Karyn Czar: I'm Karyn Czar, and this is Class Act, WUKY's series spotlighting the colleges and universities shaping Kentucky's future. On our second campus stop this year, we headed to Richmond to explore Eastern Kentucky University, widely known for its strong programs in criminal justice, police studies, and nursing, as well as its affordability and military-friendly campus.
There are more than 100 fields of study offered at EKU, from associate and bachelor's degrees to master's, education specialists, and doctoral programs. And EKU is growing. Under the leadership of Dr. David McFaddin, the university's 14th president, EKU is now Kentucky's third-largest public university by student enrollment.
I had a chance to sit down with President McFaddin about a month into the 2026–27 academic year. Dr. McFaddin, how is the start of the new year going?
Dr. David McFaddin: You know, this incoming freshman class, the thing I've noticed about them, just very engaging. You know, they want to really kind of be out and be on campus and, you know, when I see them out, they're asking questions.
They're really engaged in the classroom. I think it's been a strong start to the semester, and, you know, we're really excited about the upcoming year.
Karyn Czar: There are dozens of programs that EKU is well-known for, but one that's getting a lot of national attention is the School of Aviation. It is such a unique program, and you can only find it in Kentucky at EKU.
Dr. McFaddin: Yeah, super proud to be Kentucky's aviation and aerospace university. Being the only Part 141 FAA program in the state, it's a great opportunity for us to have a niche program, almost 500 majors in that program. We're serving a lot of Kentuckians, but we're also drawing students from all over the nation to this program.
It is a really world-class program. We've got exceptional faculty. One hundred percent placement rate with our graduates. They're going out, finding really great jobs, working in the aviation professions.
And then, of course, we're getting ready to add on this new program with our air traffic management, air traffic controller program, so that'll be starting in the spring of 2027.
So you start putting together these different aviation and aerospace majors, we're really leading in that space and helping grow one of Kentucky's fastest-growing and largest GDP activities in the aviation and aerospace industry.
Karyn Czar: And so many new air traffic controllers are needed right now across the country. That program will definitely be filling a need.
Dr. McFaddin: Yeah, there's a lot of excitement. We've talked to a lot of partners at the FAA. We've talked to our local educational partners. There's a lot of excitement about bringing on a new program located where we are.
We feel like student demand right now is already there. We're getting students applying for a program that's not even up and going yet, so there's definitely a lot of interest. But as you look across the nation, you're exactly right. We can see some of the challenges that have gone on at different places, and so we're excited to be bringing solutions to the table and being a partner with our aviation partners.
Karyn Czar: Talk a little bit about your criminal justice program as well. I actually had a friend who went through the program, and now she has moved on and gotten her doctorate. She's getting ready, fingers crossed, to be working with the FBI, and it all started right here.
Dr. McFaddin: Yeah, you know, that program is just such a signature program for EKU.
Our criminal justice program, our College of Justice and Safety, and Military Science—just some really outstanding programs there, with graduates who have gone on to do some amazing things, whether working in federal agencies, working in local agencies, leading on policy initiatives, or leading on major policy issues that have to do with the legal system and legal reforms.
It's a great program, with really experienced faculty in that college, and we're really excited about what they're doing in that space.
There's a lot of intersection between cybersecurity, homeland security, and criminal justice. It's really an evolving set of work that our faculty are leading on, not only in the classroom but also in the research space.
Karyn Czar: You just touched on technology, and artificial intelligence, of course, is the direction we're going. How is AI being utilized on campus?
Dr. McFaddin: For us, AI is at this fundamental AI-literacy level. We've got a cross-sectional working group. We've been working on this for a while. The goal is that every student who comes to EKU, through their academic experience, gains a sense of understanding and literacy within AI—how to use it, when to use it, and using it in a way that helps enhance the learning experience, not replace the learning experience.
Because if you're going to come and be with us and go through this journey together, we want you to learn how to use the tools to enhance your own experience. But we don't want AI thinking for you. We want you using AI to think more broadly, to learn more deeply.
Karyn Czar: Some in the industry have come out recently saying AI could end humanity as we know it, and others are pushing back, saying it's not that extreme. Do you have an opinion on that?
Dr. McFaddin: I think it goes back to this notion I was talking about. Whether it be philosophy or ethics, I do think that fundamentally, in the human condition, we've got to evaluate every next thing through the lens of quality of life, our personal value system, and whether it's making me better, wiser, or healthier.
I think every individual has to make those decisions on their own, and that becomes far less of a quantifiable, solve-for-X type of thing. I think it's more of a value-systems evaluation. What are your values? What do you believe, and why do you believe them?
Can this help support or defend or debunk some myth or some fact that may be out there?
From the seat I sit in, in 2007, these things called iPhones showed up, right? And people thought, "Oh, wow, we've got more computing power in our hand than what it took to send someone to the moon." I think this is just the evolution of technology and science.
We've got to make sure that we've got both hands on the wheel as we develop these things and use these things. An important part is that if you leave EKU, we've given you a sense of understanding and literacy about it so you can use it in a responsible way.
Karyn Czar: One of the coolest things you did was the first time I interviewed you, when you took me through the arch, going in and out of the arch. Talk about the significance of that for those who did not hear that last time.
Dr. McFaddin: We have a tradition here at EKU. It's now a decade old. We have something called the Turner Gate. It's an amazing space here on campus, made possible by two of our alumni, Craig and Madonna Turner.
