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Campus Mourns the Death of Cecil Lobo

"He was a dedicated, gifted teacher and advisor who made enormous contributions to the education of our students, and the development of our civil engineering program," stated Rose-Hulman President Samuel Hulbert. "Cecil's devotion to his profession, his students and Rose-Hulman was exceptional. We all mourn his death, and we will miss him deeply."

Expressions of sympathy can be sent to his wife, Sylvia and his sons, Colin and Trevor, at 3561 North Limberlost Lane, Terre Haute, IN 47803. Memorial contributions may be sent to Catholic Charities of Terre Haute, Corporate Square Annex, 2931 Ohio Boulevard, Terre Haute, 47803.

Lobo was the recipient of several teaching awards, and received national recognition for his 27 years of outstanding service as faculty adviser to the Rose-Hulman student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Lobo joined the Rose-Hulman faculty in 1963 as an instructor in civil engineering. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1964, associate professor in 1967, and earned the rank of professor of civil engineering in 1972. He also served as acting chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering.

As the result of his guidance, the Rose-Hulman student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers received recognition during 17 of the past 23 years as one of the nation's best chapters. For the past 11 years, the chapter received a Certificate of Commendation. The chapter was designated as a Ridgeway Finalist for Chapter of the Year honors in 1989 and 1996.

Lobo received the ASCE Zone II Faculty Advisor of the Year Award in 1995. He received numerous other honors for his outstanding service to ASCE.

In 1991, he was honored by Rose-Hulman as the recipient of the Dean's Outstanding Teacher Award. Lobo received the Inland-Ryerson Outstanding Teacher Award in 1984.

The Rose-Hulman Alumni Association elected him in 1991 as an Honorary Alumnus.

Lobo taught structural engineering, soil mechanics and engineering mechanics courses. He also served as a consultant to private firms, government agencies and charitable organziations.

He was a registered professional engineer in the State of Indiana.

Lobo was a native of Mangalore, India. He earned the Ph.D. from Purdue University, the master of science degree from the University of Notre Dame, and the bachelor of engineering degree from the University of Gujarat in Ahmedabad, India.

He was elected to Tau Beta Pi, national engineering honorary. Lobo was also a member of the American Society for Engineering Education, Sigma Xi, the American Concrete Institute and Prestressed Concrete Institute.

GM vice chairman delivers commencement
Speech; Four alumni among six that received honorary degree

Rose-Hulman Modeling Team Gets High Marks For Solution

Three Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students showcased their mathematics and teamworking skills by earning first place honors in the 1997 Modeling Competition in Mathematics. The contest included 409 teams from 224 colleges and universities from eight countries.

Rose-Hulman's solution to a scheduling problem was judged most outstanding by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). In fact, the judge stated: "This is by no means a small accomplishment . . . I can assure you that the paper submitted displayed indications of a bright future for each of these students."

Team members included James Moore, a senior from Cuba, Ill.; Jamie Kawabata, a junior from Beaverton, Ore.; and Josh Horstman, a junior from Indianapolis. Each member will receive $300, a one-year student membership in INFORMS and a certificate of achievement. Rose-Hulman's Mathematics Department will be presented a plaque.

Students could choose between two problems to solve in the competition: The scheduling problem, which Rose-Hulman solved, and a velociraptor problem. Overall, Rose-Hulman's team finished among the top nine of all teams competing -- the second straight year that the college has earned outstanding honors in the contest.

Teams from the United States, China, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Lithuania and South Africa participated in this year's modeling competition.

Another Campaign Goal Achieved; Olin Advanced Learning Center Opens

Students in Professor Mark Yoder's digital processing class will be able to learn from otherfaculty, engineers or entrepreneurs at locations around the country, without leaving theirclassroom on the Rose-Hulman campus. Expanding the student's educational opportunities willbe possible using technology in the new Olin Advanced Learning Center (OALC). The Centeropened for the start of the spring quarter at Rose-Hulman.

Completion of the new Center achieves a Vision to be the Best campaign goal to provideadditional flexible learning space that can also be used to enhance curriculum development, saysRon Reeves, vice president for development and external affairs.

The new facility was made possible by a $3.5 million grant from the F.W. Olin Foundation. The two-story, 18,500-square-foot addition to Olin Hall houses eight classrooms equipped withstate-of-the-art educational technologies.

