By Babatunde Ojo

It isn’t often that students are presented with the chance to speak with their college’s president, or let alone even enjoy lunch with them. Fortunately NJIT’s president, Joel S. Bloom, welcomed all students and staff to his office offering not only pizza, but the opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences at NJIT with him. President Bloom would ask each student their name, major, and whatever else came to mind, so that he had a chance to get to know more of the student body. After a student had mentioned a certain detail about their focus or interest, President Bloom always had some knowledge of NJIT alumni with a similar focus, who accomplished something worthwhile.

As a member of the NJIT community for over twenty years, this was not surprising. If you were a member of a club, association, or fraternity/sorority, he could tell you-right off the top of his head who founded the group, who some notable members were, their accomplishments, and where they could be now in their career. Events such as these allow students to engage with the administration and better understand and appreciate the post-graduation benefits of NJIT.