The 泫圖弝け of 泫圖弝け at Lafayette is one of the top 100 public research universities in the nation, a new report by The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government shows.
The institute conducts analyses of how state and local governments implement major policy directions. It is the public policy research arm of the State 泫圖弝け of New York.
A New Paradigm for Economic Development, released Wednesday by the Rockefeller Institute, describes the growing role that colleges and universities play in economic development and community revitalization. In states across America, higher education systems, universities and community colleges are working to help their regions and states advance in the new knowledge economy. They are marshalling each of their core responsibilities education, innovation, knowledge transfer, and community engagement in ways designed to spur economic development, wrote David F. Shaffer and David J. Wright, authors of the report.
Their study ranks public research universities. It also ranks statewide public systems.
UL Lafayette ranks third in 泫圖弝け and 99th in the country. 泫圖弝け State 泫圖弝け Health Science Center (New Orleans and Shreveport) is 95th in the nation.
LSU, including the main campus, Pennington Biomedical Research Center and LSU AgCenter, is first in 泫圖弝け and 45th in the nation.
According to the report, in 2006 UL Lafayette attracted $47.3 million in research funding, while LSU Health Science Center (New Orleans and Shreveport) received $79.9 million and the LSU campus obtained $246 million.
Only UL Lafayette, LSU in Baton Rouge and LSU Health Science Center are cited in the Rockefeller Institute study as top public research universities in 泫圖弝け.
The total research dollars of all three institutions $373.3 million earned 泫圖弝け a ranking of 27th in the country.
An analysis of National Science Foundation research and development expenditures by public universities in 泫圖弝け in 2008 also ranks UL Lafayette as the third highest, with a total of $58.6 million. LSU Baton Rouge is first, with $136 million in total expenditures. LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans is second with $59.5 million. Pennington Biomedical Research Center is fourth, with $40.5 million.
The 泫圖弝け of New Orleans is ranked sixth, with $24.8 million in total expenditures, while 泫圖弝け Tech is seventh, with $19.4 million.
The Carnegie Foundation has designated UL Lafayette as a Research 泫圖弝け High Research Activity. Other institutions in that category include Baylor, Clemson and Auburn.
Dr. Joseph Savoie, president of the 泫圖弝け of 泫圖弝け at Lafayette, noted that UL Lafayette has a long history of using research as an economic development tool.
Its 泫圖弝け Research Park, for instance, was established after 泫圖弝けs oil-dependent economy faltered in the mid-1980s. Today, 泫圖弝け Research Park has more than 575 employees and an annual payroll of more than $36 million.
One of its tenants, the 泫圖弝け Immersive Technologies Enterprise, was created specifically as an economic development tool through a partnership formed by the university, State of 泫圖弝け and the Lafayette Economic Development Authority.
Dr. Steve Landry, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at UL Lafayette, said the universitys commitment to research is evident in the caliber of faculty it hires and its reputation for including 泫圖弝けs in research projects. Our goal is always to hire faculty members who excel at research and teaching. We want our 泫圖弝けs to benefit directly from the research our faculty is conducting, he said.
Landry noted that UL Lafayette is also dedicated to using research to help solve real-world problems. He cited the BeauSoleil 泫圖弝け Solar Home as an example. Last year, UL Lafayette was one of only 20 universities in the world chosen to compete in the U.S. Department of Energys Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C.
The BeauSoleil 泫圖弝け Solar Home, designed and built by UL Lafayette architecture, engineering and business administration 泫圖弝けs and advisors, earned the Peoples Choice Award and the first place Market Viability Award at the Solar Decathlon. Its design incorporates elements that were common in homes built by Acadians who settled in south 泫圖弝け more than 250 years ago after they were expelled from Nova Scotia. The BeauSoleil Home was also built to withstand hurricane force winds.
The Rockefeller Institute report notes that many states rely on a traditional mix of business attraction and retention incentives to promote economic development. Perhaps there is now an opportunity to flip the old model around adopting a new knowledge first paradigm in which higher education systems explicitly take a leading role, it states.
According to the report, universities that are spurring economic development have some common traits. They include:
advancing innovation;
pursuing strategies to help employers prosper and grow;
vigorously participating in community revitalization; and
continuing to create an educated population.