University of Copenhagen

Latin: Universitas Hafniensis
Motto:	Coelestem adspicit lucem (Latin)
Motto in English:	It looks at the celestial light
Established:	1479
Type:	Public university
Rector:	Ralf Hemmingsen
Staff:	App. 7,000 persons/app. 5,500 full-time equivalents
Students:	37,986 as per 1 October 2007
Location:	Copenhagen, Denmark
Affiliations:	IARU, EUA, LAOTSE
Website:	www.ku.dk/english/

Main campus on Frue Plads.

The University of Copenhagen (Danish: Københavns Universitet) is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, a majority of whom are female (59%), and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the oldest located in central Copenhagen. Most courses are taught in Danish; however, many courses are also offered in English and a few in German. The university has 2800 foreign students of which half are from the Nordic countries.

The university is a member of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) along with University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Yale University and UC Berkeley among others. It is generally recognized, and ranked, as the leading university in Scandinavia, one of Europe's leading research institutions and among the 50 best universities in the world .

Faculties

The University of Copenhagen currently has eight faculties, although the composition and number of faculties has changed over time.

• Faculty of Health Sciences
• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Life Sciences
• Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Faculty of Theology

History

The University of Copenhagen was founded in 1479 and is the oldest university in Denmark. Between the closing of the Studium Generale in Lund in 1536 and the establishment of the University of Aarhus in the late 1920s, it was the only university in Denmark. The university became a centre of Roman Catholic theological learning, but also had faculties for the study of law, medicine, and philosophy.

The university was re-established in 1537 after the Lutheran Reformation and transformed into an evangelical-Lutheran seminary. Between 1675 and 1788, the university introduced the concept of degree examinations. An examination for theology was added in 1675, followed by law in 1736. By 1788, all faculties required an examination before they would issue a degree.

In 1801, under the command of Admiral Horatio Nelson, the British fleet bombarded Copenhagen during the Battle of Copenhagen, destroying most of the university's buildings. By 1836, however, the new main building of the university was inaugurated amid extensive building that continued until the end of the century. The university library, the Zoological Museum, the Geological Museum, the Botanic Garden with greenhouses, and the Technical College were also established during this period.

Between 1842 and 1850, the faculties at the university were restructured. Starting in 1842, the University Faculty of Medicine and the Academy of Surgeons merged to form the Faculty of Medical Science, while in 1848 the Faculty of Law was reorganised and became the Faculty of Jurisprudence and Political Science. In 1850, the Faculty of Mathematics and Science was separated from the Faculty of Philosophy.

The first female student was enrolled at the university in 1877. The university underwent explosive growth between 1960 and 1980. The number of students rose from around 6,000 in 1960 to about 26,000 in 1980, with a correspondingly large growth in the number of employees. Buildings built during this time period include the new Zoological Museum, the Hans Christian Ørsted and August Krogh Institutes, the campus centre on Amager Island, and the Panum Institute.

The Geological Museum.

The new university statute instituted in 1970 involved democratisation of the management of the university. It was modified in 1973 and subsequently applied to all higher education institutions in Denmark. Further change in the structure of the university from 1990 to 1993 made a Bachelor's degree programme mandatory in virtually all subjects.

Also in 1993, the law departments broke off from the Faculty of Social Sciences to form a separate Faculty of Law. In 1994, the University of Copenhagen designated environmental studies, north-south relations, and biotechnology as areas of special priority according to its new long-term plan. Starting in 1996 and continuing to the present, the university planned new buildings, including for the University of Copenhagen Faculty of Humanities at Amager (Ørestaden), along with a Biotechnology Centre. By 1999, the student population had grown to exceed 35,000, resulting in the university appointing additional professors and other personnel.

The Faculty of Humanities.

In 2005, the Center for Health and Society (Center for Sundhed og Samfund - CSS) opened in central Copenhagen, housing the Faculty of Social Sciences and Institute of Public Health, which until then had been located in various places throughout the city. In May 2006, the university announced further plans to leave many of its old buildings in the inner city of Copenhagen, an area that has been home to the university for more than 500 years. The purpose of this has been to gather the university's many departments and faculties on three larger campuses in order to create a bigger, more concentrated and modern student environment with better teaching facilities, as well as to save money on rent and maintenance of the old buildings. The concentration of facilities on larger campuses also allows for more inter-disciplinary cooperation; for example, the Departments of Political Science and Sociology are now located in the same facilities at CSS and can pool resources more easily.

In January 2007, the University of Copenhagen merged with the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University and the Danish University of Pharmaceutical Science. The two universities are now faculties under the University of Copenhagen, and are now known as the Faculty of Life Sciences and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Student housing

Although many privately owned dormitories (kollegier in Danish) exist in Copenhagen, there are also five which are partially administered by the university. Only students who have passed at least two years of studies are considered for admission. These are normally referred to as the old dormitories, and they consist of Regensen, Elers Kollegium, Borchs Kollegium, Hassagers Kollegium, and Valkendorfs Kollegium.

Contrary to the tradition of most American dormitories, Danish dormitories in general, and the old dormitories in particular, only offer single rooms for rent, meaning no student has to share their room with others. Many Danish students live in dormitories throughout their studies.

The seal

The oldest seal only exists on a letter from 1531 and it depicts Saint Peter with a key and a book. In a circle around him is the text

Sigillum universitatis studii haffnensis.

When the university was re-established by Christian III in 1537 after the Protestant Reformation, it received a new seal. The seal shows the king with crown, sceptre, and globus cruciger sitting above a coat of arms that contains the Danish coat of arms in the upper right part and the Norwegian coat in the left. The text is

Sigillum Universitatis Hafniensis A Christiano III Rege Restauravit

Seal of the University of Copenhagen, reestablished by King Christian III.

The 1537 seal is very similar to the current seal, shown at the top of this page. The text is different and there is only the national coat of arms of Denmark on the seal. The coat of arms has a crown and contains three lions and nine hearts. The text is

Sigillum Universitatis Hafniensis Fundatæ 1479 Reformatæ 1537

Seal of the University of Copenhagen. Founded 1479 Reformed 1537

In addition to the university seal, each of the university's eight faculties have a seal of their own.

The seal of 1531 (1) and the seal of 1537 (2)

International reputation

The THES/QS ranking of 2008 places University of Copenhagen as number 48 in the world.

The Academic Ranking of World Universities published by Shanghai Jiao Tong University 2007 ranks the University of Copenhagen as the best university in Denmark and Scandinavia, the 8th best university in Europe, and is #46 in Top 500 World Universities

The university cooperates with universities around the world. In January 2006, the University of Copenhagen entered into a partnership of ten universities, along with the Australian National University, ETH Zürich, National University of Singapore, Peking University, University of California Berkeley, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Tokyo, and Yale University. The partnership is referred to as the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU).

Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University

Coordinates: 40°26′36″N 79°56′37″W / 40.443322°N 79.943583°W / 40.443322; -79.943583 Carnegie Mellon University (also known as CMU or simply Carnegie Mellon) is a prestigious private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Since its inception, Carnegie Mellon has grown into a world-renowned institution, with numerous programs that are frequently ranked among the best in the world. In the most recent release of the Top 200 World Universities by Times Higher Education, Carnegie Mellon was ranked 21st overall and 6th in technology. In the 2009 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked Carnegie Mellon's undergraduate program 22nd in the nation amongst national research universities, and in the 2009 edition its graduate programs in Computer Science 4th, Engineering 7th, Business 17th, Public Affairs 10th, Fine Arts 7th, and Psychology 9th. The university attracts students from all 50 U.S. states and 93 countries and was named one of the "New Ivies" by Newsweek in 2006.

