Endnotes: How Would You Describe Caltech, its Culture, or its People?
In his first address to the community, Caltech’s incoming president, Ray Jayawardhana, talked about Caltech’s “intrepid community that continues to push at the edges of what we know.” How would you describe the Institute, its culture, or its people?
The culture is built on a basis of scientific integrity. The pursuit of knowledge is nurtured by both curiosity and meticulous honesty.
–Robert Blair (PhD ’82) LOMBARD, IL
Vital. Now more than ever.
–Tim Cotter (BS ’88) SUNNYVALE, CA
I had lots of different impressions of the Institute when I was there and in the years after graduating. But over time, my impressions have narrowed down to the two that I think are the most important: the Honor code and the interdisciplinary atmosphere. These are the essence of why I thought Caltech was an extraordinary place to study and is still an extraordinary place to be connected to.
–Stephanie Charles (BS ’73) MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA
Caltech has one of the most collaborative cultures of any school I’ve been in; seeking help from fellow grad students and professors from other departments is almost always met with enthusiastic curiosity. This freedom to work across disciplines makes the research experience truly exceptional.
–Wei Lin Tan (PhD ’19) SINGAPORE
We Techers are the most curious group of individuals to which I have ever belonged.
–Bruce Reznick (BS ’73) URBANA, IL
I would describe Caltech as the place where I learned how to learn. The Institute always pushed us to learn new things and extend our knowledge of how and why things were as they were.
–John Haworth (BS ’61) RESEDA, CA
Challenging, inspirational, ethical, and in search of truth—The Friday Evening Demonstration Lectures hooked me in 1955; Ernest Watson himself taught our 1958 autumn physics course until a heart attack sidelined him to bring in Richard Feynman. Lucky us. Indeed “lucky us” for any Techer at any part of their life. Profound creativity, perseverance, and skepticism are both valued and meted out in equal proportions. Today, with experience at many of the finest colleges and universities across the globe, I can easily aver that the Caltech experience and its community are unique. As my Berkeley PhD wife said to me somewhat incredulously after her first Caltech alumni dinner: “Who are these people?” Today, she still is in awe of what she’s seen. Lucky us, the Techers.
–Charles House (BS ’62) SACRAMENTO, CA
Honest, honorable, diverse, innovative, not without faults, but consistently seeking to evolve and improve.
–Will Grossman (PhD ’79) WALPOLE, NH
Its size and its history of excellence drive significant collaboration and productivity between and among the faculty and students. Crosspollination of new ideas and research strategies takes place everywhere at Caltech: Undergraduate and graduate students mix with faculty all the time in a small campus environment. The result is continuous improvement and creativity.
–John Cummings (BS ’69, PhD ’73) PUEBLO, CO