LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has achieved the Carnegie classification of institutions of higher education’s elite R1 designation.

“A lot of people worked for long years to get here. It’s an accomplishment that the people dreamed of for decades,” said Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL Lafayette president.

According to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, about 3% or 137 of the nation’s colleges and universities have R1 status. UL Lafayette is now among them.

“It’s an opportunity for us to collaborate with other research universities in Louisiana and beyond,” said Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, UL vice president for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development.

Dr. Kolluru says the research program will help seek solutions to challenges faced in society.

“Whether it’s in climate change, whether it’s in producing new cures for a pandemic or whatever have you; this university is meeting those challenges through our research program and producing solutions for that,” said Dr. Kolluru.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy says the program is a good thing for the university and Louisiana.

“So you take an R1 University finding solutions for problems society faces connecting with the entrepreneur spirit of Acadiana boom ignites; spontaneous ignition,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy.

“That creates more money for the university, more reasons for a postgraduate to stay here and set up a business, more jobs, more wealth for this region, for this state. It’s good.”

“The more you learn, the more you realize what you don’t know, and you can explore that,” said Dr. Savoie. “So as we accumulate these outstanding bright scientists and researchers here, they’re gonna discover new things that we never thought about before, and people will progress because of that.”