The university began as the Carnegie Technical Schools, founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1900. In 1912, the school became Carnegie Institute of Technology and began granting four-year degrees. In 1967, the Carnegie Institute of Technology merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research to form Carnegie Mellon University. The University’s 140-acre (0.57 km²) main campus is 3 miles (4.8 km) from Downtown Pittsburgh and abuts the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the city's Oakland neighborhood.

The University has seven colleges and schools: the Carnegie Institute of Technology (engineering), the College of Fine Arts, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Mellon College of Science, the Tepper School of Business, the School of Computer Science, and the H. John Heinz III College.

History

Andrew Carnegie

Post-Civil War industrialists accumulated unprecedented wealth and were eager to found institutions in their names as part of their philanthropy campaigns. Washington Duke at Duke University, Leland Stanford at Stanford University, and Cornelius Vanderbilt at Vanderbilt University are several notable examples of Carnegie's gospel of wealth mentality.

Carnegie Technical Schools was founded in 1900 in Pittsburgh by the Scottish American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who wrote the time-honored words "My heart is in the work" when he donated the funds to create the institution. Carnegie's vision was to open a vocational training school for the sons and daughters of working-class Pittsburghers. The name was changed to the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1912, and the school began offering four-year degrees. In 1965, it merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research to become Carnegie Mellon University. In addition, Carnegie founded Carnegie Mellon's coordinate women's college, Margaret Morrison Carnegie College in 1903 (the college closed in 1973).

There was little change to the campus between World War I and II. A 1938 master plan by Githens and Keally suggested acquisition of new land along Forbes Avenue, but the plan was not fully implemented. The period starting with the construction of GSIA (1952) and ending with Wean Hall (1971) saw the institutional change from Carnegie Institute of Technology to Carnegie Mellon University. New facilities were needed to respond to the University's growing national reputation in artificial intelligence, business, robotics, and the arts. In addition, an expanding student population resulted in a need for improved facilities for student life, athletics, and libraries. The campus finally expanded to Forbes Avenue from its original land along Schenley Park. A ravine long known as "the cut" was gradually filled in to campus level, joining "the Mall" as a major campus open space.

The buildings of this era reflect current attitudes toward architectural style. The International Style, with its rejection of historical tradition and its emphases on functionalism and expression of structure, had been in vogue in urban settings since the 1930s. It came late to the Carnegie campus because of the hiatus in building activity and a general reluctance among all institutions of higher education to abandon historical styles. By the 1960s, it was seen as a way to accomplish the needed expansion and at the same time give the campus a new image. Each building was a unique architectural statement that may have acknowledged the existing campus in its placement, but not in its form or materials.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the tenure of University President Richard M. Cyert (1972–1990) witnessed a period of unparalleled growth and development. The research budget soared from roughly $12 million annually in the early 1970s to more than $110 million in the late 1980s. The work of researchers in new fields like robotics and software engineering helped the university build on its reputation for innovation and practical problem solving. President Cyert stressed strategic planning and comparative advantage, pursuing opportunities in areas where Carnegie Mellon could outdistance its competitors. One example of this approach was the introduction of the university's "Andrew" computing network in the mid-1980s. This pioneering project, which linked all computers and workstations on campus, set the standard for educational computing and established Carnegie Mellon as a leader in the use of technology in education and research.

Carnegie Mellon today

In the 1990s and into the 2000s, Carnegie Mellon solidified its status among elite American universities, consistently ranking in the top 25 in US News and World Report rankings. Carnegie Mellon is distinct in its interdisciplinary approach to research and education and through the establishment of programs and centers that are outside the limitations of departments or colleges has established leadership in fields such as computational finance, information systems management, arts management, product design, behavioral economics, human-computer interaction, entertainment technology, and decision science. Within the past two decades, the university has built a new University Center, theater and drama building (Purnell Center), business school building (Posner Hall), and several dormitories. Baker Hall was renovated in the early 2000s, and new chemistry labs were established in Doherty Hall soon after. Several computer science buildings, such as Newell Simon Hall, also were established, renovated, or renamed in the early 2000s. The university is in the process of building the Gates Hillman Complex and renovating historic academic and residence halls.

The Gates Hillman Complex will sit on a 5.6-acre (23,000 m²) site on the university's West Campus, surrounded by Cyert Hall, the Purnell Center for the Arts, Doherty Hall, Newell-Simon Hall, Smith Hall, Hamburg Hall and the Collaborative Innovation Center. It will contain 318 offices as well as labs, computer clusters, lecture halls, classrooms and a 250-seat auditorium. The Gates Hillman Complex was made possible by a $20 million lead gift from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and an additional $10 million grant from The Henry L. Hillman Foundation. The building is anticipated to be completed within 2 years. The Gates Hillman Complex and the Purnell Center for the Arts will be connected by the Randy Pausch Memorial Footbridge.

On April 15, 1997, Jared L. Cohon, former dean of Yale University's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, was elected president by Carnegie Mellon's Board of Trustees. During Cohon's presidency, Carnegie Mellon has continued its trajectory of innovation and growth. He leads a strategic plan that aims to leverage the University's strengths to benefit society in the areas of biotechnology and life sciences, information and security technology, environmental science and practices, the fine arts and humanities, and business and public policy.

Although Carnegie Mellon owns the domain cmu.edu, Carnegie Mellon encourages use of the university's full name in its identity guidelines.

Campus

Carnegie Mellon's 140-acre (0.57 km²) main campus is three miles (5 km) from downtown Pittsburgh, between Schenley Park and the Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, and Oakland neighborhoods. Carnegie Mellon is bordered to the west by the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Carnegie Mellon owns 81 buildings in the Oakland and Squirrel Hill neighborhoods of Pittsburgh.

A large grassy area known as "the Cut" forms the backbone of the campus, with a separate grassy area known as "the Mall" running perpendicular. The Cut was formed by filling in a ravine (hence the name) with soil from a nearby hill that was leveled to build the College of Fine Arts building.

The northwestern part of the campus (home to Hamburg Hall, Newell-Simon Hall, Smith Hall, and the site of the future Gates Hillman Complex) was acquired from the United States Bureau of Mines in the 1980s.

In 2006, Carnegie Mellon Trustee Jill Gansman Kraus donated the 80-foot-tall sculpture Walking to the Sky, which was placed the lawn facing Forbes Ave between the University Center and Warner Hall. The sculpture was controversial for its placement, the general lack of input that the campus community had, and its aesthetic appeal.

A panoramic view of Carnegie Mellon University's Pittsburgh campus from the College of Fine Arts Lawn.
From left to right: College of Fine Arts, Hunt Library, Baker and Porter Hall, Hamerschlag Hall, University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning (in the background), Wean Hall and Doherty Hall, Purnell Center, and the University Center. Also visible are "The Fence," and "Walking to the Sky" sculpture.

Beyond Pittsburgh

In addition to its Pittsburgh campus, Carnegie Mellon has a branch campus in the Middle East, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, which offers a full undergraduate curriculum with degree programs in computer science, business administration and information systems. Also, it has graduate-level extension campuses in Mountain View, California in the heart of Silicon Valley (offering masters programs in Software Engineering and Software Management), and in Adelaide, Australia. The Adelaide campus, opened in May 2006, delivers masters programs from both the H. John Heinz III College and the Entertainment Technology Center. The Tepper School of Business maintains a satellite center in downtown Manhattan and the Heinz College maintains one in Washington, DC. Carnegie Mellon also maintains the Carnegie Mellon Los Angeles Center in North Hollywood, California where students in the Master of Entertainment Industry Management program are required to relocate to Los Angeles in their second year and attend classes at this facility. Carnegie Mellon's Information Networking Institute offers graduate programs in Athens, Greece and Kobe, Japan, in collaboration with Athens Information Technology and the Hyogo Institute of Information Education Foundation, respectively. Starting in the fall of 2007, the cities of Aveiro and Lisbon, Portugal will be added to the Information Networking Institute's remote locations, and starting in 2008 the Entertainment Technology Center will offer a graduate program in Osaka, Japan and Singapore.

