Stevens Institute of Technology: Admissions Blog

Early Decision I Deadline is November 15

Don’t forget – the Early Decision I deadline is right around the corner! If you are applying EDI, make sure your application is submitted by November 15 and all supporting documents are received by December 4.

Did you know?...

• If you applied Regular Decision and now would like to apply Early Decision, simply contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to indicate your decision to switch and confirm your attendance by the ED commitment date.
• EDI candidates will be notified of the acceptance decision by December 15 – just one month!
• While Early Decision candidates may initiate applications to other colleges, if you are accepted ED and deposit to Stevens, then you must immediately withdraw all other applications and submit no new applications. The ED decision is binding when you commit to Stevens, which is required by the January 5, 2010 deadline.
• Students are reviewed for all scholarship and special academic programs; in addition if you file the CSS/PROFILE we can provide an estimated financial aid package at the point of acceptance.
• Early Decision students form the core of our freshman class: committed scholars dedicated to improving the way we live through innovation and entrepreneurship.

If you know Stevens is the right school for you, there is no reason not to apply Early Decision! Visit http://www.stevens.edu/sit/admissions/apply/earlydecision.cfm for more information about EDI and to apply now.

Three Conference Championship Titles for the Ducks!

A big weekend for the Ducks! Three teams took conference titles and each will advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Men’s soccer, who made it to the NCAA Championship last year, will once again be vying for the title after securing the Empire 8 title. This will be their seventh straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Read the full story: http://www.stevensducks.com/sports/msoccer/release.asp?release_id=5012

Women’s volleyball earned their third straight Empire 8 title, receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. This will be their sixth consecutive appearance in the tournament. Read more: http://www.stevensducks.com/sports/wvball/release.asp?release_id=5009

The Field Hockey team won their second Empire 8 title this weekend. The Ducks battled their way successfully to secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament. For full details: http://www.stevensducks.com/sports/fhockey/release.asp?release_id=5013

Scholars Program Research

Harinder K. Bawa is a junior undergraduate student majoring in Chemical Biology, who works with Professor Yu on Tissue Engineering research. As a freshman in the Stevens Scholars Program, Harinder became interested in Tissue Engineering research and the medical field as a whole.

Her joint work with Professor Yu involves the prevention of biofilm formation using biodegradable and biocompatible hydrogels. One of the major problems with current implant surgeries such as knee and hip replacements is a high risk of infection due to bacteria attaching to the surface of the implant prior to, or during surgery. Complications resulting from this can result in the removal of the implant and the need for further surgeries.

In order to combat this, they have designed a hydrogel that coats the implant prior to surgery, in a 3-7 minute process, that prevents the attachment of bacteria, which in turn prevents the formation of biofilm, and promotes patient integration through cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation inside the hydrogel. Antibiotics can also be incorporated with the hydrogel to provide further protection against infection. This system can be applied to various procedures such as engineered transparent patches and coating hospital equipment and attire.

Since joining Stevens, Harinder’s interest in Chemical Biology and specifically Tissue Engineering has rapidly grown. She now aspires for a future in the medical field, and perhaps even a career practicing medicine. She has enjoyed working with world class faculty such as Professor Yu, and feels that tissue engineering research “provides a great way to incorporate creative ideas and innovation to knowledge learned in the classroom for the overall improvement of the medical field.”

The Diverse Pursuits of a Stevens Student

What do aviation, beekeeping, writing and engineering have in common? James Clague (BE, ’12) is passionate about each of these diverse interests and hopes to incorporate them all as he moves forward in his studies and career.

Drawn to Stevens for many reasons, James has always enjoyed writing, but wanted to follow in his family’s footsteps and study engineering. Stevens’ Engineering Management program seemed like a perfect fusion of technology and communication, and that, coupled with our co-op program, sealed the deal for him. With two co-op semesters at UPS and CB Richard Ellis behind him, James is thankful for Stevens’ ideal location, accessible to many well-known organizations. On-campus James is the president of the Stevens Investment Group, in addition to being a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon and Formula SAE, and participating in intramural sports.

