University of Dayton

Learn. Lead. Serve. Common themes among the University of Dayton community, manifesting themselves in a vast array of programs and initiatives. Our name signifies our commitment to the local area, but our outreach is also national - and global. Here are some highlights of how we live.

Learn . . .

• The Institute for Pastoral Initiatives prepares Catholic ministers worldwide.
• The Lalanne Program prepares and supports teachers for Catholic schools, particularly those in underserved communities.
• The Redefining Investment Strategy Education (RISE) Forum is the first investment conference of its kind to bring leading students, faculty and investment professional together to discuss issues facing investment professionals and to share best practices. The 2006 RISE Forum drew 1,500 participants, making it the largest student investment conference in the world.
• The New Engineer Program, through experiential learning, defines the profession of engineering in terms of service to humanity and the environment.
• The New Horizons Band offers adults the opportunity to begin playing a musical instrument or return to active music-making after years of hiatus.
• The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute serves hundreds of adults, who likewise enrich the life of campus.
• The Center for International Programs connects, here and abroad, UD faculty and students with those from other countries; the center also houses an English language institute and the Dayton Council on World Affairs.

Lead . . .

• UD is ranked 15th among all universities for federally sponsored engineering research and development. UD is the number one Catholic university in the United States in non-medical research.
• The University of Dayton Research Institute, according to 2002 National Science Foundation figures, was number two among U.S. colleges and universities in government- and industry-sponsored research in the area of materials.
• UD is the number one university in the state of Ohio for Department of Defense-sponsored research and development and leads all other Ohio universities in aerospace research.
• The Dayton Early College Academy, located on campus, is a partnership between the University of Dayton and the Dayton Public Schools. Its success in meeting goals such as superior passing rates on Ohio's high school graduation test has attracted national attention.
• The Center for Leadership and Executive Development harnesses the professional development power of dozens of Dayton corporations.
• The Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop is a national resource for humor and human interest writing. Past workshop speakers include Dave Barry, Art Buchwald, Phil Donahue and Bil Keane.

Serve . . .

• Campus Ministry's Center for Social Concern, with more than 30 student service clubs, connects the campus with social justice issues and service opportunities. Campus ministry also offers a number of immersion programs, exposing students to realities of urban and rural life.
• The Summer Appalachia Program, more than three decades old, immerses students each summer in impoverished Magoffin County, Kentucky.
• The Voluntary Income Tax Assistance Program at the University of Dayton School of Law is designed to help people from the community with their tax preparation who couldn't otherwise afford assistance.
• The Law Clinic provides legal representation to people in the community that would not otherwise be able to afford a lawyer.
• Engineers in Technical, Humanitarian Opportunities of Service-learning (ETHOS) enables engineering students to apply their learning to some of the world’s poorest communities.
• The Fitz Center for Leadership in Community develops partnerships in Dayton and the region. These include developing neighborhood public school centers, hosting an annual neighborhood revitalization conference, working with other groups to combat predatory lending and collaborating on the renovation of neighborhoods near campus. The center coordinates a semester of service program for students, partners in numerous community-based learning programs and engages in several research projects.
• In 1964, UD students began a tradition of Christmas on Campus. Each year now on Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, students bring 1,200 local children to campus to share the festivities. In 1990, alumni chapters throughout the country began a similar tradition, combining the celebration of the birth of Jesus with service to fellow humans.