University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
Encyclopedia
The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, also known as Pitt-Bradford or UPB, is a comprehensive undergraduate college of the University of Pittsburgh
that exists as a regional campus located in Bradford, Pennsylvania
. Pitt-Bradford was listed among the Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its "America's Best Colleges 2010" annual college guide and was named to the list of "Best Colleges in the Northeastern Region" by The Princeton Review.
. This led Raymond N. Zoerkler, a Bradford
geologist with the Hanley and Bird Company, to see the need for an educational resource and came up with the idea in 1962 for a regional campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Supported by Robert Cole, Bradford Hospital's chief administrator, and others, Zoerkler wrote a letter to Edward Litchfield
, who was then chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. Zoerkler proposed that Pitt establish a campus to serve this area of Pennsylvania. On October 16, 1962, Chancellor Litchfield announced that there indeed was a need for accessible quality education in the region and a new Pitt campus was born. Litchfield appointed a committee of community leaders to serve as the advisory board for the new Pitt campus in Bradford. He named Dr. Donald E. Swarts, dean of Pitt-Johnstown
, as the first president. J.B. Fisher, president of Kendall Refining, was named the first chairman of the Advisory Board. Swarts immediately began to work with the local Advisory Board to open the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
During the summer of 1963, Swarts and the board organized a faculty and bought Hampsher House, a building owned by Bradford Hospital. They renovated the building into classrooms, laboratories, a library and student lounges. On September 3, 1963 - less than a year after Chancellor Litchfield's momentous announcement - the doors opened to Pitt-Bradford's first class of students. This class had a mix of young men and women from all over Pennsylvania, as well as from New Jersey, New York and other states. The newly established campus was a two-year college that offered the beginning of a Pitt undergraduate education. It offered starter and transfer programs to 143 full-time and 145 part-time students. The new college was launched with the financial support of the region. Individuals and organizations in Bradford and surrounding regions contributed $758,000 that year. That enabled the college to start strong and become firmly rooted in Bradford. By 1964, the student body had grown to 380 full-time and 100 part-time students. Dr. Swarts believed that the Pitt-Bradford experience would be enriched by having both commuter and resident students, so the college purchased the 125-room Emery Hotel located in downtown Bradford for student housing.
On April 18, 1967, J.B. Fisher announced that Witco-Kendall Corporation would donate approximately 78 acres (315,655.1 m²) of land on the site of the former Harri Emery Airport in order to build a campus. At the same time, the City of Bradford and Bradford Township jointly announced they would make a 33 acres (133,546.4 m²) parcel of adjacent land, known as the Onofrio tract, available to Pitt-Bradford to develop a recreation area. This attractive setting, just outside of the city, became the site for today's modern campus. University of Pittsburgh officials made a commitment to its new campus by bringing in new faculty, establishing a library collection, and starting new academic programs.
granted Pitt-Bradford baccalaureate degree-granting status. Due in large part to a Title III grant, Pitt-Bradford added a significant number of bachelor-level programs beginning in 1985: biology, computer science, geology, history/political science, chemistry, economics, psychology, mathematics and communication.
During the middle of 1995, Pitt-Bradford announced its plans for the future. Plan 2000, coupled with the Facilities Master Plan, acted as the college’s guide into the next century. The plans, devised with an architectural firm from Pittsburgh, used a “residential” approach for future campus growth. This style allows the campus to keep the natural valley setting while focusing on functional accessibility for students to all aspects of living and learning on campus. Campus expansion and growth got a boost in 1995 when the college announced the success of Campaign 2000. More than $10 million was raised during the campaign, exceeding its goal by more than 25 percent. A major factor in surpassing the goal was the Blaisdell family of Bradford, owners of Zippo Manufacturing Company
. Their dollar-for-dollar matching gift program for Blaisdell Hall, the college’s fine arts and communication arts building project, accounted for nearly $3.5 million.
In April of the following year, Dr. Livingston Alexander, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Kean University
in New Jersey
, was named Pitt-Bradford’s third president. Dr. Alexander officially resumed the presidency on Aug. 1.
