University of Southern California

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is the state's only comprehensive academic health system with a unique mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research, and patient care. As South Carolina's only integrated academic health sciences center, MUSC educates more than 3,200 students annually across six colleges: Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. The institution leads the state in biomedical research, ranking in the top 20% of health science institutions nationally for National Institutes of Health funding, with $349 million in research funding supporting 1,497 active clinical trials. MUSC operates 18 hospitals across the state serving 46 counties, delivering 3.21 million patient encounters annually and employing more than 34,000 people. For eleven consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has named MUSC Health the #1 hospital in South Carolina. The institution combines innovative research, health care-focused education, and patient-centered care to transform health outcomes. MUSC's vision is 'Leading Health Innovation for the Lives We Touch,' guided by core values of compassion, collaboration, respect, integrity, and innovation.

We're a dynamic public research university that's been serving students along Florida's southeast coast since we first opened our doors in 1964. Today, we serve more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses, and we've grown into something pretty special - a top-ranked university that actually cares about helping people succeed. What drives us is seeing our students achieve things they never thought possible. We offer more than 170 degree programs, from business and engineering to nursing and the arts, taught by faculty who genuinely love teaching and mentoring. Our 24:1 student-to-faculty ratio means our students get real attention, not lost in the crowd. We're proud to be recognized as the most diverse public university in Florida, and we've worked hard to eliminate achievement gaps so that students from all backgrounds excel here. Beyond the classroom, our students participate in over 6,000 undergraduate research experiences annually and complete 10,000+ internships, gaining hands-on experience that matters in the real world.

In 1873, Cornelius Vanderbilt - known as "the Commodore" - made a transformative $1 million gift to establish a university in the South that would "contribute to strengthening the ties which should exist between all sections of our common country." What began with one Main Building (now Kirkland Hall), an astronomical observatory, and a vision for national unity has evolved into one of the world's premier research institutions. For over 150 years, Vanderbilt University has forged a tradition of academic excellence infused with a unique spirit of collaboration and collegiality, pushing new ideas into the frontiers of discovery and challenging the limits of what's possible. Today, Vanderbilt's 340-acre parklike campus in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee - an accredited arboretum - serves approximately 7,300 undergraduate and 6,200 graduate and professional students across 11 schools and colleges. As an R1 research university with over $1 billion in annual research and development expenditures, Vanderbilt ranks among the top 25 private universities for research and innovation by the National Science Foundation. The university's culture of radical collaboration, combined with its residential college system and commitment to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need for undergraduates through Opportunity Vanderbilt, creates an environment where students tailor their education to meet their goals and researchers collaborate to solve complex questions affecting health, culture, and society. From 4 Nobel Laureates to groundbreaking discoveries in molecular physiology, Vanderbilt continues to live by its motto, "Crescere aude" - dare to grow.

In 1905, Dr. Simeon Bell donated land to establish academic medicine in Kansas City, leading to the founding of the hospital in 1906. This visionary gift set in motion more than a century of medical innovation and patient care excellence. In 1998, The University of Kansas Hospital became an independent authority, and in 2017, it joined with The University of Kansas Physicians to form The University of Kansas Health System. This transformation created an integrated academic medical center with the unique ability to combine world-class patient care with groundbreaking research and education. Today, The University of Kansas Health System stands as the region's premier academic medical center and a destination for complex care and diagnosis. The organization's physicians are not just caregivers - they're researchers and educators expanding the boundaries of medical knowledge and developing life-changing treatments. From Kansas's only nationally verified Level I trauma center to specialized institutes for heart care, transplantation, and cancer treatment, the health system offers advanced capabilities that few hospitals can match. Guided by core values of excellence, compassion, diversity, innovation, integrity, and evidence-based decision-making, the team remains committed to their founding vision: to lead the nation in caring, healing, teaching, and discovering.

We're Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a growing academic health system anchored here in Nashville, Tennessee. Every day, we work together to provide exceptional patient care, conduct groundbreaking research, and train the next generation of health professionals. Our team includes physicians, nurses, researchers, and support staff who are committed to personalizing the patient experience through our caring spirit and distinctive capabilities. As one of the largest academic medical systems in the Southeast, we see patients from across the region and beyond. Our reputation for excellence in research and training has made us a major referral center, but what really matters to us is caring for patients like they're part of the family. From our main campus to our community hospitals and clinics, we're relentlessly dedicated to quality care and advancing personalized health for everyone we serve.

Washington State University (WSU) is a public land-grant research university founded in 1890 in Pullman, Washington. It operates across six campuses statewide and serves more than 25,000 students through 11 academic colleges. WSU holds the Carnegie Classification's "very high research spending and doctorate production" designation, reflecting its standing among the country's leading research institutions. The university offers more than 200 undergraduate fields of study and nearly 150 graduate programs, spanning disciplines from agriculture and health sciences to clean energy and beyond. Annual research funding exceeds $400 million, supporting work across multiple technical domains. WSU's reach extends well beyond its campuses through extension offices in all 39 Washington counties and on the Colville Reservation, fulfilling its land-grant mandate of direct service to communities across the state. WSU employs a broad range of staff and faculty to support its academic, research, and operational functions. Key areas of activity include: Undergraduate and graduate instruction across a wide range of disciplines University-level research programs with significant external funding Statewide extension and outreach services Campus operations across six locations in Washington state Founded as Washington Agricultural College, WSU has grown into a comprehensive public university with 281,000 alumni worldwide. Its land-grant mission - connecting education, research, and public service - continues to shape the institution's priorities and the roles it seeks to fill.