As the University of Florida is once again ranked as a top five public university, UF/IFAS continues to gain recognition for excellence in the agricultural sciences.
U.S. News and World Report ranks agricultural sciences at UF as No. 4 in the U.S. and No. 14 in the world, while Shanghai Ranking places UF in the No. 8 spot globally compared to other international agricultural universities.
Top rankings reflect UF/IFAS’ commitment to the pursuit of scientific knowledge and innovation, said J. Scott Angle, UF senior vice president of agriculture and natural resources and leader of UF/IFAS.
“Our ability to improve the human condition rests in part on human perception. We need the trust and credibility of stakeholders, funders, and supporters to achieve the impact we seek,” Angle said. “To have so much third-party validation indicates we’ve earned that trust, and that bodes well for our ability to create a better future for Florida, the nation and the world.”
UF/IFAS recent steps toward excellence include:
- Research expenditures:
- In fiscal year 2021-2022, UF/IFAS conducted $278 million in annual research, surpassing previous spending and making UF/IFAS the second highest contributor to UF’s record-breaking $1 billion in research expenditures.
- UF is ranked No. 1 in total and federally financed research and development expenditures in the agricultural sciences and natural resources and conservation, according to the most recent Higher Education Research and Development Survey from the National Science Foundation
- Furthering global reach: In August, UF/IFAS established the Global Food Systems Institute and the Invasion Science Research Institute.
- Artificial intelligence: UF/IFAS researchers continue to lead development of artificial intelligence technologies for agriculture. A planned 19,000-square-foot AI hub at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center will serve as a world-class research, Extension and development facility.
- Education excellence: The UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences leads the country in USDA teaching awards.
- Emerging enterprises: UF/IFAS researchers are exploring new crops and commodities for Florida through the Support for Emerging Enterprise Development Integration Teams (SEEDIT) program
- Graduate programs: U.S. News and World Report ranks the UF/IFAS department of agricultural and biological engineering graduate program the No. 5 in the U.S.
- Recognition in scientific community: A growing cohort of UF/IFAS faculty has been inducted as American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Honorary Fellows. Twenty-eight faculty members are fellows.
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