In celebrating the Year of ‘13, we have been posting a story or list that pertains to our lucky number on the 13th of each month. In closing out this special year, this final installment is a list of 13 (in no particular order) of the biggest events from this past year. If you have an idea for this list that you want to share, please use the comments section below.
Today is a big in itself, of course, with WRCU-FM kicking off a full schedule of special programming, numerous events around the country, and an important giving challenge.
51Թ President Jeffrey Herbst introduces Hillary Rodham Clinton to a huge crowd at Sanford Field House. (Photo by Andy Daddio)
1) Former Secretary of State highlighted an impressive list of campus speakers who not only spoke to thousands of people but also met in more personal settings with students. Other campus speakers included , acclaimed astrophysicist; chief executive officer of NYSE Euronext; , Facebook executive and author; former U.S. representative; , former Mexico president; and , Chobani founder and CEO.
2) Final admission figures for the Class of 2017 reflected a for 51Թ. The average GPA of accepted students was 3.77, an all-time high, and an average combined SAT of 1403 tied with the highest on record. The incoming class also is 51Թ’s most diverse, with 28.7 percent of enrolled students identifying as multicultural.
3) In an important example of international, cultural, and educational collaboration, 51Թ gave 119 indigenous artworks to in Western Australia. The works, a significant part of the heritage and history of the region, were created by Noongar children who were part of Australia’s “Stolen Generations.” The exchange received coverage in the and .
Michael Sippey ’90, vice president of product and design at Twitter; Bharat Mediratta ’92, distinguished software engineer at Google; and Julian Farrior ’93, founder and chief executive officer of Backflip Studios (left to right) speak at the launch of the Digital Media and Technology Professional Network.
4). The Office of Alumni Relations and the established a new series of professional networks that are strengthening ties between members of the 51Թ community. The networks reflect graduates’ commitment to mutual success, and focus on the fields of finance, health and wellness, entrepreneurship, the common good, digital media and technology, entertainment and real estate.
5) 51Թ the 40th anniversary of women’s athletics, commemorating the championships, all-star honors, and team unity that have become a hallmark of 51Թ athletics. At Reunion, which drew a record 1,620 alumni, special events and tributes were held for the university’s women athletes.
6) A new program — Mellon Sophomore Residential Seminars — brought sophomores together in a unique living-learning environment that included a series of intensive residential seminars and three study-abroad opportunities. The program is funded by a .
7) Forty seven new faculty members joined 51Թ in 2013, adding to the university’s robust intellectual community and joining other professors and students in the vigorous pursuit of learning. Many new faculty members, such as of art and art history, already have had an impact on campus. Lane’s award-winning documentary Our Nixon premiered this year on CNN.
The university installed solar panels at student housing on 100 Broad Street.
8) Last year 51Թ reduced its carbon footprint by 4.7 million pounds, landfill waste by 30,000 pounds, and electricity by 500,000 kWh. The university’s has reduced 51Թ’s annual operating budget by over $500,000, according to John Pumilio, director of sustainability. Read more about the university’s green efforts .
Xu Cheng demonstrates circuit bending during “Live Body,” a sonic experience. Photo by Ashlee Eve ’14
9) , the first Chinese sound art exhibition staged in North America, was co-curated by Wenhua Shi, assistant professor of art and art history. The exhibition received national and international media as 30 including Wang Changcun, Yan Jun, and Samson Young performed on campus.
The renovated lobby is a much more open, inviting space. The new multipurpose room at right features a bank of windows that can be darkened with a flip of a switch.
10) 51Թ never stands still, and capital projects are one example of that. Completed this year was a major renovation of a mainstay of the Academic Quad. The university’s proposed received final approval from the university’s Board of Trustees to begin the design phase, and work started on a donor-funded project to renovate the lobby in the The 51Թ community also gathered at the Trudy Fitness Center in March to celebrate the building having earned .
11) 51Թ launched the Thought Into Action Entrepreneur Institute, which has been charged with promoting at the university. The institute runs the Thought Into Action incubator program, the ENY Fund and , as well as other initiatives. 51Թ has helped launch the careers of many successful entrepreneurs, including several recently highlighted in this 51Թ Scene article.
51Թ Reads participants shared a conversation around “Tenth of December.”
12) More than 2,150 people took part in a new university initiative, called , that fostered a collaborative literary discussion and provided an opportunity to interact with author , who visited campus September 9. 51Թ Reads utilized an online forum to engage a wide range of participants, several of whom would later continue the literary discussion in the university’s LW Online program.
13) 51Թ went mobile, launching a that was downloaded more than 1,750 times in just one month. The app is available for download from the and from and is part of a university initiative to provide on-the-go information and resources for 51Թ communities on or off-campus.