NJIT is 1 of 1
NJIT is the only R1 university in the U.S. to hold two additional distinctions from the Carnegie Classification. It is recognized as an “Opportunity College and University” for fostering social mobility and competitive earnings outcomes and is noted for having a “Special Focus in Technology, Engineering and Sciences” – a classification held by only 1% of U.S. colleges and universities. “The intersection of these three classifications puts NJIT in a class by itself,” said President Teik C. Lim. “We excel in science and technology, but also in our deep commitment to access and opportunity — ensuring that our students succeed during and after college.” From its beginnings as the Newark Technical School in 1881, NJIT has consistently driven innovation and created opportunities at the local, national and global levels.
NJIT is an exceptional public polytechnic university that primes students for rewarding careers, particularly in STEM disciplines. We are focused on outcomes and enabling graduates to realize their goals, so they can personally thrive and make significant contributions to society.
-NJIT President Teik C. Lim
#26
Nationally in Best Alumni Salaries
Top 50
Public University
5 Stars
1 of only 2 in New Jersey and 54 in the nation
Student Success
Data Scientist
A data science student and Albert Dorman Honors College Scholar from Wall Township, N.J., Danielle Grunwald ’25 excelled at NJIT. Using data modeling skills she learned in class, Grunwald pursued independent research projects with faculty mentors, investigating how AI can be used for early detection in dementia. In addition to classwork and research, she was a member of the NJIT bowling team (with a personal high score of 268), worked on the Nucleus yearbook and served as an event coordinator for the Student Activities Council. “I wanted to find that middle ground between statistics and computer science. I loved that NJIT was also an R1 institute, so I knew that I could come here and do research,” she said. After graduation she was hired by Axtria, Inc., a software and data analytics company serving the life sciences industry.
GOLDWATER
Biomedical engineering student Dev Doshi ’26 won a Goldwater Scholarship. An Albert Dorman Honors Scholar and EMT, Doshi has already been conditionally accepted into the B.S./M.D. program at New Jersey Medical School with a focus on neuroscience.
UDALL/GOLDWATER
Brock Shahinian ’26 won both Udall and Goldwater scholarships. A junior environmental science major and Albert Dorman Honors Scholar with a perfect 4.0 GPA, Shahinian plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in ecology focusing on the impact of human disturbances on ecological interactions. Shahinian serves as vice president of NJIT’s AAEES Chapter, is an honors ambassador and a band leader in the Society of Musical Arts at NJIT.
FULLBRIGHT
Albert Dorman Honors Scholar Anna Maria DiBrita ’24 is a Fulbright Scholar teaching English in Spain’s Canary Islands. At NJIT she was a member of the Society of Female Engineers, a student ambassador for both biomedical engineering and the Honors College and an Orientation Fellow.
Top 2%
in Return on Investment Nationally
Top 100
National University
Top 10
in the nation for Best Career Placement (Public Schools)
Irvin Hoyos ’25
(Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps) was inspired to study architecture and came to NJIT after serving in the Air Force. After graduating he was commissioned as a second lieutenant, and plans to work in tactical ground control.
Aleesha Deshmukh ’25
conducted research at NJIT’s Swarm Lab on Physarum polycephalum — a single-celled, multinucleated organism, then presented her findings at a national conference. The biology student was a member of the women’s soccer team, works as a medical assistant at an orthopedic practice and will attend medical school in 2026.
Iniobong Ofonime ’27
is a mechanical engineering major and Albert Dorman Honors Scholar who won first place in the national Association for Women in Mathematics’ essay competition. Originally from Nigeria, Ofonime is also one of just 50 students worldwide selected for a “New Face of Tech Scholarship.”
Cedric Alam ’25
is a business major with a concentration in finance, who co- founded the university’s Lebanese Student Association. He’s currently working in financial management analysis at Bank of America’s headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Enrollment on the Rise
7,495
7,885
8,058
11,325
11,886+
Faculty Success
Studying Elusive Chemicals
Chemist Pier Alexandre Champagne received a NSF CAREER Award to advance the understanding of sulfur- containing molecules key to cellular defense and health. The $785,000 award supports Champagne’s project to develop new tools to produce these quick-changing molecules for study; it also supports educational initiatives to enhance organic chemistry learning.
A Leader in Solar Physics
The American Astronomical Society named Dale Gary, distinguished professor of physics at the Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research, one of 24 new AAS Fellows.
Early Career Standout
Assistant Computer Science Professor Zhihao “Zephyr” Yao was named one of IEEE Computing’s Top 30 Early Career Professionals. Yao researches enhancing trust and security within mobile systems.
Correcting Eye Motor Disorders
Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering Tara Alvarez won first place in the inaugural Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University/National Academy of Inventors International Patent Award competition for a virtual reality game to correct an eye motor disorder.
AI: Serving Statewide
NJIT Professors David Bader, Grace Wang, Cristian Borcea and Vincent Oria all served on New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s groundbreaking AI Task Force.
