<p>The University of Florida is one of the nations leading and most comprehensive research universities. Tracing its beginnings to 1853, the University today encompasses 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers, 100 undergraduate programs, 200 graduate programs and 30 combined programs.
UF serves approximately 50,000 students and is among the nations most academically diverse public universities.</p>
<p> UF scientists have created many well-known products, including the sports drink Gatorade, TMS air-cooled shoulder pads, the glaucoma drug Trusopt and the Sentricon termite elimination system.
As the nations leading public institution for the transfer of biotechnology to the marketplace (Milken Institute, 2006), UFs faculty research programs have led to the creation of more than 50 biotechnology companies.
UF was awarded $518.8 million in sponsored research in 2005-06, in areas ranging from health care to citrus production (the worlds largest citrus research center.)
UF is the only university to partner with Spain to create the worlds largest telescope in the Canary Islands scheduled for completion in 2007.
UF has collaborations with many major research organizations, including the Scripps Research Institute, the Burnham Institute for Medical Research and the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies.
UF is consistently ranked among the nations top universities: No. 13 in U.S. News & World Report Top Public Universities (August 2006) and No. 8 in The Scientist magazines Best Places to Work in Academia (2006).
UF admitted 1,333 International Baccalaureate students - more than any other university in the world - in fall2006.
UF is the states largest university, and the fourthlargest in the country.
UF is a member of the Association of American Universities (the top 62 public and private institutions in North America).
The McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and
Biodiversity is the worlds largest butterfl y research center, and is home to the second-largest collection of butterflies and moths. The public Butterfl y Rainforest contains an average of 60 live species at any one time.
Shands HealthCare includes nine hospitals and
two academic medical centers. Shands is an officialmedical provider for NASA, serving as the medical support team for every launch and landing at theKennedy Space Center.
International leadership in environmental, economic and societal
sustainability has been recognized by the Smithsonian Institutions Conservation Award and designation as a Certifi ed Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary (the worlds fi rst university to earn the designation).
UF is one of three universities in the country to offer an Organic Agriculture undergraduate degree program (programs at all three universities began in fall 2006).
The University of Florida is in Gainesville. The Gator Nation is everywhere. Students, alumni, faculty, staff and administrators, sports fans and other supporters comprise the millions of members of the worldwide Gator Nation. More than 330,000 alumni include John Vincent Atanasoff, co-inventor of the worlds fi rst digital computer, actor Buddy Ebsen, former Florida governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham, former Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith, former UF head football coach Steve Spurrier and home-improvement personality Bob Vila.</p>