Stevens Institute of Technology: Admissions Blog

Stevens Ranks High in "What's Your College Degree Worth?"

In Bloomberg Businessweek’s third annual ranking of the best colleges for return on investment (ROI), “What’s Your College Degree Worth?,” Stevens Institute of Technology’s ROI is 23rd in the nation.

The study is based upon PayScale.com, which uses self-reported salary data from alumni of more than 850 nationwide colleges and universities obtained through its online survey tools. The ROI ranking reflects what incoming students can reasonably expect from their investment in pursuing a college degree from a certain school. It represents the typical earnings of a graduate over a 30-year period, after deducting the net cost of the degree, which is based on the total “sticker price” minus the average financial aid award and adjusted for six-year graduation rate.

The 2012 report finds that average ROI across all surveyed colleges nationally decreased since 2011, reflecting sinking salaries in a tough economy and the rising cost of higher education. However, ROI for Stevens students remains at the front of the pack.

In addition, Stevens ranks eighth in ROI and fourth in ROI for graduates out of 18 metro area schools, and its graduation rate is the highest among the group. In its classification of “Private Research Universities, Engineering,” Stevens is fifth among all schools nationally.

Stevens’ leading ROI in part reflects national trends. In the 2012 report, private schools easily surpassed public schools in ROI. In addition, engineering schools averaged more than double the ROI for liberal arts schools, triple that of business schools, and more than 26 times that of arts and design schools.

Stevens students have outpaced the national average year after year in both placement rates and job outcomes, benefitting from exceptional academic programs, world-class research experiences and unique experiential learning opportunities that prepare them to become leaders in their chosen fields.

“Between our highly-competitive academic environment, market-relevant internship opportunities, nurturing and supportive campus, and prime location minutes from Manhattan, Stevens students have everything they need to achieve personal, professional and financial success,” said Maureen Weatherall, vice president of university enrollment and administration.

Employers continue to value the quality and reputation of a Stevens education, with members of the Class of 2012 having already accepted offers from well-known companies such as Deloitte, DuPont, Goldman Sachs, Honeywell, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, UBS and United Technologies.

“Few universities can match Stevens in terms of job placement, a testament to the rigorous academic background of our students and the professional work experiences so many obtain in the most in-demand fields, well before graduation,” said Lynn Insley, director of career development.

Women at Stevens: Network, network, network

In celebration of 40 years of women undergraduates at Stevens, the Stevens Alumni Association hosted an “Alumnae of Distinction’’ panel on March 21, featuring five extraordinary alumnae who hope to inspire the next generation of female students.

One recommendation for success was repeated several times during the discussion: make connections.

“Find your connection’’ was the advice of SAA Past President and Genworth senior executive Mary Doddy ’80, who welcomed more than 65 alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff members to the panel discussion on campus this month. “If you walk around, I’m sure you can find your own ‘six degrees of separation’ in this room,’’ Doddy said, referring to the idea that everyone is approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, to any other person.

The five alumnae were invited back to Stevens to offer advice to today’s talented students and share their extraordinary stories of success. They were Angie Hankins ’95, a partner with Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, a nationally recognized law firm with practice areas in capital markets, intellectual property, labor and employment; Lisa Mascolo ’82, the Chief Executive Officer of Optimos, a strategy and enterprise IT solutions firm; Tammy Rambaldi ’92, director of information security and IT compliance at Johnson & Johnson; MaryAnne Rizk ’01, M.S. ’01, a senior director, partnership and alliance, at Medidata Solutions, and a faculty member at Stevens; and Yvette Vargas, M.S. ’88, managing director, head of talent, development and diversity at UBS Wealth Management Americas.

The panelists were asked how to define success and all shared a personal story about what success is in their lives.

“I define success as the impact that my work has done, and it can take a long time to see that,’’ said Rambaldi. “Success is also seeing what my team does and gaining the satisfaction in seeing them succeed.’’

For Vargas, success is a lifelong process. “Success is a journey that recalibrates itself. If I can go to work and make one person better at what he does, then that to me is a success,’’ she said.

The panelists offered their thoughts on strategies for women to succeed.

