Rodman Scholars Program

Admission into the program is primarily offered for incoming first-year applicants to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Applications to the program are neither required nor accepted as a part of this selection process. First-year engineering students or Echols Scholars may apply in the middle of their first semester. More details can be found below.

About the Rodman Scholars Program

The Rodman Scholars Program is the honors program for the top 5 percent of each class in the School of Engineering. Throughout their four years, Rodmans are given access to special research and design opportunities to continue developing their engineering and leadership skills.

Students are selected for their potential to become the engineering leaders of tomorrow, evidenced by their academic performance and engagement in improving the world around them. Rodmans are placed into a special first-year curriculum that allows them to expand and develop their talents by building on and learning from each other. In addition to the first-year curriculum, the Rodman Scholars Program encourages Rodmans to explore their interests through 1-credit seminars chosen by the scholars themselves. Throughout their four years, Rodmans are given access to special research and design opportunities to continue developing their engineering and leadership skills.

Professor Reid Bailey oversees the Rodman Scholars Program while the Rodman Council organizes a variety of events for the Rodmans and manages much of the day-to-day operations of the program, in conjunction with Professor Bailey. All Rodmans can be a part of Rodman Council and are encouraged to attend meetings that take place every other week throughout the semester.

Check out our newsletters to see what sorts of things we get up to!

 

Midyear Rodman Applications

Halfway through each year, the first years in the School of Engineering have the opportunity to apply to the Rodman Scholars Program.

Access the Midyear Rodman Application For more information about the program, visit our FAQs

Rodman Scholars Frequently Asked Questions

The Rodman Scholars Program is the honors program for the top 5-6% of each class in the engineering school. Students are selected for their superior academic performance and potential to become the engineering leaders of tomorrow.

All undergraduate applicants to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) are automatically considered for the Rodman Scholars Program. Nothing additional must be submitted beyond the standard UVA application.  First-year SEAS students not selected by Admissions may apply to the Rodman Scholars Program during their first semester at UVA.  Current Echols Scholars who transfer to SEAS should contact the Rodman Scholars Director about becoming a Rodman Scholar.

More details about mid-year applications can be found on the Mid-Year Applicants page.

  • Official Rodman Scholars Program benefits include priority registration, special scholar housing with both Rodman and Echols Scholars, a unique first year curriculum tailored to the intellectual abilities of first year Rodman Scholars. In the summer of 2010 there was even a Rodman study abroad opportunity in Germany with Volkswagen. In addition, the Rodman name holds a lot of weight among both professors looking for undergraduate researchers and employers.
  • Rodmans also have exclusive access to Rodman Seminars—student-initiated pass/fail courses designed to either delve deeper into gaps in the engineering curriculum or explore intellectual horizons beyond the engineering school. "Rodsems" offer a break from the rigorous engineering classes and teach students skills such as meditation, military strategy, and beer brewing.
  • Rodman Council, the student council for the Rodman program, meets bi-weekly to organize guest lecturers, plan social events, and try to make the Rodman experience better for future classes.
  • Check the Rodman Council minutes to see what we mean. Come to Charlottesville and see for yourself, or ask any of our students: the friends you make in the Rodman and Echols Scholars Programs will define your first year experience.

Rodmans come from a variety of different locations and backgrounds, but all have the the potential to do great things in their time at UVA. There is no typical Rodman scholar: some Rodmans love history, some are athletes, some are sorority/fraternity members, some have a passion for music, and some just like to build things. By living together and having similar schedules, the Rodman Scholar community tends to become very tight knit. As a result, Rodmans participate in many fun activities together, including sports, dinners, and doing physics homework until the wee hours of the morning (which may not be fun for everyone…). The sense of community and the friends you will meet are one of the best things about being a Rodman Scholar.

Please send your question to a member of Rodman Council or our Program Director, Reid Bailey. We will be happy to answer your question personally!

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Rodman Courses

  • Synthesis Design I: ENGR 1410

    Offered exclusively to first-year Rodman Scholars during their first semester, this class replaces the standard ENGR 1620 introduction to engineering class. Instead of focusing on a specific application or area of engineering, Synthesis Design I looks at the engineering design process more generally and applies it to a variety of projects throughout the semester which are designed to emulate real-world engineering. ENGR 1410 is required for Rodman Scholars, but not mid-year applicants.

  • Synthesis Design II: ENGR 1420

    Synthesis Design II is offered exclusively to first-year Rodman Scholars during their second semester and continues the concepts developed in Synthesis Design I. Unlike Synthesis Design I, this second course involves a single group project that lasts the entire semester. Synthesis Design II is required for all Rodman Scholars.

  • Rodman Seminars: ENGR 3580

    Rodman Seminars are 1-credit pass-fail courses that cover various topics chosen by the scholars. There are typically 4-5 seminars offered each semester and are a fun way for Rodmans to explore topics that interest them without a large commitment of time or credits. Please visit the Rodman Seminars page for more information about the classes offered now and in the past. 4 Rodman Seminars (3 for mid-year applicants) are required for graduation.

Rodman Scholars Program History

The Rodman Scholars Program is the honors program for the top 5 percent of each class in the School of Engineering. Throughout their four years, Rodmans are given access to special research and design opportunities to continue developing their engineering and leadership skills.

Our Roots: The Honors Program

The origins of the Rodman Scholars Program can be traced back to the abolishment of the original Honors Program in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The Honors Program was established in 1962 and consisted of an independent studies program which could be entered during a student's third or fourth year at the University. However, it quickly fell under many criticisms. It was a costly program and put an extra strain on faculty members who worked with the Honors Student. Additionally, by 1972, only fifteen diplomas with honors had been awarded in the history of the program. After a period of debate about its continued existence, the Honors Program was abolished at a faculty meeting on September 21, 1976.

A New Scholars Program

A committee was soon established to consider and make recommendations for a new Special Scholars Program. Dr. Mattauch of the Department of Engineering chaired the committee, which turned in its report to Dean Gibson on May 4, 1977. It consisted of an outline for a proposed program and a description of its benefits.

This new proposal differed drastically from the original Honors Program. It affected a student's first two academic years and did not include an independent study. Rather than just being an option for a student once he was already a student at the University, the new program would be a way of attracting students to the University. It also included special courses reserved solely for those students in the program, along with a recommendation to house the students in the same dorms with the Echols Scholars, the honors program of the College of Arts and Sciences.

On October 25, 1978, the proposal was unamiously passed by the faculty. The program was to be called the Rodman Scholars Program, after Professor W. Sheldon Rodman, who had served as an outstanding professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. In the fall of 1979, the first class of Rodman Scholars entered the University.

Transition to Present Day

The early days of the Rodman Scholars Program were much different from those of today. The program has undergone a large number of revisions, many in the mid 1980s after a Rodman Scholar named Paulette Brush did a thesis paper on how to improve the Rodman Scholars Program. For example, when the program first began, it had a Rodman Council, as does the program of today. The council consisted of two student representatives from each class. Today, the Rodman Council positions are all open to Scholars of any class, and meetings are open to any interested students. Additionally, the program has increased its commitment to a strong sense of Rodman community, rather than a solely academic focus. Over time, the Rodman Scholars Program has evolved from its humble beginnings into a strong program dedicated to the development of engineering leaders.