Florida State University President Richard McCullough said the university has “powerful momentum” as he delivered his fifth State of the University address Wednesday during a Faculty Senate meeting at the College of Medicine.  

“The state of the university is strong,” McCullough said. “And we are a university that continues to get better every day. … We are Florida State University, and we are Unconquered.” 

McCullough highlighted record student success, rising national rankings, expanding research activity and major institutional growth. He also thanked faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni, parents and community partners for guiding the university through a year marked by both achievements and difficult moments. 

“Because of all of you, we are experiencing unprecedented momentum,” he said. “We’ve hired great faculty and we’ve set records in research expenditures. We’ve built out new spaces for faculty and students that are the envy of other universities.” 

He pointed to the opening of the Interdisciplinary Research and Commercialization Building and the completion of Legacy Hall, the new home of the College of Business, and construction of the new FSU Health Research Building as spaces that are attracting top faculty from around the country.  

McCullough applauded FSU faculty for achieving a record $487 million in research expenditures and submitting more than $1.22 billion in proposals this year. 

“Our research programs continue to impress,” he said. “We have grown research expenditures at an impressive rate — from $325 million in 2021 to a record $487 million — up nearly 50 percent.” 

He said that FSU has built research focus areas that align with state and national priorities. The university is advancing quantum science and engineering, making breakthroughs in superconductivity, pioneering environmentally responsible methods for extracting rare earth minerals and making strides in aerospace and advanced manufacturing.  

In health and biomedical innovation, FSU launched ICON-Health, an institute that explores the benefits of food as medicine, and expanded the Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases, which is translating discovery into care for some of the most devastating childhood diseases. Both institutes are part of the university’s expanding FSU Health initiative. 

As a part of FSU Health, the university is growing research and health care opportunities in Northwest Florida, including building an academic health center in Panama City Beach and advancing its partnership with Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. The university’s first Vice President and Chief Clinical Operations Officer, FSU alumnus Jeremy Slaga, will start in the new role in January. 

“For faculty, FSU Health means research opportunity and expansion, new clinical partnerships and a pathway to move discoveries from the lab to the bedside,” McCullough said. 

McCullough highlighted significant momentum in the arts and humanities, including the acquisition of a movie theater for the College of Motion Picture Arts and funding a new Humanities Center.  

While other universities are in the midst of hiring freezes, FSU hired more than 200 new faculty members for the third year in a row. The university now counts 13 members of the National Academies on its faculty, double the number from 2024. 

“We’re trying to take advantage of when others are slowing down,” McCullough said. “We’re in a position to accelerate, and that’s what we’re trying to do.” 

He highlighted the launch of IGNITE Tallahassee, a new incubator supporting high-tech startups, and said the university has doubled the number of start-ups so far this year. 

FSU achieved its highest-ever U.S. News & World Report national ranking at No. 51, climbing three spots from last year, and moved up to No. 21 among public universities.  

Student success metrics continued to set records. The university’s freshman retention rose to 97 percent, an increase of three percentage points over the past four years. 

McCullough called the increase “absolutely monumental, and we could not be more proud.” 

The four-year graduation rate increased to 78 percent, and the transfer student graduation rate reached 80 percent, the highest in State University System history. Applications also hit a new record, with 86,000 students seeking about 6,200 freshman spots. 

“The quality of the students continues to rise, and we continue to hear over and over that we are now the most desirable undergraduate institution in Florida, especially given our excellent academics, our top-ranked student experience and a wonderful family environment,” McCullough said. 

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Florida State University President Richard McCullough reflected on the university’s record-setting achievements and heralded ambitious plans during his annual State of the University address Wednesday. 

McCullough praised the collective effort driving FSU’s momentum — including historic highs in graduation rates, research expenditures and fundraising — during an FSU Faculty Senate meeting at the College of Medicine Durell Peaden Auditorium. He outlined plans to build on this progress by focusing on student success, research excellence and community impact. 

“The story of Florida State is one of momentum — we are on the rise,” McCullough said.  

FSU set records in several key areas in 2024, including a four-year graduation rate of 76%, research expenditures of nearly $455 million and the second-best fundraising year in FSU’s history, totaling more than $163 million. 

Students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends are the force behind the university’s progress, McCullough said. 

“As we continue to climb, momentum is on our side,” the president said. “The achievements and progress that we’re making together is unbelievable. It’s unprecedented — and we’re not slowing down.” 

McCullough emphasized FSU’s rising national rankings, noting the university’s No. 10 placement on Niche’s list of Top Public Universities, its No. 1 spot for student satisfaction among public universities from The Princeton Review, and its continued status as a Top 25 public institution in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. 

“Our momentum is unstoppable, and the best is yet to come.” — President Richard McCullough   

The president also touted the university’s success in student achievement and highlighted the impressive academic qualifications of the freshman class and the growth of programs like Honors and Presidential Scholars. 

McCullough said a goal is to make FSU the top research university with the lowest rate of student debt in the nation. More than 86% of full-time undergraduates received non-loan financial aid last year, and only 32% of FSU students graduate with debt, averaging $14,500 — well below the national average of $29,400. 