“Network,’’ advised Mascolo. “Make that connection. Interpersonal relationships are often overlooked. Most women miss the value of connections. For instance, I don’t play golf, but I go out on the golf course. Just because I don’t play doesn’t mean I can’t talk to people and just make my presence known.’’

Vargas echoed Mascolo’s comments.

"Peer relationships are critical. Do I go out of my way to make my peers successful? We get results through working with people. It’s about networking,’’ she said.

Mascolo also shared her three philosophies of life: listen to others, learn as much as you can, and read just about anything you get your hands on. “Reading any sort of literature opens your mind to ideas that you may have never had,’’ she advised.

Hankins shared her unconventional route to success. After high school, she enlisted in the Air Force and served for four years. She entered Stevens and belonged to the fencing team, the Stevens Technical Enrichment Program (STEP), Khoda and was a resident assistant. After graduation, she began law school at the University of Virginia. She made partner at Stroock in 2008 and today, among the more than 300 lawyers at her firm, she is the only African-American partner. Her success came from knowing what she wanted and also asking her supervisors how to attain it. “You have to push and ask for what you want. I asked about making partner (at annual reviews). I asked them, ‘What should I be doing to be partner ready?’ ’’ Hankins said.

The five women had some ideas on how to get more girls interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) courses. Vargas suggested getting the parents of young girls interested in Stevens, which would allow for talk of the Institute in the home. Rambaldi thought girls as young as elementary age need to be reached to nurture a love of STEM. Hankins suggested partnering with civic groups such as the Girl Scouts to create interest.

Rizk, who is working on her Ph.D. at Stevens, discussed the benefits of her Stevens education. “A Stevens education (allowed me to) springboard to the next level. A technical degree is a good investment. It opens doors. It allows you to take your education and navigate it to the next level,’’ she said.

Lynn Insley, the director of Stevens’ Office of Career Development, served as moderator of the event.

Career Horizon for Graduating Seniors

Perhaps nothing feels more fulfilling to Stevens undergraduate students than commencement, a moment to celebrate that they "made it" – they, indeed, persevered to earn a degree from a premier university and are launching to the next phase of their lives.

Although their experiences and destinations are diverse, graduates of the Stevens Class of 2011 share a commonality at this important milestone in their student careers. The Stevens advantage continues to give graduates a remarkable return on investment.  An impressive 96% of last year's graduating class accepted employment opportunities of their choice, and the Class of 2011 continues to experience higher placement rates than last year at this time, a stellar record, especially, in the constrained job market they face today.

The 2011 Commencement ceremonies mark the start of promising careers in the workforce and advanced degree programs for Stevens graduates.  They have accepted offers at top companies in industry and government.   Among the long list of employers are ExxonMobil, Goldman Sachs, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, DuPont, and the Department of Defense.  What's more, those who sought medical, dental and other graduate schools will be attending programs at Columbia University, Georgetown University Medical School, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, to name a few.

While we would be delighted to highlight the accomplishments of each and every graduate, meet graduating seniors Veronica Smith, Rui Xiong, Ellyn Griggs, and Robert Bishop. Their stories represent the overall success enjoyed by this year's graduating class.

Veronica Smith
 
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Employment: Johnson & Johnson


As a Stevens co-op student, Veronica joined the 40% of Stevens students who take part in this unique academically-based program. She alternated semesters in class with full-time work experience, and that's where she was first introduced to Johnson & Johnson, the company she has chosen for full-time employment post graduation.  Graduating with a biomedical engineering degree as well as graduate certificates in project management and health care management, Veronica is on her way to an exciting career at Johnson & Johnson in the highly selective Global Operations Leadership Development (GOLD) program in which she'll serve in three, eight-month management rotations. "It's exciting, and I look forward to this new experience," Veronica said. "I'll be supervising at the Acuvue® contact lens plant.  It'll be a challenge, and that's exactly what I wanted and am prepared for."

At Stevens, Veronica also seized the opportunity to participate in tissue engineering research under Dr. Hongjun Wang and was able to take part in a neuroscience summer research program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  She was a member of Stevens' track and field team as well as a peer mentor, an upper-class undergraduate student who assists new undergraduates in their academic transition into college.

