February 19, 2009

Congratulations on your acceptance to Illinois Institute of Technology!  As part of our commitment to welcoming you to the IIT community, I will be sending you a series of emails to keep you up-to-date on the enrollment process as well as current events on campus.

This is the end of the fifth week of the Spring 2009 academic semester and our students are beginning to think about their mid-terms, but there is also a great deal of excitement and conversation about their plans for this summer.  Already, some of our graduating students have decided upon further education including medical school, law school, and Ph.D. programs available at IIT and across the country.  Many of our continuing students are completing interviews for summer internships, deciding on which courses to take over the summer, and setting their sights on traveling internationally.  All in all, the campus is once again full of activity.

I would like to share with you some news about undergraduate research at IIT and about one of our students who was recently honored with a Whitaker Fellowship:

• Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate students at IIT are involved in government, foundation and industry, funded research projects in all areas of science, engineering, technology and mathematics.  These research experiences offer students the opportunity to become involved in cutting edge research.  The Office of Undergraduate Research has been developed to enhance existing programs at IIT and provide new opportunities for mentored collaborative research experiences for undergraduates.



• Whitaker International Fellowship

One of only twelve recipients in the nation last year, Michael Morley (Biomedical Engineering '08) was awarded a Whitaker International Fellows Grant.  The fellowship supports biomedical engineering (BME) students interested in studying and conducting research abroad.  Morley, who became fluent in Spanish during his sophomore year in Spain on an exchange program, traveled to Bogota, Colombia where he will remain for two years, pursuing a Master's Degree in Biomedical Sciences with a specialization in Biomechanics and Rehabilitation at Universidad de Los Andes.  He is also working at a non-profit rehabilitation clinic called El Laboratorio Gillete.  Morley is gaining hands-on experience treating patients with orthotics and prosthetics, a subject he became familiar with during an IIT Interprofessional Projects Program (IPRO) course he participated in last year, IPRO 309: Orthotics and Prosthetics Education in Latin America.

Again, congratulations on your acceptance.  If we can assist you or your family in any way over the course of the coming months, please let us know.

Sincerely,

Gerald P. Doyle
Vice Provost
Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid

P.S. Looking ahead, please note the dates for Preview Weekend: Friday, April 3 - Saturday, April 4, 2009