NJIT in the News

NJIT Dean of Graduate Studies Ronald Kane will moderate a faculty panel representative of the colleges and schools at NJIT at the third edition of the popular panel discussion, "One Day in the Life of a Professor/Careers in Academe" on Nov. 11 at 4 p.m. in Eberhardt Hall Room 112. NJIT Dean of Graduate Studies Ronald Kane will moderate a faculty panel representative of the colleges and schools at NJIT. They include: Cristian Borcea, department of computer science, Joseph Bozzelli, department of chemistry and environmental science, Zhiming Ji, department of mechanical and industrial engineering, and Marguerite Schneider, School of Management, who will discuss academic careers and share their experiences in a program aimed at graduate students. 

Citing friendly students, good peer networks and cutting-edge classes, The Princeton Review has featured NJIT’s School of Management (SOM) in its 2010 edition of The Best 301 Business Schools (Random House).

Want to know more about getting productivity from your management team?  Then ask Jerry Fjermestad, an associate professor in NJIT’s School of Management. Fjermestad has learned, based on earlier research that high-performing virtual management teams act differently than low-performing ones.

Approaching the anniversary of Lehman Brothers’ demise, NJIT Finance Professor Michael Ehrlich, an expert on market failure, says that the Feds made the right move when they allowed the investment firm to go bankrupt. 

Aron Spencer, PhD, an assistant professor in NJIT's School of Management will be the program facilitator at the Venture Acceleration Workshop, an intensive four-day program designed for technology-based businesses focusing on licensing or commercializing technology-based products or services. The workshop will be held on four consecutive Saturdays: Sept. 26, Oct. 3, Oct. 10 and Oct. 17 at Seton Hall University. By the end of this four-day session, participants will have a complete commercialization plan and be able to deliver a pitch-ready PowerPoint presentation to investors and/or strategic partners. Registration fee is $250 and scholarships are available. To qualify, participants must live, work or operate a business in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union or Warren counties in NJ. Class size is limited to 25 participants. For additional details, call Judith Sheft at 973-596-5825 or email sheft@njit.edu. Click here to register.

Wei Xu, PhD, of Gillette, assistant professor in the School of Management, received the Award for Undergraduate Instruction, Lower Division at NJIT’s University Convocation, an annual celebration held on Sept. 2, 2009.  

Aron Spencer, PhD, an assistant professor in NJIT's School of Management will be the program facilitator at the Venture Acceleration Workshop, an intensive four-day program designed for technology-based businesses focusing on licensing or commercializing technology-based products or services. The workshop will be held on four consecutive Saturdays: Sept. 26, Oct. 3, Oct. 10 and Oct. 17 at Seton Hall University. By the end of this four-day session, participants will have a complete commercialization plan and be able to deliver a pitch-ready PowerPoint presentation to investors and/or strategic partners. Registration fee is $250 and scholarships are available. To qualify, participants must live, work or operate a business in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union or Warren counties in NJ. Class size is limited to 25 participants. For additional details, call Judith Sheft at 973-596-5825 or email sheft@njit.edu. Click here to register.

NJIT marks the start of the new school year on September 2, 2009 with University Convocation, an annual celebration and awards ceremony.  The event, which recognizes the accomplishments of students, faculty and staff, will be held at 3 p.m., in the Jim Wise Theatre in Kupfrian Hall on the NJIT campus. A reception follows.

Three outstanding students in the undergraduate business program at NJIT placed third overall in the 2009 DFJ East Coast Venture Challenge (ECVC) hosted at Columbia University. The student team of Quaison Carter (shown at left), Louis Noto and Paulius Skema finished ahead of teams from Yale, Columbia and Johns Hopkins, among others, for their presentation of the company Fetchfire, which was founded by Carter. The ECVC business plan competition offers student entrepreneurs from top universities across the East Coast the chance to pitch their ideas to a panel of venture capital judges from DFJ and DFJ Gotham.

NJIT's School of Management and the Division of Career Development Services are sponsoring an event to help students who are looking to enter the job market on April 22, 2:30-4 p.m. in Eberhardt Hall. Greg Mass, executive director of career development services at NJIT, will give the keynote presentation "Skill Requirements for An Innovation Driven Economy." Contact: Michael Ehrlich.

