WSU College of Engineering hosts winter orientation for record number of incoming graduate students

The Wayne State University College of Engineering kicked off the first day of the winter 2015 semester by welcoming new graduate students during orientation on Jan. 12. As of press time, 169 first-time, degree-seeking graduate students were registered for the winter semester - the largest number since at least 2007, and a nearly 18 percent increase over winter 2014. Overall enrollment at the college for fall 2014 was 3,115, the greatest number in at least two dacades and making the college the second largest at WSU. Official numbers for winter 2015 will be released soon.

Dean Farshad Fotouhi delivered introductory remarks on a snowy Detroit morning, encouraging students to not only focus on coursework and research, but to also get involved in campus life and explore the city. New students also heard from representatives from the Wayne State Police Department, Engineering Career Resource Center, University Libraries, and Office of International Student and Scholars. Current master's and Ph.D. students also answered questions and talked about their own Wayne State experiences.

Among the orientation attendees were students from Bangladesh, Cameroon, China, India, Iran, Korea and Libya, along with domestic students hailing from undergraduate programs at WSU, Michigan State University and Kettering University. When surveyed, many students indicated that they chose WSU's College of Engineering due to its research activities, reputation and proximity to related industries.