Schaefer School of Engineering and Science Faculty Honored During Third Annual SES Faculty Awards

Awardees exemplify a steadfast commitment to academic excellence, flourishing research and transformative teaching

Leadership, faculty and staff from the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science gathered to recognize the significant achievements of their colleagues during the Third Annual School of Engineering and Science (SES) Faculty Awards Ceremony. The event was held on campus Wednesday, April 10, 2024 in the University Center Complex Tech Flex Auditorium.

SES Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies Frank Fisher presenting Teaching Associate Professor Maxine Fontaine with a Schaefer School Education and Impact AwardHighlighting faculty excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, doctoral student training and research funding over a one-year period, the Schaefer School Faculty Awards were established in 2021 to honor those who make significant contributions to the school each year.

"All Stevens faculty have the opportunity to be nominated for various institutional awards each year," stated Jessica de Veyga, SES Assistant Dean of Faculty Affairs. "The annual SES Faculty Awards are important because they honor SES faculty, exclusively."

Schaefer School Education Innovation & Impact Award

Department of Mechanical Engineering Teaching Associate Professor Maxine Fontaine, and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Teaching Associate Professor Kenny Wongwere each awarded the Schaefer School Education and Impact Award. These faculty members were recognized for their achievements in innovative teaching and instructional delivery methods, new course and program development, and student engagement and learning retention during the 2022-23 academic year.

Schaefer School Doctoral Advisor Award

Center for Quantum Science and Engineering Director and Department of Physics Gallaher Professor Yuping Huang received the Schaefer School Doctoral Advisor Award as the faculty member who graduated the highest number of Ph.D. students during the 2022-23 academic year.

Schaefer School Research Funding Award

SES Lore E. Feiler Jean Zu, BME Professor and Department Chair Jennifer Kang-Mieler, and SES Associate Dean for Research Henry Du The Schaefer School Research Funding Award is presented to faculty members who receive the largest new research grants as principal or co-principal investigator during the previous academic year.

Recipients of the 2024 awards are Department of Biomedical Engineering Professor and Department Chair Jennifer Kang-Mieler; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Professor Dilhan Kalyon; and Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering Research Professor John Dzielski.

This year, an additional Schaefer School research funding award was awarded to Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Rod Kim, a tenure-track faculty member who received a $1M Department of Defense (DoD) award for his project "Energy-Efficient Millimeter-Wave Dielectric Fibers and Wireless Interconnects for Space Missions" during the 2022-23 academic year.

Schaefer School Lifetime Achievement Award

The honoree for the 2024 Schaefer School Lifetime Achievement Award is Department of Mathematical Sciences Emeritus Professor Robert Gilman. The award honors the significant career-long contributions that Gilman has made to the Schaefer School and to Stevens.

Emeritus Professor Bob Gillman seated at the SES Faculty Awards CeremonyJoining Stevens in 1969 as an assistant professor, Gilman has spent his professional career at Stevens and established himself as a leading expert in multiple subfields of algebra. From 1997 through 2000, Gilman served as chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences - later holding the position again from 2004 through 2009 - and from 2013 through 2014 he served as chair of the Stevens Faculty Senate. Gilman is the director and a co-founder of the Algebra and Cryptology Center, established in 2009 to facilitate interdisciplinary research on foundational problems of cryptography and cybersecurity in collaboration with associate members at other institutions throughout the world.

In June 2023, the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Stevens organized a conference on group theory and its applications in honor of Gilman's 80th birthday. The conference, titled "Groups and Computation: Interactions Between Geometric Group Theory, Computability and Computer Science," featured talks by internationally renowned experts and long-time collaborators of Gilman.

Robert Gilman retired from his position as Professor in 2023.

Emeritus Professor Bob Gillman and his family