It was an academic year marked with celebration and solemn reflection, of new beginnings and a heartfelt sendoff to nearly 4,300 graduates who spent two years muscling through the pandemic.

We recently cheered the return of one large in-person commencement ceremony at Yager Stadium for the first time since 2019.

We eagerly watched construction of two new academic buildings on the Oxford campus, the first since the Farmer School of Business in 2009, and saw “steel beams, studs and possibility” become reality with the opening of the new Nursing Innovation Hub at the Regionals.

Miami University began celebrating its unique 50-year relationship with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and solemnly marked the 175th anniversary of the Miami Tribe’s removal from its homelands.

And, of course, we met a robotic dog named Swoop Dogg. 

Join us in looking back on some of the news highlights from this academic year:

Miami U. pitcher Sam Bachman selected 9th overall by Los Angeles Angels 

• Miami University junior right-hand pitcher Sam Bachman was selected ninth overall by the Los Angeles Angels during last summer’s Major League Baseball Draft. Bachman became the first RedHawk to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft in school history and was the highest Miami student-athlete drafted since basketball player Wally Szczerbiak was picked sixth in 1999. 

Miami recognized as a top-10 in-state employer by Forbes 

• Miami University has been named 10th among employers in the state of Ohio on the 2021 America’s Best-In-State Employers list by Forbes and marketing research company Statista. Miami is also the top educational institution on the list for Ohio.

Housemates help student Will Olson after stroke 

• Miami University junior Will Olson suffered a stroke last fall while relaxing with friends at their South Campus Avenue house. Thanks to his housemates’ quick actions, Olson was back at school a week later with no sign of mental or physical deficits.

Your Shot to Win in-state tuition prize goes to Miami senior

• Senior Political Science major Wilson Maier was awarded a semester of in-state tuition for uploading his COVID-19 vaccination status. He was the grand prize winner of Miami’s 10-week “Your Shot Win” program to encourage students to get vaccinated and to let Miami know if they did.  

Department of Education awards $2.5M to Miami University to provide critical support for Ohio's K-12 English language learners

• The College of Education, Health, and Society will improve English language instruction across Southwest Ohio.

Day of Reflection: Commemorating 175th anniversary of the Miami Tribe's removal from their homelands 

• “This ground beneath our feet is home, a place where countless generations of our ancestors left footprints as they lived their lives until a fateful period in the history of this country,” Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Chief Douglas Lankford said.

Building Connections: Miami University’s new building and renovation projects   

• Miami University's Oxford campus is growing with the construction of two new academic buildings. 

Miami Football goes ‘bowling’ again 

• Late last year, a group of Miami football student-athletes shared their perspective on three bowl trips, a title ring, and the best record in the conference dating back to 2016.

Miami Softball wins the MAC Championship 

• This month, the RedHawks celebrated becoming the MAC tournament champion and earned a trip to the NCAA tournament.

More Southwest Ohio students able to graduate debt free 

• More students in Southwest Ohio have the opportunity to gain work experience while having their college tuition paid for thanks to an expansion of Miami’s Work+ program and the recent addition of three local employers, including Worthington Industries, YMCA of Greater Dayton, and FastestLabs.

Assistant professors of Biology Mexia Zhao and Tereza Jezkova were each awarded a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation's Early Career Development Program this spring for being among the top young faculty in their fields. They are the first two Biology faculty members at Miami to receive the prestigious award.

Miami’s five new-to-campus deans collaborate with veteran team of deans to move university forward  

• Miami University’s five new-to-campus deans — four academic and an associate provost/dean working in the provost’s office — have more in common than joining the university during the ongoing pandemic. They are focused on collaborating with longtime campus leaders to continue moving Miami forward from every corner of the university.

Miami alumni Sean McVay and Chris Shula coach in second Super Bowl  

• Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay and linebackers coach Chris Shula have remained close friends ever since their first day at Miami University. Now in their fifth season working together in L.A., they led the Rams to the Super Bowl for the second time.

Miami partners with Aramark to innovate campus dining   

• The collaboration will bolster menu options, upgrade mobile and kiosk ordering systems, and more. Current Miami dining services employees will have the option to continue as Miami University employees, or they may transition to Aramark.

Promises kept: Farmer School makes significant progress in achieving goals

• The Farmer School of Business moved up in the latest Poets and Quants rankings.

Telling refugees’ stories through a planned vocal symphony, 'Uplifting Unheard Voices'

• “I will never forget these stories or the men and women who entrusted me with sharing their messages through my music,” said Martin Hebel, visiting faculty of Music who interviewed displaced refugees.

Miami University ranked No. 38 in 'Top 50 Best Value Colleges (Public Schools)' by Princeton Review 

• “These are the nation’s top colleges for students seeking a superb education with great career preparation and at affordable prices,” according to the Princeton Review.