Wow! The past six years enhanced my perceptions and opened my eyes to the virtues of this place known as the Queen City! 

To be sure, Cincinnatians let you know where they stand - whether it’s the high school or college you cheer for, the brand of chili you eat, or the value you place on wanting Cincinnati to be the best.  People here are committed. You don’t just go along to get along.  You question and probe.  You let others know how you feel.  Boy, do you let folks know how you feel! 

I have experienced this tutelage in person - often with hugs and smiles that would ignite a bonfire!  Others of you have taken a more diplomatic path, issuing me a slight nod here and there, a question, a prod, an outright correction.  Still others of you decided early on to keep your distance. 

But happily there are those of you who actually tried to teach me a thing or two.  What I have learned is that Greater Cincinnatians take pride in your region, but are relatively humble about it. By and large, you recognize the importance of our nine Fortune 500 companies. You appreciate that we have one of the most successful Chambers of Commerce in the nation.  You celebrate the successes of the United Way campaign and the Fine Arts Fund. You were proud to host the NAACP and National Baptist convention here. You know that our small businesses are the engine for our economy.  You appreciate that the University of Cincinnati is one of the top public research institutions in the nation. But, you don’t make much noise about all of that, or the many other accomplishments and assets of our region - because that’s how you are.

Cincinnatians also always want winners. Cincinnatians want to win in life, and Cincinnatians will continue to step up in support of the "cradle-to-career" initiative called Strive. Cincinnatians want to win as a community and have joined together to create a vision for the future called Agenda 360.  Cincinnatians want to win on a worldwide scale and have been vocal in support of academic progress, research excellence and dynamic innovation at the University of Cincinnati.

So, in my time as a Cincinnatian, I have seen and learned much about Cincinnati, and I appreciate those qualities that make this city a wonderful place.  Thank you for a great six years in this remarkable city.

Throughout my time in Cincinnati, a constant theme has been the relationship between universities and cities. I truly believe that great cities need great universities, and also that great universities need great cities.

The University of Cincinnati has the great good fortune of co-location in a highly urbanized area, both in our local community of Uptown Cincinnati, and in our direct link to Downtown, the Central Business District and Over-the-Rhine. It should be obvious that our relationship to such a great city is, and should be, reciprocal.

In defining a "great city," the work of Richard Florida still rings true. He says a city is best described by those who like to live in them; in short, the creative class. Through a set of clever measuring tools, he describes an open, diverse and highly tolerant city that attracts innovators of all kinds and ages - talent at the bleeding edge who will chart the future of our nation.

Cincinnati is a great city, now defined as a way cool place to "live, and work, and play," and Cincinnati is blessed with a great university to ensure the reciprocal benefits of not only "live, work, and play," but also "learn and stay."
 
Adding to this definition of a way cool city, we must now define "great university." By that, I mean a comprehensive, research extensive, public university like the University of Cincinnati, a Top 50 university nationally ranked in research funding.

Universities are increasingly referred to as "anchor institutions." They represent what CEOS for Cities calls "sticky capital" - meaning they cannot easily pick up and leave the community. So they have special importance to the re-making of a city and its future, and they have special reason - if they are willing (and smart) - to be instrumental in shaping their cities’ future.

There was a lot of debate when UC decided to call itself the new urban research university. Many felt we should distance ourselves from the word "urban," the connotation of which, some felt, suggested only an image of racial strife, poverty, decay, and flight. In the end, the voice of urban vibrancy, excitement, diversity, rich potential and opportunity prevailed; perhaps in the face of one obvious truth - we are the University of Cincinnati.

I like a lot the idea that UC has recently recommitted to an even stronger relationship with its community, and has organized its actions around the responsibilities of an anchor institution.

SoapBlog 1 - Packing
Nancy L. Zimpher

As you read this, I am packing for the move to New York. The books are packed (a traveling library is a hazard of academic life), the clothes are in the process of being packed, but there’s no way to pack up my beloved Ohio River. I will miss Cincinnati’s wonderful skyline along with its beautiful rolling hills and our wonderful river that winds all the way back to my hometown of Gallipolis in southeastern Ohio.

Back in 1986, Robert Fulghum wrote a best-selling book on the thesis that all we really need to know, we learned in kindergarten. Growing up in Gallipolis, I learned about setting and place among the beautiful rolling hills of Southeastern Ohio overlooking our constant river.

I certainly learned about family and friends and how important it is to come back to your high school reunions. I learned about history and homes in Gallia County, and when they put my sister’s and my majorette uniform on display in the Historical Society window, a few years ago, I learned that you can make history before your time.

I learned about famous people, like O.O. McIntyre, anybody with the last name Evans, and of course Bevo Francis.  I learned about culture and ritual: Junior-Senior proms, bean dinners, county fairs, memorial parades, commencements and graduation.

I also learned about character, human nature and humility: that county fair queens have to share the limelight in the Daily Tribune with blue ribbon heifers twice their size; I learned that when the river floods, you get a day off from school; and I learned that people from Southeastern Ohio are really nice.

I learned about teachers and school and how important it is to become somebody; that Latin is the root of everything, teachers are tough and good work is expected. These simple truths have no doubt guided my experiences here in Cincinnati and certainly at the University of Cincinnati. Strengths, courage, the ability to consult widely, take feedback, make changes, and simply enjoy the beauty and culture of Cincinnati and life at UC have all been invaluable to me.

While I look forward to my SUNY appointment with excitement, I will miss the many students, faculty, employees, colleagues, friends, alumni and supporters I have come to know at UC. I have learned that people in Cincinnati and UC alums around the world (and especially those who call themselves a true Bearcat) are some of the most generous people I have ever encountered.