(Space) Trash Talk

Rashika Sugganahalli Natesh Babu, a second-year Ph.D. student in Systems Engineering at Stevens, has been named to the 2025 cohort of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) ASCENDANTS. This recognition honors emerging global leaders who are advancing a vision for a sustainable, debris-free ecosystem in space. Babu’s research focuses on assessing the residual capacity of aging satellites. She presented her talk, “Not Debris, But Dormant: Reimagining Zombie Satellites as Sustainable Assets,” at the 2025 ASCENDANT event this summer in Las Vegas, where she challenged the outdated use-and-discard model of space operations and argued for a circular approach to mission design. 

Scholar-Athlete

Emily Leiby ’24 M.Eng. ’25 was named Division III Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association to cap an outstanding five-year career at Castle Point. A standout for Stevens’ nationally ranked program, Leiby was named an All-American for the first time in May after helping to steer the Ducks to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Off the field, the civil engineering major maintained a 4.0 during the 2024-25 academic year, earning the DoD SMART Scholarship and the Robert Ridgeway Award for her leadership and contributions to the American Society of Civil Engineers, among numerous accolades. She is now a structural engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the New York District. 

GAGTA 2025 at Stevens

Mathematicians from around the globe gathered at Stevens for GAGTA 2025 (Geometric and Asymptotic Group Theory with Applications), the university’s third time hosting this influential conference. Held June 6–13, the event drew nearly 120 participants. The conference showcased how deep mathematical ideas connect with real-world technologies and how AI could help solve problems, discover theorems and teach in smarter, more personalized ways.  

Organized with the University of the Basque Country, Hunter College, and The City College of New York, GAGTA 2025 included a tribute to Alexei Miasnikov, a professor in Stevens’ Department of Mathematical Sciences and world-renowned group theorist. The conference received support from the California Institute of Technology, underscoring the event’s collaborative spirit.   

A Commencement to Remember

Nearly 3,000 graduates received degrees at the 153rd Stevens Commencement in May at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. Entrepreneur Emilio Fernandez, emeritus trustee and benefactor of Stevens’ iSTEM program, served as the keynote speaker for the undergraduate ceremony. Finance graduates Robert T. Dahill IV ’25 and Bitla Aditya Jeetendra Reddy M.S. ’25 were selected as the student speakers for the undergraduate and graduate ceremonies, respectively. Dahill encouraged his peers to carry on Stevens’ proud legacy of pioneering excellence, while Reddy reminded his fellow classmates of the lasting impact of spontaneous friendships, impromptu conversations and unexpected events. 

Impressive Outcomes

Stevens was recognized in a pair of newly released national college rankings. LinkedIn ranked Stevens 45th in its first-ever Top Colleges list, which identifies universities that best prepare their graduates for long-term career success. Using exclusive LinkedIn data, the survey carefully weighted five key pillars to analyze career outcomes: job placement; internships and recruiter demand; career success; network strength; and knowledge breadth. Stevens was also featured in The Princeton Review’s The Best 391 Colleges: 2026 Edition, earning accolades for College City Gets High Marks (#2), Best Student Support and Counseling Services  (#4) and Best Quality of Life (#20).