In media, entertainment, and culture

The Carnegie Mellon University campus in Pittsburgh served as the locale for many of the on-campus scenes in the 2000 film Wonder Boys, starring Michael Douglas and Tobey Maguire. Other movies filmed at Carnegie Mellon include The Mothman Prophecies, Dogma, Lorenzo's Oil, and Flashdance. The university is also featured prominently in the film Smart People, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Dennis Quaid.

In 2008, Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture" became a pop culture phenomenon. Based on a lecture he gave in September 2007 - shortly after he learned his cancer had metastasized - his book quickly rose to the top of bestseller lists around the country. Named in Time Magazine's "Time 100" list of influential people, he died in July 2008 from pancreatic cancer.^[11]

Carnegie Mellon also established and administers the Robot Hall of Fame in partnership with the Carnegie Science Center.

Schools and divisions

• The Carnegie Institute of Technology includes eight engineering departments: Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Engineering and Public Policy, Engineering and Technology Innovation Management, Mechanical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering, and two institutes, the Information Networking Institute and the Institute for Complex Engineered Systems.

• The College of Fine Arts was founded in 1905, and today is a federation of schools with professional training programs in the visual and performing arts: Architecture, Art, Design (ranked #1 MFA program in Multimedia and Visual Communication)^[12], Drama and Music. The college shares research projects, interdisciplinary centers and educational programs with other units across the university.

• The H. John Heinz III College offers masters degrees in Public Policy and Management, Health Care Policy and Management, Medical Management, Public Management, Arts Management, Entertainment Industry Management, Information Systems Management, Information Technology, and Information Security Policy and Management. It consists of the School of Information Systems & Management and the School of Public Policy & Management. It also offers various Ph.D. and executive education programs.

• The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is the university's liberal and professional studies college and emphasizes the study of the human condition through rigorous analysis and technology. Departments include Economics, English, History, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Psychology, Social and Decision Sciences and Statistics. The college also offers an undergraduate degree programs in Information Systems and Global and International Relations.

• The Mellon College of Science includes four departments: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematical Sciences and Physics. In addition, the college is expanding efforts in green chemistry, bioinformatics, computational biology, nanotechnology, computational finance, sensor research and biological physics.

The Hunt Library at Carnegie Mellon University is the largest library on the Pittsburgh Campus

• The School of Computer Science: Carnegie Mellon University helped define, and continually redefines, the field of computer science. The School of Computer Science is recognized internationally as one of the top schools for computer science.^[13]

• The Tepper School of Business offers undergraduate programs in Business Administration and Economics. The Tepper School offers masters degrees in Business Administration (MBA) and joint degrees in Computational Finance (MSCF) with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Mellon College of Science and the School of Computer Science. In addition, joint degrees are offered with Civil and Environmental Engineering. The Tepper School offers doctoral degrees in several areas and presents a number of executive education programs.

In addition to the research and academic institutions, the University hosts the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences, a state-funded summer program that aims to foster interest in science amongst gifted high school students. The Cyert Center for Early Education is a child care center for Carnegie Mellon faculty and staff, as well as an observational setting for students in child development courses.

Carnegie Mellon University Libraries include Hunt Library, the Engineering and Science Library, the Mellon Institute Library, the Posner Center, and the Qatar Library. Additionally the Libraries manage the Hunt Botanical Library and Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Software Engineering Institute Library, and the Universal Digital Library. The library system includes a number of special collections such as the Herbert Simon Collection, Allen Newell Collection, the H. John Heinz III Collection, and the Posner Memorial Collection among many others. Carnegie Mellon students and faculty also have access to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh libraries through the Oakland Library Consortium.

Undergraduate profile

For the undergraduate class of 2011, the admission rate was 28.0%. In 2007, the University received a record 22,356 undergraduate applicants, an increase of 18.5% from 2006, and admitted 6,259. The 2006 class had an average SAT verbal score of 657 and math score of 728. Also, 71% of the admitted students for the class of 2010 were in the top 10% of their graduating high school classes. In 2006, the most selective undergraduate college was the Tepper School of Business, which admitted only 13.9% of total applicants. The largest college, in terms of enrollment, is the Carnegie Institute of Technology with 423 students in the class of 2011, followed by the College of Fine Arts (with 265 students) and the College of Humanities & Social Sciences (with 260). The smallest college in terms of total undergraduate students is the Tepper School of Business, with 93 undergraduate students enrolled for the class of 2011. Carnegie Mellon enrolls students from all 50 states, and 13% of the students are citizens of countries other than the United States. About 94% of first-year students return for their second year, and 69.3% graduate within four years (86.2% within six). Undergraduate tuition is $36,950 for the class of 2011 and room and board is $9,660.

For the class of 2010, Carnegie Mellon had the highest overlap in applications with Cornell University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Pennsylvania. The class of 2010 had the highest overlap in acceptances with the University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University, and Washington University in St. Louis.^[14]

Research

For the 2006 fiscal year, the University spent $315 million on research. The primary recipients of this funding were the School of Computer Science ($100.3 million), the Software Engineering Institute ($71.7 million), the Carnegie Institute of Technology ($48.5 million), and the Mellon College of Science ($47.7 million). The research money comes largely from federal sources, with federal investment of $277.6 million. The federal agencies that invest the most money are the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense, which contribute 26% and 23.4% of the total university research budget respectively.

The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) is a joint effort between Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, and Westinghouse Electric Company. PSC was founded in 1986 by its two scientific directors, Dr. Ralph Roskies of the University of Pittsburgh and Dr. Michael Levine of Carnegie Mellon University. PSC is a leading partner in the TeraGrid, the National Science Foundation’s cyberinfrastructure program.

The Robotics Institute (RI) is a division of the School of Computer Science and considered to be one of the leading centers of robotics research in the world. The Field Robotics Center (FRC) has developed a number of significant robots, including Sandstorm and H1ghlander, which finished second and third in the DARPA Grand Challenge, and Boss, which won the DARPA Urban Challenge. The RI is primarily sited at Carnegie Mellon's main campus in Newell-Simon hall.

The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and operated by Carnegie Mellon University, with offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Arlington, Virginia, and Frankfurt, Germany. The SEI publishes books on software engineering for industry, government and military applications and practices. The organization is known for its Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), which identify essential elements of effective system and software engineering processes and can be used to rate the level of an organization's capability for producing quality systems. The SEI is also the home of CERT/CC, the federally-funded computer security organization. The CERT Program's primary goals are to ensure that appropriate technology and systems management practices are used to resist attacks on networked systems and to limit damage and ensure continuity of critical services subsequent to attacks, accidents, or failures.

The Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) is a division of the School of Computer Science and is considered one of the leading centers of human-computer interaction research, integrating computer science, design, social science, and learning science.^[18] Such interdisciplinary collaboration is the hallmark of research done throughout the university.

The Language Technologies Institute (LTI) is another unit of the School of Computer Science and is famous for being one of the leading research centers in the area of language technologies. Primary research focus of the institute is on machine translation, speech recognition, speech synthesis, information retrieval, parsing and information extraction.^[19] Till 1996, the institute existed as the Center for Machine Translation that was established in 1986. From 1996 onwards, it started awarding graduate degrees and the name was changed to Language Technologies Institute.

Carnegie Mellon is also home to the Carnegie School of management and economics. This intellectual school grew out of the Tepper School of Business in the 1950s and 1960s and focused on the intesection of behavioralism and management. Several management theories, most notably bounded rationality and the behavioral theory of the firm, were established by Carnegie School management scientists and economists.

