We are proud to be our state's first and still only institution to be named to the top category of the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, and similarly, the only North Dakota university in the National Science Foundation's top 100 institution rankings. NDSU is the state's land-grant institution, which means we have a longstanding commitment to bringing education and research solutions to the people of North Dakota; NDSU’s access and affordability are exceptional among our peer universities. And even more importantly, it means we welcome and carefully nurture our students. I have served at a number of universities around the country, and I can tell you from experience that North Dakota State University uniquely combines commitment to students, citizens and research in a way few of our nationally top-ranked research university peers do. We truly are a student-focused, land-grant, research university.