Governor Jon Corzine signed groundbreaking legislation to fund construction of a major stem cell research facility at NJIT as well as complementary facilities in New Brunswick, Camden, Allendale, and Belleville. The legislation, which had been previously approved by the New Jersey State Senate and Assembly last week, allocates $50 million for construction of the NJIT facility in Newark. The bill will advance NJIT leadership in creating the Newark Institute for Regenerative Medicine, dedicated to creating technologies to translate basic research in stem cell science into practical and deliverable therapies for patients. >>

John W. Seazholtz, a member of the board of overseers at NJIT and a 1959 graduate of Newark College of Engineering, received NJIT’s highest honor: the Edward F. Weston Medal for Distinguished Professional Achievement by an alumnus. >>

Durgamadhab Misra, PhD, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NJIT, will present an invited research talk on “Negative Bias Temperature Instability in TiN/Hf-silicate Based Gate Stacks" at Cornell University's 2006 Lester Eastman Conference On High Performance Devices on August 2-4. >>

Charles M. Forman, a senior partner at the law firm of Forman Holt and Eliades and a widely respected leader of bankruptcy law in the region, was named an outstanding alumnus by the Newark College of Engineering (NCE) at NJIT on May 5 during the college’s awards banquet. >>

The NJIT community mourns the loss of Herbert M. Iris, ’51, a major benefactor to the athletics program at NJIT and the national chair of the Highlanders Athletics Campaign. Iris served in the Navy after graduating from high school and received a BS degree in civil engineering from the Newark College of Engineering in 1951. He started Iris Construction Co. in 1959, building industrial and office complexes across northern New Jersey. >>

Stephen Shaw, president of Shaw Built Homes and mayor of Mountain Lakes, will be named an outstanding alumnus by the Newark College of Engineering (NCE) at NJIT. Shaw, who earned a civil engineering degree from NCE in 1982, will be honored during the annual NCE Awards Banquet on May 5 in NJIT’s Campus Center. >>

More than 125 people gathered at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) last week to see NJIT President Robert A. Altenkirch receive the highest annual honor from Newark Preservation and Landmarks Committee President William Mikesell, a Newark architect.  The Donald T. Dust Recognition Award honored NJIT’s two-year, $13-million restoration of the oldest building on campus, a 35,000-square foot, three-story gothic Victorian castle. >>

NJIT received the highest annual honor from the Newark Preservation and Landmarks Committee for the restoration of Eberhardt Hall NJIT Alumni Center. NJIT President Robert A. Altenkirch accepted the Donald T. Dust Recognition Award at a ceremony last evening. "This award recognizes much more than the successful physical restoration of an elegant and historic building," said Dr. Altenkirch. "It honors a commitment to the well-being of a city and its people that spans a hundred and fifty years, and which looks forward to a prosperous future. " >>

NJIT President Robert A. Altenkirch was named last week by the City of Newark as board chairman of the newly-formed Newark Downtown Core Redevelopment Corporation, which will have control over the construction of the city’s downtown redevelopment project, which includes a hockey arena and new hotel. Altenkirch’s work with the corporation is a continuation of his involvement on the Newark Blue Ribbon Commission on Downtown Core Redevelopment. “As Newark works to improve the environment in the City and that in the University Heights area, the more attractive NJIT becomes to potential students and employees who will see NJIT’s location as a vibrant and attractive one in which to study, work, and live,” Altenkirch said. >>

Matt Gosser, an adjunct instructor of architecture at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), will be honored by the Newark Preservation and Landmarks Committee for making furniture, sculpture and art from objects he salvaged at the former Pabst Brewery. >>

The NJIT Technology and Society Forum's spring program kicked off on Feb. 1 with a performance by the Advanced Mixed Chorus from Newark's Arts High School and vocalist Yvette Glover. Co-sponsored by the NJIT Educational Opportunity Program, the concert is part of the university's recognition of Black History Month and celebration of our nation's rich diversity. >>

NJIT will receive the highest annual honor from the Newark Preservation and Landmarks Committee for the restoration of the first building on campus, a 35,000-square foot, three-story gothic Victorian castle known to generations of students, alumni, staff and faculty as Eberhardt Hall. NJIT President Robert A. Altenkirch will receive the Donald T. Dust Recognition Award at a ceremony on Feb. 28 , 5-7 p.m. >>

Local college students who are hunting for jobs will have a chance to interview with officials from prominent companies during a collaborative career fair hosted by NJIT, Essex County College, Rutgers University-Newark, and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey on Feb. 1, 2-6 p.m. at The Robert Treat Hotel, Newark. >>

The Advanced Mixed Chorus from Newark’s Arts High School and jazz singer Yvette Glover will perform at NJIT on Feb. 1, 2006 at 4 p.m. as part of the university’s celebration of Black History Month.The concert, free and open to the public, is sponsored by the NJIT Technology and Society Forum Series and the Educational Opportunity Program at NJIT. >>