On Feb. 1, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee became a Tier 1 research institution, joining 114 other universities that the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching saw fit to classify as the most active research universities in the country. The foundation releases classifications once every five years. News of UWM’s new spot among institutions such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Yale and Duke thrilled university leaders.
“This is the ultimate recognition for top doctoral universities nationwide,” wrote chancellor Mark Mone in a letter to students and faculty. “This is inspiring, gratifying and serves as validation of the remarkable impact of UWM’s faculty, staff and students…The wide-ranging array of critically-acclaimed research is UW-Milwaukee’s hallmark.”
Mark Harris, UWM’s interim vice provost for research, said the school’s new classification was proof its partnerships with private institutions to fund and facilitate research efforts were paying off. “In the research world, this is a huge step in terms of recognition,” Harris said. “It should help us when we are out recruiting faculty, for example. Once you get them, that’s really the key to attracting really good students. It’s just the kind of overall recognition that really signals to everyone that we’ve moved into the big time.”