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House Resolution 1
A resolution designating February 15, 2022, as "Gator 2
Day" in Florida. 3
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WHEREAS, the University of Florida is among the nation's 5
top public universities, ranking fifth among all public 6
universities in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report, and 7
WHEREAS, for the first time in 2021, U.S. News and World 8
Report ranked the university on the prestigious list of the 9
nation's most innovative universities as well as among the top 10
schools for undergraduate research and veterans, and 11
WHEREAS, UF Online, the University of Florida's online 12
bachelor's degree program, is ranked first in the nation by U.S. 13
News & World Report, recognizing the university's continued 14
excellence in delivering world-class educational opportunities 15
to all students by removing barriers limiting educational 16
access, and 17
WHEREAS, the University of Florida's faculty conducted a 18
record $960 million in research during the 2021 fiscal year and 19
continues to play a significant role in advancing the 20
fundamental understanding of the universe, generating innovative 21
research centered on agriculture, artificial intelligence, and 22
cybersecurity, and 23
WHEREAS, the University of Florida is on the forefront of 24
artificial intelligence research and education with the 25
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installation of HiPerGator AI, one of higher education's most 26
powerful artificial intelligence supercomputers, and is the 27
first institution to adopt an "AI Across the Curriculum" 28
approach, providing every student i n every major the opportunity 29
to acquire competence and expertise in AI and Data Science, and 30
WHEREAS, the University of Florida continues to pursue a 31
strategy that will uniquely position the state as a destination 32
for AI-related industries, taking part i n the newly established 33
SEC Artificial Intelligence Consortium, a 14 -member university 34
consortium aimed at sharing educational resources, certificate 35
and degree program structures, and online seminars and courses 36
centered around artificial intelligence and data science, and 37
WHEREAS, the University of Florida's UF Innovate incubation 38
facilities have helped launch nearly 300 companies, of which 64 39
percent remain in the state and 38 percent in Alachua County, 40
and 12 percent of the state's biotech companies h ave originated 41
in UF Innovate's incubation facilities creating more than 7,900 42
jobs with an average annual salary of $79,200, generating over 43
twelve billion dollars in private investment, and 44
WHEREAS, the University of Florida Lastinger Center, in 45
collaboration with the Florida Department of Education, school 46
districts, other local and state organizations, and the support 47
of the Legislature, have successfully implemented the New Worlds 48
Reading Initiative, a free book delivery program that mails a 49
monthly book to each eligible K -5 student in the state to help 50
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students achieve their potential through the power of reading, 51
and 52
WHEREAS, University of Florida Health (UF Health) is a top -53
ranked health care destination that attracts the brightest 54
students, scholars, scientists, and health care providers, all 55
ready to tackle medicine's greatest challenges, being uniquely 56
positioned at the forefront of medicine, UF Health has continued 57
making discoveries leading to clinical breakthroughs, 58
contributing to the state's overall economy, and 59
WHEREAS, current and former University of Florida athletes 60
represented the United States during the Tokyo 2020 Summer 61
Olympics, winning 17 medals -tied for the second-highest medal 62
count in the school's history, ranking second among a ll National 63
Collegiate Athletic Association schools in medals won, and 64
WHEREAS, the University of Florida Athletics Program 65
continues its on-field and in-the-classroom success, becoming 66
the only program to finish among the nation's top ten in each of 67
the last 37 national all -sports standings and the only school 68
with 100 or more academic all -SEC honorees in the last 24 69
seasons, NOW, THEREFORE, 70
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Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of 72
Florida: 73
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That the University of Florida is commended and 75
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congratulated for its dedication to the advancement of the State 76
of Florida and on its rise to fifth among all public 77
universities in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Top Public 78
Schools, and that February 15 , 2022, is recognized as "Gator 79
Day" in Florida. 80
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be 81
presented to University of Florida President Dr. W. Kent Fuchs 82
as a tangible token of the sentiments expressed herein. 83