Alumni Circuit
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“ All we had was our engineering knowledge, but more importantly engineers have a ALUMNI certain mentality. We are problem solvers, whether it’s in business or in construction.” CIRCUIT — Andre B. Ameer towel. We always get the job done. says, during his second semes- That’s what helped our business.” ter when, on the basis of his Ameer characterizes EIC as academic achievement, NCE a medium-sized construction awarded him a teaching assis- company that excels at specialty tantship. That job came just as construction projects. Recently, his bank loan was running dry. HY AP R for instance, the firm construct- “I had just eight dollars left G O T ed a park, called Pier C, which in my pocket and the teaching- extends over the Hudson River assistant job allowed me to S PHO NE on the Hoboken waterfront. The continue my education unin- JO TT project involved doing con- terrupted,” Adani recalls. “I’m CO S siderable marine work, an EIC grateful to NCE for that. My OS: T specialty. EIC also dredged and NCE education also served as a PHO cleaned up a contaminated tract valuable springboard into the of land in Bayonne; that land is tough job market. It enabled me Alumnus Joseph A. Branco now the Bayonne Golf Club. to seek challenging positions in EXCELLENCE is president of the construction companies such as JP Morgan, HONORED company EIC Associates. He’s AT&T and Transax Systems.” responsible for general adminis- Just before starting cyberThink Each year, a highlight of the tration of the firm, with special in 1996, Adani worked as a data- Salute to Engineering Excellence emphasis on finance, bonding base administrator and project sponsored by Newark College of and insurance. Branco, who has manager for Transax Systems. He Engineering is the presentation two degrees from NCE – a 1974 played a major role in building of Outstanding Alumni Awards. bachelor’s in civil engineering the first Windows-based tariff The ceremony also spotlights and a 1977 degree in architecture and rate-retrieval system. Three a notable corporate partner – co-founded the firm in 1998. colleagues he met at Transax and NCE students who include Branco launched EIC with would become his founding exceptional seniors – young men Andre B. Ameer, who earned cyberThink partners. Adani says and women soon to join the gen- his NCE bachelor’s in civil Andre B. Ameer the four of them came up with erations of proud NJIT alumni. engineering in 1978. Ameer, For 2012, four NCE graduates executive vice president of EIC, Bhavesh Adani is executive garnered awards for their en- is responsible for all of the firm’s vice president and co-founder gineering and entrepreneurial field construction operations. of cyberThink, Inc. The firm achievements at the March event. Before founding EIC, both provides information technology Branco and Ameer worked for services to companies in the phar- EE Cruz and Company, a firm maceutical, financial and comput- owned by 1963 civil engineering er industries. Started in 1996, the alum Edward Cruz that hires company now employs more than many NCE graduates. 300 people in the United States “We talked about starting a and India. Adani received a mas- business, so we decided to stop ter’s degree in electrical engineer- talking and do it,” says Ameer. ing from NCE in 1988. Bhavesh Adani “All we had was our engineering To go from a cash-strapped knowledge, but more importantly graduate student to a leader the idea for cyberThink during engineers have a certain men- of a major tech company is no “an informal chat over lunch.” tality. We are problem solvers, small feat, and Adani credits Leon K. Baptiste is president Joseph A. Branco whether it’s in business or in con- NCE for helping him launch his and chief executive officer of LB struction. We never throw in the career. His big break came, he Electric Co. His firm designs, 22 NJIT MAGAZINE | FALL 2012 WE WANT TO heAR FROM YOU! Do you have news about your career, your family, an avocation? Share it in a class note for NJIT Magazine. And be sure to let us know if you have a new address. On the Web, use the form at www.njit.edu/alumni/classnotes. By e-mail, send news and photos with your graduation year(s) to [email protected]. installs and maintains conven- Tia Montalto, Engineering tional and alternative electrical Technology; Mary Youssef,* Via U.S. mail to: Robert A. Boynton, Executive Director, systems for companies, schools, Biomedical Engineering; and Alumni Relations, New Jersey Institute of Technology, hospitals and government agen- Luz Angela Zidziunas,* Civil Eberhardt Hall NJIT Alumni Center, Room 218, cies, in addition to providing and Environmental Engineering. 