Dear Thorobred Family,
Today’s most pressing challenges do not fit neatly within a single discipline. They
demand people who can connect knowledge, work across sectors, lead amid uncertainty,
and turn ideas into practical action.
Preparing this next generation of thinkers and leaders is central to Kentucky State University’s mission. Research is fundamental to that work and to our role as Kentucky’s 1890 land-grant institution. Through applied research, we connect teaching, discovery, and service, create hands-on learning for students, and put knowledge to work on challenges important to the Commonwealth.
Our research enterprise gives Kentucky State an outsized impact, with recent major federal and regional awards totaling $12.3 million. The National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey is the primary national source for data on university research expenditures. By that measure, Kentucky State ranks third in the Commonwealth, behind only the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville.
More important than any ranking is what these investments make possible. Our latest example is a new National Science Foundation award of approximately $400,000 supporting an interdisciplinary sustainability certificate that advances Kentucky State’s innovation-driven academic model through applied learning and workforce preparation. Congratulations to the interdisciplinary faculty team whose work made this new opportunity possible.
The problems our graduates will be called upon to solve will not arrive organized by academic department. They will require depth in a chosen field and the ability to reach across disciplines. Our new certificate program will respond directly to that reality, helping students connect knowledge across fields, work with community and industry partners, and build the technical, leadership, and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing economy.
Research expenditures establish the scale of our portfolio. The students we prepare, the knowledge we generate, and the solutions we advance reveal its true impact. That is our 1890 land-grant mission in action, and it is how Kentucky State continues to make a meaningful difference across the Commonwealth and beyond.
Together, Onward and Upward,
Koffi C. Akakpo, Ph.D.
President
Kentucky State University