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.

Stevens Students Spring to Careers

Stevens' career fairs have always been winners. They feature top companies offering full-time employment and rewarding summer internships. This year's Spring Career Fair on March 7 was no exception. Nearly 100 top companies participated. 

Prepped and confident Stevens students took advantage of the opportunity to meet impressive companies like Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, BASF, Colgate-Palmolive, ExxonMobil, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Tishman Construction, Unilever, and Wyndham Resorts. Organizations new to the Fair included TIAA-CREF and Toll Brothers.  

For more information about career development and professional placement at Stevens, visit: http://www.stevens.edu/sit/ocd/

 

 

 

 

Internships: Each One, a Unique Journey

Every college student has heard of the importance of internships: gaining real-world experience, making valuable professional contacts, putting into practice what you’re studying, all in the hopes of standing out to future employers and landing a dream job at graduation. While all of that is true, students rarely are told that internships can also be exciting and fun, and that the development and growth isn’t only professional - it's personal, too.

Stevens is extremely successful in connecting students to summer internships with many of the world's leading companies. The Office of Career Development has relationships with hundreds of companies who recruit Stevens students precisely because of our students' track record for helping companies achieve their corporate goals.

Daniel Schaffer completed his first internship after his freshman year at Stevens. A Computer Science major set to graduate in 2014, he attended a Career Fair hosted by the Office of Career Development with the intention of securing an opportunity with an investment bank working in technology. He approached the representative from UBS and during the conversation mentioned his background in creating applications for iPhones. Though UBS typically doesn’t take interns earlier than students in their junior year, they hired Dan, who became their youngest intern ever.

“I work hard but I also got a bit lucky with my background,” Dan states. “It’s hot right now – everyone wants iPhone apps.”

UBS was no exception. While there, Dan was one of the only interns to have very specific tasks for the summer. He wrote several iPhone apps for them, including a Mobile Directory of the entire organization that he was able to demo in front of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO), two of the top executives in the company.

“At the end of the summer, there was an intern commencement ceremony, and about 1,000 interns from around the country were gathered together via conference,” Dan says. “When the CIO spoke, she called me out directly to thank me for my help with the app project and said publicly that she hopes I’ll come back and work for them again. It was such a great experience!”

Needless to say, when UBS offered Dan an internship for this coming summer, he jumped at the chance.

Some internships develop even further and eventually become full-time career opportunities.

“I’ve been working at the Macquarie Group for three years,” says Alex Hieronymi. “I started as an intern the summer after freshman year, stayed on part-time during the school years and went back full-time in the summers. Now they’ve offered me a job, so I will join the company as a full-time employee after graduation.”

Alex, a Cybersecurity major who will graduate in May this year, originally found out about this opportunity through the Cooperative Education program. His first internship required him to work on a website that calculated financial predictions, and the project was still going when the summer ended. They asked him to stay on to complete the project, and he has been part of Macquarie ever since.

“I’ve worked on two teams: the Desktop Support Team and the Service, Design & Development Team,” Alex states. “I’ve traveled to Boston, Philladelphia and Miami, helping to fix problems and integrate desktops.”

What he’s accomplished has paid off, and in May, Alex will continue to be a key member of the teams he works with. He credits his Cybersecurity background with allowing him to take everything a step further by keeping security in mind during his day-to-day tasks.

Sara Pacella, a Mechanical Engineering major who will also graduate in 2012, had a different experience during her internship at Hamilton Sundstrand. Though she values what she learned while there, it helped to validate what she really wants to do after graduation.

“I worked in mergers & acquisitions doing research on potential companies, their products, potential synergies and what contracts were already in place,” she explains. “It was a very positive experience but more on the business side. I definitely want a career where I can use my Mechanical Engineering background.”

She was introduced to this opportunity by a colleague at her part-time job who connected her with a Stevens alum employed by Hamilton Sundstrand. Sara values networking and does take away some additional lessons from her internship experience:

“There was a lot of teamwork and meetings in my group. I got to work on projects that were very meaningful to the organization. It was really interesting to witness firsthand how people in the real world work on teams and come together to get a job done.”

Sometimes internships allow students to fuse together more than one interest. For senior Kelsey Reynolds, her experience at Integra LifeSciences did just that.

