New York Institute of Technology

Foundation and vision

In 1910, NYIT’s predecessor, New York Technical Institute, was licensed by the New York State Board of Regents. In 1955, NYIT opened under a provisional charter granted by the New York State Board of Regents to NYIT. Its first campus opened at 500 Pacific Street in the Borough of Brooklyn, New York. The founders of NYIT, and in particular, Alexander Schure, started NYIT with the mission of offering career-oriented professional education, providing all qualified students access to opportunity, and supporting applications-oriented research Schure later served as NYIT's first president.

In the higher education community at the time, a debate arose around the concern that humanities studies would be overshadowed by too much emphasis on science and engineering. NYIT's goal was to create a balance between science/engineering and a liberal arts education, and ever since, it has been focusing on this model to prepare students for current and future careers.

By the 1958–1959 academic year, the university had 300 students, and the time had come to expand its physical operations. In April 1958, the college purchased the Pythian Temple at 135–145 W. 70th St. in Manhattan for its main center. The building, adjacent to the planned Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, was an ornate 12-story structure with a columned entranceway. Built in 1929 at a cost of $2 million, it included among its features a 1,200-seat auditorium. In 1958, NYIT sponsored the first National Technology Awards, created by Frederick Pittera, an organizer of international fairs and a member of the NYIT Board of Trustees, to help raise funds for the NYIT science and technology laboratories. The awards, held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, were attended by several hundred guests, with entertainment provided by the U.S. Air Force Band. 36th President of the United States Lyndon Johnson was the keynote speaker. His speech was broadcast nationally by the ABC Radio Network. Among the honorees were Dr. Wernher von Braun and Major General Bernard Schriever, Commanding General of the Ballistic Air Command. Photos, press clippings, and audio tapes of the event are on view at the Lyndon Johnson Library at Austin, Texas.

Distinction through technology

In 1959, NYIT introduced “teaching machines” for student instruction in physics, electronics, and mathematics. NYIT also pioneered the use of mainframes as a teaching tool, having received its first, donated by the CIT Financial Corporation, in 1965. The curriculum was successful enough that NYIT received two grants totaling approximately $3 million from the federal government – one to develop a system of individualized learning through the use of computers; the other to develop a computer-based course in general physics for midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. NYIT was a pioneer in 3-D computer animation. Before Pixar and Lucasfilm, there was New York Institute of Technology Computer Graphics Lab. In 1974, New York Institute of Technology Computer Graphics Lab was established and attracted the likes of: Pixar Animation Studios President Edwin Catmull and co-founder Alvy Ray Smith; Walt Disney Feature Animation Chief Scientist Lance Williams; DreamWorks animator Hank Grebe; and Netscape and Silicon Graphics founder James H. Clark. Researchers at the New York Institute of Technology Computer Graphics Lab created the tools that made entirely 3D CGI films possible. NYIT CG Lab was regarded as the top computer animation research and development group in the world during the late 70s and early 80s.

In 1995, the NYIT School of Engineering took first place in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Air Road Rally. The student engineering team spent three years designing and building the high-performance hybrid electric car that beat 43 other vehicles. In 1998, NYIT opened its first international program in China. In 1999, Bill Gates spoke at NYIT and received NYIT's Presidential Medal. In 2002, NYIT installed the fastest broadband network on the East Coast.

The 21st century

Strategic plan

From 2000 to 2015, NYIT invested approximately $1 billion in initiatives to enhance the quality of the university, including campus infrastructure, a larger faculty, new endowed chairs and professorships. The money came from federal grants, New York state grants, and National Science Foundation grants, as well as university funding and contributions from alumni, corporations and foundations. For example, in 2002, federal government awarded NYIT $0.3 million for a new cyber security lab, in 2009, NYIT received a multimillion-dollar donation from Lumeta Corporation, in 2011, NYIT received a $0.16 million grant from the Verizon Foundation, in 2013, NYIT received $1.4 million in state and federal grants for a portion of the costs required for constructing NYIT's new $4 million Entrepreneurship Technology Innovation Center, in 2014, NYIT received a $0.23 million National Science Foundation grant to purchase a sputtering machine, used in the electronics and medical fields to create thin film sensors, and in 2015, NYIT received from New York State a grant of $0.4 million for a portion of the costs required to renovate a 5,300-square-foot facility to house three new laboratories on its Old Westbury campus.

