Editor: LSU needs to boldly go where football can't take it

Published Aug 10, 2012 at 10:00 am (Updated Aug 10, 2012)

The Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York has a mandate to change the world. It's a goal that's audacious and ambitious, says Business Report Executive Editor JR Ball, and one that LSU might consider adopting itself if it truly wants to be a national or global leader in any field outside football. At a time when higher education in America is under financial assault, the Mailman School is flourishing because it set out to develop public health solutions for our aging population. "This prodigious goal has pumped life—and money—into the school. Enrollment in the master's and doctoral programs are up 26% over the past four years, according to a New York Times article, and grants from the National Institutes of Health increased 11% in 2011, a year in which the overall NIH budget decreased," Ball writes in his latest column. "Quite simply, the Mailman School is making a name for itself while making a difference." And that got Ball thinking: "What if LSU had the courage and the visionary leadership to think so boldly? What if LSU decided to become a world leader in something other than college football?" Read the full column here for more on Ball's idea for a local initiative that LSU could take up to begin working toward a more prosperous academic future; and send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.