Two months later, the campus community and the surrounding community dedicated the newly renovated and expanded Frame-Westerberg Commons building and the academic portion of Blaisdell Hall, the university’s fine arts and communication arts building. The new Commons includes an enlarged Panther Shop, which features an after-hours convenience store; a dining room with a 9482 square feet (880.9 m²) addition; a new Commons Café; an expanded Mail Center; a new game room; and many more meeting rooms on both floors.
The first phase of Blaisdell Hall features two all-digital radio and television studios, a computer graphic arts lab, two art studios, a music rehearsal hall, a state-of-the-art music classroom, one high-tech classroom, three music practice rooms, a music listening library and two seminar/conference rooms. The following year, the second phase of Blaisdell Hall, which includes the 500-seat Bromeley Family Theater and the KOA Speer Art Gallery, was dedicated in a lavish ceremony. During the dedication, Marilyn Horne
, internationally known opera star, Bradford native and supporter of Pitt-Bradford, received an honorary degree from the University of Pittsburgh, which was presented by Chancellor Mark Nordenberg
in appreciation for her steadfast support of the university.
In 2005 and 2006, the university saw more growth – growth to its physical plant with the addition of Reed-Coit House, a 103-bed residence hall, and significant growth to its complement of academic programs with the addition of several new majors, including entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary arts, hospitality management, accounting, and health and physical education. Those new programs bring the university’s number of majors to 41. Pitt-Bradford also offers more than 40 minors, concentrations and pre-professional programs.
In March 2006, the university celebrated the successful conclusion of the Complete the Campus campaign, whose $13 million goal was surpassed. The purpose of the campaign is to support facilities, technology, scholarships and academics.
Today Pitt-Bradford has over 1,500 students and 8,000 alumni.The university has 24 buildings and has grown to 317 acres (1.3 km²). Pitt-Bradford also has 13 athletic teams, most recently adding men’s and women’s swimming. The university also successfully recruited students from many counties in Pennsylvania, including the urban centers of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and 17 states. UPT welcomed its largest freshman class, 388 students, in the fall of 2008.
, a small city located in rural McKean County, Pennsylvania
, 78 miles (126 km) south of Buffalo, New York, and 160 miles (257.5 km) north of Pittsburgh, PA. An oil boomtown in the late 19th century, Bradford is now well known as the home of Zippo Manufacturing Co. The city and two adjoining townships have a combined population of 18,000.
The university has nine main buildings, an athletics complex, which includes baseball and softball diamonds, a soccer field, and basketball and tennis courts; and several apartment-style residence halls.
Blaisdell Hall is Pitt-Bradford's fine arts and communication arts building and is home to the broadcast communications, public relations, interdisciplinary arts, art, theater and music programs. The building features all-digital television and radio studios, an art gallery, a 500-seat theater, art studios, a music rehearsal hall, cutting-edge lighting and sound booths, and music theory and technology studios.
The Ceramics Studio allows students to get their hands dirty, literally. The studio houses all of the equipment needed to create ceramic masterpieces, including 16 motorized pottery wheels, a manual kick wheel, a work table and a kiln.
The CSI House, also known on campus as the Red House, is home to the Forensic Science program. Students can learn how to process a crime scene, and collect evidence
Dorn House is a three-story, 103 student residence hall consisting of two-, four- and five-person suites with each bedroom having a private bathroom, phone line, cable hookup, and computer port with students sharing a living room, kitchen and storage area. The $5.42 million residence is set to open in September 2010 and will bring the on-campus resident capacity to nearly 1,000 students. As there are no traditional dorms on campus, other student housing consists of live-in apartments, which are all fully wired for cable TV and Internet access.
Fisher Hall houses science classes such as biology, chemistry, physics and engineering and is also home to the science labs. The building also houses two computer-aided learning centers, known as CALC labs. And, atop the building is the campus greenhouse. In 2010, a $5.9 million project was announced to upgrade the chemistry and biology laboratories in Fisher Hall.
