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Lawrence Technological University has again been listed among the nation’s top colleges by the academic publisher Princeton Review.

LTU is included in “The Best 389 Colleges,” the company’s annual list of top colleges and universities in the nation, now available at bookstores and online.

The Princeton Review chose the colleges based on data it collects annually from surveys of 2,000 college administrators about their institutions’ academic offerings, and from interviews with 165,000 college students about all aspects of campus life. Only about 15% of America’s 2,600 four-year colleges made the list.

“We salute Lawrence Technological University for its outstanding academics, and its many other impressive offerings. We’re delighted to recommend it as an ideal choice for students searching for their ‘best-fit’ college,” said Rob Franek, Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief and lead author of “The Best 389 Colleges.”

“This recognition by Princeton Review is a validation of the hard work of our faculty and staff to provide our students with a world-class, technology-based education–an education that results in rewarding and meaningful careers,” said Tarek M. Sobh, LTU president. “Reading the positive comments from students is especially gratifying, and a signal to young people searching for a college, that they’ll find a welcoming, high-achieving atmosphere at LTU.”

The Princeton Review profile praises LTU’s small class sizes, individual attention from faculty, and many opportunities for internships and co-op jobs related to students’ majors, including at LTU’s Centrepolis Accelerator, an on-campus business incubator for high-tech manufacturing firms.

The “Students Say” section of the profile notes that “With having a small campus comes having a close-knit student body,” and there is “a strong sense of community” where “everyone really looks out for each other.” As one student says: “If you ask for help from any of your peers, you’ll receive it, or you’ll solve the problem together.” Despite its small size, this is a “group of diverse students who come from different backgrounds, race, and countries.” Around half of students are athletes and many are also “a part of Greek life or a part-time on-campus job.”

LTU was also featured on Princeton Review’s “Best Midwestern” colleges and “Best Green Colleges” list. Only 150 of the 655 four-year colleges in Michigan and eight other Midwestern states made the Best Midwestern list. Just 455 four-year colleges made the Green Colleges list.

The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges in the book from 1 to 389. The company’s  student survey asked students to rate their colleges on dozens of topics and report on their campus experiences.  Information on the survey process and methodology for the ranking lists can be found at https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/ranking-methodology.

For the full list of “The Best 389 Colleges,” visit https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/best-colleges.

The Princeton Review is an education services company known for its tutoring, test-preparation, and admission services, as well as a line of more than 150 books on K-12 and higher education.

Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is one of only 13 private, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932, and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, as well as Specs@LTU as part of its growing Center for Professional Development. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation’s top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best in the Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.

The Lawrence Technological University hosted the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ National Championship Tournaments for Men’s Bowling and Women’s Lacrosse and each team was victorious. “To win a national championship one time in your school history is huge,” says Scott Trudeau, LTU athletic director. “We just so happened to win two in the same school year.”

The Blue Devils hosted the men’s bowling tournament in March and the women’s lacrosse tournament in May. Each tournament drew teams from around the country and hundreds of student, parent and fan supporters to campus and Southfield City Centre. What makes the wins all the more noteworthy are the technological degrees the students are pursuing. “Our student athletes have a 3.22 overall grade point average,” Trudeau says. “They are here first and foremost for their academics.”

Men’s Bowling

Men’s Bowling has competed in five national championship tournaments – and won for the first time this year. Early in the playoffs, the team was knocked into the “loser’s bracket,” explains Head Coach Jonathon Putti, a 1988 LTU graduate. That meant LTU had to beat enough teams to reestablish itself in the winner’s bracket. Because this was a double elimination tournament, the Blue Devils then had to beat the team that sent them to the loser’s bracket twice in order to clinch the title. “Trying to beat any team twice at that level is not easy,” Putti adds.

Senior Jacob Kujawa led the team as co-captain and was named Most Valuable Player. He graduated in May with a degree in civil engineering. Connor Nowak, a sophomore and molecular and cellular biology major, was named All Tournament Team Member. “When it comes to the kids,” Putti says, “they were a true team.”

Women’s Lacrosse

With 10 seconds to go in overtime play, the Women’s Lacrosse team beat Savannah College of Art and Design 16-15. Last year, the undefeated, number-one-ranked Blue Devils were expected to win the national championship. But a last-minute upset to Benedictine College ended that dream. This year, the team motto was “Unfinished Business” says Mary Ann Meltzer, associate athletic director and women’s lacrosse head coach. Winning the regular season and the conference tournament did not satisfy the players; they were determined to be national champs, she says, and this time they defeated SCAD. “Winning at home against a team we’d never beaten, there really are no words to describe it,’ Meltzer says. “To do it in overtime was that much better.”

Senior Bella Burke, a midfielder, was named Most Valuable Player. She graduated in 2022 with a degree in molecular and cellular biology and is pursuing a graduate degree in biomedical engineering. Alaina Smythe, a sophomore midfielder studying biomedical engineering, scored five goals, including the winning goal.

