Spring 2007

April 27 will be an historic day at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. For the first time in nearly 31 years, Rose-Hulman will conduct an installation ceremony to inaugurate a new president.

The installation ceremony for Dr. Gerald Jakubowski will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Sports and Recreation Center. Jakubowski began his duties as the 13th president of Rose-Hulman on July 1. He came to Rose-Hulman after serving as vice president of Arizona State University and provost of the university’s polytechnic campus in Mesa.

Rose-Hulman invites all its friends to attend the installation ceremony and reception that will follow. The invitation on the following page provides information about how to submit your reservation via a special web site.

During the installation ceremony, Jakubowski will be formally bestowed with the powers and responsibilities of the Rose-Hulman presidency.

The installation ceremony will be the highlight of several special events that will include a symposium featuring nationally known education and technology leaders, a concert by members of the Rose-Hulman community, inauguration dinners for employees and higher education delegates, an entertainment show and special reception for students, and exhibits featuring the creative talents of students and photographs illustrating Rose-Hulman’s history.

A 16-member Inauguration Planning Committee has been meeting since October to plan the inauguration events. The committee includes alumni, faculty, staff, student, trustee and Terre Haute community representatives.

The inauguration theme is “Continuing Our Legacy of Excellence.”

“The inauguration events will officially welcome President Jakubowski and enable the Rose-Hulman community to celebrate its past and present successes, and give serious thought to the college’s future,” explained planning committee co-chairs Art Western, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, and David Piker, vice president for public relations.

The events will also represent the beginning of a new era at Rose-Hulman, involve key constituents in a special moment in the college’s history, bring national attention to Rose-Hulman, and showcase the institute’s leadership position in higher education.

The annual concert featuring the musical talents of the Rose-Hulman community will begin inauguration events on April 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hatfield Hall theatre.

Current and future trends in technology, engineering education and the engineering and science professions will be discussed April 26 during a symposium featuring nationally known speakers as well as a panel of Rose-Hulman alumni.

Featured speakers include Steven Johnson, best-selling author and technologist described by Newsweek as being one of the 50 people who matter most on the Internet. Johnson is a columnist for Discover magazine and a contributing editor to Wired. He is acclaimed for predicting and explaining the real-world impact of cutting-edge developments in science, technology and media.

Also featured will be noted engineering educator George Peterson, executive director of ABET, the accrediting agency for engineering education programs. He has served as the program director at the National Science Foundation for undergraduate engineering, mathematics and science education, and section head/program director at the National Science Foundation for teacher and faculty development at the undergraduate level. He served as chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the United States Naval Academy. Peterson has received an honorary degree from North Carolina A & T University, was honored as the Black Engineer of the Year, and received the distinguished alumnus award from the University of Illinois.

Following the symposium on April 26 will be an inauguration dinner for employees and their guest. A reception begins at 7 p.m. in the Hulman Union. President Jakubowski and his wife, Lynn, will be honored guests.

The next day, the installation ceremony will begin with a procession of faculty, trustees and delegates from other colleges and universities from Hadley Hall to the Sports and Recreation Center. The ceremony will include welcome remarks from speakers representing faculty and staff, alumni, trustees, students and the Terre Haute community. After he is officially installed as president, Dr. Jakubowski will deliver his inaugural address. Performances by Rose-Hulman student music groups will be featured during the program.

A reception in Hulbert Arena will immediately follow the installation ceremony.

Higher education delegates, many of whom will be the presidents of other colleges and universities, will be guests of President Jakubowski at a dinner following the reception.

Students are invited to special events on April 28 in the Sports and Recreation Center. An inauguration reception begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by a performance by comedian Don McMillan in Hulbert Arena. McMillan’s show, titled “Technically Funny,” focuses on his career as an engineer after graduating from Stanford and Lehigh universities. McMillan has appeared on “The Tonight Show,” “The Larry King Show,” and been featured at more than 75 events sponsored by Fortune 500 technology companies ranging from IBM to Texas Instruments.

For more information about President Jakubowski and the inauguration events, go to www.rose-hulman.edu.