Every year, the department hosts a large number of visiting scholars, from postdoctoral fellows to Nobel laureates, who may stay a day and give a seminar, stay a term and teach a course, or stay several months and conduct research. The department has a strong commitment to curiosity-driven research but also recognizes its responsibility in helping industry conduct market-driven research and development. More importantly, the department has established a reputation in taking teaching and supervising students very conscientiously.