Alumni and faculty

There are more than 70,000 Carnegie Mellon alumni worldwide. Famous alumni include former General Motors CEO and Secretary of Defense, Charles Erwin Wilson; billionaire hedge fund investor David Tepper; James Gosling, creator of the Java programming language; Andy Bechtolsheim, co-founder of Sun Microsystems; Vinod Khosla, billionaire venture capitalist and co-founder of Sun Microsystems; pop artist Andy Warhol; astronaut Judith Resnik, who perished in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster; and Randy Pausch, the lecturer behind "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" and author of The Last Lecture.

Carnegie Mellon alumni have won Nobel prizes, Turing awards, Academy awards, Emmy awards, and Tony awards. John Forbes Nash, a 1948 graduate and winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize in Economics, was the subject of the book and subsequent film A Beautiful Mind. Alan Perlis, a 1943 graduate was a pioneer in programming languages and recipient of the first ever Turing award. Overall, Carnegie Mellon is affiliated with 15 Nobel laureates, ten Turing Award winners, seven Emmy Award recipients, three Academy Award recipients, and four Tony Award recipients (including Andrew Omondi).

Carnegie Mellon also has produced several alumni who have had success in Hollywood, Broadway, television, and the music industry. They include Best Actress Academy award winner Holly Hunter, actor James Cromwell, Get Smart actress Barbara Feldon, actor Ted Danson, director George Romero, actor Van Hansis, actor Zachary Quinto, actor Rhys Coiro, actor Blair Underwood and actress Cote de Pablo, among many others.

Carnegie Mellon alumni have also started to have influence in Bollywood with the alum Ankur Bhasin's success as a musician and a part of a Bollywood band, Dhunn. Ankur has also been producing multiple animated cartoon series for German and Indian markets.

Rankings and reputation

Carnegie Mellon's offerings in computer science, engineering, business, economics, public policy, psychology, and the arts are considered among the best in their fields. Carnegie Mellon is ranked 22nd amongst "national universities" in the most recent US News and World Report national rankings, the 21st in the world and 17th in the US News and World Report High School Counselor Rankings of National Universities. In the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) ranking of world universities, Carnegie Mellon ranks 12th overall in the United States (20th in the world), fifth in the United States (7th in the world) in the Technology category and 15th in the United States (28th in the world) in the social sciences category. In 2007, Webometrics ranks Carnegie Mellon 12th/13th in the World. Academic Analytics ranked Carnegie Mellon 4th overall in faculty productivity. The university is one of 60 elected members of the Association of American Universities and its academic reputation has led it to be included in Newsweek’s list of “New Ivies”.

Carnegie Mellon is ranked 4th for graduate studies in computer science in 2008, in rankings released by the US News and World Report. Carnegie Mellon is also ranked #15 in the social sciences and #7 in Engineering/Technology and Computer Sciences among Shanghai Jiao Tong University's world's top 100 universities. Detailed information on the rankings of undergraduate and graduate programs at Carnegie Mellon is available on the University website.

Student life

Carnegie Mellon's student life includes various unique traditions, over 225 student organizations, and art galleries. The university has a strong Scottish motif inspired by Andrew Carnegie's Scottish heritage. Examples include Scotty, the Scottish Terrier mascot, The Tartan student newspaper, Skibo Gymnasium, and The Thistle yearbook.

Carnegie Mellon's campus houses several galleries such as The Frame, a student-devoted gallery, and the Regina Gouger Miller Gallery, an art gallery that specializes in contemporary professional artists. Additionally the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic, Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, and the Scotch'n'Soda group provides campus with a variety of world-class performance arts events.

Student organizations provide students with social, service, media, academic, spiritual, recreational, sport, religious, political, cultural, and governance opportunities ranging from such national organizations such as Alpha Phi Omega to unique Carnegie Mellon organizations such as KGB.

Traditions

• The Fence - In the early days of Carnegie Tech, there was a single bridge, which connected Margaret Morrison Women's College with the Carnegie Institute of Technology. The bridge was a meeting place for students. In 1916, the bridge was taken down and the university filled in the area. The senior class of 1923 put up a wooden fence to be the new meeting place. The administration tried to tear it down, but some fraternity brothers painted it as a prank to advertise a fraternity party. Ever since, painting the Fence has been a Carnegie Mellon tradition.^[29] The Fence at Carnegie Mellon lies at the center of campus, in the area known as “the cut." Students “guard” the fence 24 hours a day, and, as long as this vigil is maintained, no other students may “take” the fence. Once the fence is taken, however, the painting traditionally happens between midnight and 6am.

• Mobot - "Mobot,' a general term resulting from shortening "mobile robot," is an annual competition at Carnegie Mellon that made its debut in 1994. In this event, robots try (autonomously) to pass through gates, in order, and reach the finish line. There is a white line on the pavement connecting the gates, and the line is normally used to find the gates, though it is not mandated by the rules that the robots follow the line.

• Spring Carnival - Usually held in April, Spring Carnival is the biggest event of the school year. In addition to classic carnival attractions, the Spring Carnival features the “Buggy Sweepstakes” and "Booth" (a competition between various organizations to build small, elaborate booths based around a theme chosen each year).

• Buggy Races - Buggy, officially called Sweepstakes, is a race around Schenley Park. It can be thought of as a relay race with five runners, using the buggy vehicle as the baton. Entrants submit a small, usually torpedo-shaped, vehicle that is pushed uphill and then allowed to roll downhill. The vehicles are unpowered, including the prohibition of such energy-storing devices as flywheels. They are, however, steered by a driver who is usually a petite female student lying prone, arms stretched forward to steer via a turning mechanism. Space is so tight inside the buggies that the drivers usually cannot change position beyond turning their heads.

• Bagpipers - As the only College offering a degree in bagpipe music, Carnegie Mellon's Pipe Band features the sounds of Scottish bagpipes and performs at University events. Head of the Pipe Band is world champion piper Alasdair Gillies, formerly a highly decorated pipe major in the British Army.

• Autographing the Green Room - Seniors in the College of Fine Arts sign the Green Room's walls and ceilings before leaving the university. Supposedly, Oscar-winning actress Holly Hunter broke university tradition by signing the Green Room during her freshman year.

• The Kiltie Band- Carnegie Mellon's Kiltie Band, dressed in full Scottish regalia including kilts and knee socks, performs during every home football game.

Fraternities and sororities

The Greek tradition at Carnegie Mellon University began nearly 100 years ago with the founding of the first fraternity on campus, Theta Xi, in 1912. The Panhellenic sorority community was founded in 1945, by Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Kappa Kappa Gamma. During the spring semester of 2006, the Greek community consisted of 26 active fraternities and sororities: 5 Panhellenic sororities; 12 Interfraternity Council fraternities; 4 Asian American groups, 2 fraternities and 2 sororities; 4 National Pan-Hellenic (historically African American) chapters represented on campus (3 fraternities and 1 sorority); and 1 Professional Business fraternity. Of Carnegie Mellon’s undergraduates, 965 were members of social Greek-letter organizations. This number reflected 18.4% of the campus population.

