Caltech Family Weekend Provides a Glimpse of Undergraduate Life

The families of Caltech's newest undergraduates were welcomed to the community and provided a glimpse of Caltech's undergraduate program during the Institute's annual Family Weekend event.

Between Friday, November 9, and Sunday, November 11, more than 100 families explored campus and participated in events and activities that included a parents' happy hour at the Athenaeum's Rathskeller as well as panel discussions and presentations with Student Affairs administrators, faculty, and students on undergraduate life, opportunities for studying abroad, summer research, career planning, academics, and a look at what the Caltech experience is like for student athletes. Families and their students were also invited to attend a Von Kármán Lecture and a performance by the Caltech-Occidental Wind Orchestra.

During a luncheon held in the dining hall of Caltech's recently opened Bechtel Residence, President Thomas Rosenbaum greeted the families with a message that highlighted the range of opportunities and experiences undergraduate students' have—from the close interaction with faculty and peers to hands-on research—to broaden their thinking and perspective while also helping to advance discoveries that have the potential to positively change the world. 

"Thank you for sharing your children with us," Rosenbaum said. "We are really excited that they are bringing their energy, their intellect, their idealism to our community, and we look forward to many years of discovery."