Nine faculty members were honored for raising $1 million for the University of Memphis on Tuesday. Included in the celebration were awards for first-time principal investigators, authors and editors published within the last year and faculty who serve on research committees.
"Being a [PI] Millionaire is a signal milestone that doesn't happen by accident," Vice Provost of Research Andy Meyers said.
He explained that a first-time principal investigator is the director of a grant or a person who has attained principal leadership. Principal investigators are recognized as having the ability to direct a team, which he said is something to be proud of. Principal investigators raised $36.5 million dollars, which is 50 percent of externally funded work.
Gary Emmert, professor of chemistry, is one of the nine class of 2013 PI Millionaires.
"The million has been raised since I came to the University in 2002," Emmert said. "The money supports research in the chemistry department."
The nine [PI] Millionaires are diverse, representing nine different departments and five different schools on campus.
"Dollars are important because we use them to directly support the University," Meyers said. "It goes directly back to the departments."
Kristen Iversen, associate professor of English and coordinator for the Master of Fine Arts program, was honored at the luncheon for her book, "Full Body Burden." She said the proceeds from her book don't directly go toward the University, but the book "raises national visibility in a really big way."
She said this spotlight causes more graduate students to come to the University to study, which increases the number of applications that are received and brings the University up in ranking.
"Graduate assistants are employed by $2.3 million in sponsored programs," Meyers said.
Deborah Hernandez, director of research development, said there are currently 452 graduate students supported with these funds.
"[It] retools and revamps the undergraduate system," Hernandez said. "It's not just graduates that benefit."
The University has a nearly complete stem cell lab and a wet and dry bioengineering lab.
"None of that would be possible without the dollars [that researchers] have been able to generate," Meyers said.
Hernandez credits outside funds for making it possible for labs and experiments to run properly. "We definitely wouldn't be as high of a research university without funding," she said.
The University is currently waiting on permission from the governor to begin breaking ground on new facilities, including new research facilities for nursing, communications and sciences for 2013. New life sciences facilities are planned for 2014.
Hernandez said the money raised by outside sources is not something the state could pick up.
"We work in a far from perfect world," Meyers said. "The world doesn't think we matter anymore. [Researchers] create knowledge ... [Researchers] create beauty versus flipping a switch to turn something on."
"We really care about [researchers]," Meyers said. "I wish we had an amazing contributor award.
The University has been honoring these achievements for years, but after the centennial celebration of 2012, it was decided to make the celebration an annual event.
