In Memoriam David Belanger

It is with great sadness that the School of Business announces the passing of Dr. David Belanger.

Dave was one of our dearest and most respected members of the faculty, a good friend, and a leader in the area of Big Data and Analytics. He passed away on Friday, November 18, 2022. Dave was a Senior Research Fellow / Senior Lecturer at the School of Business since 2012, teaching courses in the BI&A program, leading research efforts, and being a strong advocate of the school and of our programs. 

Dave was an internationally known authority on Big Data and data governance. During his 30 years at AT&T Bell Labs before joining Stevens, he contributed to advances in software and data management that led to the world of computing and Big Data as we know it today. From 2001 to 2012, he was the Chief Scientist of AT&T. His renown as a data scientist is widely recognized by industry. As Big Data emerged as a major factor in industry, Dave was called upon to lead the IEEE’s “Big Data Initiative” - a world-wide effort that included defining data strategy and data standards. He also led the IEEE’s DataPort project, which offers 2,500 data sets and has over 2.5 million users. Closer to home, he was a founding member of the NJ Big Data Alliance - an alliance of NJ academic institutions and corporations that aims to promote Big Data education and research in New Jersey.

In 2012, we were fortunate to have Dave join the school as Senior Research Fellow/Senior Lecturer. As a BI&A faculty member he developed several courses in the BI&A program’s Big Data concentration and certificate programs. Dave was a superb teacher, and he touched the lives of hundreds of students who looked to him as a source of inspiration throughout their careers. He played a leading role in the BI&A Industry Advisory Board, where his presence attracted leading industry experts and enlivened discussions of trends and issues of importance to the program. His fame in industry brought prestige to the BI&A program, the school and Stevens.

Dave had a positive impact on all of us. He was an inspiring and innovative thinker, a role model, a constant reminder of the best traditions in academia. He was always interested in exploring new ideas and always excited about his research and teaching. He loved his students, was proud of their achievements, and followed them as a friend and mentor through their careers. He was always happy to help the school, the BI&A program, fellow faculty and, above all, his students. Through his personal integrity, high intellectual standards and collegiality he inspired all of us. He will be greatly missed.

A mass in David’s honor will be held Friday, November 25, 2022 in Hillsborough, NJ.