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2025-26ANNUAL REPORT
A Transformative Year on the “Journey to Excellence”
The statistics, stories and photos throughout this report document FGCU’s
commitment to its growth and progress, its values and goals, its students and
alumni, its own people and the communities in the five counties it serves. Each
section highlights achievements across campus in attaining the five goals set
out in the 2024-29 strategic plan — and includes compelling profiles in
student success.
The students profiled here bring the Wings Up spirit to life through personal
passion, perseverance and purpose. From groundbreaking research and
entrepreneurial innovation to meaningful community engagement, global learning
and record-setting achievements, their stories reflect a shared dedication to
growth and impact. Guided by mentorship and enriched by hands-on experiences,
these individual Eagles turn ambition into action — shaping not only their own futures
but also the communities they serve.
Partnerships With Meaningful Impact
FGCU was built by the communities that make up Southwest Florida and continues to
elevate partnerships that provide new opportunities for students and faculty and enhance
regional resiliency.
Marieb Hall South — made possible by community support, state backing and private
philanthropy — will transform healthcare education and produce more future-ready graduates
for a workforce in need of professionals.
A similar combination of support fuels the university’s growth beyond campus. In collaboration
with Babcock Ranch, and with state support, FGCU announced plans to build a premier
learning, research and outreach institute in Charlotte County dedicated to advancing
sustainability and resiliency.
In Southwest Florida, those concerns take on added significance in the wake of
natural disasters that challenge citizens and communities. Three years after Hurricane
Ian devastated Sanibel Island, students and faculty in the Daveler & Kauanui School
of Entrepreneurship teamed up with the community’s struggling business leaders to
sort out recovery information. Using artificial intelligence, they developed the Sanibel
Solutions dashboard, which supplies data and analysis of key indicators to support
the city’s strategic planning for housing, infrastructure, tourism and the economy.
Investing in Our People and Campus
Toward the goal of strengthening organizational culture
and commitment to employees, FGCU made a significant
investment in its people with Eagle View Village, a $25
million employee rental housing community. Faculty hired
from outside Southwest Florida will have priority access to
homes. During the initial leasing period, current full-time
faculty and staff also have had
the opportunity to apply.
Increased participation in
the Great Colleges to Work
For survey demonstrated
that more employees wanted
their voices to be heard and
counted. The results reflected
broad, meaningful progress
and a strong sense of purpose,
connection and shared momentum across the campus
community.
The fall term began with new leadership in the President’s
Cabinet, bringing decades of higher education experience
to FGCU. Joining the Eagle family in July were Debbie M.
Thorne, Ph.D., as executive vice president and provost, and Paul J. Dosal, Ph.D.,
as vice president and vice provost
overseeing Student Success & Enrollment Management.
Kristi Carman began her first full year as vice president
and general counsel after arriving in May.
Showcasing Our Impact
To help raise more awareness of FGCU’s presence and
progress, University Marketing & Communications launched
a new branding campaign
this year, “Your University.”
The campaign reached across
multiple platforms to spotlight
the university’s ties with the
community that built and
shaped it.
Together, all of these
accomplishments reflect a
university on a strong upward
trajectory — one fueled by community partnership,
strategic investment and an unwavering focus on
student success. As FGCU builds on this momentum,
it remains committed to expanding opportunity,
strengthening its regional impact and shaping a resilient,
innovative future for Southwest Florida and beyond.
"Every advancement highlighted in the 2025-26 Annual Report represents people who
chose to think boldly, embrace change and contribute to something larger than themselves."
— Aysegul Timur, Ph.D. · President, Florida Gulf Coast University
