Stevens Institute of Technology Recognizes Excellence at Awards Gala
Notable alumni celebrated as Stevens continues remarkable upward trajectory
(Hoboken, N.J.) – On Saturday, April 14, Nariman Farvardin, president of Stevens Institute of Technology, recognized 10 distinguished alumni for their notable accomplishments, service to society and generosity to their alma mater at the Stevens Awards Gala, which took place at the historic Plaza Hotel in New York City.
The awards, established in 1937, honor alumni and non-alumni who accomplish great professional achievements or who demonstrate tremendous support of the university.
“Each year, we celebrate the accomplishments of some of the finest graduates in engineering, entrepreneurship, business and the arts that our university has produced in our nearly 150-year history,” said Farvardin. “These individuals have left an indelible mark on the world through their work and their character, and we are immensely proud of them.”
Farvardin reflected on the remarkable growth the university has experienced over the past several years. Farvardin said, “Stevens has laid a foundation to be a world-class university; a university that is going to continue its momentum; a university that is going to have more impact on the world.”
Chris Cimino, WNBC-TV meteorologist, served as master of ceremonies. Guests also enjoyed performances by student vocalists Ian DiGuilio ’18 and Kiera Dillon ’20 and the President’s Ensemble, as well as the Bryan Beninghove Quartet and Broadway performer Tony Yazbeck.
2018 Honorees:
John “Sean” J. Hanlon IV ’80
_Stevens Honor Award, recognizing notable achievement in a given field
_Hanlon is founder and chief executive of Hanlon Investment Management. He has served as a Stevens trustee since 2010 and is chair of the advisory board for the Hanlon Financial Systems Center on campus.
Stephen T. Boswell C.E. ’89 Ph.D. ’91 Hon. D.Eng. ’13
_Charles V. Schaefer Jr. Entrepreneur Award, recognizing alumni for extraordinary entrepreneurial success
_Boswell is president and chief executive of Boswell Engineering and co-founder and director of NASDAQ-listed ConnectOne Bank. Boswell has been elected chairman of the Stevens Institute of Technology Board of Trustees and will start his term May 23.
Sachin N. Shah ’89 M.S. ’93
International Achievement Award, recognizing alumni for their significant achievements abroad Shah is chair, president and chief executive of MetLife Japan. He is president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan and serves on the board of the U.S.-Japan Business Council.
Frank J. Semcer Sr. ’65
_Outstanding Contribution Award, recognizing alumni who have made significant contributions to Stevens
_Semcer is chair and chief executive of Micro Stamping Corporation, and past director of New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance. He serves as a member on the Stevens Institute of Technology Board of Trustees.
Marty P. Valerio ’68
Lifetime Service Award, recognizing alumni for long, sustained and dedicated service to Stevens
Valerio has served Stevens for decades as a trustee, president of the Stevens Alumni Association, Class of 1968 fund captain, and adjunct instructor of construction management.
Marques Brownlee ’15
_Young Alumni Achievement Award, recognizing alumni under age 40 who have already had an impact on their chosen fields
_Regarded as one of the world’s leading technology reviewers, Brownlee's YouTube channel, MKBHD, has more than 6 million subscribers and millions more across his other social media platforms. He received a Shorty Award in 2018, which honors the best content creators and producers on social media.
Distinguished Alumni Awards, recognizing alumni for their success in five categories:
John A. Newton ’71
Arts and Humanities
Newton is the founder of Soundmirror. Soundmirror projects have garnered more than 100 Grammy nominations – ten in 2018 – with Newton having won eight Grammys and one Emmy himself.
Dianne K. McKeever ’01
Business and Finance
McKeever is co-founder and chief investment officer of Ides Capital Management LP. McKeever was named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list in 2016, Crain’s New York Business’ 40 Under 40 list in 2017, and Marie Claire’s New Guard 2017.
Ken Venner ’84
Engineering
Venner is chief information officer of SpaceX and former chief information officer of Broadcom. Venner was also a vice president and chief information officer with Rockwell Electronic Commerce and worked at the famed Bell Labs.
Vikki Hazelwood Ph.D. ’07
Science and Technology
Hazelwood is a professor in the department of biomedical engineering at Stevens and director of the biomedical engineering program. She founded the Lab for Translation Research at Stevens, which has produced nearly 50 students with patents during her tenure. Hazelwood is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and in 2010, she received the Advancement of Invention Award from the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame. She is also founder of SPOC Inc., a medical device company.
To learn more about this year’s Stevens Awards Gala honorees, visit stevens.edu/awardsgala.
About Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology is a premier, private research university situated in Hoboken, New Jersey overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Since our founding in 1870, technological innovation has always been the hallmark and legacy of Stevens’ education and research. Within the university’s three schools and one college, 6,900 undergraduate and graduate students collaborate closely with faculty in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment. A range of academic and research programming spanning business, computing, engineering, the arts and other fields actively advances the frontiers of science and leverages technology to confront our most pressing global challenges. The university is consistently ranked among the nation’s elite for return on tuition investment, career services and the mid-career salaries of alumni.
Stevens Institute of Technology media contact: Kat Cutler, 201.216.5139, [email protected]