Rick Finholt, executive director of the University of Missouri’s Missouri Research Park, was recently presented the prestigious “Career Achievement Award” by the Association of University Research Parks (AURP) at the group’s annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

The AURP Career Achievement Award honors individuals who have made research and science parks a career focus, achieved success with parks over a substantial period of time and received peer recognition for advancing the field

Under Finholt’s leadership, the Missouri Research Park has become home to 15 high-tech companies and two Federal agencies, housed in 1.2 million square feet of space and employing 2,000.

“The Missouri Research Park has been a catalyst for development of a major high-tech corridor here in St. Charles County,” said Greg Prestemon, president and executive director of the Economic Development Center of St. Charles County. “Rick was a leader in encouraging local municipalities and the county to zone this corridor as high-tech.” Finholt received the county’s first “Excellence in St. Charles Award” in 1998 for his vision in developing the research park and promoting the concept of a high-tech corridor in St. Charles County.

AURP represents more than 120 university research parks in the United States. The parks stimulate the creation and growth of new scientific and high technology businesses. The primary membership of the Association of University Research Parks consists of planned and operating research parks around the world. A variety of university, governmental, not-for-profit and private organizations interested in the development and operation of technology projects and programs comprise the balance of AURP membership.