Spring 2007

Saluting Rose-Hulman’s Talented Student Body
By Robert Bright, Chairman of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Board of Trustees

As an alumnus and Board of Trustees member I’m always quick to point out how our alumni are our best calling cards to tell the Rose-Hulman story. We can’t forget, however, that their stories start as some of the best college students in the country. Throughout the history of the Institute, our students have exemplified that story on many fronts – academics, athletics and community service.

For example, during the past four years Rose-Hulman has had a student named to the prestigious All-USA College Academic Team, featured in USA Today. This year’s team selection is Eric Clifft, a mechanical engineering major who helped form an Engineers Without Borders student chapter after reading an article in Mechanical Engineering magazine that described the lack of infrastructure hindering economic development in Africa. He was cited for his leadership in that endeavor and for his academic achievements.

In addition to individual achievement, our students represent the college well with various academic team competitions such as the Challenge X team and student professional organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers, where they have been named the nation’s number-one chapter.

Student academic achievement carries itself into the athletic arena with a total of 67 student/athletes being named Academic All-Americans. For 22 consecutive years, at least one Engineer student-athlete has been named an Academic All-American.

Community service is another area where our students excel. I marvel at how they give of themselves to a variety of service causes such as the area Bikes-For-Tykes program, mission food drives, fundraising for breast cancer research and local tutoring programs, to name a few. They even focus their academic project work on service-oriented tasks such as engineering assistedmobility devices for disabled people.

Rose-Hulman nurtures such student achievement in a caring campus environment that begins those first days during freshman orientation when a group of individuals come together on a campus in Terre Haute, Indiana, to begin/continue their journey to pursue their dreams and become a member of a very special group – “The Rose-Hulman Family.”

Campus faculty and staff instantly lay a foundation of team building and fun that creates trust and understanding of the value of team effort where the total result is much greater than the individual effort. It is soon apparent that everyone on campus, no matter what his/her official title, is part of the team to optimize the ability of every student to reach that dream.

This certainly includes fellow students who help and support in every way as a natural part of the campus lifestyle and build lifelong friendships. Students are certainly the most valuable asset in that Rose Family and the focus of all other constituents in that family!

Student membership in the family does not end upon graduation. It is a lifelong relationship that never ends. I’m living proof of that special bond with RoseHulman as I’m scheduled to receive a 50year commemorative diploma with my fellow members of the Class of 1957 this spring during commencement. I hope the members of the Class of 2007 will maintain that bond so they can receive similar recognition a half century from now.

As the rate of societal change continues to escalate, the basic skills developed by Rose-Hulman students continue to be more and more important—especially problem solving and a realization that a hard work ethic rather than running away or avoidance are very rewarding and usually very effective. The rate and methods of learning keep up with the rate of change, and Rose students continue to demonstrate an ability to keep pace and develop personal and leadership skills through opportunities provided by the many clubs and activities during their stay at Rose.

The Board of Trustees and President Jakubowski have committed to broadening our campus diversity on all fronts, including ethnicity, race and geography. In the past 10 years, our geographic focus has shifted away from Indiana. In 1996, the incoming freshman class was 57 percent from Indiana. Today, the percentage of Indiana students stands at 40 percent with students coming from 44 states and five foreign countries. As we become more diverse in our student body, Rose-Hulman will have a more diverse impact on the world. Their involvement in helping solve the problems of the world will demonstrate the Rose-Hulman story to more people.

I am sure the pride of all Rose-Hulman constituents will increase as these talented young people realize their dreams. They are the living proof today and tomorrow that Rose-Hulman continues as the best in undergraduate engineering, science and mathematics education.