Auburn Research magazine, Spring / Summer 2024

From the Senior Vice President

When we dive into year-end numbers, as we do at the close of every fiscal year, we get a picture of the trajectory of Auburn’s research enterprise. As you can see on page 53, metrics for the university’s research expenditures continue to rise year over year, with fiscal year 2023 at over $349 million, an increase of about 64% since 2018. This indicates we are well on our way to the doubling of research activity that is planned for Auburn in the years ahead.

What the numbers don’t show in detail, however, is the depth and breadth of the life-changing research that Auburn faculty members and students conduct every day. This is where Auburn Research magazine and our other communication channels come in handy, helping us tell the stories of the real impact of Auburn research.

As you can see in this issue’s cover story, researchers in the Harrison College of Pharmacy’s Department of Drug Discovery and Development are nationally recognized leaders in the creation, evaluation and commercialization of critically important pharmaceutical innovations. Among other articles in these pages, you will find stories of impactful cancer research; the world-class 7-Tesla MRI scanner at the Auburn University Neuroimaging Center and human-centered apparel and interior design scholarship in the College of Human Sciences. From health sciences to advanced manufacturing to homeland and cyber security and more, Auburn continues to solve real-world problems through discovery and innovation.

While we are always proud of the recognition Auburn receives through rankings (including another recent appearance among the nation’s top 100 research institutions in the NSF HERD Survey), it is the hard work of our researchers that earns the honors and applause. Their dedication and innovation demonstrate the real spirit of the “Auburn Family,” and I hope you will continue to follow the stories of their work, both here and online.