By Trent Shadid
The University of Memphis has experienced unprecedented development and growth over the past eight years under the leadership of President M. David Rudd.
It is often said the mark of a leader lies within his or her ability to leave a place better than they found it. To say this of Dr. M. David Rudd’s time as President at the University of Memphis would be an extraordinary understatement.
Rudd became the 12th UofM President in May 2014. He will exit the position eight years
later, having served as a transformative leader for the University and the Memphis
community.
The establishment of the UofM Board of Trustees in 2017, an effort Rudd championed, has been vital to the University’s recent growth. Together, Rudd and the board have advanced the UofM across all areas of the institution.
The University is on the cusp of achieving Carnegie R1 status, a highly regarded designation given for achieving “very high” research activity. The 2021 Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed the UofM in its list of the top universities worldwide for the first time. That accomplishment came soon after the UofM was ranked as a top-tier university for the first time in 2019 by U.S. News & World Report, a ranking it maintained in 2020.
Yearly academic fundraising records were set consecutively from 2018-20, topping out at $26.5 million in 2020 despite facing the historic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2020 economic impact report revealed the UofM contributes $1.1 billion in economic activity annually and supports nearly $500 million in wages and salary payments for local workers.
Affordability and student success have remained hallmarks of Rudd’s time in charge.
Tuition increased by an average of just 1.5% from 2014-20 as the UofM led the State
of Tennessee in higher education cost containment during that time. In 2019, 81% of
first-year students returned for a second year, 10% above the national average for
retention. The graduation rate has gone from 44% to an institution-high 54.3% under
Rudd. In May 2019, he testified before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Finance
to discuss several UofM initiatives successfully assisting vulnerable students.
Rudd helped the UofM Research Foundation launch UMRF Ventures in 2017. The company provides a unique and effective alternative to employ students with high-paying jobs that allow them to focus more time and energy on completing their education. By its third year, UMRF Ventures had reached 450 students employed with more than 300,000 hours worked and $5.3 million earned.
Memphis Tiger Athletics has also been soaring to new heights during Rudd’s presidency with supporters showing their enthusiasm and appreciation. A $13 million gift in 2019 from Gary W. and Barbara Bryant is the largest-ever commitment to UofM Athletics and the second-largest gift in University history.
Tiger football is currently experiencing an impressive run of sustained success. The team has appeared in a school-record seven consecutive bowl games. A 12-win season in 2019, another UofM record, brought ESPN’s College GameDay to Beale Street, produced a conference championship and ended with an unforgettable trip to the Cotton Bowl. With an 8-3 record and Montgomery Bowl victory in 2020, Ryan Silverfield had the best winning percentage for a first-year head coach in Memphis history.
In 2018, Tiger legend Penny Hardaway was hired to lead the men’s basketball team,
a move that helped the program lead the nation in increased home attendance at the
FedExForum during the 2018-19 season. When Hardaway brought in the No. 1 recruiting
class in the country in 2019, the Tigers attracted 16,312 fans per home game, ranking
ninth nationally. With 20 wins and a NIT championship in 2020-21, the program remains
one of only three men’s basketball teams in Division I with at least 18 wins for 21
consecutive seasons.
The UofM campus has been significantly enhanced while expanding rapidly during Rudd’s presidency. Within just the past four years there has been $178.2 million in completed, ongoing and planned construction.
The $18.5 million Hunter Harrison Memorial Pedestrian Cable Bridge and connected parking garage have improved the campus functionally and aesthetically. Neighboring the bridge is the newly completed R. Brad Martin Student Wellness Center, a $31 million facility that greatly increases recreational and educational offerings to students.
The UofM opened the $21 million Laurie-Walton Family Basketball Center in 2017, giving the men’s basketball program a facility that rivals any in the country. An $11.2 million indoor football practice facility, completed in 2019, has given the program a championship facility to match its impressive performance on the field. Elma Roane Fieldhouse, home of Tiger women's basketball, received a $3.5 million facelift ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Projects currently underway include the $40 million Scheidt Family Music Center and
the $12 million Mike Rose Aquatics Center. The music center, projected to be completed
in 2022, will bring a state-of-art performance hall to campus. The aquatics center
will be one of only a few competitive swimming facilities in the southeast. Approval
has also been granted to construct a $41 million STEM building to be part of the Herff
College of Engineering.
As Rudd steps away, it is clear his impact and legacy will be felt for many generations to come.
In 2014, immediately after being named UofM President, Rudd said, “I look forward to leading the University of Memphis into the next chapter in its storied history, to supporting and serving our students, continuing our excellence in the classroom, expanding vibrant and impactful research and strengthening our ties to the City of Memphis.”
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.