They were gracious enough to have the vision to say that, as students are entering EKU—a place known for first-generation college students and for serving Kentuckians first—we take all of our freshmen and walk them through the gate as they enter the institution.
On the front, it has "knowledge" and "wisdom" on each of the pillars. The goal is that they come here seeking knowledge and wisdom to better themselves, better understand themselves, and better understand the world.
On the back, as they depart when they graduate, we take them out the gate, and it says "purpose" and "passion." So, having come here and gained this knowledge and wisdom and grown personally and professionally, you now leave here with a purpose and a passion to make a difference and make an impact.
It's a real testament to this season of growth and personal exploration, and then ultimately bringing value to your community, making a difference, and leaving a mark.
I think that's something really inspirational. It speaks to our student population, our region, and our state. We're proud to be number one for Kentucky enrollment, proud for our graduates to go back to work in Kentucky communities at the highest rate of any institution, and proud to be America's number one military-friendly school.
There's a lot here at EKU to be proud of, but leaving here with knowledge and wisdom and a passion and purpose to make a difference is probably the greatest of those things.
Karyn Czar: What's the best advice you have for the freshman class?
Dr. McFaddin: The thing I always tell them: I came here 30 years ago this fall as a first-time freshman and first-generation college student.
My advice to them is, in your time here, leave no opportunity missed. There are so many things this institution offers, from getting engaged in student organizations to serving on student government, studying abroad, internships and co-ops, and really just finding your path. These four years are going to shape the next 40 years, so make sure you make the most of them.
That's the advice I give them. A significant number of our students work at least 20 hours a week. A number of them have responsibilities back home, so we see them going back and forth between home and here.
But at the end of the day, my hope for them is that, while they're here, they take advantage of every opportunity. This institution and the people—faculty and staff who work here—want them to have the best experience so that they're the very best version of themselves when they leave.
Karyn Czar: Any projects going on? Obviously, when I drove up—and we're radio, so you can't see it—but when you drive up, there's some construction going on. What are some of the things we're going to be seeing in the next few years?
Dr. McFaddin: Model Laboratory School is under construction. We're excited to get that project completed. It's well underway. That's a fall 2028 opening.
We're doing some improvements on campus in general, just general facilities—the normal day-to-day things that we're improving.
Our flight school, our brand-new flight-training facility, is going out for bid now. There's a new terminal building at the airport. We're looking at a lot of work going on in that space.
And, of course, we're looking to the future with EKU's pursuit of Kentucky's first Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine school. We're in the early planning stages for construction of a medical school and health innovation center.
So, lots of good things going on at EKU, lots of investment. We're grateful to the General Assembly for its continued investment in our work. We're thankful to our donors who continue to support us, and mostly thankful to our students who continue to choose us. We're grateful to be Kentucky's university in that way.
Karyn Czar: One thing you've told me in the past is that one of the reasons so many people come to EKU is that you make it affordable, and you make sure to go out into the community and reach people right here in Kentucky, get them to come to school here, and then stay in Kentucky. Why is that such a passion and a mission?
Dr. McFaddin: Historically, when you look at the region we've served and think about that sense of community, I think there's a lot of pride in saying, "How do we lift each other up? How do we support each other in that work?"
For me, the most fun days are when I look on my calendar and I'm going to Laurel County High School, Jessamine County High School, Clark County High School, or Johnson County to see students and have a chance to give that testimony and tell them, "I was sitting in your seat. What I want you to know is that if you apply yourself in your educational journey, become a lifelong learner, and invest in yourself through education, anything is possible."
But one of the things we have to realize is that it is hard to be what you cannot see. I want to go give that testimony and tell them that I wasn't sitting there 30 years ago thinking I was going to be a university president. I wasn't sitting there 30 years ago thinking that my passion and work every day would be making sure you have the same opportunities I had.
But that has happened, and it has brought a tremendous sense of joy and satisfaction for me to help those students who are walking a path that I walked. I think you pave the way for others, help them walk that path, and that's how you give back and make a difference in your community.
Karyn Czar: Dr. McFaddin, what are your top legislative priorities for EKU this year?
Dr. McFaddin: As we look to the 2027 legislative session, we're currently working on a performance-funding review. That process is underway, and we're about halfway through the meeting cycle.
We're hopeful to see some meaningful changes to that model that will continue to reward the good work we're doing here at EKU. We're really proud that last year, when we looked at the metrics, we tied for the most successful metrics above the state benchmark average of any institution.
We're excited to hopefully see some changes that will continue to reward that work.
As we go into a non-budget year, you start talking about more policy-related issues. We continue to think about how we shape our educational experience so that it's supporting and underpinning Kentucky's economic and general community success. We want to be really focused on that as well.
For us, the next big initiative will be the 2028 session, as we look to wrap up the last piece of the puzzle for our medical school: the capital construction of a facility to house Kentucky's first Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program.
Karyn Czar: My thanks to EKU President Dr. David McFaddin for joining us on our new series, Class Act, a spotlight on Kentucky colleges and universities.
If you'd like to know more about the programs offered at EKU or plan a campus visit, click here.
Our next campus tour brings us back to Lexington just in time for Halloween: Transylvania University.
*Portions of this interview have been edited for time and clarity.*
