ABS Awards $3 Million to Stevens Institute of Technology

Class society donation will fund a new maritime engineering laboratory complex.

ABS, the leading provider of classification services to the global offshore industry, has awarded Stevens Institute of Technology US $3 million. The donation will be used to create a new civil, mechanical and naval engineering laboratory complex in the Davidson Laboratory. The new complex will bear the Bureau's name.

"It is an honor to contribute to the long-term success of the marine industry through an investment in a facility that will focus on cross-disciplinary real-world problems," said ABS Chairman Robert D. Somerville. "Without question, this laboratory complex will be a proving ground where enterprising students can develop the skills they need to take on the many technical challenges ahead."

Stevens will construct a 25,000-square-foot facility above the historic Davidson Laboratory, including new laboratories critical to the Stevens strategic plan. The complex will meet the research and instructional needs of approximately 800 Stevens students annually working in such areas as robotics, underwater systems, land- and water-based vehicles and ocean and weather sensors.

“With their significant gift, the American Bureau of Shipping contributes to the continuation of a proud 142-year tradition at Stevens – the advancement of knowledge and technology in support of the maritime community through innovative research and education,” said Stevens Provost George Korfiatis.

“The new facility will provide Stevens students with access to cutting-edge technologies so they can explore the frontiers of many vital science and engineering disciplines, especially those that contribute to the safety and security of our nation’s maritime resources,” said Stevens President Nariman Farvardin. “As we work to educate and train the next generation of innovators to create and apply new knowledge to the benefit of society, we are grateful to the American Bureau of Shipping for their generous support.”

With the opening of the new complex, the former wave tank in the Davidson Laboratory will be preserved as a significant historical center to educate students about its importance to the development of ship design during World War II.