NEWARK , May 22, 2000 -New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) will award honorary doctoral degrees to US Senator Frank Lautenberg and Dean Kamen, medical inventor, at the university's 114th Commencement at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), One Center Street in Newark, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, May 22, 2000. The morning ceremony for bachelor's and doctoral degree candidates will be followed by a ceremony for master's degree candidates at 1:00 p.m.

NJIT's 114th Commencement class includes approximately 670 candidates for bachelor's (347) and master's (323) degrees in fields such as engineering, management, computer science, architecture and related technological disciplines. In addition, there are 25 candidates for doctoral degrees, which will bring the total number of Ph.D. degrees conferred by NJIT this year to 52.

According to NJIT President Saul K. Fenster, "Senator Frank Lautenberg has built a legendary record in the United States Senate. He has been a strong advocate for children, the environment, transportation, the economy and a strong national defense. He has set a high benchmark for future generations of leaders. We are honored that Senator Lautenberg will be accepting an honorary doctorate from NJIT," said Fenster.

"Dean Kamen's creative genius has advanced medical care worldwide and vastly improved the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses and disabilities. His call for scientists and engineers to address the needs of society, and his vision of technology in facing those challenges resonates with the mission of NJIT," Fenster added.

Senator Lautenberg will be presented with a degree of doctor of humane letters in recognition of his outstanding record of public service and contributions to the State of New Jersey. Prior to serving in the US Senate, Lautenberg along with two partners, founded Automatic Data Processing, one of the largest computing services companies in the world. When he was elected to the Senate, Lautenberg was serving as Chairman and CEO of the company, which now employs almost 33,000 people.

Over his three terms as a Senator, Lautenberg has been one of America's strongest advocates for safeguarding families, protecting the environment, championing the rights and opportunity of all, and investing in the nation's future. He authored laws that established 21 as the national legal drinking age, banned smoking on airplanes and made it illegal for anyone convicted of domestic violence to own a gun. A strong environmental leader, Lautenberg also helped write the Superfund, Clean Air and Safe Drinking Water Acts and authored the nation's first Right to Know program.

Dean Kamen, who will receive a degree of doctor of science from NJIT, is the president of DEKA Research and Development Corporation in New Hampshire. Kamen holds more than 100 patents for innovative medical devices, including a wearable infusion pump-a device that delivers doses of intravenous medication automatically during the day, to minimize disruptions to a patient's life. His other inventions include the world's first portable insulin pump, a portable kidney dialysis machine, and the IBOT "walking" wheelchair, currently in development with Johnson & Johnson. The IBOT wheelchair is expected to revolutionize personal mobility for millions of adults with disabilities.

Kamen has worked tirelessly for a better and more caring world through his efforts to encourage young people to pursue careers in science, engineering and technology and to encourage scientists and engineers to dedicate their energies and talents to addressing the world's most crucial problems. He established Science Enrichment Encounters (SEE), an interactive science learning center visited by some 40,000 children a year. He founded FIRST, (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) to inspire youth to pursue careers in science and technology. FIRST's annual competition, which partners engineering teams from corporations and universities with local high schools, is a Superbowl-type robotics competition.

One of the university's most prestigious awards, the Edward F. Weston Medal for distinguished professional achievement by an alumnus, will be presented to Dr. Vincent DeCaprio,'72, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Advanced Drug Delivery at Becton, Dickinson and Company. Fenster described DeCaprio as "a visionary engineer and business leader who throughout his career has worked with universities to turn ideas into new products in the marketplace."

The recipient of the Hashimoto Prize will be George F. Elmasry, 99, who has earned the degree of Doctor of Philosophy through distinguished scholarship and research in electrical engineering.

NJIT's newest undergraduate class will be represented by Chubi Anyaoku of Newark, who will graduate with a bachelor's degree in computer engineering. Representing the candidates for doctoral degrees, Narahari Ramanuja of Kearny will be receiving a doctorate in materials science. In the afternoon ceremony, Robert Peter Myre of Sparta, graduating with a master's degree in professional and technical communications, will represent the candidates for master's degrees.

Changes at the NJIT campus since 1996, when most of the students earning bachelor's degrees entered the University, include a new building for the New Jersey School of Architecture in 1998 (one of the largest architecture programs in the country), a new residence hall, Laurel Hall, in 1997 (nearly half of freshman students entering NJIT reside on campus) as well as the addition of a second building for the NJIT Enterprise Development Center (EDCII) in 1997.

The graduation ceremonies will take place in NJPAC's 2,750-seat Prudential Hall. NJPAC, located on 12 acres in downtown Newark, opened in October, 1997 and a cornerstone in the revitalization of the City of Newark. NJPAC is a 250,000-square-foot facility that houses three theaters, three restaurants, reception and meeting areas, and a soaring all-glass lobby that is a gateway to the city.

NJIT is a public research university enrolling over 8,200 bachelor's, master's and doctoral students in 80 degree programs through its five colleges: Newark College of Engineering, New Jersey 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 "America's most wired public university" for three 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.