The Frame-Westerberg Commons is known as the students center. The building houses the campus dining room, a Commons Cafe, where students can get a quick meal while sitting by the fireplace; the Panthershop, which services as the campus bookstore and also features an after-hours convenience store; WDRQ, the campus radio station; a gameroom, which includes pool tables and ping pong tables; and a lounge area, where students can relax on one of several couches while watching the big-screen TV.
The Hangar Building, which actually used to be an airplane hangar, houses the Office of Enrollment Services and Registrar, the Office of Financial Aid and the Office of Business Affairs.
Hanley Library houses more than 95,000 books. The library also houses 250 elecronic data bases, 9,300 e-journals, e-books and other electronic resources. And, because Pitt-Bradford is part of the University of Pittsburgh, students also have access to more than 4 million books through interlibrary loan. The library is also home to the Academic Success Center and the TRiO Student Support Services, which provides academic assistance to the students who need it.
The Seneca Building , which is located in downtown Bradford, houses the offices of Outreach Services, the Center for Rural Health Practice, a component of the entrepreneurship program and the TRiO Student Support Services Talent Search Program.
The Sport and Fitness Center houses a performance arena, where basketball and volleyball play; a fully equipped fitness center; an NCAA-regulation, six-lane swimming pool; a dance studio; a fieldhouse, where students participate in intramural and other recreational activities; a physiology lab, where students perform cardiac testing or fitness analyses; and a specially equipped athletic training room.
Swarts Hall, Pitt-Bradford's first academic building, is home to several academic disciplines, including business, education, nursing, history and political science, economics and sociology. The building also houses several multimedia classrooms.
Wick Chapel, a $2.5 million, 150-seat, multipurpose, nondenominational chapel was dedicated on September 30, 2010.
The most popular majors are business management http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=3984, nursing http://www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/nursing.aspx http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4888, education, criminal justice http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4060, and biology http://www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/biology.aspx. In addition to liberal arts and sciences such as English http://www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/english.aspx, history/political science http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4836, biology http://www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/biology.aspx and chemistry http://www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/chemistry.aspx, the university offers professional programs in business management http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=3984, entrepreneurship http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4780, nursing http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4888, accounting http://www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/accounting.aspx, broadcast communications http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4050 and hospitality management http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4828.
Many students can also take advantage of internships or research opportunities thanks to many partnerships the university has with area businesses and industries.
At Pitt-Bradford, the faculty/student ratio is 13:1 and the average class size is 17.
The Bradford campus also offers the Bachelor of Science in Business Management degree at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville
campus.
. The school offers 15 sports: men's baseball http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3018, basketball http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3020, cross country http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3022, golf http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3024, soccer http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3026, swimming http://www.upb.pitt.edu/athletics/swimming.aspx, and tennis http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=11991 along with women's basketball http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3030, cross country http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3022, golf http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=303624, soccer http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3038, softball http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3040, swimming http://www.upb.pitt.edu/athletics/swimming.aspx, tennis http://www.upb.pitt.edu/tennis.aspx, and volleyball http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3042.
Students who play basketball or volleyball or participate on the swim team compete in the university's Sport and Fitness Center http://www.upb.pitt.edu/athletics2.aspx?menu_id=96&id=534, which was renovated and expanded a few years ago and features a performance arena and an NCAA-regulation, six-lane swimming pool. The building also includes a well-equipped fitness center; a fieldhouse, where students take part in intramural activities; locker rooms; and a dance studio.
Baseball, softball and soccer athletes play at the Kessel Athletic Complex http://www.upb.pitt.edu/athletics2.aspx?menu_id=96&id=536, which features a regulation baseball/softball diamond, a competition soccer field and tennis and basketball courts.
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
that exists as a regional campus located in Bradford, Pennsylvania
Bradford, Pennsylvania
Bradford is a small city located in rural McKean County, Pennsylvania, in the United States 78 miles south of Buffalo, New York. Settled in 1823, Bradford was chartered as a city in 1879 and emerged as a wild oil boomtown in the Pennsylvanian oil rush in the late 19th century...