“I am very interested in Marketing, but also Science. That’s why I love the Business & Technology program at Stevens – I get the best of both worlds!” Kelsey asserts.

She discovered the internship at Integra while looking for marketing/business opportunities in the medical devices and pharmaceutical industries. During the interview process, she was asked to put together a thorough business analysis and present it, and she credits the business and research background she’s received in Dr. George Calhoun’s classes with helping her land the job. 

Working in the Orthobiologics department, Kelsey says she learned a lot about the company’s products, what marketing claims were being made, how to investigate competitors and how to help the sales force. She was able to use her business education in this role and liked that she was exposed to all aspects of the process – she says she felt like much more than an intern.

This internship, which she completed in the summer of 2011, led to her current internship, where she’s working with a small start-up medical devices firm on investor presentations and website development. Kelsey isn’t sure where she’ll be after graduation this May but is investigating opportunities with both Integra and her current firm.

“What I do know is that I want to stay in the medical devices industry, hopefully becoming a product manager,” Kelsey says. “I really love promoting and growing product offerings in the healthcare industry.”

Every internship experience is different, but each holds its own value and lessons. Whether it’s helping to secure a full-time job down the road, emphasizing what you really love (or reminding you what you don’t!), or just adding another key work experience to a resume, internships help students learn and grow… and many times enjoy themselves in the process.

Cooperative Education (Co-op) at Stevens

In Today's Competitive Job Market, a Degree Alone is Not Enough. Enter, Cooperative Education.

More and more, college students are realizing that top employers expect college graduates to have professional experience when they complete their degrees and apply for full-time jobs in their fields. But how does an undergraduate college student accumulate the kind of experience companies are seeking? With heavy course loads, active student lives, and limited opportunities for resume-worthy work experience, this is a tall order for the average college student.

Successfully meeting this challenge for many years, Stevens' Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program is well-known and distinct. An impressive 40 percent of our students participate, and in recent years, Stevens Co-op students have been standouts among their peers, several being honored with the national Cooperative Education Student of the Year and New Jersey Cooperative Education Student of the Year awards. 

At Stevens, Co-op students begin their first Co-op placement after their freshman year, and they then alternate semesters in class with increasingly sophisticated full-time work experience, garnering up to five placements by the time they graduate. They work with industry leaders in a particular field, testing their career goals in different companies and positions, building impressive resumes, and earning money to help pay tuition and expenses. 

While the benefits are unlimited and also unique to individual experience, a common positive outcome is that Stevens Co-op students have no problem when it comes to preparedness for career placement at the end of their educational journeys. For Co-op students like cybersecurity major Max Grifka, deciding to participate in Co-op was a "no-brainer." In fact, Stevens' Co-op program was one of the main reasons he chose Stevens when he was searching for colleges. He's completely satisfied with the result. At the start of this - his senior - academic year, Max accepted a job offer from Goldman Sachs and will begin his full-time responsibilities as an information security analyst for the company in July 2012. "Co-op is as much (if not more) about gaining experience and confidence navigating the professional work environment as it is about developing your technical knowledge and skills," he said. "I worked in several high-pressure environments and with high-level executives," he said. "This kind of experience is invaluable." 

Chelsea Bajek, senior environmental engineering student, expressed similar sentiments about her time as a Co-op student. Chelsea gave high praises for the "meaningful work" she did in five placements at Hazen & Sawyer, a private environmental engineering consulting company in New York City. "As an undergraduate, and early on, it was the same level of work they give entry-level engineers who already have a degree," she said. "Being entrusted with serious projects feels great. It builds confidence and a kind of knowledge you just can't learn in coursework alone." Writing detailed specifications for clients, working with outside vendors, and analyzing current technical processes for cost savings and other benefits are some of the responsibilities she exemplified as critical experiences for her career development. Among many advantages, her Co-op work validated her interest and passion for creating innovative solutions for water and waste water treatment. "We're always going to need access to clean drinking water," she said. "Even more so in the future. My Co-op work experience and my senior design project leverage me on the forefront of innovation, working toward energy conservation and cost savings associated with water treatment technology. I am truly grateful." Chelsea will also earn a master's degree in environmental engineering at Stevens by the time she graduates this spring.

