Outlook

by John A. Koropchak
Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Dean

The University’s current planning effort, Southern at 150, sets ambitious goals for our research productivity and rankings—goals to be reached by SIUC’s sesquicentennial in 2019. This work will require the commitment and creativity of our faculty, staff, and students and the support of our alumni and friends. But this begs the question: Why do we consider research to be vital to SIUC?

Research is fundamental to the business of helping students think, discover, and create. Having a diverse research program allows us to recruit higher-quality students and to better prepare them for success after graduation by giving them enriched learning experiences. Research projects attract much-needed resources for our students and faculty and benefit our region’s economy. Where new companies are "spun off" to develop university inventions, research leads directly to new jobs and new revenue.

More broadly, our society needs the discoveries and the ideas generated by research universities. Take a few examples from this issue’s feature stories:

Geologist Scott Ishman and his students are studying fossilized marine organisms to understand the extent to which global warming is attributable to manmade causes. Findings in this area are needed by policy makers dealing with the environment.

The Childhood Autism Project, led by Anthony Cuvo and Rebecca Trammel, combines research with graduate student training in teaching autistic children to communicate and to function in the classroom. Project staff are now helping to develop a model autism treatment program for statewide adoption.

Master's student Chad Briggs was the first researcher to investigate whether supermax prisons reduce prison-system violence. His findings constitute important information for corrections officials.

And in our cover story, internationally known philosopher Larry Hickman explains why philosophy is indispensable to our technological culture.

Nationwide, research is considered a key measure of a university’s excellence. As we strive to increase our research productivity at SIUC, we will continue to bring you news of the research accomplishments of our faculty and students.

Fall 2002 Contents | Perspectives Home | SIUC Home