Off-campus, James is just as active. More than six years ago, he and a close family friend discovered bees in a chimney, and after contacting a local beekeeper, decided to start a hive of their own. Over the next couple years, they met other beekeepers, learned how to buy bees, process honey, keep the bees alive during the winter months and introduce a Queen. They have expanded that one hive and now James is a partner in a success honey company called Blue Grass Honey. James is charged with selling the honey their bees produce, and coordinates many of these sales in the tri-state area. He has been integral in determining how to package and label the honey, and how to market it to local businesses and through their website.

This experience has been important for James. He said: “It’s been great learning how to take care of and manage the bees. It actually helped me in my co-op assignment at CBRE as I had to take care of buildings and manage projects.”

Not only has he been involved in beekeeping for many years, but James has also been pursuing aviation. At 15, he attended ground school, and at 17, James received his pilot’s license for small aircraft. His family has a history in aviation: his father is a commercial pilot and his grandfather built his own plane. Currently James has logged 70 hours of flight time and is working with his father and his brother to build their own plane.

James is hoping that his diverse interests will converge after graduation. He would like to work in the aviation field, and one day pursue a Master’s degree in Engineering Management or an MBA. In the meantime, he’s looking forward to another co-op semester and discovering all that lies ahead at Stevens and beyond.

A Family Affair

Following in an older sibling’s footsteps isn’t always easy, but Marc Mitchell is eager to do just that by forging his own path at Stevens. Inspired by his brother’s experiences here and driven by his passion for math and the sciences, Marc (’13) is planning to study biomedical and chemical engineering. He says of his time at Stevens thus far: “Once you get here, you don’t want to leave!”

Marc says his brother Michael (BE/ME ’09), who is currently at Cornell pursuing his PhD, gave him some recommendations for navigating his way around Stevens and offered some helpful hints. One thing in particular that Michael participated in and encouraged Marc to do is co-op. Marc says: “Michael had such an amazing experience with co-op. It’s a no-brainer that I would want to do it too.” Some other activities that Marc would like to get involved with include club sports, the Biomedical Engineering Society, and Greek life.

His own Stevens experience began during the City Life Pre-orientation, which Marc feels gave him a new perspective on this area, despite having grown up only an hour away. In addition, it provided an opportunity to form a good group of friends before the semester officially started. Michael advised that finding a balance among school, work, friends and life is important, and that is something that Marc is keeping in mind during his time here.

Though he just kicked off his freshman year, Marc knows that he would like to pursue his Master’s degree in the future. His goals are limitless and inspiring: he hopes to discover something or create something new – like a tool for doctors that makes everything else obsolete – and revolutionize his field. He says, “I was very anxious to come here. High school was fun and prepares you for college, but college prepares you for life. I know Stevens will very integral in that preparation for me.”

Getting to Know the Class of 2013

In just a few short weeks, the Class of 2013 will converge on campus to begin their college careers. To help students get acquainted to life at Stevens, Orientation 2009 will be held from Wednesday, August 26th through Sunday, August 30th. Each year, undergraduate orientation, designed to introduce students to the academic and administrative aspects of Stevens and to give them an opportunity to meet faculty, staff and fellow students, is a key component of the freshman experience. This year’s orientation, chock-full of events, information sessions and social activities, promises to be once again fun, informative and beneficial for new students.

The festivities begin on Wednesday, with student check-in and a BBQ to welcome freshmen to campus. That evening, after students have settled into their residences, Dr. Raveche will host the Class of 2013 President’s Dinner.

Over the course of Orientation, new freshmen will have the opportunity to meet with current students, faculty and administration through assorted events. Not only will there be extensive academic and administrative sessions, but each day features social gatherings where students will be able to get to know each other. Popular events include a hypnotist show, summer games and a carnival that transforms the campus. On Saturday and Sunday of Orientation, students have the opportunity to take advantage of some of the local area attractions, choosing among a day trip to the Jersey Shore, a Yankees game at the new stadium, a day at Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park and a Broadway show in NYC.