Even though overall support to the $100 million Vision to be the Best Campaign has put thecampaign ahead of schedule, Reeves said donations are still needed to achieve specific campaigngoals. Cash gifts and pledges to the campaign now total $86 million.

"Gifts are being sought to reach our goals for financial aid, laboratory equipment and plantimprovements," he stated.

New Center Provides Space for Many Educational Uses

A video link Yoder recently used to connect the Rose-Hulman and Georgia Tech campuses isan example of how faculty and students will benefit from the new classrooms. Yoder, professorof electrical and computer engineering, utilized new equipment to allow students in his digitalsignal processing course to interact with a professor who teaches a similar course at GeorgiaTech.

The design for the new Center was developed after seeking ideas from the entire faculty. Ateam of 20-25 faculty and staff studied campus input and information from other campuses andvendors for nearly 8 months to determine how the Center could best meet current and futureeducation needs.

Civil Engineering Professor and Department Head Jim McKinney chaired the committee andsaid flexibility in design and use was a key factor in the building's development.

"The classrooms provide space that can be used for a variety of educational purposes," heexplained. "The Center will more effectively accomodate students working in teams, and expandthe use of laptop computers by faculty and students," he said.

"Even though its difficult to anticipate future educational technologies, we have designed theclassrooms so that they can be easily upgraded with new audio, computer or video systems astechnology advances," McKinney noted.

The Olin Advanced Learning Center will enable faculty to project images from studentlaptops, as well as from their own computer screens, for viewing by all students. The Center isalso linked to the campus computing system via a new optic fiber system.

A listing of spring quarter classes in the Center illustrates that the goal to create educationalspace for a variety of uses has been accomplished. The first classes in the new building rangefrom civil, chemical, electrical and mechancial engineering, to humanities and social sciencesclasses.

The Center will be officially dedicated on May 24 when members of the F.W. Olin FoundationBoard of Directors will tour the new facility.

Rose-Hulman Receives National Education Award During Washington, D.C. Ceremony

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology faculty have received another national award for their outstanding teaching and leadership in developing new ways for students to learn.

Rose-Hulman was honored at the American Council on Education's annual meeting recently in Washington, D.C., as one of the winners in the Theodore Hesburgh Award competition.

The Hesburgh Award program honors exceptional faculty development programs designed to enhance undergraduate teaching and learning.

President Bill Clinton spoke at the meeting following the awards ceremony.

Rose-Hulman received a Certificate of Excellence for its development of faculty interdisciplinary teams who created the integrated, first-year curriculum in science, engineering and mathematics.

"The curriculum helps freshmen understand the links between engineering, math and the sciences. It also improves students' problem-solving skills," explained Rose-Hulman President Samuel Hulbert.

He accepted the award along with Jeff Froyd, professor of electrical and computer engineering, who was a member of the faculty team that created the curriculum.

"This award is another indication that innovations developed by Rose-Hulman faculty are having a national impact on educational change," Hulbert noted.

The Rose-Hulman integrated curriculum is being used as a model for prototype curricula at many colleges and universities, Froyd said.

"Its use is increasing nationally. Even some middle schools are investigating integrated curricula," he noted.

Froyd explained that the curriculum combines 10 classes into a one-year, three-course sequence. A team of faculty have integrated the latest computer technology throughout the curriculum.

"The curriculum emphasizes cooperative learning in anenvironment where teams of students work closely with an interdisciplinary faculty team," Froyd stated.

The awards are sponsored by the Teachers Insurance Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), the nationwide retirement system for higher-education employees.

A panel of national education leaders served as judges for the award. The competition honors Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, who served on the TIAA-CREF boards of overseers for 28 years.

Academics, job prospects deciding factors in picking Rose-Hulman

Academic reputation and getting good jobs were the top reasons 1996-97 freshman class chose to attend Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, according to a national survey conducted by UCLA.

When asked, "Why did you select this college?," academic reputation was selected by 92.7 percent of Rose-Hulman freshmen. (The national average was 64.3 percent.) "Graduates get good gobs" ranked a close second, chosen by 92.4 percent of the students. Other areas of interest included, "Graduates go to top grad schools," favored by 55.1 percent; "Size of school," 53.9 percent; and "Magazine national rankings," 41.4 percent.

