Pitt seventh as research institution

Pitt is one of the top seven public research universities in the country, according to the… Pitt is one of the top seven public research universities in the country, according to the 2006 annual report by the Center for Measuring University Performance.

The assessment is based on nine measurements of a university’s performance, including total research expenditure, doctorates granted and median SAT scores. Only seven, including Pitt, ranked within the top 25 universities in all nine categories, putting Pitt into the highest tier of U.S. public research institutes.

“This is a big deal,” Maddy Ross, the associate vice chancellor for national media, said. “While we are good in every category, the fact that we ranked high across the board means that we are a top university.”

Ross said that this study is particularly important because it is objective and based completely on empirical data, whereas many other studies are based partially on status.

“It is important for a research university to rank high on this report because it’s not trading on a past reputation,” she said.

Chancellor Mark Nordenburg was pleased with the evaluation.

“We consider the Center’s study to provide the most meaningful independent assessment of overall university strength. We are proud of the fact that an objective assessment of our performance has elevated us in to the top group. [It is] a tribute to everyone who has contributed to our progress,” he said in a press release.

In the past decade, Pitt has taken big leaps forward. During the Center’s study in 2000, Pittsburgh ranked in the top 25 for six of the nine categories, placing it in the fourth tier of public universities.

“[The 2006 report] ratifies the track that we’ve been on,” Ross said. “This University in the last 10 to 12 years has soared. It was always a decent public university, and now we are so far above decent. Now we are one of the great research universities in the country.”

For professors heavily involved in research, being at the proper university is a must. Milos Hauskrecht, assistant professor of computer science, said that the University is a strong research university not only because there is available funding, but also because everyone works together.

“Research is part of my life here,” he said. “It’s a great environment for research. There is so much cooperation because people work together on various projects, and everyone is very supportive.”

The results of this study could also be beneficial in drawing top students and faculty members to Pitt.

“If a student or prospective faculty member is doing their homework on research universities, this study should be one of the first places they look,” Ross said. “If I were a prospective faculty member I would consult this, because what it says to me is that this university is on the right track, and things will only get better.”

For the study, public and private universities are evaluated equally, but the results are presented separately because of the differences in their funding and governance.