Long before Michael Gottlieb ’63 became a chemical engineer, he learned how to think like a scientist. Growing up in Newark, he would watch his father take apart vacuum cleaners piece by piece on the kitchen table — he was a vacuum salesman. His father was not just pitching a product. He understood how every component worked and how to show customers that what he sold wasn’t a vacuum at all, but a cleaner, healthier home. Gottlieb absorbed that lesson: know what you’re working with, understand the people you serve and recognize the good your work can do.

An orthopedic total joint knee replacement is not a hinge.

It bends, rolls, glides and rotates. It bears the force of walking, climbing stairs, rising from a chair and living an active life. It has to mimic naturally enough to restore function, but remain stable enough to last. Its materials must survive millions of cycles inside the body, where the smallest design decisions can affect wear, inflammation, bone loss, loosening and pain.

That was the kind of problem Michael J. Pappas ’59, ’64 helped solve.

Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, energy demand, transportation systems, water quality and workforce development are no longer separate conversations, but rather connected challenges where universities can help move ideas into practice, said leaders from academia, government and industry at New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Spring 2026 Infrastructure Forum.

Professional accolades started arriving early in the career of Matthew P. Adams, an associate professor of civil engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and co-director of the Materials and Structures Laboratory (MatSLab). In 2015, Adams was still working toward his Ph.D. when he was recognized by the American Concrete Institute (ACI), earning their Young Member Award for Professional Achievement for his work supporting young professionals in the concrete industry.

New Jersey Institute of Technology, Hudson County Community College and the New Jersey Administrative District Council of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers signed a Letter of Intent on April 23 to develop a new academic and workforce development partnership designed to connect apprenticeship training with a four-year degree pathway.

A one-day design sprint at NJIT challenged students to think like engineers, designers and problem-solvers for a wider range of users.

At CADence: An Additive Design Jam, held April 18 in the NJIT Makerspace, six teams spent the day designing and prototyping assistive technology concepts aimed at improving everyday accessibility. Working in medical, transportation and community tracks, students used CAD software, 3D printing and electrical components to build modular devices intended to respond to real-world challenges.

NJIT’s Newark College of Engineering brought together alumni, students, faculty, staff and industry partners for its 28th Annual Salute to Engineering Excellence, an evening that celebrated the people and partnerships helping shape the college’s future.

Held April 16 at Stone House at Stirling Ridge, the annual event highlighted achievement across the NCE community. Proceeds from the night will support experiential learning and NCE competitive student teams and organizations.

Too much stress can make even a rock crack. But before rocks reach their breaking point, they "sigh" a chemical warning by releasing nuclides, a type of atom defined by the number of neutrons as well as protons in the nucleus. Scientists have studied these naturally occurring geochemical emissions for more than half a century, but struggled to link nuclide release to the timing of rock breakage. 

When Chris Wunderlich was finishing his final semester at New Jersey Institute of Technology, he had two job offers sitting in front of him. One was from Picatinny Arsenal, the U.S. Army's premier research and manufacturing hub for weapons systems, where he would have gone deep into warhead design. The other was from DeSisti, an Italian lighting and rigging company headquartered on Route 22 in North Jersey. He took the job with the Italians.