Current Interfraternity Council fraternities: Alpha Epsilon Pi Beta Theta Pi Delta Tau Delta Kappa Delta Rho Kappa Sigma Phi Kappa Theta Pi Kappa Alpha Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Nu Sigma Phi Epsilon Sigma Tau Gamma Theta Xi Zeta Beta Tau

Current Panhellenic sororities: Alpha Chi Omega Delta Delta Delta Delta Gamma Kappa Alpha Theta Kappa Kappa Gamma Current Pan-Hellenic Chapters (Historically African-American): Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Kappa Alpha Psi Omega Psi Phi Current Asian-American fraternities and sororities: alpha Kappa Delta Phi Kappa Phi Lambda Lambda Phi Epsilon Pi Delta Psi Current Professional fraternities: Alpha Kappa Psi

Athletics

The Carnegie Mellon Tartans were a founding member of the University Athletic Association of the NCAA Division III. Prior to World War II Carnegie Mellon (as Carnegie Tech) played with NCAA Division I teams and in 1939 the Tartan football team earned a trip to the NCAA National Championship at the Sugar Bowl. That same year, Robert Doherty, university president at the time, banned the football team from competing in postseason bowl games. Currently, varsity teams are fielded in basketball, track, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, volleyball, tennis, and cheerleading. In addition, club teams exist in Ultimate Frisbee, rowing,^[32] rugby, lacrosse, hockey,, baseball, softball, skiing, and cycling. Carnegie Mellon Athletics runs a comprehensive and popular intramural system, maintains facilities (primarily Skibo Gymnasium, University Center, and Gesling Stadium), and offers courses to students in fitness and sports. Carnegie Mellon's primary athletic rivals are fellow UAA schools Case Western Reserve University and Washington University in St. Louis. The Tartans have an especially intense rivalry with the Washington University in St. Louis Football team.

Football

In 1926, Carnegie Tech's football team beat Knute Rockne's Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The game was ranked the fourth-greatest upset in college football history by ESPN.

Bowl Game and AP rankings

In the 1930s Carnegie Tech (as it was known then) was among the top football programs in the country. In 1938 and 1939 the team achieved national rankings in the AP Poll. Carnegie Tech earned a January 1st Bowl game date following their 1938 campaign in the Sugar Bowl losing 15–7 to Texas Christian.

Carnegie Tech's AP Ranking history includes:

• October 17 1938 #13
• October 24 1938 #16
• October 31 1938 #19
• November 7 1938 #6
• November 14 1938 #6
• November 21 1938 #7
• November 28 1938 #6
• December 5 1938 #6 FINAL
• October 16 1939 #15

Modern achievements

In 2006, the varsity football team was offered a bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs, and became one of the first teams in school history (the first team to win a Division III playoff game was in 1977, when Carnegie Mellon beat Dayton) and University Athletic Association (UAA) conference history to win an NCAA playoff game with a 21-0 shutout of Millsaps College of the SCAC conference. In addition to winning a playoff game, several team members were elected to the All American and All Region Squads. The 2006 team won more games in a single season than any other team in school history. The current coach is Rich Lackner, who is also a graduate of Carnegie Mellon and who has been the head coach since 1986.

Crew

The Carnegie Mellon University Rowing Club is a club-sponsored crew team organized by students of the university. They participate in several regattas across the northeast, including the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia.

Track and cross country

In recent years, the varsity track and cross country programs have seen outstanding success on the Division III national level. The men's cross country team has finished in the top 15 in the nation each of the last three years, and has boasted several individual All-Americans. The men's track team has also boasted several individual All-Americans spanning sprinting, distance, and field disciplines. Recent All-Americans from the track team are Brian Harvey (2007, 2008), Davey Quinn (2007), Nik Bonaddio (2004, 2005), Mark Davis (2004, 2005), Russel Verbofsky (2004, 2005) and Kiley Williams (2005)

Villanova University

Motto:	Veritas, Unitas, Caritas (Latin)
Motto in English:	Truth, Unity, Charity
Established:	1842
Type:	Private
Religious affiliation:	Roman Catholic (Augustinian)
Endowment:	$335.73 million [1]
President:	Rev. Peter M. Donohue
Faculty:	545
Students:	9,535
Undergraduates:	6,335
Postgraduates:	3,200
Location:	Villanova Radnor Township, Pennsylvania, USA
Campus:	Suburban, 254 acres (1.03 km2)
Colors:	Blue, Light Blue and White
Nickname:	Villanova Wildcats
Mascot:	Will D. Cat
Website:	www.villanova.edu

Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. Founded in 1842 by the Augustinian monastic order, the university can trace its roots to old Saint Augustine's Church in Philadelphia, which the Augustinians founded in 1796, and to its parish school, Saint Augustine's Academy, which was established in 1811. Villanova, named after Saint Thomas of Villanova, is the oldest and largest Catholic university in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

History

In October 1841, two Augustinians from Saint Augustine's Church in Philadelphia purchased the 200-acre (0.81 km²) "Belle Air" estate in Radnor Township with the intention of starting a school. The school, which was called the "Augustinian College of Villanova," opened in 1842. However, the Philadelphia Nativist Riots of 1844 that burned Saint Augustine's Church in Philadelphia caused financial difficulties for the Augustinians, and the college was closed in February 1845. The college reopened in 1846 and graduated its first class in 1847. In March 1848, the governor of Pennsylvania incorporated the school and gave it the power to grant degrees. In 1859, the first master's degree was conferred on a student. In 1857, the school closed again as the demand for priests in Philadelphia prevented adequate staffing, and the crisis of the Panic of 1857 strained the school financially. The school remained closed throughout the Civil War and reopened in September 1865; since then it has operated continuously.

The first great expansion of Villanova began in the late 1890s. Desiring an institution that would "rank among the best in the United States," the college built more classrooms, dormitories, and recreational facilities, and bought instructional equipment.

The School of Technology was established in 1905. In 1915, a two-year pre-medical program was established to help students meet medical schools' new requirements. This led to a four-year pre-medical program, the B.S. in biology, and the founding of the sciences division in 1926.

Villanova was all-male until 1918, when the college began evening classes to educate nuns to teach in parochial schools. In 1938, a laywoman received a Villanova degree for the first time. It was not until the nursing school opened in 1953 that women permanently began attending Villanova full-time. In 1958, the College of Engineering admitted its first female student; other colleges admitted women only as commuters. Villanova University became fully coeducational in 1968.

After World War II, Villanova expanded, returning veterans swelling enrollments and the faculty growing fourfold. Additional facilities were built and in 1953, the College of Nursing and the School of Law were established. Villanova achieved university status on November 18, 1953. Between 1954 and 1963, 10 new buildings were built or bought on land adjacent to the campus, including Bartley, Mendel, and Dougherty Halls.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Villanova worked to become a nationally recognized university. The quality of faculty and students improved dramatically and international studies programs were introduced. Additional residential and recreational facilities were constructed, and efforts to increase the endowment were undertaken.

In the 1980s, endowed chairs were established in theology, philosophy, engineering, and business; scholarship funding was increased, and the curriculum expanded and improved. An extensive building campaign created facilities for the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Commerce and Finance, and student residences on the south and the west campuses.

Over the history of the university, it has also served as a headquarters of the Augustinian Order in North America, and has provided staff to establish Catholic high schools throughout the United States, such as St. Augustine High School in San Diego, California, which was established in 1922 with teaching staff dispatched from Villanova.^{[citation needed]}

Campus

St. Thomas of Villanova Chapel, on the Villanova University campus.

Villanova University sits on 254 acres (1.03 km²) just 12 miles (19 km) from Philadelphia.^[5] The campus was formerly known as Arboretum Villanova which includes roughly 1,500 trees across campus, including the only known instance of a naturally-growing sequoia east of the Mississippi River.^{[citation needed]} Official Arboretum status has been revoked due to the university's lack of upkeep to Arboretum rules and standards such as the planting of new trees and the offering of tours.^[6] There are three named areas on the campus, all within easy walking distance:

• Main Campus contains most of the educational buildings, administration buildings, Student Center, Library, Bookstore, the Villanova Chapel, the main cafeteria along with a variety of coffee shops and eateries, the newly built Athletic Center as well as the Pavillion and Villanova Stadium, and many Freshmen, Sophomore and Junior student residences.
• West Campus contains the Law School, St. Mary's hall (a huge building for single housing, a cafeteria, classrooms, indoor swimming pool, market, etc.) some administrative buildings, and housing for juniors as well as some seniors who are permitted to live on campus. Also included are basketball and tennis courts, soccer fields, volleyball courts and barbecue pits. The Septa R5 Train Stop - Villanova is also located here. There is also the Law School parking gargage in addition to apartment parking.
• South Campus contains 7 freshman and sophmore residence halls, Donohue Court (South Campus Cafeteria) and Donohue Market(South Campus Market). The Septa R100 Train Line has a stop right behind Stanford Hall.

