The Honorable Thomas H. Kean Receives University Medal for Lifetime Achievement at Celebration, NJIT's Annual Black-Tie Fundraiser

The Honorable Thomas H. Kean, of Bedminster, received the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) University Medal for Lifetime Achievement at Celebration, the university’s annual black-tie benefit dinner, on Nov. 14, 2014 at the Pleasantdale Chateau, West Orange.

Entertainment was provided by Bernadette Peters, one of Broadway’s brightest stars. Proceeds from the sold-out event will be used toward endowed scholarships for students at NJIT. The event was chaired by Robert Medina, senior vice president and East District director of T.Y. Lin International. Medina is a 1975 graduate of NJIT and serves on the university’s Board of Overseers.

Kean is former governor of New Jersey (1982-1990) and was the president of Drew University from 1990-2005. He also served for 10 years in the New Jersey Assembly, rising to the positions of majority leader, minority leader and speaker. As governor, he served on the President’s Education Policy Advisory Committee and as chair of the Education Commission of the States and the National Governor’s Association Task Force on Teaching. Kean currently serves as chairman of the board of Carnegie Corporation of New York. In addition he has served on a number of corporate boards and is chair of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, co-chair of JerseyCan and is co-chairman with Congressman Lee Hamilton of the National Security Preparedness Group. He serves on the boards of the Environmental Defense Fund and the Seeing Eye and is the former chair of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation the nation’s largest health philanthropy. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, American Academy of Art & Sciences and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. He was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the NJIT commencement ceremony in 1983.

Since 1995, many of NJIT’s most generous supporters have gathered annually for Celebration, which has raised more than $4.3 million in scholarship endowment funds for students. A festive evening featuring dinner and live entertainment, Celebration also honors individuals for achievements beneficial to the state and our nation, as well as organizations exceptional for their commitment to NJIT’s mission. For more information, please visit the Celebration 2014 website.