COLUMBIA — MU unveiled more details of "Mizzou Advantage," a program that intends to bolster the university's national reputation and stature.
"Mizzou Advantage" will target five areas of specialization: food-related research; new media; human and animal health; sustainable energy; and "transformational" technologies.
MU plans to spend between $4 million and $6 million annually on the program. That includes an extra $250,000 for each of the four new faculty hires that are members of the National Academy of Sciences, Pulitzer Prize winners, or Nobel Laureates. Another $50,000 will be set aside for each of the 25 additional faculty hires to match money provided by academic departments. "Mizzou Advantage" also plans to spend $60,000 a year that would pay for an event coordinator who would help lure 30,000 visitors to campus each year for academic conferences.
Officials say that a recent drop in Missouri's external rankings isn't driving the move but acknowledge that those rankings matter.