"An increase of almost 4 percent in the number of students accepting our offers of admission is unheard of in our field. It is testimony to the increasing popularity of the University of Delaware," Siegel says.
"The goal in recruiting this year's class was to increase quality while enrolling approximately 150 more students than last year because of a large graduating class. While we met the quality goals-high school grade point averages, predicted college grade point averages, combined SAT and class rank are all up from last year-we exceeded our target."
Delawareans also are increasingly choosing UD for college, with 1,217 students from throughout the state entering this fall. In 1995, there were 1,071, and the number has risen steadily each year.
New Jersey follows with 679 new students, Pennsylvania with 656, New York with 507, Maryland with 279 and Connecticut with 109. Students come from as far away as Oregon (1) and the U.S. Virgin Islands (7), but the majority comes from the mid-Atlantic region.
From outside the United States, there are 26 new international students from Belgium, British Columbia, Colombia, France, Germany, Ghana, Jamaica, Sweden and Switzerland.
In terms of ethnic diversity, the incoming students include 241 African Americans, 109 Latino Americans, 96 Asian Americans and 11 Native Americans. Freshman minority enrollment increased by 8 percent over fall 1997.
Almost 2,000 of the entering freshmen were involved in volunteer work. Other activities included academic clubs (937), school publications (867), student government (824), music (645), theatre (426) and tutoring (401). In sports, 531 played soccer, 458 played basketball and 450 were involved in track and cross country.
Once the form is completed, it automatically becomes part of the campus job listings, which are easily accessible to students. <www.mis.udel.edu/cgis/ptjobs.cgi>
Jody Michelle Kelly, AS '98, is the newest Miss Delaware. The Magnolia, Del., native competed as Miss Hockessin in her bid for the State title. Kelly graduated with a bachelor's degree in German and criminal justice and will defer graduate school for a year. Then, she plans to pursue a master's degree in special education. For the talent portion of the competition, she played the flute-an instrument she has studied since fifth grade. A former softball player and community service advocate, Kelly is a supporter of Habitat for Humanity. In addition to winning the title, she will earn $64,000 in stipends.
University of Delaware participants took several top-place awards at the Universal Cheerleading Association and Universal Dance Association (UCA/UDA) camp, held Aug. 8-11 at Rutgers University.
The University of Delaware Cheerleading Team received the first-place sideline and fight song awards and finished second in the cheer competition and in the most collegiate award category. UD cheerleaders also took home a superior trophy for receiving blue ribbons for all their individual routines.
The UD Precision Dance Team received first place in the home routine and was selected the most collegiate award winner.
YoUDee, the UD mascot, received first place among all mascots as well as the camp leadership award.
Seventeen sets of twins are among the 4,000 new students who make up the Class of 2002. Six sets
met in front of Gore Hall before the Convocation ceremonies, including (clockwise, from left) Dawn and Amber Dove, Kenani and Kelila Hines, Claron and Clark Ridge, Jason and Nicholas Hetrick, Anupa and Ayesha Chacko and Lea and Ryan Diamond.
This year's freshman class has 54 valedictorians, 19 salutatorians and 202 students with 4.00 high school grade point averages. Freshman SAT scores also are higher- 1,138 compared to 1,136 in 1997.
The University Honors Program has enrolled 544 students versus 445 last year with average SAT scores of 1313 and average high school grade point of 3.77.
Last month, Emmanuel Llinares successfully defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic of ski-lift ticket pricing and the diffusion of ski-lift technology. Both universities awarded the degree in economics.
"Working in two different universities and using two different languages has been an outstanding experience," Llinares says. "The interaction between the schools and the members of the committee worked perfectly together, and I hope and believe that many other students will follow."
Llinares has accepted a one-year visiting assistant professorship at UD and is teaching three economics classes during the fall semester.
He came to UD from his hometown, St. Christol, France, for the first time as an undergraduate economics exchange student in the 1992-93 academic year. Returning to UD in the fall of 1994, Llinares entered the master's degree program in economics, and he earned his degree in 1996. His research focus is the economic analysis of industrial organizations.
