I envision a transformational concept of a five-year strategic plan to elevate Jackson State University, one of Mississippi’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, from its current Research 2 (R2) status to a future Research 1 (R1) stature. R2 institutions, while not as intensely research-driven as their R1 counterparts, still contribute substantially to the world of academia. While they award at least 20 research and scholarship doctoral degrees, unlike R1’s 30 doctoral degrees, their emphasis is more evenly distributed between teaching and research.