Some of the steps that NYIT took in the 2015–2016 academic year, in implementing the strategic plan, include:

Old Westbury

New York Institute of Technology's Old Westbury, New York, campus is seated on 1,050 acres (425 ha). It encompasses numerous contiguous former estates situated in the beautiful wooded hillsides of Old Westbury, New York. Some of these estates were formerly owned by members of the Rockefeller family. Opened in 1965, the campus is largest in size, but in student population. It has many buildings including a sports complex, administrative and academic buildings, a 100-seat "smart" auditorium, several dining halls, a bookstore, as well as NYIT's de Seversky Mansion, a party and event venue on Long Island, and one of the largest houses in the United States. It was developed on and around the nucleus of the former C. V. Whitney estate and includes several former North Shore estates. Original buildings have been reconstructed for educational use while retaining the charm of traditional exteriors. To preserve the natural beauty of the landscape, other buildings are clustered in low, modern structures surrounded by trees and open vistas. Classroom buildings and parking areas are connected by walkways through woods and meadows untouched by construction. Plazas connect classroom buildings and act as outdoor rooms for students and faculty. Concerts, lectures, and informal recreational events are frequently scheduled on campus.

Athletic facilities at NYIT's Old Westbury campus include the 1,000-seat President's Stadium, the President's Field, the 500-seat Recreation Hall arena, the NYIT Softball Complex and the NYIT Tennis Complex consisting of six courts. Many notable people, including Patch Adams, spoke at NYIT's Riland Auditorium on its Old Westbury campus. The Old Westbury campus is mainly a commuter campus, although residential students have dormitory options.

Old Westbury campus is also home to the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, the only osteopathic medical school on Long Island, which was formerly named New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, or NYCOM. In 2008, NYIT installed a 3-D motion capture lab for its Fine Arts program in Old Westbury. The system allows the university to use Hollywood technology to teach the next generation of computer animators. Between 2009 and 2013, NYIT's Old Westbury campus has undergone a number of significant improvements, including renovation of the 3,000 sf. Student Activities Center, creation of a Life Sciences biomedical research laboratory, renovation of Engineering Materials lab, creation of a Nursing Simulation lab and creation of an 8,000 sf. Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center, among others.

In 2014, NYIT announced a $93 million plan to erect seven new buildings on its Old Westbury campus, including four, four-story residence halls. In 2015, NYIT received from New York State a grant for a portion of the costs required to renovate a 5,300-square-foot facility to house three new laboratories on its Old Westbury campus. According to Bloomberg/Businessweek, in 2011, Old Westbury is the second "richest" town in the United States, trailing behind only Palm Beach, Florida. The magazine previously dubbed the town "New York's wealthiest suburb."

Manhattan

The Manhattan campus is located between 60th and 62nd streets on Broadway, adjacent to Columbus Circle, across the street from Central Park and within walking distance of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Its central location is accessible via subway and bus routes and is close to concert halls, theaters, museums, and libraries. It is served by public transit buses and the A,B,C,D, and 1 Subway trains, which are accessed at the 59th Street/Columbus Circle station. NYIT's free weekday shuttles between the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) stations in Manhasset and Hicksville and NYIT's Old Westbury campus are available to all NYIT students, faculty, and staff. While it offers a full range of classes in all of NYIT's major schools, the majority of students enroll in programs that concentrate in media, communications, business, computer science, and engineering.

The campus comprises five buildings (excluding the residence halls):

The Student Activity Building, 1849 Broadway, has a student lounge, recreation areas, food services, a bookstore, and the offices of the Student Government Association as well as other clubs and student organizations. The Office of Student Activities is located on the second floor. The NYIT Auditorium on Broadway has a seating capacity of 268. The offices of Counseling and Wellness Services, Disability Services, Campus Life, Career Services, Student Employment, and Housing and Residential Life, are located at 26 West 61st Street. In 2014, NYIT opened a simulated trading floor, equipped with the latest technologies, including hardware, software, databases and datafeeds, on the fifth floor of the 26 W. 61st Street building. The Student Solutions Center (Enrollment Services, Bursar, Financial Aid, and Registrar) and International Education are located in the New Technology Building, 16 West 61st Street.

NYIT Manhattan campus is home to student clubs and organizations such as Students Working to Achieve Greatness, Phi Iota Alpha, the Allied Health Life Science Organization, Bear Hug Club, Student Nurses Association, Dance Club, American Medical Student Association, Student Programming Association, Society of Hosteurs, and American Institute for Architecture Students.

Residential students have three dormitory options for the Manhattan campus: Riverside Terrace Residence Hall, the 20th Street Residence Hall, and the Anderson Residence Hall, all of which are supervised by full-time staff.

