelf
    • a large group photo of representatives from queens and elon universities sitting in a theatre
    • elon president connie book presents a gift wrapped package to one of japanese alum Toshio Sato’s decendents
    • incoming students at elon school of law sit in rows and smile during new student convocation

    A Visionary Investment

    Roberts Academy at Elon University will open in fall 2026 as North Carolina’s only university-based private school for children with dyslexia, made possible through the philanthropic vision of Hal and Marjorie Roberts, who have witnessed the transformative power of a multisensory approach to reading education. Elon joins Vanderbilt University, Mercer University and Florida Southern College in a network of Roberts Academy programs committed to the advancement of education for children with dyslexia and related conditions.

    A Bolder Vision for the Future

    Elon University and Queens University of Charlotte announced plans to merge, uniting the strengths and resources of both institutions to better serve students and the Charlotte community for decades to come. In October, leaders from both universities met for a collaborative planning session to advance integration efforts and align around a shared vision. A definitive agreement was signed in December, and the institutions are pursuing required regulatory approvals to complete the multiyear process.

    A Lasting Legacy

    Elon dedicated the Toshio Sato Commons to recognize the university’s first international graduate, who studied through the challenges of World War I and the global influenza pandemic to graduate as valedictorian in 1920. Members of Sato’s family from Japan and international dignitaries joined campus leaders to celebrate a legacy of resilience and global connection.

    A Record-Breaking Year

    Elon University School of Law enrolled its largest class in the school’s history, welcoming its 20th class to downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, from locations across the country. The 182 members of the Elon Law Class of 2027 represent 31 states, 90 colleges and universities, and a variety of professional and educational experiences. In September, Reuters highlighted Elon Law in an article about a nationwide applicant boom for first-year law school classes.

    Charting a Bold Course for Athletics

    Elon unveiled Phoenix Rising, a five-year strategic plan guiding Phoenix Athletics through a rapidly evolving Division I landscape. The plan remains focused on providing a transformative student-athlete experience, while also embracing the new world of college athletics through innovative strategies to drive competitive and academic excellence, enhancing engagement across all stakeholders and ultimately utilizing athletics to bolster institutional reputation.