NJIT in the News

Students in New Jersey will soon be able to earn two degrees – one in physics and one in engineering – in just five years, thanks to a new collaboration between New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and New Jersey City University (NJCU).

Robert A. Altenkirch, PhD, president of New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), was named Chairman of the Board of Trustees for University Heights Science Park. The Board of Trustees, which has 32 members, is responsible for overseeing and guiding the development of the Science Park, a 50-acre mixed-use park in Newark’s Central Ward.

NJIT President Robert A. Altenkirch welcomed a new addition to his family on July 29, 2004, when his first grandchild entered the world.  "Beth and I are pleased to announce the birth of our first grandchild, Jackson Luke Moroney, NJIT class of 2027, who was born July 29th in Washington, DC, to Allison and Brian Moroney," says Altenkirch.  "While his father is teaching him all about Yankee baseball, we remain convinced that his first words will likely be, 'Go Highlanders!'”

Robert A. Altenkirch, president of New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), has been appointed by Newark Mayor Sharpe James to a commission to study the city’s downtown redevelopment plan.  The plan includes a proposal to construct a $300 million arena for the Devils, the prominent New Jersey professional hockey team. The panel will be comprised of a dozen business, education and political leaders throughout the city.

To the mournful sound of a bagpipe and a sharp salute from NJIT's publc safety officers in dress blues, NJIT this morning  honored 11 alumni and friends who died in the terrorist attacks two years ago.   NJIT 's president Robert A. Altenkirch addressed  a crowd of about 200 students, staff, faculty, and the family of one of the alumni who gathered on the green under a bright blue sky  to dedicate a memorial to those lost.   Nine NJIT graduates were working in the World Trade Center September 11, 2001 when the towers were hit by two hijacked planes and collapsed. Alumnus and former Trustee Donald Peterson and his wife Jean were on United Airlines Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco when it crashed in Western Pennsylvania.   "For decades to come, we will be seeking the right words, the right language, to help us heal and comprehend what happened two years ago in New York City," Altenkirch said.   "It is easy to talk about understanding and tolerance," Altenkirch said, but it is more important to make an individual effort to respect other people. "We are committed to those deeds and actions here at NJIT," he said.   The family of George Strauch attended the ceremony, and his brother Robert remembered him as a man who looked back fondly on his days as an undergraduate at Newark College of Engineering.    Several of those NJIT alumni worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. They were due to be honored at a separate ceremony at New York City's Riverside Church September 11 at 2 p.m. New York Governor George Pataki and New Jersey Governor James McGreevey will speak at  that service. It will  be broadcast live by New Jersey Public Television with a re-broadcast set for 9 p.m.   The lost  NJIT alumni included engineers, people who worked in finance, and computer experts.  Most were married. Among them they left 18 children.   Hilary Strauch, 13, wrote the following poem about her father: My Dad I see a face, a face of God He's smiling down on me and my mom My dad is up there smiling too When his tower collapsed he was trapped Inside a fiery inferno with no where to go Except heaven Also among those  named on the plaque are former NJIT Board of Trustees member Donald Peterson, who with his wife Jean, a retired nurse, was on United Airlines Flight 93 headed from Newark to San Francisco when it crashed in Pennsylvania. The Petersons were going to a family reunion. They lived in Spring Lake. Here are brief remembrances of the graduates. They were written  from news clips and from information compiled by the NJIT Alumni Association's Julie Jablonsky.       * Paul F. Beatini, 40, Class of 1986, Park Ridge, NJ, was operations vice president and assistant manager for engineering for FMGlobal Corp. He is survived by his wife Susan, two daughters now ages seven and five, and his parents and siblings. His co-workers remembered him as "a devoted family man with an unmistakable sense of humor and love of life."        * Eddie Wing-Wai Ching, 29, Union, Class of 1997, was a client support administrator for UmeVoice. He was in the WTC offices of Cantor  Fitzgerald, a client, on September 11. The youngest of four children, his relatives nicknamed him "Cool Man" but remember him most for his warm heart. He loved to play basketball, took pride in being a homeowner and had told friends he intended to propose marriage to his girlfriend by the end of 2001. His survivors include his mother and sister.     * Patrick A. Hoey, Class of 1969, 53, Middletown, was executive manager for the Port Authority's department of tunnels, bridges, and terminals. He was in his office on the 64th Floor of Tower One when it was struck. His voice can be heard on recently-released Port Authority tapes seeking advice on whether to evacuate the building. Remembered as a family man who was active in his church and community,  he was a former PTA president. Survivors include Eileen, his wife of 31 years, and their three sons.     * Edward T. Keane, 66, Class of 1961, West Caldwell, had been a retired Port Authority engineer. But  after three years of retirement he had decided to return to work there, this time as a consultant to the PA with Hill International. He managed projects connected with the George Washington and Goethals bridges. He was at work on the 60th Floor of Tower One when the plane struck. He and 15 co-workers had made it down to the 20th Floor when the building collapsed. Keane had survived the 1993 WTC attack, and was cited at the time for helping a distraught pregnant woman down 72 flights of stairs. Relatives remembered Keane as a man who took pleasure in hiking, sailing, gardening and travel. But his greatest joy was his family, including Barbara, his wife of 38 years, their daughter, son, and four grandchildren.     * Franco Lalama, 45, Nutley, Class of 1980, was a structural engineer with the Port Authority's department of  bridges and terminals. He was on the 64th floor of Tower One when it was struck. According to news accounts, he had spoken to his wife and sister by phone, telling them he was leaving the building. But he turned back to assist others. His co-workers remembered him as a brilliant engineer who could always be  relied on to put the George Washington bridge back together in time for the morning rush after even the most extensive repair work. Friends said he was a gourmet who loved to make homemade wine, and served cannoli and espresso at work. Survivors include his wife Linda, their three children, his parents and siblings.     * Kleber Molina, New York City, Class of 1998, worked for Fiduciary Trust Company International. He was at worked on the 95th Floor of Tower Two when it was struck. He is survived by his wife, Cathy.     * Francesco "Francis" Riccardelli, 40, Westwood, Class of 1985, worked at the Port Authority as manager of vertical transportation for the World Trade Complex.  He was remembered by his family as "an eternal optimist who saw only the good in the world." He was also an avid hiker, swimmer, and skier, who had a deep love of nature. He is survived by his wife Theresa and their five children. At the time of his death the children were ages 9, 8, 5, 3, and 1.     * George J. Strauch, Jr., 53, Avon-by-the-Sea, Class of 1970, was an executive with Aon Corporation. He was at work in the firm's 99th Floor offices when the first tower was struck. He had phoned his wife and his mother to assure them he was all right. But then his own building was hit . Strauch was remembered as having passion for the ocean, particularly fishing. He and his wife met on the boardwalk when she was 17. He put up with a daily, 5:30 a.m., four-hour roundtrip commute so he and his family could live near the beach. His survivors include Virginia, his wife of 27 years and their daughter Hilary, now 13.     * Mark Zangrilli, 36, Pompton Plains, Class of 1988, was employed by AXA Corporation near the Twin Towers on Water Street. But he was attending a meeting at Aon Corporation in Tower Two when it was struck. Zangrilli had formerly worked at the World Trade Center as an insurance underwriter for  Kemper National Insurance Co. He was there during the 1993 bombing and was cited for doing a heroic job in helping evacuate coworkers there. His last contact with his wife Jill was a phone message saying the evacuation was beginning and that he would call when he got down. She remembers him as a dedicated father and husband, who took his two sons, then 3 and 1, everywhere he went on weekends. His wife and sons survive him.   As part of NJIT's efforts to comfort the families of those who died, NJIT's alumni association had earlier mailed $1,000 donations to the families--including an additional alumnus,  John Fisher who took evening courses for years at  the university but had left before graduating.  Fisher, 46, a father of seven, worked at the World Trade Center, consulting for the Port Authority as an engineering consultant for Nanotek, Inc.   Immediately after the first attack he re-entered the south tower and went into the World Trade Center's operational control center. When that  tower collapsed he was there,  assisting with the evacuation and trying to help fix the buildings' communications systems. He is survived by his former wife Gail and their children, who were ages 16, 14, 12, 10, 10, 8 and 6 when he died. The family lives in Beachwood. ---Gale Scott

