The 2010s was a momentous decade in Bradley’s history. Some events that took place redefined how students learned and how campus looked. To close out 2019, here are 10 significant stories that took place in the past 10 years.
August 2012 – Renaissance campaign completed
The $128 million campaign, which included the completion of Markin Recreation Center, the Renaissance Coliseum, the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center and the renovation and expansion of Westlake Hall, gave the Hilltop a modern facelift.
February 2014 – Kaboom! becomes the new mascot
After 14 years without a mascot, the university unveiled Kaboom! at a men’s basketball game against Loyola-Chicago. Previous Bradley mascots included a Native American and bobcat, but the gargoyle was the first of its kind in a Division I school.
October 2015 – New president Gary Roberts
Following the retirement of Joanne Glasser, Gary Roberts was selected as the 11th president of Bradley University. Glasser served for eight years and is the first female president in Bradley’s history.
November 2015 – Establishment of the Steiner Symposium
Seven months after the dedication of the Charley Steiner School of Sports Communication, the inaugural Steiner Symposium was held featuring broadcaster Larry King. In the last five years, the event has brought notable sports media figures to campus such as Chris “Mad Dog” Russo and Bradley alumnus Ralph Lawler.
August 2016 – Bradley Core Curriculum introduced
Bradley rolled out a new approach to the decades-old general education requirements with the implementation of the core curriculum. The core curriculum, started in the fall semester added emphasis in areas like writing and experiential learning.
October 2018 – Enrollment shortfall
University president Gary Roberts announced in an email to students, faculty and staff an outstanding operating deficit and historically low retention rates. As the result of the shortfall, the university had an approximately $8 million operational deficits in 2018-19 fiscal year.
November 2018 – Cross Country qualifies for the NCAA Championship
For the first time in team history, the men’s cross country qualified for the NCAA Championship led by Wales native Michael Ward and head coach Darren Gauson. The team finished 24th in NCAA Championship in Madison, Wisconsin.
March 2019 – Men’s basketball wins the MVC
The Bradley men’s basketball team defeated Northern Iowa in the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament to become conference champions for the first time since 1988. Elijah Childs was the tournament’s most outstanding player.
May 2019 – Searching for a new president
Bradley’s current president, Gary Roberts, announced that he will retire in May 2020. The search for the next president started in the summer of 2019 with a committee composed by representatives of university trustees, faculty members and the student body president.
November 2019 – BECC dedicated
The Business and Engineering Convergence was unveiled to the public on Nov. 1, 2019. The building costs approximately $100 million dollars and will be the largest facility on campus in Bradley’s history. The construction started in the summer of 2017, and the second phase of the construction will continue into next year.
