I’m so proud to share that for the first time, Northern Arizona University is recognized as one of the top 100 research universities without a medical school by the National Science Foundation. NAU also moved to 201 for all universities in the United States, up from 213 in 2017.
Flagstaff and Northern Arizona, as well as our undergraduate and graduate students, are experiencing the benefits of NAU’s advanced national ranking as a top research university as measured by the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey.
Our research programs connect to Flagstaff and Northern Arizona employers and solutions, and their success directly translates to opportunities for our community. TGen North is just one clear example of this success.
Research at NAU contributed to the overall $2.5 billion economic impact generated by NAU as well as provides critical answers to state-wide and community issues such as forest health, water quality and supply, health solutions and access to care, education best practices and astronomy.
The ranking reflects the achievements of NAU’s world-class faculty, dedicated research and support staff, talented graduate and undergraduate students, and our goal of continued research and innovation in partnership with education and workforce development as a strong central contributor to NAU’s ongoing success.
Under the leadership of Wally Covington, Ph.D., and the commitment of the team at the Ecological Restoration Institute, NAU has enhanced understanding of forest management, environmental conservation, and steps we can take to protect our forests and prevent wildfires.
Dr. Han-Sup Han joined our team as director of Forest Operations and Biomass Utilization that will establish research, development and applications in Northern Arizona.
The National Institutes of Health awarded a $21.4 million grant to NAU’s Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative. This investment will expand our capacity for biomedical, clinical and behavioral research. Dr. Julie Baldwin, and the incredible team of faculty researchers’ work is impacting many lives in our state.
On the strength of a 14.5 percent increase in reportable research expenditures in 2018 over 2017, NAU anticipates another step up in NSF’s ranking next year, amid significant competition from NSF survey peer institutions.
Congratulations and thanks are shared broadly as this impressive research recognition is a direct result of the efforts of so many individuals within our campus community, and many throughout Northern Arizona. FBN
By Rita Cheng
Rita Cheng is the president of Northern Arizona University.
