Featured Testimonial About Creighton University
By Micah Mertes
A recap of the University’s notable moments, achievements and other general happenings of 2024 ...
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JAN.
Wareham Court opens in the Skutt Student Center
Creighton kicked off the spring semester with a new food court and lounge space that includes offerings from Qdoba, Firehouse Subs, Mein Bowl and Jack and Ed’s. See a gallery of Wareham Court
A new nursing dean
Jessica Clark, DNP, RN, started as dean of the College of Nursing. Read more about Dean Clark
100 years of Bluejays
At the start of 2023, Creighton celebrated a century of Jays.
In 1922, the Omaha Bee newspaper ran a contest to name Creighton’s mascot. (We were known unofficially as the Hilltoppers at the time.) There were 200 entries, including the Creighton Golden Rods, Creighton Shamrocks, Creighton Tigers and Creighton Bears. But the winner, of course, was the Creighton Bluejays, largely because the bird kept with the school’s colors. We officially became the Bluejays in 1924. Seventeen years later, Billy Bluejay was born. Read more about the origins of the Bluejay mascot
FEB.
$1 million for juvenile justice
The School of Law’s Juvenile Justice Clinic received a $1 million grant to continue providing free legal aid to at-risk youth in Douglas County. Read more about the clinic
APRIL
$1 million for Giving Day
This spring, alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and friends came together to support dozens of meaningful programs and causes on campus. A total of 3,058 donors gave a combined $1,162,611 in gifts, marking the first time our Giving Day fundraising campaign eclipsed $1 million. Read more about Giving Day 2024
MAY
Creighton opens Jesuit Residence
The University unveiled the Jérôme Nadal, SJ, Jesuit Residence, a 37,779-square-foot home to Creighton’s Jesuits. The donor-funded building stands along 24th Street, just north of Creighton Hall. Read more about the Jesuit Residence
The Class of 2024 graduates
In May, the class that started at Creighton during a global pandemic walked the aisle, with nearly 2,000 Bluejays receiving their degrees. Read more about the 2024 commencement
99% outcomes rate
Creighton announced that 99% of Creighton graduates from the Class of 2023 were fully employed, pursuing an advanced degree or volunteering in a service program within six months of graduation. The results came from a survey administered by the John P. Fahey Career Center. Read more about graduate outcomes
JUNE
The McDermott Center
Ten years after it opened as the Championship Center, the men’s basketball practice facility was renamed the McDermott Center to honor head coach Greg McDermott and his family. Read more about the McDermott Center
A new Carnegie classification
In June, Creighton was among the elite, short list of institutions nationwide recognized with a new designation from the Carnegie Foundation: Leadership for Public Purpose. An inaugural class of just 25 institutions was awarded the new elective designation, which recognizes universities and colleges that have committed to campus-wide efforts to advance leadership in pursuit of public goods. Creighton is the only university or college from Nebraska represented. Read more about the designation
JULY
Creighton goes to the Olympics, part 1
This summer in Paris, former Bluejay volleyball player Taryn Kloth, BSBA’18, became the first female Creighton graduate to compete in the Olympic Games (in the sport of beach volleyball). Read more about Taryn
Creighton goes to the Olympics, part 2
Former Bluejay Duncan McGuire joined Taryn in Paris this summer, he as a member of the U.S. Olympic men’s soccer team. Read more about Duncan
AUG.
