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Bryant University will be awarded a Business Excellence Award from the Providence Business News at the 6th Annual Business Excellence Awards dinner to be held on November 16.

Bryant was chosen as the winner in the "100-plus Employees" category. Bryant joins Rhode Island industry leaders Taco, FM Global, GTECH, and Gem Plumbing and Heating who are all past winners in this category.

"This award is a testament to the dedicated faculty, staff and administrators as well as the hardworking students who participate in the high caliber educational process that is taking place at Bryant each and every day," said Bryant President Ronald K. Machtley.

Bryant has experienced exponential growth in the past 10 years. The University added 144,000 square feet of new facilities, saw the endowment swell from $96 million to more than $150 million and experienced a 300 percent rise in applications. In that time, the school developed seven more academic disciplines, created the U.S.-China Institute, and added five new varsity sports.

The crowning achievement came in 2004 when Bryant College officially became Bryant University. Establishing a College of Arts and Sciences and a College of Business, and enhancing the focus on international experiences and relationships, Bryant's popularity has reached an all time high.

Bryant saw a 38 percent rise in applications in 2006 alone. During this time, average increases for schools around the country ranged from six to 16 percent. With more applicants came a stronger pool of students. Between 2005 and 2006, the acceptance rate decreased from 58 percent to 44 percent while the mean SAT score increased for the fifth consecutive year.

In May, as President Machtley and his wife Kati celebrated their 10th anniversary at Bryant, 26 employees marked 20, 25, 30 or 35 years of service to the University.

Still, Bryant is not done. After adding 12 tenure-track faculty members this year, the goal is to add 17 more next year to ensure that the institution's mission remains the same: to be a student-centered university that is focused on academic excellence that prepares its students to achieve their personal best in life and their chosen professions.

The Providence Business News is a leading weekly business newspaper serving Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. The paper recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.