. Pitt-Bradford was listed among the Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its "America's Best Colleges 2010" annual college guide and was named to the list of "Best Colleges in the Northeastern Region" by The Princeton Review.
The 60s
Before the establishment of Pitt-Bradford, there were no institutions of higher education in the northwestern/northcentral region of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. This led Raymond N. Zoerkler, a Bradford
Bradford, Pennsylvania
Bradford is a small city located in rural McKean County, Pennsylvania, in the United States 78 miles south of Buffalo, New York. Settled in 1823, Bradford was chartered as a city in 1879 and emerged as a wild oil boomtown in the Pennsylvanian oil rush in the late 19th century...
geologist with the Hanley and Bird Company, to see the need for an educational resource and came up with the idea in 1962 for a regional campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Supported by Robert Cole, Bradford Hospital's chief administrator, and others, Zoerkler wrote a letter to Edward Litchfield
Edward Litchfield
Edward Harold Litchfield was an American educator and the twelfth Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. He is best known for a major expansion of the university, but also a failure to raise sufficient capital to fund such growth, eventually leading to his resignation in July 1965.He earned...
, who was then chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. Zoerkler proposed that Pitt establish a campus to serve this area of Pennsylvania. On October 16, 1962, Chancellor Litchfield announced that there indeed was a need for accessible quality education in the region and a new Pitt campus was born. Litchfield appointed a committee of community leaders to serve as the advisory board for the new Pitt campus in Bradford. He named Dr. Donald E. Swarts, dean of Pitt-Johnstown
University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, also known as UPJ or Pitt-Johnstown, is a four-year, degree-granting regional campus of the University of Pittsburgh. The university is located in Richland Township, a suburban area of Johnstown, Pennsylvania and was founded in 1927 as one of the first...
, as the first president. J.B. Fisher, president of Kendall Refining, was named the first chairman of the Advisory Board. Swarts immediately began to work with the local Advisory Board to open the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
During the summer of 1963, Swarts and the board organized a faculty and bought Hampsher House, a building owned by Bradford Hospital. They renovated the building into classrooms, laboratories, a library and student lounges. On September 3, 1963 - less than a year after Chancellor Litchfield's momentous announcement - the doors opened to Pitt-Bradford's first class of students. This class had a mix of young men and women from all over Pennsylvania, as well as from New Jersey, New York and other states. The newly established campus was a two-year college that offered the beginning of a Pitt undergraduate education. It offered starter and transfer programs to 143 full-time and 145 part-time students. The new college was launched with the financial support of the region. Individuals and organizations in Bradford and surrounding regions contributed $758,000 that year. That enabled the college to start strong and become firmly rooted in Bradford. By 1964, the student body had grown to 380 full-time and 100 part-time students. Dr. Swarts believed that the Pitt-Bradford experience would be enriched by having both commuter and resident students, so the college purchased the 125-room Emery Hotel located in downtown Bradford for student housing.
On April 18, 1967, J.B. Fisher announced that Witco-Kendall Corporation would donate approximately 78 acres (315,655.1 m²) of land on the site of the former Harri Emery Airport in order to build a campus. At the same time, the City of Bradford and Bradford Township jointly announced they would make a 33 acres (133,546.4 m²) parcel of adjacent land, known as the Onofrio tract, available to Pitt-Bradford to develop a recreation area. This attractive setting, just outside of the city, became the site for today's modern campus. University of Pittsburgh officials made a commitment to its new campus by bringing in new faculty, establishing a library collection, and starting new academic programs.
