WKU News

During its May 7 committee meetings, the Western Kentucky University (WKU) Board of Regents took time to highlight the university’s numerous accomplishments since the 2025 Commencement exercises. Board Chair Jan West shared milestones in student success, philanthropic support, campus transformation, athletic excellence and academic recognition, illustrating one of the most accomplished years in the university’s 120-year history.

Student success during the past year remains at the center of WKU’s story. Last academic year, the university set an institutional record by awarding 4,688 credentials. This academic year, WKU is poised to surpass that milestone, with more than 4,700 credentials expected to be conferred, marking yet another record-breaking year for student completion and success. Additionally, nearly eight in ten first-year students returned for their sophomore year, achieving a record 79.4% retention rate. The four-year graduation rate reached 50.7%, while the six-year rate climbed to 59.1%.

At a time when many institutions focus primarily on enrollment growth, WKU has remained dedicated to an approach that prioritizes student success, choosing to focus on how well students are supported to persist, graduate and thrive rather than measuring the university solely by how many students enroll. That approach has meant strengthening admissions standards, expanding academic and student support systems and aligning resources around retention and completion, recognizing that access must be paired with preparation, and that the university’s responsibility is not just to open the door, but to help students every step of the way toward a WKU degree.

Adding external validation to these outcomes, WKU’s accreditation was reaffirmed for ten years with no additional reporting required, a reflection of the quality of its academic programs, the integrity of its operations and the collective commitment to continuous student support.

Athletic excellence on the field and in the classroom

WKU Athletics delivered outstanding results across multiple programs. The soccer team claimed the 2025 Conference USA (CUSA) Women’s Soccer regular-season title and earned the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament – the program’s fourth regular-season title and second since joining CUSA. 

The volleyball team once again dominated CUSA, winning both the regular-season championship and the tournament title. WKU has now captured 21 of a possible 24 CUSA championships since joining the league. The 2025 season marked the program’s seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 18th overall, finishing with a strong 27-6 record. During the fall, the team achieved its 100th consecutive CUSA regular-season win.

Football capped the year with a 27-16 victory over Southern Mississippi in the 2025 New Orleans Bowl, the program’s fifth bowl win in seven seasons under Head Coach Tyson Helton. Quarterback Maverick McIvor was named the New Orleans Bowl MVP. With this win, WKU claimed its eighth bowl victory in the last 12 seasons, tying for third most nationally in the College Football Playoff Era. The Hilltoppers have appeared in a bowl game each of the last seven seasons under Helton and are one of only eight teams nationally – and one of two non-Power Conference programs – to do so. Punter Cole Maynard became WKU’s first Consensus All-American in the FBS Era.

While their season remains ongoing, WKU Softball got off to a record start, winning 19 of its first 22 games. They also achieved a program-record 14-game winning streak. This year’s team is now the winningest team at home in program history.

In the classroom, a record number of WKU student-athletes earned academic honors. Three hundred forty-three student athletes were named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (3.0+ GPA), and 101 received the CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medal (3.75+ GPA).

Nationally Competitive Scholarships and Global Engagement

WKU students continued to earn recognition on the national and international stage at an extraordinary rate. A total of 150 students competed for nationally competitive scholarships in the previous academic year. Six seniors received David L. Boren Scholarships, earning WKU designation as a Top Performing Institution for the second consecutive year (tying for third nationally). Twenty-four students received Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships, and WKU was recognized as a Top Producer of Gilman Scholars from 2001-2025. Four students were offered 2026 Department of State Critical Language Scholarships. Seven students and alumni were named semi-finalists for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Two students were named Goldwater Scholars, and two were accepted into NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs. 

WKU junior Caden Lucas was selected as a Truman Scholar. He is only the second Truman Scholar in WKU history and was the only finalist from a Kentucky university this year.

The university also received the 2026 Senator Paul Simon Award for campus internationalization. The WKU Chorale undertook a tour of Spain, performing in multiple historic venues in March. The Forensics team earned the top spot at the 2026 Kentucky Forensics Association championship, marking WKU’s 33rd consecutive state championship. The team also won the national Lincoln Douglas debate championship in April.

Record Philanthropy and Strategic Partnerships

Generosity toward WKU reached new heights. The university closed its fiscal year in June with a record $44.5 million in private support, the sixth consecutive record fundraising year under President Timothy C. Caboni. Landmark gifts included $5.25 million from the Bill Gatton Foundation to support the Gatton Academy and the LifeWorks program, a gift from Tim and Sarah Ford to name the university’s new fieldhouse and a gift from Amy and David Chandler to name the new home of the Gordon Ford College of Business.

Student-led efforts shone as well: Midnight on the Hill raised more than $122,000 for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and Dance Big Red raised over $141,000 for Norton Children’s Hospital. Greek organizations exceeded 55,000 food items donated to House on the Hill. As they prepared to embark on another cross-country ride to raise awareness and money for Alzheimer’s research, the Bike4Alz team received proclamations from the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the City of Bowling Green declaring April 28 as “Bike4Alz Day” in Kentucky.

Strategic partnerships launched this year included Caza Innovations relocating its headquarters to Bowling Green and launching a strategic research and development collaboration with WKU, and the Disaster Science Operations Center partnering with EM1 to advance AI-driven emergency management. WKU also received $1.25 million to prepare special educators and school psychologists to serve students with high-intensity needs. Meteorology students provided live weather support for 80,000 attendees at the Louder Than Life music festival in Louisville. 

Campus Transformation

This year brought transformational changes to the physical campus. WKU celebrated the opening of Amy and David Chandler Hall, the new home of the Gordon Ford College of Business. The Tim and Sarah Ford Fieldhouse was dedicated, creating a one-of-a-kind facility for multiple high-achieving programs. Renovations to historic Cherry Hall continue, and the university launched Elevate WKU, a multi-phase public-private partnership to modernize residential housing, releasing the first architectural renderings this spring. Planning continues for a new facility to replace the Academic Complex, home to WKU Public Media and the College of Health and Human Services.

Academic Excellence, Rankings and Sustainability

U.S. News and World Report ranked 12 WKU graduate programs among the nation’s best. WKU Online was recognized as a top national program and among Kentucky’s best. The university remained Kentucky’s top choice for veterans and earned two Military Friendly School Top Ten designations.

WKU was listed in the Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges for the 16th consecutive year. The Fresh Food Company earned 4-Star Certified Green Restaurant® status and swept three 2026 Green Restaurant Association awards. WKU Student Publications earned a Talisman Pacemaker and additional honors.

Faculty and Staff Honors

Faculty earned significant recognition. Dr. Katrina Burch was named Researcher of the Year by the Kentucky Psychological Association. Dr. Amy Brausch received the Conference USA Faculty Achievement Award. The Kentucky Nurses Association named Liz Sturgeon Nurse of the Year. Professor Roger Dennis was part of the leadership team designing an award-winning Rose Parade float. The university won multiple awards at the 2025 Kentucky Broadcasters Association Excellence in Broadcasting Awards. 

“Everything we have accomplished this year reflects the dedication of our faculty, staff, students and generous donors who believe in what WKU stands for,” said President Timothy C. Caboni. “We have built something here that is extraordinary: a university where students don’t just enroll, they succeed.”         

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Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, WKU helps students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.