Reflecting on her transformation at Stevens, Veronica noted how independent and focused she's become.  "When I first came to Stevens, I thought I wanted to focus more on research and go to graduate school," she said.  "And I got to try that here. I changed my direction, but it was great to be able to test my original interest right away.  I wouldn't have found the path I'm on now had I not had the opportunity to explore my options before graduating. My friends who were at other universities didn't have such opportunities. Because I did, I was able to actually create a more focused plan while I was still an undergraduate student.  I highly encourage students just beginning their journey here to take full advantage of all the ways Stevens allows students to discover their passions."   

Rui Xiong
 
Major: Business and Technology
Employment: Federal Reserve Bank, New York City

Rui is launching from Stevens with both a bachelor's degree in business and technology and a master's degree in global innovation management. He also earned graduate certificates in project management and technology management. Rui is happy to have accepted a fulltime post at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York City as a bank examiner and is excited that the role will allow him rotational stints in various areas of the company (for example, liquidity, management and financial analysis) to further diversify his experience there. He was first introduced to the Federal Reserve Bank through an internship at Stevens, and for two years he also took part in their College Federal Challenge, a team academic competition for undergraduate students. Among the topics he tackled was quantitative finance.     

Rui pursued many opportunities in- and outside of class to explore his interest in economics, business, finance, and monetary policy, a curiosity he said grew from following the financial crisis events of 2007.  Ample openings for student involvement and its proximity to Manhattan were significant factors in his choice to attend Stevens.

"I liked my program, and I was fortunate to have access to a wonderful group of peers and faculty," Rui said.  "The size of Stevens is a great asset for students.  I developed close relationships with everyone, including faculty and administration. Here, you won't have a class with someone once and then never see them again. My peers at other institutions certainly weren't saying that about their experiences. And the classes at Stevens are diverse; that is very true. The global influence here is extremely beneficial.  Stevens really transformed my world view in many ways."

Ellyn Griggs
 
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Employment: L'Oreal

As a Stevens Scholar, Ellyn is graduating with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in systems engineering.  In addition to summer research in nanotechnology at Stevens, her involvements outside the classroom are more than impressive. Ellyn's activities include varsity field hockey (captain) as well as a stint on the track and field team her freshman year.  She participated in two paid summer internships at L'Oreal in the company's Franklin, New Jersey manufacturing plant. Ellyn was one of only two juniors selected for the internship. She also served as a resident assistant, member of the leadership honor society Gear and Triangle, a student blogger for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, treasurer of her sorority, secretary of the Greek honor society, club field hockey coach, and a peer mentor.

In a fulltime position at L'Oreal, Ellyn will enter her new career through the company's Management Development Program, a rotational leadership program in which she'll work two or three rotations at various locations and in different job functions to then take on a managerial position within the company. Ellyn looks forward to her first placement at L'Oreal's manufacturing plant in Kentucky, where the majority of the company's hair care and hair styling products are made.

It's clear from her resume, Ellyn has lived the advice she gives to new students. "I would tell anyone entering Stevens that they can do anything here. Really, it's such a benefit to get involved," she said. "There is so much to do here, and you don't need to be intimidated by all the options.  It's all about time management.  Once you get that down, the sky's the limit!"

Robert Bishop
 
Major: Business and Technology
Employment: JPMorgan Chase

A business and technology major who minored in economics, Robert is graduating from Stevens with a fulltime position at JPMorgan Chase as an operations analyst, and he is looking forward to the challenge.  He said the main draw to his program of study at Stevens was his dream to someday work for a top company on Wall Street. Although he had some ambivalence about pursuing that passion, he's grateful Stevens allowed him the opportunity to experience it first hand to see if it was good fit.  Indeed, it was.

Not only did he get hands-on experience through an internship with the company during the summer concluding his junior year at Stevens, but Robert was also involved in a major project born from the Stevens Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (SEED) program, which joins select students from the Stevens' Schaefer School of Engineering and Howe School of Technology Management to develop market plans centered around Stevens startup companies. The goal is to cultivate tomorrow's technology entrepreneurs through first-hand research and commercialization experience.

