During the group’s first visit to Stevens, the self-proclaimed “NeRDs” shared learnings and perspectives on leading some of the area’s top engineering schools
The Schaefer School of Engineering and Science at Stevens Institute of Technology hosted the Northeast Regional Deans (NeRDs) council workshop in October 2022.
New York University’s Dean Jelena Kovačević created the council to provide a platform where engineering school leaders could gather to discuss ideas and network. The group holds two workshops a year – virtually in the spring, and in-person at one of the participating universities in the fall. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 workshop marked only the second in-person NeRDs event.
The day-long program included engineering deans from Carnegie Mellon University, the Catholic University of America, Dartmouth College, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Stevens, Stony Brook University, the University of Buffalo, the University of Maryland in Baltimore County, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
In Stevens’ newly opened University Center Complex, these academic leaders engaged and collaborated on topics such as engineering research and faculty support, Ph.D. recruitment and engagement and resources and programming for low-income, first generation and underserved students. They also toured the campus and visited research labs. The day was cloudy, but the deans still appreciated the remarkable views throughout the campus.
Stevens President Nariman Farvardin delivered opening remarks, Jianmin Qu, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, spoke during lunch, and Eve Riskin, dean of undergraduate education at Stevens, moderated one of the sessions.
“It was our honor to welcome our region’s engineering deans as they shared their vision and leadership on a wide range of topics of value to all of our students, our schools and our future,” said Jean Zu, dean of the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science. “This was the first time many of the deans had visited Stevens, and it was a great opportunity to familiarize them with our university, our research and our commitment to quality.”
