February Address From President Bloom

Dear NJIT Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Today marks the start of the fifth week of our spring semester and the third week of in-person instruction. I am pleased to report that our campus community is vibrant and thriving, with students and faculty in classrooms and labs, an abundance of activities and events, and a great deal of positive news to report.

As a university, we continue to be a top choice among prospective students, and NJIT recently was the subject of an episode of The College Tour, a new series on Amazon Prime. In terms of applications for admission, we are tracking nearly 10% ahead of last year’s record pace, and our efforts to attract diverse and talented students are producing results. In fact, the number of applications from female students has increased by 15% while applications from Hispanic students have increased 20% and the number from Black students has grown by 25%. This is outstanding news, and it runs counter to a trend reported to us by the state’s secretary for higher education, who noted that NJIT was the only senior public university in New Jersey to achieve enrollment growth for fall 2021. Not only are we attracting more students, but the academic credentials of those applying are holding steady or improving from their already remarkable level annually, and these students are succeeding, as evidenced by our ever-improving graduation rate of 74%, an increase of 20 percentage points over the past decade. Our commitment of resources and talent to improving our graduation rate has and continues to be significant.

As we continue to draw additional students, particularly those from greater distances, we are preparing to have the residential facilities necessary to both accommodate and attract them. Our newest residence facility, Maple Hall, is on track for a fall 2022 opening. This is important, because Vice President and Dean of Students Marybeth Boger has noted that our residence halls are near capacity and interest among the student body for more residence options and enhanced campus life continues to grow. This has been affirmed by multiple projections confirming NJIT’s student demand for on-campus residences.

In other positive news:

• NJIT’s ranking among the nation’s most elite and productive research institutions was reaffirmed by once again achieving an R1 rating — the highest designation — by the Carnegie Classification.

• As reported recently by Senior Vice President and Provost Fadi Deek, the current wave of faculty hiring is going very well and yielding a diverse pool of prospective hires with outstanding credentials. Fadi recently said, “This coming August, as part of our faculty renewal initiative, we will welcome to NJIT the 10th cohort of highly accomplished and diverse individuals who will join our faculty ranks with a shared commitment to excellence in teaching and research.” This was the top priority that I recommended to the Board of Trustees in 2011. 

• Dr. Angela Garretson, NJIT's Chief External Affairs Officer, noted that the selection of the Greater Newark Smart Port Coalition as a finalist from among 527 applicants and the only coalition from New Jersey for the Build Back Better Regional challenge affords NJIT and Newark “an incredible opportunity to attract up to $100 million in federal funding that will advance the port industry, benefit the state and the regional economies, and transform underserved communities.”

• The effort to finalize our agreement for a branch campus in Egypt continues.  The final such agreement is expected to be ready for review by the campus community and for review by the NJIT faculty and the Board of Trustees in late March or early April.

Several individuals also deserve recognition in this message:

• The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has elected Co-Vice Chair of the NJIT Board of Trustees Norma Clayton ’81, a proud alumna of NJIT’s Equal Opportunity Program, as a new member. Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions received by an engineer and honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature" and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education,” according to the NAE.

• Matthew Bandelt, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, is NJIT’s most recent recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award.

• The National Science Foundation appointed Wenda Cao, physics professor and director of NJIT’s Big Bear Solar Observatory, to its Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee, which is comprised of 13 distinguished astronomers tasked with advising the NSF, NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy on emerging issues within the fields of astronomy and astrophysics.

• Eliza Michalopoulou, mathematics professor and chair of NJIT’s Department of Mathematical Sciences, has been named Distinguished Lecturer by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Oceanic Engineering Society. 

In addition to these many positive outcomes, we are very intentionally addressing our challenges. In anticipation of a learning lag due to the challenges of the pandemic, we have allocated increased resources for tutoring and other student support services. Furthermore, we are increasing funding that supports efforts to increase Ph.D. enrollment, which experienced a decline that resulted from immigration patterns and pandemic restrictions.

Throughout the remainder of the semester, we will continue our efforts to advance NJIT’s mission and to prepare for a smooth and successful transition to the presidency of Dr. Teik C. Lim. I am extremely proud of our university and am grateful to all of you for your contributions to NJIT.