VIDEO: New agreements, new opportunities at UND
President Armacost describes high-profile research and how best to achieve R1 status, among other topics
In a video made available to the campus community today, President Armacost shares news of two new agreements signed at UND, as well as two high-profile research awards.
UND’s agreement with Grand Forks Air Force Base and the North Spark Defense Lab will provide opportunities for UND students, faculty and staff to be involved in future research and education partnerships with the base, he says.
The second, signed last week, was with Defiance College in Ohio. The agreement allows dual-enrollment in UND engineering programs and academic majors at Defiance College.
Armacost offers his congratulations to researchers who will put UND on the map in their areas of expertise.
He first recognizes Sougata Roy, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering, who received a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to study advanced manufacturing processes.
Deniz Cakir, assistant professor of Physics & Astrophysics, and Surojit Gupta, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering, also have a research award, in collaboration with the DoD, studying advanced materials, Armacost says.
On the question of UND’s goals to reach “R1,” the highest level of Carnegie Classification for research universities, Armacost clarifies that his goal is to build an infrastructure that supports high-quality, long-term research and creative activity. There are “high-interest” items that will allow UND to make a difference in the national landscape, which will inevitably lead to a high research status, he says.
Armacost ends his remarks by thanking those across campus working on UND’s strategic planning, as well as on accreditation efforts with the Higher Learning Commission.