Like many of his peers, Robert leaves Stevens with appreciation for the diverse experiences available to students. "The opportunities available here really set Stevens apart from other schools," Robert said.  "I was a varsity student athlete, had a competitive internship, handled a rigorous course load, and teamed up with peers, professors and business leaders to advance a new tool designed by a software startup company, ID8 Systems, within a new marketplace. And as if that wasn't enough, I had the chance to do more."  At Stevens, Robert also served as a Resident Assistant and captain of the varsity wrestling team, played club men's lacrosse, was a peer mentor and Orientation Leader, and enjoyed being heavily involved in a fraternity.

Setting Sail: Isabel Anderson’s Course to Success

Isabel Anderson is launching from Stevens this year with more than bachelor’s degrees in naval engineering and history and a master’s degree in maritime systems.  As if those accomplishments weren’t enough, she also graduates having the distinction of being Stevens’ first Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) scholar.  

Created and facilitated by the Department of Defense (DOD), the SMART Scholarship for Service Program supports undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. As a SMART scholar, Isabel received a full scholarship to Stevens and will be employed at the DOD after graduation. 

Isabel has navigated the waters – and started the journey to an exciting career – from an early age growing up in Washington, D.C., she said.  Learning how to sail with Sea Scouts, a Boy Scouts co-ed Venture Scouting program geared toward water activities, proved to be a catalyst for realizing a passion turned college and career pursuit. From early experiences with the Sea Scouts, she said, she fell in love with boats. The rest is history. 

It was during her sophomore year at The Lawrenceville School, a private high school in Lawrenceville, NJ, that Isabel decided she wanted to be a naval architect. She selected Stevens specifically for its Naval Engineering program.  At Stevens, she was also able to continue sailing – as co-captain and crew member of the Stevens sailing team. 

Isabel is grateful that the SMART scholarship has given her the opportunity to be exposed to wide range of extraordinary projects and unique experiences – at Stevens and also at the U.S. Navy’s Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia, where during the course of her student career, she spent three summers working with the very team she’ll soon be joining at the DOD after graduation. The projects she worked on gave her first-hand experience in human systems integration – specifically in ergonomics and spatial design.

The curricula, research and design experience she received in Stevens’ undergraduate and graduate programs worked hand-in-hand with what she gained through practical summer experiences with the DOD. “Because Stevens has a broad curriculum program and requirements, I was exposed to a wide range of engineering coursework and experience,” she said. “I felt confident working in human systems integration for the DOD, for example, because of all that I was exposed to at Stevens.”

Working on an interdisciplinary team with mechanical engineers and computer science students to design, build and program an unmanned underwater vehicle for a research project sponsored by the Office of Naval Research was one of the highlights of her student career. The team went on to present the vehicle and findings with teams from the U.S. Naval Academy and Georgia Tech.

Regarding other factors that influenced her success, Isabel also gives credit to the opportunity to find a healthy balance between school work and ample breaks for recreation and fun.  “I try to take advantage of any opportunities for new, different and challenging experiences,” Isabel said. “I love to travel and take every opportunity to visit friends and family members and to see the world.” Her recent destinations include Africa, South Korea, Thailand and Brazil.

At Stevens, Isabel also enjoyed being a tour guide for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, noting that it was especially rewarding to explain to prospective students how engineering can be fun and challenging at the same time. She also appreciates experiences she had as a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity that allowed her to volunteer for events like the New York Marathon and also serve on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inflation and vehicle anchoring teams.

In the further distance, Isabel said, is a possible future in underwater engineering. For now, she’s grateful and happy to have been able to realize her passion and interests and continue to do so in an exciting job at the DOD. “I’ve been so lucky to have the SMART scholarship fund my education at Stevens,” she said.  “Here, I was able to do what I loved and to be challenged. I worked with amazing students and faculty.  I have an exceptional sense of accomplishment.”

Chasing a Sailing Goal

Stevens Graduate Works to Compete in 2012 Olympics

Efe Kuyumcu was seven years old the first time he went sailing. Neighbors at a vacation village where he was with family offered to take the youngster out for an afternoon on the water. When he returned to shore the boy was hooked but it would be another five years before he sailed again.

“I thought about it a lot,” said Kuyumcu, a native of Turkey and recent Stevens graduate. “But the sailing club by us closed down and we soon moved to a different area.”

