2006-2007 Annual Report

Forward. A Rich Legacy Since its inception, the University has emphasized scientific studies, beginning with the construction of the Science Building — now Collins Hall — in the early 1900s. Throughout the University’s history, its presidents have made a point of advancing the programs — from the building of a second science center during Dr. James T. Jeremiah’s tenure to the addition of nursing and engineering degrees under Dr. Paul Dixon’s leadership. In fact, when the nursing program began in the early ’80s, it was considered a natural fit and a necessary next step. The combination of science and godly compassion reflected everything that Cedarville represents. The ’90s led to another natural expansion — into engineering. From the beginning, this innovative program has helped attract a group of students that had not previously been drawn to the University. An even greater incentive, though, was the opportunity to provide a biblical foundation: preparing young engineers not only for a profession, but for a life of ministry. Only. From premed to engineering, nursing to computer science, physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics, and now with pharmacy on the horizon, only one other CCCU institution offers the array of science programs for which Cedarville is known. Combined with our commitment to the Genesis account of creation in all aspects of scientific research and study, Cedarville’s distinctly biblical approach to the sciences is unparalleled. A New Dream Continuing its forward momentum under Dr. Brown’s leadership, Cedarville University now stands poised on the verge of its next advancement — into the field of pharmacy. A feasibility study quickly proved the necessity of such a program. As of fall 2005, there were 210,000 pharmacists in the United States. By 2020, thanks in large part to an aging baby boomer population, it is estimated our country will have a shortage of 150,000 pharmacists. Written prescriptions have already risen from two billion in 1995 to more than three billion in 2005, and the 103 schools that offer a pharmacy degree consistently fill to capacity. Those are the statistics. But a significant selling point for Cedarville was the promise that a pharmacy program — like nursing and engineering — would fit into the school’s mission. Dr. Andy Runyan, associate vice president for academic administration, says, “We want to have professional programs that allow students to be a witness for Christ. But we also want to find those professions that will let Cedarville graduates have an impact on society.”