College of Science and Liberal Arts Celebrates 40 Years at 2022 Awards Ceremony

On May 4, celebratory glasses were raised at the signature year-end awards ceremony for NJIT's College of Science and Liberal Arts (CSLA), where the incredible milestone of the college's 40th anniversary served as backdrop to the festivities.

It was an afternoon full of recognition for this year's standout faculty, students, staff and alumni inside the Central King Building's Agile Strategy Lab. The ceremony also offered plenty of moments to look back on four transformational decades since former NJIT President Saul Fenster originally dubbed the college the university's "Third School" in a 1982 letter to the NJ Board of Education.

The birth of the college marked a pivotal moment in NJIT history. Three of NJIT's six colleges - Albert Dorman Honors College, Martin Tuchman School of Management, and Ying Wu College of Computing - would originate from CSLA programs.

"CSLA has been evolutionary … from the beginning of NJIT's ascension as a comprehensive public polytechnic university," said CSLA Dean Kevin Belfield. "We're home to state-of-the-art research facilities, world-renowned faculty, and students that successfully compete for the nation's most acclaimed scholarships and fellowships. … But the CSLA of today was likely unimaginable at its founding 40 years ago."

During his introductions, Belfield highlighted the college's evolution from a small unit of six diverse departments spanning the humanities and sciences to where it stands today - accounting for nearly 30% of all research awards and 40% of course sections instructed at NJIT.

The event gave way to a special appearance from keynote speaker, Marion Terenzio, President of SUNY Cobleskill, College of Agriculture and Technology. Terenzio discussed the need for supporting integration of the sciences and arts - offering a presentation on her work forging collaborations such as one between SUNY Cobleskill and the Antarctic Artists and Writers Collective in sharing methods of creatively communicating scientific research to general audiences.

"Our [college's] name, like yours, is calling us to contribute to the world. …. We cannot do our work in agriculture without understanding what humanities and the sciences bring to the table," said Terenzio. "The work we do through our vision and the power of our name literally merges with our community and its needs. … I'm proud of the work we do and am so excited to see how much it is in concert with what you do [at NJIT]."

On an afternoon of many highlights, a standout moment came as NJIT Provost and Senior Executive Vice President Fadi P. Deek was named recipient of both the CSLA Lifetime Achievement and Distinguished Alumnus awards.

A storied CSLA alum, Deek was part of the college's inaugural graduating class - earning his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. ('85, '86, '97) in computing at NJIT at a time when CSLA still oversaw the university's Computer and Information Science Department.

Above: CSLA Deans Past and Present. Dean Kevin Belfield honors NJIT Provost Fadi P. Deek with the CSLA Lifetime Achievement and Distinguished Alumnus awards.

Deek recounted his deep connection with the college, including his appointment as CSLA dean in 2003, leading an unprecedented growth period that saw the college's overall enrollment more than triple.

"This has the feeling of coming home after many years. … It's where my wife and I met and launched our careers, and where our three children have been educated." said Deek, who will be returning to an NJIT faculty position this June. "I was originally asked to fill in as CSLA's Dean in the middle of the fall 2003 semester until a permanent replacement could be found in the spring. I ended up staying 10 years, and it was the best 10 years of my career."

As always, the event's roster of special invites included other star alumni returning from around the world to receive honors for career achievements.

"It is an incredible honor for me to be invited back for such recognition," said Gunjan Samtani '97, a partner at Goldman Sachs and Head of Goldman Sachs Services, India, who was also given the CSLA Distinguished Alumnus Award. "Returning has brought back many memories of my days on campus, where I had access of some of the finest professors and a truly immersive industry ecosystem. I've had the best-in-class research opportunities and education here at NJIT, which has helped me immensely in my professional career."

Following Samtani's recognition, the rest of CSLA's cast of award-winning alumni, faculty, staff and student awards for 2022 were revealed.

For a full list of this year's awardees, visit here.

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