The popularity of rankings by U.S. News & World Report and Money magazine is interesting, since many colleges are now trying to downplay and discredit such polls. Rose-Hulman was ranked No. 2 in U.S. News & World Report's 1996 ranking of national undergraduate engineering colleges, and ranked among the nation's best values for scientific and technical colleges. Nationally, the magazine rankings were favored by only 11.4 percent of college students.

As for reasons to attend college, "Getting a good job" was chosen by 90.6 percent of Rose-Hulman freshmen. Other top choices were "Make more money," 79.7 percent; "Learn more about things," 71.1 percent: and "Gain general education," 48.5 percent.

The survey also revealed that Rose-Hulman was the first choice of 88.9 percent of the freshmen; "Raising a family" and "Be very well off financially," were seen as essential objectives in life (76 percent for both); 85.5 percent of Rose-Hulman freshmen regularly attend church services; and 75.8 percent performed volunteer work.

Employers will soon be able to review resumes of Rose-Hulman students by simply accessing the Internet

Rose-Hulman is expanding its career services World Wide Web page by adding a new online Internet application system that could become a national model.

Rose-Hulman will become one of the few colleges or universities that will provide student resumes online. Users will also be able to conduct detailed or general searches based on part-time or permanent employment needs. Career services staff will be able to retrieve data quicker to evaluate a student’s career planning activities, and to analyze employment trends.

The new Internet-based, client-server application is called Casmon (Career Services Management Online). It was created by Aureate Development Inc., a new Terre Haute-based software company founded by alumni Scott Loughmiller (‘96) and Jeff Ready (‘96), and Ehren Maedge.

The Casmon-supported, career services Web page will be fully operational in January, says Bill Lindstaedt, Rose-Hulman Director of Career Services and Employer Relations.

"Casmon will enable student resumes to be automatically formated into code and downloaded for use on the Web page," he explained.

Lindstaedt hopes to quickly expand the system this spring to include services that will benefit alumni wanting to make a job change.

Employers will be able to conduct database searches that will identify potential job candidates by their technical skills, career interest, major, class, or the geographic area where the student would like to work.

The employer could conduct a search to identify chemical engineering majors who have had two summer career-related jobs and are interested in working in the Chicago area," Lindstaedt said.

Users can prioritize qualities or skills they need and make their search even more specific, according to Lindstaedt.

"Maybe a student’s knowledge of hypertext code is more imporant than what year they are in school, or the student’s hometown may be a key factor if the company is looking for summer employees," Lindstaedt noted.

"Once students are identified, the employer can communicate instantly with them by sending an e-mail message without leaving the Casmon system."

Lindstaedt said about 200 resumes of seniors are already available for online access. Additional resumes from other students will be added during the next few months.

The Casmon system puts Rose-Hulman at the forefront of using the Internet in career services, says Ehren Maedge, marketing director for Aureate. "Casmon is one of the first large-scale systems to serve this kind of educational need. Rose-Hulman is the first institution to use it."

Lindstaedt says Casmon will also provide the career services staff with quicker access to information about a student’s progress in career planning, interviewing and job search success. It will make it easier for the staff to access data about company interview trends, and participation in special career services programs such as the annual Career Fair.

The system also makes it easier for students to access World Wide Web pages featuring employment opportunities.

The Career Services Web page can be accessed via http://www.Rose-Hulman.Edu and then connecting to the student services link on the Web page directory. A demonstration of the Casmon system is available online at http://www.aureate.com/es.

Rose-Hulman Receives Largest Scholarship Gift Ever; $5 Million from Estate of an Alumnus and his Wife

Rose-Hulman received a $5 million gift from the estate of alumnus Carl Carlson and his wife, Mildred, to provide new scholarships.

The donation from the Cresskill, N.J., couple is the largest donation for scholarships the college has received. The gift will create the Carl and Mildred Carlson endowed scholarship fund.

As many as 50 Carlson scholarships may be awarded annually. The first Carlson scholarships were awarded in October.

The manufacturing laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering will be named in honor of the Carlsons, according to President Samuel Hulbert.

The Institute received the gift following the recent death of Carlson's wife. Carl Carlson died in 1986.

Carlson graduated with honors from Rose-Hulman in 1947, earning a degree in mechanical engineering. Two years after graduation, Carlson formed Versa Products Co., Paramus, N.J., which is a leading international manufacturer of pneumatic and low pressure hydraulic directional control valves. He retired in 1980 as chairman of the board and president of the company.

