TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – A $10 million dollar gift to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has paved the way for a new STEM-based scholars program.
The Noblitt Scholars program is a first of it’s kind for the school.
Rose-Hulman’s president Robert Coons says students in the merit program will focus on global issues, plus leadership experience and training.
The inaugural class has 81 first year students.
Highlights of the inaugural Noblitt Scholars class include:
- 47% of the students are female
- 76% are from outside Indiana
- 21% of the students are African American
- International students hail from China, South Korea and India
“These students are in the top 5 percent of their class in the country. They come to us with median SAT’s of 730 ACT’s of 34, I mean just phenomenal kids with a lot of variety of backgrounds and interests,” Coons said.
Moving forward, Coons says plans are to add approximately 55 first-year students to the program each year.
These students will receive scholarships up to the full cost of tuition.
The Noblitt Scholars program is named after Niles and Nancy Noblitt.
The couple is who gave the $10 million dollar gift to the school.
“We wanted to establish a program that will enable our students to make a positive impact on environmental, infrastructure, health care and other major challenges as soon as possible,” said Niles Noblitt, a 1973 Rose-Hulman biological engineering alumnus and current board chairman.
“We are extremely grateful to Nancy and Niles for their generosity and commitment to the success of our students,” said Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons. “By establishing a nationally recognized merit scholars program, we’ll continue to provide the personal attention that is the hallmark of a Rose-Hulman education but in exciting new ways that will bring transformative societal change. I believe this gift will also be transformational to the institute, helping to position Rose-Hulman as a national leader in educating students in STEM fields.”
