Stevens Institute Dedicates ABS Engineering Center

ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki addressed attendees at the dedication ceremony for the new ABS Engineering Center at Stevens Institute of Technology on 17 November 2016, encouraging students to use these facilities to work toward solving industry challenges.

“The ABS Engineering Center provides an environment both for learning the various engineering disciplines and for looking ahead toward new technologies that could transform the marine industry,” Wiernicki said. “Over the years, ABS and Stevens have been aligned with a mutual purpose of fostering learning and advancing innovation for the next generation of leaders. As a global technology leader, ABS is committed to supporting research that enhances safety in the marine and offshore environments. We are excited to see the donation we made several years ago come to life today, and about what the future holds for the ABS Engineering Center and Stevens.”

Stevens President Nariman Farvardin discussed the strong, historic relationship between Stevens and ABS during the launch ceremony, describing it as a “multi-dimensional partnership that goes well beyond this magnificent new facility.

“I am both proud and honored to offer my sincere appreciation on behalf of the entire Stevens community — particularly current and future generations of students and faculty — to ABS for their tremendous generosity and vision in advancing education and research through the ABS Engineering Center,” Farvardin said.

That relationship has grown to encompass ABS scholarship support for Stevens undergraduate and graduate students, an internship and cooperative education program for Stevens students, participation in the annual Stevens Career Fair, and research collaborations, including a major new joint research effort in maritime cybersecurity. As part of its mission to promote the security of life, property and the natural environment, ABS commits resources on an annual basis, partnering with universities and collaborating with organizations on research and development projects.

“The ABS Engineering Center will provide Stevens with modern facilities for design, testing, collaboration and innovation,” said Stevens Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Christophe Pierre, noting that the Center would ensure that the university’s faculty researchers and students will continue to have an impact on solving maritime challenges.

The main floor and atrium of the Center’s three floors will incorporate five laboratory spaces:

  * A Systems Integration Laboratory utilized by Stevens senior project teams
  * A Fluids Laboratory utilized by civil, environmental and naval engineering students to study core fluid dynamics
  * A Structural and Building Materials Laboratory, including a furnace and test cell for testing specimens under load at temperatures up to 1,600 C°
  * A Robust Field Autonomy Laboratory that will enable research on underwater robots, among other projects
  * A Naval Engineering Laboratory, where maritime industry challenges such as energy efficiency, short sea shipping, the development of autonomous vehicles and the design and control of small ships will be studied and addressed.
 
  A second floor will feature 13 faculty offices and workstations for up to 16 graduate students, while the third floor will include a 28-seat space for seminars, colloquia and project presentations as well as adjacent space for meetings and social interaction.