Main Campus

The most prominent feature of the Villanova Campus is St. Thomas of Villanova Church, whose dual spires are Villanova's tallest structure. The cornerstone for the church was laid in 1883 and the building was completed in 1887. The church underwent major renovations in 1943 and 1992. It is built in Gothic Revival style . The church lies at the head of the path crossing Lancaster Avenue (Route 30) into the parking lots and toward South Campus. As such, it is a popular meeting place for students, and hosts three student-oriented masses on Sunday nights. It also is home to a local parish, whose Masses take place Sunday morning. The stained-glass windows of the church depict the life of St. Augustine of Hippo.

Situated behind the Chapel is Mendel Field, around which sit six major campus buildings: Mendel Hall, Tolentine Hall, White Hall, Falvey Hall, John Barry Hall, and the CEER Building. Mendel Hall, named for pioneering geneticist and Augustinian monk Gregor Mendel, holds science labs, lecture halls, and other facilities. Mendel Hall's two large buildings are connected underground and by a second-floor indoor bridge that forms the gateway between West and Main Campus. In 1998, the college commissioned a 7-foot (2.1 m) bronze sculpture of Mendel by Philadelphia sculptor James Peniston, and installed it outside the hall's entrance.^[8] Tolentine Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus, houses classrooms, academic offices, and computer labs, and is connected to Villanova's monastery, St. Thomas Hall. White Hall is a building directly connected with and to the Chemical Engineering Building built in 1947. Falvey Hall is the annex of the Falvey Memorial Library, named for the Augustinian priest who was the librarian for many years. It is home to some class rooms in the Art History and Education departments as well as some offices, along with The Math Center, The Writing Center, and The Augustinian Heritage Institute. John Barry Hall houses the Navy ROTC Program, named for navy officer, Commodore John Barry. Opened in 1998, the Center for Engineering Education and Research (CEER) holds an engineering lab, classroom facility, as well as an auditorium hall for projections and slideshows.

Slightly east of Mendel Field sits The Grotto, a landscaped haven between Falvey Library and two residence halls, Corr Hall and Alumni Hall. Often home to outdoor masses and other large gatherings, the Grotto is sometimes perfect for quiet contemplation. The grotto includes a statue depicting Mary, the mother of Jesus, under the title of Our Lady of Good Counsel and plaques dedicated to the veterans of World War II and the Vietnam War. Across from Alumni Hall and The Grotto are St. Rita's Hall and Austin Hall where the Campus Ministry Office and University Admissions Office are respectively located. Falvey Library, the campus's main research library, houses over 1,000,000 books, thousands of periodicals, television production studios, and quiet places for solitary or group study.^[9] Behind the Falvey Library is located the Saint Augustine Center for Liberal Arts, commonly called "SAC", which is home to many departments in the Liberal Arts college as well as countless offices, and a few classrooms. It is the location of the Advising and Professional Development Program as well.

East of Corr Hall sits Kennedy Hall, which houses the Campus's bookstore, called University Shop. Across a small courtyard is Dougherty Hall, home to "The Pit" (called such because of its underground location), one of three all-you-can-eat facilities on campus, as well as a few smaller eateries and many Student Activity Offices. Next to Kennedy is Connelly Center, the Student Center. With radically different architecture, the Connelly Center contains a variety of meeting places, areas for group study, the Belle Aire Terrace, which serves a variety of food, the cinema, as well as smoothie shop and coffee shop.

The Awakening, with Connelly Center in the background.

Between the dining halls of Dougherty and the meeting halls of Connelly is "The Oreo." A large black-and-white sculpture by Jay Dugan, some of the major campus celebrations have occurred in its circular shadow – including celebratory vandalism in the wake of the 1985 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Sitting just west of The Quad, The Awakening (as it is officially known) has served as a major meeting place at the heart of the campus for generations of Villanovans.

Still further east, The Quad, a square section located between the two dorms by which it is bordered Sheehan and Sullivan residence halls as well as and Bartley Hall, home to the Villanova School of Business. Bartley is also situated near the other entrance to Main Campus. Behind Bartley Hall are two buildings: The Health Services Building, home to the Counseling and Medical Centers; and Driscoll Hall, the new home of the Nursing College. The are adjacent to Sullivan Hall which is home to the Peace and Justice Center.

West Campus

Situated north and west of Mendel hall (across the SEPTA train tracks) is West Campus, home to St. Mary's Hall, the dormitory and former Nursing College as well as the West Campus Apartments and the Law School. St. Mary's, a labyrinthine building of classrooms, residence rooms, a cafeteria, and large chapel, was originally built as a seminary, and used to be home to the School of Nursing until it moved to Driscoll Hall. Behind St. Mary's sit the Apartments – eight buildings that house junior and senior resident students.

One of two commuter train stops on campus, the Villanova Rail Station on the R5 line provides access to the city of Philadelphia, about 30 minutes away.

South Campus

Sitting diagonally across Lancaster Ave. and Ithan Ave. from Bartley Hall, South Campus is home to several residence halls – usually reserved for underclassmen – and Donahue Hall, home to "The Spit", short for "South Pit". Donahue hall also houses Donahue Market, commonly referred to by students as "The Sparket".

The second of two on-campus train stops, the Villanova stop and the Stadium stop on the SEPTA Route 100 line provides access to the city of Philadelphia, about 30 minutes away.

Environmental commitment

In May 2007, the University’s president signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. The ACUPCC is dedicated to the critical research and education needed to end global warming. The new College of Nursing and the new School of Law are being built according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified specifications.

On November 16, 2007, the College of Engineering unveiled a new Solar Electric System atop its Center for Engineering Education and Research (CEER), providing up to 4,000 watts of power to offset utility-supplied power for the CEER building.

Academics

Villanova University offers bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional programs through its five divisions: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (1842), Villanova School of Business (1922), College of Engineering (1905), College of Nursing (1953), and School of Law (1953).

University rankings

For more than a decade, Villanova University has been ranked #1 by U.S. News and World Report in the Best Universities-Masters category in the northern region. Villanova has several highly regarded academic programs, including an engineering school that is ranked #9 among undergraduate engineering programs whose highest degree is a masters by U.S. News and World Report. The School of Business was ranked #11 in the 2009 Business Week rankings of undergraduate business schools, #87 in the 2006 U.S. News and World Report rankings of undergraduate business schools, and #29 in the Financial Times' ranking of top executive MBA programs. Villanova University School of Law is ranked as a Top Law School by the 2008 edition of U.S. News & World Report's "Best Graduate Schools," placing 68th overall. In December 2006, PC Magazine and The Princeton Review ranked Villanova #1 in its review of top "wired colleges" in the United States. The College of Nursing has been designated a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing in 2004 and again in 2007.

Admissions and retention statistics

Villanova University has an overall undergraduate acceptance rate of 39%.54% of freshman graduated in the top 10% of their high school class with 96% graduating in the top quarter. About 21% of students are from Pennsylvania with 79% of students hailing from other states. The middle 50% range for the SAT of a typical accepted applicant is 1340-1430 (the writing section is not considered), and the range for the ACT is 31-33.

Student life

Villanova's student organizations include standard club sports, cultural organizations, Greek-letter fraternities and sororities, and more.Villanova students participate in charitable and philanthropic activities and organizations, including the largest student-run Special Olympics in the world.

