University of Florida
Encyclopedia
The University of Florida (commonly referred to as Florida, UF or U of F) is an American
public
land-grant
, sea-grant
, and space-grant
research university located on a 2000 acres (8.1 km²) campus in Gainesville, Florida
. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906. It is regarded as a "Public Ivy
" university—a distinguished category of the top public universities in the United States. The University of Florida is ranked fifty-eighth overall among all national universities, public and private, in the current 2012 U.S. News & World Report
rankings
and consistently ranks within the top 100 universities worldwide.
The University of Florida is an elected member of the Association of American Universities
(AAU), an organization composed of sixty-one American and Canadian research universities. It is one of three "research flagship universities" within the State University System of Florida
, as designated by the Florida Legislature
.
It is the second-largest Florida university by student population, and receives the highest academic marks in the state of Florida as measured by national and international rankings of American colleges and universities. The university is also the sixth largest single-campus university in the United States by student population, with 49,827 students enrolled for the fall 2010 semester. The University of Florida is home to seventeen academic colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. It offers multiple graduate professional programs—including business administration, engineering
, law
and medicine
—on one contiguous campus, and administers 123 master's degree
programs and seventy-six doctoral degree
programs in eighty-seven schools and departments. As of the 2007–2008 academic year, Florida ranked twelfth among all institutions in the number of new National Merit Scholar
s enrolled. The university has an annual budget of approximately $4.3 billion.
The University of Florida's intercollegiate sports teams, commonly known by their "Florida Gators
" nickname, compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I and the Southeastern Conference
(SEC). In their 105-year history, the university's varsity sports teams have won twenty-six national team championships, twenty-one of which are NCAA titles, and Gator athletes have won 239 individual national championships.
.
On January 6, 1853, Florida Governor Thomas Brown signed a bill that provided public support for higher education
in the state of Florida
. Gilbert Kingsbury was the first person to take advantage of the legislation, and established the East Florida Seminary
. The East Florida Seminary was the first state-supported institution of higher learning in Florida. James Henry Roper, an educator from North Carolina
and a state senator
from Alachua County, built a school, the Gainesville Academy
, around the same time. In 1866, after East Florida Seminary had closed during the American Civil War
, Roper offered his land and school to the State of Florida in exchange for the relocation of East Florida Seminary
to Gainesville.
The second major precursor to the University of Florida was the Florida Agricultural College, established at Lake City
by Jordan Probst in 1884. Florida Agricultural College became the state's first land-grant college under the Morrill Act. In 1903, the Florida Legislature
, desiring to expand the school's outlook and curriculum beyond its agricultural and engineering origins, changed the name of Florida Agricultural College to the "University of Florida," a name that the school would hold for only two years.
consolidated the colleges of the state. The member of the Florida Legislature
who wrote the act, Henry Holland Buckman
, is the namesake of Buckman Hall
, one of the university's oldest buildings. The Buckman Act reorganized the State University System of Florida
and created the Florida Board of Control
to govern the system. The Act abolished the pre-existing state-supported institutions of higher education, and consolidated the assets and academic programs of four of them to form the new "University of the State of Florida
": the University of Florida at Lake City (formerly Florida Agricultural College) in Lake City
, the East Florida Seminary in Gainesville, the St. Petersburg Normal and Industrial School in St. Petersburg
, and the South Florida Military College in Bartow
.
The Buckman Act also consolidated the colleges and schools into three institutions segregated by race and sex—the University of the State of Florida for white men, the Florida Female College for white women, and the State Normal School for Colored Students for African-American men and women.
The City of Gainesville, led by its Mayor William Reuben Thomas
, campaigned to be home to the new university. On July 6, 1905, the Board of Control selected Gainesville
for the new university campus. Andrew Sledd
, president of the pre-existing University of Florida at Lake City
, was selected to be the first president of the new University of the State of Florida. The 1905-1906 academic year was a year of transition; the new University of the State of Florida was legally created, but operated on the campus of the old University of Florida in Lake City until the buildings on the new campus in Gainesville were completed. Architect William A. Edwards designed the first official campus buildings in the Collegiate Gothic
style. Classes began on new Gainesville campus on September 26, 1906 with 102 students.
In 1909, the name of the school was officially simplified from the "University of the State of Florida" to the "University of Florida."
The alligator
was incidentally chosen as the school mascot in 1911, after a local vendor ordered and sold school pennants with an alligator imprinted on them. The school colors, orange and blue, are believed to be derived from the blue and white school colors of the University of Florida at Lake City and the orange and black colors of the East Florida Seminary at Gainesville.
leadership society. Murphree is the only University of Florida president honored with a statue on the campus.
In 1924, the Florida Legislature mandated that women of a "mature age" (at least twenty-one years old) who had completed sixty semester hours from a "reputable educational institution" would be allowed to enroll during regular semesters at the University of Florida in programs that were unavailable at Florida State College for Women. Before this, only the summer semester was coeducational, to accommodate women teachers who wanted to further their education during the summer break. Lassie Goodbread-Black
from Lake City became the first woman to enroll at the University of Florida, in the College of Agriculture in 1925.
John J. Tigert
became the third university president in 1928. Disgusted by the under-the-table payments being made by universities to athletes, Tigert established the grant-in-aid athletic scholarship
program in the early 1930s, which was the genesis of the modern athletic scholarship plan that is currently used by the National Collegiate Athletic Association
.
returned the Florida State College for Women to coeducational status and renamed it Florida State University
. This sequence of events also opened up all of the colleges that comprise the University of Florida to female students. African-American students were allowed to enroll starting in 1958. Shands Hospital
first opened in 1958 along with the University of Florida College of Medicine
to join the already established College of Pharmacy
. Rapid campus expansion began in the 1950s and continues to the present day.
(AAU), an organization composed of now sixty-three academically prominent public and private research universities in the United States and Canada. Florida is one of only seventeen public, land-grant universities that belong to the AAU. In 2009, President Bernie Machen
and the University of Florida Board of Trustees
announced a major policy transition for the university. The Board of Trustees supported the reduction in the number of undergraduates and the shift of financial and other academic resources to graduate education and research in the future.
The University of Florida has continued to rise in the U.S. News & World Report
college and university rankings
. In 2001, Florida was labeled a Public Ivy
and was second in Kiplinger
's 2009 "Best Buys of Education" (behind the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
). U.S. News currently ranks the university as the forty-seventh best national university; the state policy-makers, university administrators and Florida alumni are actively working to advance the university as a top-10 public university.
For the 2008-2009 academic year, annual medical school tuition is $23,930 for in-state students, and $51,777 for out-of-state students.
University of Florida students, numbering 51,413 in Fall 2008, come from more than 130 countries, and all 50 states. The ratio of women to men is 54:46, and 32 percent are graduate and professional students. Professional degree programs include architecture, dentistry, law, medicine, pharmacy and veterinary medicine. Minority populations constitute 33.5 percent of the student body, with 10.0 percent African-Americans, 15.0 percent Hispanics, 0.5 percent Native American, and 8.0 percent Asian-Americans or Pacific Islanders.
Over 12,000 students, or nearly a quarter of University of Florida students come from the Miami/South Florida area, constituting the largest group of students at the university. The majority of Hispanic
and Jewish students at the university are Miamians, with an estimated 6,000 Hispanic and 10,000 Jewish students at UF. Broward County alone produces the most UF students followed by Miami-Dade County.
During the 2008-2009 academic year the University of Florida had the 12th highest enrollment for International Students
in the United States
. In total 4,731 international students enrolled at the university and this equates to about 9 percent of the total enrollment. This was more than any other university in Florida. Also confirmed by Peterson's
the International Student populations accounts for roughly 9.0% of the entire student body.
The University of Florida is ranked second overall in the United States for the number of bachelor's degrees awarded to African-Americans, and third overall for Hispanics. The university ranks fifth overall in the number of doctoral degrees awarded to African-Americans, and second overall for Hispanics, and third overall in number of professional degrees awarded to African-Americans, and second overall for Hispanics. The university offers many graduate programs—-including engineering, business, law and medicine—-on one contiguous campus, and coordinates 123 master's degree programs and 76 doctoral degree programs in 87 schools and departments.
ranked the University of Florida as the nineteenth best public university in the United States, and 58th overall among all national universities, public and private. In addition, the University of Florida was ranked 3rd in The Center's "Top Public Research Universities", and U.S. News ranked Florida 9th in the country, based on "yield rates"—the percentages of students who actually enroll after being accepted.
The 2011 Academic Ranking of World Universities
list assessed the university as 72nd among world universities and 43rd in the United States based on overall research output and faculty awards. In 2009 Washington Monthly ranked the University of Florida 26th overall. For 2007, Newsweek
ranked UF one of the "Top 25 Hottest Schools".
Another study by the Research Center for Chinese Science Evaluation of Wuhan University
ranks Florida 37th in the world. The ranking is based on Essential Science Indicators (ESI), which provides data of journal article publication counts and citation frequencies in over 11,000 journals around the world in 22 research fields.
Florida ranked 2nd among all universities in Kiplinger
's "100 Best Values in Public Colleges" (2006, 2007 & 2008) and 4th in The Scientist magazine's "Best Places to Work in Academia" (2005); its was also ranked the best overall in top values amongst all the public flagship universities by USA Today
(2006). The university admitted 1,049 International Baccalaureate students for the 2004-2005 academic year - more than any other university in the world. The freshmen retention rate of 94 percent is among the highest in the U.S.
UF's job/career placement services were ranked 13th best in the nation by "The Princeton Review
" in its "2009 Best 368 Colleges Rankings".
The university achieved a 85% Student Athlete Graduation Success Rate according to the 2009 NCAA Graduation-Rates Report for freshmen who entered in 2002 . This is above the 79% national average.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
public
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
land-grant
Land-grant university
Land-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890....
, sea-grant
Sea grant colleges
The National Sea Grant College Program is a program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the U.S. Department of Commerce...
, and space-grant
Space grant colleges
The space-grant colleges compose a network of 52 consortia, based at universities across the United States, for outer space-related research. Each consortium is based in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico and consists of multiple independent institutions, with one of the...
research university located on a 2000 acres (8.1 km²) campus in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906. It is regarded as a "Public Ivy
Public Ivy
Public Ivy is a term coined by Richard Moll in his 1985 book Public Ivies: A Guide to America's best public undergraduate colleges and universities to refer to universities which "provide an Ivy League collegiate experience at a public school price." Public Ivies are considered, according to the...
" university—a distinguished category of the top public universities in the United States. The University of Florida is ranked fifty-eighth overall among all national universities, public and private, in the current 2012 U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
rankings
College and university rankings
College and university rankings are lists of institutions in higher education, ordered by combinations of factors. In addition to entire institutions, specific programs, departments, and schools are ranked...
and consistently ranks within the top 100 universities worldwide.
The University of Florida is an elected member of the Association of American Universities
Association of American Universities
The Association of American Universities is an organization of leading research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education...
(AAU), an organization composed of sixty-one American and Canadian research universities. It is one of three "research flagship universities" within the State University System of Florida
State University System of Florida
The State University System of Florida is a system of eleven public universities in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2011, over 320,000 students were enrolled in Florida's state universities...
, as designated by the Florida Legislature
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
.
It is the second-largest Florida university by student population, and receives the highest academic marks in the state of Florida as measured by national and international rankings of American colleges and universities. The university is also the sixth largest single-campus university in the United States by student population, with 49,827 students enrolled for the fall 2010 semester. The University of Florida is home to seventeen academic colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. It offers multiple graduate professional programs—including business administration, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
—on one contiguous campus, and administers 123 master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
programs and seventy-six doctoral degree
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
programs in eighty-seven schools and departments. As of the 2007–2008 academic year, Florida ranked twelfth among all institutions in the number of new National Merit Scholar
National Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and college scholarships administered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation , a privately funded, not-for-profit organization. The program began in 1955...
s enrolled. The university has an annual budget of approximately $4.3 billion.
The University of Florida's intercollegiate sports teams, commonly known by their "Florida Gators
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
" nickname, compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I and the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC). In their 105-year history, the university's varsity sports teams have won twenty-six national team championships, twenty-one of which are NCAA titles, and Gator athletes have won 239 individual national championships.
History
The University of Florida traces its origins to 1853, when the East Florida Seminary, the oldest of the University of Florida's four predecessor institutions, was founded in Ocala, FloridaOcala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
.
On January 6, 1853, Florida Governor Thomas Brown signed a bill that provided public support for higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
in the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Gilbert Kingsbury was the first person to take advantage of the legislation, and established the East Florida Seminary
History of the University of Florida
The history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
. The East Florida Seminary was the first state-supported institution of higher learning in Florida. James Henry Roper, an educator from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and a state senator
Florida Senate
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Senate is composed of 40 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 470,032....
from Alachua County, built a school, the Gainesville Academy
History of the University of Florida
The history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
, around the same time. In 1866, after East Florida Seminary had closed during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Roper offered his land and school to the State of Florida in exchange for the relocation of East Florida Seminary
History of the University of Florida
The history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
to Gainesville.
The second major precursor to the University of Florida was the Florida Agricultural College, established at Lake City
Lake City, Florida
Lake City is the county seat of Columbia County, Florida, in the United States. In 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 12,614. In addition, it is the Principal City of the Lake City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is composed of Columbia County, and had an...
by Jordan Probst in 1884. Florida Agricultural College became the state's first land-grant college under the Morrill Act. In 1903, the Florida Legislature
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
, desiring to expand the school's outlook and curriculum beyond its agricultural and engineering origins, changed the name of Florida Agricultural College to the "University of Florida," a name that the school would hold for only two years.
"University of the State of Florida"
In 1905, the Buckman ActHenry Holland Buckman
Henry Holland Buckman was an attorney from Duval County, Florida, who became a legislator in the Florida Legislature and served on the Judiciary Committee...
consolidated the colleges of the state. The member of the Florida Legislature
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
who wrote the act, Henry Holland Buckman
Henry Holland Buckman
Henry Holland Buckman was an attorney from Duval County, Florida, who became a legislator in the Florida Legislature and served on the Judiciary Committee...
