An update from President J. Bernard Machen
Hello and welcome to the 2006-2007 school year!
This is a great year to be at the University of Florida.
We're celebrating our centennial in Gainesville and we just passed half a billion dollars in research funding. There's a buzz in the air about the university and its a great time to be a member of the Gator Nation.
According to our initial headcount, this year's entering class of about 6,700 is more diverse than ever, with a noticeable increase in African-American students. This suggests our new Florida Opportunity Scholars program has been successful. Interacting with people from a variety of racial and cultural backgrounds is a vital part of the higher education experience, and I hope to see more progress in this area coming years.
Over the summer, we moved to the new Cancer and Genetics building, now the largest research building on campus. We'll soon see the construction of the Nanoscale Research Facility, the Biomedical Pathogens Building and the Pathogen Research Facility. All of these buildings will help facilitate research and scholarship in the biological sciences -- an increasingly important arena where we see more and more student interest.
This is also the 100th year of Florida Football, a milestone very few other universities have achieved. The anniversary provides an opportunity for us all to reflect on the many benefits of our athletic program. For example, the University Athletic Association recently donated $1.1 million to help fund the Florida Opportunity Scholars program, which pays tuition as well as room and board to students who are the first in their family to attend college. It's great to see athletics and academics working together to create programs like this here at UF.
I am glad to see so many new and familiar faces on campus! It's great to have you here!
Sincerely,
J. Bernard Machen
President