Stevens Students Donate $25,000 to Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps Through New Clark Scholars Philanthropy Challenge
HOBOKEN, N.J., September 17, 2026 — Stevens Institute of Technology today announced that students participating in the university’s Clark Scholars program have selected the Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps to receive a $25,000 charitable donation, enabled by the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation’s investment in Stevens and its commitment to developing the next generation of scientists, engineers and philanthropists.
The donation is part of the newly established Clark Scholars Philanthropy Challenge, an initiative made possible by a $1 million endowed fund included in the Clark Foundation’s historic $21 million commitment to Stevens in September 2025. Launched in 2023, the Clark Scholars Program Network maintains the Foundation’s successful Clark Scholars Program and evolves to meet future students’ emerging needs. The fund gives Clark Scholars the opportunity to learn about philanthropy firsthand and collectively decide how to direct charitable support to nonprofit organizations serving the local community.
“This challenge provides an opportunity for our students to experience philanthropy as decisionmakers,” said Alida McKee, director of special programs and administration at Stevens. “The Clark Foundation recognized that the same spirit of thoughtful investment that guides its own philanthropy could be an important part of the Clark Scholars experience. Through this program, students are learning how to identify community needs, evaluate nonprofit organizations and make decisions about where their collective resources can have an impact.”
The challenge builds on a new Service and Philanthropy course for students in the Clark Scholars program. During the course, which first-year students take in the spring semester, students are introduced to nonprofit organizations throughout Hoboken, which they visit to learn about the different ways these organizations support the community. Students also participate in volunteer activities with local nonprofits, gaining firsthand experience.
At the end of the spring 2026 semester, students were asked to nominate and pitch a nonprofit organization they believed would be a strong candidate for the donation. Following the presentations, 39 students voted on the decision, and selected the Corps as the inaugural recipient.
“The Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps team is incredibly honored by this award,” said Thomas F. Molta, president of the Corps. “From our very beginning, the Corps has been driven by our commitment to community. For more than 50 years, our volunteers have served Hoboken, responding to more than 7,000 ambulance calls each year. The generosity of the Clark Scholars will help us continue that tradition and ensure that we have the resources, equipment and capabilities we need to be there for our neighbors when they need us most.”
About Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens is a premier, private research university situated in Hoboken, New Jersey. Since our founding in 1870, technological innovation has been the hallmark of Stevens’ education and research. Within the university’s four schools, more than 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students collaborate closely with faculty in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment. Academic and research programs spanning business, computing, engineering, the arts and other disciplines actively advance the frontiers of science and leverage technology to confront our most pressing global challenges. The university continues to be consistently ranked among the nation’s leaders in career services, post-graduation salaries of alumni and return on tuition investment.
About The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation
The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation partners with organizations to strengthen their ability to meet the needs of the individuals, families, and communities they serve. In keeping with Mr. Clark’s desire to spend down within a decade and maximize the impact of this funding, the Clark Foundation established its current philanthropic model in 2016. The Foundation focuses its philanthropy in three strategic areas: educating future engineering leaders, improving the lives of veterans and their families, and providing members of the DC community the best opportunity to thrive.
To learn more, visit: clarkfoundationdc.org.
Stevens Media Contact
Lina Zeldovich
Manager of Media Relations
Division of University Advancement
201-216-5123
[email protected]
