{"id":6695,"date":"2026-04-23T16:01:40","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T21:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/press-releases\/?p=6695"},"modified":"2026-04-23T16:18:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T21:18:12","slug":"und-is-named-an-innovation-and-economic-prosperity-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/press-releases\/2026\/04\/und-is-named-an-innovation-and-economic-prosperity-university\/","title":{"rendered":"UND is named an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Designee<\/p>\n

In recognition of its strong commitment to economic engagement, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) has designated UND as an Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) University.<\/span><\/p>\n

The IEP designation highlights how the University works\u00a0together\u00a0with public and private sector partners to\u00a0support\u00a0economic development,\u00a0spark innovation, foster entrepreneurship, develop a skilled workforce and strengthen communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEarning the IEP designation is a defining characteristic of who we are as a\u00a0research\u00a0university,\u00a0committed to serving our state and nation,\u201d said UND President Andrew Armacost. <\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEconomic engagement is not a single initiative at UND, but a web of connected actions that bring us together with industry partners and communities. This designation reinforces key parts of our campus strategic plan, called UND LEADS, as we align our academic strengths, research enterprises, and partnerships to deliver real-world solutions. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis validates the progress we\u2019ve made while also pushing us to go further by building deeper connections across the state to ensure our impact continues to grow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Said APLU President Waded Cruzado, \u201cUniversities are powerful engines for economic growth. We are thrilled to recognize the University of North Dakota for its dedication to collaborating with its community to propel\u00a0statewide and\u00a0regional economic development.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Self-assessment, followed by independent review<\/h2>\n

UND earned this designation after a rigorous, independent review process\u00a0led by Jason Jensen<\/a><\/strong>, professor of Political Science and Public Administration,\u00a0and Cortnee Jensen<\/strong><\/a>, executive director of Economic Development. This involved a thorough two-year self-assessment of the University\u2019s economic engagement initiatives, enriched by valuable insights from key stakeholders, including input gathered during the UND LEADS strategic planning process.<\/span><\/p>\n

APLU’s Commission on Economic and Community Engagement \u2014 a national leader in this field \u2014 oversees this process, ensuring that universities effectively plan, assess and communicate their impact. UND is now one of just over 90 higher education institutions designated as an IEP university.<\/span><\/p>\n

The IEP designation reflects UND\u2019s institution-wide strategy to align research, education and partnerships in service to regional and statewide\u00a0prosperity. UND approaches economic engagement in ways that produce measurable public\u00a0benefits, and its economic impact reflects the scale of that engagement. For example, in the 2022\u20132023 academic year,\u00a0an economic impact analysis\u00a0done by the UND Institute of Policy and Business Analytics showed\u00a0UND\u00a0contributed\u00a0$1.93 billion\u00a0in industry activity, supported\u00a0nearly 17,000\u00a0jobs, generated\u00a0$1.13 billion in labor income and produced $284.9 million in total statewide tax revenue.<\/span><\/p>\n

This impact is driven by a coordinated portfolio of high-performing initiatives. UND is a nationally recognized leader in rural health through its School of Medicine & Health Sciences and the College of Nursing & Health Professions; in autonomous and uncrewed aerial systems through the Research Institute for Autonomous Systems and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site; in commercialization and startup support through the Center for Innovation; and in applied business and community development through the Center for Business Engagement & Development and the North Dakota Small Business Development Centers network, which have contributed billions in economic impact. <\/span><\/p>\n

The University is also home to the globally recognized Energy and Environmental Research Center and is rapidly emerging as a leader in research, development and testing of cutting-edge technologies to support efforts in national security and space.<\/span><\/p>\n

Initiatives such as UND CONNECT\u00a0and the Experiential Learning Center further\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0how the University integrates student learning, faculty\u00a0expertise\u00a0and industry collaboration to address real-world challenges across the state,\u00a0translating strategy into tangible economic and societal outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am so pleased to receive the IEP designation from APLU, but this is not the end, rather a catalyst for what comes next,\u201d said Armacost. \u201cWe will build on this momentum through our moonshot goal of innovation everywhere all at once to continue making a difference for North Dakota.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The IEP program emphasizes continuous improvement, with designated universities actively sharing best practices and collaborating within a national community of practice to maximize their economic and societal impact.\u00a0<\/span>Building on this designation, UND will advance the\u00a0plan developed through the self-study process to further strengthen economic engagement over the next five years.\u00a0<\/span>Learn more about the\u00a0<\/span>Innovation & Economic Prosperity program.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

University earns national recognition for leadership in innovation and economic engagement<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":6697,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUND is named an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University - Press Releases<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"University earns national recognition for leadership in innovation and economic engagement.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/press-releases\/2026\/04\/und-is-named-an-innovation-and-economic-prosperity-university\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UND is named an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University - 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