, is the namesake of Buckman Hall
Buckman Hall
Murphree Area is an historic residence hall complex on the northern edge of the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. The complex is adjacent to University Avenue, one of the major public roads that serve the university and define its boundaries. It was the university's first...
, one of the university's oldest buildings. The Buckman Act reorganized the State University System of Florida
State University System of Florida
The State University System of Florida is a system of eleven public universities in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2011, over 320,000 students were enrolled in Florida's state universities...
and created the Florida Board of Control
Florida Board of Control
The Florida Board of Control was the statewide governing body for the State University System of Florida, which included all public universities in the state of Florida. It was replaced by the Florida Board of Regents in 1965.- History :...
to govern the system. The Act abolished the pre-existing state-supported institutions of higher education, and consolidated the assets and academic programs of four of them to form the new "University of the State of Florida
History of the University of Florida
The history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
": the University of Florida at Lake City (formerly Florida Agricultural College) in Lake City
Lake City, Florida
Lake City is the county seat of Columbia County, Florida, in the United States. In 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 12,614. In addition, it is the Principal City of the Lake City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is composed of Columbia County, and had an...
, the East Florida Seminary in Gainesville, the St. Petersburg Normal and Industrial School in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, and the South Florida Military College in Bartow
Bartow, Florida
Bartow is the county seat of Polk County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1851 as Fort Blount, the city was renamed in honor of Francis S. Bartow the first brigade commander to die in combat during the American Civil War. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Census, the city had a...
.
The Buckman Act also consolidated the colleges and schools into three institutions segregated by race and sex—the University of the State of Florida for white men, the Florida Female College for white women, and the State Normal School for Colored Students for African-American men and women.
The City of Gainesville, led by its Mayor William Reuben Thomas
William Reuben Thomas
William Reuben Thomas was a politician and businessman from Gainesville, Florida.-Background:Thomas was a native of Gainesville, Florida. After graduating college he became a teacher at the East Florida Seminary...
, campaigned to be home to the new university. On July 6, 1905, the Board of Control selected Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
for the new university campus. Andrew Sledd
Andrew Sledd
Andrew Warren Sledd was an American theologian, university professor and university president. A native of Virginia, he was the son of a prominent Methodist minister, and was himself ordained as a minister after earning his bachelor's degree and master's degree...
, president of the pre-existing University of Florida at Lake City
History of the University of Florida
The history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
, was selected to be the first president of the new University of the State of Florida. The 1905-1906 academic year was a year of transition; the new University of the State of Florida was legally created, but operated on the campus of the old University of Florida in Lake City until the buildings on the new campus in Gainesville were completed. Architect William A. Edwards designed the first official campus buildings in the Collegiate Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style. Classes began on new Gainesville campus on September 26, 1906 with 102 students.
In 1909, the name of the school was officially simplified from the "University of the State of Florida" to the "University of Florida."
The alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
was incidentally chosen as the school mascot in 1911, after a local vendor ordered and sold school pennants with an alligator imprinted on them. The school colors, orange and blue, are believed to be derived from the blue and white school colors of the University of Florida at Lake City and the orange and black colors of the East Florida Seminary at Gainesville.
College reorganization
In 1909, Albert Murphree was appointed the second president of the university, and organized several of the colleges of the university, increased enrollment from under 200 to over 2,000, and he was instrumental in the founding of the Florida Blue KeyFlorida Blue Key
Florida Blue Key is a student honor and service society at the University of Florida. It is often written and referred to by the initialism "FBK."This organization was started at the University of Florida in 1923 under the presidency of Albert Murphree...
leadership society. Murphree is the only University of Florida president honored with a statue on the campus.
Lassie Goodbread-Black
Lassie Moore Goodbread was an American farmer and educator who, in 1925, became the first woman to enroll at the University of Florida, in the College of Agriculture. In 2000, Goodbread was named a Great Floridian by the State of Florida.-Background:...
from Lake City became the first woman to enroll at the University of Florida, in the College of Agriculture in 1925.
John J. Tigert
John J. Tigert
John James Tigert, IV was an American university president, university professor and administrator, college sports coach and the U.S. Commissioner of Education. Tigert was a native of Tennessee and the son and grandson of Methodist bishops...
became the third university president in 1928. Disgusted by the under-the-table payments being made by universities to athletes, Tigert established the grant-in-aid athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
program in the early 1930s, which was the genesis of the modern athletic scholarship plan that is currently used by the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
.
Post World War II
Beginning in 1946, there was dramatically increased interest among male applicants who wanted to attend the University of Florida, mostly returning World War II veterans who could attend college under the GI Bill of Rights (Servicemen's Readjustment Act). Unable to immediately accommodate this increased demand, the Florida Board of Control opened the Tallahassee Branch of the University of Florida on the campus of Florida State College for Women in Tallahassee. By the end of the 1946–1947 school year, 954 men were enrolled at the Tallahassee Branch. The following semester, the Florida LegislatureFlorida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
returned the Florida State College for Women to coeducational status and renamed it Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
. This sequence of events also opened up all of the colleges that comprise the University of Florida to female students. African-American students were allowed to enroll starting in 1958. Shands Hospital
Shands at the University of Florida
Shands at the University of Florida is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida and is two of many hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system.-History:...
first opened in 1958 along with the University of Florida College of Medicine
University of Florida College of Medicine
The University of Florida College of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Florida. It is part of the J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center, with facilities in Gainesville and Jacksonville...
to join the already established College of Pharmacy
University of Florida College of Pharmacy
The University of Florida College of Pharmacy is an American pharmacy school founded in 1923 and located in Gainesville, Florida. The Doctor of Pharmacy program is fully accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education....
. Rapid campus expansion began in the 1950s and continues to the present day.
National and international prominence
In 1985, the University of Florida was invited to become a member of the Association of American UniversitiesAssociation of American Universities
The Association of American Universities is an organization of leading research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education...
(AAU), an organization composed of now sixty-three academically prominent public and private research universities in the United States and Canada. Florida is one of only seventeen public, land-grant universities that belong to the AAU. In 2009, President Bernie Machen
Bernie Machen
James Bernard "Bernie" Machen is an American university professor and administrator. Machen is a native of Mississippi, and earned multiple academic degrees before becoming a university administrator and president...
and the University of Florida Board of Trustees
University of Florida Board of Trustees
The University of Florida Board of Trustees is the governing body of the University of Florida, a Flagship University for the State University System of Florida. The University is located in Gainesville, Florida, United States. As of September 1, 2011, the Board includes thirteen members...
announced a major policy transition for the university. The Board of Trustees supported the reduction in the number of undergraduates and the shift of financial and other academic resources to graduate education and research in the future.
The University of Florida has continued to rise in the U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
college and university rankings
College and university rankings
College and university rankings are lists of institutions in higher education, ordered by combinations of factors. In addition to entire institutions, specific programs, departments, and schools are ranked...
. In 2001, Florida was labeled a Public Ivy
Public Ivy
Public Ivy is a term coined by Richard Moll in his 1985 book Public Ivies: A Guide to America's best public undergraduate colleges and universities to refer to universities which "provide an Ivy League collegiate experience at a public school price." Public Ivies are considered, according to the...
and was second in Kiplinger
Kiplinger
Kiplinger is a Washington, D.C.-based publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice, available in print, online, audio, video and software products ....
's 2009 "Best Buys of Education" (behind the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
). U.S. News currently ranks the university as the forty-seventh best national university; the state policy-makers, university administrators and Florida alumni are actively working to advance the university as a top-10 public university.
Tuition
For the 2008-2009 academic year, annual undergraduate tuition is $3,790 for in-state students and $20,460 for out-of-state students. For the 2008-2009 academic year, annual graduate tuition is $8,190 for in-state students, and $23,315 for out-of-state students. For the 2008-2009 academic year, annual law school tuition is $10,800 for in-state students, and $30,100 for out-of-state students.For the 2008-2009 academic year, annual medical school tuition is $23,930 for in-state students, and $51,777 for out-of-state students.
Demographics
| Student Body | U.S. Census | |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic American | 15.0% | 14.7% |
| Asian American Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,... |
8.0% | 4.3% |
| White White people White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin... |
66.5% | 73.9% |
| African American African American African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States... |
10.0% | 12.4% |
| Native American Native Americans in the United States Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as... |
0.5% | 0.8% |
| International students | 9.0% | (N/A) |
University of Florida students, numbering 51,413 in Fall 2008, come from more than 130 countries, and all 50 states. The ratio of women to men is 54:46, and 32 percent are graduate and professional students. Professional degree programs include architecture, dentistry, law, medicine, pharmacy and veterinary medicine. Minority populations constitute 33.5 percent of the student body, with 10.0 percent African-Americans, 15.0 percent Hispanics, 0.5 percent Native American, and 8.0 percent Asian-Americans or Pacific Islanders.
Over 12,000 students, or nearly a quarter of University of Florida students come from the Miami/South Florida area, constituting the largest group of students at the university. The majority of Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
and Jewish students at the university are Miamians, with an estimated 6,000 Hispanic and 10,000 Jewish students at UF. Broward County alone produces the most UF students followed by Miami-Dade County.
During the 2008-2009 academic year the University of Florida had the 12th highest enrollment for International Students
Student exchange program
A student exchange program generally could be defined as a program where students from secondary school or university choose to study abroad in partner institutions...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In total 4,731 international students enrolled at the university and this equates to about 9 percent of the total enrollment. This was more than any other university in Florida. Also confirmed by Peterson's
Peterson's
Peterson’s, founded in 1966, is an American company offering a wide range of live, print, and online products and services including test preparation, school searches, financial aid searches, career exploration tools, and professional writing services...
the International Student populations accounts for roughly 9.0% of the entire student body.
The University of Florida is ranked second overall in the United States for the number of bachelor's degrees awarded to African-Americans, and third overall for Hispanics. The university ranks fifth overall in the number of doctoral degrees awarded to African-Americans, and second overall for Hispanics, and third overall in number of professional degrees awarded to African-Americans, and second overall for Hispanics. The university offers many graduate programs—-including engineering, business, law and medicine—-on one contiguous campus, and coordinates 123 master's degree programs and 76 doctoral degree programs in 87 schools and departments.
Rankings
In 2012, U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
ranked the University of Florida as the nineteenth best public university in the United States, and 58th overall among all national universities, public and private. In addition, the University of Florida was ranked 3rd in The Center's "Top Public Research Universities", and U.S. News ranked Florida 9th in the country, based on "yield rates"—the percentages of students who actually enroll after being accepted.
The 2011 Academic Ranking of World Universities
Academic Ranking of World Universities
The Academic Ranking of World Universities , commonly known as the Shanghai ranking, is a publication that was founded and compiled by the Shanghai Jiaotong University to rank universities globally. The rankings have been conducted since 2003 and updated annually...
list assessed the university as 72nd among world universities and 43rd in the United States based on overall research output and faculty awards. In 2009 Washington Monthly ranked the University of Florida 26th overall. For 2007, Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
ranked UF one of the "Top 25 Hottest Schools".
Another study by the Research Center for Chinese Science Evaluation of Wuhan University
Wuhan University
Wuhan University is a university located in Wuchang, Hubei, China. It is directly under the administration of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. It is regarded as one of the top ten universities in China, and its history dates back to 1893, making it one of China's...
ranks Florida 37th in the world. The ranking is based on Essential Science Indicators (ESI), which provides data of journal article publication counts and citation frequencies in over 11,000 journals around the world in 22 research fields.
Florida ranked 2nd among all universities in Kiplinger
Kiplinger
Kiplinger is a Washington, D.C.-based publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice, available in print, online, audio, video and software products ....
's "100 Best Values in Public Colleges" (2006, 2007 & 2008) and 4th in The Scientist magazine's "Best Places to Work in Academia" (2005); its was also ranked the best overall in top values amongst all the public flagship universities by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
(2006). The university admitted 1,049 International Baccalaureate students for the 2004-2005 academic year - more than any other university in the world. The freshmen retention rate of 94 percent is among the highest in the U.S.
UF's job/career placement services were ranked 13th best in the nation by "The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
" in its "2009 Best 368 Colleges Rankings".
The university achieved a 85% Student Athlete Graduation Success Rate according to the 2009 NCAA Graduation-Rates Report for freshmen who entered in 2002 . This is above the 79% national average.
Admissions
applications or other unique situations.As the acceptance rate at the University of Florida has trended downward, the application process has become increasingly competitive. The university has a freshmen retention rate of 94%. Approximately 90 percent of incoming freshmen score above the national average on standardized exams. The fall 2011 incoming freshman class had an average 4.3 GPA, 1963 SAT score, and 30 ACT score.
In addition, UF admitted 1,179 International Baccalaureate students during the fall 2009 academic year. This was more than any other university in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Ending early decision
In 2007, the University of Florida joined the University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, and Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
when they announced that they were discontinuing their early decision
Early decision
Early decision is a common early admission policy used in college admissions in the United States for admitting freshmen to undergraduate programs. It is used to indicate to the University or College that the candidate considers that institution to be his or her top choice...
admissions in an effort to help foster economic diversity in their student bodies. These universities assert that early decision admissions forces students to accept an offer of admission before evaluating the financial aid offers from multiple universities. The university's single application deadline has been set for November 1.
Honors program
The University of Florida has a nationally recognized honors program
Honors course
Honors course is a distinction applied in the United States to certain classes to distinguish them from standard course offerings. The difference between a regular class and the honors class is not necessarily the amount of work, but the type of work required and the pace of studying...
. After gaining acceptance to the university, students must apply separately to the Honors Program and demonstrate significant academic achievement to be accepted. There are over 100 courses offered exclusively to students in this program.
