Stevens campus witnesses disaster across the Hudson

Stunned Stevens students, faculty, staff and community members watched in horror yesterday as New York's World Trade Center spewed smoke and flames. Then, after 10 a.m. as a crowd on Castle Point looked and listened, each massive tower collapsed, rumbling to the city floor.

Those watching from the Stevens Institute of Technology campus were safely across the Hudson River, out of range of the debris, dust and smoke rising from the scene. Campus Police secured the grounds.

Eyewitnesses at Stevens first saw the disaster unfolding when the World Trade Center towers were hit by aircraft and smoke began to surround their highest floors about 9 a.m.

Shortly after 10 a.m. the south tower collapsed.

Plumes of smoke rose through the buildings on lower Manhattan.

Minutes later, the second tower crashed down.

Smoke and dust from the collapsing buildings created a massive, tragic spectacle seen throughout the region.

Classes were canceled last night. Stevens opened today and all facilities are operating. Although smoke was still rising from the scene this morning, the Hoboken campus continued to be upwind of it and unaffected. Many campus and community members stand ready to help in Hoboken. Campus counselors and area religious leaders have been working with students, faculty and staff distraught by what has happened.

Stevens officials worked throughout the day yesterday to determine the whereabouts of several students who were working in the downtown New York City area on co-op assignments. As of last night, all students who had been downtown were accounted for and found safe. Officials then worked to plan a campus ecumenical prayer service today for all those affected by the disaster.

Photos by Drew Diskin

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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