The Review

Issue date: 5/13/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Steven Gold The university's first forum was open to students, faculty, alumni and the community.

Students, faculty, alumni, parents and community members all came out for Saturday's Path to Prominence. The day's events included a lunchtime International Food Fair and various panel sessions in the morning and afternoon.

The panel topics ranged from alternative energy to the future of public education to the university's Exelon Trading Center.

Meg Meiman, program coordinator for the Undergraduate Research Program, said she attended panel sessions to learn more about what other faculty and students are doing. She said she appreciates the direction University President Patrick Harker is taking the university.

"A lot of our programs are nationally competitive, but not a lot of people throughout the United States know that," Meiman said.

Michael Rubin, a parent of a university student, said he attended this weekend's events because he was interested in the Path to Prominence and in the panel discussions. He said he found the morning panel on alternative energy "absolutely excellent."

Rubin said he likes Harker's plan to make the university a better-recognized institution.

"I think Delaware's got a good story to tell, and I'd like more people to know about the university," Rubin said.

Freshman Marlene Yandrisevits, an art conservation major who attended the afternoon panel about 21st century arts and humanities education, said the session made her more aware of faculty and student activities and research throughout the university. The panel included humanities and arts professors' research, in addition to information about the Arts and Humanities Summer Institute, an initiative to enroll more diverse graduate students.

"I thought it was really interesting," Yandrisevits said. "I didn't even know this stuff was going on."

Sophomore Katie Andriotis said she attended Saturday's forum because of the international food fair, which included a buffet with various dishes from many countries throughout the world. She said her favorite dish was the spring rolls.

"I was excited because there was going to be food and it was right outside my building," Andriotis said.

Mayor Vance A. Funk III said he also would like to see the university become more globally prominent.

Continued...

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