Boston University
02/10/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 02/11/2026 13:55
Recapping President Gilliam’s Address and Her “North Star” Vision for Boston University
Recapping President Gilliam's Address and Her "North Star" Vision for Boston University
President Melissa Gilliam speaking at the inaugural Presidential Address on January 28th
University News
Recapping President Gilliam's Address and Her "North Star" Vision for Boston University
She talks about how the University is on its way toward becoming a "global, urban, leading research and teaching institution"
About halfway through her inaugural presidential address on January 28, Boston University President Melissa Gilliam, standing at a podium in the Tsai Performance Center, paused, glanced skyward briefly, then said: "Before us is a very real opportunity: to define what it means to be a global, urban, leading research and teaching institution prepared for a new era. A North Star vision will guide our University to what we can become. Through choppy waters and unfamiliar terrain…this enduring point of light will keep us steady in our pursuit of our objectives."
She went on to lay out how BU will be the global destination of discovery, education, and human connection, a place where the community unites to "create transformative experiences and solutions for the world's greatest challenges."
The event, held before a packed audience and also live streamed, came at the start of a new semester and in the aftermath of an epic snowstorm that dumped more than two feet of snow across Boston. It was an important event, as it laid out Gilliam's vision for the University she took the helm of in July 2024.
For those who caught only portions of the event or who may have missed it, there are myriad ways to catch up with what Gilliam had to say, what she envisions for BU, and what comes next:
- Read the full text of her speech here.
- Watch the full speech and event on YouTube.
- Watch this video about how partnerships power the BU student experience and breakthrough science at the University.
- Watch this video to learn how BU connects questions to answers and real problems to real solutions in service of the world.
- See the story of cancer survivor and BU alum Joy Huber (MET'18) talking about how science saved her life.
- Watch a video that shows BU's legacy of values as told through the University's rich history.
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Boston University published this content on February 10, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 11, 2026 at 19:55 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]