Historic Bequest Fuels Transformative Scholarships
A generous bequest from the late Reno Del Ben ’58, among the largest in Stevens’ history, has established an endowed scholarship supporting 45 students in its inaugural year. The legacy gift of $12.5 million is making a transformative impact at Stevens and will continue to empower students for generations to come.
Born and raised in Tenafly, Del Ben was a private man who enjoyed motorcycling across the country. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stevens in 1958 and a master’s degree in chemical engineering in 1970. He went on to secure a law degree from New York University and worked as an attorney and investor while holding positions in his family's home building business, Del Ben Estates.
“He was very proud to be an alumnus of Stevens,” says Steve Standler, Del Ben’s friend and executor of his estate. The two met in the late 80s. Standler, a retired plumbing and HVAC contractor, performed work on Del Ben’s properties and they became friends over the years.
Del Ben was a member of the Ramapo Motorcycle Club of Nanuet, New York, and enjoyed many cross-country trips on his BMW motorcycle, putting more than one million miles on his bike.
“Reno would get on his bike and take off for weeks at a time,” Standler says. “He loved driving his motorcycle. I have a plaque that was presented to him for the million miles. I think he’s the second most accomplished rider of a motorcycle in the country.”
Classmate Bob Fiocco ’58 recalls Del Ben fondly and noted his close friendship with the late Richard Harries ’58. “I remember Reno as a likeable and unique classmate with an independent spirit,” he says. “A proud Stevens alum, Reno always returned to celebrate key anniversary years with our ’58 class.”
“One of my special memories of him was his teaming up with classmate Richard Harries to install the ’58 Senior Class graduation gift, a large electric scoreboard for the Stevens Athletic Field,” Fiocco says. “His deep friendship with Richard started when they met buying textbooks in freshman year and continued to their final days.”
Del Ben never married and had a small group of close friends, including Harries and members of his motorcycle club, according to Standler. When Del Ben was preparing his will, he spoke about it with Standler and his fitness trainer who both suggested that he leave his estate to something he was passionate about. “He thought about how much he loved Stevens and then decided to establish a named scholarship,” Standler says.
Empowering 45 Talented Scholars
The Reno A. Del Ben 1958 Endowed Scholarship is providing support to its first cohort of 45 Stevens students this academic year. Funded by a permanent endowment, the scholarship will continue benefiting students at Stevens for generations.
The current Del Ben scholars, all second- or third-year students, are majoring in fields from mechanical engineering, computer science and software engineering to quantitative finance, civil engineering, chemical biology and more. The scholarship is empowering them to achieve their goals and aspirations in their academic journeys and career paths.
Danica Chakroborty, a second-year software engineering major, is thankful for the scholarship. “I have a single mom and an older sister who are my role models,” she says. “They have instilled in me a work ethic that I am forever grateful for and have always encouraged me to push through every obstacle. This scholarship has truly helped us so much in pushing through the financial obstacles of college, and my family and I are incredibly grateful for it.”
Chakroborty serves as a resident assistant, president of the Software Engineering Club and a member of the Undergraduate Student Advisory Committee for the Department of Systems and Enterprises.
“I hope that by the time I graduate, I have positively impacted as many individuals as possible, while also learning as much as I can,” she says. “My main goal in life is to be able to effectively create positive change in the world and hopefully in the everyday lives of others.”
A biomedical engineering major, Sophia Gonzalez, Class of 2026, serves as a peer leader and a member of the Society of Women Engineers and Biomedical Engineering Society. She is also a member of the Stevens Honor Board and the Residence Hall Council.
“I am very interested in medical devices and would like to pursue a career and further education in the healthcare field,” says Gonzalez, who plans to enroll in an accelerated master’s program. “Education and being educated are extremely important to me, and I intend to keep advancing in this pursuit for a long time.”
Like Del Ben, Manraj Singh, a second-year mechanical engineering major, has a passion for motorcycles. “I enjoy cars and motorcycles,” Singh says. “I want to work with them in the future with my mechanical engineering degree.”
Singh credits Stevens with helping him return to his calling. “Growing up, I always wanted to be a mechanic, but I diverted from that plan,” he says. “However, I am coming back to it and learning that hands-on work is the type of work for me. I would never have been able to learn this without the experiences I have had at Stevens so far, and I am thankful that Stevens brought me back to the path I always wanted.”
A civil engineering major, Vivian Zhang, Class of 2027, chose to attend Stevens because it prioritized women empowerment, especially for STEM majors. She is a board member of the Chinese Student Association and active with the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers and several campus organizations.
“Aside from my academic achievements, I really wish to make a positive impact on the community at Stevens,” Zhang says. “I have received so many rewarding experiences from my involvement in clubs, organizations and events on campus. I want to share that joy with others through my own efforts.”
“I am very grateful for the scholarship,” says Miguel Bigao, a philosophy major with a medical humanities minor, Class of 2027. “It is a beautiful thing that, although I will be graduating almost 70 years after Mr. Del Ben, his continued memory will help a fellow Duck.”
When asked how Del Ben would feel about his scholarship supporting 45 students in the first year alone, Standler believes he would be very proud to be helping so many students, now and in the years to come.
“A gift of this magnitude has the power to transform a university,” says Cindy Chin ’05 M.S. ’05, Ed.D., vice president for enrollment management. “The Del Ben scholarship ensures that talented students have the resources they need to thrive at Stevens and will positively impact generations of students. It is a formative investment in Stevens’ mission and carries forward a legacy of innovation and generous alumni support.”
In addition to motorcycling, Del Ben enjoyed skiing and photography. He passed away at age 86 on December 6, 2021, which was also his birthday.
“As with many good fellow classmates no longer with us,” Fiocco says, “Reno will be well-remembered for his character and loyalty.”