ABS, the Houston-based
provider of classification services to the global offshore industry, has donated
$3 million to the
Stevens Institute of Technology to create a new civil,
mechanical and naval engineering laboratory complex in the Davidson Laboratory
that will bear the American Bureau of Shipping’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
in a company press release. “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.