<strong>UTD No. 1 for CS degrees awarded</strong>

According to a recent survey by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), UTD confers more computer science degrees than any other institution in the country.

The survey indicated UTD’s Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) awarded a combined 592 undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate degrees for the 2002-03 academic year, the most recent time frame studied.

By comparison, UT-Austin granted 466 such degrees, the University of Southern California, 453, and Stanford University, 318.

In combined computer science and electrical engineering degrees, UTD ranked fifth with 757, ahead of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (746).

Dean of ECS Bob Helms said the ranking provided “evidence that we are on the move and beginning to get noticed nationally.”

<strong>Lou replaces Heelis as physics head</strong>

Professor Xinchou Lou was appointed head of the physics department after Roderick A. Heelis’ departure from the position.

With increasing contracts for major research, Heelis plans to dedicate more time to the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, which he directs.

According to interim Dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics John Ferraris, high-energy physics expert Lou would make “a superb department head.”

Lou received a Ph.D. in physics from the State University of New York, Albany, in 1989 and is involved with the BABAR experiment.

BABAR is comprised of physicists from 10 different countries; its goal is to differentiate between matter and anti-matter through physics.

A co-principal investigator for the BABAR experiment, Lou contributes with data acquisition and analysis.

<strong>Enrollment, credit hours increase</strong>

As of Aug. 25, 14,435 students had enrolled for the fall 2004 semester – amounting to 147,208 semester credit hours registered

The updated enrollment numbers indicated a 2.7 percent increase in students enrolled and a 5 percent increase in semester credit hours registered, compared to statistics from last fall.

Executive Director of Strategic Planning and Analysis Lawrence Redlinger said these numbers were a close prediction of the final enrollment figures.

<strong>Correction</strong>

The caption for the Page 1 photo “Slip slidin’ away” in the Aug. 23 issue of The Mercury erroneously referred to an introduction of new “pledges” at the Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) party Aug. 18. The Mercury was informed that Zeta Beta Tau does not accept pledges to its fraternity and regrets the error.