Morning Briefing: Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Wright State’s enrollment has increased nearly 10% since 2022.

In today’s Morning Briefing, we look at the factors that play a role in the turnaround and how the school plans to continue the momentum. We also tell you about last night’s “Mental Health Matters: A Community Conversation” event co-hosted by the Dayton Daily News.

If you have thoughts or feedback on this newsletter or other news tips, please let me know at Greg.Lynch@coxinc.com.

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The newsletter should take about 3 minutes, 30 seconds to read.

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Wright State sees enrollment continue to climb

Wright State president Sue Edwards, far right, speaks during a Board of Trustees committee meeting on Thursday, Sept. 12, discussing enrollment trends at the university. Eileen McClory/ staff

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Wright State president Sue Edwards cites work by the university to reduce barriers for students to attend as a reason for strong enrollment growth.

• Recent increase: Enrollment has increased nearly 10% since 2022. The number of first-time, first-year students had increased for three consecutive years. This year, the total enrollment is 11,822 students.

• The turnaround: Wright State saw a decline in overall enrollment from about 2015 to 2022, when enrollment hit a low of about 10,798 students.

• What’s working? The work of student success coaches, the financial aid office and advisors to remove barriers to the students has helped the university, according to Edwards.

• Popular fields of study: More than 350 of the more than 2,000 new first-time students are planning to major in nursing. Computer engineering, mechanical engineering and psychology were also popular fields.

• Where they come from: Many of the students came from local high schools, with Beavercreek and Centerville at the top.


Dayton Daily News co-hosts Mental Health Matters event

The Dayton Daily News, Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association (GDAHA, and Wright State University will host "Mental Health Matters: A Community Conversation" on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 at the Wright State University Student Union.

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The five-member panel of the Mental Health Matters event at Wright State University told the nearly 300-person crowd that the mental health problems in the area urgently need to be addressed during the event Tuesday.

• What they said: The panel raised four main points during the discussion:

— Mental health challenges are hitting every aspect of our society, from kids in elementary school to our oldest citizens, and having an impact on our economy.

— Breaking the stigma of having mental health and addiction issues can help us at least discuss the problem.

— Connecting people to each other helps prevent mental health problems, and prevention is key to working against the crisis.

— The pandemic was a tipping point in the mental health crisis. While the region has made strides in the conversations had around mental health, mental health itself remains a problem.

• About the project: The event was part of a series that the Dayton Daily News is working on looking at the state of mental health in the area. Find the entire project here.

• Watch the event: A full recording of the event is available here.


What to know today

• One big takeaway: Five Rivers MetroParks is investigating after a body was recovered from the Great Miami River in Dayton Tuesday morning.

• Tip of the day: The season for pumpkin- and apple-inspired treats is here, and several establishments across the Dayton region have some unique items to tempt fall treat-seekers.

• Big move of the day: Canadian global investment group CDPQ will take a stake in Dayton-area electric utility AES Ohio with a $546 million investment.

Person to know today: Zach Webber. The licensed professional counselor is also a certified therapeutic game master through Geek Therapeutics, a Texas-based program that integrates geek culture into therapy.

Stat of the day: $13.9 million. The second-largest donation ever given to The Dayton Foundation. Read about the generous donors here.

Thing to do: The Yellow Cab Tavern and a number of local food trucks are coming together to host the Dayton Birria Fest this weekend.

• Photo of the day: Former Beatles drummer/singer/songwriter Ringo Starr and his All-Star Band played a sold-out concert at Fraze Pavilion in Kettering this past weekend. Photographer Tom Gilliam spent A Hard Day’s Night working on this gallery of photos.

Former Beatles drummer/singer/songwriter Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band played a sold-out concert on their Fall tour at Fraze Pavilion in Kettering on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. Ringo’s band consists of guitarist/vocalist Steve Lukather (Toto), guitarist/vocalist Colin Hay (Men at Work), saxophonist/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Warren Ham (Toto), bassist/vocalist Hamish Stuart (Average White Band), drummer Gregg Bissonette (Spinal Tap & David Lee Roth) and keyboardist Buck Johnson (Brother Cane & Hollywood Vampires). This concert closed out Fraze’s 2024 season. TOM GILLIAM / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Credit: Tom Gilliam

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Credit: Tom Gilliam