To be invited to apply to the program, freshmen must have a weighted GPA of at least 4.0 and an SAT score of 2070 out of 2400 or an ACT score of 33. In 2011, more than 1900 students applied for 700 available seats. The Honors Program also offers housing for freshman in the Honors Residential College at Hume Hall
Hume Hall
Hume Hall, built in 2002, is the Honors Residential College of the University of Florida, located on the eastern side of the university's Gainesville, Florida campus.The current structure is the second at the university to bear the name...
. The Honors Program also offers special scholarships, internships, research, and study abroad
Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
opportunities.
Sustainability
National Audubon Society
The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. Incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and uses science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission...
for environmental and wildlife management, resource conservation, environmental education, waste management, and outreach.
Through long-term environmental initiatives, the University of Florida created an Office of Sustainability in 2006. Their mission is to continue to improve environmental sustainability in many different areas on campus. They have stated that their future goals are to produce zero waste by 2015, and to achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2025. Recently the university appointed Anna Prizzia as the University’s new Sustainability Director. UF received a "B+" grade on the 2009 College Sustainability Report Card for its environmental and sustainability initiatives. In 2009 "B+" was the second highest grade awarded by the Sustainable Endowments Institute.
Colleges and academic divisions
The University of Florida is divided into 16 colleges and more than 100 research, service and education centers, bureaus and institutes, offering over 100 undergraduate majors and 200 graduate degrees.These colleges include:
| College/school founding | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| College/school | Year founded | ||
| College of Agricultural and Life Sciences University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences The University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences , founded in 1964, is a college of the University of Florida.The programs offered specialize in agriculture, natural resources, and life sciences... |
1906 | ||
| Rinker School of Building Construction Rinker School of Building Construction The Building Construction program at the University of Florida prepares graduates for exciting careers in the construction industry. The core curriculum includes a mix of technical, managerial, and business courses. Graduates receive a comprehensive education including theory and practical... |
1906 | ||
| College of Education University of Florida College of Education The University of Florida College of Education, is a part of the University of Florida offering specializations in special education, higher education, educational policy, elementary education, counseling, teaching, and other educational programs. It is consistently ranked one of the top schools of... |
1906 | ||
| Levin College of Law | 1909 | ||
| College of Engineering University of Florida College of Engineering The College of Engineering at the University of Florida provides formal education and research in more than 12 fields of engineering, including: aerospace, agricultural, biological, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial, materials, and mechanical.-History:The... |
1910 | ||
| College of Liberal Arts and Sciences University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences The University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the University of Florida's college for the liberal arts and sciences. and the largest of the university's 16 colleges. Most core curriculum classes and 42 majors and minors are part of the college... |
1910 | ||
| College of Journalism and Communications | 1916 | ||
| College of Pharmacy University of Florida College of Pharmacy The University of Florida College of Pharmacy is an American pharmacy school founded in 1923 and located in Gainesville, Florida. The Doctor of Pharmacy program is fully accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education.... |
1923 | ||
| College of Design Construction and Planning | 1925 | ||
| Warrington College of Business Warrington College of Business The Warrington College of Business Administration is the business school at the University of Florida. About 6300 students are enrolled in classes, including undergraduates and graduate students, including Master of Business Administration and Ph.D.-seeking students.Undergraduate programs include... |
1926 | ||
| P.K. Yonge Research School | 1934 | ||
| College of Health and Human Performance University of Florida College of Health and Human Performance The University of Florida College of Health and Human Performance is a college at the University of Florida. The college has three departments, and four research centers. The college is unique in that the majors that are offered are inter-disciplinary in nature... |
1946 | ||
| J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center The J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center includes its primary campuses located in Gainesville, Florida and a major teaching hospital and related facilities in Jacksonville, Florida. The Health Science Center comprises the University of Florida's Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing,... |
1956 | ||
| College of Medicine | 1956 | ||
| College of Nursing University of Florida College of Nursing The University of Florida College of Nursing is the nursing school at the University of Florida. Established in 1956, the college is fully accredited and is one of six schools that compose the J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center.... |
1956 | ||
| College of Public Health and Health Professions University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions The College of Public Health and Health Profession is the academic college of public health and health professions at the University of Florida. The college was established by the Florida Board of Regents in 1958 as a separate school within the Health Science Center and is a member of the ASPH and... |
1958 | ||
| Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information... |
1964 | ||
| College of Dentistry University of Florida College of Dentistry The University of Florida College of Dentistry is the dental school of the University of Florida. The college is located in the Dental Sciences Building located on the western edge of the Health Science Center campus. The college is one of the six that make up UF's J... |
1972 | ||
| College of Fine Arts University of Florida College of Fine Arts The University of Florida College of Fine Arts is the academic unit at the University of Florida for the fine arts. In 1975, the College was officially established. The current Dean is .-Composition:The College is composed of three schools... |
1975 | ||
| College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine is the veterinary school of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Founded in 1976, it is one of six schools that compose the J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center... |
1976 | ||
| Division of Continuing Education University of Florida Division of Continuing Education The University of Florida Division of Continuing Education has a campus in Gainesville, Florida and they also offer online instruction. The division was founded 32 years ago, and their mission is to offer flexible opportunities to students who might not otherwise have access to adult learning. The... |
1976 | ||
| Fisher School of Accounting Fisher School of Accounting The Fisher School of Accounting is the academic accounting unit at the University of Florida . In 1977, the School of Accounting was established by the Florida Board of Regents as a separate school within the Warrington College of Business, and was endowed in 1985 by Frederick Fisher. Dr. John... |
1977 | ||
| International Center University of Florida International Center The University of Florida International Center is the University of Florida's research and educational center for international affairs and cultural studies.... |
1991 | ||
| Graham Center for Public Service Bob Graham Center for Public Service The Bob Graham Center for Public Service, housed at the University of Florida in Gainesville, is a community of students, scholars and citizens who share a commitment to training the next generation of public and private sector leaders for Florida, the United States and the international community.... |
2006 | ||
Satellite facilities
The university also maintains a number of facilities apart from its main campus. The J. Hillis Miller Health Science CenterJ. Hillis Miller Health Science Center
The J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center includes its primary campuses located in Gainesville, Florida and a major teaching hospital and related facilities in Jacksonville, Florida. The Health Science Center comprises the University of Florida's Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing,...
also has a teaching hospital located at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, which serves as the Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
campus for the University's College of Medicine
University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville
The University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville is the largest of the three University of Florida Health Science Center Jacksonville colleges - medicine, nursing and pharmacy. The college's 15 clinical science departments house more than 380 faculty members and 300 residents and fellows...
, College of Nursing
University of Florida College of Nursing
The University of Florida College of Nursing is the nursing school at the University of Florida. Established in 1956, the college is fully accredited and is one of six schools that compose the J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center....
, and College of Pharmacy
University of Florida College of Pharmacy
The University of Florida College of Pharmacy is an American pharmacy school founded in 1923 and located in Gainesville, Florida. The Doctor of Pharmacy program is fully accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education....
. A number of residencies are also offered at this facility. The University's College of Pharmacy also maintains campuses in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, and St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
. The College of Dentistry has campuses in South Florida and St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
.
The university's Warrington College of Business
Warrington College of Business
The Warrington College of Business Administration is the business school at the University of Florida. About 6300 students are enrolled in classes, including undergraduates and graduate students, including Master of Business Administration and Ph.D.-seeking students.Undergraduate programs include...
established programs in South Florida in 2004, and recently built a 6100 square feet (566.7 m²) facility in Sunrise, Florida
Sunrise, Florida
-Overview:Sunrise is a city in southwestern Broward County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated in 1961 by Norman Johnson – a developer whose World Famous Upside-Down House attracted buyers to what was then a remote area...
. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information...
has extensions
Cooperative extension service
The Cooperative Extension Service, also known as the Extension Service of the USDA, is a non-formal educational program implemented in the United States designed to help people use research-based knowledge to improve their lives. The service is provided by the state's designated land-grant...
in each of the 67 counties in Florida, and 13 research and education centers with a total of 19 locations throughout the state. In 2005, the university established the Beijing Center for International Studies in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
that offers research facilities, offices, and degree opportunities.
Research
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information...
, the university contributed $8.76 billion to Florida's economy and was responsible for over 100,000 jobs in the 2009–2010 fiscal year. The Milken Institute named UF one of the top-five U.S. institutions in the transfer of biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
research to the marketplace (2006). Some 50 biotechnology companies have resulted from faculty research programs. UF consistently ranks among the top-10 universities in licensing. Royalty and licensing income includes the glaucoma drug Trusopt, the sports drink Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
, and the Sentricon termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
elimination system. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, ranked #1 by the NSF in Research and Development, is part of the Flagship University and the current Vice President is Dr. Larry Arrington. It should also be noted that the UF is currently ranked seventh among all private & public universities for the total number of patents awarded for 2005.
The University of Florida was awarded $678 million in total research expenditures, more than all the other Florida universities combined, in sponsored research in 2009-2010. Research includes diverse areas such as health-care and citrus production (the world's largest citrus research center). In 2002, UF began leading six other universities under a $15 million NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
grant to work on a variety of space-related research during a five-year period. UF has a partnership with Spain that helped to create the world's largest single-aperture optical telescope
Gran Telescopio Canarias
The Gran Telescopio Canarias , also known as GranTeCan or GTC, is a reflecting telescope undertaking commissioning observations at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on the island of La Palma, in the Canary Islands of Spain, as of July 2009.Construction of the telescope, sited on a volcanic...
in the Canary Islands (the total cost was $93 million). Plans are also under way for the University of Florida to construct a new 50000 square feet (4,645.2 m²) research facility in collaboration with the Burnham Institute for Medical Research
Burnham Institute for Medical Research
The Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, previously Burnham Institute for Medical Research, is a non-profit medical research institute with locations in La Jolla, California, Orlando, Florida, and Santa Barbara, California...
that will ultimately be located in the center of UCF's Health Sciences Campus in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. Research will include the areas of diabetes, aging, genetics and cancer.
The University of Florida has made great strides in the space sciences over the last decade. The Astronomy Department's focus on the development of image-detection devices has led to increases in funding, telescope time, and significant scholarly achievements. Faculty members in organic chemistry have made notable discoveries in astrobiology, while faculty members in physics have participated actively in the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory project, the largest and most ambitious project ever funded by the NSF. Through the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the University of Florida is the lead institution on the NASA University Research, Engineering, and Technology Institute (URETI) for Future Space Transport project to develop the next generation space shuttle. In addition, UF is also doing some innovative Diabetes Research In a statewide screening program, that has been sponsored by a $10 million grant from the American Diabetes Association
American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is a United States-based association working to fight the consequences of diabetes, and to help those affected by diabetes...
. The University of Florida also houses one of the world's leading lightning research teams. Also UF scientists have started up a biofuels pilot plant that has been specifically designed to test ethanol-producing technology. UF is also host to a nuclear research reactor
UF Training Reactor
The University of Florida Training Reactor is a test and research reactor at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. It is a research reactor licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the only research reactor in Florida...
which is known for its Neutron Activation Analysis Laboratory. In addition, the University of Florida is the first American university to receive a European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
grant to house a Jean Monnet
Jean Monnet
Jean Omer Marie Gabriel Monnet was a French political economist and diplomat. He is regarded by many as a chief architect of European Unity and is regarded as one of its founding fathers...
Centre of Excellence.
UF has more than $750 million in new research facilities recently completed or under construction, including the Nanoscale Research Facility, the Pathogens Research Facility and the Biomedical Sciences Building. Additionally, Innovation Square, a 24/7 live/work/play research environment being developed along Southwest Second Avenue between the University of Florida campus and downtown Gainesville, recently broke ground and plans to open next fall. UF’s Office of Technology Licensing will relocate to Innovation Square, joining Florida Innovation Hub, a business “super-incubator” designed to promote the development of new high-tech companies based on UF research.
Companies will be recruited from around the country to locate at Innovation Square, venture capitalists will want to be part of the project and startup companies will blossom. Innovation Square also will include retail space, restaurants and local businesses, as well as residential space for people to live.
Health Science Center
The J. Hillis Miller Health Science CenterJ. Hillis Miller Health Science Center
The J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center includes its primary campuses located in Gainesville, Florida and a major teaching hospital and related facilities in Jacksonville, Florida. The Health Science Center comprises the University of Florida's Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing,...
(HSC) has facilities in Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
and Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. The HSC comprises the university's Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health & Health Professions and Veterinary Medicine. The Health Science Center is the only academic health center in the United States with six health-related colleges located on a single, contiguous campus. The facility was named after the 4th President of the University of Florida J. Hillis Miller, Sr.
J. Hillis Miller, Sr.
Joseph Hillis Miller, Sr. was an American university professor, education administrator and university president. Miller was a native of Virginia, and earned bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees before embarking on an academic career...
. In all the HSC generates over $280 million in total research expenditures for the 2008-2009 fiscal year. The Health Science Center focus on blindness, hypertension and smoking cessation.
The Health Science Center is also affiliated with Shands at the University of Florida
Shands at the University of Florida
Shands at the University of Florida is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida and is two of many hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system.-History:...
, Shands Jacksonville
Shands Jacksonville
Shands Jacksonville Medical Center is a teaching hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It is one of seven hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system and functions as the Jacksonville campus for the University of Florida's Health Science Center...
, and the Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs is a term of the business that deals with the relation between a government and its veteran communities, usually administered by the designated government agency. It might refer to:*Department of Veterans' Affairs...
hospitals in Gainesville and North Florida/South Georgia. In all 6,159 total students are enrolled in all six of the colleges. Currently being constructed is a new University of Florida Cancer Hospital
University of Florida Cancer Hospital
The University of Florida Cancer Hospital is an Academic Cancer Center in Gainesville, FL. The 200 bedroom complex focuses on producing basic laboratory findings that will ultimately be used for preventive therapies for cancers.-Background:...
which can be found on Archer road in Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
. The facility is estimated to cost $388 million, and is expected to be 500000 square feet (46,451.5 m²). The McKnight Brain Institute
McKnight Brain Institute
The McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida is a research and teaching center, which conducts integrated Research in neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry, cognitive science, and related areas....
is also part of the Health Science Center and is the most comprehensive program of its kind in the world. The Institute comprises 300 faculty members from 10 colleges, and 51 departments campus-wide.
