Award Honors NJIT and University President for Commitment to Newark

NJIT and the university’s president, Joel S. Bloom, have been recognized by the Newark Regional Business Partnership (NRBP) for their commitment to revitalizing Newark to help “make the City a better place to live, work or visit.” Both were publicly acknowledged April 2 at The Newark Museum, where the organization held the eighth annual Kevin J. McKenna Awards and presented the 2019 Kevin J. McKenna Leadership Award to President Bloom. McKenna was a longtime NRBP counsel and executive committee member who died suddenly in 2011.

Jeanine Pedoto, vice president of Prudential Financial’s Enterprise Services & Systems, bestowed the award upon President Bloom after speaking about his extensive background in education. She particularly cited his joining NJIT in 1990 as a vice president charged with growing the STEM enrollment, founding the university’s Albert Dorman Honors College a few years later and then becoming president in 2011. Since he took the helm, NJIT has grown its student population, increased research expenditures, added teaching, research and athletics facilities, implemented programs to raise the number of Newark residents enrolling at the university, and much more. 

“It is no coincidence that the university’s impact in Newark grows year after year, given the nearly 30-year commitment that Dr. Joel Bloom has made to NJIT, including the last eight years as president,” said Pedoto at the awards ceremony. “NJIT is clearly a tremendous asset for the state of New Jersey and a treasured resource for Newark. Dr. Bloom’s … thoughtful, visionary leadership [is] making a difference in the lives of students of all ages and creating career opportunities for thousands each year.”

“NJIT is proud to be part of the vibrant and growing Newark community,” said President Bloom. “Our commitment to the city and our long-standing roots in the community are deep, and we are honored to be a contributor to the city’s positive trajectory.”