On November 14, about 75 people gathered in person and online to hear Dr. Patrick Terenzini, Distinguished, Professor Emeritus in Higher Education, present his overview of the evolution of institutional research and his outlook for the future. As institutional research in the U.S. approaches its fiftieth anniversary as a widely adopted administrative function, Dr. Terenzini laid out his argument for the belief that while lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, there’s good reason to believe that a broader, more turbulent river lies downstream. What does the past have to tell us about the future? Pat Terenzini wasn’t in at the beginning, but he was in IR (or its study) for 40 of those 50 years. In his presentation, Dr. Terenzini reviewed the evolution of the field and identified some of the key events and dynamics that have shaped our field since its inception and that continue to shape it today. He identified what he considers to be some of the important challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and discussed the knowledge and skills IR professionals will need to be effective.