Dundee University

About Satellite Receiving Station at the University of Dundee
The University of Dundee became an independent university in 1967 after a 70 year relationship (sometimes stormy) with the University of St Andrews. Its origins however, go back over a hundred years to 1881 when University College, Dundee was founded with the before-its-time mission of "promoting the education of persons of both sexes". It has doubled in size over the last five years. In 1994 it merged with Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and in 1996 absorbed the two local nursing colleges to create a single School of Nursing and Midwifery within the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.

The University of Dundee is growing fast in both size and reputation. Summing up its performance at the graduation ceremonies in 1998, Principal and Vice Chancellor Dr Ian Graham-Bryce was able to say "no university has performed better over the past year than the University of Dundee". This bold statement follows a series of major successes including a run of five excellents in the latest teaching quality assessment exercise - for psychology, English, medicine, cellular & molecular biology and organismal biology. Planning & Landscape courses in the School of Town & Regional Planning were also rated the best in Scotland.

The University of Dundee has over 11,000 students (including nearly 3,000 part time) across five faculties. Highest profile areas are the life sciences including biochemistry where world class research into areas such as cancer and diabetes is yielding results. Dundee scientists from these areas are the most cited in the UK according to a recent survey by Sciencewatch. Also art and design where the faculty of Duncan of Jordanstone College has won itself an international reputation and is now regarded as the best art school in Scotland. Remote sensing and Earth observation are taught within the Department of Applied Physics and Electronics and Mechanical Engineering.

The Natural Science Research Council's satellite receiving station at the University of Dundee has been systematically recording high resolution images (HRPT) from NOAA satellites on a daily basis since the launch of the prototype 3rd generation NOAA satellite TIROS-N in October 1978. It also recorded data from the Coastal Zone Colour Scanner on NIMBUS-7 between August 1979 and the end of the mission in December 1986. SeaWIFS, NIMBUS-7's replacement, is also being received and archived at Dundee. Data from MODIS carried on the EOS AM/PM series satellites, is being received and archived. Data are also received from METEOSAT-S-VISSR for daily use but are not routinely archived for more than a few days.

Website: http://www.dundee.ac.uk