California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology, commonly known as Caltech, is a private research university located in Pasadena, California. It is known for its strength in science and engineering and is one of the world's leading institutions in these fields.
History
Caltech was founded in 1891 as Throop University by Amos G. Throop, a businessman and politician from Illinois. Initially, Throop University aimed to provide education in manual arts, domestic arts, and academic subjects. Over the years, its focus shifted towards science and technology:
Academics
Caltech offers undergraduate and graduate programs in:
- Engineering and Applied Science
- Humanities and Social Sciences
- Biology and Biological Engineering
- Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Geological and Planetary Sciences
- Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy
The undergraduate curriculum is known for its rigor and for its emphasis on hands-on research experience.
Research and Facilities
Caltech is home to numerous research facilities and centers, including:
Notable Achievements
- Caltech has had 34 alumni, faculty, and researchers who have won Nobel Prizes.
- The university has been involved in numerous groundbreaking scientific discoveries, including the discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation, which supported the Big Bang theory.
Notable Alumni and Faculty
- Albert Einstein was a visiting professor at Caltech in the 1930s.
- Richard Feynman, a theoretical physicist, was a professor at Caltech, winning the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965.
- Linda B. Buck, a neurobiologist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2004 for her work on odorant receptors and the organization of the olfactory system.
External Links
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