10 Creighton milestones of the 2010s

Dec 10, 2019 By Micah Mertes

With the last days of the decade upon us, we did a little reflecting and came up with 10 of the most notable Creighton milestones of the ’10s. The list not only shows how much Creighton has achieved over the past 10 years. It forecasts a perhaps even more momentous decade to come.

Featured Testimonial About Creighton University

We chose to join the BIG EAST not because it will be easy to be successful; we know it will be difficult. At Creighton University, we believe that goals that are difficult to achieve are the most worthwhile.

Bruce Rasmussen Athletics director
Sunrise on campus

The 2010s were, to put it mildly, a momentous decade for Creighton.

Over the past 10 years, the University … 

  • Saw continual record enrollment. 
  • Joined a new athletic conference.
  • Welcomed a new University President. 
  • And embarked on one of the boldest endeavors in its 141-year history. 

With the last days of the decade upon us, we did a little reflecting and came up with 10 of the most notable Creighton milestones of the ’10s. 

The list not only shows how much Creighton has achieved over the past 10 years. It forecasts a perhaps even more momentous decade to come.

 

BIG EAST

2013: Creighton joins the BIG EAST Conference, officially becoming a member on July 1, 2013. At the time, athletics director Bruce Rasmussen said, “We chose to join the BIG EAST not because it will be easy to be successful; we know it will be difficult. At Creighton University, we believe that goals that are difficult to achieve are the most worthwhile.”

 

HCOB

2013: The Heider College of Business becomes the first named school or college at Creighton, celebrating the lives of Charles and Mary Heider.

 

New Presidents

2015: The Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, becomes the 25th president of Creighton University, bringing with him a special interest in education with a global perspective.

2011: The Rev. Timothy Lannon, SJ, BS’73, joins Creighton University as the 24th president and, as a 1973 graduate of Creighton, the first alumnus to hold the position.

 

140 years

2018: Creighton University celebrates 140 years, honoring the milestones along the way, as well as the founders — Edward and Mary Lucretia Creighton, along with Edward’s brother John, who married Mary Lucretia’s sister Sarah Emily Wareham.

 

School of Dentistry

2018: A new School of Dentistry building opens at 2109 Cuming St. The state-of-the-art facility positions the dental school to recruit talented faculty members, introduce innovative technology, enhance the functionality and efficiency of the clinic and to better serve our community’s underserved.

 

Heaney Pedestrian Bridge

2018: The 560-foot-long Creighton pedestrian bridge is completed, rising 50 feet over the North Freeway and connecting Creighton to The Atlas apartments. In 2019, the bridge is dedicated to Robert P. “Bob” Heaney, BS’47, MD’51, who passed away in 2016; and his brother C.E. “Carr” Heaney, Jr., BS’50, JD’57.

 

A new classification

2019: Creighton is elevated in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education from the category “Master’s Colleges and Universities” to the newly created “Doctoral/Professional Universities” category. For Creighton — ranked the No. 1 master’s college/university in the Midwest by U.S. News for 16 consecutive years — the classification offers an opportunity for national distinction.

 

Record graduation

2019: Creighton awards 1,872 diplomas during two commencement ceremonies in May, with Creighton alumnus and NBA star Kyle Korver, BA’03, sending the students off. Creighton saw continual growth throughout the ’10s, breaking enrollment record after enrollment record.

 

Phoenix campus

2019: Creighton breaks ground on the Creighton University Health Sciences — Phoenix Campus, a $100 million, 183,000-square-foot project. The seven-story facility, slated for completion by 2021, will create a home for 900 students studying to be physicians, nurses and other health professions.

 

Creighton volleyball

2019: The Creighton University volleyball team makes their ninth NCAA appearance in 10 years. That includes a 2016 Elite Eight trip and a 2015 Sweet 16 appearance.