Reshape Your World
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SPECIAL RESEARCH ISSUE WINTER 2019 THE MAGAZINE OF THE STEVENS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SEE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE RESHAPE YOUR WORLD IN THIS ISSUE: ASEE, SEFI PRESIDENTS Q&A | AWARDS GALA HONORS | STEP TURNS 50 DEPARTMENTS FEATURES 2 PRESIDENT’S LETTER 8-9 WHO AND HOW WE TEACH Dean Jean Zu talks with Stephanie Farrell M.Eng. ’92, president of ASEE, 3 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / SOCIAL MEDIA and Mike Murphy M.Eng. ’82 Ph.D. ’87, president of SEFI 4-7 GRIST FROM THE MILL 10-11 STEP AT 50 The anniversary honored the past and celebrated a bright future 42 SPORTS UPDATE / CALENDAR OF EVENTS 12-37 RESEARCH IS ON THE RISE 43-72 ALUMNI NEWS From AI to cancer, Stevens research is flourishing 44 SAA PRESIDENT’S LETTER 38-39 A CELEBRATION OF ACCOMPLISHMENT A look at this year’s Awards Gala recipients 66 VITALS 40-41 FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME Bruce Boylan ’63 leaves a legacy Stevens alumni, students and staff assist in the trial inflation of several balloons at DeBaun Athletic Complex on campus, in preparation for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This past fall marked the 33rd year that Ste- vens volunteers participated in the parade. One alumnus reflects on the experience on page 72. PHOTO: JOE CARROTTA Calling for submissions: Are you a photographer? If so, please submit your photos of any subject to [email protected] for an upcoming photography feature highlighting the work of Stevens alumni. Cover Design: Simone Larson Design Cover Illustration: Oliver Burston PRESIDENT’S CORNER RESEARCH FLOURISHING AS STEVENS IS DRIVEN TO MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR PEOPLE AND TO IMPROVE SOCIETY PHOTO: AARON HOUSTON When Stevens adopted its ten-year I am particularly proud of the newly Strategic Plan in 2012, a bold vision was ar- established Stevens Institute for Artificial ticulated: “…to become a premier, student- Intelligence (SIAI), an interdisciplinary centric, technological research university.” education and research institute that This carefully crafted combination of words brings more than 50 faculty members emphasized the integral role of research to from all three schools and the College a university that, over many decades, built of Arts and Letters together to solve its reputation by providing a rigorous and pressing problems in healthcare, business broad-based technical education that has operations, finance, education and many launched thousands of graduates into suc- other fields. Through this vehicle, our cessful careers. In 2017, through the mid- researchers are doing fundamental and point update of our plan, Stevens refocused applied research using AI and machine its lens to identify six high-impact and learning that will have truly transfor- multi-disciplinary “foundational pillars” mational impacts on individuals and on that will define our research agenda in the society. years to come: As the size and prestige of our faculty ■ Artificial intelligence, machine learning and cybersecurity body continues to grow, and as new academic and research facilities ■ Biomedical engineering, healthcare and the life sciences come online — including many new and renovated laboratories ■ Complex systems and networks across the campus and the anticipated opening of the Gianforte ■ Data science and information systems Family Academic Center in less than a year — the contributions ■ Financial systems and technologies of our faculty and students and of Stevens’ research portfolio will ■ Resilience and sustainability become even more widely known. Stevens’ growing impact in these areas is significant and is in- I hope you enjoy learning more about some of the truly inspir- creasingly being recognized by national research funding agencies. ing research taking place at your alma mater. We invite you to come In the past fiscal year, Stevens researchers set an unprecedented re- back to campus to visit and see it first-hand. cord in sponsored research awards of $45.3 million. This represents a 49 percent increase in annual funding since 2011. Per aspera ad astra, As these data illustrate, research has become central to the mis- sion of Stevens. Our faculty are making new discoveries in areas that directly benefit individuals and families, from medical diag- noses and treatments of cancer, autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Nariman Farvardin heart disease and other illnesses; to advances that have large-scale, President, Stevens Institute of Technology system-wide impacts — including defense and homeland security, [email protected] cybersecurity and the safety and security of our financial systems, 201-216-5213 maritime systems and infrastructure, to name just a few. 2 THE STEVENS INDICATOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR REMEMBERING roaster equipment cleaning, when of