What's better than a nice hot breakfast on a rainy morning? Easy. A free breakfast, served up by smiling faculty, deans, and other staff volunteers at NJIT's new student center. Leading the group of cheerful servers today was NJIT's president Robert A. Altenkirch, who was there at the start of the 8 a.m. traditional pancake breakfast, and still there when the last hungry student polished off the last free stack. No one was counting the students, but according to Dean of Students Jack Gentul, approximately 600 tasty hotcakes were consumed. The event was originally scheduled for the campus green. "I was picturing blazing sun, green grass, big white tent, but this worked," Gentul said. This year's freshman class numbers 740 students, of whom 84 percent were in the top half of the their high school graduating classes and 26 percent were in the top tenth (according to reporting for 504 of those students.) More than half of the entering freshman are in the Newark College of Engineering (395 or 53 percent.) The College of Computing Sciences has 138 freshman (19 percent); the New Jersey School of Architecture has 127 freshmen (17 percent); the College of Science and Liberal Arts has 51 freshman (7 percent); and the School of Management has 29 freshman (4 percent.) The most popular fields selected by enrolling freshmen are architecture, biomedical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, computer science, engineering (undeclared), information technology, and mechanical engineering. Nearly all the students are from New Jersey (698), with 18 hailing from New York, eight international students, five from Pennsylvania, four from Maryland, and one each from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was uncertain at NJIT Newsrooom's press time what percentage of the class likes pancakes.--Gale Scott

In an inaugural speech to students, faculty, public officials and industry partners of New Jersey’s public technological research university, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) President Robert A. Altenkirch, Ph.D. sounded a voice for optimism grounded in the promise of technological advancement, and articulated the changing roles the 125-year-old university will likely play under his leadership.

Idealism, celebration and commentary from leading state dignitaries will mark the inauguration of New Jersey Institute of Technology’s seventh president, Robert A. Altenkirch, Ph.D. Altenkirch will be inaugurated May 2, 2003, beginning at 2:45 p.m.. The ceremony will occur in a large white tent on the campus green.

The inaugural ceremony of Robert A. Altenkirch, Ph.D., the seventh president of New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), will begin with a colorful academic parade of NJIT faculty, elected officials and delegates representing other college and universities.

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) will inaugurate Robert A. Altenkirch as the university’s seventh President.

Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Robert Lettiere recently appointed New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) President Robert A. Altenkirch, Ph.D., to a seven-member, Blue Ribbon Transportation Commission. The Commission, chaired by Lettiere, will make recommendations to the legislature within one year regarding transportation funding and priorities. The information will help the State renew the Transportation Trust Fund that expires in 2004.