 In his inaugural address, Barker stated a goal of having Clemson ranked in the Top 20 public universities, as ranked by "U.S. News and World Report".During his tenure, Clemson's "U.S. News" ranking has risen from #38 to #22.Barker has overseen the creation of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research and the Restoration Institute in North Charleston (including a $98 million wind turbine research center).