student development on “hu- WINTER 2019, VOL. 140, NO. 1 RICHARDSON the bitter smell of badly burned man skills,” beyond technical ca- coffee greeted you when you pabilities. Editor I enjoyed the last issue, espe- walked out your door). After read- Paul Fein M.S. ’90 Beth Kissinger cially the remembrance of Profes- ing this, I now know the [email protected] sor John Richardson. (See page reason that many of my ex- Managing Editor 36 of the Fall 2018 Indicator.) In ams turned out better than Rebecca Markley my freshman year, I was strug- expected. I recommend that [email protected] gling a bit with my grades. Pro- Professor Madzharov and fessor Richardson called me into colleagues continue their Contributors his office and reminded me that Thania Benios research by investigating Stevens Division of my brother, Ara (Class of ’51), whether Stevens students’ Communications & Marketing gave me a path to shoot for and to zero-hour exam scores fell buckle down. He did it in such a Paul Karr after Maxwell House closed. Stevens Division of nice way; I never forgot it or him. John Klein ’83 Communications & Marketing Thanks again. Leon Dourgarian ’56 Alan Skontra FINE JOB WITH Stevens Office of Development FALL ISSUE Laurie Vazquez MAXWELL HOUSE I fully enjoy reading The Schaefer School of Engineering MEMORIES and Science Stevens Indicator, and the Fall 2018 issue was exceptional. Young Soo Yang I read with interest your re- Editor’s Note: Several readers Stevens Division of search spotlight article, “Brewing “Grist from the Mill” is very contacted us when we asked if Communications & Marketing Benefits,” in the Fall 2018 Indica- full of great information and up- you could identify students in the tor. As I reached the end of the dates. photo (above), which appeared on Art Direction/Design article, I was disappointed that The feature articles of “The Arts page 43 of the Fall ’18 issue. They www.DanFlintDesign.com there was no mention of the Max- at Stevens” are all very exciting and said that Jim Beardall ’56 is the Additional Art Direction/Design well House coffee factory that sat sensational, providing tremendous student holding the lacrosse stick, Michael Hofmann just north of campus and operated insights into the diversity of the and Jim himself called in to con- Simone Larson Design until the early-1990s. When the Stevens educational population and firm that this is, in fact, him! Jim wind was blowing down the river, learning experiences. and several other 1950s alumni Published three times a year by “The President’s Corner” by The Stevens Alumni Association, the entire campus was bathed in also identified Ed Baisley ’56 President Nariman Farvardin is member of the Council for the smell of freshly roasted coffee standing next to Jim, and Al Can- Advancement and Support of (except for the day of the weekly outstanding, especially the focus ham ’55 sitting next to him. Education. © 2019 Stevens Alumni Association SOCIAL MEDIA Indicator Correspondence The Stevens Indicator 1 Castle Point Terrace PHOTO: JEFF VOCK This rainy day post from Novem- Hoboken, NJ 07030 ber, warning that “Winter is surely Phone: (201) 216-5161 coming!” received hundreds of likes on the Stevens Instagram account Letters to the Editor @followstevens. Students, alumni, [email protected] faculty and staff can all relate to the wintry weather of Castle Point. Class Log submissions [email protected] Do you have any favorite winter General SAA inquiries photos taken on campus? Share your Contact the Alumni Office best photos and memories with the Phone: (201) 216-5163 hashtag #stevenswinter and we may Fax: (201) 216-8247 feature your photo in our next post! [email protected] Facebook “f” Logo CMYK / .eps Facebook “f” Logo CMYK / .eps A L U M N I A S S O C I A T I O N P E R A S P E R A A D A S T R A WINTER 2019 3 GRIST FROM THE MILL REMEMBERING SAMUEL PRESCOTT BUSH With the passing of President George H.W. Bush this past fall, Stevens was reminded of its connection to one of America’s most influential families. Samuel Prescott Bush, Class of 1884, the patriarch of the Bush political family, was an alumnus of Stevens before making his mark in history as one of the top industrialists of his time. Born in New Jersey, Bush graduated from Stevens with 41 other seniors in the university’s 12th commencement. He went on to build a suc- cessful career as a railroad executive and president of Buckeye Steel Castings Company, having taken the helm of the company from Frank Rockefeller, brother of John D. Rockefeller. During his time at Stevens, the grand- father of the nation’s 41st president and great-grandfather of the nation’s 43rd studied mechanical engineering and rushed the football field with his teammates as part of one of the earliest regular college football teams in the U.S. He was also a member of the tennis team and Delta Tau Delta fraternity. “S.P. Bush is one of our no- table alumni,” said Leah Loscutoff, head of archives and special collections at Stevens.