Orientation

The New Student Orientation Program is a four day program in which approximately 25 new students are assigned to one Orientation Counselor or "O.C.," who guides his/her students to various programs and activities that discuss topics such as diversity, academics, athletics, sexual awareness, the Philadelphia Area, and student concerns.The program is run by a staff director, a student chairperson, a student administrative coordinator, and a student steering committee.

Blue Key Society

The Blue Key Society is Villanova’s group of over 250 campus tour guides, who work with the Admissions Office to give three tours each weekday, various special tours as needed and selected weekend tours throughout the school year.

Campus ministry and service

Reflecting traditions of Roman Catholic and Augustinian spirituality, Campus Ministry touches every aspect of University life through prayer, liturgy, community service, and pastoral care. Campus Ministry encourages all to integrate personal faith into the academic and social environment of the University. Campus Ministry promotes the Augustinian ideal of an intellectual community seeking both wisdom and a fuller spiritual life.

Special Olympics

The annual Special Olympics Fall Festival at Villanova University is the largest and most successful student-run Special Olympics in the world. It draws more than 1,000 athletes and 400 coaches from 44 Pennsylvania counties. Athletes may advance through the festival to regional and international competition. Students apply to be a part of the 82-volunteer planning committee, which works for more than nine months alongside with Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA), which oversees more than 300 events statewide. The event is put on with the aid of some 2,500 student volunteers and more than 1,000 other volunteers from the Villanova community.

Habitat for Humanity

Villanova students participate in charitable organizations and service trips in the U.S. and abroad. In 2004, Villanova had more participants in the Habitat for Humanity Collegiate Challenge than any other U.S. university.

Pastoral Musicians

The largest musical group currently at Villanova, Pastoral Music, has a regular complement of approximately 60 voices and 35 instrumentalists from semester to semester. This is a substantial increase in membership since the group's 30 musicians in 1995. The ministry grows from the regular worship assembly of Villanova made up primarily of undergraduate students. The music style is varied, expressing the diversity of style found within the Roman Catholic tradition. Contemporary praise music from different cultural experiences finds its home along side works by Bach, Palestrina, Mozart, Lauridsen and others.

Engineers Without Borders

Villanova EWB is a student chapter of Engineers Without Borders, a non-profit organization that focuses on helping to improve the living conditions of communities worldwide.Villanova EWB is one of the fasting growing student organizations on campus, expanding from a mere handful of engineering students in the spring of 2006 to a current membership of approximately 75 students in multi-disciplinary programs.

The chapter’s inaugural project was to design and build a playground for a grade school in New Orleans following the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina. Villanova EWB was the only student organization to win an award from the regional Project Management Institute, receiving an Honorable Mention from PMI for project of the year. The most recent project involved designing and building a water treatment and distribution system which provided an orphanage and surrounding villages in northern Thailand with drinking water and irrigation for their crops. There are also plans for a variety of projects in the Philadelphia area, including K-12 outreach programs, as well as many more international projects.

Rays of Sunshine

Formerly known as Project Sunshine, The Office of Community Service, commonly called "Rays of Sunshine", is a student-led community service organization dedicated to reaching out to all kinds of communities with kindness and compassion. Through tutoring, mentoring, or visiting the elderly, sick, and disabled, Rays of Sunshine works to "bring some sunshine" into the lives of others.

Greek life

Villanova University hosts a number of Greek letter organizations, including eleven fraternities, ten sororities, and one service fraternity. The first Greek organization at the school was established in 1902 as a social organization and circle of individuals interested in classical studies.^[29] Approximately 15% of Villanova students belong to Greek organizations. Unlike many major universities, no Greek letter organizations on the Villanova campus have fraternity or sorority houses.

Service fraternity

The Sigma Eta chapter of Alpha Phi Omega meets weekly on Villanova's campus. The goal of this organization is to promote its motto "Friendship, Leadership, and Service." APO is the Nation's Largest Collegiate Fraternity with more than 17,000 members at 361 campuses. The Villanova Chapter does various service projects throughout the year both on and off campus. Some service events include school clean ups through Philly Cares Day, working at soup kitchens and tutoring children in Math and Science at Philadelphia public schools.

Villanova Emergency Medical Service

Villanova Emergency Medical Service (VEMS), is a student-run ambulance service licensed and dedicated to serving the campus community. VEMS membership consists of more than 40 undergraduate student volunteers; the majority of whom are certified as Emergency Medical Technicians, volunteering more than 25,000 hours annually. Villanova is one of only a handful of colleges to provide EMS services to their campus, and one of only 52 who provide emergency response and transport to at least the Basic Life Support (BLS) Level. VEMS has been recognized on a national level multiple times by the National Collegiate EMS Foundation, specifically being named 2001 Campus Organization of the Year and receiving EMS website of the year in 2000, 2004, and 2006. VEMS hosted the second annual NCEMSF Conference in 1995 as well as the twelfth annual conference in Philadelphia in 2005.

Campus publications and media

The Villanovan has been the officially recognized and accredited student newspaper since its founding in 1916. The newspaper of record of Villanova University, the tabloid-sized weekly produces usually 12 issues per semester at a circulation of 6,500 copies. The paper's awards include 2nd Place for Tabloid Feature Cover from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association's Collegiate Circle (2007); Certificate of Merit for Editorial Writing from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association's Collegiate Circle (2007); Certificate of Merit for portfolio of work in the Feature Photograph category from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association's Collegiate Circle (2007); Pennsylvania Newspaper Association's Keystone Award for Best Feature Story; and 1st Place with Special Merit and Outstanding Sports Coverage from the American Scholastic Press Association.^{[citation needed]}

Villanova Times, an alumni-funded bi-weekly student newspaper, won the 2005-2006 Collegiate Network Award for Layout and Design.^{[citation needed]}

WVTV (Villanova), the student-run campus television station, resides at channel 17. Starting in 1999 as the Villanova TV Production Club, the station has produced news, events, films and other programming for the Villanova community.

WXVU, the student-operated FM radio station, operates at 89.1 megahertz. With an output of 75 watts, WXVU can be heard in an 8-mile (13 km) radius around the campus. Since 1991, the station has supplied the Villanova community with a varied program of music, news, sports, public affairs, and specialty programming.

POLIS Literary Magazine, a student publication printed once a semester, features writing and artwork by Villanova students and professors. Each issue features creative nonfiction, poetry, short fiction, and black-and-white photography focusing on a central theme.^[37] Each issue also features articles on literature, entertainment, and dining.

NROTC

Villanova is home to a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program which has commissioned more U.S. Navy admirals and Marine Corps generals than any institution but the U.S. Naval Academy.^[38] In 2004, the commanders of both U.S. Naval Forces Atlantic and U.S. Naval Forces Pacific were Villanova NROTC graduates.^{[citation needed]}

Athletics

Villanova University's varsity men's athletics programs include baseball, basketball, cross country running, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, and tennis, track and field. Women's varsity athletics programs include basketball, cross country running, field hockey, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and water polo.^[39]

Sports teams participate in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big East Conference, except for football and lacrosse. Football and Men's Lacrosse play in the Colonial Athletic Association. Women's lacrosse plays in the Patriot League. The Wildcats are also part of the Philadelphia Big 5, the traditional Philadelphia-area basketball rivalry. Their fiercest city rivalry, which is called the "Holy War," is with St. Joseph's University.

