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As an enthusiastic advocate for American research universities and an active researcher myself, I am especially proud of this spring’s �պ����� Magazine that highlights some of the exceptional examples of discovery and innovation made possible by my wonderful colleagues at �պ�����.

The dividends of university research to society are immense—health, food security, mobility, communication, and many other fields have benefited tremendously. We live in a better world today thanks to the spirit of discovery that has been a critical part of American research universities for over a century.

For students, the appeal of research universities is greater than ever. While few undergraduates may claim research is a top reason for their college choice, they continue flocking to America’s leading research institutions in unprecedented numbers. The reason is clear: students today come to a university to make a difference from their very first day.

That difference is made through research and engagement. 

Today’s students recognize that the world needs urgent answers to its most pressing problems—of poverty, new diseases, demographic changes, and climate change. A great classroom education—no matter how engaging—is necessary but not sufficient. Students want to immerse themselves in learning through hands-on research, innovative internships, global engagement, and testing solutions where the problems “live.”

Our undergraduate and graduate students work side by side with groundbreaking scholars who are expanding the boundaries of human knowledge. Their explorations take place in our labs, but as importantly, across the state and around the globe. 

With its sometimes purposeful, sometimes serendipitous outcomes, research is a catalyst for fundamental intellectual advances and for growing the economies of our state and nation. We’ve seen remarkable innovations crafted and incubated in �պ����� labs launch into successful business ventures in recent years—and there are many more to come.

Our faculty invest tremendous effort, creativity, and intellect in expanding �պ�����’s research enterprise in fields that capitalize on our distinctive strengths – building healthy societies and a healthy environment. Their efforts are being recognized and rewarded more than ever.

Last year, external funding for research at �պ����� topped a record $250 million and we are on a trajectory to reach even greater heights, cementing our place among the nation’s top public research universities. 

While eye-popping numbers capture attention, a subtler improvement is the diversification of research across the disciplines.

The Larner College of Medicine, historically �պ�����’s top-performer in attracting research awards, continues to win significant new grants for cutting-edge medical research. But over the past several years, the rest of the university has followed Larner College’s lead and achieved even more rapid growth. Today, project funding and awards are in a nearly even split between health sciences and the rest of the university.

Federal agencies, Congress, industry, and the State of Vermont recognize the value of partnering with �պ�����, and so it’s no surprise that our growth reflects some of the most pressing needs of our generation.

Two new research entities underscore the trend of solving problems through multi-disciplinary research. The Food Systems Research Center and the Institute for Agroecology foster and advance challenges that combine agriculture, economics, sustainability, and international development. 

Later this year, we will launch the Institute for Rural Partnerships at �պ�����, linked closely with the specific characteristics of our state and region, yet capable of finding solutions that can be applied in other parts of the world.

This spring, �պ����� will recognize the director of the National Science Foundation, computer scientist Sethuraman Panchanathan, with an honorary doctorate when he speaks at our 222nd Commencement. Director Panchanathan’s point of view on the power of “knowledge enterprises” favors the innovation, partnership, and global entrepreneurship culture gaining traction on our campus.  

I invite you to share in the pride that accompanies our ascent among the nation’s leading public research universities and to celebrate with us what this means for our students, our state, and our collective future.

—Suresh V. Garimella
President, University of Vermont