A new book edited by Frederic B. Bogui, PhD, special lecturer in NJIT's School of Management, provides concrete guidance in an area that has increased in complexity as governmental accountability takes on a heightened priority. Handbook of Governmental Accounting (CRC Press, 2009) encompasses the latest developments in Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), budgeting, fund accounting, financial reporting, and auditing requirements for governmental entities. 

Distinguished Professor Alok K. Chakrabarti was recognized last week by his friends and colleagues for his years of dedicated service to NJIT’s School of Management. Chakrabarti served as the founding dean for the School of Management for more than 11 years and led the school through its initial AACSB accreditation. Since his hire in 1988, he also served as the Foundation Chair in Management of Technology, where he continued to make significant contributions to research in this area.

The Urban Land Institute of Northern New Jersey has honored NJIT adjunct professor and attorney Jerry Fitzgerald English as “Land Use Educator of the Year” for her 23 years of leadership and service to the environmental sector especially within the region.

NJIT held its annual black-tie benefit dinner Celebration on Nov. 14, 2008 at Pleasantdale Chateau, West Orange. Former New Jersey Governor and President of the New Jersey State Senate, the Hon. Richard J. Codey served as the special guest master of ceremonies. The world-renowned Duprees, who started their 1960s musical careers in Jersey City provided entertainment.

Wachovia Bank, NA, headquartered in Charlotte, NC, was named the outstanding corporate partner of the year at NJIT’s annual black-tie benefit dinner Celebration on Nov. 14, 2008 at the Pleasantdale Chateau, West Orange. 

Steve Kalafer, chairman of the Flemington Car and Truck Country Family of Dealerships and the Somerset Patriots received NJIT’s highest honor—the President’s Medal at NJIT’s annual black-tie benefit dinner Celebration on Nov. 14, 2008 at Pleasantdale Chateau, West Orange. 

Edward Cruz, CEO of E.E. Cruz & Company, Inc, Holmdel, received NJIT’s Outstanding Alumnus Award at NJIT’s annual black-tie benefit dinner Celebration on Nov. 14, 2008 at Pleasantdale Chateau, West Orange.

Congratulations to Theologos Homer Bonitsis, Christopher Funkhouser, and Elizabeth Avery-Gomez '07 and students Nilufa Rahim and Brian Novello on their recent accomplishments.

"Creating and Surviving Disruptive Innovation" a talk by Clayton M. Christensen, the Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, on Nov. 1, has been postponed to a later date.

Michael R. Bartolacci, PhD, associate professor of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State, will discuss the "Use of Second Life for Higher Education" on October 22, 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Leir Conference Room, Central Avenue Building, 3rd Floor. 

“Wall Street Meltdown: A Look at What Happened Last Week and What To Expect Next” will be the subject of a four-way panel talk with finance specialists from NJIT’s School of Management. The discussion, set for Oct. 20, 2008, from 3-4:30 p.m., in the Campus Center Atrium, will focus on macroeconomics, hedge funds, credit default swaps, savings and retirement strategies and more.

Annaleena Parhankangas, PhD, an associate professor in NJIT's School of Management, will explore the paradoxes, challenges and potential of entrepreneurship in technology-driven industries at the Department of Computer Science Seminar Series on Oct. 8, 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Guttenberg Information Technologies Center Room 4415.

David Hawk, PhD, a professor in NJIT's School of Management, will discuss "The Importance of Waiting until It's Too Late" on Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. in the School of Management H.J. Leir Conference Room. The lecture is sponsored by the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society.

Jerry Fjermestad, PhD, an associate professor in NJIT's School of Management, won the New Jersey Business and Industry Association's Bright Idea Award for his paper “Communication and Leadership Differences in Virtual Design Teams: Why Some Teams Do Better Than Others.” Dr. Fjermestad will be recognized at an awards ceremony in November.

A new text for managers with tips on planning, organizing, managing and controlling a firm’s sales activities has been written by Rajiv Mehta, PhD, a professor in NJIT's School of Management. 

