The University's credentials as an outstanding research institution are further bolstered by it's elected membership to the Association of American Universities, an organization of the top 60 research schools in North America. The University's list of achievements are long, ranging from the gold medal performance of African-American athlete and Pitt speedster John Woodruff at the historic 1936 Olympics. to astronomy professor George Gatewood's recent discovery of planets orbiting a nearby star. But a biomedical scientist-in-training might be especially interested in the first isolation of vitamin C, or the first deployment of gene therapy in the face of nonfatal disease, and, certainly, the first polio vaccine. It was at the University of Pittsburgh in 1956 that Jonas Salk conquered polio, up until that time the most feared disease in America.



The University of Pittsburgh is among the top 17 recipients of National Institutes of Health funding, and the School of Medicine is in the top 15 for NIH funds. The School of Medicine is also ranked highly by US News and World Report -- in the top 20 in 1998. It is joined by other highly tanked Pitt programs in Public Health, at number 10 in the nation, and Nurse Anesthetist, at number two.

Dedication to medical science has made the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center the world's busiest organ transplant facility. On average, One transplant is performed here every 11 hours, every day, every month. every year.



The rivers brought together Great Lakes iron ore, Appalachian coal, and European immigrants to form the greatest steel industry that is Pittsburgh's most cherished history. The wealth of great Industrialists, the skill of old-world craftsmen, and the vigor of new generations of Americans built a city that is stunning in the beauty of Its parks and avenues and architecture.

Housing is very affordable in Pittsburgh, and the University student identification cards double as county-wide transit passes. so getting around is very convenient. Nightlife in the city Is eclectic enough for anyone's taste. From Pittsburgh Pirates baseball on warm summer nights, to the industrial rock dance clubs of the Strip District, to ballet and symphonies in the downtown culture core of the city, Pittsburgh offers a range of entertainment.