323 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Newark, NJ 07102-1982 other related services. The recipient of the Madame Baptiste graduated from NCE Mau Outstanding Female in 1991 with a degree in electri- Engineering Student Award was cal engineering and started his Lisha Malkani,* a biomedical company at the NJIT Enterprise engineering major enrolled in Development Center. He also the accelerated BS/MS program. received a 2012 Achievement Priya Radhi Santhanam ’09, Award from the NJIT Alumni a chemical engineering major, Association, and there’s more won the NCE Outstanding about his accomplishments in Graduate Student Award. Hav- this issue. ing completed her master’s in This year’s Outstanding Cor- chemical engineering, she is porate Partnership Award was now a PhD candidate. n presented to Valcor Engineering *Dorman honors scholars Corporation, a supplier of fluid- control components to clients in the aerospace, nuclear, indus- trial and scientific fields. Valcor A TRADITION was founded by the late Morton A. Krietchman, who graduated CONTINUES Visiting the NJIT Campus Center, where Leon Baptiste and his company installed 160 solar panels in 2004. from NCE in 1944 with a degree 2012 ALUMNI in mechanical engineering. ACHIEVEMENT of the Alumni Association and through conventional and alter- Krietchman founded Valcor in AWARDS with his wife, Dee, participating native electrical technologies. 1951 in a small industrial loft in on the Leadership Circle Council Baptiste, who grew up in Newark. For many years, Valcor Alumni Weekend in May once of the NJIT Annual Fund. In Newark, briefly attended Cheney has provided generous scholar- again brought graduates back to 2004, the music of the carillon University in Pennsylvania. De- ship support for NJIT mechani- campus for activities and events that the Clarkes donated to NJIT ciding that NJIT would be a bet- cal engineering majors. that included the annual presenta- was first heard on campus, a gift ter match, he transferred to both Among the outstanding tion of Achievement Awards by presented with the intention of a new school and a promising NCE seniors honored was the NJIT Alumni Association. Six inspiring reflection on how a “cre- career path. Baptiste gives sub- Julia Gayner.* She received alumni were honored for singular ative combination of science and stantial credit to NJIT’s Educa- two top awards, being named accomplishments in fields spanning art can make life better.” tional Opportunity Program for the Outstanding Senior in the energy, biomedical technology, setting him on that path, towards Department of Electrical and global infrastructure development LEON K. BaptIste ’91 becoming an electrical engineer Computer Engineering and the and telecommunications, and for a Ample Energy for Success and launching his own business. NCE Outstanding Senior. deeply felt sense of service to NJIT One of Baptiste’s EOP advi- The success that Leon Baptiste Other seniors recognized this and their communities. sors recommended an internship has achieved since earning his year were Olakemi Akinlabi, The Alumni Association also with Nordling Dean Electric degree in electrical engineering Otto H. York Department of honored Gail Clarke ’44, who died Company that introduced him to resonates with energy. It’s the Chemical, Biological and in January, with a posthumous the field and led to the part-time entrepreneurial energy he has in- Pharmaceutical Engineering; Meritorious Service Award. Clarke’s job he needed to continue his vested in building LB Electric and Michael Anderson,* Mechani- many years of support for his alma studies. Baptiste says guidance cal and Industrial Engineering; mater included serving as president the energy he helps to provide NJIT MAGAZINE | FALL 2012 23 “ Learning to work effectively with the many different personalities one will meet in life is ALUMNI very important. Join a club, a sports team. It will help you develop the ability to meet challenges creatively as part of an organization.” CIRCUIT — Peter A. Cistaro ’68 alumni achievement awards, continued through fear, pounding on the table and expecting to get the provided by other faculty and staff being at the forefront of making best from people.” mentors at NJIT, as well as his renewable energy technology Cistaro urges students today EOP counselors, was invaluable in part of our everyday power to take a broad range of courses, charting the positive direction of picture. He adds that it is equally and to develop the interpersonal his life. “Having someone to guide satisfying to help ensure that skills that lead to success in the you when you are a student makes power resources of every type are workplace. Technical knowledge a huge difference. I’ll never forget installed and utilized with the is vital, he says, but also learn the help I received.” greatest possible degree of safety from the humanities. Full-time employment with and efficiency. “Learning to work effectively Nordling Dean followed gradu- Baptiste has also maintained a with the many different personali- ation, and Baptiste spent a total close connection with NJIT, one ties one will meet in life is very im- of 18 years with the company.