Fueled by determination and desire when Kuyumcu turned twelve he was able to return to the water. He was named to the Turkish junior national sailing team and competed heavily between 1998 and 2003, winning several prestigious competitions.

Things were moving along smoothly for Kuyumcu until he was grounded with an injury at the age of 18. It was at that time Kuyumcu began thinking about his future. Not only in the sport of sailing, but academically.

That is how he wound up in Hoboken, N.J. along the banks of the Hudson River at Stevens Institute of Technology. He decided to turn his passion for the water into a full-fledged career.

In 2006 he enrolled in the Naval Engineering program at Stevens and graduated this past December with a Bachelor of Science degree. Kuyumcu kept his thoughts in sailing and began a strict exercise regimen to heal his injuries and strengthen himself.

“In the morning I would do endurance exercises like running, cycling, and rowing,” he said. “During the day I would go to class and then have another work out.”

One thing he did not do, however, was sail.  Not only was it going to be difficult to find an Olympic Class Heavyweight sailboat that he could use on a regular basis while living in New Jersey, but also the swift currents of the Hudson River were not conducive for effective training.

So he focused on the exercise and also learned new things about sailing from his courses. Armed with the new information, when Kuyumcu finally got back on the water, he was a stronger, smarter sailor.

“It is now easier for me to understand the water, and make me a bit faster when sailing,” he said of his Naval Engineering knowledge. “Now I can factor in the elements from what I learned at Stevens.”

His hard work paid off and late last year Kuyumcu was re-elected to the Turkish Olympic Sailing Team of 2011. Over the next year and a half Kuyumcu and another athlete will compete and eventually, one will be selected to compete in the 2012 Olympics to be held in London.

While focused on those games, he is also setting his sights on the 2016 Olympics and a chance to represent his country – and Stevens – in Rio de Janeiro

When asked how his life has changed since his recent graduation, Kuyumcu says that he has maintained his exercise schedule only now he uses the time spent in class on the water.

It is when he is out there, alone on the water, that he is most focused these days. “It’s instinct, but it feels right. It’s why I keep going back to it,” he said. “It just feels right.”

Alumna Mary Kelly Reflects on Experience in Haiti

When alumna Mary Kelly graduated in 2009, she launched from Stevens with more than an engineering management degree and a full-time position at the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey.  In her time at Stevens, she also developed a strong sense of community and a desire to help others, qualities that proved particularly valuable in a situation she could have never imagined and in a place far removed from her life in New Jersey.

For nearly a month, Mary volunteered in the relief efforts post last year’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated Haiti.  And in that time, she unwittingly put her engineering skills and compassion to the test, experiencing the tedious, hard work of clearing crumbled homes and schools, organizing medical relief at a hospital encampment and witnessing the resilience of a people she would have never known.

On the anniversary of this catastrophic event, Mary recounted with our staff some of the details from her days in an area in Haiti where 90% of the buildings were damaged, no government infrastructure remained, and the death toll reached between 20,000 to 30,000, according to a United Nations assessment, she reported. 

After the earthquake, Mary said it didn’t take much deliberation on her end to decide to request vacation time at work, purchase a plane ticket and connect with the non-profit group, Hands On Disaster Relief (now All Hands).   Soon after making the arrangements, she was on her way to Léogâne, a coastal Haitian city about 18 miles west of Port-Au-Prince (the epicenter of the earthquake), and one that Mary refers to as the shattered city by the sea.

“I realized that not only did I want to go, but I could.  I’m in good health, single, no children, and have the privilege of a job with vacation time,” she said. “All Hands had helped in other natural disasters, and the earthquake relief in Haiti was their biggest project. I was eager to be part of that.”  

LESSONS LEARNED

As a volunteer, Mary gave her time and energy, at times risking her own safety and comfort, coping with, for example, the aftershocks and smaller-scale earthquakes that continued to shake the area.  But she said she also received a great deal.  For one, she learned some vital lessons about life in an earthquake-torn region, some of which are expressed in the journal she shared:

 “Lesson One: Haitian patience. Upon our arrival, it was clear that patience was everything. It started with digging through two flights worth of luggage for our bags because there was no power for conveyor belts at the airport. But of course that expanded to wondering how we could help such a destroyed city in such a short amount of time. Yet after a few days removing rubble, it was clear that progress could be made, just at a much slower pace than we could have imagined. It seemed that by sheer force of will, among a street of collapsed houses, one would get cleared out and a little shelter would go up. Then shortly after, another, and so on. One wheelbarrow load at a time was slowly clearing Léogâne of rubble and giving families a place to begin building new lives.

