TXST is on track to achieve elite-level research status. Research centers and innovative faculty members are consistently building on the university’s longtime strengths.
Coming off a year of record research expenditures, Texas State University is making big strides in its Run to R1 initiative to achieve Research-1 Carnegie classification—the top level of research university.
TXST launched its Run to R1 in early 2023, and at the close of 2024, the university was well on track to attain R1 status by its goal of 2027. Currently, TXST is classified as R2. “We are no longer just running, but rather we are sprinting toward R1,” President Kelly Damphousse said.
TXST will see numerous benefits from achieving R1 status, Damphousse said, including bringing in more resources, expanding degree offerings, attracting high quality research faculty and students, making graduates more competitive, and increasing the value of a TXST degree. Out of the almost 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States, the Carnegie Foundation classifies less than 150 of them as R1.
“The bottom line is we are investing in growing our research enterprise to ensure students are immersed in rich research environments so that they are better prepared for successful careers and lives,” he said. “Furthermore, we are investing in our faculty researchers so that they can answer the calls of Texans, of Americans, and the world to solve some of the toughest challenges faced by society.”
Damphousse pointed to two specific metrics that TXST must attain to qualify as an R1 institution—$50 million per year in research expenditures and the awarding of 70 doctoral degrees per year for three straight years.
TXST reported a record-setting $141.3 million in research and development expenditures for the 2023 fiscal year, a 28% increase over the previous year. The university is trending toward $160 million for FY2024.
“This proves what I have always believed, that TXST is already a national research university doing the work of an R1,” Damphousse said. “The reason we are not already an R1 university is because of the relatively small number of Ph.D. programs and graduates.”
But that’s changing. TXST has invested in growing both the number of doctoral students and doctoral programs. For the Carnegie 2024 reporting period, TXST awarded 71 doctoral degrees, which is a 31% increase from last year.
In the last three years, the number of new doctoral students has increased 43%, and in fall 2024, the university set a record by welcoming 136 new doctoral students—a 22.5% increase over 2023.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recently approved seven TXST proposals for new doctoral programs, bringing the university’s total offering to 20 doctoral degree programs, with four additional proposals pending.
Damphousse emphasized that TXST must achieve its ambitious research goals without giving up its roots in quality teaching or losing sight of the variety of academic disciplines that attract students to pursue higher education.
“We must dedicate ourselves to the ideal that both teaching and research are important and create reward systems that acknowledge the value we place in both enterprises,” he said.
“We cannot allow ourselves to fall into the trap of focusing on STEM disciplines at the expense of the arts and humanities. A great university must have a great appreciation for a broad range of disciplines.”
“We welcome all Texans for a transformative education so they can successfully compete in the workplace and in the job market with graduates of some of the best institutions in the country.”
From its beginnings as a normal school, TXST has transformed the lives of its students, and consequently, the broader community. The university’s traditional excellence extends beyond preparing teachers to educate future generations. It also includes innovative faculty research that’s made countless contributions to improving education for all students, which fundamentally improves our society and economy.
In the 21st century, as we Run to R1, TXST continues to make important advancements in education while also building our research enterprise to include topics such as healthcare, artificial intelligence, the semiconductor industry, engineering, law enforcement, and business. “Our research continues to be a natural transformational evolution of our founding,” says Vice President for Research Dr. Shreek Mandayam.
As a Hispanic-Serving Institution, Minority-Serving Institution, and the university with the highest number of military veteran dependents in Texas, TXST provides a world-class education for Texans from across the state. “To quote President Damphousse, ‘We want to be an elite institution, but we don’t want to be elitist,’” Mandayam says. “We welcome all Texans for a transformative education so they can successfully compete in the workplace and in the job market with graduates of some of the best institutions in the country.”
The bottom line is we are investing in growing our research enterprise to ensure students are immersed in rich research environments so that they are better prepared for successful careers and lives.
On this episode of the Enlighten Me podcast, Texas State Librarian Margaret Vaverek, Texas State Vice President for Research Shreek Mandayam, and Texas State President Kelly Damphousse discuss the past, present, and future of the university— how it's grown and adapted to meet the changing needs of Texas through the decades, and how Texas State is working today to shape our tomorrow.
