New Jersey Institute of Technology served up a full day of fanfare as its advanced degree graduates walked across the stage in the Bloom Wellness and Events Center in three commencement ceremonies. The 2025 master’s and doctoral class exemplifies the institution’s commitment to research and scholarship across a diverse range of disciplines.

Gabriel Rapoport’s journey into industrial design began long before he knew the field had a name. From a young age, he was curious about how everyday objects were designed, constructed and refined to improve life. That childhood fascination evolved into a drive to become one of the creators shaping that world. Now, as he prepares to graduate from NJIT’s Hillier College of Architecture and Design, Rapoport reflects on a college experience marked by resilience, creativity and growth.

Time management and discipline were key to Arina Babkova’s success as a graduate student at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Why? Because she completed her master’s in management at NJIT’s Martin Tuchman School of Management in two semesters while playing Division I tennis at a high level in the spring and fall. Her mentors were impressed.

NJIT’s Jordan Hu College of Science and Liberal Arts (HCSLA) capped one of the most eventful years in its history with its annual awards ceremony recently — the first under its new name, which was prominently displayed on gonfalons and signage decorating the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center to mark the occasion.

Taylor Pape presents an interesting mix: honors scholar, year-round researcher, soccer defender, intern and budding educator. Even her major and minor at New Jersey Institute of Technology — biology and computer science — represents an intriguing hybrid.

A bolt bounced off the floor and echoed throughout the makeshift construction zone erected in NJIT's Central King Building. The former theater hall has been repurposed into an engineering playpen, and sitting front-and-center is a 20-foot long bridge — and a cadre of frenetic undergraduates racing against a stopwatch to finish the build. "That's a deduction," said Thomas Hickey, the faculty advisor and former two-time student captain holding a stopwatch and click counter. A few more bolts wandered away from the bridge. A couple more clicks of the counter.

by Briana Foxx and Evan Koblentz Cedric Alam, a senior business major concentrating in finance, will start his career this summer in the financial management analysis program at Bank of America’s headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Albert Dorman Honors College (ADHC) at NJIT commemorated its 30th anniversary with a celebration honoring three decades of academic distinction, community service and transformative leadership. The event gathered university leadership, faculty, alumni and supporters to reflect on the college’s evolution and reaffirm its mission to develop civic-minded leaders.

A passion for business grew for Pablo Perez Ramos at New Jersey Institute of Technology and spurred him to now pursue a master’s in finance at the University of Florida. His choice of graduate school also reveals his love for tennis, as UF won a national team championship in 2021 when 13th ranked pro Ben Shelton played there. You see, Perez Ramos, who tallied an impressive 73-21 record in singles matches as a Highlander, will continue to compete as a Gator.

NJIT Athletics celebrated the accomplishments of its student-athletes across its 19 varsity sports with the 2024-25 Athletic Award Banquet on Thursday evening inside the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.