Highlander Highlights

When Henry “Hank” Offermann, II ’62 makes his annual contribution to NJIT, he is likely to reflect on the challenging schedule and rigorous curriculum during his days as a Newark College of Engineering (NCE) student.

“It was tough,” he recalls. “On ROTC days, classes began at 6:00 a.m. We completed more than 180 semester hours and a lot of extra training and lab work. We had to learn about engineering disciplines outside of our majors. That prepared us to communicate successfully with colleagues across all of engineering.”

As head of Mechanical Engineering for Martin Marietta Aero Systems, Offermann saw the value of the hard work he put in at NCE. “I was responsible for 185 engineers, and did a lot of hiring,” he says. “Resumes from graduates of other engineering programs often looked thin in comparison to what NCE provided.”

Offermann’s career also includes time as Vice President of Engineering of Hiller Helicopter; forming ONA Engineering, an aircraft design and modification company; and serving as an Airframe Engineer for the Transport Airplane Directorate of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). After retiring from the FAA, Offermann continued to consult for the aircraft industry. This included traveling the world to help  manufacturers and civil aviation authorities establish approval programs for the airplanes they were designing.

It’s hard to imagine that Offermann had a rough start academically. “I was not a sterling student in high school,” he says matter-of-factly. “But my dad had made up his mind that I would be the first of my siblings to go to college, and it was easier to do what my dad wanted!”

Offermann’s grades were low but he scored high on his college boards. The admissions counselor at NCE decided to invite Offermann in for an interview to learn more. “I explained that I had been in my high school’s work program, putting in six hours a day at a job,” he says. “They took me on probation at first,” he continues. “I had to prove myself and it wasn’t easy. But eventually I graduated with Dean’s List honors.”

Offermann sees study and hard work as a winning recipe for success. “NJIT will teach you how to approach a problem,” he counsels. “When you get your job assignments, complete them to the best of your ability, even if they aren’t the ones you hoped for. Use every opportunity to do a good job and when the assignments you want come along, you’ll be remembered.”

Offermann is a member of NJIT’s Leadership Circle, a group of the university’s most generous donors who make annual contributions of $1,000 or more. Leadership Circle donors are central to NJIT's pursuit of excellence by providing significant financial resources that have an immediate impact on NJIT students, faculty, academic programs and athletics. He sees his annual Leadership Circle level contributions as a way to support up- and-coming engineering stars. “I am confident that the administration will put the funds to use in a way that will benefit the students.”

For information on becoming a member of the Leadership Circle, please contact Terry McGuckin, Executive Director, Annual Giving, at 973-596-5677 or mcguckin@njit.edu.