Contact: Thonnia Lee, Office of Strategic Communications
Dear Board of Trustees, Alumni, and Friends of Tuskegee University:
As we begin 2026 prepared to work together to push Tuskegee University forward, I would like to once again express my deepest gratitude for your unwavering support of Mother Tuskegee—whether through your personal treasure, time, words of encouragement, or quiet prayers. Gwen and I are sincerely grateful to each of you and for every way you choose to strengthen this institution we all cherish.
As we reflect on the accomplishments of 2025, we are equally energized by the promise of 2026 and beyond. Rest assured: Mother Tuskegee’s storied past is matched—indeed, surpassed—only by the potential and promise of her future.
2025: A Year of Achievement and Momentum
Enrollment Growth
In 2025, we celebrated a 10-year high in student enrollment. While growth was consistent across programs, we experienced remarkable expansion in our College of Agriculture, Environment, and Nutrition Sciences (CAENS), where more than 20% of our students now study. Our CAENS faculty earned recognition from the White House, the U.S. Fulbright Program, and other prestigious national and international bodies.
We also launched new academic pathways, including our Aviation Science Degree Program. This popular program benefited from the addition of three new flight simulators, generously provided by the U.S. Air Force. With Boeing projecting global demand for 660,000 new pilots and 710,000 new maintenance technicians over the next 20 years, Tuskegee is—once again—helping to write the next chapter in aviation history. The nation and the world need Tuskegee graduates in aviation science.
Renovated Dorms at Olivia Davidson and Lewis Adams
In January 2025, despite significant challenges, we proudly cut the ribbon on newly renovated residence halls at Olivia Davidson and Lewis Adams, delivering 298 modernized living spaces for our students. By all accounts, student satisfaction with these updated residential communities is extremely high.
Breaking Ground on the Center for Genomics and Health Disparity Research
We broke ground on a new research powerhouse dedicated to combating cancer, with special emphasis on reducing the disproportionate impact of cancer in the Black Belt of the South. This facility positions Tuskegee to lead transformative discoveries that will improve lives for generations.
Breaking Ground on the New School of Veterinary Medicine
The United States faces an alarming shortage of veterinary professionals—up to 55,000 newly licensed veterinarians will be needed by 2030. As the nation’s only accredited College of Veterinary Medicine at an HBCU, Tuskegee stands uniquely prepared to answer the call. Our graduates serve everywhere—from rural farms to Beverly Hills neighborhoods, from research laboratories to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The nation and the world need Tuskegee to expand veterinary education, and we are committed to doing so despite the challenges.
Students’ First REACH Center – Innovation in Learning
We began repurposing the historic Russell School Nursery into a modernized REACH Center. More than a building project, this renovation includes the rollout of our first Artificial Intelligence learning initiative. “Booker,” our AI powered on-demand learning tutor, places support directly into students’ hands and adapts to each learner’s needs.
Our initial pilot focuses on Math—a critical choice, given national trends. Recent assessments reveal concerning results: 45% of high school seniors score below basic level, and only 33% are prepared for college level math, a decline from 2019. Our students, and indeed the nation, need modern tutoring resources. Eliminating barriers in gateway courses such as Math and Chemistry is essential to ensuring every student has an equitable pathway to success.
Congressional Testimony
Tuskegee presidents have long advocated for equity in higher education, and that continued in 2025 as we brought our message to the U.S. Congress. Through sworn testimony, we championed Pell Grants, reasonable student loan access, and the preservation of critical federal programs such as our 1890 funding. Our testimony received bipartisan support in both chambers. While not every goal was secured, we successfully protected the Pell Grant, prevented punitive measures tied to historical loan defaults, and maintained key undergraduate loan provisions. The nation needs Tuskegee’s voice in shaping equitable access to higher education.
Graduate School Growth
We made major strides toward expanding our graduate and doctoral programs—essential components of our strategic goal of attaining R2 (High Research) status. Tuskegee introduced new graduate doctoral programs in Computer Science and the redesigned master’s degree of Occupational Therapy, which is up for candidacy this spring. We also leveraged institutional aid to cut tuition by 50% for 25 graduate students. R2 status is transformational: it signals Tuskegee as a powerhouse of research and discovery, opens doors to federal grants and corporate partnerships, diversifies revenue streams beyond tuition, and attracts top talent to solve the world’s most complex challenges.
National Publication and Media Presence
In 2025, Tuskegee amplified its voice on the national stage. Our perspectives reached USA Today, Forbes, Good Morning America, CNN, NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas and numerous regional and state platforms—elevating vital conversations on campus safety, student debt, job readiness, and the future of higher education.
$300 Million Comprehensive Campaign — The Case for Tuskegee
During the Presidential Investiture, we launched a historic $300 million Comprehensive Campaign grounded in three commitments:
- Reducing student debt by 50% by growing our endowment to $200 million
- Revitalizing infrastructure, including a new College of Veterinary Medicine (Small Animal Hospital and Pre-Clinical Instructional Building), an expansion to the College of Engineering Building (Luther Foster Hall), and a commitment to the phased renovation of the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center.
- Increasing alumni giving rate to 33%, well above industry standards, because we are Tuskegee
Early results are promising: Based on mid-December totals, giving continues to trend positively, reflecting approximately 32.8% growth from 2023 to 2025, with final year-end numbers still forthcoming. During this same period, the alumni giving rate has increased from 9.71% in 2024 to 16.80%, underscoring growing engagement as we work toward our campaign giving rate goal. Overall, alumni participation has increased by 7.09 percentage points, representing a 73% increase over 2024 levels.
