Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities Names WWU a 2019 Innovation & Economic Prosperity Designee

The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) today named Western Washington University a 2019 Innovation & Economic Prosperity (IEP) designee.

Fewer than 70 universities across the nation have received this designation, which helps higher education institutions codify, elevate, and advance their enterprise supporting economic and community development while providing national recognition to institutions committed to economic development.

“Western joins a small number of universities from around the U.S. to receive this designation demonstrating our resolve to being actively engaged in our region through our expertise and tools.  This is a first step in a journey to continue to find ways to intentionally assist economic growth and stability,” said James McCafferty, director of Western’s Center for Economic and Business Research and Western’s lead in the designation effort.

To earn the designation, institutions complete a rigorous self-study and stakeholder engagement process. They also identify their economic development strengths and areas of growth and improvement. For 2019, APLU has named the University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Mississippi, and Western Washington University as IEP University Designees. Sixty-five institutions have been named IEP designees since the program was launched in 2012.

IEP University Designees are then eligible to compete for IEP Awards in three different categories and for a fourth top-prize. The IEP designation recognizes institutions with a proven substantive, sustainable, and campus-wide commitment to exemplary economic engagement, or the ways in which universities and their public-private partners contribute to economic and social prosperity and opportunity.

“To be designated in this manner by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities is especially meaningful as Western works to realize its strategic plan goals associated with positive impact in Washington,” said Brent Carbajal, Western Washington University provost. “Our commitment to economic engagement and development is a cornerstone of this impact and we look forward to growth and collaboration.  We are very appreciative of James McCafferty’s work on the self-study and his colleagues’ leadership.”

For more information about Western being named an APLU Innovation & Economic Prosperity designee, contact Western Washington University’s Office of Communications at news@wwu.edu or 360.650.3350.