34 / GENERAL INFORMATION the School of Forest Resources and Conservation and the Florida Museum of Natural History, this area supports several research activities centering on the ecology of threatened species and the restoration of the native long- leaf pine growth in the sandhills. Thesis and dissertation research projects consistent with the aims of the preserve are actively encouraged. The herbarium of the University of Florida is also a part of the Museum. It contains over 150,000 specimens of vascular plants and 170,000 specimens of nonvascular plants. In addition, the herbarium operates a modern gas chromatographic/mass spectrometer laboratory for the study and identification of natural plant products. The research collections are under the care of curators who encourage the scientific study of the Museum's hold- ings. Materials are constantly being added to the collec- tions both through gifts from friends and as a result of research activities of the Museum staff. The archaeologi- cal and ethnological collections are noteworthy, particu- larly in the aboriginal and Spanish colonial material remains frorf the southeastern United States and the Caribbean. There are extensive study collections of birds, mammals, mollusks, reptiles, amphibians, fish, inverte- brate and vertebrate fossils, and a bioacoustic archive consisting of original recordings of animal sounds. Op- portunities are provided for students, staff, and visiting scientists to use the collections. Research and field work are presently sponsored in the archaeological, paleontol- ogical, and zoological fields. Students interested in these specialties should make application to the appropriate teaching department. Graduate assistantships are avail- able in the Museum in areas emphasized in its research programs. UNIVERSITY PRESSES OF FLORIDA The University of Florida Press is a member of Univer- sity Presses of Florida, the scholarly publishing agency of the State University System of Florida. The purpose of the University of Florida Press is to encourage, seek out, and publish original and scholarly manuscripts appropriate to a university recognized for the quality of its research and scholarship. In addition to the broad range of state, regional, African, and Latin Ameri- can titles, the Press publishes books of general interest. The University of Florida Press Board of Managers, 15 scholars appointed by the President of the University, determines policies of publication relating to the accep- tance or rejection of manuscripts submitted not only by University faculty members but by authors from through- out the world. Students and members of the faculty and staff are cordially invited to visit the Press offices in the Seagle Building, 408 West University Avenue, Suite 402. The University of Florida is also host to University Presses of Florida, which is located just off campus at 15 NW 15th Street. The goal of the systemwide publishing agency, as embodied in Board of Regents policy, is to publish books, monographs, journals, and other types of scholarly or creative works. [University Presses of Florida] shall publish original works by state univer- sityfaculty members but it may also publish meritorious works originating elsewhere and may republish out-of- print works. Each university's faculty publishing committee is inde- pendently responsible for selecting works for publication and distribution through the facilitiesof University Presses of Florida. University Presses of Florida is a member of the Asso- ciation of American University Presses. INTERDISCIPLINARY GRADUATE STUDIES PROGRAMS INTERNATIONAL STUDIES As the oldest and largest institution of higher education in a state at the leading edge of a rapidly changing global environment, the University of Florida has a comprehen- sive commitment to excellence in international educa- tion. It extends from foreign language instruction, area studies programs, study abroad opportunities, and inter- national exchanges into every facet of its teaching, re- search and service. The University is dedicated to serving the international interests of Florida and the nation and to preparing its students for the global challenges and oppor- tunities of the 21 st Century. Duringthe last three decades, the University of Florida's commitment to international studies has expanded rap- idly. This expansion has resulted in the creation of a Center for Latin American Studies, a Center for African Studies, a Center for Tropical Agriculture, a Center for International Student and Faculty Exchanges, a program in international relations, and an English Language Insti- tute for speakers of other languages. Programs in Asian Studies, Soviet and East European Studies, and West European Studies have been added to the undergraduate curriculum. The University of Florida has participated in programs of assistance and development in many major areas of the world: Africa, South America, Middle Amer-- ica, and Southeast Asia. There has also been a corre- sponding increase in the number of faculty members involved in teaching and in research within the field of international studies. In January 1971, the University opened the $1.6 million federally funded Graduate School and International Stud- ies Building, dedicated and named Linton E. Grinter Hall. The modern four-story building contains faculty offices, study cubicles, and seminar rooms, as well as the offices of the Graduate School, the Division of Sponsored Re- search, the Center for African Studies, the Center for International Student and Faculty Exchanges, Program in Linguistics, and the Center for Latin American Studies. The expansion of efforts in these directions represents a conviction on the part of the University that today's students must be aware, in more than a superficial way, of developments and trends outside our national boundaries if they are to live in a world of peace and harmony. International education is essential for the citizenry and leaders of the twenty-first century-the students of today. As an indication of the University's continuing commit- ment to international studies and its importance to all areas of graduate education, in June 1985, the Provost asked the Dean of the Graduate School to accept the additional assignment of Dean of International Studies and Programs. In this capacity, the Dean coordinates the activities of the University's Council on International Studies and Programs and represents the University at various meetings and on councils and committees related to international academic activities, projects, and enter- prises. The Center for International Student and Faculty