The Number

Earlier this year California State University – Northridge was ranked among the top 25 “rising star” research institutions in the nation. The ranking, in which CSUN ranked 24th, was determined by Springer Nature, an academic publisher that counted the number of research articles produced by various institutions, then weighted them according to the prestige of the academic journal where the articles appeared. The percentage change between 2012 and 2015 yielded an index of growth. Crist Khachikian, associate vice president for research and graduate studies, said CSUN didn’t apply to join the list, and he was surprised by the recognition. “We didn’t chase this ranking – it came to us,” he said. “But it reflects at least a decade of work.” Articles produced at CSUN were in physics, anthropology, biology, chemistry and geology – “the core sciences that we have,” Khachikian said. In tandem with the publishing growth, the university has strengthened the connection between research and business. Most of the research is basic science, and the connection to commercialization is distant, Khachikian explained. But one CSUN physics lab recently discovered a new class of materials that could change how electronic devices are manufactured. The university has spoken with interested companies and a provisional patent is in the works. Perhaps CSUN research’s biggest contribution to businesses is the students who become high-tech employees. Khachikian said some graduates go to work for large aerospace companies, such as Aerojet Rocketdyne or Boeing Co. But the school also places plenty in jobs requiring a combination of art as science, such as user interface designers. “We are gaining a reputation for well-rounded technology graduates, and some of that is attributable to the research they do,” he said. – Joel Russell