Men's basketball

In 1985, under the direction of coach Rollie Massimino, the men's basketball team won the national championship in the first year of the 64-team field. The final game, against defending champion and ten-point-favorite Georgetown, is often cited among the greatest upsets in college basketball history.^[40] In 2005, under the direction of coach Jay Wright, Villanova's men's basketball team reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, losing to #1 seed and eventual champion North Carolina by 1 point on a disputed traveling call on Allan Ray. In 2005-2006, the team began the year ranked #4 in the major polls from USA Today and the Associated Press. A 75-62 loss to eventual champion Florida ended the team's run for a second NCAA championship in the Regional Final. This team was led by a unique type of lineup designed by coach Jay Wright. He used a four guard set for most of the season. Allan Ray, Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, and Mike Nardi were the four guards. In the 2006-2007 season, the Wildcats had a record of 22-11, and lost to Kentucky in the first round of the 2007 tournament. In 2008, they were eliminated by the top-seeded, eventual champion Kansas Jayhawks in the Sweet 16, after upsetting the fifth seeded Clemson Tigers in the 1st round and defeating the thirteenth seeded Siena Saints in the 2nd round.

The Wildcats home venues include the on-campus 6,500 seat Pavilion for smaller attendance games, as well as the larger, 21,600 seat Wachovia Center at the Philadelphia sports complex. The February 13, 2006 meeting between Villanova and the University of Connecticut set the record for the highest attendance at a college basketball game in Pennsylvania with 20,859.

Track and Field

Villanova University's Track and Field team has a long history of athletic success that has spanned from Big East Conference Championships to NCAA Championships.

The Men's Team has produced 69 NCAA Championships, 36 Indoor and 33 Outdoor. The team has had 8 NCAA team Championships (4 Cross Country, 3 Indoor, 1 Outdoor). Villanova has produced 28 athletes who have made appearances in the Olympics, 10 of whom have medaled (7 Gold medals, 3 Silver medals). Villanova hopefuls for the 2008 Summer Olympics include alumnus Adrian Blincoe, and senior Bobby Curtis (runner). The men's team has also won 112 Penn Relay Championships, which stands as the most wins by any school. The men's current coaches include head coach, Marcus O'Sullivan, and assistant head coach, Anthony Williams.

The Women's team has also had a multitude of success, producing 10 Big East team Championships and 7 NCAA team Championships. They have also produced 7 Olympians including Vicki Huber, Sonia O'Sullivan, Kim Certain, Kate Fonshell, Jen Rhines, Carmen Douma, and Carrie Tollefson. Olympic hopefuls for the 2008 Summer Olympics include alumna Marina Muncan. The Women's team has won 28 Penn Relay Championships, which is the most wins by any women's team. The current women's coaches include head coach, Gina Procaccio, and assistant head coach, Anthony Williams.

At least one Villanova athlete has competed in every Summer Olympics since 1948, winning a a total of 13 medals (9 gold, 4 silver).

Traditions

The university seal

Plaque of the Seal of Villanova University at the Connelly Center

An adaptation of the seal of the Order of St. Augustine, the seal of Villanova University is one of the campus's most ubiquitous images, adorning everything from buildings to chairs to backpacks.^[44] A ribbon carries the University motto: Veritas, Unitas, Caritas (Truth, Unity, and Charity), virtues to which every member of the Villanova community should aspire. A book symbolizes Augustine's dedication to education and the New Testament where he found Christianity. A cincture is part of the habit worn by members of the Order of Saint Augustine. Hovering above is the flaming heart, symbol of Augustine's search for God and his love of neighbors. Behind the book is the crosier — a staff traditionally held by a Bishop — commemorating Augustine's service as Bishop of Hippo. Above and behind the book are two crosses, symbolic of Augustine's conversion and the University's commitment to Christianity. Framing the central portion of the seal is a laurel wreath exemplifying victory through the pursuit of knowledge, and 1842 is the year of the University's founding. Surrounding the seal is the incorporated fide of the University: Universitas Villanova In Statu Pennsylvaniae.

The Liberty Bell's "Sister Bell"

Villanova University is also home to the Liberty Bell's "Sister Bell," the replacement bell ordered from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry after the original bell cracked in 1753. This new bell was installed at the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall), and attached to the State House clock. The Sister Bell rang the hours until the late 1820s, when the bell was removed during a renovation and loaned to the Olde St. Augustine Church in Philadelphia. In 1829, the bell was hung in a new cupola and tower designed by architect William Strickland. There it remained until May 8, 1844, when it was destroyed, along with the Olde St. Augustine Church, during the Philadelphia Nativist Riots. The friars of St. Augustine had the "Sister Bell" recast and transferred to Villanova University.

At the university's centennial celebration, the bell was rung by Archbishop Dennis Joseph Dougherty to open the ceremonies. In 1954, the bell was displayed as part of an exhibit at Gimbels department store in Philadelphia that focused on the growth and development of the university. The Sister Bell is currently enshrined in the Heritage Room on the basement floor of the St. Augustine Monastery on Villanova's campus.

Campus myths

A number of legends are spread around campus by students. Some of these include the existence of secret tunnels and catacombs under campus, the haunting of some of the older dormitories (sometimes linked to their use as hospitals during the Civil War), and speculation over the existence of an entire wing of St. Mary's Hall which is completely blocked off.

The three buildings most commonly discussed as being haunted are Alumni Hall (located by St. Thomas of Villanova church on the main campus), St. Mary's Hall and Dundale (both located on the west campus).

Alumni Hall dates back to 1848 and stands as one of the oldest structures on campus. The school was closed in 1861 due to the Civil War and reopened in 1865. In that time this hall is believed to have been used as a military hospital and potential evidence of that use, such as a pulley located at the top of the main stairwell for moving bodies up and down, can still be seen. The building was used as a hospital again for influenza patients after World War I. This history has led to rumors that the building is haunted.

St. Mary's Hall was built in 1962 and served as an Augustinian Seminary until 1972.^{[citation needed]} Laid out with long corridors and over a thousand rooms, there is a large chapel and many partial floors, basements and sub-basements to feed the legends of blocked off wings.

The property on which Dundale Hall is located was originally purchased by an industrialist, Israel Morris II, in 1874, and was built as a mansion for his family. Purchased from his family in 1978, it has been used for a variety of meetings and is home to several offices. On more than a handful of occasions, the school's Public Safety officers have been called out late at night to investigate lights in the building coming on inexplicably.

People

Villanova University has fathered several notable alumni.

Golden Globe-nominated actress Maria Bello got her first taste of the stage in a production at Vasey Hall. Actor and Coen Brothers favorite Jon Polito has garnered both stage and screen awards, and NFL Hall of Famer, longtime FOX commentator and feature film actor Howie Long graduated in 1982. Tim Hauser, founder of Manhattan Transfer, Jim Croce, and Don McLean have all been prominent members of the musical tradition at Villanova. David Rabe had his first premier for In the Boom Boom Room at Vasey Hall.

In addition to current Pennsylvania Governor and Democratic luminary Ed Rendell, Villanova has produced several military and governmental officials. Wife to the governor and federal judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Marjorie Rendell, is also a graduate. Numerous Marine generals and Naval Admirals are products of Villanova's Naval ROTC program, including William J. Fallon, Admiral in the United States Navy, and Commander of United States Central Command and George B. Crist, Marine General, and the first Marine to be designated Commander in Chief, Central Command.

The business world, too, has had several prominent businessmen who got their start at Villanova. Robert J. Darretta, Jr. – chief financial officer and vice chairman of Johnson & Johnson, John Drosdick – CEO of Sunoco, Thomas G. Labrecque – former Chairman and CEO of Chase Manhattan Bank, Francis Saul – president of Chevy Chase (Bank), and Martin McGuinn – former CEO of Mellon Financial Corp. have all studied at Villanova at some point in their careers.

John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York, obtained a Masters degree in Advanced Ethics at Villanova University. John L. Hennessy, president of Stanford University earned a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering, and Deirdre Imus, Head of the Diedre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology (and wife to radio host Don Imus) is also a graduate.