Bruce Kirchhoff, PhD, of Maplewood, a distinguished professor in NJIT’s School of Management and a renowned expert in small business administration, received at NJIT’s recent annual awards convocation, the Excellence in Research Award.

Mark J. Somers, PhD, of New York City, a professor in the School of Management at NJIT and the former dean of that school, received an excellent teacher designation at NJIT’s recent annual convocation. 

Bruce Kirchhoff, PhD, of Maplewood, a distinguished professor in NJIT’s School of Management, and a renowned expert in small business administration, received at NJIT’s recent annual awards convocation, the Excellence in Research Award.

NJIT Finance Professor Michael Ehrlich warns the Federal Reserve to leap ahead of the curve.  Ehrlich, a market failure expert, sees the serious devaluation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac preferred stock—held widely by many US banks—as a serious bail-out consequence. 

NJIT will mark, once again, the new school year with University Convocation, an annual celebration and awards ceremony recognizing students, faculty and staff accomplishments. 

It’s not easy these days attending school, working, plus worrying about increased commuting costs.  That’s why NJIT is pleased to announce a new online master’s degree program in management as well as five new online business-related certificate programs starting Sept. 2, 2008. Registration is currently underway. 

Annaleena Parhankangas, PhD, an associate professor in NJIT's School of Management and the holder of the Henry J. Leir Chair of Bio-Business, has received an Outstanding Reviewer Award for 2008 from the Journal of Business Venturing.

Rajiv Mehta, PhD, an associate professor in NJIT's School of Management, has published Sales Management: Building Customer Relationships and Partnerships (Houghton Mifflin, 2008). The book focuses on the planning, organization, management, and control of a firm's sales activities. Topics discussed include recruiting, selecting, training, leading, motivating, territorial coverage, routing, compensating, and sales force performance evaluation.

The Emerald Literati Network has awarded a 2008 honor to NJIT School of Management Professor Hindy Lauer Schachter for excellence based on her contributions as a reviewer in 2007 to the Journal of Management History.  

The Federal Reserve may have caused Bear Stearns to fail, said NJIT School of Management professor Michael Ehrlich. 

The fat lady isn’t singing yet, believes finance professor Michael Ehrlich at NJIT’s School of Management.  Based on academic research and Ehrlich’s experience working at Bear Stearns and Salomon Brothers, he predicts more financial distress and a new crisis in the municipal bond market. 

NJIT Development Director Honored by North Essex Chamber of Commerce  Billy McDermott, director of development for NJIT’s School of Management, received the President's Award at the North Essex Chamber of Commerce Leadership Recognition Banquet on May 16, 2007.Three Highlanders Receive Independent Baseball Academic HonorsNJIT baseball athletes Austin DeRogatis, Rob Pietrocola and PJ Saporito were named to the NCAA Division I Independent All-Academic team for 2007. The NCAA Division I Academic All-Independent team was selected by sports information directors at member institutions. Nominations from each school were accepted for student-athletes who had a least a 3.25 cumulative grade point average, had reached at least a sophomore academic standing and were a starter or key reserve for their respective program.

NJIT Chemistry Professor Receives Pro Bono Award from NJACS
Sanjay Malhotra, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of chemistry and environmental science, has received the 2006 Pro Bono Award from the North Jersey Section of the American Chemical Society (NJACS). The award recognizes a special commitment to motivating high-school students to pursue careers in the chemical sciences and contributing to NJACS activities.IS Professor Receives Grant for Improvisation in Emergency Response
David Mendonca, PhD, an associate professor in the department of information systems, is the principal investigator on a three-year, $710,000 grant, "Agents of Change: Improvisation in Emergency Response: Linking Cognition, Behavior and Social Interaction."   SOM Professor Participates in International Informatics Forum
Katia Passerini, PhD, an assistant professor in the School of Management, helped to organize and lead the scientific program of the 2006 International Informatics Forum on Knowledge Management sponsored by the University of Tunis-Carthage in Tunis.

The School of Management at NJIT was named an outstanding business school by The Princeton Review. “We’re pleased to be commended for the third time this year by The Princeton Review as a notable US institution of higher education,” said Robert A. Altenkirch, PhD, president of NJIT.