Co-op student Daniel Bolella had placements in three different companies, and he validated that his Co-op duties were anything but "busy work."  At ADP, Hess, and the Burgiss Group, all companies in the metro area, Daniel's analytical, programming, and coding skills, for example, were put to use to solve sophisticated problems with tremendous outcomes. Professionals at Hess are still using his solution for better estimating future electricity prices, he said. Applying what he learned as a computer science major at Stevens and, in turn, bringing knowledge from the workplace back to his coursework and class projects added great value to his education. One of his biggest take-aways as a Co-op student was learning discipline, he added. "With coding, for example, it's one thing to learn how to do it from a book or course, and another thing when you're on a real project for a real company. The expectations are high, the problems are complex, and while there are great mentors and mangers there, you've got to direct your own process too," he said. "My Co-op placements really taught me how to be a professional software engineer." At Stevens, Daniel is also working toward a minor in history, is the music chair of the Student Government Association's entertainment committee, and is collaborating with a multidisciplinary team as head computer engineer developing the artificial intelligence for an Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) to be entered for the second year in a national competition sponsored by the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International and the Office of Naval Research.  

Emily Hesselbacher is a senior biomedical engineering major whose four Co-op placements at Stryker Orthopaedic and L'Oreal helped advance her on a path to success. At the beginning of the school year, Emily was happy to accept a full-time job offer from L'Oreal. She will be joining the company in an elite, fast-paced management development program right after graduation this spring. At L'Oreal, three leadership rotations, each for one year, will expose Emily to manufacturing, supply chain, and finance areas of the company, positioning her for a high-level management position upon completion. "My presentation of results from the Co-op project I worked on at L'Oreal ended up being part of my job interview for a full-time position there," she said. "It was great because I was confident about my presentation, and I was genuinely excited because I liked and was proud of my work, and I knew the L'Oreal team well." While her first Co-op placement at Stryker Orthopaedic was in research and development (R & D), it was the experience in manufacturing at L'Oreal that piqued her interest the most. Emily is glad to have had the opportunity to explore different areas of focus and different companies while a Co-op student, well before graduation. Biomedical engineering is a growing major, she said, adding that few universities offer it. Stevens was on the top of her list when it came time to look at colleges not only because Stevens offers biomedical engineering, but also because of the university's location and size. Experiencing a smaller university and program was a bonus, she said. "Professors at Stevens know you by name. My Co-op adviser was always available. Plus, I got to work in groups on projects with my peers and on serious design projects. In the real world, engineers work in groups on multi-disciplinary teams. I'm lucky to have had that experience in my Co-op jobs but also at Stevens."  Among other positives she experienced as a student at Stevens, Emily said she's also grateful for the opportunity to have taken a break from engineering one summer to take part in an exciting archaeological dig in Genzano, Italy, near Rome. She was also pleased to have served as chair of Stevens' chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, helping to enhance programs and increase participation in this important legacy at Stevens.

Engineering management major Steven Koch, who's also earning a minor in economics and a concentration in systems engineering, is finishing up his senior coursework and is another Co-op student already celebrating a full-time position awaiting after graduation. Steven recently accepted a job offer from Johnson & Johnson and will start there in June, 2012, as an associate analyst in the company's Information Technology Leadership Development Program. Steven is actually one of a special group of Stevens students who entertain more than one job offer. He also received an offer from Ernst & Young. Of his four Co-op placements and one internship experience, Steven said he enjoyed getting exposure to his field from a practical stand point, noting that Co-op made him "grow up" professionally and in other ways. Hands-on experience at the Movado Group, Research in Motion, and Crestron Electronics, for example, allowed him to apply the theory and concepts he learned in class to solving real problems. In addition, the experiences fostered important qualities like independence, determination, and even management of personal finances, he added. "Essentially, Co-op allowed my learning to extend beyond the text book," he said. "My work included work all along the information technology (IT) supply chain. I oversaw all steps in the distribution process, including software, cost saving, developing, and reporting performance metrics," he said. "For me, Co-op was an agent for a lot of change, professionally and personally."

