Stevens Institute Receives Substantial Donation

On Jun 13, 2016

Stevens Institute of Technology has received a major philanthropic gift from alumnus Frank Semcer ’65 and his wife, Mary Jane Semcer.

The funding will establish a new Multi-Disciplinary Tissue Engineering Lab as part of the Center for Healthcare Innovation, as well as a faculty chair within the Center and scholarships for student researchers.

Semcer’s gift was announced at a campus event on June 2, 2016 in Hoboken. His gift is part of a recently launched $150 million, three-year fundraising campaign, “The Power of Stevens,” which is designed to expand upon the university’s historic legacy, educate the leaders of tomorrow’s workforce and develop new problem-solving technologies and innovations.

The campaign will support student scholarships, infrastructure improvements, faculty recruitment and continued growth of a significant university research enterprise in critical areas including healthcare, defense and homeland security, coastal sustainability and financial systems.

“We are honored by this generous gift and grateful for the continued dedication to Stevens from Frank and Mary Jane Semcer,” said Stevens President Nariman Farvardin. “The Semcers’ enduring loyalty to Stevens is inspiring and admired throughout the campus.”

Frank Semcer is chairman of MICRO, a Somerset, New Jersey manufacturer of precision metal and plastics components and devices, with global clients in the medical device, automotive, aerospace and electronics industries. Among various industry and civic awards, he has received the Harold R. Fee ’20 Alumni Achievement Award in 1985 and the Stevens Honor Award in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in 2010.

The recent gift for the Center for Healthcare Innovation is the latest in the Semcers’ philanthropic legacy at Stevens. They have also supported the Class of 1965 Scholarship, the Historic Preservation Fund, and funds benefitting the Theta Xi fraternity and house. Frank Semcer is also a member of the Stevens Board of Trustees.

At the June 2 event, the Semcers received two gifts — a framed painting of the Theta Xi house (the Keuffel House) and a photo album from the current Theta Xi brothers.

Frank Semcer responded by expressing gratitude for his lifelong connection to Stevens. “The four years I was at Stevens gave me the foundation for my career. Hard work gave me the opportunity to graduate from this wonderful college, which I absolutely love. Giving back to Stevens and standing here today is a pleasure and an honor for Mary Jane and me.”

In attendance were Stevens Board of Trustees Chairman Virginia Ruesterholz ’83, Chairman Emeritus Lawrence T. Babbio ’66 and Trustee Sean Hanlon ’80, who served as emcee.

Also present was Dr. Peter Tolias, Director of the Stevens Center for Healthcare Innovation. Dr. Tolias discussed how the new tissue lab will advance the Center’s mission of improving biomedical technology and healthcare delivery. “This is going to be a state-of-the-art facility that will allow us to leverage the skills of our faculty and almost 40 undergraduate and post-graduate researchers in multidisciplinary projects that will hopefully change the face of medicine.”

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