NJIT has named David L. Hawk, PhD, an advisor in the area of open source business systems, as dean of the School of Management (SOM). Hawk holds dual appointments as professor in the New Jersey School of Architecture (NJSOA) and in SOM.

Attention graduates: If you’re interested in a financially and personally rewarding career, think sales, said Rajiv Mehta, PhD, associate professor in NJIT's School of Management. Mehta, the co-author of Personal Selling: Building Customer Relationships and Partnerships, believes the demand for sales jobs will grow by leaps and bounds

Dan Robey (at left), John B. Zellars Professor of Information Systems at Georgia State University, will speak on the topic "Human Agency and the Use of Information Technology Applications" on March 20, 1-2 p.m., Guttenberg Information Technologies Center Room 3710.

Katia Passerini, PhD, has been named the Hurlburt Professor of Management of Information Systems in the School of Management at NJIT. “Since she joined the faculty at NJIT, Katia has demonstrated an unusual assortment of talent, skills and knowledge – she truly has helped us understand what the NJIT theme, 'The Edge in Knowledge,' can mean,” said NJIT Provost Priscilla Nelson.

SOM Designated as Leading Global Research Center in Technology Management NJIT’s School of Management has been identified as one of the top 50 global centers of research in Management of Technology by the International Association for the Management of Technology. The rankings will be published in the Journal of Product Innovation Management, one of the top journals in the field. Gonzalez-Lenahan Receives Award from Hispanic Organization Clarisa Gonzalez-Lenahan, associate director in the Office of Graduate Studies at NJIT, received the Award of Excellence in Advanced Education and Community Service from the Port Authority Hispanic Society on October 6, 2004. NJIT Physicist Awarded NSF Grant to Study Radio Waves THe National Science Foundation has awarded Dale Gary, PhD, professor of physics at NJIT, $832,927 to continue his research to develop a global network of 100 radio telescopes to learn more about radio waves from the sun. Read the press release. Chemical Engineering Grad Students to Receive National Awards A recent graduate and a current doctoral candidate in chemical engineering will receive graduate student research awards of $300 each from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Dimitrios Zarkadas, who is expected to graduate in the next few months, was selected as the winner of the 2004 AIChE Separations Division Graduate Student Research Award in Crystallization and Evaporation. Meredith Feins, who received her PhD in May of 2004, was named one of two winners of the 2004 AIChE Separations Division Graduate Student Research Award in Membrane-Based Separations. Both awards are highly competitive with a global request for nominations, said Basil Baltzis, PhD, chairman of the chemical engineering department at NJIT. Read the press release. NJIT Solar Physicists Quoted in Science Magazine Carsten J. Denker, assistant professor of physics, and Guo Yang, a post-doctoral researcher, were quoted in an article about solar storms that appeared in the the July 30 issue of Science magazine. Read the article. Howell Appointed Chair of National Association of Minority Engineering Program Administrators Tony Howell, executive director of the Educational Opportunity Program at NJIT, has assumed the chairmanship of the Board of Directors for Region A (New England and Mid-Atlantic states to DC) of the National Association of Minority Engineering Programs Administrators.  Tao Publishes Paper in Proceedings of the NAS Louis Tao, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, is second author on a paper entitled “An Embedded Network Approach for Scale-up of Fluctuation-Driven Systems with Preservation of Spike Information” that was published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Carlos Rivera, a retired business owner who is an adjunct professor in the School of Management at NJIT, gave  the keynote speech at the opening ceremony in recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month this afternoon on the Campus Green. “You as individuals can make a difference,” Rivera said. “You can change one person’s life. As a result, you are changing the world.”

Five French-based students graduating from the School of Management’s “sister school” in Saint-Etienne traveled overseas to receive their MBA degrees in person at the university’s commencement ceremony on May 26, 2004. The School of Management at NJIT offers a European MBA in partnership with Ecole Superieure de Commerce (ESC) a Saint-Etienne, France. Classes are given on-site and are taught by instructors from ESC and NJIT.