University of Southern Indiana President Steve Bridges touched on many topics during his inauguration speech Thursday morning in Liberty Arena on the USI campus, but one he returned to was the university’s mission to serve local students, some—like he was—who are first generation college students with limited financial resources.
The theme of the inauguration was “Built on Purpose,” an apt phrasing for both Bridges’ personal journey and the mission of the university. A 1989 graduate of USI, Bridges started at the university across the river after finishing two years at Henderson Community College and while still stocking shelves at one of the local Sureways.
“I came here with a purpose and today is the pinnacle of that decision,” Bridges said.
Bridges, 59, spoke of his Henderson roots, identifying with the hardworking grit and humility of his hometown. But he expanded his roots to include southern Illinois where he spent much time in his early life visiting a family farm and the west side of Evansville where he has worked and stayed at USI since 1989, when he took his first job as a staff accountant at the school.
From these areas he mentioned, the majority of USI students come and where most return after graduation. He said the school has set a goal to reach more students—USI wants to increase enrollment by 3,000 students in the next five years, he said.
“The cycle of opportunity is the legacy of USI,” he said, adding later that the university can change the trajectory of families, like it did his.
In the spring of 2024, Bridges was appointed interim president when former President Dr. Ron Rochon announced he was leaving to take over the leadership at the California State University, Fullerton. Bridges said in a previous Hendersonian article that he at first expected to only be in the president’s spot during the interim. But about a month into the interim position “it became clear to me that I had a future in the position.”
After the school’s Presidential Search Committee and Board of Trustees carried out a nationwide search, Bridges was named president on April 2.
It’s the cap to a more than three-decade career at the school. After his first job as staff accountant, Bridges moved on to bursar, chief accountant, controller and assistant business office director, assistant and associate vice president and an interim appointment for operations and assistant treasurer, and eventually to vice president for finance and administration, which was his position before being named interim president and now president.
Bridges is the fifth president of USI and the first who is also a graduate of the institution. In addition to his bachelor’s degree in accounting, he also earned a master’s degree in business administration from USI in 1995.
Past presidents include Dr. David Rice from 1967-1994; Dr. H. Ray Hoops from 1994-2009; Dr. Linda L.M. Bennett from 2009-2018; and Rochon from 2018-2024. Hoops, White and Rochon were present for Thursday’s inauguration.
Bridges’ son, Cory, also spoke, sharing memories about his dad and cracking some jokes, among them that he was a ballboy when Bruce Pearl was the USI basketball coach and his timeout huddles were a “level 300 vocabulary course.”
He also spoke of his father’s roots as the son of a farmer and a man who prefers to deflect attention from himself. Cory, the father of four of the elder Bridges’ five grandchildren, told those in attendance, “We lend you our father and our ‘Pap.’”
“We can’t wait to see the next chapter we all write together,” Cory Bridges said.
The president also asked the former director of career services at USI to speak, though Marilyn Schmidt had to come from North Carolina to do so. She told the audience that her office had a policy to never recommend one USI student over another for job placements.
But when Michael Whipple, a former employee who was looking to hire a staff accountant all those years ago, came to her, she said, “You will not find a candidate who is a better fit” for that position and the university than Bridges, even though numerous other USI students had been interviewed. She repeated that statement Thursday morning, saying he was perfect for that job then and “he’s the perfect candidate now.”
On hand for the inauguration—in addition to past presidents, provosts, board of trustees and numerous university leaders—were Bridges’ family, all Henderson residents: Cory and his wife Emily and their four children, Ella, Hayden, Jack and Maggie; daughter Emma; daughter Abby Polivick and her husband Jacob and their daughter Roselynn; and his wife, Rosemary.
Bridges began his speech saying that he was grateful, especially for his family, “his constant in life” and “the reason for all I do.”
“I could not be more proud of them,” he said.
And he ended his speech talking about his USI family and their future together.
“We will build. We will serve. We will thrive. All on purpose,” he said.