The University of Florida is a winner of the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
Clinical and Translational Science Award and member of the prestigious NIH national consortium of medical research institutions.
Partnership with Moffitt Center
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute opened on October 26, 1986, on the Tampa campus of the University of South Florida. The current President/CEO is Dr. William S...
, and Shands at the University of Florida
Shands at the University of Florida
Shands at the University of Florida is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida and is two of many hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system.-History:...
formed a partnership to develop world-class programs in cancer care, research and prevention. The partnership, will extend Moffitt's innovative model of comprehensive patient care to UF and Shands cancer programs.
Participation in the Large Hadron Collider
A team of UF physicists has a leading role in one of the two major experiments planned for the Large Hadron ColliderLarge Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It is expected to address some of the most fundamental questions of physics, advancing the understanding of the deepest laws of nature....
, a 17 miles (27.4 km)-long, $5 billion, super-cooled underground tunnel outside Geneva, Switzerland. More than 30 UF physicists, postdoctoral associates, graduate students and now undergraduates are involved in the collider's Compact Muon Solenoid
Compact Muon Solenoid
The Compact Muon Solenoid experiment is one of two large general-purpose particle physics detectors built on the proton-proton Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland and France. Approximately 3,600 people from 183 scientific institutes, representing 38 countries form the CMS collaboration...
(CMS) experiment, one of its two major experiments. About 10 are stationed in Geneva. The group is the largest from any university in the U.S. to participate in the CMS experiment. The UF team designed and oversaw development of a major detector within the CMS. The detector, the Muon system, is intended to capture subatomic particles called muons, which are heavier cousins of electrons. Among other efforts, UF scientists analyzed about 100 of the 400 detector chambers placed within the Muon system to be sure they were functioning properly. The bulk of the UF research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Partnership with Zhejiang University
In July 2008, the University of Florida teamed up with the Zhejiang UniversityZhejiang University
Zhejiang University , sometimes referred to as Zheda, is a national university in China. Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China's oldest institutions of higher education...
to research sustainable solutions to the Earth's energy issues. Overall a Joint Research Center of Clean Sustainable Energy among the Florida Institute for Sustainable Energy, at UF, and the State Key Lab of Clean Energy Utilization and the Institute for Thermal Power Engineering, at Zhejiang University will collaborate to work on this pressing issue.
Libraries
The University of Florida's George A. Smathers Libraries
George A. Smathers Libraries
The University of Florida's George A. Smathers Libraries, is one of the largest university library systems in the United States. The system includes eight of the nine libraries of the University of Florida and provides primary support to all academic programs except those served by the Lawton...
, is one of the largest university library systems in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In total, the University of Florida has ten libraries, and over 5.3 million volumes of books and journals and 7 million microfilms. Collections cover virtually all disciplines and include a wide array of formats – from books and journals to manuscripts, maps, and recorded music. Increasingly collections are digital and are accessible on the Internet via the library web page or the library catalog.
The numerous libraries provide primary support to all academic programs except those served by the Health Science Center Library and the Lawton Chiles Legal Information Center
Lawton Chiles Legal Information Center
The Lawton Chiles Legal Information Center is the official library system of Levin College of Law at the University of Florida. The Library contains legal research materials supporting the study of state, federal, and international law...
. In 2006, Library West
University of Florida Library West
The Library West is the major library of the University of Florida's George A. Smathers Libraries system. Its collections consist of material on the humanities and social sciences, as well as African studies and Asian studies resources...
went through a $30 million dollar renovation that doubled capacity. This facility is now better equipped to handle the information technology necessities that students need to complete their studies. Such progress is represented by its state-of-the-art Information Commons, which offers production studios, digital media computing areas, and a presentation area.
Campus
In total the University of Florida campus encompasses over 2000 acres (8.1 km²). The campus is home to many notable structures, such as Century TowerCentury Tower (University of Florida)
The Century Tower is a carillon tower in the center of the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida.Begun in 1953 by the Auchter Company...
, a 157 feet (47.9 m) tall carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
tower in the center of the historic district. Other notable facilities include the Health Science Center
J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center
The J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center includes its primary campuses located in Gainesville, Florida and a major teaching hospital and related facilities in Jacksonville, Florida. The Health Science Center comprises the University of Florida's Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing,...
, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field is the football stadium for the University of Florida and the home field of the university's Florida Gators football team. It is located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The stadium was originally built in 1930, and has been regularly...
, Reitz Student Union
J. Wayne Reitz Union
The J. Wayne Reitz Union is the student union of the University of Florida, located on Museum Road on the university campus in Gainesville, Florida...
, Smathers Library
Library East (Gainesville, Florida)
Library East is a historic library in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of the University of Florida in the middle of the Campus Historic District. When it was first created it was the largest building on campus at that time.-History:This facility was...
, Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
The Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts theatre in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located on the western side of the University of Florida campus. This facility presents the some of the most established and emerging national and international artists...
, Harn Museum, University Auditorium
University Auditorium (Gainesville, Florida)
The University Auditorium, originally known as the Memorial Auditorium and sometimes called the University of Florida Auditorium, is an historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States....
, O'Connell Center, and The Hub
The Hub (Gainesville, Florida)
The Hub, formerly known as the UF Bookstore, is a historic building on Stadium Road between Buckman Drive and Fletcher Drive on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. On June 24, 2008, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.Built in...
.
Historic sites
A number of the University of Florida's buildings are historically significant. The University of Florida Campus Historic DistrictUniversity of Florida Campus Historic District
The University of Florida Campus Historic District is a historic district on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The district, bounded by West University Avenue, Southwest 13th Street, Stadium Road and North-South Drive, encompasses approximately and contains 11 listed...
comprises 19 buildings and encompasses approximately 650 acres (2.6 km²). Two buildings outside the historic district, the old WRUF radio station
Old WRUF Radio Station
The Old WRUF Radio Station is a historic site in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located on the University of Florida campus . On September 21, 1989, it was added to the U.S...
(now the university police station) and Norman Hall (formerly the P. K. Yonge Laboratory School), are also listed on the historic register. The buildings listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places for their architectural or historic significance are:
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Infirmary (Gainesville, Florida) The Infirmary, now known as the Student Health Care Center, is a historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. It was designed by Rudolph Weaver in the Collegiate Gothic style and was built in 1931... Leigh Hall (Gainesville, Florida) The Leigh Hall, originally known as the Chemistry-Pharmacy Building, is an historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States. It was designed by Rudolph Weaver in the Collegiate Gothic style and was built in 1927. In 1949 the pharmacy... Library East (Gainesville, Florida) Library East is a historic library in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of the University of Florida in the middle of the Campus Historic District. When it was first created it was the largest building on campus at that time.-History:This facility was... Yulee Area (Gainesville, Florida) Yulee Area is a historic residence hall area at 13th Street and Inner Road, SW, on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. It is the site of the first permanent dormitories built for women after the campus became co-educational in 1947... Matherly Hall Matherly Hall built in the early 1950s is an historic classroom and faculty office building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States. It was designed by Guy Fulton in a modified Collegiate Gothic style to house the College of Business Administration... Murphree Hall (Gainesville, Florida) Murphree Hall is a historic student residence building located in the Murphree Area on the northern edge of the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. It was designed by architect Rudolph Weaver in the Collegiate Gothic style and completed in 1939. The building was named for Albert... Newell Hall (Gainesville, Florida) Newell Hall is a historic site in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of the University of Florida. On June 27, 1979, it was added to the U.S... Old WRUF Radio Station The Old WRUF Radio Station is a historic site in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located on the University of Florida campus . On September 21, 1989, it was added to the U.S... Peabody Hall (Gainesville, Florida) Peabody Hall is a historic site in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of the University of Florida. On June 27, 1979, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places... Plaza of the Americas The Plaza of the Americas is a major center of student activity on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. It is located in the quad between Library West, Peabody Hall, the University Auditorium, and the Chemistry Building.... |
Yulee Area (Gainesville, Florida) Yulee Area is a historic residence hall area at 13th Street and Inner Road, SW, on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. It is the site of the first permanent dormitories built for women after the campus became co-educational in 1947... Rolfs Hall (Gainesville, Florida) Rolfs Hall is an historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of the campus... The Hub (Gainesville, Florida) The Hub, formerly known as the UF Bookstore, is a historic building on Stadium Road between Buckman Drive and Fletcher Drive on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. On June 24, 2008, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.Built in... Thomas Hall (Gainesville, Florida) Thomas Hall, built in 1905, is a historic building located in Murphree Area on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, United States... Tigert Hall Tigert Hall, built in the late 1940s and early 1950s, is a historic administrative building located on the eastern edge of the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. It was designed by architect Jefferson Hamilton in a modified Collegiate Gothic style to function as the university's... University Auditorium (Gainesville, Florida) The University Auditorium, originally known as the Memorial Auditorium and sometimes called the University of Florida Auditorium, is an historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States.... Walker Hall (Gainesville, Florida) Walker Hall, originally known as the Mechanical Engineering Building, is an historic classroom building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States. It was designed by Rudolph Weaver in the Collegiate Gothic style and was built in 1927 It was later named... Women's Gymnasium (Gainesville, Florida) Kathryn Chicone Ustler Hall is an historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. It was designed by William Augustus Edwards in the Collegiate Gothic style. On June 27, 1979, it was added to the U.S... Yulee Area (Gainesville, Florida) Yulee Area is a historic residence hall area at 13th Street and Inner Road, SW, on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. It is the site of the first permanent dormitories built for women after the campus became co-educational in 1947... |
Career development and internships
The Career Resource CenterUniversity of Florida Career Resource Center
The Career Resource Center at the Reitz Student Union helps by providing a comprehensive, state-of-the-art facility. The Center provides services for students and alumni by assisting them to achieve career development, career experiences, and employment opportunities.-Mission:The overall mission is...
at the Reitz Student Union helps by providing a comprehensive, state-of-the-art facility. The Center provides services for students and alumni to assist them to achieve career development, career experiences, and employment opportunities.
Fraternities & sororities
Approximately 5,200 undergraduate students (or approximately 15%) are members of either a sorority or fraternity. Sorority and FraternityFraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
Affairs (formerly known as Greek Life) at the University of Florida is separated into four divisions: Interfraternity Council
North-American Interfraternity Conference
The North-American Interfraternity Conference , is an association of collegiate men's fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates where each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate...
(IFC), National Panhellenic Conference
National Panhellenic Conference
The National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...
(NPC), Multicultural Greek Council
National Multicultural Greek Council
The National Multicultural Greek Council is an umbrella council for ten Multicultural Greek Letter Organizations established in 1998. The purpose of NMGC is to provide a forum that allows for the free exchange of ideas, programs, and services between its constituent fraternities and sororities;...
(MGC), and the National Pan-Hellenic Council
National Pan-Hellenic Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine"...
(NPHC). The Order of Omega
Order of Omega
The Order of Omega is an undergraduate Greek society recognizing "fraternity men and women who have attained a high standard of leadership in inter-fraternity activities." It functions as an adjunct to traditional fraternal organizations, rather than a social or professional group in se...
has a chapter at the university.
The Interfraternity Council (IFC) comprises 26 fraternities, and the Panhellenic Council is made up of 16 sororities. Some of the fraternities on campus are older than the university itself with the first fraternities being founded in 1884.
The Multicultural Greek Council consists of 12 cultural organizations (Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
, Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
, South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
n, etc.), seven fraternities and five sororities. The National Pan-Hellenic Council comprises nine historically black organizations, five fraternities and four sororities).
