HOBOKEN, N.J. — The School of Systems and Enterprises at Stevens Institute of Technology is honored to announce several distinguished awards at this year's University Convocation, being held September 9, 2009. Dr. Dinesh Verma, Dean, will receive an honorary Master's degree in Engineering, Dr. Robert Cloutier, Associate Professor, will receive the Alexander Crombie Humphreys Distinguished Teaching Award, and Dr. Anthony Barrese, Associate Dean and Chief of Staff, and Distinguished Service Professor, will be honored as the Henry Morton Distinguished Teaching Professor.

Dr. Dinesh Verma is the founding Dean of the School of Systems and Enterprises, and serves as the Executive Director, of the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC).  The SERC is the nation's first and only DoD-funded University Affiliated Research Center to focus on Systems Engineering research. Dr. Verma holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, a Ph.D. (Honoris Causa) from Växjö Universitet, a master’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering, from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, India.

Dr. Robert Cloutier is an Associate Professor in the School of Systems and Enterprises at Stevens Institute of Technology. He has more than 20 years experience in systems engineering & architecting, software engineering, and project management in both commercial and defense industries. His research interests include model based systems engineering and systems architecting using UML/SysML, reference architectures, systems engineering patterns, and architecture management. Since joining Stevens’ faculty in 2007, he has taught courses and delivered workshops in systems engineering, system architecture for industry and government systems engineers; and architecture thinking for architecture thought leaders at Nokia. Cloutier received his Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, and also holds an M.B.A. from Eastern University, and a bachelor’s degree in Physical Science from the United States Naval Academy. Learn more about Dr. Cloutier’s research in his blog: Patterns and Systems Engineering, http://sepatterns.typepad.com/sepatterns/.

Dr. Anthony Barrese is Associate Dean and Chief of Staff, as well as Distinguished Service Professor at the School of Systems and Enterprises. He has more than 35 years of corporate planning, systems engineering and architecture, product management, product development, manufacturing and quality management experience. Dr. Barrese joined the Stevens Faculty in 2005, and has taught courses in Systems Engineering, Systems Architecture and Complex Program Leadership. An alumnus of Stevens, Dr. Barrese holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, a master's degree in Electrical Engineering, and a bachelor's degree in Engineering.

Award History

Alexander Crombie Humphreys Distinguished Teaching Award

Alexander C. Humphreys (1851-1927) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and grew up in Boston. He started working in insurance companies at age 14, and later became an executive with the Bayonne Gas Light Company.  This position had more technical requirements, so he enrolled part-time at Stevens, obtaining an ME degree in six years in 1881 at the age of 30.  He started his own company with another Stevens alumnus designing and constructing gas plants around the world, and became the second president of Stevens Institute of Technology in 1902.  During his tenure, the campus expanded from one city block to 23 acres, growing to include the Morton Building, the Stevens estate including the Castle, Walker Gymnasium and the Lieb and Navy buildings, and the student and faculty body quadrupled.  Humphreys taught the nation’s first course in the economics of engineering, and believed it critical to include subjects like accounting, depreciation, planning, contracts and patent law in the education of engineers. He was also responsible for initiating the honor system at Stevens in 1908.

Henry Morton Distinguished Teaching Professor Award

Henry Morton (1836-1902) was the first president of Stevens Institute of Technology.  Originally from New York, he came late to science after participating in an early translation of the Rosetta Stone.   He was one of the founders of the Philadelphia Dental College in 1863 where he taught chemistry, and became affiliated with the Franklin Institute as editor of its prestigious journal and a promoter of its activities.  At the age of 34, in 1870 he was offered the first presidency of Stevens Institute of Technology, which he held until his death in 1902.  He was considered a master in engaging public interest in the sciences and galvanizing support for nascent scientific and technical fields. During his presidency, he formulated the core curriculum in mechanical engineering of the institution, while also becoming one of the leading patent experts of the day.

For more information, please contact Beth DeFares, Director of Outreach and Communications for the School of Systems and Enterprises (Babbio Room 517; (201) 216-5362; fax: (201) 216-5080; bdefares@stevens. edu).

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

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