Lethbridge College has been recognized as one of Canada’s top 50 research colleges for the sixth time in seven years. The college rose three spots to 47th in the annual rankings released by Research Infosource.
The college also placed very high in a number of individual categories among medium-sized colleges, including:
- Number of research partners: eighth
- Industry research intensity: 10th
- Number of completed research projects: 11th
- Number of paid student researchers: 11th
- Industry research income: 12th
“It’s encouraging to be recognized as one of the Canada’s top research colleges,” says Dr. Kenny Corscadden, Associate Vice President – Research. “The Research Infosource rankings primarily evaluate the amount of grant money coming into the college, which the underlying numbers show is just scratching the surface of our research activities. We are proud to be driven by industry-supported applied research that creates real-life solutions for problems facing our industry partners.”
The college’s Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE) brings together community organizations, researchers and students to collaborate on projects that use new or existing knowledge to solve real-world challenges with immediate practical applications. Project outcomes often lead to innovative products and services that benefit the economy and society.
Among the college’s research highlights over the past year, CARIE has celebrated the opening of a new office that includes a student innovation space known as The Pivot; appointed two new research chairs – Dr. Chandra Singh as Agricultural Engineering and Technology research chair and Mike McCready as the President’s Applied Research Chair in Virtual and Augmented Reality; undertook several projects with industry partners including Luco Farms and the Potato Growers of Alberta; and received more than $1 million in federal research grants.
“Over the past few years, we have created and celebrated an environment of excellence in applied research,” says Dr. Samantha Lenci, Provost and Vice President Academic. “We recognize the impact of that work and continue to push the commitment of this college in regards to community partnerships, innovation and entrepreneurship.”
The college’s new research activities compliment established work that continues in the Aquaculture Centre of Excellence, the Agriculture Entrepreneur in Training (AgENT) program and by the Mueller Applied Research Chair in Irrigation Science.
Research Infosource annually ranks Canada’s 50 research colleges, in addition to other rankings that help to highlight the strengths of Canada’s research environment. Rankings are based on data obtained through surveys of publicly-funded colleges and from 2017-18 financial statements. Lethbridge College has earned a top-50 ranking in six of the seven years that Research Infosource has conducted these rankings. Lethbridge College joins NAIT, SAIT and Olds as the only Alberta colleges on the list.