There are now also four recognized fraternal organizations for Christian students, Kappa Phi Epsilon
Kappa Phi Epsilon
Kappa Phi Epsilon, or Kappa Phi, is the largest Christian social fraternity in the State of Florida. The mission of Kappa Phi is to expand beyond general men's ministry and to be a fraternity which uniquely focuses on engaging both the Greek communities and Christian communities with their...
and Beta Upsilon Chi
Beta Upsilon Chi
Beta Upsilon Chi,or ΒΥΧ , is the largest Christian social fraternity in the United States. Since its founding at the University of Texas in 1985, ΒΥΧ has spread to twenty-four campuses in twelve states...
fraternities as well as Sigma Phi Lambda
Sigma Phi Lambda
-History:Sigma Phi Lambda was founded in 1988 at the University of Texas at Austin by Patricia Adams Hogan, Robin Maegen, Gina Williams Goveas, Jacqueline Goveas and Eileen Howell Barlow....
and Theta Alpha sororities.
| Fraternities | Sororities | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kappa Sigma Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living... North-American Interfraternity Conference The North-American Interfraternity Conference , is an association of collegiate men's fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates where each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate... Kappa Phi Epsilon Kappa Phi Epsilon, or Kappa Phi, is the largest Christian social fraternity in the State of Florida. The mission of Kappa Phi is to expand beyond general men's ministry and to be a fraternity which uniquely focuses on engaging both the Greek communities and Christian communities with their... Lambda Alpha Upsilon Latino America Unida, Lambda Alpha Upsilon Fraternity, Inc. is a Latino oriented Greek letter intercollegiate fraternity founded on December 10, 1985 at the State University of New York at Buffalo when sixteen men formed a support group to provide a social and cultural outlet for students of Latin... Lambda Chi Alpha Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a... Lambda Theta Phi Lambda Theta Phi is a non-profit social fraternity in the United States. It was founded on December 1, 1975 at Kean College in Union, New Jersey. It emphasizes Latin unity and the celebration of the Latin culture. In 1992 Lambda Theta Phi was accepted into the North-American Interfraternity... Omega Delta Phi Omega Delta Phi , also known as O D Phi, is an intercollegiate fraternity that was founded on November 25, 1987 by seven students attending Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Its seven founders known as the "Men of Vision" to fraternity members wanted to create an organization to help... Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos... Phi Beta Sigma Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I... Phi Delta Theta Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S... Phi Gamma Delta The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA... Phi Kappa Tau Phi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906... Phi Sigma Kappa -Phi Sigma Kappa's Creed and Cardinal Principles:The 1934 Convention in Ann Arbor brought more changes for the fraternity. Brother Stewart W. Herman of Gettysburg wrote and presented the Creed, and Brother Ralph Watts of Massachusetts drafted and presented the Cardinal Principles.-World War II:The... Pi Delta Psi Pi Delta Psi is an Asian-American Cultural Interest Fraternity founded at Binghamton University on February 20, 1994. The mission of Pi Delta Psi is to break down cultural barriers by fostering individual growth in the areas of "Academic Achievement, Cultural Awareness, Righteousness, Friendship... Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:... |
Pi Kappa Phi Pi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina... Pi Lambda Phi Pi Lambda Phi International Fraternity Inc. is a college social fraternity with 35 active chapters and four colonies in the United States and Canada.... Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South... North-American Interfraternity Conference The North-American Interfraternity Conference , is an association of collegiate men's fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates where each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate... Sigma Chi Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon... Sigma Lambda Beta Sigma Lambda Beta is the largest Latino-based social fraternity established on cultural understanding and wisdom. Founded on April 4, 1986 at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, the organization is committed to create and expand multicultural leadership, promote academic excellence, advance... Sigma Nu Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia... Sigma Phi Epsilon Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,... Sigma Pi Sigma Pi is an international college secret and social fraternity founded in 1897 at Vincennes University. Sigma Pi International fraternity currently has 127 chapters and 4 colonies in the United States and Canada and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee... Greek Umbrella Organizations Here is a list of all National Greek umbrella councils for Greek lettered organizations.* North-American Interfraternity Conference - Conference formed by 75 National fraternities.... Tau Kappa Epsilon Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent... Theta Chi Theta Chi Fraternity is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 as the Theta Chi Society, at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, U.S., and was the 21st of the 71 North-American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities.-Founding and early years at Norwich:Theta... Zeta Beta Tau Zeta Beta Tau was founded in 1898 as the nation's first Jewish fraternity, although it is no longer sectarian. Today the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood is one of the largest, numbering over 140,000 initiated Brothers, and over 90 chapter locations.-Founding:The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was... |
Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle... Alpha Kappa Delta Phi alpha Kappa Delta Phi is an Asian American interest sorority founded at the University of California, Berkeley.-History:... Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. Currently, there are 135 chapters of Alpha Chi Omega at colleges and universities across the United States and more than 200,000 lifetime members... Alpha Delta Pi Alpha Delta Pi is a fraternity founded on May 15, 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The Executive office for this sorority is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia. Alpha Delta Pi is one of the two "Macon Magnolias," a term used to celebrate the bonds it shares with Phi Mu... Alpha Epsilon Phi Alpha Epsilon Phi is a sorority and member of the National Panhellenic Conference. It was founded on October 24, 1909 at Barnard College in New York City by seven Jewish women; Helen Phillips Lipman, Ida Beck Carlin, Rose Gerstein Smolin, Augustina "Tina" Hess Solomon, Lee Reiss Liebert, Rose... Alpha Omicron Pi Alpha Omicron Pi is an international women's fraternity promoting friendship for a lifetime, inspiring academic excellence and lifelong learning, and developing leadership skills through service to the Fraternity and community. ΑΟΠ was founded on January 2, 1897 at Barnard College on the campus... Chi Omega Chi Omega is a women's fraternity and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee.... Delta Delta Delta Delta Delta Delta , also known as Tri Delta, is an international sorority founded on November 27, 1888, the eve of Thanksgiving Day. With over 200,000 initiates, Tri Delta is one of the world's largest NPC sororities.-History:... Delta Gamma Delta Gamma is one of the oldest and largest women's fraternities in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio.-History:... Delta Phi Epsilon (social) Delta Phi Epsilon is an international sorority founded on March 17, 1917 at New York University Law School in New York City... Delta Phi Omega Delta Phi Omega , is the largest and fastest-growing, nationally based South Asian-interest sorority in the United States, with over 1300 sisters in thirteen chapters and twenty-seven colonies.... Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University... Delta Zeta Delta Zeta is an international college sorority founded on October 24, 1902, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Today, Delta Zeta has 158 collegiate chapters in the United States and over 200 alumnae chapters in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada... National Multicultural Greek Council The National Multicultural Greek Council is an umbrella council for ten Multicultural Greek Letter Organizations established in 1998. The purpose of NMGC is to provide a forum that allows for the free exchange of ideas, programs, and services between its constituent fraternities and sororities;... Kappa Alpha Theta Kappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury... Kappa Delta Kappa Delta was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School , in Farmville, Virginia. It is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the university... |
Kappa Kappa Gamma Kappa Kappa Gamma is a collegiate women's fraternity, founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois, USA. Although the groundwork of the organization was developed as early as 1869, the 1876 Convention voted that October 13, 1870 should be recognized at the official Founders Day, because no... Kappa Phi Lambda Kappa Phi LambdaΚΦΛFounded:March 9, 1995 atThe State University of New York, BinghamtonFounders:* Elizabeth Choi* Karen Eng* Rei Hirasawa* Hee Cho Moon* Chae Yoo Park* Samantha Somchanhmavong* Connie Yang... Lambda Theta Alpha Lambda Theta Alpha is a Latina sorority in the United States.The idea for Lambda Theta Alpha began in the late 1970s, when colleges and universities experienced an influx of Latino enrollment; the organization came into being at Kean University in 1975 with Lambda Theta Alpha's seventeen founding... Phi Mu Phi Mu is the second oldest female fraternal organization established in the United States. It was founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The organization was founded as the Philomathean Society on January 4, 1852, and was announced publicly on March 4 of the same year... Pi Beta Phi Pi Beta Phi is an international fraternity for women founded as I.C. Sorosis on April 28, 1867, at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois. Its headquarters are located in Town and Country, Missouri, and there are 134 active chapters and over 330 alumnae organizations across the United States and... Sigma Gamma Rho Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on the campus of Butler University on November 12, 1922, by seven school teachers in Indianapolis, Indiana... Sigma Kappa Sigma Kappa is a sorority founded in 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce, Frances Elliott Mann Hall and Louise Helen Coburn... Sigma Lambda Gamma Sigma Lambda Gamma ' is a historically Latina-based national sorority with multicultural membership founded on April 9, 1990, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa.-History:... Sigma Phi Lambda -History:Sigma Phi Lambda was founded in 1988 at the University of Texas at Austin by Patricia Adams Hogan, Robin Maegen, Gina Williams Goveas, Jacqueline Goveas and Eileen Howell Barlow.... Tau Beta Sigma Tau Beta Sigma is a co-educational national honorary band sorority dedicated to serving college and university bands. The Sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Station in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,500 active members in 145 active chapters, and over 40,000 alumni... Theta Nu Xi Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. is a historically multicultural sorority founded on April 11, 1997, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, by seven women who sought to bridge cultural gaps... Zeta Phi Beta Zeta Phi Beta is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority and a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean... Zeta Tau Alpha Zeta Tau Alpha is a women's fraternity, founded October 15, 1898 at the State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia. The Executive office is located in Indianapolis, Indiana... |
Class ring
The "Gator Wrap Ring" is the traditional University of Florida class ring designed in the late 1930s by then-president of the student body Stephen C. O'ConnellStephen C. O'Connell
Stephen Cornelius O'Connell was an American attorney, appellate judge and university president. O'Connell was a native of Florida, and earned bachelor's and law degrees before becoming a practicing attorney...
(who later became a justice on the Florida Supreme Court, the sixth president of the University of Florida, and the namesake for the O'Connell Center). The ring's original design has remained unchanged, and features an alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
with gaping jaws on either side of the ring's shank, enveloping the bezel. The bezel displays the inscriptions "University of Florida" and "1853."
Reserve Officer Training Corps
The University of Florida Reserve Officer Training Corps is the official officerOfficer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
training and commissioning program at the University of Florida. Officially founded in 1905, it is one of the oldest such programs in the nation.
The Reserve Officer Training Corps offers commissions for the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, and the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. The unit is one of the oldest in the nation, and is currently located at Van Fleet Hall
Van Fleet Hall (Gainesville, Florida)
General James A. Van Fleet Hall is an historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and completed in 1952. It was designed by Guy Fulton in a modified Collegiate Gothic style as a Reserve Officer Training Corps classroom and training facility for University...
.
The Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Florida offers training in the military sciences to students who desire to perform military service after they graduate. The Departments of the Army, Air Force, and Navy each maintain a Reserve Officers Training Corps and each individual department has a full staff of military personnel.
Housing
The University of Florida provides over 9,200 students with housing in residence halls and complexes on the eastern and western sides of campus. Facilities vary in the cost of rent and privacy. Housing plans also offer students access to dining facilities. The university also provides housing to a number of graduate students and their families.Recreation
Many recreational activities available for students include indoor and outdoor sports, outdoor courts and playing fields on campus, in the O'Connell Center, University Golf CourseMark Bostic Golf Course
The Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida, located in Gainesville, Florida, is the home course of the Florida Gators men's golf and Florida Gators women's golf teams...
, Plaza of the Americas
Plaza of the Americas
The Plaza of the Americas is a major center of student activity on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. It is located in the quad between Library West, Peabody Hall, the University Auditorium, and the Chemistry Building....
, the Student Recreation and Fitness Center, the Southwest Recreation Center
University of Florida Southwest Recreation Center
The Southwest Recreation Center, is one of three athletic facilities at the University of Florida with services available to students, alumni, and faculty members. The facility is currently total, and construction has started on a major expansion...
, and the Florida Gymnasium for indoor sports. Florida offers intramural and club sports ranging from archery to weightlifting. Near the campus are many recreational lakes and rivers, including university-owned Lake Alice
Lake Alice (Gainesville, Florida)
Lake Alice is a small lake on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida, USA.The lake is a wildlife area and is one of the few areas in incorporated Gainesville where one may view live alligators. The university's bat house is near the lake. The Baughman Center sits on the southwest...
. In addition, student have access to the J. Wayne Reitz Union
J. Wayne Reitz Union
The J. Wayne Reitz Union is the student union of the University of Florida, located on Museum Road on the university campus in Gainesville, Florida...
which is equipped with a bowling alley
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, pool tables, an arcade
Video arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
, and numerous other activities. South of Gainesville is Lake Wauburg
Paynes Prairie
Paynes Prairie is a Florida State Park, encompassing a savanna south of Gainesville, Florida, in Micanopy. It is also a U.S. National Natural Landmark. It is crossed by both I-75 and U.S. 441 .- History :...
, which also provides recreational activities for students, faculty, and staff. To the northwest of campus is the Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park
Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park
Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park is a Florida State Park located north-westernmost part of Gainesville, Florida, off County Road 232, northwest of the University of Florida....
.
The campus also contains open spaces, small ponds, picnic areas, shady nooks and an 81 acres (327,795.7 m²) wildlife sanctuary that provide opportunities to enjoy Florida's year-round sunshine activity life.
Lastly, the University of Florida has more than eight hundred organizations and clubs for students to join. They range from cultural and athletic to subjects pertaining to philanthropy. Some of the most popular organizations are Florida Blue Key
Florida Blue Key
Florida Blue Key is a student honor and service society at the University of Florida. It is often written and referred to by the initialism "FBK."This organization was started at the University of Florida in 1923 under the presidency of Albert Murphree...
, Theatre Strike Force
Theatre Strike Force
Theatre Strike Force is the University of Florida's premier improv and sketch comedy troupe. The style of improv performed by Theatre Strike Force is primarily short form, however several outlets for long form improvisation exist within the group...
, the Marching Band
The Pride of the Sunshine
The University of Florida Fightin' Gator Marching Band, also known as The Pride of the Sunshine, is the official marching band for the University of Florida. They play at every Florida Gators home football game in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and also performs at various other events such as pep...
, Florida Competitive Cheerleading, Dazzlers
Florida Gators Dazzlers
The Dazzlers are a dance squad for the University of Florida, charged with performing at the home games for the Florida Gators basketball teams...
, the Gatorettes
Gatorettes
The Gatorettes are the Florida Gators' twirling dancers, and they are affiliated with The Pride of the Sunshine. Representing the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL.-Background information:The Gatorettes are the University of Florida's baton twirlers...
, Hillel at UF
University of Florida Hillel
University of Florida Hillel is one of the oldest Hillel Foundation organizations in the United States. The organization was founded in 1947 at the University of Florida and currently serves around 8,000 Jewish students who attend the university....
, Gator Growl
Gator Growl
Gator Growl, produced by Florida Blue Key, is a student-run pep rally at the University of Florida that was founded in 1932. It marks the culminating moment of Homecoming Week at the university. Designated the largest student-run pep rally in the world, the show is held annually in Ben Hill Griffin...
, Progressive Black Journalists
Progressive Black & Journalists (PB&J)
Progressive, Black, & Journalists, Inc. is an African-American journalism organization based at the University of Florida. A spin-off from the Association of Black Communicators, PB&J began in an effort to combat the negative minority stereotypes that occur in the media and to sensitize the...
, Miss University of Florida
Miss University of Florida
Miss University of Florida Pageant and the Miss Florida Gator Pageant is the University of Florida's official pageant competition that is part of the larger Miss Florida and Miss America pageants...