NYIT Auditorium on Broadway hosts events, including the Lumen Prize Exhibition, and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Conversation Series, bringing in celebrities such as Carey Mulligan, Gloria Steinem, Meryl Streep, Mark Ruffalo and Leslee Udwin, among others, to NYIT's campus in Manhattan. NYIT Auditorium on Broadway has 3-D screening capabilities.

Recruiters from major companies such as Google visit the Manhattan campus regularly for luncheons with students and information sessions.

Central Islip

Located in the heart of Suffolk County on Long Island amid a bustling, developing suburb, the sprawling grounds of NYIT's Central Islip campus feature Georgian-style brick buildings in a wooded setting. The 600 acres (240 ha) Central Islip, New York, campus contains its own residence halls with student lounges and laundry facilities, dining hall, classroom buildings, library, a medical facility, coffee house, a gourmet restaurant that is part of NYIT's culinary arts program, and fitness facilities including a bowling alley, tennis courts, swimming pool, clubhouse, athletic fields,a health care facility, gymnasium, two fitness centers and a nine-hole golf course. NYIT bought most of the modern buildings of the now-defunct Central Islip Psychiatric Center, and incorporated them in its Central Islip campus after remodeling and renovating them. This campus is home to NYIT’s Vocational Independence Program; no undergraduate or graduate courses are held there. This site is also home to the family health care center of NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the Technology Based Learning Systems research center of NYIT. NYIT medical students acquire real-world experience at the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine health care center, where more than 3,500 patients from the local community are treated each year.

Jonesboro, Arkansas

In March 2014, NYIT announced plans to open an osteopathic medical school site in Jonesboro, Arkansas, by acquiring and renovating a building belonging to Arkansas State University-Jonesboro, for approximately $13 million. The distinctive three-story yellow brick building, the Wilson Hall at Arkansas State University, once housed Arkansas State University's library, auditorium (complete with balcony seating), and administrative offices as well as the laboratories, kitchens, studios, sewing rooms, classrooms and offices that served all departments of the arts and sciences. In April 2015, Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation awarded initial approval for the osteopathic medical school site in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Renovations have already started at the 86,000-square-foot Wilson Hall to prepare for the new site. NYIT started hiring faculty members for the new site. In December 2015, NYIT’s College of Osteopathic Medicine received final approval from Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation to recruit students, open a second location on the campus of Arkansas State University in August 2016 and become the first osteopathic medical school in Arkansas.

Other facilities

NYIT formerly had research centers in Florida. In 2011, NYIT’s College of Osteopathic Medicine opened a Family Health Care Center in Central Islip, New York, and in 2014, NYIT’s College of Osteopathic Medicine opened another Family Health Care Center in Uniondale, New York. NYIT opened a 10,000 square feet cybersecurity center in Port Washington, New York in 2015. NYIT partners with the Nederlander Organization, one of the largest operators of legitimate theatres and music venues in the United States, for NYIT's theater-related education programs. NYIT’s College of Osteopathic Medicine has clinical affiliations with the following hospitals:

Global campuses

In addition to its United States locations, NYIT has campuses in the following countries:

United Arab Emirates

NYIT-Abu Dhabi campus lies in the Center of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT) Technology Park, home to international companies such as Intel, Honeywell and Lucent Technologies. It is a modern university facility adjacent to Abu Dhabi Men's College. The classrooms feature technologies such as smartboards and high-tech computers. NYIT-Abu Dhabi has a library collection, catering services and parking facilities. At NYIT-Abu Dhabi, students can participate in extra- and co-curricular activities. Notable people who spoke at NYIT-Abu Dhabi include U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.

China

Nanjing

NYIT-Nanjing was established in collaboration with Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications. NYIT-Nanjing students have access to Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications residence halls, dining facilities, and activities. NYIT's campus is separate but joined with the campus of Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications. The courses are taught in English, and students get the equivalent of an American degree without the expense of traveling abroad. Graduates have an option to earn 'parallel degrees' from NYIT and NUPT or, if they choose, just the NYIT degree. Students can study solely in Nanjing or can opt to take some of their courses at NYIT campuses in New York. Enrollment at NYIT-Nanjing is projected to eventually reach 6,000.

Beijing

Faculty of International Media of Communication University of China (commonly referred to as ICUC) is a Ministry of Education in China-approved Media Technology Center that NYIT launched with the Communication University of China in Beijing in 2015. It is the first China-foreign, cooperatively-run institution in media approved by the Ministry of Education. It offers dual-degree graduate and undergraduate programs.

