NJIT is the state’s public polytechnic university. Newark in the late 19th century was a thriving industrial center. Under Dr. Allan R. Robert W.
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The New Jersey Institute of Technology that we know today has a rich history with its beginnings developing fro
m the industrial age. Its factories churned out thread, metals, paints and leather goods. In Newark, Thomas Edison set the stage at his Ward Street factory for his later astounding achievements, and Edison rival Edward Weston established the first factory in the United States for commercial production of dynamo electric machines. On March 24, 1880, the Essex County Assemblyman in the state legislature introduced “An Act to Provide for the Establishment of Schools of Industrial Education.” The Newark Board of Trade sponsored the bill. The Act established three schools of industrial education: one in Newark, one in Trenton, and one in Hoboken. The first Board of Trustees met on July 1, 1884. The Newark Technical School opened on Monday, February 9, 1885 with 88 students who attended despite a terrible snowstorm. The first classes were held in a rented building at 21 West Park Street. Soon the facility became inadequate to house an expanding student body. To meet the needs of the growing school, a second fundraiser—the institution’s first capital campaign—was launched to support the construction of a dedicated building for Newark Technical School. In 1886, under the leadership of the school’s dynamic first director, Dr. Charles A. Colton, the cornerstone was laid at the intersection of High Street and Summit Place for the three-story building later to be named Weston Hall in honor of the institution’s early benefactor. A laboratory building, later to be called Colton Hall, was added to the campus in 1913. Daniel Hodgdon served as the director of Newark Technical School from 1918 to 1920. Cullimore, who led the institution from 1920 to 1949, the modest Newark Technical School was transformed into the robust Newark College of Engineering. Campbell Hall was erected in 1925. During the lean years of the Depression and World War II, only the former Newark Orphan Asylum, now Eberhardt Hall, was purchased and renovated by the college. The post-war period was one of enormous activity during which President Cullimore—like today’s post-Cold War university presidents—challenged the college to turn “war-time thinking into peace-time thinking.” In 1946, about 75 percent of the freshman class had served in the armed forces. Van Houten was acting president of NJIT from 1947 until 1950 when the board of trustees named him president. Cullimore Hall was built in 1958 and two years later the old Weston Hall was razed and replaced with the current seven-story structure. Doctoral level programs were introduced and six years later, in 1966, an 18-acre, four-building expansion was completed. William Hazell succeeded Dr. Van Houten as president of NJIT in 1970. In 1973, with the addition of the New Jersey School of Architecture, the institution had evolved into a technological university, emphasizing a broad range of graduate and undergraduate degrees and dedication to significant research and public service. A stronger-than-ever Newark College of Engineering remained intact, but a new university name—New Jersey Institute of Technology—signified the institution’s expanded mission. A broadened mission called for the creation of a residential campus. The opening of NJIT's first dormitory, Redwood Hall, in 1979 began a period of steady growth that continues today. Under the leadership of Saul K. Fenster, who served as president of NJIT from 1978 to 2002, four new schools were established at the university: The College of Science and Liberal Arts in 1982; the School of Management in 1988; Albert Dorman Honors College in 1994; and the College of Computing Sciences in 2001. During the administration of Robert A. Altenkirch, New Jersey School of Architecture was reconstituted as the College of Architecture and Design in 2008.
06/24/2026
NJIT hosted the NYLA Entrepreneurathon 2026, a startup competition that brought together over 60 middle and high school students from across New Jersey for an experience in entrepreneurship, innovation, and business development.
Organized by the National Young Leaders Association, the event prioritized access and inclusion by partnering with organizations serving underrepresented communities, including the Boys & Girls Club of Newark and Link Community Charter School.
NJIT assistant professor Ashish Borgaonkar has been selected for the 2026 ASEE National Outstanding Teaching Award, recognizing his commitment to building a professional foundation for engineering students from day one.
As founding director of Newark College of Engineering's Grand Challenges Scholars Program, Borgaonkar integrates engineering design, ethics, and societal impact into hands-on coursework.
NJIT's Learning and Development Initiative has joined the Tear the Paper Ceiling campaign, a national movement advocating for skills-first hiring practices that expand opportunities for over 70 million U.S. workers to build expertise outside of traditional four-year degree programs.
The partnership reflects NJIT's broader commitment to economic mobility and workforce development.
NJIT has received a grant from Santander Bank to expand its Entrepreneurial Experience program, funding student Peer Entrepreneurs in Residence who mentor peers exploring entrepreneurship and securing stipends for students interning with community-based startups.
The support builds on NJIT's growing entrepreneurship ecosystem, spearheaded by the Center for Student Entrepreneurship launched in 2024, which broadens student access to venture-building opportunities.
Janina Guarquila ’26, a recent graduate from NJIT Martin Tuchman School of Management, shares how her undergraduate experience helped guide her into a financial technology internship role this summer.
She reflects on how an technical environment at NJIT prepared her for working closely with operational and enforcement data, allowing her to have multiple opportunities to succeed within the fintech sector.
06/18/2026
NJIT Distinguished Professor and alumnus Fadi P. Deek has published a new memoir, "Portrait of an Expatriate: A Lebanese-American Story," reflecting on his journey from Byblos, Lebanon through civil war and his decades-long career as a scholar and academic leader at NJIT.
The book offers a reflection on his personal experience with resilience, migration, and the values that guided his life and work across continents.
NJIT women's soccer alumna Maria Nogueira has signed a professional contract with FC Porto, becoming the third Highlander to sign a professional contract under head coach Ally Nick.
A native of Cascais, Portugal, Nogueira earned America East First Team All-Conference honors in 2025 after anchoring the Highlanders' back line with one goal and three assists.
NJIT graduate Pia Piazzi '26 has joined SpaceX as a build reliability engineer for Starship following her studies at Newark College of Engineering.
Her interest in materials science evolved from her experience in NJIT's materials engineering program, which prepares graduates to analyze and apply materials at the molecular and atomic level across industries.
NJIT biomedical engineering senior Celine Jobson has found her footing at Pennoni, where getting hands-on work with real-world problem-solving clarified her professional path.
Her experience reflects the growing partnership between Pennoni and NJIT's Newark College of Engineering through internships, mentorship, and alumni presence at the firm.
NJIT architecture graduate Austin Chen '26 will continue his studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he plans to focus on sustainability and building science following his undergraduate career as an Albert Dorman Honors College scholar at the Hillier College of Architecture and Design.
Chen leaves NJIT with a a plan to deepen his focus on sustainability and the impact of architecture on the people who inhabit it.
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