Professor Bernard Skown adds to honors at Stevens

HOBOKEN, N.J. — Bernard Skown, Associate Professor and Program Director in the Stevens Institute of Technology Business and Technology (BizTech) undergraduate degree program, was honored at last month’s Stevens Convocation ceremonies with the conferral of an honorary Master of Engineering degree. It was the latest in a series of honors at Stevens for the former corporate executive management leader, whose experience spans the spectrum of managerial, business and strategic planning positions. Skown is a resident of Morristown, N.J.

“Bernie is one-of-a-kind,” said Associate Dean Louis Laucirica, who oversees the BizTech program. “We are delighted that the Stevens community has seen fit to recognize Bernie’s talents and expertise with such prominent honors during his four years with the Institute.”

Bernard Skown joined Stevens Institute of Technology in March, 2000, in the new undergraduate Business and Technology Program. His responsibilities include curriculum development for business planning (“Unifying Spine”) in conjunction with the Program Dean, newly hired academics, and other team leaders; in-classroom teaching of the business planning spine and associated courses; interaction with the main and specialized Business and Technology Advisory Boards and industry at large; and otherwise insuring the smooth operation and implementation of the “Unifying Spine” program and the overall BizTech program in general.

In April 2004, at the Stevens Student Life Spring Gala, Skown was presented with the Student Life Faculty Award. This honor goes to a member of the faculty at Stevens Institute who unselfishly has given of himself or herself to support the Office of Student Life’s mission of education beyond the classroom. This person not only supports that mission, but also actively participates in extra-curricular activities and programs sponsored by the Office of Student Life.

Also, at the Spring Sports Athletic Banquet in May 2004, Skown received the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) 2004 Award of Appreciation, “in grateful acknowledgement of loyal support and valued contributions to the advancement of ECAC services and programs. “

Skown’s professional background includes more than 25 years of executive management experience covering all facets of sales and marketing, business development, manufacturing, production operations, finance, strategic planning, and international operations. His industry background includes significant experience in mainstream industries such as automotive, metalworking, machine tools, die casting, geographic information systems, publishing, and communications, as well as several consulting assignments for the U.S. Department of Defense. Skown has held numerous senior management positions, including CEO, President, and CFO of several smaller operating subsidiaries and independent companies.

Skown has extensive experience in business and strategic planning for both large Fortune 500 and small growth businesses. Earlier in his career, he served as Business Manager for Time Inc.’s corporate production division where he was responsible for the corporate planning process related to the printing and distribution of all Time’s magazines and books. Thereafter, he served as Director of Corporate Planning and Budgeting for Grolier, Inc., a $300 million international educational publisher. In this role, he developed the company’s first corporate business and profit plan in a corporate turnaround situation that resulted in a complete restructuring of the company’s operations and financial balance sheet and returned the corporation to profitability.

In 1978, he joined Haden, Inc., a $500 million international industrial manufacturing and engineering firm headquartered in London, England. Haden was the world leader in industrial finishing systems serving the automotive market. As Director of Corporate Development, he worked closely with the Chairman and CEO in developing the business plan for the start-up of several new companies in North America engaged in industrial technical service support and factory automation for the automotive industry.

Later in his professional career, he led the leveraged buy-out of a smaller industrial manufacturer that designed, built, and installed industrial process equipment and finishing systems for industrial clients. Immediately prior to joining the Stevens faculty, he was engaged by the US Department of Defense as part of a new company start-up involved with the defense conversion of military-industrial complexes in the former Soviet Union to peacetime commercial uses.

Skown received his M.B.A. degree in Finance and Marketing from the Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point. His military experience as an airborne qualified Signal Corps officer in the United States Army includes serving nearly four years in Germany and one year in Korea.

Skown resides with his wife Ann in Morristown, N.J. In his off hours, he enjoys reading, skiing, tennis, golf, and generally remaining physically active.

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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