J. Peter Natale has been named chief information officer and vice president for information technology at Miami University beginning July 1. In this role, Natale will provide executive direction and strategic vision for the university's information technology assets, infrastructure and services. Natale is a former CIO and senior vice president of information technology and business process at Becton Dickinson and Company (BD).

David H. Budig of Cincinnati (Hamilton Co.) has been appointed to the Miami University Board of Trustees for a term beginning March 11, 2013, and ending February 28, 2022.

Miami University and the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma are expanding the scope of the Myaamia Project by launching a new Myaamia Center located on the Oxford campus. The center will carry forward the work of revitalizing Myaamia language and culture that began through the project more than a decade ago. The Myaamia Center is a tribally directed research entity with two main purposes. The first is to conduct in-depth research to assist tribal educational initiatives aimed at the preservation of language and culture. This research creates a wide range of educational models and materials for community language and cultural programs. The second purpose is to expose undergraduate and graduate students at Miami University to tribal efforts in revitalizing their language and culture. Students gain experience through a wide range of activities including visits to tribal headquarters in Oklahoma, direct involvement in research initiatives, class visitations by center staff and access to Miami Tribe language and cultural resources. This unique collaboration is captured in the Myaamia term used to express this relationship 'neepwaantiinki,' 'learning from each other.' Over the years this partnership grew through several initiatives. Scholarship funds are available for qualified tribal students. This support has been influential in recruiting more than 80 Myaamia students to the university since 1991.