Scholar Athletes
Our Athletic Department was recognized as the best overall in the SIAC, and our scholar athletes excelled with an impressive 3.2 GPA across all sports.
Band Growth
Our band closed the year 50 members stronger than in 2024—all while welcoming a new band director and elevating the spirit, sound, and pride of the Golden Tiger family.
Transition: From Reflection to Resolve
Even as we celebrate the accomplishments of 2025, we must acknowledge the challenges facing our communities. In the Black Belt, the plague of cancer continues to rob families of mothers, fathers, and children—reminding us why our growing genomics and health research efforts matter. The widening wealth gap in America suffocates potential before it has room to breathe. That is why social and economic mobility is not a slogan for Tuskegee—it is our mission. It is our covenant. It is what we do better than anyone: find the hidden jewels of society and polish them until they shine.
We will make these challenges our battle cry now that we have entered 2026.
2026: A Year of Firsts and Bests
Skegee Village – State-of-the-Art Living
We will break ground on 410 modern living spaces for upper-class students and our growing international student body, which has increased by 15%.
High Research Designation
Our formal request to move to High Research (R2) status is underway, signaling a bold new chapter of global relevance and scholarly impact.
AWS Partnership
We are launching the first Amazon Web Services (AWS) Machine Learning University initiative at Tuskegee, deepening our ties with industry leaders and expanding our technological footprint. Evidence of this partnership is that we are the first institution to host their bi-annual symposium (Feb. 26 and 27).
Shattering the K‑12 Narrative
Tuskegee is rewriting what is possible in the South. Our STEM-focused pipeline—beginning with the new charter school at D.C. Wolfe and expanding to our campus within three years—prepares students for the world’s most demanding fields. In stark contrast to limiting narratives about Alabama’s students, we are producing the elite scientists, engineers, and thinkers of tomorrow.
Job Skills Training
Tuskegee will partner with a notable community college to bring critical skills training directly to campus, including:
- Electricians: Electrical systems and installations
- Welders: Metalwork and fabrication
- Culinary Arts: Food preparation and management
- Collision Repair: Vehicle repair and maintenance
This Renaissance approach reflects our belief that education and hands-on training complement each other. Our students need both—and so do our region and our nation.
International Engagement
In the final weeks of 2025, our students and faculty traveled to Africa, Mexico, and Israel. These efforts will bear fruit this year as international recruitment increases both undergraduate and graduate enrollment—further supported by the launch of our Tuskegee Soccer program this fall.
Tuskegee University Global Campus (TUGC)
As we start the new year, we will announce the first Director of the Tuskegee University Global Campus. This long-awaited initiative will introduce four to five fully online degree programs designed to meet market demand—serving adult learners, returning students, military students seeking an HBCU education, and other nontraditional learners.
A Caution from History — and a Call to Action
As we begin a year of transformation, let us remember that our future is not guaranteed by our honorable past. Hubris is the enemy of progress. History teaches sobering lessons: consider the great civilizations—the Roman, Byzantine, Babylonian, and Ottoman Empires—and modern examples like Liberia. None remain as they once were. Why?
Because they became comfortable. They relied on their past glory and failed to adapt.
Tuskegee cannot afford that mistake. Our history is extraordinary, but history alone will not secure our future. We exist for one purpose: to improve the human condition and expand social and economic mobility for all people. Around the world, Tuskegee is seen as a symbol of overcoming odds through discipline, sacrifice, and service. We must honor that legacy by rejecting complacency and the biases that divide communities for cheap political or temporary gain. That is not the Tuskegee Way.
I am continually inspired by the work of Mother Tuskegee. I find that inspiration every day on the Yard. Our Cabinet brings vision, talent, and dedication to shaping Tuskegee’s future. And our students—oh, our students—they inspire me daily with their care, resilience, and excellence.
I know their journey because I was that student. I know what it means to need help, to receive help, and to have my life transformed by Tuskegee’s grace, opportunity, and belief in my potential. That memory stays with me. It drives me. It humbles me. And it will never be forgotten.
To our Board of Trustees—thank you for believing in me and for your steadfast leadership and generosity. To our alumni—thank you for your patience as we grow. We are public servants, though not perfect ones, working each day to honor your legacy. And to all who carry Tuskegee in their hearts, remember what our ancestors left us, Mother Tuskegee, a tribute to their humanity, love for all mankind and the transformative power of education for all.
As we stand together at the start of a new year, I am reminded that Tuskegee University has never measured its greatness solely by what we have achieved, but by the courage with which we pursue what comes next. Our founders built this institution from hope, discipline, and an unshakable belief in human potential. That same spirit still guides us today.
The world is changing quickly, but so is Tuskegee—and always for the better. We are expanding opportunity, strengthening our academic excellence, investing in our students, and building facilities and programs that will shape not just careers, but generations. Most importantly, we are preparing young women and men not simply to enter the world, but to solve that world’s most complex problems.
The promise of 2026 and beyond is bright. It is bold. And it is ours to claim—together.
Thank you for your steadfast love for Mother Tuskegee. May the coming year bring you peace, health, and renewed purpose. And may we continue, hand in hand, to ensure that Tuskegee University remains not only a place of learning, but a beacon of hope, resilience, ambition, and possibility for all who dare to dream.
Welcome to 2026 and the Tuskegee University Renaissance Era!
Yours in service,
Dr. Mark A. Brown
10th President & CEO
Tuskegee University
© 2026 Tuskegee University