Lesson Two: How to ‘Rubble’. ‘Rubbling’ entailed spending most of our time sledge-hammering broken schools and homes into bits small enough to shovel into wheelbarrows and then dragging them out to the street where we either crushed down the rubble to fix the roads or piled for the government workers to haul off in bigger dump trucks. My first rubbling assignment was at Pyramid School. Armed with shovels, wheelbarrows, sledge hammers and pickaxes, we would be greeted every morning without fail by the smiles and laughter of many of the children that attend the school. They worked side-by-side with us all day, every day we were there. I was even taught how to sledge-hammer by a nine-year-old boy named Orlando. After almost a week of back-breaking work, we were able to make the school safe and ready for classes to start. I don’t think I’ve ever seen kids so excited to go back to school.”

LITTLE BY LITTLE

Mary also recalled a day she was directed to help a woman whose family home – which had been steadily built and preserved over eight generations – had crumbled to ruins in the quake.  After hours and hours of rubbling, Mary asked the woman how she copes. “Knowing how long it had taken her family to build this big, beautiful home, I asked her, ‘How do you do this day after day without falling apart?  I don’t know if I could handle it like you are.’ And her answer said so much about her and maybe even the people of Haiti as a whole. She expressed to me a Creole saying, which in English translates: Little by little, the bird builds its nest,” recounted Mary. “Her answer said a lot about resilience, and it’s a something I’ll never forget.” 

All purpose and all encompassing, Mary said her work in Léogâne was simply about contributing all that she could. In addition to rubbling, she worked at a field hospital stepping in wherever needed.  In this capacity, she also used her engineering skills to develop a system for managing the hospital’s inventory, something she noticed didn’t exist, and a solution that was well-received, she said. 

A NEW PERSPECTIVE

Realizing the privileges that awaited her back in the U.S., she even accelerated her efforts in the end. “Up to my last days there, I had at least been somewhat cautious and careful with my body to prevent injuries or illness.  But in the final stretch, I totally pushed myself,” she said.  “I thought, ‘I need to put in my all. Anything bad that might happen to my body, America can fix it.  I gave away my boots and some other things.  I even lost my camera somewhere along the way.  Those things seemed insignificant after experiencing what people can and do live without.”

 

 

 

 

 

Alumna Dominique Gonzalez: From Stevens to Product Engineer at Fisher-Price/Mattel

Since 2004, mechanical engineering graduate Dominique Gonzalez (B.E. `04, M.E. `10) has been a product engineer for Fisher-Price/Mattel in New York City.  True to the company’s mission of “Creating the Future of Play”, she is specifically responsible for the production of some of the most popular, innovative toys on the market.  For the average consumer, it’s hard to imagine all the work behind creating the fun children have with the latest toys, but listening to Dominique describe her role in getting the company’s products on the shelf – through the various stages of concept and design to manufacturing, packaging and distribution – cultivates a keen sense of appreciation for her job as well as the education she received at Stevens.

As product engineer, Dominique is charged with considering, first, if the toy design is manufacture-able, and if so, ensuring that it is developed through the production cycle, including debugging and safety inspections, ultimately making sure the product meets expectations in every way.  As highly sophisticated and complex as it is, Dominique describes her job as a fun place to be.  Considering some of her favorite products – Handy Manny Toolbox, Elmo Live, and the Sesame Street Cars– that’s not surprising. “In a job like mine, it’s actually ‘ok’ to watch cartoons and get excited about toys,” she said.  “It’s fulfilling to see my products in the stores, to see parents buy them.  Really, I get to make things that make kids happy!”

