North Dakota State University’s Faculty Research Council is set for the 2024-25 academic year with six returning members and four newcomers.

The NDSU Faculty Research Council consists of 10 faculty members with two faculty from each of the five NDSU colleges. Its mission is to identify and help prioritize the necessary resources for faculty to thrive in their research and creative activity projects and studies. The council plays a critical role in NDSU maintaining its R1 status.

Four new members have joined the council for 2024-25: Ranjit Godavarthy from the NDSU College of Business; Jeffrey Johnson from the NDSU College of Arts and Sciences; Annie Tangpong of the NDSU College of Engineering and Ryan McGrath of the NDSU College of Health and Human Sciences. Their terms expire in May 2026.

The six returning members for the 2024-25 academic year: Julie Pasche and Phil McClean of the NDSU College of Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources; Dan Hsu from the NDSU College of Business; Mila Kryjevskaia from the NDSU College of Arts and Sciences; Jen Li from the NDSU College of Engineering; and Sathish Venkatachalem from the NDSU College of Health and Human Services. Their terms expire in May 2025.

The Faculty Research Council’s key responsibilities include recommending priorities for NDSU in terms of research enterprise; identifying solutions to eliminate or reduce structural barriers to research; serving as reviewers for internal funding opportunities; working as needed and when appropriate with the Research and Consulting Committee (their focus is NDSU policy) to hand off when needed; and supporting the nature of the research and creative activity at NDSU.

“The leadership of the NDSU Faculty Research Council is key to our success as a university with a Carnegie R1 status of very high research activity,” said NDSU Vice President for Research and Creative Activity Colleen Fitzgerald.

With changes to the Carnegie R1 classification being enacted this year, many more universities are expected to join the ranks of R1 doctoral institutions.

Fitzgerald continued, “NDSU offers a unique value proposition: as a public land grant research university, we serve the state. We will continue to energize interdisciplinary research initiatives that advance research participation and deliver the types of discoveries that truly improve lives of people in North Dakota because solving societal problems relevant to North Dakotans brings solutions to the challenges that have global impact.”