The 70s & 80s
In the early 1970s, Pitt-Bradford set its sights on building a new campus and moving its academic focus from two-year to four-year programming. The college used $1.5 million in regional private monies it was able to raise to "seed" nearly $14 million worth of capital projects. They built two academic buildings: Swarts Hall and Fisher Hall. Other capital improvements included a residence hall complex, a sports center, outdoor recreational and athletic fields, and a student union. Hanley Library was the last building to complete the campus at this time. The library opened in March 1988. While the new physical plant was emerging, Pitt-Bradford, under the leadership of then-college president Dr. Richard E. McDowell, fulfilled another important goal: to offer four-year degrees. The first degree program came in 1975 with an associate of science degree in petroleum technology. Four years later in 1979, Pitt-Bradford began conferring four-year degrees after the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees and the Pennsylvania Department of EducationPennsylvania Department of Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are directed by Pennsylvania's Secretary of Education, Gerald L. Zahorchak...
granted Pitt-Bradford baccalaureate degree-granting status. Due in large part to a Title III grant, Pitt-Bradford added a significant number of bachelor-level programs beginning in 1985: biology, computer science, geology, history/political science, chemistry, economics, psychology, mathematics and communication.
The 90s
Significant campus upgrades were made in 1990s to both new buildings and academic programming. These included two new student residence halls, a laundry and security building, and extensive renovations to Fisher Hall. In 1994, the college revised its general education program. Pitt-Bradford joined only a small number of other similar institutions in providing an education with a liberal arts foundation to students in a public setting. Because of its location in northwestern Pennsylvania, the university also has a parallel mission to serve the needs of the region. Consequently, Pitt-Bradford also began offering professional programs such as business management, sports medicine, and nursing. However, the general education curriculum remained the required foundation for all programs.During the middle of 1995, Pitt-Bradford announced its plans for the future. Plan 2000, coupled with the Facilities Master Plan, acted as the college’s guide into the next century. The plans, devised with an architectural firm from Pittsburgh, used a “residential” approach for future campus growth. This style allows the campus to keep the natural valley setting while focusing on functional accessibility for students to all aspects of living and learning on campus. Campus expansion and growth got a boost in 1995 when the college announced the success of Campaign 2000. More than $10 million was raised during the campaign, exceeding its goal by more than 25 percent. A major factor in surpassing the goal was the Blaisdell family of Bradford, owners of Zippo Manufacturing Company
Zippo
A Zippo lighter is a refillable, metal lighter manufactured by Zippo Manufacturing Company of Bradford, Pennsylvania, U.S. Thousands of different styles and designs have been made in the seven decades since their introduction including military ones for specific regiments.-Establishment:George G...
. Their dollar-for-dollar matching gift program for Blaisdell Hall, the college’s fine arts and communication arts building project, accounted for nearly $3.5 million.
2000 & Beyond
In June 2002, Dr. Richard E. McDowell, who had been president since 1973 and helped Pitt-Bradford advance from a fledging two-year institution to a four-year university, stepped down as president. Three months later, the university dedicated the newly renovated and expanded Sport and Fitness Center, a project McDowell helped to see to fruition. The building features a new performance arena, the newly named McDowell Fieldhouse, a pool, a fitness center, sports medicine classrooms, a human performance lab and an athletic training room.In April of the following year, Dr. Livingston Alexander, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Kean University
Kean University
Kean University is a coeducational, public research university located in Union and Hillside, New Jersey, United States. Kean University serves its students in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the professions with a dedication to intellectual and cultural growth and is best known for its...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, was named Pitt-Bradford’s third president. Dr. Alexander officially resumed the presidency on Aug. 1.
Two months later, the campus community and the surrounding community dedicated the newly renovated and expanded Frame-Westerberg Commons building and the academic portion of Blaisdell Hall, the university’s fine arts and communication arts building. The new Commons includes an enlarged Panther Shop, which features an after-hours convenience store; a dining room with a 9482 square feet (880.9 m²) addition; a new Commons Café; an expanded Mail Center; a new game room; and many more meeting rooms on both floors.
The first phase of Blaisdell Hall features two all-digital radio and television studios, a computer graphic arts lab, two art studios, a music rehearsal hall, a state-of-the-art music classroom, one high-tech classroom, three music practice rooms, a music listening library and two seminar/conference rooms. The following year, the second phase of Blaisdell Hall, which includes the 500-seat Bromeley Family Theater and the KOA Speer Art Gallery, was dedicated in a lavish ceremony. During the dedication, Marilyn Horne
Marilyn Horne
Marilyn Horne is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She specialized in roles requiring a large sound, beauty of tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages....
