Welcome, and thank you for visiting the President’s webpage. I was given the honor of becoming Florida Atlantic University’s sixth President in June of 2010, and I eagerly embraced the opportunity to lead this vigorous young institution into a whole new era of growth and accomplishment.

To me, Florida Atlantic University is best described as “America’s university.” As the most racially, ethnically and culturally diverse institution in Florida’s State University System, FAU is truly a microcosm of this great nation of ours. Its student population of more than 28,000 is representative of all 50 states and some 180 countries, and many U.S.-born FAU students take advantage of the opportunity to study abroad. The tightly interconnected, multi-national world in which the next generation will live and work has already arrived at Florida Atlantic University!

Exciting opportunities for students abound at FAU, where 10 distinguished colleges offer more than 170 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in disciplines that span the arts and humanities, the sciences, medicine, nursing, accounting, business, education, public administration, architecture, engineering, computer science and more. Academically accomplished students may take advantage of the undergraduate honors programs that are offered on the Boca Raton and Jupiter campuses. All of our students are served by a full-time faculty of more than 1,000 dedicated men and women who are known for their high scholarly accomplishments and excellence in teaching.

Classified as a “High Research Activity” university by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, FAU is maturing very rapidly as a center of cutting-edge research, particularly in biomedicine, ocean science and clean energy technology. Recently established partnerships with such internationally known giants as The Scripps Research Institute, the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies and the Max Planck Society have opened up whole new vistas of opportunity to our faculty and student researchers who want to work in the areas of biomedicine and biotechnology. In 2009, FAU acquired the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce, a longtime leader in ocean exploration, research, education and conservation, creating another alliance that is bringing great benefits to our faculty and students. And in 2010, FAU was designated by the U.S. Department of Energy as the home of the Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center, which is focused on developing ways to tap the power of ocean currents as a source of clean, affordable energy.

Students can find all the richness of the traditional university experience at FAU, including modern, on-campus housing and dining facilities, Greek organizations and special interest clubs, and a year-round roster of social activities and athletic events. The University sponsors 18 NCAA-Division I intercollegiate teams that have won more than 20 conference titles. FAU’s football team, launched in 2000 under the leadership of legendary Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger, has won two bowl championships back-to-back, becoming the youngest team in NCAA history to accomplish such a feat. A 30,000-seat stadium is currently under construction on the Boca Raton campus and is expected to be ready to host FAU’s first home game in 2011. There has never been a more exciting time to be an FAU Owl!

FAU really is America’s university, and I look forward to working with our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends in the community as we take it to even greater heights in the years ahead.

Sincerely,
Mary Jane Saunders, Ph.D.
President