Photo of Edwin A Stevens building

About the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science

We're training the next generation of leaders in technology and applied sciences.

The Schaefer School educates and empowers tomorrow’s technological innovators and leaders with strong fundamentals, broad-based knowledge, critical thinking skills, and global perspectives.

Our collaborative community of engineers and scientists discover new knowledge and advance research frontiers through creativity and innovation. Our graduates impact society through technical and leadership services in professional organizations and the public and private sectors.

Our History

Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering & Science researchers build on the legacy of invention and discovery of Stevens’ founding family, whose steamboat and locomotive designs revolutionized American transportation.

Beginning in the 19th century, inventor Edwin A. Stevens — along with members of his family — were celebrated for unique feats of engineering such as the nation’s first steam ferry, the first commuter trains, and the T-rail, which is still the main form of railroad track used worldwide. Known as “America’s First Family of Inventors,” the Stevens family built and operated the first United States commercial railroad, were instrumental in developing United States patent law, and created the America’s Cup racing series where they designed and sailed the yacht America, the first winner of the Cup.

The Stevens family established Stevens Institute of Technology, the first college of mechanical engineering in the U.S., in 1870 in Hoboken, New Jersey to carry on their legacy of engineering solutions.

A Legacy of Innovation

Following in the footsteps of our founding family, Schaefer School researchers and graduates have:

Nobel Prize Winners

Frederick Reines

Frederick Reines ’39 M.S. ’41 Hon.D.Eng. ’84

Recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1995 for the discovery of the neutrino

Irving Langmuir

Irving Langmuir, Professor of Chemistry at Stevens until 1909

Recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1932 for his work in surface chemistry

Stevens School of Engineering and Science Dean Jean Zu

Welcome From Dean Jean Zu

It is my great honor and privilege to lead the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science. With the tremendous talent at Stevens, rich history in technology innovation, geographical proximity to leaders in industry and academia, and the school's upward trajectory, I am confident that we will establish wide collaborations on all levels and move our school to a new level of excellence. Together, we will build a world-class, prominent school of engineering and science.

Meet Dean Jean Zu

Photo of Dean Jean ZuJean Zu, Lore E. Feiler Professor and Dean of the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science

Dr. Jean Zu is the Lore E. Feiler Professor and Dean of the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science and a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Her research is focused on mechanical vibrations and dynamics and mechatronics, particularly in areas of biomedical instrumentation and energy harvesting. Dr. Zu holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Tsinghua University and Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba, and has published over 340 papers including more than 170 journal papers. 

Dr. Zu’s academic career started as a lecturer and researcher at Tsinghua University in China in 1987-88. She joined the University of Toronto as a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering department in 1994. She made history at the University of Toronto by becoming the first female and Asian Department Chair in 2009, a role she served until she joined Stevens on May 1, 2017 as Dean.

Over the course of her 30-year career in academia, Dr. Zu has worked extensively to raise both awareness and funding for engineering programs at the University of Toronto and across Canada. She is Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineering (CSME). She served as president of the CSME from 2006 to 2008, on the Grant Selection Committee of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) from 2004 to 2007, and as the Associate Editor of the ASME Journal of Vibrations and Acoustics from 2007 to 2013. She served as President of Engineering Institute of Canada in 2012 to 2014.


Jean Zu

Jean Zu, Lore E. Feiler Dean

201-216-8233
Edwin A. Stevens Hall 216

More about Jean Zu >


Frank Fisher

Frank Fisher, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies

[email protected]
201-216-8913
Carnegie Laboratory 302

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Rainer Martini

Rainer Martini, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies

[email protected]
201-216-5634
Burchard Building 610

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Henry Du

Henry Du, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development

[email protected]
201-216-5262
Burchard Building 410

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Office of the Dean Staff Directory

View the Office of the Dean staff directory by category below.

Collaborate with the Schaefer School

Corporate and community partners can work with the Schaefer School for educational and business collaborations.

student wearing a black hoodie building his project

Corporate Relations

Corporate partners can work with students and faculty to solve real business problems through sponsored projects and research collaborations, recruit graduates for open positions, or work with our faculty for corporate education.

Students in a meeting room looking at a projector screen.

Corporate Education

Partner with the Schaefer School to create a highly relevant and engaged curriculum tailored to the real world and the skill competency needs of your employees. The Schaefer School offers corporate students a hands-on, application-driven education.

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STEM Outreach

You can partner with students and faculty to lead STEM awareness and education initiatives at your local K-12 school. The Schaefer School also holds a variety of STEM outreach events on our campus on an annual basis.


SES Strategic Plan Cover

2023-2028 Strategic Plan

In 2022 Stevens unveiled its latest 10-year strategic plan, "Stevens 2032: Inspired by Humanity, Powered by Technology™." The Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science is committed to aligning our renewed strategic vision with that of the overall university with the development of our own strategic plan entitled "Empowering Excellence, Shaping the Future."

2023-2024 SES Annual Report Cover

2023-2024 Annual Report

The Annual Report presents updated information and progress of the School of Engineering and Science's goals outlined in the 2023 Strategic Plan. The information presented in the report was collected from official Institutional data sources and the SES community.

Current Facts and Statistics

The Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science is an institution on the rise. The Schaefer School is one of the top schools in the state of New Jersey and an up-and-coming research institution at the national level. Browse are rankings, program and research statistics below.


Past Annual Reports

2022-2023
Annual Report
2021-2022
Annual Report
2020-2021
Annual Report
2019-2020
Annual Report

Our Location

Edwin A. Stevens building with a blue sky in the background
Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science
Edwin A. Stevens Hall, 2nd Floor, Room 216
24 5th Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030