UPenn prof named Dean of College of Engineering David Luzzi, a professor from the University of Pennsylvania and an expert in nanotechnology, has been tapped by Northeastern to become the dean of the College of Engineering. Luzzi is credited with discovering the “peapod” class of nanomaterials, which was featured in Science magazine in 2002, and as the co-founder of the Philadelphia-based Nanotechnology Institute. He completed his bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, a doctorate in materials science and engineering from Northwestern University and an executive MBA program at UPenn’s Wharton School of Business.

– Ricky Thompson, News Staff

Part-time college students are at disadvantage Taking it slow may not be the best approach. Part-time college students are at a disadvantage compared to full-time college students, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is run by the U.S. Department of Education. The report determined part-time students were behind full-time students in regard to college persistence and obtaining a degree. The report reached its findings even when factors like gender, family income and educational expectations were controlled in conducting the comparison. It estimates that 35 percent of undergraduates during the 2003-2004 academic year who attended college on a part-time basis tended to be older and financially independent compared to their full-time counterparts and that a majority attended two-year colleges and universities.

– Ricky Thompson, News Staff