"This generous gift will be a tremendous help to generations of academically talented students," Hulbert said. "The Carlsons were visionaries who realized the importance of providing future financial assistance to help students achieve their educational and career goals."

Carlson first studied at Rose-Hulman as part of the United States Army Specialized Training Program. After being discharged from the military in 1946, he returned to campus and completed requirements to earn a bachelor of science degree.

"The gift is another indication of the Carlsons' lifelong commitment to education, according to Richard Sharkey, a longtime friend and legal counsel to the Carlsons.

"Carl was ever cognizant of the career opportunities his education presented, and often mentioned his gratitude to Rose-Hulman in that regard," Sharkey stated. "This gift was obviously given in recognition of that appreciation," said Sharkey, who is associated with the Sharkey & Campisi law firm in Roseland, N.J.

"Carl was an innovator and an outstanding engineer," said Karl Larsson, who is Carl Carlson's brother-in-law. Larsson is president of Versa, and worked with Carlson to create the company.

Versa products are used in industrial process and high technology applications. In addition to its New Jersey headquarters, the company has a plant in Holland that serves the European and Middle East markets.

"The anti-extrusion valve Carl designed 45 years ago is still an industry leader and the company's major product," Larsson noted. "It's unusual for an industrial product to last that long."

First-ever engineering education assessment symposium to take place at Rose-Hulman

Engineering educators and business representatives from around the country will converge on Rose-Hulman April 11-12 for a first-ever symposium devoted to assessment in engineering education.

Titled "Best Assessment Processes in Engineering Education," the symposium is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Rose-Hulman, and two national coalitions of engineering colleges.

Participants in this symposium will learn about assessment plan development, feedback processes, data analysis, and use of technology in assessment. Specific assessment tools to be addressed include surveys, portfolos, rubrics, questionnaires, and focus groups.

Gloria Rogers, dean for institutional research and assessment at Rose-Hulman, is coordinator of the symposium. She is recognized nationally for taking the lead in implementing assessment processes in engineering education.

"What we do in higher education is important, and to be sure we are doing it right, we need to assess our strengths and weaknesses," said Rose-Hulman President Samuel Hulbert. "From there, we can adjust our curricular offerings to provide the best engineering and science education possible."

For more information about the conference, you can e-mail Rogers at gloria.rogers@rose-hulman.edu or call her at telephone number 812-877-8451.

Rose-Hulman Finalizing Plans to Construct $6.8 Million Center for Technological Research with Industry

A new $6.8 million Center for Technological Research with Industry at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology will be used to expand programs to boost economic development and create a national model for project-based education, according to Rose-Hulman President Samuel Hulbert. Federal funding for the Center is included in the new budget for the U.S. Department of Energy and the Army Corps of Engineers. Rose-Hulman officials and Indiana 7th District Congressman John Myers today (Nov. 26) discussed final plans to prepare for construction of the building which will begin in early summer. Construction will take about one year. The Center will be located east of Moench Hall.

President Samuel Hulbert and Congressman John Myers unveil research center drawing at news conference.

The two-story, 40,000-square-foot building will include space for Rose-Hulman's new technological and Entrepreneurial Development program. The program is increasing career opportunities for students while providing new technical and scientific services to make Indiana businesses more competitive.

Hulbert said the Center will become a reality because of the efforts of Congressman Myers.

"Congressman Myers shared our vision of the economic and educational benefits that will result from this Center," Hulbert noted.

"Because of John Myers' leadership in Congress, funding is now available to create programs and facilities that will benefit faculty, students and businesses for decades," Hulbert stated.

Myers said the funding will allow Rose-Hulman to expand efforts to work with regional industry and government sponsors to increase the nation's competitiveness.

"The Center will increase Rose-Hulman's role as a leader in engineering and science education," Myers said.

The Center will not only provide new educational experiences for students and faculty, it will also boost economic development, Hulbert noted.

"The Center is a win-win situation for faculty and students as well as the economy. The activities that occur in the Center will create new jobs, products and services," he said.

Construction of the Center comes at an important time to help Rose-Hulman launch the Technology and Entrepreneurial Development Program (TED), Hulbert stated.

"TED started eight months ago with the goal to be a national model for industry-supported, project-based engineering and science education. It will also increase the opportunities for our graduates to begin their careers in Indiana," he explained.

TED was created with a $4 million grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc., of Indianapolis.

The new building will also house the Rose-Hulman Centers for Applied Optics, Applied Life Sciences, and Industrial Statistics.

