UF has again been highly ranked among the country’s most prestigious universities, this time in a worldwide study comparing the quality of research produced by 1,000 universities.
A new study by the University of Western Australia ranks the top 500 universities of the world in terms of research performance, and UF ranked 50th.
The study measures performance based on the number of publications produced and subsequent citations and references of those publications.
Winfred Phillips, UF’s vice president for research, said he was pleased with the recognition, especially because of what it says about the university’s faculty.
“It represents the quality of our faculty,” he said.
UF spokesman Steve Orlando said the ranking speaks to the value of the university’s work.
“I think this is good recognition that the work we do at the university in research is important and useful,” he said.
Phillips attributed the ranking to the university’s diversity and breadth of academic study, as faculty members from a variety of programs are able to conduct research.
The scope of the university’s research is what attracts qualified faculty, Phillips said.
“It’s a place where people want to work,” he said.
The top 50 schools on the list are mostly dominated by North American universities, with Harvard University, Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology occupying the first three spots.
Phillips said the recognition, along with the presence of UF faculty at national and international academic conferences and meetings, can be used to recruit faculty and students.
“It might help us attract international graduate students,” he said.
