Texas Southern University launches new division focused on research, innovation

Texas Southern University has launched a new division of research and innovation, the latest in the school’s efforts to attain the highest-tier classification for research at higher education institutions. Administrators tapped Michelle Penn-Marshall, from Hampton University in Virginia, to lead the division as the the vice president for research and innovation, according to a news release Tuesday. The announcement follows Texas Southern’s reaffirmation as an “R2” university, meaning it has been recognized by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a doctoral university of “high research activity.”

“Establishing the inaugural Division of Research and Innovation was a top priority of my first-year strategic plan as the 13th president of Texas Southern University,” university President Lesia L. Crumpton-Young said. “Maintaining our R2 status on the road to R1 along with bringing in top talent for our new division will fortify our commitment to providing data-driven solutions for urban communities and beyond.” “R1” denotes the highest level of research activity possible for universities, which generally seek the title because it helps to attract faculty and obtain higher grants. Texas Southern is one of 11 historically Black colleges and universities with an R2 status, which it first gained in 2018 and retained in the last cycle of classification. “Texas Southern University is a leading institution with a reputation that commands respect throughout the research community,” said Penn-Marshall, who was formerly the vice president for research, the associate provost and the dean of the graduate college at Hampton University. “The cutting-edge research that the faculty, staff and students conduct is designed to resolve many of society’s major challenges,” she said. “Together we will soar to new heights and solidify our University as an R1 institution that disrupts the status quo while transforming nations.”