UTSA | Catalyst | Spring 2022
UTSA Achieves Carnegie R1 Classification We did it, Roadrunners! By Mariana Suarez-Martinez As of February 2021, UTSA is officially an R1 university. Awarded by
The Carnegie Classification system was developed in 1970 by the
the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the
Carnegie Commission on Higher Education to recognize the diversity
R1 Classification (“very high research activity”) is sometimes referred
of U.S. colleges and universities through a systematic evaluation.
to as Tier One or Top Tier. The prestigious designation recognizes
Based on several criteria, including an institution’s annual research
UTSA as a top research institution in the United States, a privilege
expenditures, the density of its research staff and the number of
awarded to only 145 other universities.
doctoral degrees it confers each year, the designation is synonymous with academic excellence and research innovation and impact. As
UTSA worked tremendously hard to become the research powerhouse
the university moves forward, it is important to keep in mind UTSA’s
it is today. “In about 50 years, we have grown from 600 acres and
founding values.
dirt roads to what you see here,” explained Audrey Lamb, chair of the Department of Chemistry. “We are able to compete with the best
“We go from being the big fish in a smaller pond to a small fish in
universities on the planet in research. We have the momentum to
a bigger pond,” Lamb said. “It is not a moment to rest on our laurels.
continue growing.”
It is a moment to make sure we are continuing to strive to be always greater.”
Diversifying the sciences is an important step to creating new technology and solutions for the world’s most pressing problems. UTSA is one of the few universities that is both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and also recognized as an R1 institution. “I think the main [drive] of UTSA has always been to provide access to education and serve a population that has been underserved and underrepresented,” said Jose Lopez-Ribot, associate dean of Research in the College of Sciences. “When you put those two things together, I can only think of how we’ll be able to provide more opportunities to help our students succeed through education and training in research.” 6
As a Tier One research university, UTSA now has an even greater ability to attract worldclass faculty and the students who want to learn from them.
