Tidewater area greets JMU’s new president

Inside the Perry Glass Studio at the Chrysler Museum of Art, two glass artists worked diligently by the glowing fire furnaces to sculpt a stunning purple-and-gold vessel for a special visitor: JMU President James C. Schmidt.

As the rain fell outside, the glassmakers quietly molded their craft in the background, while Schmidt answered questions from more than 100 parents and alumni during the fourth stop of his Presidential Tour in Norfolk, Virginia.

To kick off the autumn night, Schmidt asked, “How bold do you think we can be in the coming 10 years as we look at the future of the university?”

The brainstorming discussion focused on transforming what undergraduate learning and graduate research will look like in the next decade. Schmidt welcomed ideas on new kinds of partnerships that would make Madison the go-to university in Virginia.

But first, Schmidt wanted to learn more about what sets a JMU degree apart from others.

Matt Sargent (’85), executive director of operations at IPConfigure Inc. and father of two Dukes, pointed out traits that make JMU graduates stand out to employers. “Since graduating from JMU, in my career as a software engineer and project manager, I always, always try to get JMU people into my organization, because it makes the organization better in every way.

“We had several engineers from different institutions who were brilliant, absolutely brilliant, but they could not talk to anyone, and it made it very difficult. But your JMU engineer, who may not be quite as gifted, was a communicator and a leader and the glue that made the team work well,” said Sargent, a College of Integrated Science and Engineering graduate who married Katharine Sargent (’83), a College of Business graduate.

Matthew Sargent’s (’85) family bleeds purple. A CISE graduate, he is married to CoB graduate Kathy Sargent (’83) and father to son Liam Sargent (’16), a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, and daughter Carlisle Sargent (’13), a Bachleor of Arts in Psychology and Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication.

Christianne Page’s (’02) daughter chose JMU over Virginia Tech, because it was an R2 teaching institution. “She knew she wasn’t going to be competing with grad students for undergraduate research opportunities,” said Page, a Media Arts and Design major.

Her daughter, now a junior, has been engaged in multiple research labs, gaining hands-on experience. “It’s been fantastic,” Page said. “So I just want to make the point that if R1 is something that JMU decides to pursue, that is something that they need to be very careful to hold on to, because it is precious for undergraduates to have all these opportunities in the lab and not have to compete with graduate students for those experiences.”

When the topic turned to envisioning JMU in the year 2035, Fred Rose (’09) quipped: “national championship football.”

“And then the other thing would be reaching that Research 1 distinction,” continued Rose, who studied Public Communication and Human Resource Development at JMU.

Rose, director of external relations at XKIG, also mentioned the importance of pairing academics with athletics, which draws in the masses and opens the door to prospective Dukes. “They learn about our community, our college, our students, our experiences, and that just continues to raise the profile.”

JMU parent Christianne Page (’02) sits next to husband David Page (’02), a CoB graduate, answering the question, “Why JMU?”

“My goal,” Schmidt explained, “is to create a bold enough vision that we bring in national resources, local resources and everything in between, and we do it together, and we lift us. We’re already on the national stage.”

U.S. News and World Report recently ranked JMU No. 22 among 4,000 universities for Best Undergraduate Teaching. “It’s now time to grab the national spotlight for being known for being innovative, responsive, something different, a different kind of experience,” Schmidt said.

“When we get the Strategic Plan approved, we have a lot of work to do,” he said, emphasizing his promise to move ideas into action.

Share your ideas for JMU’s Strategic Plan. President Jim reads every submission.

For more information on the Presidential Tour and upcoming events, click here.

A glassmaking artisan perfects President Jim’s purple-and-gold bowl.

Fred Rose (’09), who studied Public Communication and Human Resource Development, shares his vision of JMU in the year 2035 with President Jim.