������

“Build a Culture of Research and Innovation”

In December of 2015, after extensive consultation with faculty, staff, students, and community members, including two listening tours, the ������ Board of Trustees approved previous President Warren’s bold, Strategic Roadmap to a Distinctive Kent State. Priority 2 of this plan, A Distinctive Kent State, outlines a vision for the University to “drive innovation, idea generation and national distinction through top-tier academic and research programs including the recruitment and support of talented faculty and staff.” This vision includes the University-Level Initiative 2.1: “build a culture of research and innovation.”  The establishment of the Brain Health Research Institute, the Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Research Institute, the Environmental Science and Design Research Institute, and the Healthy Communities Research Institute in addition to the Global Understanding and the Human Performance Education, Research, and Outreach Initiatives aid directly in accomplishing this goal. Strategic investment in the research areas of strength represented by the five research institutes/initiatives directly builds and increases the culture of research at KSU.

Creation of these institutes and initiatives also fulfills several other goals presented in the Strategic Roadmap: the hiring of additional tenure-track faculty and the identification and support of prominent academic programs. Existing expertise in these research areas is truly multidisciplinary, with individuals in virtually all colleges engaged in research relevant to one or more of the institutes and initiatives.