The Kingfisher Institute is founded on a bold vision for the future of higher education, and Jesuit and Catholic higher education, in particular: a vision that liberal arts and professional education complement and reinforce one another.
Moreover, through the formation of faculty and staff, the Institute aims to influence every single student, in all of Creighton's nine schools and colleges. It works to help develop and articulate what makes a Creighton graduate distinctive - shaping the student as a Creighton lawyer, a Creighton accountant, a Creighton dentist, a Creighton occupational therapist - unifying heart, hands and minds.
As an extension of the Creighton University mission, the Kingfisher Institute for the Liberal Arts and Professions supports innovative and integrative approaches to education, research, and community engagement.
The Institute creates opportunities for faculty, staff and students to bring together the critical and reflective aspects of the liberal arts and sciences with the emphasis on application and practice in the professions. Through its activities and initiatives, the Institute advances Creighton’s capacity for collaboration across and between the disciplines and professions.
The Kingfisher Institute seeks to create and sustain a culture of dialogue and collaboration between the liberal arts and sciences and the professions at Creighton University and beyond. These efforts will enable a transformative educational experience, grounded in the Jesuit tradition, that prepares members of the Creighton community to confront challenges that transcend disciplinary and professional boundaries. In doing so, the Kingfisher Institute will elevate Creighton University by becoming a national leader for identifying and nurturing the productive intersection of the professions with the liberal arts and sciences.
The Kingfisher Institute is inspired by the Gerard Manley Hopkins poem, “As Kingfishers Catch Fire,” which Creighton President the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, highlighted in his inaugural presidential address. In doing so, he challenged all members of the Creighton community to seek more and to find God in all things.
