News Release

Nanotechnology expert Somenath Mitra to receive NJIT Excellence in Research award

Grant and Award Announcement

New Jersey Institute of Technology

NJIT Distinguished Professor Somenath Mitra, Ph.D., whose pioneering research has spanned a spectrum of applications for carbon nanotechnology that address critical quality-of-life issues, will receive the seventh annual Board of Overseers Excellence in Research Prize and Medal on Oct. 2, 2014. Dr. Mitra has been instrumental in developing technology for photovoltaic cells — solar cells — that can be output on home-based inkjet printers to provide household power when exposed to the sun. Through nanotube technology, he has also advanced the development of sensors that could be used for continuous real-time monitoring of organic contaminants in air and water. For more information on Dr. Mitra's research, visit: http://www.njit.edu/about/boards/overseers/awards/prizeandmedal/2014/index.php.

Yeheskel Bar-Ness, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will receive the second annual Board of Overseers Excellence in Research Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his long and distinguished career and for his substantial and notable research contributions to industry and academe. A prominent expert in wireless communications and signal processing for more than four decades, Dr. Bar-Ness directs The Elisha Yegal Bar-Ness Center for Wireless Communications and Signal Processing Research at NJIT, which has long been in the forefront of wireless technology. For more information on Dr. Bar-Ness, visit: http://www.njit.edu/about/boards/overseers/awards/lifetime-achievement/2014/bar-ness.php

"The purpose of the Excellence in Research Prize and Medal is to elevate the image of research on campus and in the community," said Philip Rinaldi, chief executive officer of Philadelphia Energy Solutions and chair of the NJIT Board of Overseers. "As an alumnus and chair of the NJIT Board of Overseers, I am deeply honored to share in special recognition of the talent and dedication that continues to build our university's stature worldwide."

The award ceremony and premiere of research video profiles of Dr. Mitra and Dr. Bar-Ness will be streamed live Oct. 2, 2014, at 5:30 p.m. ET. For a live streaming link, visit: http://www.njit.edu/excellenceinresearch.

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The NJIT Board of Overseers is composed of prominent volunteer alumni and friends of the university, as well as key administrators, including President Joel S. Bloom. It is the governing body for the Foundation at NJIT – the university's fundraising arm – and has a joint fiduciary responsibility with the Board of Trustees for stewarding and developing NJIT's endowment. Additionally, the board has initiated activities and events that increase NJIT's visibility and prestige. These initiatives include establishing the Overseers Excellence in Research Prize and Medal, which was first presented in 2008.

About NJIT

One of the nation's leading public technological universities, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a top-tier research university that prepares students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. NJIT's multidisciplinary curriculum and computing-intensive approach to education provide technological proficiency, business acumen and leadership skills. With an enrollment of more than 10,000 graduate and undergraduate students, NJIT offers small-campus intimacy with the resources of a major public research university. NJIT is a global leader in such fields as solar research, nanotechnology, resilient design, tissue engineering, and cyber-security, in addition to others. NJIT ranks fifth among U.S. polytechnic universities in research expenditures, topping $110 million, and is among the top 1 percent of public colleges and universities in return on educational investment, according to Payscale.com.


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