"This invitation to join with other prestigious universities validates much of the work that has gone on at Emory during the past decade," said President Bill Chace. "I am delighted and proud that Emory has been recognized for its strength in research and graduate education."
The AAU, founded in 1900, consists of universities with especially strong research and graduate education programs. Of the 60 members, 58 are American universities and two are Canadian. Approximately half the member institutions are publicly funded, and half are private.
Membership in the association is by invitation only and requires the assent of three-fourths of current members. According to AAU President Cornelius J. Pings, invitations were extended to Emory and Santa Barbara as a result of a lengthy review of prospective new members, which has been under way for more than a year and a half. He said prospective members are being assessed on the basis of the breadth and depth of their research and graduate education programs and the overall trajectories of these programs.
"Both Emory and Santa Barbara are outstanding institutions that are making major contributions to the advancement of the nation's research base and to the education of the nation's next generation of scientists, scholars and teachers," Pings said. "And both of them are well positioned to continue to strengthen their standing in these areas in the years ahead."