The region’s concentration of cultural, scientific, research, political, economic and agricultural activities offers many advantages to the institution’s academic and research programs.

Founded as a land-grant institution, the flagship of the state’s 11-campus system of higher education is engaged in collaborative environmental agreements with local municipal, county, regional and federal agencies, and many public-private partnerships for joint planning and development, and public-public research partnerships. We are emerging as one of the country’s premier public universities whose sphere of influence extends statewide, nationally and internationally.