, and the Speakers Bureau
ACCENT Speakers Bureau
ACCENT Speakers Bureau is the Student Government-run speakers' bureau of the University of Florida. It claims to be the largest student-run speakers' bureau in the United StatesThe organization is a Student Government agency....
. If students wish they can create their own registered student organization if the current interest or concern is not addressed by the previously established entities.
Student affairs rankings
The University of Florida received the following rankings by "The Princeton ReviewThe Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
" in its "2012 Best 376 Colleges Rankings:"
| Category | Rankings |
|---|---|
| Best Career/Job Placement Services | 1st overall |
| Jock School | 1st overall |
| Students Pack the Stadium | 2nd overall |
| Lots of Beer | 6th overall |
| Best College Newspaper | 9th overall |
| Party Schools | 9th overall |
| Best Health Services | 10th overall |
Student government
The student government was established in 1909 and consists of executive, judicial and unicameral legislative branches. The executive branch includes the student government president, vice president and treasurer elected by the student body during the spring semester, as well as nine agencies and forty-one cabinet members.
The student senate is the legislative branch, and is composed of 100 senators who serve one-year terms. The student body elects fifty senators during each spring semester and the remaining fifty during the fall semester. The senators elect a senate president and senate President pro tempore twice a year, after each semester's elections, to lead the student senate. During student government elections students may also vote on referendums, such as the renewable energy referendum, which was approved by 78% of voting students in the spring of 2007. This referendum proposed a fifty-cents-per-credit-hour increase to student activity fees to fund renewable energy and efficiency on campus.
The student government judicial branch has three major components: the student supreme court (headed by a chief justice), the student honor court (headed by the honor court chancellor elected each spring), and the student traffic court (headed by a chief justice). The supreme court consists of five second or third-year law students nominated by the student government president and confirmed by the student senate. Each justice serves a "life-time" term, which extends through the individual justice's graduation and insulates the court from the politics of student government. The chief justice may appoint a marshal and clerk. The election commission, which listens and adjudicates all student government election complaints, is also part of the judicial branch. The commission includes 6 members, one of whom also serves as the commission chairman.
Alma Mater
The Alma MaterAlma Mater (song)
The alma mater is the generic title given to the official song or anthem of a school, college, or university.The official song may be referred to as the alma mater of the school, college or university, and it may be understood by those who know, which song is referred to.A frequently used tune for...
for the University of Florida was composed by Milton Yeats in 1925.
Campus & area transportation
The UF campus is served by nine bus routes of the Gainesville Regional Transit SystemGainesville Regional Transit System
Gainesville Regional Transit System is the local area transit corporation that serves the Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida area and the University of Florida campus. It presently serves 25 city routes , nine campus routes, and three "Later Gator" routes...
(RTS). Students, faculty, and staff with university-issued ID cards are able to use the system at no extra cost. The RTS also provides other campus services, including Gator Aider (during football games) and Later Gator nighttime service.
University of Florida is also served by the Gainesville Regional Airport
Gainesville Regional Airport
Gainesville Regional Airport is a public airport located three miles northeast of the central business district of Gainesville, a city in Alachua County, Florida, United States. The airport is owned by the City of Gainesville, FL and operated by the Gainesville-Alachua County Regional Airport...
, which is located in the Northeast portion of Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
and has daily services to Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, and Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
.
Student media
- The Independent Florida AlligatorThe Independent Florida AlligatorThe Independent Florida Alligator is the daily student newspaper of the University of Florida. The Alligator is the largest student-run newspaper in the United States, with a daily circulation of 35,000 and readership of over 52,000...
is the largest student-run newspaperStudent newspaperA student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
in the United States, and operates without oversight from the university administration. - WRUF (850 AM) features a mixture of local and syndicated talk programs, award-winning student-produced newscasts and sports talk shows, plus religious programming on Sunday mornings.
- WRUF-FMWRUF-FMWRUF-FM is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Gainesville, Florida, USA, the station serves the Gainesville/Ocala area. The station is currently owned by the University of Florida...
(103.7 FM) broadcasts Country music and attracts an audience from the GainesvilleGainesville, FloridaGainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
and OcalaOcala, FloridaOcala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
areas. - WRUF-LD is a low-powerLow-power broadcastingLow-power broadcasting is electronic broadcasting at very low power and low cost, to a small community area.The terms "low-power broadcasting" and "micropower broadcasting" should not be used interchangeably, because the markets are not the same...
television station that carries weather, news, and sports programming. - WUFT is a PBS memberPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
station with a variety of programming that includes a daily student-produced newscast. - WUFT-FMWUFT-FMWUFT-FM 89.1 is an NPR member radio station owned by the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, broadcasting news from NPR.UF has been involved in broadcasting for almost nine decades. It owns WRUF , one of the oldest radio stations in the state, and sister television station WUFT-TV was...
(89.1 FM) is an NPR member radio station which airs news and public affairs programming, including student-produced long-form news reporting. WUFT-FM's programming also airs on WJUF-FM (90.1).
Various other journals and magazines are published by the university's academic units and student groups, including the literary journal Subtropics
Subtropics (journal)
Subtropics is an American literary journal based at the University of Florida in Gainesville.Works originally published in Subtropics have been subsequently selected for inclusion in the Best American Poetry, The Best American Short Stories and the O...
.
Museums
Florida Museum of Natural History
The Florida Museum of Natural History is the State of Florida's official state-sponsored and chartered natural history museum. Its main facilities are located on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida....
, established in 1891, is one of the oldest natural history museums in the country and was officially chartered by the State of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. This facility is dedicated to understanding, preserving and interpreting biological diversity and cultural heritage. In over 100 years of operations the Florida Museum of Natural History has been housed in several buildings, from the Seagle Building to facilities at Dickinson Hall, Powell Hall, and the Randell Research Center. In 2000 the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity was opened after a generous donation from University of Florida benefactors. The McGuire Center houses a collection of more than six million butterfly and moth specimens, making it one of the largest collections of Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
in the world, rivaling that of the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
in London, England.
The Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, established in 1990, is also located at the University of Florida on the southwest part of campus. This facility is one of the largest university art museums in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, the Harn has more than 7,000 works in its permanent collection
Collection (museum)
A museum is distinguished by a collection of often unique objects that forms the core of its activities for exhibitions, education, research, etc. This differentiates it from an archive or library, where the contents may be more paper-based, replaceable and less exhibition oriented...
and an array of temporary exhibitions. The museum's permanent collections are focused on Asian
Asian art
Asian art can refer to art amongst many cultures in Asia.-Various types of Asian art:*Afghan art*Azerbaijanian art*Balinese art*Bhutanese art*Buddhist art*Burmese contemporary art*Chinese art*Eastern art*Indian art*Iranian art*Islamic art...
, African
African art
African art constitutes one of the most diverse legacies on earth. Though many casual observers tend to generalize "traditional" African art, the continent is full of people, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual special culture. The definition also includes the art of the African...
, modern
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
and contemporary art
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
, as well as photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
. The university sponsors educational programs at the museum including films, lectures, interactive activities, and school and family offerings. In October 2005 the Harn expanded by more than 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²) with the opening of the Mary Ann Harn Cofrin Pavilion, which includes new educational and meeting areas and the Camellia Court Cafe, the first eatery for visitors of the Cultural Plaza.
Performing arts and music
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
venues at the University of Florida consist of the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
The Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts theatre in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located on the western side of the University of Florida campus. This facility presents the some of the most established and emerging national and international artists...
, the University Auditorium
University Auditorium (Gainesville, Florida)
The University Auditorium, originally known as the Memorial Auditorium and sometimes called the University of Florida Auditorium, is an historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States....
, Constans Theatre
Constans Theatre
The Constans Theatre is a performing arts venue located on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. The facility first opened in 1967, and currently serves as a venue for musical concerts, theater, dance, and lectures. In 2004 the facility was named for the patron H.P...
, the Baughman Center
Baughman Center
The Baughman Center consists of two buildings located along Lake Alice on the University of Florida campus. The main building is a nondenominational chapel or pavilion, while the other one is a administrative building...
, and performances at the O'Connell Center. The mission is to provide an unparalleled experience where the performing artists create and share knowledge to serve the student body, faculty, and staff at the university; Gainesville residents; and visitors to North Central Florida.
The University Auditorium
University Auditorium (Gainesville, Florida)
The University Auditorium, originally known as the Memorial Auditorium and sometimes called the University of Florida Auditorium, is an historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States....
was founded in the mid 1920s and is home to the Anderson Memorial Organ. The auditorium has a concert stage and can seat up to 843 patrons. The venue is suitable for musical concerts
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
, special lectures
Lecture
thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...
, convocation
Convocation
A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....
s, dance concerts, and pageants.
Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
The Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts theatre in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is located on the western side of the University of Florida campus. This facility presents the some of the most established and emerging national and international artists...
was founded in 1992 and is a performing arts theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. The Phillips Center is located on the western side of campus, and hosts established and emerging national and international artists on the main stage, as well as the annual Miss University of Florida
Miss University of Florida
Miss University of Florida Pageant and the Miss Florida Gator Pageant is the University of Florida's official pageant competition that is part of the larger Miss Florida and Miss America pageants...
pageant. In all, the Phillips Center consists of a 1,700-seat proscenium hall
Proscenium
A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
and the 200-seat Squitieri Studio Theatre.
Constans Theatre
Constans Theatre
The Constans Theatre is a performing arts venue located on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. The facility first opened in 1967, and currently serves as a venue for musical concerts, theater, dance, and lectures. In 2004 the facility was named for the patron H.P...
was founded in 1967 and is a performing arts venue located next to the J. Wayne Reitz Union
J. Wayne Reitz Union
The J. Wayne Reitz Union is the student union of the University of Florida, located on Museum Road on the university campus in Gainesville, Florida...
. Constans Theatre serves as a venue for musical concerts, theater, dance, and lectures, and is a sub-venue of the Nadine McGuire Pavilion and Dance Pavilion.
The Baughman Center
Baughman Center
The Baughman Center consists of two buildings located along Lake Alice on the University of Florida campus. The main building is a nondenominational chapel or pavilion, while the other one is a administrative building...
was founded in 2000 and serves as a venue for small musical and performing arts events. The facility consists of two buildings located next to Lake Alice
Lake Alice (Gainesville, Florida)
Lake Alice is a small lake on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida, USA.The lake is a wildlife area and is one of the few areas in incorporated Gainesville where one may view live alligators. The university's bat house is near the lake. The Baughman Center sits on the southwest...
on the western portion of campus. The main building is a 1500 square feet (139.4 m²) pavilion, while the other is a 1000 square feet (92.9 m²) administrative building. Overall the Baughman Center can accommodate up to 96 patrons.
In popular culture
The University of Florida has been portrayed in several films, books, and television shows. In addition, the University of Florida campus has been the backdrop for a number of different movies, books, and even a song by Tom Petty and the HeartbreakersTom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...
.
The University of Florida has been portrayed in a variety of television shows and motion pictures. Fictional UF alumni and faculty include Kevin Lomax
The Devil's Advocate (film)
The Devil's Advocate is a 1997 American horror film directed by Taylor Hackford starring Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino and Charlize Theron, and based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman....
and Mary Ann Lomax
The Devil's Advocate (film)
The Devil's Advocate is a 1997 American horror film directed by Taylor Hackford starring Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino and Charlize Theron, and based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman....
who were characters in the film The Devil's Advocate
The Devil's Advocate (film)
The Devil's Advocate is a 1997 American horror film directed by Taylor Hackford starring Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino and Charlize Theron, and based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman....
. In the film Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder is a 1990 American auto racing film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes and Michael Rooker. The film also features appearances...
, the character Harry Hogge
Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder is a 1990 American auto racing film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes and Michael Rooker. The film also features appearances...
can be seen wearing a University of Florida ballcap. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was an American author who lived in rural Florida and wrote novels with rural themes and settings. Her best known work, The Yearling, about a boy who adopts an orphaned fawn, won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1939 and was later made into a movie, also known as The...
is the main character in the film Cross Creek
Cross Creek, Florida
Cross Creek is an unincorporated community in Alachua County, Florida, United States. It is located on Cross Creek, a short stream connecting Orange Lake and Lochloosa Lake.-Geography:Cross Creek is located at .-History:...
. In the film Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo is the 2005 sequel to the 1999 film Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, from Happy Madison Productions. Rob Schneider returns in the role of a male prostitute Deuce Bigalow who visits his former pimp T.J...
a side character named Earl McManus
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo is the 2005 sequel to the 1999 film Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, from Happy Madison Productions. Rob Schneider returns in the role of a male prostitute Deuce Bigalow who visits his former pimp T.J...
is shown wearing a Florida Gators
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
hat. The politician Robert Ritchie from the show The West Wing was a graduate of the university. Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
in the film The Doors
The Doors (film)
The Doors is a 1991 biopic about the 1960s-1970s rock band of the same name which emphasizes the life of its lead singer, Jim Morrison. It was directed by Oliver Stone, and stars Val Kilmer as Morrison, Meg Ryan as Pamela Courson , Kyle MacLachlan as Ray Manzarek, Frank Whaley as Robby Krieger,...
was incorrectly portrayed as former University of Florida student. In a number of Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
's films he can often be seen wearing Florida's orange and blue sweatshirts and t-shirts. In the film The Hawk is Dying
The Hawk is Dying
The Hawk Is Dying is a 2006 film based on the book by Harry Crews. It was accepted to the 2006 Director's Fortnight Competition at the Cannes Film Festival...
is based on the professor Harry Crews
Harry Crews
Harry Crews is an American novelist, playwright, short story writer and essayist. He was born in Bacon County, Georgia in 1935 and served in the Marines during the Korean War. He attended the University of Florida on the GI Bill, but dropped out to travel...
who served as a faculty member for the university. In the television show Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
the protagonist James "Sonny" Crockett
James "Sonny" Crockett
James "Sonny" Crockett is a fictional character from the Miami Vice television series and film of the same name. The character is portrayed by Don Johnson in the television series, and Colin Farrell in the movie version of the show. He was introduced in the Miami Vice pilot in 1984 and appeared in...
had played for the football team.
