Florida Atlantic University (FAU), a public university in southeast Florida, has its first and largest campus in Boca Raton. A fairly young university, founded in 1964, FAU offers teaching, services, and research in academic areas, including architecture, liberal arts, education, medicine, science, and engineering via nine colleges. Through 40 research centers, the university offers study programs through 170 degree programs at the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels. Established by the Florida State Legislature in 1961 as the fifth university in the state system, FAU provides education for upper division students. FAU houses The Center of Excellence in Biomedical & Marine Biotechnology and The Center of Excellence in Ocean Energy Technology. The researchers in the centers are involved in exploration of the sea, the harvesting of renewable energy, bio-medical research and discovery of medicines, and development therapeutics for combating bioterrorism. FAU is home to Imaging Technology Center and a NASA Imaging Technology Space Center, specializing in digital imaging for federal and commercial applications. FAU has initiated a medical school exchange program with the University of Miami (UM). The university runs a continuing education program known as the Lifelong Learning Society, in which senior citizens are eligible for audit options. FAU’s learning communities for freshman and students, such as Freshman Learning Communities and Living Learning Communities, help freshers and foreign students adapt to the university’s ethos. Besides providing student aid and financial aid, FAU offers resources for freshman, undergraduate, graduate program, distance learning, life long learning, and continuing education. It provides an Office Equal Opportunity Program that promotes a working and learning environment, free from any discrimination or harassment. The university’s 150 registered student organizations and student life programs are funded from the student tuitions. With students from diverse walks of life, FAU promotes several cultural and educational events. Students from 150 countries are housed in FAU’s seven partner campuses located in Boca Raton, Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce, Jupiter, and Port St. Lucie. With well-entrenched sports division, the University has won 21 conference championships; the students unite to exhort the ‘Owls,’ as its team is called, at 18 NCAA division games. Since its inception, the university had awarded more than 110,000 degrees to more than 95,000 alumni worldwide. Florida Atlantic University was classified as a fourth-tier university by the U.S. News & World Report's rankings of ‘Best Colleges’ in 2008. FAU can be located on the Web at www.fau.edu.