4 NJIT Administrators Rank Highly Among ROI-NJ's 2022 Influencers
ROI-NJ recognized four NJIT leaders, two innovative majors and a new building in its 2022 list of the most influential people and programs in New Jersey higher education.
The NJIT administrators that made ROI-NJ’s annual higher education influencer list are: Teik C. Lim, president of NJIT; Atam Dhawan, interim provost and senior executive vice president; Andrew Christ, senior vice president for Real Estate Development and Capital Operations; and Will Lutz, general manager for Entrepreneurship, Commercialization and Enterprise Development at New Jersey Innovation Institute.
The business publication annually releases a list of New Jersey’s most prominent figures in higher education affecting the business landscape. In addition to highlighting influential figures in higher ed, ROI-NJ also featured the forensic science and fintech majors as impactful and unique academic offerings, and focused on the new Maple Hall residence. Here are NJIT’s honorees:
Dr. Lim, who started his tenure as NJIT’s ninth president on July 1, is taking over during a time of profound growth for New Jersey’s public polytechnic university. Lim holds impressive credentials as a scholar, inventor and administrator, including a Ph.D., master’s and bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and numerous patents and fellowships, including the National Academy of Inventors. Before NJIT, he was interim President of University of Texas at Arlington. Lim earned a spot on ROI-NJ’s Top 12 Most Influential People in Higher Education.
Dhawan is the longtime leader of NJIT’s research into real-world innovation in science, computing, engineering and business, which is supported by more than $160 million in funding annually. He now serves as interim provost and senior executive vice president. Dhawan earned a spot on ROI-NJ’s Top 25 Most Influential Deans and Directors.
Christ is a critical figure realizing NJIT’s most visible and impactful changes. Leading real estate and capital operations since 2014, Christ executed NJIT’s $400M campus transformation that saw major additions and renovations, like the Wellness and Events Center, Life Sciences and Engineering Building and NJIT’s Makerspace. Christ is also key to NJIT reaching its sustainability goals, helping secure a renewable energy deal to power NJIT and hiring the school’s first assistant director of sustainability. Christ earned a spot on ROI-NJ’s Top 25 Most Influential Deans and Directors.
Lutz serves as the general manager for entrepreneurship, commercialization and enterprise development at New Jersey Innovation Institute and is co-director of VentureLink@ NJIT, the largest business incubator in New Jersey. He also will help NJIT’s efforts to support business and economic growth in its home city of Newark. NJIT ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 34 nationally for undergraduate entrepreneurship programs. Lutz earned a spot on ROI-NJ’s Entrepreneurship 101 list.
NJIT’s Forensic Science degree, the first in New Jersey, launched with great anticipation and has garnered praise and federal support for its hands-on approach and ability to inspire students into STEM fields. The B.S. degree program features three tracks — forensic biology, forensic chemistry and digital forensics — and provides students with extensive experiential crime scene and laboratory experience. An accompanying pre-college summer initiative offers students pathways to pursue degrees at NJIT.
NJIT’s FinTech bachelor’s program is the first of its kind in New Jersey. Students have the opportunity to combine the traditional field of finance with the unprecedented demand for professionals with advanced technology skills and education. The program offers courses in artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, cybersecurity, machine learning and more. NJIT also provides advanced education through its FinTech concentration in the master’s program, and through its FinTech certification program.
The rise of Maple Hall, a 176-unit apartment-style residence on Warren Street at NJIT, coincides with a growing demand for housing at a university that has experienced 24% enrollment growth since 2011. The eight-story building is designed to have wide student appeal, with single and double units and amenities like full kitchens, a convenience store, grass courtyard and collaborative spaces. The modern hall will help NJIT broaden its geographical appeal.
