New University of Alabama President Promises ‘Bold Bets’ & Smart Growth

The new President at the University of Alabama will not be satisfied with the status quo—in a talk with the Tuscaloosa Rotary Club Tuesday, Dr. Peter Mohler said to expect a tenure of smart growth and 'bold bets.'

The Tuesday Q&A was among Mohler's first public speaking events since taking the helm at the Capstone in July, and outlined his parts of his plan to keep UA up to pace in a rapidly evolving academic world.

It was clear from his talk that Mohler has taken his mandate to learn as much as possible in the last few months very seriously. The research leader hired away from Ohio State University laced his appearance with specific mentions of student body statistics and on-campus building names.

He also demonstrated understanding of the differences facing potential in-state students from Baldwin County to Birmingham to Boaz.

With his understanding of the University's complexities improving, Mohler said his vision of the future is also sharpening.

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"Our path is clear. We will align our work so that every effort amplifies our impact. We will build on the strengths that are already setting us apart, and we will strengthen the state of Alabama, not only serving it but driving it forward," Mohler said. "We will place some bold bets that you will hear about in the next few weeks that will define our future success because at the University of Alabama, we are the benchmark for higher education and the future of higher education."

Mohler said UA will focus more than ever on experiential learning, including internships, job shadowing, volunteering, and in-lab research, to make students better prepared to enter the workforce with a running start.

"Simply put, it means learning by doing," Mohler said. "It's the kind of education that happens when students take on what they learned in class and put it in a real-world setting."

He also said that because the jobs of the future will almost certainly be integrated with artificial intelligence, students should expect to learn about AI and data analytics during their time at UA, regardless of their majors.

"The kids who are starting middle school today, 60 percent of the jobs that these kids will take by the time they finish college don't exist yet," Mohler said, citing a recent study. "That means that at the university, we need to think differently and evolve our model so that we're not just creating clones and robots that can memorize, but students who are able to evolve and think and adapt."

In addition to modernizing what academia looks like at Alabama, Mohler said he wants to continue the tradition of smart growth started by former presidents like Robert Witt, but only up to a point.

"I was at Ohio State, which has almost 70,000 students. That's too big," Mohler said. "I'm not making a statement today, and you know, I've got a lot of bosses, but I think we have to be very strategic in the growth of the University over the next few years."

Mohler said it will be essential to continue growing but do so in a way that fits the specific needs of the regional workforce, pulls more in-state students from high schools across Alabama and maintains the spirit and campus identity that make the Capstone a special place to study and work.

For more coverage of the University and some of the bold bets Mohler teased, and other news from West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.