An evening of honors
Patrick Zenner, BSBA’69, received the Alumni Achievement Citation, the University’s highest honor for an alumnus, and 10 others received Alumni Merit Awards at the annual Evening of Honors ceremony. Read more about the Evening of Honors
A decade of record enrollment
At the start of the new academic year, Creighton welcomed one of the largest freshman classes in its history, marking a milestone decade of enrolling over 1,000 students for each new freshman class. Since 2003, Creighton has enrolled 22 of its 23 largest freshman classes. Read more about our record enrollment
Heider College of Business doubles enrollment
At the start of the fall semester, the Heider College of Business showed an enrollment of 1,284 undergraduates, doubling its number of students since becoming Creighton’s first named school or college in 2013. Read more about the historic strides the Heider College of Business continues to make at Creighton
Fr. Lannon returns to Creighton
The Rev. Timothy Lannon, SJ, EdD, BS’73, an alumnus and former Creighton president, returned to his alma mater as superior of the Omaha Jesuit Community. Read more about Father Lannon
Free bus rides
Creighton started JayPass, a new program with Metro Transit in which all students, faculty and staff can ride Metro or ORBT buses for free. Read more about JayPass
Creighton’s first female board chair
Diane Duren, BSBA’81, was elected as chair of the Board of Trustees, becoming the first woman to serve in the role. Read more about Duren and five other new board members
SEPT.
The largest gift in the law school's history
The estate of James Menehan, JD'63, gave Creighton $9.7 million to support the law school’s students, faculty and programs, the largest gift in the school’s 120-year history. Read about what the gift will mean for the School of Law
94% retention
Creighton announced it hit a record first-to-second-year-student retention rate of 94%. The national average for universities is 79%. Read more about the record rate
Creighton Hall reimagined
Creighton began renovations on its original building, giving Creighton Hall the most comprehensive upgrade in more than 90 years. Read more about the renovations
A new residence hall
Creighton broke ground on a new residence hall to house 400 sophomores, slated to open in time for the fall 2026 semester. The news followed the demolition of the longtime dormitory Kiewit Hall. Read more about the sophomore residence hall
OCT.
A new floor in Phoenix
In October, Creighton’s Phoenix health sciences campus celebrated the official grand opening of its newly completed sixth floor. The donor-supported expansion is dedicated to the academic success, well-being and spiritual growth of our students. Read more about the sixth floor
A pool filled with fitness
The space where the Kiewit Fitness Center pool once lived was transformed into a new 7,000-square-foot fitness area with state-of-the-art equipment and weights. See what the new fitness space looks like or read about the history of Creighton’s pool
Council of Regents
Creighton University formed the Council of Regents, a select group of 33 University ambassadors and benefactors. For the inaugural council, Creighton President the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, and University leaders chose a wide-ranging group of alumni, parents and friends from across the country. Read more about the Council of Regents
From the Mall podcast
In the fall, Creighton’s University Relations division launched a new podcast called From the Mall, featuring alumni, faculty and Jesuits who have fun stories to tell and helpful insight to share. Subscribe to From the Mall today!
NOV.
328 wins for Coach McDermott
Greg McDermott made history this fall, becoming Creighton’s all-time winningest basketball coach. McDermott’s 328th win (one more than Dana Altman) took place on Nov. 13 in a 78-43 victory over Houston Christian. Read about McDermott’s 25 most memorable wins at Creighton
Google.org invests in AI learning at Creighton
Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, provided Creighton with a $250,000 grant to support the University’s efforts to prepare students for the rapidly expanding uses of Artificial Intelligence in all walks of work and life. The funding in Creighton Libraries’ emerging technologies initiative will empower students, faculty and staff to engage with AI on a number of levels. Read more about the partnership
DEC.
Creighton beats KU
For the second straight season, Creighton men’s basketball knocked off a top-ranked team, scoring a 76-63 upset win over Kansas. Read more about the win
500 wins for Coach Booth
At the NCAA Tournament opener, Creighton volleyball swept South Dakota, tying a school record with its 23rd straight victory (they would go on to break the school record with 25 consecutive wins). The occasion also marked head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth’s 500th win at Creighton.
Creighton volleyball’s Elite season
The volleyball team wrapped the most successful season in program history with an Elite Eight appearance against Penn State. The team’s 32-3 record — with a school-record 25-match win streak — included a 3-1 victory in the NCAA Regional Semifinal over two-time defending national champion Texas. Read more about Creighton volleyball’s historic season
