This fall, I had the privilege of attending one of 15 dinners that Chancellor Robert Coombe hosted for our new first-year students. The dinners are a chance for the students to meet alumni and administrators and a wonderful opportunity for us to meet the newest class of Pioneers.
I was impressed. The students I dined with were intellectually engaged, informed and articulate. Who knew that 18-year-olds could make such good dinner company! When my turn came to briefly address the gathering, I told the students how proud I am that they’ve joined our family of Pioneers and that they gave me hope for the future of this institution. With students like this, we can’t go wrong.
At DU, it seems, exceptional students are no longer the exception. Just look at the statistics for the Class of 2010. Their average GPA is 3.58, and their average SAT score is 1180 — up from 1165 last year and far ahead of the national average of 1021. Fourteen incoming freshman are Boettcher Scholars, making this the largest entering class of Boettcher Scholars in DU history.
And that’s just our freshman class.
You’ll read about some other incredible DU undergraduates in this issue. Our cover story is about Allison Jones, an engineering major who, by the way, also is a Paralympics gold medalist. You’ll also find an article spotlighting the research of biology major Colin Erdman, whose work promises to revolutionize forensic investigation.
With students like these, DU’s future is bright, indeed.