Oakland University is a state university located at Rochester, Michigan. Being situated in Oakland County, which is the third most affluent county in the United States and home to nearly 200 Fortune 500 companies, the university offers many opportunities to its students in terms of industrial interaction and research. Oakland University was founded in 1957 from the donations of the late Alfred and Matilda Wilson, two very prominent citizens of Rochester. They had donated $2 million and their 1,500-acre estate to Michigan State University for the establishment of a new college in Oakland County. That college, named Michigan State University Oakland, began its first class in 1959. The college was named Oakland University in 1963, was granted autonomy, and it was recognized as a state university in 1970. The university, which had 570 students during its first year, today boasts more than 17,000 students. Currently 113 baccalaureate degrees and 84 graduate degrees in various disciplines related to arts and science are offered at there. Oakland University boasts a very low student to faculty ratio. Nearly 91 percent of the faculty members hold doctoral degrees. The campus occupies 1,441 acres, encompassing 46 buildings, a state-of-the-art recreation and athletics center, and the Elliott Hall — also called High-tech Business and Technology Building. The university library, named Kresge Library, features 688,000 volumes, 1.1 million microfiche, about 2,000 periodicals and more than 100 computers. Oakland University is a host of research programs. Although a major part of the research programs are carried out by the graduate students, participation among undergraduate students is also encouraged. The Undergraduate Student Research Scholar Awards are awarded to the promising undergraduate researchers. Other research oriented awards include Oakland University Research Excellence Award and New Investigator Research Excellence Award. The university being located in Oakland County, the home of numerous big international companies, attracts funds from various firms. It conducts research projects in association with prestigious organizations such as Fastening and Joining Research Institute, Product Development and Manufacturing Center, Center for Robotics and Advanced Automation, Eye Research Institute, and the Center for Biomedical Research. Like any other reputed universities, Oakland University boasts a rich culture. Meadow Brook Hall, the fourth largest historic museum in the nation, is operated by the university. That museum was the former house of Matilda Wilson, one of the founding members of the university. This museum also functions as the cultural center for the campus and local community. The university’s Golf and Learning Center is the home of two world-class gold courses; R&S Sharf Golf Course and Katke-Cousins Course. The Katke-Cousins Course has been listed among the top 10 in the state by the Detroit News. The R&S Sharf Golf Course was ranked 18th among Michigan's 852 golf courses in 2005 by the prestigious Golf Digest. The university’s Golden Grizzles sports contingent has to its credits nine Mid-Continent Conference regular season titles, 20 Mid-Con championships, and four National Independent Conference championships. Moreover, 16 teams from the university have participated in the NCAA championships in the last five years.