EMBA. Thirty-two executives with professional backgrounds turned in their briefcases for backpacks for the inaugural class of the Neeley School of Business’ new executive MBA (EMBA) program at the TCUglobalcenter at Alliance (Airport). The predominately male freshman class, consisting of executives from corporations like IBM, Delta Airlines, BNSF and TXU Electric, will take 17 courses ranging in subjects from business strategy and structure to financial reporting and analysis by the time they graduate in 2002. Students also will take one international trip between the summer of their first and second year to observe the business practices of an overseas company.

Exceptional educators. Fall convocation brought recognition to Math Prof. Rhonda Hatcher, who was given the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, and Biology Prof. Phil Hartman, honored with the Wassenich Award for Mentoring at TCU. Hatcher has also been selected in the past for the Dean’s Teaching Award, Honors Professor of the Year, Texas Professor of the Year in Mathematics and Mortar Board Preferred Professor. She and fellow faculty member and Harvard Ph.D. husband George Gilbert recently collaborated on a math textbook for non-math majors. Hartman is the second recipient of the Wassenich Award. He was recognized for his commitment to mentoring more than 300 premed students. In her nomination letter, senior Megan Stuebner said of Hartman: “We tend to be high-strung (some might say ‘neurotic’), competitive and demanding of our advisors. While some faculty would dread a lecture hall of premed students, Dr. Hartman wades into our sea of tension with bravado.”

Internet 2. TCU faculty, staff and students now have access to a new, improved information superhighway — the high-speed, education- and research-oriented Internet 2. TCU is one of only 180 colleges and universities working in partnerships with industry and government on the new “academic” web. Other schools around the country connected to Internet 2 include Stanford, MIT, Rice, SMU and the University of Texas. One primary benefit will be using interactive audio and video for off-site learning in other states and even other countries.

The Gates of education. Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates’ influence has moved beyond TCU students’ computers to the students themselves. Students Jonathan Banda, Rachael Fisher, Crystal Chantelle Jones, LaTorsha Oakley, Dora Suarez and Crista Williams were chosen from more than 62,000 nominees to be among the first Gates Millennium Scholars. Funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the scholarship program was created in September 1999. The education gifts are aimed at increasing the number of low-income, high-achieving African Americans, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Hispanic and Asian Pacific Americans enrolling in and completing undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Freshman flood. In what has become an recurring phenomena, freshman enrollment again broke records with a class of 1,493 students, an increase of 5 percent from1999. Male freshmen enrollment also increased by 6 percent from the previous fall numbers.