Paul Peskosky set his sights on Stevens mainly due to the Co-op program's excellent reputation, he said. Five Co-op placements later, Paul is now wrapping up his senior year as a civil engineering major and said he truly enjoyed the "trial by fire" and "down and dirty" experience he was exposed to in the Co-op placements. Paul's area of expertise and interest is construction and structural engineering, and he's thankful for his Co-op jobs at Hayward Baker and Boswell Engineering. He is especially fond of his work at Hayward Baker, a specialized geotechnical, large-scale construction company based in New Jersey. "It's the best work you'll never see," Paul joked. "The pilings and such for skyscrapers. The construction that has to withstand forces like earthquakes and hurricanes and in all kinds of terrain, and on budget and on schedule."  At Hayward Baker, Paul served as a field engineer and took on project engineer responsibilities when the opportunity arose one month into one of his Co-op placements there. He enjoyed the work so much, he even took on a night shift for a period of time to learn more. There's nothing about Co-op Paul sees as too much of a challenge. In fact, he said he's like the Co-op ambassador, if such a role existed. "I truly think Co-op is the best thing at Stevens," he said. "Not that everything else isn't great, but I mean I just can't see students not at least exploring it if they can." During his career at Stevens, Paul also found time to be invovled on campus. For example, he helped rejuvinate Stevens' chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, promoting civil engineering across campus with intriguing events like a tower building contest in which winners received iPod shuffles.   

 

Senior civil engineering major and Co-op student Michael Consoli is also earning his master's degree in construction management. One of the great advantages of being a Co-op student at Stevens, he noted, was that he was allowed to take night classes even during the alternating semesters he was working full-time on Co-op assignment. Like many students, this allowed him to maximize his time at Stevens, and it paid off. Michael began his career at Stevens as a mechanical engineering student, but his first mechanical engineering Co-op job made him realize that civil engineering was more in line with his interests, and he had the flexibility at Stevens to change his major. "Getting your feet wet in the field before it's too late to change your mind is really key," Michael said. "I'm glad I was able to test the waters with mechanical engineering and then change my path very easily. My remaining Co-op placements were in civil engineering, and it was clear then that I'd made the right choice." Like other Co-op students, Michael said that doing work that affects a real business is very rewarding and builds confidence. His experience at Tishman Construction was especially rewarding, and he's still employed part-time there as he finishes up his senior year at Stevens. "Being involved in the life of an entire project for a company is amazing," he said. "I even inherited roles at the company that became available as their regular employees moved on or into new ones. Essentially, I truly felt like an integral part of the organization, learning about and affecting the day-to-day work and getting a feel for what it's really like on the job. It's important to experience the successes and failures of the business firsthand and to actually apply what you've learned in class," he said. Michael highlighted how rewarding it is that the Co-op experiences and his coursework at Stevens reinforced each other. It's a win, he said, all around. "At Stevens, you have amazing professors, great design and course work, and at the same time, you get a solid career-orientation and worldliness you don't get at other schools," he said. "Especially as Co-op student."  

Erik Thompson joins his Co-op peers in noting that he was treated like any other full-time employee (and paid well) at his Co-op placements. He made major contributions and even earned employee benefits. A senior electrical engineering major who will also leave Stevens with a graduate certificate in wireless communication, Erik will be entering a career in electrical engineering with a highly sophisticated resume due to his Co-op work. At SafeFlight, for example, he was involved in sophisticated problem solving in all aspects of the development of a new "Angle of Attack" sensor, which is a mechanism that keeps airplanes from stalling. And Picatinny Arsenal gave him a chance to hone his computer programming skills. He made a major contribution by translating code he'd found on an open source library into the company's programming language and earned much respect for doing so. "The reality is, employers expect something beyond the classroom," Erik said. "Knowing that, Stevens' Co-op program and the design spine in the engineering programs were the top reasons I chose Stevens. These are especially great advantages for Stevens students. If I look at my before and after resume alone, I see an amazing transformation." Erik's sights are set on a career in wireless communication research for the defense industry.  At Stevens, Erik was also busy serving as the radio station's program manager. His senior design project involves implementing a repeater on Steven's Howe Center, a device that extends the range of weaker radio signals in and around Hoboken. A member of the Anime and Hobby Robotics clubs and the Gaming Society at Stevens, Erik also started up an amateur radio club.

You can learn more about applying to Stevens by Clicking Here. We look forward to showing you all that Stevens has to offer!