The building's design features modular, work bays adaptable to a variety of technical and scientific activities. It will includelabs where prototypes of new products or processes can be developed and tested.

The need for the Center was one of the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Rose-Hulman.

"This Center is vital to Rose-Hulman's goal to meet the needs of our students and society in the 21st century," Hulbert emphasized.

Rose-Hulman Enrollment At All-Time High; Improved Retention Pushes Total To 1,570

Bolstered by a 90 percent retention rate of last year's freshmen and another quality freshman class this year, enrollment at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is at an all-time high, with 1,570 students.That's a 2.4 percent increase (37 students) over last year's previous record of 1,533 students.

The enrollment increase was attributed to the following areas:

• 90.8 percent of last year's freshman students returned for their sophomore year -- the second-best retention rate for that class in Rose-Hulman history and higher than the national retention average for engineering/science enrollments. Three- and four-year retention rates were at near-record levels for returning juniors (75.9%) and seniors (73%).
• The recruitment of 386 students for this year's freshman class. The group had a 1350 median score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, 339 points higher than the national average. Sixteen students had perfect 800 scores on the mathematics portion of the test, while 18 students were perfect on the verbal portion.
• The introduction of coeducation in 1995-96 and requiring all (over) freshmen to purchase laptop computers helped improve students' feelings about the academic quality, campus life and student activities.

"Coeducation and laptop computers were important ingredients (in improving retention). Students feel that we're a quality institution that cares about them as individuals," said Jess Lucas, vice president of student affairs.Rose-Hulman formed a committee of faculty and staff last year to study the retention issue. Areas examined included academic quality, campus life and student activities. A report was made at the Opening Day Of School Symposium in August.

"Retention is a barometer of our students' satisfaction about the quality of education, student services and campus environment," said Rose-Hulman President Samuel Hulbert. "In these highly competitive times for higher education, it's pleasing to see more students and parents placing their trust in us. It's a relationship that we don't take for granted."

Enrollment in undergraduate programs increased to 1,436 students (from 1,408 in 1995-96), with mechanical engineering heading the list with 427 students. Other popular majors include chemical engineering (267) and electrical engineering (231). The number of computer science students is at an all-time high (137) -- up 27 students from '95-96.

A total of 163 women are attending undergraduate courses in the second year of coeducation at the college.

"We continue to grow in size, diversity and quality of students," Hulbert said.

Rose-Hulman received 3,142 applications for admission to the 1996 freshman class. Freshmen came from 39 states and three countries.

U.S. News & World Report ranks Rose-Hulman among the best in technical & science education

National education officials rank Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology second among engineering colleges that don't offer doctoral programs, according to survey results published in the 10th annual "America's Best Colleges" issue of U.S. News & World Report magazine.

This is the seventh consecutive year that Rose-Hulman has been included in the magazine's annual rankings.

For the first time, U.S. News ranked engineering schools without a Ph.D. program separately from institutions that do offer the doctorate degree.

Rose-Hulman ranked second in the non-doctorate degree category behind only Cooper Union.

The rankings were based on a national reputational survey of academic deans and administrators conducted by U.S. News.

Education officials were asked to place schools into quartiles based upon their reputation. Each school placed in the top quartile received four points. A school listed in the second quartile received three points; two points for being listed in the third quartile and one point for a reputational ranking in the last quartile.

Cooper Union earned an average score of 3.6. Rose-Hulman followed closely with an average score of 3.5. Other schools listed among the top five with their average score were Harvey Mudd College, 3.4; Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, 3.3; and Bucknell University, 3.2.

Last month, Rose-Hulman was ranked by Money magazine as the seventh-best buy in engineering and science education, and one of the nation's top 150 best buys in overall value. It was the third consecutive year that Rose-Hulman has been included in Money magazine's Best College Buys list.

Electrical engineering professor develops textbook

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Professor Mark Yoder helped contribute to the development of a new textbook, "DSP First: A Multimedia Approach." He also created the CD-ROM that will accompany the textbook.Yoder, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, collaborated with colleagues, James McClellen and Ronald Schafer from Georgia Institute of Technology, during last year's educational sabbatical in Atlanta.

Rose-Hulman is one of the few colleges that offer undergraduate-level classes in digital signal processing. The textbook will encourage DSP course development throughout the nation.

