By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
After bucking the trend of dropping enrollment at many universities, Bowling Green State University appears to also be defying the loss of grant funding experienced at other schools.
Vice President of Research Dr. Laura Regassa reported to the BGSU Board of Trustees earlier this month that 49 grants have been awarded to BGSU totaling $11.3 million for 2026.
“We’re very happy with this,” Regassa said. “We’re feeling very fortunate to be in this spot, considering everything that has been going on this year. We have reason to be optimistic.”
Several of the research and instruction grants focus on advanced manufacturing, the glass industry and study of harmful algal blooms. The grants come with a variety of partnerships, including private industry, government and other agencies.
“This really affirms we’re a public university for the public good,” BGSU Trustee Russ Martin said.
New grant award highlights include:
- $1.9 million for instruction for Advancement of Northwest Ohio Regional Talent in Advanced Manufacturing. Partners include Budzar Industries, Roki America Co., Matrix Technologies, Materion and GSW Manufacturing.
- $1.7 million from the Ohio Department of Development for research on glass strength and AI for process control. Partners are Actual Reality Technologies, First Solar, University of Toledo and Northwest Ohio Innovation Consortium.
- $263,000 from NASA for research on self-healing radiator coolant tubes for spacecraft thermal control, partnering with Creare LLC.
- $340,000 from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, for research on developing novel materials and compounds for next generation contact lenses.
- $90,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for research on protecting Great Lakes communities through advanced technologies, harmful algal bloom surveillance, and adaptive management. Partners include U.S. Coast Guard, Cooperative Institute for Great Lake Research, and University of Michigan.
Also at the December trustees meeting, BGSU Vice President for Enrollment Cecilia Castellano reported on the fall 2026 new student applicant data:
- Admitted freshmen up 8%.
- Campus visitors up 8% over last year.
- Engineering major applications up 14%.
- Nursing major applications up 18%.
- Criminal justice applications up 31%.
- Construction management applications up 39%.
- AI and X application launched on Oct. 8, with 51 applications received.
- Doctorate of occupational therapy, with 71 applications received.
There are signs that the rise in enrollment could continue. Earlier this month, BGSU held a preview day for families of high school students interested in checking out the university.
“We’re expecting one of our largest preview days,” BGSU President Rodney Rogers said, with approximately 1,300 families scheduled to attend – which is a 15% increase from last year. “There’s great momentum at Bowling Green.”
Rogers credited the steady enrollment increase to BGSU offering the right academic programs, at the right size, in the right place.
The university has achieved several national rankings, including the BGSU’s continued standing as a top university that students say they would choose again. The following recognitions were mentioned at the trustees meeting.
In its 2026 Best Colleges rankings, The Wall Street Journal placed BGSU among the top five universities in the nation and No. 3 among all public universities for its student-recommendation score. BGSU also ranked as the No. 1 university in Ohio that students say they would choose again. Additionally, BGSU ranked No. 1 for career preparation, learning facilities and learning opportunities, respectively, among Ohio’s public universities.
BGSU this fall was recognized by WalletHub for its location in Ohio’s best small college town and by Military Times as the No. 1 university in the Midwest for the fifth year in a row for veterans and active military students.
As the first university in the nation to offer a customizable AI+X bachelor’s degree, BGSU hosted the first-ever Great Lakes AI Week conference in November, bringing together students, educators and industry leaders to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the workforce. BGSU faculty and staff experts also shared their work and research on AI as an educational tool and workforce multiplier through panel insight and presentations.
This fall, BGSU was also recognized for its innovative and successful public-private partnerships, with Rogers selected to present to a national audience on how higher education can launch successful partnerships with industry. Through collaborations across multiple industries, BGSU has strengthened academic programs, addressed workforce needs, aligned curriculum with employer expectations and enhanced campus infrastructure and technology.
Based, in part, on its innovation and willingness to launch new partnerships, BGSU was also selected as the only university in the Midwest to participate in a groundbreaking national career-readiness initiative, the first-ever National Work-Integrated Learning Accelerator.
