“MSU would be one of the best places to work. Our culture creates magic everyday … the way we explore the boundaries of scholarship, magic in the way we deal with one another to make our dreams even bigger,” Simon said in her speech.

Simon also talked about the addition of a sixth initiative to the Bolder by Design project.
“We must want to explore what it takes to be a model, high-performance institution, one that makes magic,” Simon said.

Simon said Bolder by Design is the future path of MSU.

“Bolder leverage is our capacity to navigate this new landscape, enhancing our position among the world’s top-100 universities,” she said.

Students, faculty, family and friends also gathered to honor recognized faculty who help the university succeed.

“The work of our faculty and staff really inspires us every day as a part of team MSU,” Simon said.
The Awards Convocation was held to recognize faculty and staff who have made a difference in the classroom, to peers or in their respective fields of research.

Mark Voit, associate dean for undergraduate studies in the College of Natural Sciences and professor of physics and astronomy, said he attended the ceremony to support two friends, Debra Dotterer, the director of undergraduate affairs at the College of Natural Science and astronomy professor Stephen Zepf. Voit said Zepf was instrumental in encouraging him and his wife to come to MSU. Voit said he thought Simon’s speech went well.

“I think we’ve reached a stage in the university after many budget cuts where we can take a fresh look at the future,” Voit said.

The awards given at the ceremony included the Distinguished Faculty Award, Distinguished Academic Staff Award, Teacher-Scholar Award, Outreach Scholarship Community Partnership, Excellence-in-Teaching Citation and the Robert F. Banks Award for Institutional Leadership.
Voit said he thinks technology is going to be a large part of the university’s future, which is one thing he picked up from Simon’s speech.

“We’re looking forward to combining what we do in the classroom with technology,” Voit said.
Dotterer’s son, Brad Dotterer, a hospitality business sophomore, was one of only a few students to attend the annual university address. He said Simon’s speech was great although he had never heard of the Bolder by Design plan.

“I thought she did a great job,” he said. “I think it’s a great idea.”