Robert Cade
Robert Cade
James Robert Cade was an American physician, university professor, research scientist and inventor. Cade, a native of Texas, earned his undergraduate and medical degrees, and became a professor of medicine and nephrology at the University of Florida...
, a professor at the university's College of Medicine
University of Florida College of Medicine
The University of Florida College of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Florida. It is part of the J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center, with facilities in Gainesville and Jacksonville...
, invented the ubiquitous sports drink Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
as a hydration supplement for the Florida Gators football team in 1965–1966. A series of recent Gatorade television commercials, "The Legend of Gatorade," have prominently featured the university and the Gators.
Sports
The University of Florida's intercollegiate sports teams, known as the "Florida GatorsFlorida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
", compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I and the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC). For the 2009–2010 school year, the University Athletic Association
University of Florida Athletic Association
The University Athletic Association, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for maintaining the Florida Gators intercollegiate sports program of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida...
budgeted more $85 million for its sports teams and facilities. Since 1986, the Gators have won twenty of the last twenty-three SEC All-Sports Trophies, recognizing Florida as the best overall athletics program in the SEC. Florida's athletic program has ranked among the top five in the nation in twelve of the past seventeen years, and it is the only Division I program that has ranked among the top ten athletic programs in the country in each of the last twenty-seven years.
Florida has won a total of twenty-six team national championships, twenty-one of which are NCAA championships. Florida is one of only two Division I FBS universities to win multiple national championships in each of the two most popular NCAA sports: football (1996, 2006, 2008) and men's basketball (2006, 2007).
Olympics
The University of Florida has a long history of producing athletes who compete in the Olympic GamesOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
. Over 150 Gator athletes from over thirty different countries have competed in the Games, winning forty-four Olympic gold medals, twenty-three silver medals and twenty-three bronze medals through the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. The list of University of Florida alumni who are Olympic gold medalists includes sprinters Kerron Clement
Kerron Clement
Kerron Stephon Clement is Trinidadian-born track and field athlete who represents the United States and specializes in the 400-meter hurdles...
, Dennis Mitchell
Dennis Mitchell
Dennis Allen Mitchell is a former American college and international track and field athlete, whose team won the gold medal in the 4 x 100 meters relay race at the 1992 Summer Olympics.- Athletic career :...
and Bernard Williams
Bernard Williams (athlete)
Bernard Rollen Williams, III is an American track and field athlete and winner of a gold medal in 4×100-meters relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics.- Biography :Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Bernard Williams won the 100 m at the 1999 Pan-American Games....
; marathon runner Frank Shorter
Frank Shorter
Frank Charles Shorter is a former American long-distance runner who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics. His victory is credited with igniting the running boom in the United States of the 1970s....
; baseball outfielder Brad Wilkerson
Brad Wilkerson
Stephen Bradley "Brad" Wilkerson is a former American college and professional baseball player who was an outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball for eight seasons in the 2000s. Wilkerson played college baseball for the University of Florida, and was selected by the Montreal Expos...
; basketball forward DeLisha Milton-Jones
DeLisha Milton-Jones
DeLisha Milton-Jones is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association . Milton-Jones played college basketball for the University of Florida. In her twelve-season WNBA career, she has played for the Washington Mystics and Los...
; soccer players Heather Mitts
Heather Mitts
Heather Blaine Mitts Feeley is an American professional soccer player who is a defender in the Women's Professional Soccer league. Mitts played college soccer for the University of Florida, and thereafter, she has played professionally for the Philadelphia Charge, Boston Breakers, Philadelphia...
and Abby Wambach
Abby Wambach
Mary Abigail "Abby" Wambach is an American professional soccer player, coach and Olympic gold medalist. A four-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award, she has been a regular on the U.S. women's national team since 2003...
; and swimmers Tracy Caulkins
Tracy Caulkins
Tracy Anne Caulkins Stockwell, OAM, is a former American college and international swimmer, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and a former world record-holder....
, Nicole Haislett
Nicole Haislett
Nicole Lee Haislett Bacher is a former American college and international swimmer who was an eight-time American national college champion and a three-time Olympic gold medalist.- Early years :...
, Ryan Lochte
Ryan Lochte
Ryan Steven Lochte is an American swimmer and a six-time Olympic medalist . As part of the American team, he holds the world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay...
and Dara Torres
Dara Torres
Dara Grace Torres is an American international swimmer and a twelve-time Olympic medalist. Torres was the first swimmer from the United States to compete in five Olympic Games , and, at age 41, the oldest swimmer ever to earn a place on the U.S. Olympic team...
.
Football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team has played in thirty-seven bowl games, won three consensus national championships and eight Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) championships, produced 135 All-Americans, thirty-five National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) first-round draft choices, and three Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winners.
The Gators won their first post-season game on Christmas Day 1912 in the Bacardi Bowl
Bacardi Bowl
Bacardi Bowl was a college football bowl game played seven times in Havana, Cuba at La Tropical Stadium. Sometimes referred to as the Rhumba Bowl or the Cigar Bowl, the game was the climaxing event of Cuba’s annual National Sports Festival. The first five occurrences matched an American college...
, beating the Vedado Athletic Club 28–0 in Havana, Cuba. The Gators earned national attention in 1928, setting a national record for most points scored in a season by an 8–1 team that also produced the Gators' first All-American, end Dale Van Sickel
Dale Van Sickel
Dale Harris Van Sickel was an American college football, basketball and baseball player during the 1920s, who later became a Hollywood motion picture actor and stunt performer for over forty years...
. The Gators' first major bowl win was the 1967 Orange Bowl in which coach Ray Graves
Ray Graves
Samuel Ray Graves is a former American college and professional football player and former college football coach. He is a native of Tennessee and an alumnus of the University of Tennessee, where he played college football...
and Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
quarterback Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
led the Gators to a 27–12 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
In 1990, Spurrier returned to his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
as its new head coach, and spurred the Gators to their first six official SEC football championships. The Gators, quarterbacked by their second Heisman Trophy winner, Danny Wuerffel
Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl "Danny" Wuerffel is a former American college and professional football player who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy and the 1996 national football championship while playing college football for the University of Florida. After graduating from Florida, he played for four National Football...
, won their first national championship in 1996 with a 52–20 winover Florida State Seminoles
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
. In 2006, coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
led the Gators to a 13–1 record, capturing their seventh SEC Championship, and defeating the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
41–14 for the BCS National Championship. In 2008, the Gators' third Heisman-winning quarterback, Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
, led them in a 24–14 BCS Championship Game victory over the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
for their third national championship.
Since 1930, the Gators' home field has been Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field is the football stadium for the University of Florida and the home field of the university's Florida Gators football team. It is located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The stadium was originally built in 1930, and has been regularly...
, which seats over 90,000 fans—the twelfth largest college football venue in the country. The stadium is popularly known as "The Swamp", and The Sporting News has named Florida's fans as the top college crowd in the nation and ranked the stadium as the nation's loudest.
Basketball
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
team has also gained national recognition over the past twenty years. The Gators went to the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
of the 1994 NCAA tournament under coach Lon Kruger
Lon Kruger
Lon Kruger is an American college and professional basketball coach who is currently the men's basketball head coach of the University of Oklahoma. Kruger played college basketball for Kansas State University...
, and coach Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan
William John "Billy" Donovan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and a former college and professional basketball player. Donovan is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team of the University of Florida...
led the Gators back to the NCAA Final Four in 2000, losing to the Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
in the final. Under Donovan, the Gators won their first Southeastern Conference (SEC) tournament championship in 2005, beating the Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
. After repeating as SEC tournament champions in 2006, the Gators won their first basketball national championship, defeating the UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
73–57 in the final game of the NCAA basketball tournament.
The Gators beat the Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball
The Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team represents the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The school's team currently competes in the Southeastern Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008...
77–56 to win their third consecutive SEC tournament title in 2007. Florida defeated Ohio State 84–75 to again win the NCAA basketball tournament championship, becoming the first team to win back-to-back national championships with the same starting line-up.
The Gators play their home games in the O'Connell Center. The 12,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena was completed in 1980, and is popularly known as the "O'Dome."
Notable alumni
The University of Florida has more than 330,000 alumni. In total 57,000 are dues-paying members of the University of Florida Alumni AssociationUniversity of Florida Alumni Association
The University of Florida Alumni Association is an alumni organization for former students of the University of Florida. It was founded in 1906 by the graduating class of that year and is still around today.-History:...
. Florida alumni can be found in every state and more than 100 foreign countries. Florida alumni account for multiple Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winners, ten U.S. Senators
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, forty U.S. Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, eleven state governors
Governor (United States)
In the United States, the title governor refers to the chief executive of each state or insular territory, not directly subordinate to the federal authorities, but the political and ceremonial head of the state.-Role and powers:...
, and eight U.S. ambassadors, multiple state supreme court judges, and various federal courts judges. Florida graduates have served as the executive leaders of such diverse institutions as the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and the National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
.
Florida alumni have been the presidents of Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, the College of Charleston
College of Charleston
The College of Charleston is a public, sea-grant and space-grant university located in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina, United States...
, New College of Florida
New College of Florida
New College of Florida is a public liberal arts college located in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded originally as a private institution and is now an autonomous honors college of the State University System of Florida.-History:...
, Randolph-Macon College
Randolph-Macon College
Randolph–Macon College is a private, co-educational liberal arts college located in Ashland, Virginia, United States, near the capital city of Richmond. Founded in 1830, the school has an enrollment of over 1,200 students...
, Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
, Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
, the University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
and Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
. Major business enterprises run by Florida graduates include Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, Avaya
Avaya
Avaya Inc. is a privately held computer networking, information technology and telecommunications company that is a global provider of business communications systems. The international head quarters is in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States...
, Boeing Enterprises
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
, Deloitte & Touche, Discover Financial
Discover Financial
Discover Financial Services is an American financial services company, which issues the Discover Card and operates the Discover and Pulse networks...
, FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
, Gartner
Gartner
Gartner, Inc. is an information technology research and advisory firm headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, United States. It was known as GartnerGroup until 2001....
, Gate Petroleum
Gate Petroleum
Gate Petroleum is a privately held diversified corporation headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, the 11th largest in Florida in 2010. In FY 2008, the company ranked #338 on the Forbes list of America's Largest Private Companies...
, Golin Harris International
Golin Harris International
GolinHarris is a holistic communications firm. It was established in 1956. GolinHarris is owned by Interpublic Group of Companies and has 34 wholly owned offices located in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East....
, the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
, J. C. Penney
J. C. Penney
-External links:*...
, Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
, Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
, Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
, The Richards Group
The Richards Group
The Richards Group is an American advertising agency. It is the largest independently owned agency in the country. . Working with founder, Stan Richards, there are 29 creative group heads....
, Scripps
The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute is an American medical research facility that focuses on research in the basic biomedical sciences. Headquartered in La Jolla, California, with a sister facility in Jupiter, Florida, the institute is home to 3,000 scientists, technicians, graduate students, and...
, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
and Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
. University of Florida alumni have also led such professional and governmental regulatory bodies such as American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
, Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...
, The Florida Bar
The Florida Bar
The Florida Bar is the integrated bar association for the state of Florida. It is the third largest such bar association in the United States. Its duties include the regulation and discipline of attorneys....
, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
, the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
, and the United States Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
. In addition, the alumni have won numerous Fulbright Scholarships
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
, Truman Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by the United States Congress in 1986 in honor of former United States Senator and 1964 presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, a Republican from Arizona...
, twelve Rhodes Scholarships and also a Marshall Scholar as well.
Among the people who have attended or graduated from the University of Florida are actress Faye Dunaway
Faye Dunaway
Faye Dunaway is an American actress.Dunaway won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Network after receiving previous nominations for the critically acclaimed films Bonnie and Clyde and Chinatown...
, Price is Right announcer Rich Fields
Rich Fields
Richard Wayne "Rich" Fields is an American broadcaster, spokesman, announcer and meteorologist, best known for being the announcer of the American version of The Price Is Right from 2004–2010....
, author Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. His books, which have been translated into 36 languages, have garnered him many awards...
, Nobel Prize winners Marshall Nirenberg and Robert Grubbs, pilot Paul Tibbets
Paul Tibbets
Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr. was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force, best known for being the pilot of the Enola Gay, the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb in the history of warfare. The bomb, code-named Little Boy, was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima...
, U.S. Senator and Florida Governor Bob Graham
Bob Graham
Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005...
, meteorologist Stephanie Abrams
Stephanie Abrams
Stephanie Abrams is an American on-camera meteorologist for The Weather Channel, a 24-hour American cable television weather program. She has also done live reporting for the 2010 Winter Olympics at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Early life:...
, broadcast journalist Forrest Sawyer
Forrest Sawyer
Forrest Sawyer is an American broadcast journalist. Sawyer worked 11 years with ABC News, where he frequently anchored ABC World News Tonight and Nightline and reported for all ABC News broadcasts...
, country music singer Mel Tillis
Mel Tillis
Lonnie Melvin Tillis , known professionally as Mel Tillis, is an American country music singer. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s, with a long list of Top 10 hits....
, award winning architect Lawrence Scarpa
Lawrence Scarpa
Lawrence Scarpa is an architect based in Los Angeles, California.He is known for the creative use of conventional materials in unique and unexpected ways...
, poet Geri Doran
Geri Doran
Geri Doran was born in Kalispell, Montana in 1966. Doran has attended Vassar College, the University of Cambridge, the University of Florida , and Stanford University, where she held a Wallace Stegner Fellowship in Poetry...
, director Jonathan Demme
Jonathan Demme
Robert Jonathan Demme is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. Best known for directing The Silence of the Lambs, which won him the Academy Award for Best Director, he has also directed the acclaimed movies Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married, the Talking Heads concert movie Stop...
