babbio building exterior with students

The Lawrence T. Babbio '66 Pinnacle Scholars Program

Stevens offers high-achieving undergraduate students a distinctive opportunity to join the Pinnacle Scholars Program, an exclusive and prestigious initiative for those seeking to further expand the boundaries of their education.

Your hard work pays off now

Two students working on a computer in a labSelected students have the opportunity to participate in original, advanced research projects under the guidance of full-time Stevens faculty, are eligible for an annual stipend and have the option to pursue an accelerated master’s program. Among its many advantages, this highly-regarded program gives undergraduates a leg up in the job market and/or advancement to competitive graduate and doctoral studies.

 Program Benefits

  • Access to a stipend of up to $5,000 for a maximum of three undergraduate summers. The stipend is available to students participating in one of the following activities:

    1. Summer research under the supervision of a Stevens faculty member.

    2. An international experience (e.g., study abroad, international internship, service abroad, research abroad).  All programs must be approved by the Office of International Programs.

  • An annual cultural passport granting access to exciting events like plays, musicals, sports, operas, symphonies and art exhibits, offering unique experiences in the vibrant New York City area and opportunities to connect with fellow scholars.  

  • The opportunity to join a small, discussion-based seminar during your first semester. This year-long course (for a total of 2 credits) fosters a close-knit learning community and offers unique themes tailored to your interests, with topics such as bio-innovation, business psychology, artificial intelligence, and more.

  • Individualized mentoring and advisement.

  • The option to participate in the Accelerated Master's Program, which provides the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree sequentially.

  • Personalized guidance and support from the Pinnacle Peer Advisor program which is a group of upper-class Scholars dedicated to helping you navigate your first year, connect with resources and maximize opportunities in the Pinnacle Scholars Program.

Program Requirements

First-year applicants can indicate their interest in the program during the application process. To further demonstrate their commitment, applicants are required to submit an additional essay articulating their passion for the program. Candidates may also be contacted for an interview. Invitations for the Pinnacle Scholars Program are made at the time of admission and based on your academic record and potential impact at Stevens. If you are selected to be a Pinnacle Scholar, you will be notified in your admissions acceptance letter and will have the option to confirm or decline your acceptance.

You may remain in the program for up to eight academic semesters provided you maintain a 3.2 GPA and make satisfactory academic progress toward the degree, which is reviewed annually.

One summer, I worked with a professor in the School of Business on a research project analyzing activism within S&P 1500 company boards. This experience inspired me to pursue a master’s in business, with the goal of working in project management in the engineering field and eventually transitioning to nonprofit work.
Sara WolfChemical Engineering, Class of 2025

Recent Research Projects

  • Characterization of Biomaterials and Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering (Department of Biomedical Engineering)

  • Evaluation and Improvement of Tools for Extracting Shoreline Information from Satellite Imagery (Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering)

  • Assembly and Testing of Autonomous Marine Robots (Department of Mechanical Engineering)

  • Deep learning-based survival analysis for healthcare prediction on medical records (Department of Computer Science)

  • AI for Financial Regulation (School of Business)

    Design and Synthesis of Novel Antagonists for Overcoming Drug-Resistant Breast Cancer (Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology)

  • Build the Next Generation of Chatbots with AI (School of Business)

  • Oregon Road ‘83: Nuclear apocalypse video game development (School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences)

  • Liquidity Measures in Financial Markets and Rare Events Assessment (School of Business)

  • Does ChatGPT improve the quality of code? (Department of Systems and Engineering)

  • Philosophy of Virology and Viruses (School of Humanities Arts and Social Sciences)

  • Cost Estimation for Laser-Based Space Debris Removal (Department of Systems and Engineering)

  • mRNA Delivery for Cystic Fibrosis Treatment (Department of Biomedical Engineering)

  • Sensory-driven approaches to rehabilitate motor function using virtual reality (Department of Biomedical Engineering)

  • Paradox Mindsets and Leadership Effectiveness of Men and Women Leaders (School of Business)

  • Earthworm Inspired Soft Body Robot (Department of Mechanical Engineering)

  • Machine Learning Algorithms for Assessing Creativity and Persuasiveness of Texts Written Using AI-based Assistants (School of Business)