The joint doctoral degree program, called the co-tutelle in French, is the latest development in a general cooperative agreement that was formed between the two universities in 1991.
The University recently transferred the 504-acre Judge Morris property- the largest remaining parcel of open space along Kirkwood Highway, just outside of Newark, Del.-to the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation. Purchase price was $12.5 million.
The property is now part of White Clay Creek State Park-bringing the park's total to 2,897 acres.
Judge Hugh M. Morris, namesake of the Morris Library, was a UD alumnus who served as chairman of the UD Board of Trustees from 1939-1959. A prominent Wilmington judge and major contributor to the University, he bequeathed the property to UD in 1966.
The land contains a state-recognized natural area encompassing a mature, diverse, hardwood forest and Pike Creek flows through the property.
Future plans for the property include bringing its existing hiking and mountain biking trails up to Delaware State Park standards and renovating the estate mansion and out buildings for potential public use.
At a ceremony marking the transfer, President David P. Roselle called the action "a win-win situation for everyone that turns Judge Morris' gift to the University into one that all the people of Delaware can share and enjoy."
Tony Rodriguez, EG '01, of Toms River, N.J., was featured this summer in Cosmopolitan magazine's "All about Men" special issue. Listed as the Delaware single man Cosmo readers indicated they would most like to date, he was part of the spread, "America's Most Wanted Men."
The magazine quoted Rodriguez as describing himself as "a good listener. I make friends easily and I have a good sense of humor."
If your campus television viewing experience was limited when you were at UD, imagine the power struggles for control of the remote this fall as eight new channels were added to UDTV, the campus cable system. Returning students saw the addition of E! Entertainment Network, ESPN2 Sports Network, Bravo!, Cartoon Network, Comcast SportsNet, TV Food Network, MSNBC and The History Channel.
These eight additions bring to 54 the number of broadcast channels available to viewers, in addition to the six channels of programming that originate on campus. These UD-produced offerings include UD Bulletin Board-Channel 2, Academic Request-Channel 48, SLTV (Student Life)-Channel 49, TV from UD Listings-Channel 50, AGTV (College of Agriculture and Natural Resources)-Channel 51 and THUD (Technology Help from UD)-Channel 52.
Mike Brey, men's basketball head coach, served as a consultant this summer to the Senegalese National Team that competed in the 13th Federation Internationale de Basketball World Championships in Athens Greece.
Brey helped coordinate the team's training camp at UD. A
key member of the Senegalese team is guard Madou Diouf, who was a member of Delaware's NCAA Tournament team this past winter.
Brey, the 1998 America East Co-Coach of the Year, has posted a three-year record of 50-28 at Delaware and coached the team to participation in last year's 1998 NCAA Tournament.
An increase in the number of freshmen choosing UD and continued demand from returning students has resulted in the highest on-campus housing numbers since the fall of 1980.
To meet demand, the Housing Office furnished a variety of locations for extended housing to provide rooms to all students guaranteed housing.
Extended housing includes tripling larger double rooms equipping floor and recreation lounges as student rooms and using the University Guest Apartments in the Christiana Towers. Students assigned to extended housing receive a weekly rebate on their room rents as well as special attention from the residence life staff.
As the housing office receives cancellations from students for a variety of reasons, other vacancies become available and students are relocated to traditional rooms.
"We think it is important to meet our commitment to house students even if it results in extended housing. Considerable research shows that being on campus as a freshman really enhances the educational experience," David G. Butler, director of the Office of Housing and Conference Services, says.
YoUDee, the Fightin' Blue Hen mascot, keeps cool with the University's New Castle County Alumni Club members, families and friends at the Fred Rust Ice Arena. When not taking part in UD athletic events or delivering balloons to celebrate birthdays and special anniversaries, the mascot sponsors the YoUDee Club for youngsters between the ages of 4 and 12. For more information on club benefits, call (302) 831-2791.