Senior leaders from Morgan State University and elected officials attend the ground-breaking ceremony for Morgan’s new Science Center.  Photo provided by Morgan State University.

Dear Commons Community,

Today’s Science has a featured article entitled “Growing the future with Morgan State University” that highlights the school’s achievements in recent years. Here is the article.

As Morgan State University sets its sights on R1, top-tier research university status, it is adding academic programs and breaking ground on new buildings. And students are noticing, enrolling at record numbers for the historically Black research university located in Baltimore, Maryland.

“As we ascend toward R1 classification, we remain steadfast in our commitment to producing the leaders, innovators, and researchers who will shape tomorrow while staying grounded in our mission, our roots, and our enduring legacy of growing the future and leading the world,” says David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. Since 2020, Morgan has added more than 30 new academic programs, expanding to over 150 offerings, including a master’s program in neuroscience and a bachelor’s program in coastal science and policy. Among Maryland institutions, Morgan was the first to offer programs in advanced computing, interior design, and mechatronics—a field that combines mechanics, electronics, and computing to support automated manufacturing processes.

To better equip students for today’s job market, Morgan developed 18 new interdisciplinary degree programs called Morgan Completes You. Launched in 2021, this collection of programs helps students who already have college credits finish their degrees and learn in-demand skills. Morgan Completes You offers adult learners and working professionals the opportunity to earn degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.

Morgan also wants to educate the educators, especially those who are former federal workers and career changers with science and math degrees, through the Transitioning to Teaching program. Launched in 2025, the initiative addresses the growing teacher shortage in K-12 classrooms and turns the recent federal government layoffs into an opportunity. Candidates can earn a one-year Master of Arts in teaching and participate in a new alternative certification program.

Students are attending Morgan in unprecedented numbers. During the 2024-2025 school year, the university experienced a 9.4% increase in enrollment over the previous year, with its largest freshman class of over 2,300 students from 41 states. Enrollment has risen for four consecutive years to a current tally of over 11,000 students, exceeding the university’s goal of 10,000 students 6 years earlier than targeted. This past academic year, Morgan posted its largest graduate enrollment with over 1,700 students and awarded a record 93 doctorates, surpassing the R1 benchmark of 70.

“Our growth in recent years is a testament to our buy-in to President Wilson’s vision of transforming Morgan,” says Hongtao Yu, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “We will continue to stay aligned to our core values while reaching new milestones and breaking new ground.”

With so many new programs and students, classroom and lab space can quickly become an issue. Rising to the challenge, Morgan has just broken ground on a cutting-edge, seven-story, 246,000 square-foot science center. The state-of-the-art, $337-million facility will boost research capacity and further increases Morgan’s more than $1 billion in infrastructure investments over the past 10 years. In addition, the university has recently renovated its dorms and has built new off-campus apartments to ensure housing options for the growing student body. And Morgan isn’t stopping there, with plans for major investments over the next decade that have already begun.

“As we continue to strive to attain R1 status as a ‘very high research’ university, we must ensure that our students are provided the best facilities and resources, which speaks to our recent infrastructure investments,” says Willie E. May, vice president, division of research and economic development.

Congratulations to Morgan State.

Tony

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