From Here to Career

Early Job Offers: Stevens Seniors Find a Great Return on Investment

College-bound students are attracted to Stevens Institute of Technology for many reasons, not the least of which is Stevens' excellent career placement record. By commencement this spring, for example, 80% of the Stevens Class of 2011 had received job offers, and this percentage increased to 85% in a snapshot taken only three months out from graduation. What's more, the average starting salary of a Stevens graduate stands above the national average across the board.

As a college-bound student, you can predict that getting a healthy return on your investment in higher education (your money, time, hard work, passion) is extremely rewarding. But imagine how especially satisfying it would be to accept an exciting job offer in your field even before you finish the first semester of your final year! 

Meet several Stevens seniors who've done just that. Their stories reflect the success of many Stevens students in the context of an outstanding legacy of broad-based, hands-on education and opportunity afforded our students for generations.

Fall Spotlight on Summer Undergraduate Research

A Significant Stevens Advantage

Hundreds of students gathered at last week's Student Research Colloquium to display and discuss the research they led this summer. While a long-standing tradition at Stevens, the fall student research exhibit this year was a special highlight as the Colloquium kicked off a long weekend of exciting events celebrating the inauguration of Dr. Nariman Farvardin as the seventh president of Stevens Institute of Technology.

Among the packed crowd of students, faculty, and outside audience members attending the Colloquium, was the President himself, who expressed being inspired by the open forum. 

“I am overly excited about what I see. I am amazed that some of these students have started their research in their first summer at Stevens and are only in their second year now.  For them to do so much already is very impressive. These students are so bright, and I can see the spark in their eyes.” Dr. Farvardin added, “These are the leaders of the future.”

Access to research for Stevens undergraduates is one of the great advantages of being a student at Stevens and is an educational approach that is deeply rooted in Stevens' legacy. It's no surprise the Student Research Colloquium played an important role in the presidential inauguration this year. 

The research projects presented evolved from summer research in various disciplines, including chemical engineering, technology management, ocean engineering, music and technology, and many more. Students had access to hands-on research in collaboration with faculty mentors through two elite programs for especially high-achieving undergraduate students: the Stevens Scholars and Technogenesis Summer Research programs. 

 

Through their research activities, Stevens and Technogenesis Scholars acquire experience in advanced research, design, and business development projects and develop skills which, among many benefits, give them a leg up in the job market and/or disctinction as prospective graduate students of competitive graduate programs around the world.   

In addition to leading the inauguration weekend, the research exhibit was also distinct this year in the scope, diversity, and multidisciplinary characteristics of the students' work. "This year was a watermark in the history of our undergraduate research programs," said Shane Topping, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Stevens. "The number of students, from across all the disciplines, as well as the broad range of projects they led are all very impressive indications of the limitless opportunities for hands-on, real-world, collaborative exploration and problem-solving here at Stevens." 

Victoria Baldwin, class of 2013, completed her project on photovoltaic efficiency through nonporous anti-reflective thin films. “As renewable energy continues to grow in significance each and every day, so does its compatible power sources, particularly in the photovoltaic field,” said Baldwin. “The question is whether photovoltaic efficiency can be significantly increased in order to make this field a more reliable and effective source of power for consumers.” Chemical engineering and materials science professor and chair Ronald Besser served as the faculty advisor for Baldwin's work.

Nicholas Catania presented his project, "Research and Development of an Interactive Learning Display for the Liberty Science Center," advised by music & technology professor David Musial.  Catania is  majoring in engineering physics and music & technology.

Robert Moakler, a double major in physics and service oriented computing, created a project based on the human psyche. His research is based on the concept that groups of users can successfully lie on the Internet using services like Twitter and Facebook. Moakler named the project “Anatomy of a Lie.” Professor Jeff Nickerson of the Howe School of Technology Management served as advisor.

Joseph Huyett and Angela LoPiccolo, both sophomore mechanical engineering majors, partnered to research vibration energy harvesting. Mechanical engineering and nanotechnology professor Frank Fisher served as advisor. The goal of their project was to autonomously tune piezoelectric beams to ambient vibrations. Magnets were utilized in order to change the stiffness and resonant frequency of the beams. During the course of the experiment, the prototype was redesigned to reduce the play in the system. A linear potentiometer was added to transmit data about the position of the beams to a microcontroller. 

