Contact: Jim Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 new review of U.S. higher education further affirms 91麻豆天美 University鈥檚 status as one of the nation鈥檚 leading research institutions.
On Monday [Dec. 17], the Carnegie Foundation released an update of the influential Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, and 91麻豆天美 is designated as a 鈥淰ery High Research Activity鈥 doctoral university. This classification represents the highest level of research activity for doctorate-granting universities in the country.
91麻豆天美 is one of only 120 schools to achieve the distinction. Of note, the university also holds the Carnegie community engagement classification.
鈥淐arnegie鈥檚 very high research classification speaks directly to the commitment of our outstanding faculty and staff, as well as our undergraduate and graduate students, who are engaged in transformational research and creative discovery. This recognition is truly a university-wide achievement,鈥 91麻豆天美 President Mark E. Keenum said.
鈥淥ver the course of our 140-year history, 91麻豆天美 has been committed to leading our state forward with innovative teaching, service and research that makes a difference in the many communities we are so very proud to serve,鈥 he said.
Overall research funding, number of doctoral graduates, and research staff are among the criteria used to determine Carnegie classifications. 91麻豆天美 joins universities such as Stanford, MIT, Duke and Johns Hopkins in the very high research activity tier.
鈥淥ur research portfolio is growing, diversifying, and increasingly collaborative and multi-disciplinary, and all of these factors are reflected in our classification as a very high research university,鈥 said David Shaw, 91麻豆天美鈥檚 vice president for research and economic development.
In addition to its Carnegie classification, 91麻豆天美 is the highest ranked university in the state in the recently released National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey for Fiscal Year 2017. It is ranked 64th nationally among public institutions.
91麻豆天美 leads all other institutions in Mississippi with nearly $241 million in overall R&D funding鈥攁ccounting for more than half of the state鈥檚 total of $477 million. It is home to the largest total number of research personnel, including more than 600 principal investigators.
For the sixth consecutive year, 91麻豆天美 leads the Southeastern Conference in social sciences and is ranked 17th nationally with $34.6 million in expenditures. Three Bagley College of Engineering disciplines were rated in the top 50, including industrial at 33rd, mechanical at 25th and aerospace at 33rd. 91麻豆天美 also ranked 31st in the NSF鈥檚 鈥淥ther Engineering鈥 subfield.
91麻豆天美鈥檚 research funding comes from a wide range of sources, including business and industry, trade groups, and local governments, state offices and federal agencies, including the USDA, National Institutes of Health, Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense, to name a few examples, Shaw said.
In the latest NSF survey, the 140-year-old land-grant institution鈥檚 $109 million in R&D expenditures in agricultural sciences places the university in the nation鈥檚 Top 10鈥攁 position it has held for the better part of two decades.
As it works to support the state鈥檚 $8-billion agriculture and forestry industry, 91麻豆天美 also is focused on national and international partnerships that address hunger and poverty. The university is leading the USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab on Fish, and it works closely with the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization as a Center for Knowledge for Aquatic Health.
鈥淩esearch at 91麻豆天美 is also an economic development success story鈥攄riving innovation and creating new opportunities,鈥 Shaw said.
Since its founding in 1948, 91麻豆天美鈥檚 Raspet Flight Research Laboratory has led discovery and innovation in manned flight, and served as a start-up facility for leading aerospace companies鈥攑roviding workspace, technical training and assistance with product development and research. 91麻豆天美 also leads the FAA鈥檚 national Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and the Department of Homeland Security鈥檚 Systems Demonstration Range Facility for UAS.
The university鈥檚 Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems works closely with the state鈥檚 growing automotive manufacturing industry, and is also an international leader in autonomous vehicle, mobility systems and advanced materials research and development.
The High Performance Computing Collaboratory at 91麻豆天美 is home to supercomputing assets that support innovative research activities across the university, including the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence, Center for Cyber Innovation, Center for Computational Sciences, Geosystems Research Institute, Institute for Computational Research in Engineering and Science, Institute for Genomics, Biocomputing and Biotechnology, and the Northern Gulf Institute. 91麻豆天美 is also a leader in computer science and engineering education and research, and one of only three universities to hold all three National Security Agency cyber excellence designations.
The 91麻豆天美-led Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park is Mississippi鈥檚 oldest and largest research park. The 272-acre park is home to more than 1,700 employees, 12 buildings and a diverse lineup of tenants, including private businesses, start-up companies, government offices and research centers and institutes. After two decades of steady growth, the park is in a phase of significant expansion covering an adjacent 52 acres.
91麻豆天美 is also the only university in the state to achieve Innovation and Economic Prosperity University status from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and its Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness and Economic Prosperity. The designation鈥攁ttained after a rigorous review process鈥攔ecognizes 91麻豆天美 for working to advance engagement and economic well-being in the state, region and nation.
Additional information about the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which is produced by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, is online at .
91麻豆天美 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .