(Photo provided) New students were welcomed to the Marietta College community during the Matriculation Ceremony, followed by a campus-wide kickoff dinner.

Marietta College has launched More History to Make: A Strategic Vision for Marietta College and announced a $4 million gift from Trustee Joe Chlapaty, and his wife, Linda, to support the plan’s initiatives.

President Kathleen Poorman Dougherty introduced the vision during a campus-wide kickoff event, describing it as both a continuation of MC’s legacy and a roadmap for its future.

The plan outlines four focus areas: advancing innovation and access, fostering student engagement and success, cultivating community partnerships, and securing a strong financial future. Initiatives include expanding undergraduate and graduate programs, developing additional opportunities for mentored scholarship, and strengthening student life programs.

New centers are also part of the plan, including the Milone Center for Academic and Career Success, the Center for Earth, Energy, and the Environment, and the Center for Appalachian Innovation. Each is intended to provide students with applied learning opportunities while building regional partnerships.

At the announcement, Dougherty highlighted the $4 million commitment from the Chlapatys. The couple’s gift builds on prior support, including a matching challenge in 2024 that encouraged alumni giving.

(Photo provided) Marietta College Trustee Joe Chlapaty, left, attended Wednesday’s Campus-wide Kickoff Dinner with current students, faculty, staff, and employees’ families.

“For nearly two centuries, Marietta has been a beacon in higher education and in the community,” Chlapaty said. “Linda and I have seen firsthand the transformative power of a Marietta education. We believe deeply in this vision for the future and hope our gift inspires others to invest in Marietta’s ability to change lives, both today and for generations to come.”

Board Chair Jim Wilson ’69 also addressed students as they began the new academic year, urging them to form lasting connections.

“Develop a personal cohort of people who will become your support team and your friends for life,” Wilson said. “Those relationships will enrich your Marietta experience in ways you can’t yet imagine.”

First-year student Flavia Pimenta ’28, a Neuroscience major, shared her perspective on the campus environment.

“Marietta has a very supportive environment and gives students a caring place that feels like home,” Pimenta said. “This is a great way to start the semester, and I want to thank the College for always making the student experience a priority.”

(Photo provided) Marietta College President Kathleen Poorman Dougherty announced the new strategic plan, More History to Make: A Strategic Vision for Marietta College, as well as a $4 million gift from Trustee Joe Chlapaty, and his wife, Linda, during Wednesday's annual Campus-wide Kickoff Dinner with students, employees and their families.

Dougherty said the College’s history has been shaped by persistence and determination, and she emphasized the importance of alumni, friends, faculty, and staff in advancing the new vision.

“Together, we have more stories to tell. Together, we have More History to Make,” she said.

More information about the plan can be found at: marietta.edu/more-history-make.