Dominique’s success at work and in life, she says, is linked to several factors.  Recalling her days as a student at Verona High School in New Jersey, Dominique pointed to her mother’s high expectations and how that ultimately led to her applying and getting accepted to Stevens. “I was always pushed to do well in school,” she said.  “A’s were expected, and if I was struggling with getting those, I was encouraged to find help and support. There were no exceptions.”  Her uncle being a mechanical engineer was also an influence. “A few things he told me about the field that inspired me: one, that mechanical engineers are versatile and two, engineers, generally, are taught to be good at problem-solving,” Dominique said. “At Stevens, that all held to be true. I learned to handle people and projects, how to organize them into an efficient whole.  Product engineer for Fisher-Price/Mattel, which was first a temporary position, was my first job in the field. I adapted to a complex process of product design and project management very quickly. I did a great job, and they kept me on as a regular full time product engineer. That really is a testament to my Stevens education and the support I received through the Career Development Office.”

Dominique is equally appreciative of the solidarity she had at Stevens, which she gained through several activities: varsity women’s volleyball, the Black Student Union (BSU), Latin American Association (LAA), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Stevens Technical Enrichment Program (STEP), and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).  “At Stevens, everyone is willing to help,” she said. “It’s challenging, for sure, but very supportive.”

The highlight of her experience at Stevens?  Senior design, she said.  And this is what she feels incoming students need to know if they’re weighing several colleges.  “Senior design is the most important hands-on dive into your major. It’s amazing,” Dominique said.  “Beyond the books, you seriously learn here by doing – like building mock ups, outputting information to the model shop, designing and running simulations.  By the time you leave Stevens, you understand and are confident because of this experience. It makes you distinct out there in the industry.” 

Dominique’s senior design project won top prize at the New Jersey Chapter meeting of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE).  The “Remotely-Operated Stitching Device,” was an exercise in pharmaceutical engineering.  Her team’s primary goal was to provide an innovative way to reduce, if not eliminate, invasive surgery. More specifically, the aim was to develop a method for securing an endovascular stent-graft in place from within the aorta using spiral Nitinol clips.  In addition to winning first place in the ISPE Poster Competition, the project won Stevens’ Technogenesis Award in 2004, and the team filed a U.S. patent for the device.  They also earned a National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Association grant. “I learned a lot during the senior design experience,” Dominique said. “And the highlights of the project were a big deal. We got to present in San Jose at a professional conference.  Most memorable for me, though, is having worked with Professor Zhengi Zhu, our senior design advisor. He is really incredible.  Working with faculty like him – very much known out there for his expertise, his research, and yet so available to students – is what you get at Stevens, and that makes all the difference.”

Stevens Students Power Their Futures at Career Day

Over 600 graduating seniors and graduate students at Stevens took advantage of the Class of 2011 Career Day last week, reporting to the Schaefer Athletic and Recreation Center to meet the nearly 100 employers who attended.  Marked by the students’ confidence and knowledge, their own resolution to succeed and their already impressive résumés, the Career Day also exemplified the comprehensive guidance students are given by the Office of Career Development at Stevens. 

Opportunity was knocking on both sides of the door at the event – for students, the chance to connect and discuss post-graduate employment; for the representatives of top companies wanting knowledgeable, highly-skilled, goal-oriented graduates, the occasion to recruit top candidates to meet their greatest business challenges. The conditions were right, as they overwhelmingly are at Stevens. And the result is success. For example, of last year's graduating class, 80 percent accepted offers of employment or enrollment in graduate or professional school programs - and 38% chose from more than one job offer.

For Roque Rios, senior computer engineering major, the Career Day was an opportunity to further enhance the connections he'd made during his IT internship at Colgate. "The face-to-face really helps," he said. "I'm doing what you need to do to make sure your resume gets on the 'good' pile for the jobs you're interested in." His advice to incoming students is to connect with the Office of Career Development early on, well before the various career fairs, and to attend the ongoing career placement workshops and other sessions offered to students. "Because of all the support here, there's really no reason to be lost about job placement at graduation," he said.

L’Oréal Human Resources Manager Terri Dedinski was one of several representatives from the company eager to speak to the Career Day participants. She noted that of the five Stevens students who were chosen for their Operations Internship Program last summer, three were offered permenant positions at the company after graduation. "The partnership with Stevens for internship and career placement has been very successful," she said. "There is a tremendous opportunity for growth for students. Whether during their internships or new employment with the company, their contributions are significant and become part of our ongoing product or process development. And they distinguish themselves on a leadership track that propels them to upper management."

