Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,
I am delighted to announce that UW-Milwaukee has preliminarily earned R1 (Research 1) status and remains one of the top research universities in the nation. This is the third consecutive time that UWM has earned the highest rating for research from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning. Final classification will be announced as official by the end of January 2022.
UWM is one of only 137 institutions – of 3,298 – nationwide to receive this ultimate recognition. This is beyond inspiring, especially when we consider the very real extra challenges we faced – a global pandemic, declining resources, and many other headwinds in higher education.
Attaining R1 under any conditions is a monumental feat and is affirmation of the remarkable impact of UWM’s exceptional faculty, staff, doctoral students and researchers who were integral to this attainment. As I stated in 2018, you have made – and continue to make – UWM the preeminent research and access institution that it is today. This is a proud moment for us all and I congratulate you.
The important and critically-acclaimed research you engage in impacts thousands of lives though innumerable areas – mental health, sports, the cosmos, science, public health, our environmental, advanced manufacturing, graphic arts, and more. There are simply too many to list and I urge you to take a look at the plethora of research stories on our website.
Our students at all levels learn how research leads to discoveries and solving problems, and they are given research opportunities – some even the summer before their freshman year – in the classroom, in our labs and in our communities. There’s a good reason why UWM has been recognized as having one of the best undergraduate research programs in the nation by the Council on Undergraduate Research.
UWM was first named to Carnegie’s ‘Highest Research Activity’ category in 2015 and retained R1 status in 2018. The 2021 classifications are based on a number of factors, including the number of doctorates awarded and research expenditures during 2019 and 2020. Details are available from the Carnegie classifications website.
Knowing how our faculty members, staff and students positively impact the world every day gives me immense pride. I look forward to celebrating you and our R1 status. Look for details in early 2022. Once again, thank you for all the immense effort and commitment that strengthens UWM’s reputation as a top research university. Well done, Panthers!
Best regards,
Mark A. Mone, PhD
Chancellor