Date: Jun 27, 2011

Hofstra Launches School of Engineering and Applied Science

Co-op education, cross-disciplinary programs with Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine to be key features

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY –  Hofstra University will establish a School of Engineering and Applied Science with a co-op education program that will partner with a network of industry leaders to offer students substantial work experience before they graduate.

The new school will combine and expand the University’s existing Engineering and Computer Science departments to develop a curriculum that emphasizes high-tech research, practical work experience and inter-disciplinary study, integrating resources and faculty from other parts of the institution, including the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine and the Frank G. Zarb School of Business.

The University’s Board of Trustees approved the launch of the new school earlier this month, and an international search for a dean will begin in the Fall 2011.

“This, along with our new medical school, is another step in Hofstra’s march into the ranks of world-class universities committed to academic innovation and excellence,” said Marilyn B. Monter, chairwoman of the Board of Trustees.

The new school signals Hofstra’s goal to be at the forefront of science and engineering education, and to act as an incubator for research and development that prepares students for a complex marketplace.

“Our students strive to excel and so do we,” said President Stuart Rabinowitz. “Establishing a School of Engineering and Applied Science will make Hofstra only the third university in the New York metro area to have schools of law, medicine and engineering (the others are Columbia University and New York University).”

“In the same way that our medical school, with its practical, patient-centered approach and partnership with North Shore-LIJ Health System, is on the cutting-edge of medical education,” Rabinowitz said, “our School of Engineering and Applied Science will produce students who are firmly grounded in theory, but also understand and are prepared for the challenges of a constantly evolving business environment.”

The plan for the new school was crafted with the help of an advisory panel of industry leaders and alumni whose members will act as mentors for students, and help Hofstra build a network of business partners to participate in the cooperative education program.

“Hofstra is well-positioned to become a partner with several leading tri-state businesses that work globally, and several of those companies are members of the advisory committee for the school of engineering,” said panel member James Donaghy, who is chairman of Structure Tone, an international construction services firm and a Hofstra alum. “The approach being provided at Hofstra is to offer real-world experience in some of the leading engineering service companies based in the New York City metro area, while offering a curriculum of current and relevant topics.”

Hofstra already has three programs – mechanical, electrical and engineering science - that are accredited by the international Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), as well as a popular concentration in computer entrepreneurship for students interested in launching their own high-tech startups.

The need for highly trained engineers and computer specialists in the New York metropolitan region is well-documented: The U.S. Bureau of Labor has projected that for computer software engineers alone will increase by 32 percent by 2018.

“Overall, job opportunities for engineers are expected to be good, and, indeed, prospects will be excellent in certain specialties,” including civil, environmental, industrial and biomedical engineering, according to the 2010-11 edition of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from more than 150 undergraduate and 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business, communication, education and allied health services and honor studies, as well as a School of Law and the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine.

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