Attention Bibliophiles: Pick Up a Book by an NJIT Author
Reading took center stage Aug. 9 when Book Lovers Day was celebrated throughout the country. The unofficial holiday honors reading and literature, and urges people to spend the day transported by a book.
Many members of the NJIT community are published book authors, with works ranging from historical accounts and scientific manuals to career handbooks and children’s stories. In observance of Book Lovers Day, here we highlight just a few of the recent page-turners by Highlander faculty and alumni (in alphabetical order).
Hancock at Gettysburg: The General’s Leadership through Eyewitness Accounts
Paul Bretzger M.S. ’92
Architecture Alumnus
Bretzger’s book encompasses the life and military career of General Winfield Scott Hancock, “perhaps the most influential officer in the federal lines, though he commanded only one of seven Union corps at Gettysburg. … Understanding Hancock’s pivotal actions at Gettysburg is essential to understanding the battle itself.”
Neil Maher
Professor and Chair of the Federated History Department
Maher’s book “shows how the celestial aspirations of NASA’s Apollo space program were tethered to terrestrial concerns, from the civil rights struggle and the antiwar movement to environmentalism, feminism, and the counterculture.”
Roxy the Fox and the Tree Truss Bridge
NJIT CE Mentors
A group of civil engineering and digital design students, now alumni
In this children’s book, Roxy the Fox “assembles a design-and-build crew to construct a bridge that will get her mates — bears, squirrels, beavers and deer — to the delicious berries on the other side of a stream.” The authors’ goal is “to introduce to society’s young minds the importance of civil engineering, science, and technology,” with the hope that “through this knowledge, our society’s youth can be molded into problem solvers and critical thinkers.”
Making Computers Accessible: Disability Rights and Digital Technology
Elizabeth Petrick
Former Assistant Professor of History
Petrick’s book “tells the compelling story of how computer engineers and corporations gradually became aware of the need to make computers accessible for all people. Motivated by user feedback and prompted by legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act … companies developed sophisticated computerized devices and software to bridge the accessibility gap.”
Transitioning from Student to Engineer
Harry Roman ’70, M.S. ’74
Electrical Engineering/Environmental Engineering Alumnus
Roman’s e-book, written for soon-to-be graduating engineering students, is filled with “tips and pointers for students and young professionals about the world of work to help ease the transition from the world of books and courses to the globally competitive workforce.”
The Magic Seedling and Other Short Stories
Prasant Tangirala M.S. ’00
Computer Engineering Alumnus
“Underneath the soft fairy-tale veneer,” Tangirala’s children’s e-book offers “a powerful message of tolerance, courage, love and respect. Children will relate to the characters in the lush, colorful settings, but in these stories, grownups will also discover compelling symbolism that resonates with the stark realities of our times.”
Other NJIT authors who would like their recent work (apart from textbooks) added to the list can reach out to this story’s author in Strategic Communications. Links and descriptions must be provided.
