New Jersey Institute of Technology will rename its College of Science and Liberal Arts to the Jordan Hu College of Science and Liberal Arts in recognition of a historic gift from the alum.
Hu, Class of 1989, is the founder and chief executive officer of RiskVal Financial Solutions, LLC and a former member of the university’s Board of Trustees.
The amount of the gift was not disclosed but university officials said his contribution marks the single largest philanthropic commitment ever made by an NJIT graduate to the school. The donation will provide crucial funding to JHCSLA that will enhance STEM education and research across campus, and open a range of scholarship opportunities for students, both domestic and international.
“The entire university community is deeply grateful for Jordan’s extraordinary gift to NJIT,” university President Teik Lim said. “This renaming celebrates his remarkable and exemplary investment in the foundation of this university, which will create new avenues for expanded education and research opportunities, profoundly impacting the lives and careers of NJIT students for many years to come.”
Hu, a native of Taiwan, earned his master’s degree in computer science from NJIT’s College of Science and Liberal Arts as an international student in 1989. Hu’s career in finance began after he graduated, and he held senior roles at Salomon Brothers, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup before he founded RiskVal Financial Solutions in 2001 — which has become one of the world’s leading financial technology companies. Hu has also been a dedicated advocate for educational opportunities and cultural exchange between Taiwan and the U.S.
He said NJIT played a big role in his success.
“My American dream started at NJIT,” he said. “NJIT has always tried to make higher education accessible to students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, and without that effort, my life would have been totally different,” said Hu. “I feel very touched to have had the experience I did at NJIT as a student from Taiwan, and this is my way of giving back to others who want to pursue their dreams here just as I did.”
Hu’s donation will create two separate endowments, including one establishing the Jordan Hu Taiwan Scholarship, which will support students from Taiwan who choose to pursue degrees at NJIT.
A separate endowment will support NJIT’s third-oldest college more broadly. It will fund the Hu Family scholarships and fellowships for undergraduates and graduate students, providing crucial assistance to those with financial need. The endowment will also support curricular development and innovation in the college and help fund enhancements to classrooms and world-class lab facilities, as well as bolster pioneering research efforts across JHCSLA’s diverse academic departments — from the humanities and social sciences, to mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics.
Dean Kevin Belfield said the gift represents an investment in the college’s future.
“It will enable us to expand scholarships and student support, create new academic and research initiatives, and allow even more students to prosper from an NJIT education,” he said.
Established in 1982, JHCSLA now delivers more than a third of the student credit hours offered and secures nearly 30% of all research grants at NJIT — a top-tier “R1” research institution since 2019.
“I hope this contribution helps strengthen the vital study of the fundamental sciences offered at the college. I also hope it encourages Taiwanese students to come to NJIT,” said Hu, who was recognized with the college’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2018. “I want them to feel supported, as if there is a lighthouse waiting here to guide them if they are willing to venture out and pursue their dreams.”
NJIT will formally name the “Jordan Hu College of Science and Liberal Arts” at a dedication ceremony Friday, Sept. 6.
