In a recent study published by the academic journal “Research in Developmental Disabilities,” the UR Department of Clinical Psychology ranked second in the nation out of all graduate clinical programs.
Researcher Johnny Matson of Louisiana State University was the lead author in the study, which ranked national Ph.D. programs by faculty publications in addition to myriad other factors.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study to rank clinical psychology Ph.D. programs on objective and systematic data of individual faculty,” Matson said in his report.
The report ranked 157 universities, all approved by the American Psychological Association. Of them, only the University of Pennsylvania ranked higher than UR, with the University of Wisconsin-Madison ranking third and Yale and the University of California Berkeley following.
“Many places come out with rankings, but this one is based on objective criteria of the scholarship that is produced here,” Professor of Psychology Richard Ryan said. “I think that makes it even more important.”
The authors of the study believe that their research method produces more valid rankings than some that are more popular, such as those found in the newsmagazine US News and World Report.
“The new study would appear to be more reliable and valid than existing ranking systems,” said Matson in the report. “At the very least, this study is valuable in showing who and which programs have the most productive and cited research faculty.”
The UR Psychology Department looks forward to continued improvement in the future.
“We’ve always had a program that strives for excellence,” Ryan said. “We have great students and we have a good atmosphere for accomplishing research.”
UR ranks in top 10 for research income
According to the latest revenue report published by the Association for University Technology Managers, UR is now the eighth highest revenue recipient in the U.S. In 2003, companies worldwide paid $26 million for commercial rights to UR research.
The report also noted that UR has the fourth highest licensing revenue for each dollar spent on research, coming in behind New York University, Wake Forest University and Florida State University.
The report was based on a survey of 200 schools. The list of schools included 94 of the 100 schools that spend the most on research.
Since UR began promoting technology transfer over 10 years ago, it has seen an exponential increase in returns. In 1999 the university saw returns just over $3 million. Just three years later, in 2002, UR brought in over $42 million in revenue. Most recently, numbers from 2004 show that UR made over $33 million.
This trend is not limited to just UR. According to the report, universities across the country brought in more than $1 billion in 2002.
UR has been focusing recently on research at the Medical Center, pioneering new drugs and new treatment techniques.
Research conducted in the areas of vaccination and flu research are especially important as the world confronts new threats from new diseases emerging both within and outside of the U.S.
UR has produced several lucrative patents in recent years, with the most profitable being the Hib vaccine against meningitis in children.
Reporting by Bonnie Jarrett and Matt Majarian.