, internationally known opera star, Bradford native and supporter of Pitt-Bradford, received an honorary degree from the University of Pittsburgh, which was presented by Chancellor Mark Nordenberg
Mark Nordenberg
Mark A. Nordenberg , also known as "Nordy" to many students, is a lawyer and the seventeenth Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh.In 1977, he joined the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law...
in appreciation for her steadfast support of the university.
In 2005 and 2006, the university saw more growth – growth to its physical plant with the addition of Reed-Coit House, a 103-bed residence hall, and significant growth to its complement of academic programs with the addition of several new majors, including entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary arts, hospitality management, accounting, and health and physical education. Those new programs bring the university’s number of majors to 41. Pitt-Bradford also offers more than 40 minors, concentrations and pre-professional programs.
In March 2006, the university celebrated the successful conclusion of the Complete the Campus campaign, whose $13 million goal was surpassed. The purpose of the campaign is to support facilities, technology, scholarships and academics.
Today Pitt-Bradford has over 1,500 students and 8,000 alumni.The university has 24 buildings and has grown to 317 acres (1.3 km²). Pitt-Bradford also has 13 athletic teams, most recently adding men’s and women’s swimming. The university also successfully recruited students from many counties in Pennsylvania, including the urban centers of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and 17 states. UPT welcomed its largest freshman class, 388 students, in the fall of 2008.
Location and Campus
The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford is located in Bradford, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, a small city located in rural McKean County, Pennsylvania
McKean County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,936 people, 18,024 households, and 12,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 21,644 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
, 78 miles (126 km) south of Buffalo, New York, and 160 miles (257.5 km) north of Pittsburgh, PA. An oil boomtown in the late 19th century, Bradford is now well known as the home of Zippo Manufacturing Co. The city and two adjoining townships have a combined population of 18,000.
The university has nine main buildings, an athletics complex, which includes baseball and softball diamonds, a soccer field, and basketball and tennis courts; and several apartment-style residence halls.
Blaisdell Hall is Pitt-Bradford's fine arts and communication arts building and is home to the broadcast communications, public relations, interdisciplinary arts, art, theater and music programs. The building features all-digital television and radio studios, an art gallery, a 500-seat theater, art studios, a music rehearsal hall, cutting-edge lighting and sound booths, and music theory and technology studios.
The Ceramics Studio allows students to get their hands dirty, literally. The studio houses all of the equipment needed to create ceramic masterpieces, including 16 motorized pottery wheels, a manual kick wheel, a work table and a kiln.
The CSI House, also known on campus as the Red House, is home to the Forensic Science program. Students can learn how to process a crime scene, and collect evidence
Dorn House is a three-story, 103 student residence hall consisting of two-, four- and five-person suites with each bedroom having a private bathroom, phone line, cable hookup, and computer port with students sharing a living room, kitchen and storage area. The $5.42 million residence is set to open in September 2010 and will bring the on-campus resident capacity to nearly 1,000 students. As there are no traditional dorms on campus, other student housing consists of live-in apartments, which are all fully wired for cable TV and Internet access.
Fisher Hall houses science classes such as biology, chemistry, physics and engineering and is also home to the science labs. The building also houses two computer-aided learning centers, known as CALC labs. And, atop the building is the campus greenhouse. In 2010, a $5.9 million project was announced to upgrade the chemistry and biology laboratories in Fisher Hall.
The Frame-Westerberg Commons is known as the students center. The building houses the campus dining room, a Commons Cafe, where students can get a quick meal while sitting by the fireplace; the Panthershop, which services as the campus bookstore and also features an after-hours convenience store; WDRQ, the campus radio station; a gameroom, which includes pool tables and ping pong tables; and a lounge area, where students can relax on one of several couches while watching the big-screen TV.
