Saint Peter’s forges partnerships with Stevens, investment firm Lord Abbett

Jersey City-based Saint Peter’s University on Tuesday announced partnerships with two Hudson County-based organizations — Stevens Institute of Technology and investment management company Lord Abbett.

Saint Peter’s and Stevens will launch an academic program aimed at fostering the next generation of engineering professionals. This partnership establishes a five-year program enabling students to obtain an accelerated bachelor’s degree in the sciences from Saint Peter’s and a master’s degree in engineering from Stevens.

Under this agreement, students will complete the first three years of their undergraduate education at Saint Peter’s, earning 105 credits toward their Bachelor of Science in physics or other science fields. Upon successful completion of their undergraduate coursework, students will seamlessly transition to Stevens for the final two years of study.

“As the STEM programs at Saint Peter’s continue to grow, we are proud to have identified a track for students interested in engineering to further their education with a prestigious institution such as Stevens,” WeiDong Zhu, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Saint Peter’s University, said. “By providing an accelerated path to an advanced degree and a seamless transition between graduate and undergraduate studies, this partnership aims to produce highly skilled engineers while leveraging the strengths of two Hudson County institutions.”

This program is open to incoming Saint Peter’s University freshmen as well as current students that meet the GPA requirements set forth in the agreement. For admission into Stevens during the graduate phase of the program, applicants must have an overall GPA of at least 3.2 and a cumulative math and science GPA of at least 3.0.

Additionally, the Frank J. Guarini School of Business at Saint Peter’s University announced it is expanding its partnership with the investment management company, Lord Abbett. Saint Peter’s originally partnered with Lord Abbett in 2020 to support the launch of the University’s first Student Managed Investment Fund. Lord Abbett has now committed to provide $15,000 annually over the next two years to support the operation of the SMIF. Lord Abbett will also continue to provide mentorship and career development opportunities for Saint Peter’s students.

“The partnership between Saint Peter’s and Lord Abbett has yielded immeasurable mutual benefits,” Kimberly Reeve, KPMG Dean of the Frank J. Guarini School of Business at Saint Peter’s University, said. “Saint Peter’s students have gained practical experience in the classroom and in the field, thanks to so many dedicated Lord Abbett investment professionals. Lord Abbett has also been able to recruit motivated interns and employees from the Guarini School of Business. We are grateful for the ongoing commitment and look forward to the promising trajectory of our partnership in the years ahead.”

“We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Saint Peter’s University, as we believe in the transformative power of education and mentorship,” Catherine Tantillo, head of social impact at Lord Abbett, said. “Over the past four years, we’ve been proud to provide financial support, guidance and hands-on experience to empower aspiring young adults to reach their potential. We look forward to nurturing the future leaders in the financial industry for years to come.”