Friday, April 26, 2024 marked a historic day in Northern Kentucky University’s history. For the first time in the university’s 56-year history, NKU inaugurated a woman president: Dr. Cady Short-Thompson. Attended by faculty, staff, students, regional leaders, and the president’s family and friends, Dr. Short-Thompson’s formal investiture was an opportunity for the campus community to gather in Truist Arena and welcome its seventh permanent president.
For students in attendance, seeing this milestone was a source of inspiration.
“It’s opening up more opportunities for women on campus, especially women in Greek life,” says visual communication design major Piper Bollen. “President Short-Thompson was in Greek life as well, and seeing her do what she does is inspiring and impactful for women across campus.”
“Not only does it give more representation to people like Cady Short-Thompson, but it also means that we have a president who really cares about the people here,” adds fellow visual communication design major Ryn Lonnemann. “I’ve seen her in the student union plenty of times, and I even saw her attending one of the choir concerts here.”
“Know that the pace of change in higher education is only accelerating. It will not be easy. But it will be incredibly gratifying work. We will get there together.”
NKU faculty senate president Dr. John Farrar led the investiture’s academic processional, which included delegates representing a range of institutions from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland to Gateway Community & Technical College. The NKU Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Dr. Amy Gillingham Culligan, and NKU Vocal Jazz Ensemble from the School of the Arts, led by Professor Kelly MacKenzie-Thurley, provided music for the occasion.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and United States Senator Mitch McConnell were the investiture’s first speakers, each welcoming President Short-Thompson via video greeting.
“Dr. Short-Thompson, we are so glad to have you back at NKU, nearly three decades after you began your career as a professor,” Governor Beshear said. “I also know that you are the first permanent woman president of NKU, and that is amazing. We know that you will act as a responsible and responsive leader.”
Senior communication major Addison McCoun shared her experiences as a transfer student at NKU, having joined the university in the Spring of 2023. Describing herself as “flat on the floor” prior to her transfer, McCoun credited the opportunities to serve as the university improvements chairwoman with the Student Government Association and one of the head tour guides on campus for her newfound sense of self-confidence.
“I always have a home here at NKU,” McCoun said. “And so, President Short-Thompson I know you too are returning home. I can’t wait to watch all the barriers you break and history you make.”
“In the life of a university, it is important that we take time to honor those who laid our foundation,” said Dr. Diana McGill Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, introducing keynote speaker Dr. James Votruba. “But, it is equally important that we welcome change and are willing to embark on new, exciting journeys together as we continue to evolve.”
President Short-Thompson has described Dr. Votruba, NKU’s longest-serving president, as a significant influence on her own style of leadership, citing his gift for engaging with a diverse population of constituents. In his speech, the former president reflected on his own investiture in 1997, acknowledged the unique challenges that higher education currently faces and expressed confidence in Dr. Short-Thompson’s ability to address them.
“In my experience, strong leaders are matched with their moment,” Dr. Votruba said. “They have the qualities of character, experience, understanding and devotion essential for their effectiveness. Across all of these qualities, President Short-Thompson is strongly matched with this moment in the history of our university. She is the right person at the right time to help guide us forward into a new era of impact on both our students and our region.”
After receiving the president’s medallion from Board of Regents chair Rich Boehne and giving the oath of office to Kentucky Supreme Court justice Michelle Keller, Dr. Short-Thompson delivered her presidential remarks. In her address, the president shared her personal journey to the presidency, attributing her self-confidence to the support of her parents.
“Every single morning from kindergarten through high school graduation, my mother had breakfast with me,” President Short-Thompson said. “Before I left for school, she hugged me and she said, ‘Katie, I love you. Now go and show them how smart you are.’ What a gift it has been to always feel special, always feel smart and always feel loved.”
The president stressed the importance of positive encouragement and education in shaping a student’s life trajectory and forming opportunities for upward mobility. She also outlined her plans for the near future, expressing a desire to see campus return to pre-COVID vibrancy, to strengthen the university’s relationship to the region and to restore the university’s financial health.
“We have already seen a lot of success in the past few months,” president Short-Thompson said. “We will balance our budget in July.”
Expanding on Votruba’s keynote speech, the president ended her address by describing the challenges ahead:
“I have never seen more opportunities than those that lie ahead of us. And it is also the most dynamic and challenging environment I've ever known,” she said. “Know that the pace of change in higher education is only accelerating. It will not be easy. But we will engage in needed change which will require creativity and agility. It will be hard but it will be incredibly gratifying work. We will get there together.”
Alyse Bender Hoffer, vice president of the NKU Alumni Association, offered closing remarks, remembering her undergraduate experiences as President Short-Thompson’s student. According to Hoffer, the president’s encouragement and kindness encouraged her to work hard both inside and outside the classroom, helping her follow in her father’s footsteps as a graduate of the Salmon P. Chase College of Law.
“It is not only exciting for NKU’s history and the community,” Hoffer said, “but it is inspiring to show my young daughter that my alma mater and the university that I love is being led by a woman.”
