For Phil Oldham, who became 杏吧视频鈥檚 ninth president on July 1, 2012, the future at Tech is about building on Tech鈥檚 reputation as a nationally ranked and locally loved university, while continuing to elevate the university experience for current and future students.
鈥淥ur students are our priority. What we set to accomplish focuses on putting students first,鈥� Oldham said.
On Oldham鈥檚 watch, Tech started the fall 2023 semester with the fourth largest freshman class in university history and has now been ranked as a top national university for nine straight years by U.S. News and World Report. The 2024 rankings listed Tech among the top five universities in the state and the top two public universities. Thanks in part to the growing number of freshmen, the university鈥檚 total enrollment for fall 2023 grew to more than 10,100 students.
Tech鈥檚 academic offerings have grown under Oldham鈥檚 leadership as well. The university recently added new majors to its 200-plus fields of study, including sought-after programs such as a bachelor鈥檚 degree in music with a concentration in live audio engineering and a doctoral degree in higher education. In fall 2024, Tech will launch its highly anticipated nuclear engineering degree program, only the second in the state.
Under Oldham鈥檚 leadership, Tech also continues its role as an economic engine for
Tennessee, recording an annual statewide economic impact of $1.52 billion in the last
non-pandemic year. One of the ways Tech has stimulated local economies in the state
is through its Rural Reimagined Grand Challenge, launched in 2019 at Oldham鈥檚 direction.
The program leverages the talent of Tech students, faculty and staff to help economically
distressed counties. To date, the program has helped hundreds of small businesses
at no cost to them and helped drive the number of distressed counties to the lowest
level in Tennessee history.
