Old Westbury, NY – New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) has been awarded $250,000 by New York State's Empire State Development Corp. to help reduce the shortage of engineers needed to create an innovation economy on Long Island. NYIT's School of Engineering and Computing Sciences was awarded funding for Phase 2 of Project EngINE (Engineering: Increase Enrollments) through Round Two of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative established by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.

This award enables the continuation of the EngINE initiative implemented as a result of Round One funding to address the critical need for engineers on Long Island. The project undertaken by NYIT, and also by Farmingdale State College, will ultimately raise the engineering graduation rates at these institutions by 15%. Setting the framework to attain that goal, in 2011 the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council initiated the first of three phases of a transformative project, EngINE, to increase the enrollment and ultimate production of degreed engineers and engineering technology graduates from the region's colleges and universities.

Project EngINE is intended to strengthen Long Island's critical talent base by increasing regional engineering enrollments and helping grow and retain engineering talent in the region. Long Island's future as a competitive high technology economy depends upon a robust education and workforce development infrastructure that supports the diverse array of existing companies and attracts new companies to the region.

According to Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D., Dean of NYIT's School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, to meet the need for new engineering students, NYIT must also hire personnel, add new laboratory equipment and upgrade teaching facilities. "These upgrades include a rapid prototyping lab, a cloud and mobile computing lab, and a renewable energy telemetry laboratory, as well as expanded initiatives in the bioengineering area to create industry-academic synergies and boost the number of skilled graduates in science, technology, engineering and math."

A centerpiece of the Governor's strategy to jumpstart the economy and create jobs, the Regional Councils were put in place in 2011 to redesign the state's approach to economic development from a top-down model to a community-based, performance-driven approach. The initiative empowers community, business, and academic leaders, as well as members of the public in each region of the state, to develop strategic plans specifically tailored to their region's unique strengths and resources in order create jobs and support economic growth.

In addition, in December 2011, NYIT was awarded a $400,000 New York State economic development grant to open a new Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center (ETIC) to foster innovation and promote collaboration among industry, entrepreneurs, the academic community, professional organizations, and government.

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About NYIT

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 14,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses. NYIT sponsors 11 NCAA Division II programs and one Division I team.

Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. To date, 92,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

Elizabeth Sullivan
Public Relations Strategist
516.686.3761