The Hangar Building, which actually used to be an airplane hangar, houses the Office of Enrollment Services and Registrar, the Office of Financial Aid and the Office of Business Affairs.
Hanley Library houses more than 95,000 books. The library also houses 250 elecronic data bases, 9,300 e-journals, e-books and other electronic resources. And, because Pitt-Bradford is part of the University of Pittsburgh, students also have access to more than 4 million books through interlibrary loan. The library is also home to the Academic Success Center and the TRiO Student Support Services, which provides academic assistance to the students who need it.
The Seneca Building , which is located in downtown Bradford, houses the offices of Outreach Services, the Center for Rural Health Practice, a component of the entrepreneurship program and the TRiO Student Support Services Talent Search Program.
The Sport and Fitness Center houses a performance arena, where basketball and volleyball play; a fully equipped fitness center; an NCAA-regulation, six-lane swimming pool; a dance studio; a fieldhouse, where students participate in intramural and other recreational activities; a physiology lab, where students perform cardiac testing or fitness analyses; and a specially equipped athletic training room.
Swarts Hall, Pitt-Bradford's first academic building, is home to several academic disciplines, including business, education, nursing, history and political science, economics and sociology. The building also houses several multimedia classrooms.
Wick Chapel, a $2.5 million, 150-seat, multipurpose, nondenominational chapel was dedicated on September 30, 2010.
Academics
The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford offers 41 majors, several pre-professional programs and two graduate programs, including a Master's of Nursing and a Master's of Social Work.The most popular majors are business management http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=3984, nursing http://www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/nursing.aspx http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4888, education, criminal justice http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4060, and biology http://www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/biology.aspx. In addition to liberal arts and sciences such as English http://www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/english.aspx, history/political science http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4836, biology http://www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/biology.aspx and chemistry http://www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/chemistry.aspx, the university offers professional programs in business management http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=3984, entrepreneurship http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4780, nursing http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4888, accounting http://www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/accounting.aspx, broadcast communications http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4050 and hospitality management http://www.upb.pitt.edu/rightFeature.aspx?menu_id=26&id=4828.
Many students can also take advantage of internships or research opportunities thanks to many partnerships the university has with area businesses and industries.
At Pitt-Bradford, the faculty/student ratio is 13:1 and the average class size is 17.
The Bradford campus also offers the Bachelor of Science in Business Management degree at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville
University of Pittsburgh at Titusville
University of Pittsburgh at Titusville, commonly referred to as Pitt-Titusville or UPT, is a regional campus of the University of Pittsburgh located in Titusville, Pennsylvania...
campus.
Athletics
The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford is an NCAA Division III institution and a charter member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate ConferenceAllegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference
The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the northeastern United States in the States of Maryland, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.-Current members:The league currently has...
. The school offers 15 sports: men's baseball http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3018, basketball http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3020, cross country http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3022, golf http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3024, soccer http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3026, swimming http://www.upb.pitt.edu/athletics/swimming.aspx, and tennis http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=11991 along with women's basketball http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3030, cross country http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3022, golf http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=303624, soccer http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3038, softball http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3040, swimming http://www.upb.pitt.edu/athletics/swimming.aspx, tennis http://www.upb.pitt.edu/tennis.aspx, and volleyball http://www.upb.pitt.edu/interior3Default.aspx?menu_id=96&id=3042.
Students who play basketball or volleyball or participate on the swim team compete in the university's Sport and Fitness Center http://www.upb.pitt.edu/athletics2.aspx?menu_id=96&id=534, which was renovated and expanded a few years ago and features a performance arena and an NCAA-regulation, six-lane swimming pool. The building also includes a well-equipped fitness center; a fieldhouse, where students take part in intramural activities; locker rooms; and a dance studio.
Baseball, softball and soccer athletes play at the Kessel Athletic Complex http://www.upb.pitt.edu/athletics2.aspx?menu_id=96&id=536, which features a regulation baseball/softball diamond, a competition soccer field and tennis and basketball courts.