Orientation concludes on Sunday, the 30th and classes begin Monday, August 31st. If you have any questions about Orientation, please contact Kristie Damell in the Office of Student Life at 201-216-5679 or kdamell@stevens.edu.

We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2013 to campus at Orientation 2009!

ECOES 2009

Ever wanted to perform a basic site survey for a proposed building? What about use a wireless electrocardiogram to investigate how your heart works when at rest and after exercise? Or perhaps you’d like to explore how nanoscale phenomena can be exploited to create new products and technologies?

Beginning next week, the Exploring Career Options in Engineering and Science (ECOES) program will allow high school students to spend two weeks on campus doing all of the above and more. Divided into two sessions, Stevens will host almost 120 rising high school juniors and seniors between July 12 and August 7. Students will live on campus and participate in exploratory activities introducing them to engineering, science and technology.

In past years, the ECOES sessions have been extremely successful, with many participants parlaying their experience into a college career at Stevens. This year’s groups include students from many states across the US, including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, California, Florida and Minnesota, in addition to multiple countries including Greece.

This year, the addition of unique, innovative research projects will help students further hone their skills as they participate in hands-on research, learning and development. Maia Hadidi, Summer Programs Coordinator and Director of the ECOES program, says: “We have introduced a music and technology module this year, which I am very excited about. Our research project options have increased and cover a variety of tracks, allowing students to delve deeper into whichever area their interest lies.” Other research project topics include robotics, chemical biology, planar truss construction and database driven web programming.

Of past programs, Maia continues: “It is so amazing to watch these students come in and develop not only skills in engineering and science, but also camaraderie among their peers. There are ECOES reunions and groups on Facebook… each year the ECOES participants form connections for life, all while having fun and learning about all that Stevens has to offer.”

ECOES 2008

Build IT!

This week, the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) at Stevens  hosted Build IT. An underwater LEGO robotics competition for middle school and high school students, Build IT was partially funded by grants from the National Science Foundation and Motorola this year, which allowed almost 30 area schools to participate.

Each team’s goal was to create a robot, using LEGOs and up to four motors, that could be submerged into a pool and complete specified tasks. The prize categories included Innovation and Speed, in addition to the overall Main Competition. The teams gathered on campus on the Babbio Patio to test out their robots, while judges, classmates, the media and other onlookers cheered them on.

After an intense competition, the winners were announced by Dean Daniel Gallagher at the closing ceremony held in DeBaun Auditorium. Dean Gallagher started the ceremony by telling the students: “This competition is about more than just building, it’s about creativity, design and innovation. If you continue to foster those skills, and you challenge yourself to think like a problem-solver, you will be able to develop the solutions needed in today’s world.”

The Innovation Award, which was assessed by combining originality and performance of each team’s robot, went to Henry Beck Middle School in Cherry Hill, NJ and Technology High School of Newark. The Speed Trial Award went to Valley View Middle School of Watchung, NJ and Passaic County Technical Institute (HS) in Passaic, NJ.

There were three prizes for the Main Competition for both middle school and high school teams. For the middle school competition, Lincoln Park (NJ) Middle School placed first, with Henry Beck Middle School and Ann Street School (Newark) placing second and third respectively. The high school winners were Technology High School in first place, Hoboken High School in second, and Robbinsville High School of Washington Township, NJ placing third.

Lincoln Park Middle School

 

Technology High School

Congratulations to the winners and all of the participating schools!!

H2prO Wins Top Prize at the 2009 Pitch Olympics

On the heels of Stevens annual Senior Design Expo, this year’s Pitch Olympics, a segment of Research & Entrepreneurship Day, was held in May. All Senior Design project teams were considered to be part of the Pitch Olympics and ten groups moved on to participate. Each group that participated was required to prepare a two-minute elevator pitch presented by one designated representative of the team to a panel of judges. 