, comedian Darrell Hammond
Darrell Hammond
Darrell Hammond is an American actor, stand-up comedian and impressionist. He was a regular on Saturday Night Live from 1995 until 2009, the longest tenure of any cast member. Upon his departure, Hammond, at age 53, was the oldest cast member in the show's history...
, columnist Kiki Carter
Kiki Carter
Kiki Carter born Kimberli Wilson is an environmental activist, organizer, musician, songwriter, and columnist.-Personal life:...
, congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Debbie Wasserman Schultz is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. She is a member of the Democratic Party and the Chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. She previously served in the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate...
, actor Stephen Root
Stephen Root
Stephen Root is an American actor. He is best known for his comedic work on the TV sitcom NewsRadio, in the film Office Space and as the voice of Bill Dauterive and Buck Strickland in the animated series King of the Hill...
, sportscasters Red Barber
Red Barber
Walter Lanier "Red" Barber was an American sportscaster.Barber, nicknamed "The Ol' Redhead", was primarily identified with radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball, calling play-by-play across four decades with the Cincinnati Reds , Brooklyn Dodgers , and New York Yankees...
and Jesse Palmer
Jesse Palmer
Jesse James Palmer is a Canadian-born sports commentator and former college and professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for four seasons in the early 2000s...
, U.S. Senator and Florida governor Lawton Chiles
Lawton Chiles
Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of...
, Congressman Ander Crenshaw
Ander Crenshaw
Ander Crenshaw is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
, Congressman Jim Davis
Jim Davis (politician)
James Oscar "Jim" Davis III is an American politician from the U.S. state of Florida. He is a Democrat and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2007, representing Florida's 11th congressional district...
, television personality Bob Vila
Bob Vila
Robert Joseph "Bob" Vila is an American home improvement television show host known for This Old House , Bob Vila's Home Again , and Bob Vila .-Early life:...
, novelists Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo
Katrina Elizabeth "Kate" DiCamillo is an American children's author. She is known for the Newbery Medal-winning book The Tale of Despereaux, the Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie, and the Mercy Watson series, plus numerous other award-winning and honored books.-Early life:Born in...
and Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen is an American journalist, columnist and novelist.- Early years :Born in 1953 and raised in Plantation, Florida, of Norwegian heritage, Hiaasen was the first of four children and the son of a lawyer, Kermit Odel, and teacher, Patricia...
, judges Rosemary Barkett
Rosemary Barkett
Rosemary Barkett is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Prior to her nomination for that post, she was Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, where she was the first woman ever to serve on that court.- Background :Barkett has had an unusual career...
and Harold Sebring
Harold Sebring
Harold Leon "Tom" Sebring was a Florida Supreme Court justice, and an American judge at the Nuremberg Trials of German war criminals after World War II. Sebring was a native of Kansas and an alumnus of Kansas State Agricultural College...
, administrators Carol Browner and Alan Stephenson Boyd
Alan Stephenson Boyd
Alan Stephenson Boyd is an American attorney and transportation executive who led several large corporations and also served the U.S. Government in various transportation-related positions. He was the first United States Secretary of Transportation, appointed by Lyndon Johnson. Additionally, he...
, inventor John Atanasoff, U.S. Senators Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson
Clarence William "Bill" Nelson is the senior United States Senator from the state of Florida and a member of the Democratic Party. He is a former U.S. Representative and former Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner of Florida...
and Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio Rubio is the junior United States Senator from Florida . A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives ....
, North Carolina governor Beverly Purdue, owner of Yankees franchise Hal Steinbrenner
Hal Steinbrenner
Harold Z. Steinbrenner, known as Hal, is part owner of the New York Yankees with his brother Hank Steinbrenner, the co-chairperson, and a general partner for the Yankees...
, guitarist and songwriter Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
, and the daughter of Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas (American businessman)
David "Dave" Thomas was an American fast-food entrepreneur and philanthropist. Thomas was the founder and chief executive officer of Wendy's, a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers...
, Wendy Thomas
Wendy Thomas
Melinda Lou "Wendy" Morse is the daughter and fourth child of American businessman Dave Thomas, the founder of the restaurant Wendy's...
, the namesake of the food-chain Wendy's
Wendy's
Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc since 2008...
.
The University of Florida has also produced over 125 Olympians
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, nearly 150 active and retired NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
football players, more than thirty MLB baseball players, thirty NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
basketball players, and over forty PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
and LPGA
LPGA
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
golfers. Famous University of Florida athletes include NFL Hall of Fame football players Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
and Jack Youngblood
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson "Jack" Youngblood, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl...
, Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winners Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
, Danny Wuerffel
Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl "Danny" Wuerffel is a former American college and professional football player who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy and the 1996 national football championship while playing college football for the University of Florida. After graduating from Florida, he played for four National Football...
and Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
, tennis players Lisa Raymond
Lisa Raymond
Lisa Raymond is an American professional tennis player who has achieved notable success in doubles tennis. On June 12, 2000, she reached the world number one ranking in doubles...
and Jesse Levine
Jesse Levine
Jesse Levine is a Canadian-born American professional tennis player. He achieved his career-high singles rank of No. 94 on November 3, 2008....
, golfers Tommy Aaron
Tommy Aaron
Thomas Dean Aaron is a former American professional golfer who was a member of the PGA Tour during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Aaron is best known for winning the 1973 Masters Tournament.- Early years :...
and Mark Calcavecchia
Mark Calcavecchia
Mark John Calcavecchia is an American professional golfer and a former PGA Tour member. During his professional career, he has won thirteen PGA Tour events, including the 1989 Open Championship. Calcavecchia currently plays on the Champions Tour.-Early years:Calcavecchia was born in Laurel,...
, basketball players Joakim Noah
Joakim Noah
Joakim Simon Noah is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association . Born in New York City to a Swedish mother and French father, he holds American, Swedish and French citizenship...
and Corey Brewer
Corey Brewer
Corey Wayne Brewer is an American professional basketball player who is a small forward and shooting guard for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for for the University of Florida, where he starred on the Florida Gators teams that won...
, baseball players Al Rosen
Al Rosen
Albert Leonard Rosen , nicknamed "Al", "Flip", and the "Hebrew Hammer", is a former American professional baseball player who was a third baseman and right-handed slugger in the Major Leagues for ten seasons in tthe 1940s and 1950s.He played his entire 10-year career with the Cleveland Indians in...
and David Eckstein
David Eckstein
David Mark Eckstein is a former American professional baseball player who was an infielder in Major League Baseball for ten seasons. He played college baseball for the University of Florida, and has played professionally for the Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona...
, soccer players Abby Wambach
Abby Wambach
Mary Abigail "Abby" Wambach is an American professional soccer player, coach and Olympic gold medalist. A four-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award, she has been a regular on the U.S. women's national team since 2003...
and Heather Mitts
Heather Mitts
Heather Blaine Mitts Feeley is an American professional soccer player who is a defender in the Women's Professional Soccer league. Mitts played college soccer for the University of Florida, and thereafter, she has played professionally for the Philadelphia Charge, Boston Breakers, Philadelphia...
, swimmers Tracy Caulkins
Tracy Caulkins
Tracy Anne Caulkins Stockwell, OAM, is a former American college and international swimmer, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and a former world record-holder....
, Nicole Haislett
Nicole Haislett
Nicole Lee Haislett Bacher is a former American college and international swimmer who was an eight-time American national college champion and a three-time Olympic gold medalist.- Early years :...
, Ryan Lochte
Ryan Lochte
Ryan Steven Lochte is an American swimmer and a six-time Olympic medalist . As part of the American team, he holds the world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay...
and Dara Torres
Dara Torres
Dara Grace Torres is an American international swimmer and a twelve-time Olympic medalist. Torres was the first swimmer from the United States to compete in five Olympic Games , and, at age 41, the oldest swimmer ever to earn a place on the U.S. Olympic team...
, and football coaches Steve Spurrier, Charlie Strong
Charlie Strong
Charlie R. Strong is an American college football coach and former player. Strong is a native of Arkansas and graduated from the University of Central Arkansas, where he played college football...
and Gene Chizik
Gene Chizik
Eugene "Gene" Chizik is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Auburn University football team, a position he has held since the 2009 season. Chizik's 2010 Auburn Tigers football team completed a 14–0 season with a victory over Oregon in the BCS...
.
Notable faculty
Individual awards won by UF faculty include a Fields MedalFields Medal
The Fields Medal, officially known as International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians not over 40 years of age at each International Congress of the International Mathematical Union , a meeting that takes place every four...
, numerous Pulitzer Prizes, and NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's top award for research and Smithsonian Institution's conservation award. There are currently more than 60 Eminent Scholar chairs, and nearly 60 faculty elections to the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, or Arts and Sciences, the Institute of Medicine or a counterpart in a foreign nation. More than two dozen faculty are members of the National Academies of Science and Engineering and the Institute of Medicine or counterpart in a foreign nation.
University benefactors
The University of Florida has had many financial supporters, but some stand out by the magnitude of their contributions.Among those who have made large donations commemorated at the university are:
|
McKnight Brain Institute The McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida is a research and teaching center, which conducts integrated Research in neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry, cognitive science, and related areas.... |
Rinker School of Building Construction The Building Construction program at the University of Florida prepares graduates for exciting careers in the construction industry. The core curriculum includes a mix of technical, managerial, and business courses. Graduates receive a comprehensive education including theory and practical... Alfred C. Warrington Alfred Coard "Al" Warrington, IV is a former American accountant and business executive. Warrington was a managing partner of Arthur Andersen and the co-founder of Sanifill, Inc., a company which ultimately merged to create the new Waste Management, Inc... Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney was an American businessman, film producer, writer, and government official, as well as the owner of a leading stable of thoroughbred racehorses.... |
See also
- Buildings at the University of Florida
- Century TowerCentury Tower (University of Florida)The Century Tower is a carillon tower in the center of the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida.Begun in 1953 by the Auchter Company...
- Constans TheatreConstans TheatreThe Constans Theatre is a performing arts venue located on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. The facility first opened in 1967, and currently serves as a venue for musical concerts, theater, dance, and lectures. In 2004 the facility was named for the patron H.P...
- Florida Blue KeyFlorida Blue KeyFlorida Blue Key is a student honor and service society at the University of Florida. It is often written and referred to by the initialism "FBK."This organization was started at the University of Florida in 1923 under the presidency of Albert Murphree...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- GatoradeGatoradeGatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
- Gator GrowlGator GrowlGator Growl, produced by Florida Blue Key, is a student-run pep rally at the University of Florida that was founded in 1932. It marks the culminating moment of Homecoming Week at the university. Designated the largest student-run pep rally in the world, the show is held annually in Ben Hill Griffin...
- History of the University of FloridaHistory of the University of FloridaThe history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
- The Independent Florida AlligatorThe Independent Florida AlligatorThe Independent Florida Alligator is the daily student newspaper of the University of Florida. The Alligator is the largest student-run newspaper in the United States, with a daily circulation of 35,000 and readership of over 52,000...
- Lake AliceLake Alice (Gainesville, Florida)Lake Alice is a small lake on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida, USA.The lake is a wildlife area and is one of the few areas in incorporated Gainesville where one may view live alligators. The university's bat house is near the lake. The Baughman Center sits on the southwest...
- Ligature Design SymposiumLigature Design SymposiumThe University of Florida Ligature Design Symposium is an annual design symposium.Ligature is an annual juried Graphic Design show run by VOXgraphis. Ligature showcases graphic design at the University of Florida and is juried by recognized guest designers....
- Lombardi Scholars ProgramLombardi Scholars ProgramThe Lombardi Scholars Program is a significant merit scholarship for students at the University of Florida. The scholarship offers $2,700 a semester for a total of 8-10 semesters.- History and background :...
- MacroCenterMacroCenterThe Center for Macromolecular Science and Engineering at the University of Florida promotes interdisciplinary collaboration between the polymer science and the University of Florida College of Engineering and serves as a conduit between industry, government and UF.-History:In 1946, Professor...
- President's HousePresident's House (University of Florida)President's House, was built in 1953, and has served as the primary residence for every University of Florida President since it was built. The facility is located at 2151 West University Avenue. In 2006 President Bernie Machen chose to relocate his residence off campus.The facility now serves as...
- Presidents of the University of Florida
- Reitz Scholars ProgramReitz Scholars ProgramThe J. Wayne Reitz Scholars Program is leadership and merit-based scholarship for students at the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The scholarship offers a yearly $2,500 stipend that may be renewed for up to three years....
- Subtropics Literary MagazineSubtropics (journal)Subtropics is an American literary journal based at the University of Florida in Gainesville.Works originally published in Subtropics have been subsequently selected for inclusion in the Best American Poetry, The Best American Short Stories and the O...
- University of Florida Alumni AssociationUniversity of Florida Alumni AssociationThe University of Florida Alumni Association is an alumni organization for former students of the University of Florida. It was founded in 1906 by the graduating class of that year and is still around today.-History:...
- University Athletic AssociationUniversity of Florida Athletic AssociationThe University Athletic Association, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for maintaining the Florida Gators intercollegiate sports program of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida...
- University of Florida Cancer HospitalUniversity of Florida Cancer HospitalThe University of Florida Cancer Hospital is an Academic Cancer Center in Gainesville, FL. The 200 bedroom complex focuses on producing basic laboratory findings that will ultimately be used for preventive therapies for cancers.-Background:...
- Career Resource Center at UFUniversity of Florida Career Resource CenterThe Career Resource Center at the Reitz Student Union helps by providing a comprehensive, state-of-the-art facility. The Center provides services for students and alumni by assisting them to achieve career development, career experiences, and employment opportunities.-Mission:The overall mission is...
- University of Florida faculty
- University of Florida honorary degree recipients
- University of Florida Press
External links
- University of Florida - Official website of the University of Florida.
- Gatorzone - Official website of Florida Gators sports teams.