“It was a great experience. There was no one babysitting us during the research, so it really taught us how to be our own boss," said Huyett. "I now know the value of time management, and, overall, I feel like we accomplished a milestone that I am truly proud of.”

 

Associate Provost of the Office for Academic Entrepreneurship at Stevens, Christos Christodoulatos, took an opportunity to praise the research programs. “I think this is a tremendous success for our students and advisors,” he said. “Students are gaining experience through their projects, which emphasize innovation and entrepreneurship and teach our students the value and impact they have on society. They are given both the soft skills and business skills needed to compete in the real world.”

 

 

Career Focus at Stevens

Stevens' Career Fair last week attracted more than 100 companies and 700 students to the eagerly awaited, and historically successful, event held in the Schaefer Center each fall for seniors. 

The fair presented an opportunity for both sides - the Class of 2012 and potential employers - to connect and standout. From the overwhelming turnout and high level of preparedness, to the outstanding career outcomes Stevens publishes each year, it's clear that Stevens students make excellent use of their time in front of some of the nation's top companies and agencies that recruit talent here. Impressive career placement figures for the Class of 2011 include an average starting salary of $63,200, which is 9% above the national average. In addition, 85% of Stevens' Class of 2011 obtained job placement within three months of graduating, and 35% entertained more than one job offer.

"I received great, positive feedback from those who participated in the Career Fair, and I am delighted that the event generated a lot of excitement from everyone involved," said Lynn Insley, Director of Career Development at Stevens. "I'm especially pleased about the wide variety of employers represented this year."

Employer representation ran the gamut across industries, expertise, and types of jobs, which provided students from every discipline ample access to career networking and placement. Amid the economic stress of today, the diversity and breadth of commercial and government representation at this year's fall Career Fair is especially encouraging.  Some companies return to Stevens after years of maintaining relationships here, and some have a more recent presence.  NBC Universal, for example, made its first appearance last year. 

A representative from LGS Bell Labs Innovations summed up what his company sees in Stevens graduates this way: "The Stevens graduates we've worked with are well-prepared and they transition very well to high-end work with little stress and time. They adapt quickly and make positive contributions to sophisticated problems and projects right away. They're also team-oriented, which is  very beneficial." 

LGS Bell Labs delivers communications and R&D-based technology solutions to the U.S. government community and is looking to Stevens for computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, and physics majors to fill various full-time roles as well as internships. The representative added, "It's nearly impossible to predict where technology will be five years from now. We all know how quickly it evolves and changes. So we're not only looking for folks with excellent knowledge and experience, but also those who like to learn and who adapt while we all 'follow the technology', so to speak." 

At a pre-fair luncheon for employers and students, Stevens presented Johnson & Johnson with its Employer of the Year Award for going "above and beyond" the typical recruitment relationship. In addition to internships, co-op placements, and full-time employment, especially distinct is the company's role in providing student workshops in leadership and networking as well as Johnson & Johnson's sponsoring of Stevens senior design projects. 

Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP), Barclays Capital, Becton Dickinson & Company (BD), Deloitte Services, Ernst & Young, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Hamilton Sundstrand, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Morgan Stanley, L'Oreal USA, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Pepsi Bottling Group, Risk Management Solutions Inc.,  UBS, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Verizon were a few among the many companies represented.

 

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.

Experience Matters!

The National Association of Colleges and Employers' (NACE) 2011 Internship & Co-op Survey indicates that internships are a critical piece of the college recruiting scene. The survey finds that employers expect to increase internship hiring by about 7 percent this year and co-op positions by nearly 9 percent. Furthermore, they will draw approximately 40 percent of their new college hires for 2011 from their internship and co-op programs. These figures demonstrate the central role that experiential education plays in the overall college recruiting process.

Stevens is proud to offer world class Cooperative Education and Internship programs. They are run by dedicated staff who identify employers and opportunities, facilitate recruiting opportunities, and also work closely with students to prepare for interviews, craft resumes, and secure co-op, internship, and permanent placements. Ninety percent of Stevens students participate in some form of experiential education during their time on campus, and that distinguishing factor sets them apart when it is time to secure full-time employment.

See more details about how internships and cooperative education are more important than ever before in the NACE research brief.