News

Posted On: 09/12/2007

University of Puerto Rico Tops List in Producing Chemical Engineers

PharmaManufacturing.com

Puerto Rico continues to excel at producing top graduates in the sciences, with a new study ranking University of Puerto Rico’s Mayagüez campus first among U.S. universities graduating chemical engineers. 
 
According to an American Chemical Society study of the 2005-2006 school year, 119 chemical engineers graduated from University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, placing it ahead of mainland universities such as Penn State, which finished in second place with 104, the University of Texas-Austin (94), Purdue (90), and Texas A&M (86).
 
Another report on the 2005-2006 school year, by the American Society of Engineering Educators, shows that University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez produces graduates in other important engineering fields as well. According to that study, the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez ranked third in the total number of bachelors’ degrees in engineering granted to females, with 263, and 11th in the total number of active engineering students, with 4,692.
 
“We are proud UPR has been recognized yet again as an engineering powerhouse,” said Governor Acevedo-Vilá.  “Puerto Rico’s Universities are developing innovative, scientific thinkers that form the foundation of our talented bilingual workforce.  Their skills and expertise have drawn many of the nation’s top high-tech companies to Puerto Rico.”
 
Along with its emphasis on academics, the Acevedo-Vílá Administration is leveraging the University of Puerto Rico’s strength in the sciences through several unique partnerships with the public and private sectors to promote learning and investment in Puerto Rico. Recent infrastructure developments in support of the biotechnology industry include the Puerto Rico Cancer Center, a joint partnership with the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Molecular Science Building at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez. The development of the Knowledge Corridor, approximately 1,000 acres of land in San Juan dedicated to facilities for learning, research and technology, is underway. These initiatives not only draw unprecedented levels of investment to Puerto Rico, but also generate job growth for Puerto Ricans working in science, technology and engineering.
 
With its Commonwealth status, Puerto Rico offers investors U.S. regulatory standards and protections while providing offshore tax benefits. Some of the world’s largest biotechnology corporations have invested a total of more than $4 billion in the Island, including $2 billion from Amgen, $500 million from Abbott Laboratories, $300 million from Merck and $200 million from Bristol-Meyers Squibb. Recently, Honeywell Aerospace further contributed to Puerto Rico’s success in nurturing a knowledge-based economy by inaugurating a $14 million plant that will provide 200 new jobs by December 2007.