Frosh Benefit From Powerful Laptop Computers

Rose-Hulman last year become one of the first colleges in the nation to require freshmen to purchase laptop computers. This year, freshmen use an even newer, more powerful laptop.

The class of 1996 carries AMS PowerCD units with Pentium processors, an 810MB hard drive, 5 1/4 inch CD-ROM, color monitor and 16-bit CD quality digital sound system. The unit weighs just 7.1 lbs.

The RAM, CPU, display and hard drive are easily upgradable. With over 40 standard features, portable multimedia has never been faster.

Why the need for laptops? Rose-Hulman wanted to make sure students could benefit fully from our innovative computer-assisted instruction, new computerized classrooms and laboratories.

"The software along was a great bargin," says freshman Brian Zabel.

A portable computer that encourages learning. That's how Mathematics Professor Robert Lopez describes just one of the laptops advantages.

"It's commonplace to see students clustered around a laptop in the student lounge or along a hallway discussing their homework. The laptop gives students the freedom to use a 20-minute break to be productive," Lopez noted.

The laptop requirement program was made with a single goal in mind---to continue to improve the education Rose-Hulman students receive.

Rose-Hulman Professor Gets Lifetime Achievement Award From World Federation Of Mathematics Competitions

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Mathematics Professor George Berzsenyi has become only the second American college educator to receive the Paul Erdos Award from the World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions.

The award recognizes Berzsenyi for his lifetime achievements to the mathematics profession. He was publicly recognized during the International Congress on Mathematics Education in Seville, Spain.

Berzsenyi has been a leader in the area of mathematics contests for more than 20 years. He founded the USA Mathematics Talent Search in 1989; has edited problems for Mathematics Student, Mathematics & Informatics Quarterly, Arbelos, Consortium, Quantum and Math Horizons publications; was a member of the Mathematics Olympiad Committee; and was chairman of the American Invitational Examination Committee during its first six years.

The USA Mathematics Talent Search has grown into one of the largest contests for high school and junior high school students. Approximately 1,800 students will participate in the contest four times throughout the 1996-97 school year. The top students attend a four-week educational program each summer at Rose-Hulman.

"I don't share the popular belief that American school children don't like mathematics. They just haven't been given the opportunity to be challenged," Berzsenyi said. "Participation in our program has increased steadily since 1989 (when 300 students registered), and I'm continuously delighted with the quality of work being completed by the students."

Berzsenyi also helped train U.S., Australian and Canadian teams that have competed in the International Mathematics Olympiad; served on the problems committee of the Australian Mathematics Competition in 1983, 1988 and 1994; was director of the Texas Mathematical Olympiad, from 1978-82; and has completed research on complex analysis and number theory.

Lilly Endowment awards $4 million for technologyand entrepreneurial development program

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology President Samuel Hulbert announced today that Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded the school a $4 million grant to create the Rose-Hulman Technology and Entrepreneurial Development Program.
Hulbert said the program is designed to make Rose-Hulman students'educational experience more relevant to their future engineering careers. The program will:

• Develop a national model at Rose-Hulman for project-based engineering and science education by increasing the number of students involved in project-based programs and increase the number of industry-based project activities occurring in Rose-Hulman academic departments and industry assistance centers.
• Create new laboratories for product/process development where faculty/student teams will work on industry-based product and process development projects.
• Increase the number of Indiana companies involved in the project-based activities.
• Create more internships and co-op programs for Rose-Hulman students at Indiana companies.
  
