Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology conducted its second homecoming of the month when 154 alumni returned to campus on Oct. 18 in hopes of recruiting current students for full time, internship and co-op positions with their companies during the college’s fall career fair.

Land of Opportunities: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's fall career fair brought 440 recruiters from 180 companies to the fieldhouse area of the Sports and Recreation Center to interview students for full time, internship and co-op positions.

Career Fair Increases for 3rd Straight Year

In fact, approximately one out of every three company representative attending the event was a Rose-Hulman graduate, and 48 percent of the companies were represented by an alumnus. Overall, there were approximately 440 representatives from 180 companies.

“Who better to know what we’re looking for from a Rose-Hulman student than a Rose-Hulman graduate?” asked Nathan Subbert, a 1998 computer engineering graduate who now serves as a senior electrical engineer for Rockwell Collins. Seven alumni represented the Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based aviation electronics and communications company at the event.

“We know and can appreciate the caliber of Rose-Hulman students. We also want to bring more Rose-Hulman alumni into the company,” said Subbert. “The students that we have brought in have impressed our leaders and made contributions to the company. That’s why we’re back for more.”

Explaining Job Possibilities: James Nordmeyer, a 1978 Rose-Hulman alumnus and vice president for production planning and logistics for Owens-Illinois, talks with a current student about career options in the glass container industry.

Rockwell Collins has become one of the leading companies that hire Rose-Hulman graduates, bringing in between 10 to 14 new employees from the Indiana college  in each of the past four years. Rose-Hulman is also now listed on the company’s “Trusted Partnership List,” which includes only seven colleges throughout the country.

“We can throw Rose-Hulman graduates into anything and they adapt,” says Rockwell Collins systems engineer Tori Bowman, a 2004 computer science graduate, about the qualities possessed by Rose-Hulman alumni.

Rebecca Johnson, another systems engineer and a 2005 electrical engineering alumnus, adds: “Rose-Hulman students learn how to learn here. That’s a skill that becomes invaluable in the corporate world –- and a lesson I didn’t appreciate until I left Rose-Hulman.”

Looking Ahead to Future: Sarah Everett, a Rose-Hulman alumnus with Eli Lilly and Company, reviews summer internship options with a current student. Lilly was among several company looking to fill internship positions during the fall recruiting season.

Indianapolis-based global pharmaceutical corporation Eli Lilly and Company had 10 Rose-Hulman alumni helping to interview prospects for summer internship positions, which could turn into employment possibilities for 2008 and beyond. "We're always looking one or two years ahead and trying to attract the best juniors and sophomores (college students) to fill our potential pool of employment candidates," says Becky Smith, senior process engineer. “We like the Rose-Hulman students’ ability to work independently on projects. They’re self-starters. We can hand the students a project and it gets done on time, with little supervision.”

Five Rose-Hulman alumni from Peoria, Ill.-based construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar were kept busy interviewing students throughout the five-hour career fair.

“We want the best (engineers) and that means we have to be here,” says Larry Lynch, a 1974 mechanical engineering graduate who is a senior design specialist. “Rose-Hulman graduates are ‘team players’. They don’t try to be the hero, but be a part of the team.”

Searching Civil Engineering Careers: Rose-Hulman alumnus Greg Henneke, vice president of Indianapolis-based American Consulting Inc., talks with a civil engineering student about career options. Lending a helping hand are two other alumni, Laura Hemming (middle) and Jessica Bastin.

Toledo, Ohio-based Fortune 500 glass container manufacturer Owens-Illinois Inc. was among the 25 percent of first-time companies recruiting at Rose-Hulman. James Nordmeyer, a 1978 chemical engineering alumni and vice president for production planning and logistics, is searching for Rose-Hulman students to fill anticipated future openings in engineering fields.

“We’re here because of what Rose-Hulman graduates can do to make us a better company,” he says. “Rose-Hulman graduates are down to earth, they have received a superior practical education, they make good sound decisions and they have the good Midwestern values that we’re seeking.”

Jeff Gilbert, a 1985 mechanical engineering graduate, is hoping to add to the list of 40 Rose-Hulman alumni that have contributed to the success of Software Engineering Professionals (SEP), Inc., an Indianapolis-based information technology company.

Proud of Rose-Hulman: Alumni like Larry Lynch, senior design special at Caterpillar, return to campus annually to encourage Rose-Hulman students to consider joining the college's alumni base with the Peoria, Ill.-based company.

“Rose-Hulman’s culture of hard work, hands-on projects, team work and dedication to the task at hand fits very well with our company,” says Gilbert, the company’s president. “Getting through Rose-Hulman, with its rigorous academic demands, gives graduates confidence to be successful after receiving their diplomas.”

Gilbert added: “You can find good people at any college career fair, but you have to see a lot of candidates to find one or two that will be the right fit (for SEP). That isn’t the case at Rose-Hulman. Most graduates would have no problem stepping in and contributing for us right away.”

Several alumni plan to participate in campus job interviews throughout the 2006-07 school year, and attend career fairs planned during the winter and spring quarters.

“The alumni network is vital to spreading Rose-Hulman’s reputation across the country,” says Kevin Hewerdine, Rose-Hulman’s director of career services and employer relations. “It also is a great indicator of the passion Rose-Hulman alumni have in giving back to the school.”