This year’s top prize was awarded to Amanda Grimes, Nicole Migliore, Michael Mitchell and Joanna Sweetgall, a group of Biomedical Engineering students who presented H2prO, a portable, mechanically powered UV water treatment unit designed to provide safe drinking water for any individual, in any location, under any circumstance. An alternating current generator crank powers the UV bulbs, which, in turn, purify the water.

Michael, who represented the group in the Pitch Olympics, said that the team identified the need for this based on the number of people who travel around the world and contract illnesses from drinking water. The team wished to develop a cost-effective, simple, portable device to combat this issue and allow people access to clean, safe drinking water instantly.

“Our target market is wilderness enthusiasts, people who are traveling, and taking water out of a lake or a stream and are not sure whether the purification level is trustworthy or not,” said Nicole. “They can use our product to treat the water and make it safe for them to drink in any circumstance, in any situation, without an external power supply because it’s powered by a crank system. So it’s very easy to use for everyone.”

Dr. Vikki Hazelwood served as the team’s overall advisor. Michael said: “While Dr. Hazelwood pushes us to build a prototype, she also encourages us to envision our prototype translating to industry and production, and the potential applications it might have.” Inspired by this, the H2prO team is currently in the process of securing a provisional patent. The team’s clinical advisor was Dr. Robin E. Stutman, a New York-based infectious disease specialist.

Ethics Bowl 2009

Students from sixteen high schools converged on the Stevens campus this week to compete in this year’s Ethics Bowl. Hosted by the College of Arts & Letters, the Ethics Bowl is a half-day event designed to challenge young thinkers to dissect current affairs and present, debate and argue the ethical ramifications of each topic.

Competitors in the Babbio Atrium

Throughout the day the students showed their enthusiasm for the debates as they huddled with their classmates and discussed the day’s topics. Students from Bethpage High School in Long Island, NY displayed their winning attitudes with t-shirts emblazoned with pro-ethics statements like “I Heart Ethics” and “Go! Go! Philosophy Rangers!”

Neptune High School Team

The Union City High School team from Union City, NJ is part of the Ethics Club at their school. Michelle Perez, a freshman who competed in Round One of the Ethics Bowl, said it started as a group of students in Honors Biology class who liked to discuss Ethics, which led them to Stevens to compete. The group of students from Neptune High School in Neptune, NJ said they are used to competing together. Hand-picked by the principal for the Ethics Bowl, sophomore John Park, juniors Nick Larosa, Alyssa Sokol and Ashley Zawistowski and seniors Kyle Sawicki and Taylor Wieczerak represented their school in the competition. Taylor said that they didn’t know what to expect coming into the Ethics Bowl, and Kyle was quick to add that the team was really happy with the way they did in the first round. Nick, whose father is an engineer, commented that Stevens is on his list of colleges to check out because “if I want to be an engineer, it’s definitely the best!”  

 

Professor Michael Steinmann Announces the Winners of Round One

 

Students Prepare for Round Two

After a very close second round, Clifton High School (Clifton, NJ) Team 1 emerged as the 2009 Ethics Bowl winners. Two high school teams, Bethpage High School Team 2 and Indian Hills High School (Oakland, NJ), both placed second. Michael Steinmann, Associate Professor of Philosophy, said, “There were actually five winners of the second round, and the race was extremely close. All five of these teams were excellent and there were only four points difference between the first and the fifth place schools.” The two addition teams that placed were The Spence School from New York City and Matawan Regional High School from Matawan, NJ.

Stevens faculty, staff and students were on-hand throughout the Ethics Bowl and all were impressed with the commitment from the students participating. Professor Steinmann noted: “All of the competing schools presented themselves very well!”

Congratulations to all of the schools who participated in the 2009 Ethics Bowl, and especially the five winning schools. Stevens looks forward to welcoming you back next year!