by Jenn Donovan
In the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) latest rankings of universities by total research expenditures, Michigan Tech ranked 116th in the nation among public institutions and Tech’s atmospheric science and oceanography research ranked first in Michigan.
Nationally, atmospheric science research at Michigan Tech ranked 39th in research expenditures and oceanography ranked 53rd. Environmental science also ranked 53rd. Tech’s mechanical engineering research ranked 23rd in the nation, the highest ranking of all research fields at the University.
“Michigan Tech has been growing our capabilities in environmental science through our faculty hiring processes like the strategic faculty hiring initiative, our facility development efforts like the Great Lakes Research Center and in our equipment investments such as the cloud chamber in the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute,” said Dave Reed, vice president for research. “NSF’s report reflects the impact of those investments and the significant research role that Michigan Tech is playing both nationally and within Michigan.”
The NSF report covered fiscal year 2015.
Other research areas at Tech that ranked in the top 100 nationwide include:
- Biomedical engineering, 96th
- Chemical engineering, 98th
- Civil engineering, 92nd
- Electrical engineering, 55th
- Mechanical engineering, 23rd
- Materials science and engineering, 61st
- Mathematical sciences, 75th
- Business and management, 73rd
- Humanities, 98th
- Visual and performing arts, 85th
The NSF report showed that research expenditures at Michigan Tech totaled $69.6 million for fiscal year 2015.