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Building on a strong past for a better future
We’re in the midst of one of my favorite times the beginning of another school year.
I base my excitement for the future on what took place at Rose-Hulman last year.
Success was achieved on a variety of fronts, and we will be able to build on those achievements this year.
So before we embark on the 1997-98 academic year, I want to reflect on a productive 1996-97.
I’m not one to dwell on the past, but I want to recollect last year’s accomplishments as foundations for our future.
We must continually strive to improve, and that can only be done by building on our past.
To review last year, I will adopt a list format. Engineers are among the great list makers of the 20th century; so if you will indulge me, I will present my retrospective in a modified list style.
- Our students had a great year. Our Math Modeling Team was listed as one of the top four in international competition involving 107 teams from America’s top colleges and schools in Hong Kong, South Africa, Canada and China.
- The Rose-Hulman steel bridge-building team won the Midwest bridge-building competition for the third year in a row.
- The student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers was selected as the Outstanding Chapter in the Midwest.
- Of matters journalistic, our student newspaper, The Thorn, received the American Scholastic Press Association’s First Place with Special Merit Award.
Civil Engineering student James Tedrick received a first-place award for Outstanding Investigative Reporting from the same national press association.
- The Solar Phantom IV raced to fifth place in Sunrayce 97 behind California State-LA, MIT, Stanford-Berkeley and Texas A&M.
Thirty-six schools competed in the race from Indianapolis to Colorado. In addition to being a technical success, our team received recognition for sportsmanship and for being a gracious host.
As proud as I am of our students’ technical accomplishments with the solar car, I am just as proud of them for being recognized as good citizens.
- Athletically, Ryan Loftus won the NCAA Division III indoor pole-vaulting championship, and our basketball team went to the NCAA Playoffs for the second year in a row.
We also celebrated our first victories by women’s teams in volleyball and basketball.
Baseball pitcher Eric Tryon was signed by the Cincinnati Reds, and he became the 44th Academic All-American at Rose-Hulman in the past 20 years.
- Our national reputation continued to grow last year, including a number-two ranking by U.S. News & World Report among engineering colleges that give baccalaureate degrees but not Ph.D. degrees.
- Rose-Hulman was one of five educational institutions to receive the coveted Hesburgh Award that recognizes colleges that have worked to improve undergraduate education through faculty development.
- Almost 400 individuals from 185 universities came to campus for the first-ever symposium dedicated to assessment.
The conference was sponsored by Rose-Hulman, ABET (the national accrediting agency for engineering schools) and the National Science Foundation.
- More facilities came on line last year than at any time in the college’s history. The Union expansion doubled the size of that building, which provides a central focus for student life activities.
The Olin Advanced Learning Center opened in time for the spring quarter, and we conducted commencement in the new Sports and Recreation Center.
To those of you who have suffered through a sweltering graduation ceremony, I am pleased to report it was our first commencement in air conditioning.
The list could go on, but I will end it in this forum. We have to start working on next year’s list.
by President Samuel F. Hulbert
 
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