HIGHER EDUCATION
HIGHER EDUCATION
NJIT Leader Drives Growth by Embracing Change
By Diane C . Walsh Editor , COMMERCE
After a year in the president ’ s chair , Dr . Teik Lim is settled in at NJIT and now the award-winning automotive engineer is ready to shift his plans for the top-ranked school into high gear .
Lim took over the helm at the New Jersey Institute for Technology from Joel S . Bloom . The new president became the first Asian to run the public institution , which the New York Times recently crowned as the No . 1 public school in the nation , when you prioritize high alumni earnings , economic mobility , and academic profile . Lim was drawn to NJIT because of its “ amazing trajectory and vibrant community of learners ” as well as a history of delivering social and economic impact .
NJIT is an economic driver in New Jersey , fueling more than $ 2.8 billion in financial impact through job creation , investments , start-ups , alumni earnings , and other factors . It educates one-third of the state ’ s engineers and scientists . And among public universities , NJIT awards 62 percent of all engineering degrees earned by African American and Hispanic students .
The new president holds a Ph . D in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University . Before accepting the NJIT post , Lim was the interim president of University of Texas at
Dr . Lim enjoys NJIT ' s Carnival with students .
Arlington , where he previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs also .
Lim ’ s career also extends beyond the college campus . He worked as an engineer at Structural Dynamics Research Corporation before joining The Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research as a research scientist . He is internationally recognized as a leading scholar in the field of structural vibrations and acoustics , as well as modeling and simulation technology . In 2018 Lim was named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors .
Gov . Phil Murphy is putting Lim ’ s business savvy to use . He invited the college president to join New Jersey ’ s nine-day trade mission to East Asia this month . Lim was born in Malaysia and came to the United States as a teenager for college . His ancestors lived in China ; but they fled the turmoil of their homeland for a better life in Malaysia . Lim speaks English , Malayan and Chinese and has travelled throughout Asia .
Japan and South Korea will be among the stops for the New Jersey delegation . Choose New Jersey organized the trip with the goal of enhancing the Garden State ’ s economic growth . “ For me representing higher education , we want to engage with corporations that would like to collaborate with us in the areas of academics and research ,” Lim said . Also , if he can open the door to Asian students studying at NJIT , it would be a boon for New Jersey , he said .
Dr . Teik Lim , President , NJIT
“ We absolutely want to bring the talent and treasure from over there , here , for it to be a mutually beneficial partnership ,” Lim said . While building global connections is one of his goals , Lim remains focused on NJIT ’ s needs at home .
Foremost on his mind is updating the school ’ s strategic plan because it was written before the pandemic . “ The pandemic pushed higher education into the future of heavy reliance on digital technology much sooner than we thought and much sooner than we expected ” he said .
A technological transformation was spurred by the pandemic . “ We are adopting technology in everything we do – teaching , research , and engaging the community ,” Lim stressed . For instance , he said the academic world and its outreach can no longer be limited to traditional work hours , if it ’ s to succeed .
“ I don ’ t mean we need to work 24 / seven . Just that we need to use technology to engage people in the ways that are convenient to them … I want NJIT to be the Amazon of higher education , in the sense that Amazon uses data and technology to drive the business . We need to use data and technology to drive our business .”
Lim wants to tap successful business models to advance NJIT . He described corporations as “ external stakeholders ,” who can help shape the school . The new president also has a new initiative aimed at working professionals . It would “ upskill ” their talents by offering new innovative programs and curriculum that are less time-consuming to improve the workforce .
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