Dalhousie University

Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, and medical teaching facilties in Saint John, New Brunswick. Dalhousie offers more than 4,000 courses and 180 degree programs in twelve undergraduate, graduate, and professional faculties. The university is a member of the U15, a group of research-intensive universities in Canada. Dalhousie was established as a nonsectarian college in 1818 by the eponymous Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie. The college did not hold its first class until 1838, until then operating sporadically due to financial difficulties. It reopened for a third time in 1863 following a reorganization that brought a change of name to "The Governors of Dalhousie College and University". The university formally changed its name to "Dalhousie University" in 1997 through provincial legislation, the same legislation that merged the institution with the Technical University of Nova Scotia. The university's notable alumni include a Nobel Prize winner, two Canadian Prime Ministers, three Herzberg Prize winners, a NASA astronaut who was the first American woman to walk in space, 90 Rhodes Scholars, and a range of other top government officials, academics, and business leaders. The university ranked 235th in the 2014 QS World University Rankings, 226-250th in the 2014-2015 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and 201–300th in the 2014 Academic Ranking of World Universities. Dalhousie is a centre for marine research, and is host to the headquarters of the Ocean Tracking Network.