As
diplomas are handed out, speeches delivered, and photos snapped at
Stevens Institute of Technology’s 137th Commencement Ceremony, 49 Ph.D.
candidates are receiving doctoral degrees in engineering, management,
computer science, and the sciences. This marks the largest class of PhD
recipients in the Institute’s history.
Stevens has been home to
many doctoral students over the years, but this year’s spike in
graduates has a significance all its own. “It’s what we do,” says Dr.
Michael Bruno, Dean of the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science,
“and this indicates we’re doing it better. It shows significant
originality and contribution to the individual fields of the graduates,
and also to the field in general.”
Currently, over 350 doctoral
students are enrolled at Stevens among more than 1200 graduate
students, and that number continues to increase. “This is part of the
strategy, part of the process,” says Dr. George Korfiatis, Provost and
University Vice President. As part of its strategic plan, the
university has instituted 30 scholarships for doctoral students; that
commitment, combined with an increase in funding from research grants,
has made it possible to make that plan a reality. “We have been hiring
faculty with the goal of improving our research capabilities,” says
Korfiatis, “and the increase in the amount of money we receive through
grants is a marker of a high-level institution.”
This number
also demonstrates the quality of the faculty mentors available to the
doctoral students. “The faculty are doing a tremendous job mentoring
these young adults,” adds Dean Bruno. “It’s not enough to have a good
idea; that idea has to have relevance to the wider world in order for
the agencies to fund and support the research. That begins at the
faculty level. They have both the creative, relevant ideas and the
ability to fund the projects.”
While the number itself is
significant, Dr. Charles Suffel, Dean of Graduate Academics, points out
that it is the quality of the students that are the true indicators of
the success of the institution. “We want our PhDs to make a dent in the
intellectual bank account, so to speak.”
In the long run these
students become some of the university’s best ambassadors. “These are
the folks who will go into academia and government. Seeing these folks
go out around the world is a significant plus for the university,” says
Dr. Bruno. Many will also take their talents into industry.
Eventually,
the university expects to confer up to 75 doctoral degrees a year,
through a gradual increase in programs. “It is imperative for the U.S.
to preserve its superiority in science and technology,” says Dr.
Korfiatis, “especially when business has become so global. Stevens is
in a great position to contribute to that.”
