A proud moment for the top ‘dogs, announcing a new designation after magazine “Washington Monthly” named the school 25th on it’s list of “Top 30 National Universities.”
“So happy for Fresno State, for the Central Valley,” Fresno State President Joseph Castro said. “To be the only CSU on the list, nationally, it’s just such a great boost of confidence for us.”
The publication looked at three factors: social mobility, or affordability, research and service work.
Provost Lynnette Zelezny highlighted projects like the new Jordan Agricultural Center, the Higgs Boson or “God particle” discovery work and fruit fly research, meant to hopefully make breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s disease.
“We are very unique, in that undergraduate students are involved in research,” Zelezny said. “And so our research laboratories are bustling, all the time.”
Also highlighting students’ 10 million hours of service work the past 10 years.
Blake Zante is a student and student body vice president. He comes from a long line of Fresno State grads.
“My grandparents are alumni of Fresno State, my parents are alumni of Fresno State, and it just brought a lot of pride to me,” Zante said.
He says the school makes students a priority, and now especially for those in the valley, it’s become a place to be proud of.
“I really think that high school students should consider Fresno State as one of their top options when they’re looking for colleges,” Zante said.
Castro says, the magazine looks at data from the previous year. That means, as graduation rates continue to improve, Castro says we could see an even higher number next year.
Reporting at Fresno State, Megan Rupe.