Southern Achieves Prestigious Research Status

February 13, 2025

Dear Southern Community,

It is with great pride that I share today a historic achievement for our university.

Southern has been awarded the prestigious Carnegie Research 2 (R2) designation, affirming our faculty’s outstanding commitment to scholarship, innovation, and, most importantly, our scholars. 

This ranking distinguishes Southern as Connecticut’s first and only R2 university, elevating us to an elite group of research-driven universities nationwide, including Seton Hall, Villanova, Virginia State, Wake Forest, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. I thank Dr. Julia Irwin, interim provost, for guiding this process. I’m also grateful to the many faculty and administrators who have secured external funding and enhanced opportunities for our scholars. 

Since its founding in 1893, our university has always championed access and equity, breaking down barriers to higher education and empowering Connecticut’s most marginalized communities with affordable, high-quality learning. We are deeply rooted in the transformative power of faculty-student connections, ensuring that even at the undergraduate level, students engage in advanced research that shapes their futures and fuels innovation. With diversified funding, expanded doctoral programs, and a growing reputation for research excellence, we are poised to make an even more significant impact in our great state and beyond. 

In the days and weeks ahead, we will continue sharing this incredible news with our community and beyond, and I hope you will, too. This milestone is just the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Southern. 

Thank you for all that you do to make us a premier institution. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Dwayne Smith
Interim President