He noted FSU’s progress toward becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution with more than 24% of undergraduate students identifying as Hispanic, just shy of the 25% threshold required for the designation. 

“That’s a milestone that will be incredible for this university and is evidence nationally of our strong commitment to inclusivity and academic excellence,” McCullough said. 

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Florida State University President Richard McCullough reflected on a year of unprecedented accomplishments and outlined ambitious plans in a sweeping State of the University address Wednesday.     

McCullough detailed the goals he presented to the Board of Trustees in September and emphasized the collective effort driving the university’s achievements before a standing-room-only crowd during an FSU Faculty Senate meeting at the College of Medicine Durell Peaden Auditorium.  

“The state of the university is excellent — and climbing,” he said. “We are trying to do big and bold, audacious things here at Florida State University, and we will accomplish our mission because we’re united by passion and purpose, powered by hope and optimism, and driven by a competitive spirit to achieve our greatest aspirations.” 

“The state of the university is excellent — and climbing. We are trying to do big and bold, audacious things here at Florida State University, and we will accomplish our mission because we’re united by passion and purpose, powered by hope and optimism, and driven by a competitive spirit to achieve our greatest aspirations.”

— President Richard McCullough

He underscored the university’s dedication to student success by spotlighting record graduation and retention rates and the quality of incoming students: 75 percent of FSU students graduate in four years, and 96 percent of freshmen return for their sophomore year.   

“This university has built a foundation on student success, and we will continue to invest in it,” he said, adding that such investments play a pivotal role in recruiting and retaining some of the finest young minds in America. 

This year’s freshman class is among the best in the history of FSU, he said. Their average high school GPA was 4.3, average SAT was 1310, and 72 percent of them ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class.  

The university invested additional resources to enhance programming for first-generation students through the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement, or CARE, allocated funding to increase the number of Honors students and grew the Presidential Scholars Program – FSU’s premier undergraduate scholarship.  

“We continue to invest in advisers and life coaches to make sure that each one of our students not only succeeds but excels,” he said. “This is the hallmark of Florida State University.”  

McCullough also said the university will invest $10 million over the next five years specifically for doctoral student support as a part of the new Quality Enhancement Plan. 

He credited the faculty for their efforts to increase research expenditures to a record $400 million last year.  

“This is incredible progress that the university has made, and it’s the faculty,” he said.

McCullough also challenged faculty to set the bar higher with a goal of $500 million in annual research expenditures and said that the university would continue to build its research infrastructure to lend support to this objective.  

“Our research mission is incredibly important as we define and make a difference,” he said. “Research changes the world. Research drives economies and changes the way we live.”  

McCullough highlighted the recent approval of a $98.4 million project by the Triumph Gulf Coast Board to establish aerospace and advanced manufacturing facilities in Northwest Florida. The university will devote resources and apply for federal contracts and grants to support this undertaking, he said.  

“This is the kind of project that will help move FSU’s research goals forward and contribute to the economic growth of the entire region,” he said.  

The FSU Health initiative, launched in 2022, is moving forward at a rapid pace, McCullough said. The university has secured land and is in the final stages of designing an academic health center that will be built on the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) campus. Construction is also underway on a new medical campus in Panama City Beach in partnership with TMH and the St. Joe Company.  

McCullough also celebrated success in the arts. He applauded the faculty’s commitment and outstanding quality and noted that both the dance and film programs are ranked among the top in the nation.  

McCullough acknowledged the importance of faculty excellence and highlighted a successful hiring year that brought more than 200 new faculty members to FSU. He expressed a commitment to hiring and retaining high-achieving senior faculty members, including National Academy members.  

He said the university has made great strides in building the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including the launch of Fast Start, a new process to expedite the movement of ideas from the lab to the marketplace.  

“This move is a significant leap forward in accelerating innovation and increasing the number of companies started at FSU,” he said. 

McCullough acknowledged the vital support of the Governor’s office, Florida Legislature, the Florida Board of Governors and community partners.  

The university received record funding last legislative session to support multiple academic and capital projects, including renovations of the Dittmer Chemistry Building and the relocation of the maintenance facility in the heart of campus that will free up space for new academic and research buildings.    

FSU is also strengthening its relationship with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. In partnership with the Tribe, the university launched the Native American and Indigenous Studies Center, which will serve as an intellectual and cultural hub for Native American and Indigenous research and artistic practice.  

McCullough reaffirmed the university’s commitment to inclusive excellence and recognized Ted Ellis, a nationally acclaimed visual artist who was recently named director of FSU’s Civil Rights Institute.    

The president praised FSU Athletics for raising the university’s national visibility and acknowledged the stellar seasons by the football, softball, volleyball and soccer teams and the addition of women’s lacrosse as a varsity scholarship program.    

To advance the university’s goals, FSU is preparing to launch its next comprehensive campaign in July, McCullough said.

“We are embarking on the most ambitious fundraising effort in our history,” he said. “This campaign will elevate Florida State to new heights of excellence.”   

In closing, McCullough reflected on the past year and expressed confidence in FSU’s trajectory. 

“We broke many university records. We’re dreaming big. We launched bold initiatives. And we continue to make audacious plans for the future,” he said. “And we will keep climbing. This is our time.”  

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