On April 23, 2017 the Stamford Advocate published an Op-ed article co-written by University of Connecticut Professors Preston A. Britner and Michael M. Ego entitled “The Dividends of a Public Research University.”

Noting the rise of UConn among the Top 20 of 133 U.S. public research universities, they primarily point to the work that dedicated faculty engage in toward research, teaching, service, and outreach.

Professors engage in empirical and secondary research projects that challenge assumptions, produce innovative new technologies, and make the world a better place. UConn faculty are also committed to both undergraduate and graduate teaching and mentoring the future scholars and professionals among the student body. Service comes in the form of campus governance, contributions to professional societies around the globe, reviews for journals and grant panels that advance knowledge across disciplines, testimony that informs policies at state and national levels, and public engagement that brings scholars and communities together to jointly address society’s most pressing issues.

Amid daily reports of an increasingly widening budgetary deficit for the state of Connecticut, Britner and Ego urge continued support for public higher education institutions such as UConn, for the benefit of the students who we all hope to benefit by as tomorrow’s engaged citizens and leaders.

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