Meltzer, who transitions to athletic director on July 1, says the tournament wins have increased the national visibility of LTU and Southfield.

The October 19th ribbon cutting marked the completion of “Tapestry of a Community,” six large mosaics adorning Lawrence Technological University’s campus along Southfield City Centre Trail. Mayor Kenson J. Siver, LTU President Tarek Sobh, Public Arts Commission Chair Delores Flagg, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jasmine Patton and Director of Planning Terry Croad, together with LTU faculty and administrators, joined Dr. Hubert Massey to celebrate his bold, bright creation. “This has been a truly remarkable time to create a piece of artwork for Southfield,” Massey said. “I always say it’s about celebrating communities – celebrating Lawrence Tech, celebrating the communities of Southfield. Getting people involved.”

Southfield City Centre and the Southfield Public Arts Commission enlisted Massey, acclaimed artist and Michigan native, to tell Southfield’s history through a work of public art. During the pandemic, Massey held two virtual town forums with residents to learn about the city. The mosaics are Southfield City Centre Trail’s newest art additions. They are located on the stretch of trail that parallels southbound Northwestern Highway service drive on the LTU lawn. “Southfield is LTU and LTU is Southfield,” said President Tarek Sobh. “We are very proud of our Town and Gown relationship, which has thrived for the last 10 years, if not longer. Our intention is to continue this partnership and continue to display great works of art and have many other collaborative avenues in the years to come.”

Mayor Siver served as the master of ceremony and welcomed everyone on what was a damp and chilly day. “We’re all about trails,” he said. “We keep doing this because we want to make our city more pedestrian friendly and encourage people to be out biking and walking.” “Tapestry of a Community” and the entire public art collection on display along the trail is meant to attract residents and visitors and promote heart-healthy activity. The 8.75-mile non-motorized pathway, nature trail and public art collection is free and open to the public year-round. Two self-guided tours are available. Download the PocketSights app to your mobile device and search “Southfield, Michigan” for Walking Tour and Art Tour. “I’m so glad to be part of this beautiful day, even though it is very chilly,” concluded Delores Flagg.

The last leg of Southfield’s City Centre Trail expansion has been completed. The final one-half mile stretch, meandering past Eaton Corp., runs southbound along Northwestern Highway service drive between Lahser and Civic Centre Drive. This new segment now makes it possible for walkers, joggers, cyclists and those relying on wheelchairs and strollers to safely travel 2.6 linear miles from Lahser to Nine Mile Road. “Ultimately our goal has been to connect Southfield City Centre to the Downtown Development Authority district and to connect Lawrence Technological University and the Municipal Campus with Ascension Providence Hospital and Northland City Center – all by non-motorized pathway,” says Terry Croad, director of planning for City of Southfield.

Creating safe pathways for non-motorized transportation has been a longstanding priority for the City. Residents wanted heart-healthy trails for year-round exercise. The business community wanted amenities for their workforces, including the ability to get to work, dining and recreation without needing a car, and LTU students wanted to walk and bike safely beyond their university campus. “During the last decade, the City has added more than 20 linear miles of new pathways,” Croad explains.

The Planning Department has a formula for identifying where to locate pathways and how to create a consistent look and feel. First priority is determining areas that offer a high density of residents and businesses and also strategic connections to regional pathways. Next step in its formula is infrastructure – actually building the pathway – and then layering on the distinctive attributes that contribute to safety, engagement and enjoyability: signage, trail markers, interpretive panels, trees, pedestrian respite stations (benches and waste receptacles), bike facilities (repair and rental stations), and placemaking features such as public art, whimsical birdhouses, dog treat stations and waste receptacles. Currently these features are being added to the new stretch of trail that encompasses Eaton Corp.

In addition, two half-mile segments are just getting underway. One will extend Southfield City Centre Trail by another half mile along southbound Northwestern Highway from Nine Mile Road to Cornell in the Magnolia neighborhood. Eventually this pathway will reach the perimeter of the soon to be redeveloped Northland City Center. A second half-mile stretch will border Bauervic Woods Park on Nine Mile and contribute to the City’s next pathway development priority: creating a Nine Mile corridor that connects Southfield with Oak Park and Ferndale to the east and Farmington to the west.

In addition to facilitating healthy living and advancing economic development, Croad likes to make the case that well-used pathways for non-motorized transportation also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb climate change. He cites four statistics:

• Almost half of all car trips in U.S. cities are three miles or less.
• About 20 percent of car trips in U.S. cities are less than one mile.
• For every gallon of gasoline saved, the atmosphere is spared 22 pounds of additional CO2, a greenhouse gas.
• On average, adults burn 100 calories for every mile walked.

“The average American can walk a mile in 20 minutes or bike a mile in five minutes,” Croad explains. “We can eliminate almost one-half of auto trips in cities IF we provide the pathways and accessibility and safety for people to do that. And that’s my ultimate goal.”