NEWARK, NJ , October 4, 1999 - Dr. Harold Deutschman, PE, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), is one of 10 individuals and five institutions nationwide who are receiving the 1999 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. The award is administered and funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF).

     Deutschman has a distinguished record over the past 29 years initiating, directing and teaching pre-college programs, and mentoring students to enter college and pursue careers in science, mathematics and engineering. His summer engineering program for 9th and 10th graders, started in 1970, has run continuously for 29 years. He has mentored over 2,500 students, averaging 100 per year who are predominately underrepresented minority students from the Greater Newark area. More than 95% of Deutschman's mentees have enrolled in college and 70% have majored in science, mathematics, or engineering. Dr. Deutschman received the Ph.D. degree from Northwestern University.

     Through this award, President Clinton honors individuals and groups that have been exemplary in their encouragement of minorities, women and persons with disabilities to pursue careers in scientific, engineering and technical fields. The president has said that they would "serve as examples to their colleagues and will be leaders in the national effort to train the next century of scientists, mathematicians and engineers."

     "No personal influence is as powerful, long-lasting, and positive as that of a superlative mentor. The mentors receiving this award today are a true national resource who play a key role in defining the quality of our nation's future human resources in science, mathematics, technology and engineering," said NSF director Rita Colwell.

     Up to 10 individuals and 10 institutions annually may qualify for the national award, which includes a $10,000-grant and a commemorative presidential certificate.

     The mentoring awards recognize a long-term commitment to providing opportunities for greater participation in science and engineering by all Americans. The awards do this by honoring those whose personal and organizational activities have increased participation of underrepresented groups in mathematics, engineering and science from kindergarten through graduate level.

     NJIT is a public research university enrolling nearly 8,200 bachelor's, master's and doctoral students in 76 degree programs through its five colleges: Newark College of Engineering, School of Architecture, College of Science and Liberal Arts, the School of Management and the Albert Dorman Honors College. Research initiatives include manufacturing, microelectronics, multimedia, transportation, computer science, solar astrophysics, environmental engineering and science, and architecture and building science.

     Yahoo! Internet Life magazine has ranked NJIT the "most wired" public university for two consecutive years, U.S. News and World Report's 1999 Annual Guide to America's Best Colleges ranked NJIT among the nation's top universities, and Money magazine's most recent issue of Best College Buys rated NJIT as the sixth best value among U.S. science and technology schools and among the top 100 overall. In September 1999, Mademoiselle ranked NJIT as the second most Internet-connected university in the nation.