UTPB's No. 1

MIDLAND The foam fingers that were waving Thursday are normally reserved for football teams that proclaim themselves "No. 1."

But, as University of Texas of the Permian Basin President David Watts pointed out, his school doesn't have a football team. So the news of being named the top public university in Texas for sending students on to jobs or graduate schools in the state within a year of graduating would have to do.

"I know football is important, but this is where the rubber meets the road," he said.

While the school has regularly ranked in the top six in the study conducted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, this was the first time UTPB ranked No. 1.

The study showed UTPB with 93.5 percent of its graduates being employed or enrolled in graduate school during fiscal year 2006. The University of Texas-Pan American was second at 92.6 percent with the University of Houston-Victoria third at 91.7 percent.

Watts said students in fields like medicine and accounting can get a good start at UTPB. And 98 percent of those who take the state's teacher certification test pass.

"We want to get the word out and share it with the rest of Texas," Watts said.

Thursday's announcement at UTPB's Center for Energy and Economic Diversification included dignitaries from Odessa and Midland.

Gary Vest, economic development director for the Odessa Chamber of Commerce, said UTPB is one of the community's top assets.

"They're doing a great job of educating our work force, and they're going to do a better job in the future," he said.

By turning out highly skilled workers, UTPB improves the quality of life for everyone in the Permian Basin, Vest said.

About 75 percent of UTPB graduates remain in the area. While Watts said graduates are helped in finding positions by the many job openings in the Permian Basin, there is more to the success than that.

"Even before Midland and Odessa had such a good economy, UTPB was among the top universities in placing its employees in employment or graduate school," he said.