Four professors chosen to advise college on improving undergraduate education

Four renowned Institute of Technology professors have been named to three-year appointments as Taylor Distinguished Professors to work as a team of key advisors on matters related to improving undergraduate education within the college. The professors are Lorraine Francis (chemical engineering and materials science), James Kakalios (physics), James Leger (electrical and computer engineering), and Kenneth Leopold (chemistry).

The four Taylor Distinguished Professors, together with Paul Strykowski, the Institute of Technology associate dean for undergraduate programs, will form the Taylor Committee. The committee will deliberate and make recommendations on matters of strategic importance to the undergraduate vitality of the college. The first charge of the Taylor Committee will be to explore the benefits of establishing a required freshman experience for all incoming Institute of Technology students, with the primary goal of increasing student retention and graduation rates.

"I will rely heavily on the many years of experience these faculty have working with undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota," said associate dean Strykowski. "We're very lucky to have such dedicated faculty who are committed to continuous improvement of the undergraduate student experience in the Institute of Technology.

The Mr. and Mrs. George W. Taylor Professorship Fund was created by the Taylor Family in the spirit of improving the undergraduate experience in the Institute of Technology. George W. Taylor was a 1934 mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Minnesota. The Taylor family supports numerous awards and initiatives related to undergraduate education within the Institute of Technology.