The Career Day also included a luncheon at which employers were recognized for their ongoing support of Stevens students. The Employer of the Year Award was presented to The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and accepted by Toshiya Morita, CIO, Systems Office for the Americas, Yawer Fadoo (M.S.`07), Vice President and Manager, Systems Office for the Americas, and Ann Stenson, V.P. of Human Resources. 

Reckitt Benckiser, a consumer products company that hired four Stevens students into research-based summer internships, received the Internship Employer of the Year Award. The students engaged in a variety of projects, from developing new products for the European market to testing antibacterial agents for bar soap. Accepting the award was Will Lenzetti, Global R&D Category Manager.

The Externship Award was given to THE Partnership: NJ Transit and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, for providing an outstanding learning experience to Stevens engineering students by coordinating site visits to one of the most exciting construction projects in the area.

The MIT Lincoln Laboratory Scholarship Awards were presented to Phillippe Pierre-Paul and Richard Sanchez.  Phillippe is a junior electrical engineering major pursuing a dual master’s degree in technology management and a minor in pre-law policy.  Richard is a computer engineering major and cooperative education student. The MIT Lincoln Laboratory scholarship was created three years ago and is awarded to two students each year. The director of the Laboratory, in recognition of the nation's critical need to develop more engineers provided scholarship funding to Stevens for these awards.  The recipients are selected on the basis of merit by Dean Deborah Berkley, who directs the Stevens Technical Enrichment Program (STEP).  "It's important to note that these students are not only outstanding students academically, but they are also leaders on campus, and very involved in helping their peers," she said.  

Lynn Insley, Director of the Office of Career Development, expressed how fortunate Stevens is to have longstanding employer relationships that facilitate students' professional development and lead to impressive career outcomes.  "Our students build their success early through internships, cooperative education assignments and research opportunities," she said.  "By the time Stevens students enter their senior year, they are well prepared to engage with recruiting professionals and secure employment opportunities that lead to rewarding careers."

 

Building a Career: Alexis Sowuleski Makes a Perfect Transition

From her first semester as a Business & Technology student, Alexis Sowuleski was already a frequent flyer in the Office of Career Development. She worked with the staff to refine her resume and discover internship opportunities tailored to underclassmen. "I attended various networking events and company information sessions and also participated in Career Development’s externship program, where I shadowed an alumna at Citigroup. I ultimately secured a clinical operations position at Schering-Plough (now Merck) through the spring career fair. I returned to the company for a second summer as an information technology intern, focusing on business analysis of a global application integration project," Alexis explains.

Over the course of her sophomore and junior years, Alexis was introduced to the financial services realm by several upperclassmen in her program. "Prior to gaining their insight, I assumed the banking world was just for accountants, finance majors, and number crunchers, not the hybrid business and technology students that Stevens produces. Looking back, I couldn’t have been more wrong," Alexis says.

Through the Career Development Office, Alexis secured an interview with JPMorgan Chase & Co. in the fall of her junior year and received an internship offer within the Investment Management Americas group as a technology analyst -- all before midterms. She was then invited to keep her position part-time throughout the year. "As my senior year began, I accepted a full-time position in the firm’s Corporate Development Program, which is a two-year training program designed to develop the company’s future leaders," Alexis explains. She began the program in July, two months after graduating from Stevens. "I look forward to my career at JPMC and can attribute my success not only to the academic preparation Stevens has given me, but also to the support the Office of Career Development provided to me throughout my tenure as a student," she says.

"Although the financial services industry is enormous, Stevens’ footprint across the banks has made it seem like a small world," says Alexis. "I’m in constant contact with my peers and older Stevens alumni at JPMC as well as other institutions, and I am confident this network will be a great resource throughout my career.”

Alexis is also currently pursuing her MBA in Project Management at Stevens.

Trapani is a winner at the 2008 ISPE New Jersey chapter student poster competition

Michael Trapani, a recent graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology, was one of the winners at the 2008 International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering's (ISPE) New Jersey chapter student poster competition. He was selected for his poster, "Back Up: Expandable Intervertebral Cage with Rotational Insert." Trapani was a Biomedical Engineering major and a member of Stevens' class of 2008.

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