• According to Ralph E. Lundgren, vice president for education at the Endowment: "Indiana ranks very low in the number of college graduates who live and work here. This ranking has all sorts of implications for business and the econony and the state's general health. This grant is part of an experimental program that encourages Indiana's private colleges and universities--ourlong-time partners in various endeavors--to think about how they can apply their considerable energies and talents to increase the number of Indiana residents who receive bachelor's degrees from Indiana schools and find suitable employment opportunities in our home state.
  "We think Rose-Hulman has designed an exciting and doable program to prepare their students to take a productive place in society and help keep talented, young people in Indiana."
  Hulbert said the Endowment grant will significantly increase Rose-Hulman's ability to respond to the technology needs of the state.
  "Increasing industry-based projects will provide more students with team-oriented, educational experiences involving the latest developments in business and industry. This experience should enhance their employment opportunities in Indiana," he noted.
  Hulbert said even though Rose-Hulman has a graduation rate that is significantly higher than the national average, early participationin career-related projects with Indiana companies will increase the percentage of Rose-Hulman students who graduate and remainin the state.
  "Increasing internship and co-op jobs at Indiana companies for Rose-Hulman students will ultimately keep more technical and scientific talent in the state," said James Eifert, Rose-Hulman vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty.
  Within five years, 500 students are expected to be working annually with faculty on 100 industry-related projects.
  "The Technology and Entreprenurial Development Program will provide Indiana companies with a cost-effective source of engineering assistance, and an effective way of recruiting and evaluating technical talent," he said.
  Among the program's goals is to increase the engineering and scientific expertise available to continue the growth of the Indiana economy, Eifert stated.
  "More job opportunities will be created for new engineering and science graduates because of the economic development benefits provided by this program," he said.
  New laboratories will be located at a facility in Aleph Park,a 180-acre, high-tech business campus southeast of Terre Haute. Rose-Hulman acquired Aleph Park last month.
  A new undergraduate research laboratory building is targeted for funding through Rose-Hulman's $100 million Vision to be the Best fund-raising campaign that was launched 11 months ago.
  -- by David Piker

Creating Future Entrepreneurs: Students Work With Top Management to Help New Companies Grow

Small, fast-growing companies needing immediate engineering help are benefiting from a Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology program that is also helping students take advantage of the job growth in entrepreneurial companies.
Rose-Hulman engineering students are hired to work with an entreprenuerial company's founder or its top technical manager. Students are working on major technical projects ranging from robot systems to infrared detectors. Companies with sales between $10 million and $25 millionare involved.
"Our goal is to give students the chance to learn what it takes to contribute to the growth of a small company," saidWilliam Lindstaedt, Director of Career Services and Employer Relations at Rose-Hulman. "Employers with entrepreneurial companies say they need engineering and science talent who can make immediate contributions to the fast-paced environment of a small, growing business."
"The program also benefits the entrepreneur who doesn't have time to recruit engineers via the traditional campus interview process," he said.

Campaign Running Strong at $86 million

The Vision to be the Best campaign is running strong, with $86 million committed to the fund drive in its first two years. The total goal is $100 million.

Campaign expenditure goals by 2000, are $43 million to enhance operations; $8 million for endowment investment for student financial aid; and $29 million to enhance facilities. An additional $20 million expenditure for enhancing facilities is scheduled after 2000.

"The support we have received from all Rose-Hulman alumni, friends, parents, faculty and staff has been tremendous," said Ron Reeves, vice president of development and external affairs. "Such strong support this early in the campaign demonstrates the faith people have in the quality of Rose-Hulman and in its future."

During the past fiscal year, voluntary giving exceeded $10 million, the second largest giving year in school history. Of that amount, $8,764,700 was in cash. Real estate gift final appraisals should exceed $1.3 million for the year.

"Right now, cash gifts are important to the campaign. To accomplish the goals outlined in our Vision to be the Best we need to maintain a steady level of cash giving," Reeves said. He noted one of the areas where support is need the most is financial aid.

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Civil Engineering Society Named in Honor of Former Mentor

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's award-winning student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineering has been named the Cecil T. Lobo Student Chapter of ASCE in honor of its former adviser and faculty member Cecil Lobo, who died earlier this year.

Lobo, a member of Rose-Hulman's faculty for 30 years, helped the ASCE chapter capture 24 regional and national awards, including three times being a finalist for the top chapter in the nation. The college also reaped top honors in the ASCE's annual regional steel bridge building competition.

This year's civil engineering graduates showed their appreciation for Lobo's efforts by wearing special ribbons inscribed with the words "Mr. Civil Engineer" during commencement. The fall issue of "Civil Echoes," a quarterly publication for civil engineering alumni, was dedicated to Lobo, with eight pages of stories and anecdotes from alumni, students and faculty members.

Tom Descoteaux, assistant professor of civil engineering, is the ASCE chapter's new adviser.

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Faculty Honored

Three Rose-Hulman professors were honored recently at the national Frontiers in Education Conference.

Wayne Padgett, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer engineering, attended the conference as a Sloan New Faculty Fellow. Rose-Hulman professors Ed Doering and Mark Yoder won awards for the most outstanding non-traditional workshop given at the conference.

The Frontiers in Education Conference brings colleges professors and administrators from across the nation together to discuss the latest trends in engineering education.
 

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