Top 10%
Return on Investment Nationwide
#1
Best Value, Public Universities in N.J.
#1
Biomedical Engineering Program in N.J.
Bioinformation Fellow
Zhi Wei, a bioinformaticist, was elected to the Fellows class of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science and also became an IEEE Fellow. Wei’s major career accomplishments relate to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Real Time Systems
Computer Scientist Jing Li works to improve safety for modern autonomous systems, from robots to self-driving cars. She was awarded an NSF CAREER Award of $533,000.
Outstanding Educator
Ashish Borgaonkar, professor of engineering education, received the 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award from the American Society for Engineering Education’s Middle Atlantic Section.
The Fate of Forests
Biologist Xiaonan Tai received an NSF CAREER Award to investigate how landscape positions determine forest fate during extreme heat and drought. The award includes a grant of more than $1.1 million to support Tai’s project over the next five years.
We help students turn knowledge into action.
-Oya Tukel, Dean, MTSM
Innovation
The Center for Student Entrepreneurship opened with a $1.8 million university investment.
The Center for Educational Innovation and Excellence launched with an inaugural Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum.
A new hub for AI activity on campus — the Grace Hopper AI Research Institute — opened as part of a $10 + million initiative. The institute is home to both the Center for AI Research and the Institute for Data Science.
135%
Increase in external research funding since 2015
$170M+
in research activity annually
175
research institutes, centers and specialized labs
First Caribbean ‘Dirt Ant’ Found in 16-Million-Year-Old Amber
A team led by NJIT biologists reported the first fossil Basiceros dirt ant recovered from the Caribbean, preserved in 16-million-year-old amber from the Dominican Republic. “Dirt ants are rare finds in the wild. Finding one today is exciting given how well they stay hidden, but captured in amber, it’s like finding a diamond,” said Gianpiero Fiorentino ’25 Ph.D., who worked at NJIT’s Barden Lab.
A Breakthrough in Solar Adaptive Optics
Scientists at NJIT’s Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research and Big Bear Solar Observatory (along with the NSF and National Solar Observatory) identified stunning new details of the sun’s corona. This allows for deeper insights into the processes driving space weather. An NSF grant of nearly $600,000 will also fund development of a new AI system to predict explosive weather on the sun.
AI-Powered Exoskeleton Enhances Human Locomotion
Researchers have demonstrated a new method that leverages AI and computer simulations to train robotic exoskeletons that can help users save energy while walking, running and climbing stairs. Described in a study published in Nature, the novel method rapidly develops exoskeleton controllers to assist locomotion without relying on lengthy human- involved experiments.
Tracking Rainforest Biodiversity
NJIT biologist Eric Fortune and a team of scientists called “Limelight Rainforest” won the XPRIZE Rainforest Competition, securing half of the $10 million prize purse.
Impact
Giving Back
The single largest alumni contribution in university history was made by Jordan Hu ’89 chief executive officer of RiskVal Financial Solutions, LLC. To honor Hu, a former member of the Board of Directors, NJIT renamed CSLA the Jordan Hu College of Science and Liberal Arts.
Global Innovator
Chao Yan ’17 co- founder of Princeton NuEnergy was named a Global Climate Innovator by Business Insider’s Climate Action 15 for work on groundbreaking battery recycling technology.
Sustainable Energy
Daniela Bushiri ’21, Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Columbia University works in two labs focused on sustainable energy technology.
Big Help for Small Firms
The Paul Profeta community entrepreneurship program delivers workshops to underserved business founders in Newark.
NJIT’s annual economic impact on the State of New Jersey is more than $2.8 billion
Community Science
Pei Liao, a computer science undergrad is helping flood-prone Paterson capture real time storm damage data. The Paterson Flood Resilience Hub, an interactive website using geographic information system tools, engages residents to gather data and document storm damage and improve flood risk mapping and planning. The work is done in conjunction with the Passaic River Coalition.
Solar For All
Researchers recruited residents from Jersey City, Newark and Trenton to take part in virtual “tournaments” to discuss solar energy and pitch their own ideas for improving access.
Poolside Relief
Second-year architecture students worked with Newark and Prologis to design, build and deliver five custom cabanas for Newark public pools. Students used sustainable materials while learning to navigate real-world constraints of budget, time and constructability.
Science Olympics
Hosted by NJIT and the North Jersey Section of the American Chemical Society, the New Jersey Chemistry Olympics provides a supportive environment for high school students to showcase their innovation and strengths in chemistry. Middle and high school students also compete in the Regional Science Olympiad at NJIT.
Growing Business
NJII Venture Studio will launch 10 companies over the next five years. Each venture will receive up to $1 million in funding. The studio will accelerate/commercialize high- tech and information technology developed by NJIT, NJII and NJIT’s corporate partners. The studio’s launch was celebrated by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, President Teik C. Lim and NJII President Michael Johnson, along with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and other distinguished guests.