A Burgeoning Research Powerhouse

Five years ago, we set in place a 10-year strategic plan for “the Race to Excellence.” It was an ambitious blueprint to put FAU on a trajectory to become a top-tier public research university. Now, at the halfway mark, we’re seeing major accomplishments that are changing the course of the institution and its research enterprise.

Throughout this edition of Owl Research & Innovation, you’ll read about the world-class researchers we’re attracting to our campuses. Our students have the opportunity to work sideby-side with them — in labs, out in the field and in classrooms — providing unrivaled educational experiences. These scientists, engineers, composers and philosophers are tackling some of the grand societal challenges we face. Our students, faculty and staff are building bridges to a better future, from addressing COVID-19 to mitigating the impacts of climate change, and from understanding how artificial intelligence will shape our future to finding clinical solutions to the diseases that affect so many of us.

FAU’s new partnership with Memorial Healthcare System (page 31) will further advance clinical trials in our region. Our research know-how combined with Memorial’s medical expertise will bring cutting-edge treatment options to many patients much closer to home. Patients entering clinical trials will receive the very best care and access to the most innovative therapies available.

For many diseases of the mind, clinicians will be able to build on the research taking place on our Jupiter campus (page 18) with our neighbors, the Scripps Research Institute and the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, two of the top scientific institutes in the world. A new state-of-the-art neuroscience building is under construction on our Jupiter campus (page 19) that will be home to the FAU Brain Institute and will spur even more collaborative work with our world renowned research partners.

With a global pandemic, civil unrest, and a contentious election season, this has been a trying time for many. Through it all, we continue to build a foundation that is transforming FAU into a research powerhouse. We’re proud of how far we have come, and even more excited about where we will go in the next five years.

Stay safe, and Go Owls!

John Kelly
President