New Stevens history reveals foundations of Technogenesis
A newly published book by a Stevens Institute of Technology history professor reveals the complete history of the 130-year-old private university, the unique value of a Stevens education, and the foundations of the institute's new direction known as Technogenesis. The book is the first of its kind to detail Stevens' complete history.
Stevens Professor of History Geoffrey W. Clark wrote History of Stevens Institute of Technology: A Record of Broad-Based Curricula and Technogenesis, 1870-2000 during the 1999-2000 academic year, and the institute published it this fall. The 400-page book features about 50 photographs illustrating aspects of Stevens history and the people who shaped it. In addition, the history contains never-before-published material from the Stevens archives on Andrew Carnegie, who became a Stevens Trustee in the 1890s; alumnus Frederick W. Taylor, who went on to achieve world renown as the Father of Scientific Management; and the famous sculptor Alexander Calder, also a Stevens alumnus.
Beginning with the institute's early founders, the highly entrepreneurial Stevens family, the book tells the story of how Stevens Institute of Technology developed from an engineering college with a unique curriculum to a private university whose programs in engineering, management and the sciences form a revolutionary educational environment now known as Technogenesis. A term recently trademarked by Stevens, Technogenesis is described as "the educational frontier wherein students, faculty and industry jointly nurture new technologies from concept to realization."
The book's author, Dr. Clark, says that in his scholarly approach to the book, he chose to show how Stevens created and retained a broad-based engineering curriculum.
"I believe that Stevens' broad-based engineering curriculum, along with the distinct advantages it brings to graduates as they pursue lifelong careers, has not been sufficiently appreciated by academics outside the institute and the public in general," says Clark.
"The curriculum at Stevens provides every graduate with an overview of all the major engineering specialties," he notes. "Such a broad-based engineering curriculum was often a struggle to maintain, as this history shows. But Stevens, through the wisdom of many outstanding leaders, alumni and trustees over the years, has persevered in keeping its unique educational environment."
Today, with Stevens' new emphasis on Technogenesis, the entrepreneurial legacy of the Stevens founding family remains alive and well in the 21st century.
Copies of the book are available through the Stevens Campus Store, located on the first floor of the Wesley J. Howe Center on the Stevens campus (about one block east of Eighth Street and Castle Point Terrace in Hoboken, N.J.) The campus store also offers the book for sale online at its web site: stevenscampusstore.com. Copies are $21.95 plus shipping and handling.
About Stevens Institute of Technology
Founded in 1870 and celebrating 140 Years of Innovation, Stevens Institute of Technology, The Innovation University TM , lives at the intersection of industry, academics and research. The University's students, faculty and partners leverage their collective real-world experience and culture of innovation, research and entrepreneurship to confront global challenges in engineering, science, systems and technology management.
Based in Hoboken, N.J. and with a location in Washington, D.C., Stevens offers baccalaureate, master’s, certificates and doctoral degrees in engineering, the sciences and management, in addition to baccalaureate degrees in business and liberal arts. Stevens has been recognized by both the US Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Excellence in the areas of systems engineering and port security research. The University has a total enrollment of more than 2,200 undergraduate and 3,700 graduate students with almost 450 faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America as well as strategic partnerships with industry leaders, governments and other universities around the world. Additional information may be obtained at www.stevens.edu and www.stevens.edu/press.