Students are taught first by Beijing-based NYIT and Communication University of China faculty members and then have the option to complete their studies at NYIT's New York campuses. The campus includes NYIT-designed digital laboratories and a distance-learning, video-presence classroom connected to NYIT's New York campuses. NYIT students in Beijing are able to remotely operate equipment in NYIT's high-tech Home for Innovation, Visualization, and Exploration (HIVE) Center in New York with its motion capture, 3-D, and visualization tools.

The interconnectivity of the New York and Beijing programs enables students and faculty members to collaborate on creative projects and reviews. The NYIT-CUC programs are highly selective, and students chosen from throughout China had to meet both NYIT and CUC admissions standards, including the ability to take their courses in English. The curriculum and requirements of each program are identical to NYIT courses and programs offered in New York.

Sites

NYIT has sites and programs in Nanchang, Shanghai, and Shenzhen.

Canada

NYIT-Vancouver is located in downtown Vancouver, in the heart of the financial district and close to many cultural venues.

Bahrain (closed)

NYIT-Manama offered undergraduate and graduate degrees until 2014 in fields including business, computer graphics, engineering, and interior design.

Jordan (closed)

NYIT-Amman offered until 2013 undergraduate and graduate degrees in fields including business, computer graphics, engineering, and information technology.

Organization and administration

NYIT's undergraduate and graduate programs are divided into seven schools and colleges. Collaboration among the schools and colleges is frequent, as mandated by a number of interdisciplinary degree programs and research centers.

Schools and Colleges

NYIT comprises the following academic schools and colleges:

Ellis College of NYIT was created as an online division of NYIT operating under NYIT missions to provide career-oriented professional education and access to opportunity. In the fall of 2008, NYIT phased out its Ellis College branch.

Academics

In 2015, NYIT was ranked 14th in New York State by average professor salaries. 95% of faculty at NYIT hold their doctorate or other terminal degree. NYIT holds full accreditation in over 50 academic areas. Nationally, fewer than 100 colleges and universities match this achievement. As the liberal arts and sciences college of NYIT, NYIT's College of Art and Sciences is committed to serving not only the students who pursue their degrees in this College, but all NYIT undergraduates who depend on CAS for developing foundational academic skills and completing general education and other critical pieces of their education. As of 2015, the College of Arts and Sciences at NYIT offers 28 undergraduate and five graduate degree programs in departments including Behavioral Sciences, Communication Arts, Fine Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies, English and Speech, Mathematics, Physics, Social Sciences, Urban Administration and Life Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences is home to NYIT's undergraduate Core Curriculum.

In 2016, the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security designated NYIT as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education.

Core curriculum

Since fall 2010, all undergraduates at NYIT are required to complete the Core Curriculum. NYIT’s core curriculum was created to provide undergraduate students with an outcomes-oriented education that will prepare them for today’s workforce.

Demographics

The student body consists of more than 12,000 graduate and undergraduate students (fall 2013) and around 1,000 academic faculty (fall 2013). The student body at NYIT is 60% male and 40% female.

Libraries

NYIT New York includes four libraries:

Access to the collection of books, periodicals and jourmals is open to registered NYIT students and alumni. On site use of special collections is also available to visiting students and researchers. NYIT collections include more than 100,000 books, 200 databases, 13,000 ebooks, and videos.

Rankings

U.S. News & World Report ranks NYIT tied for 32nd among universities in the North for 2016.

In 2015, NYIT's MBA program was ranked #1 in the United States in terms of salary-to-debt ratio. According to the survey by SoFi, graduates of NYIT's MBA program make an average of $126,068 per year, and have an average debt of $50,308.

In 2015, NYIT was ranked #7 amongst the "Top 10 Colleges for an Online Degree in New York" by Great Value Colleges.

NYIT was ranked 24th on Payscale.com's list of Best Value College in NY State (20-year ROI), in 2015.

In 2015, NYIT was ranked 14th in New York State by average professor salaries.

NYIT was ranked #44 by U.S. News & World Report Best Online Graduate Engineering Programs in 2016.

NYIT was ranked #23 by U.S. News & World Report Best Online Graduate Education Programs in 2015.

2012 Chronicle of Higher Education ranked NYIT as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for.

2009 Architect Magazine ranked NYIT one of the top four Building Technology Schools in the United States.

2009 Campus Safety survey ranked NYIT as the safest college in America.

In 2016, Niche ranked NYIT the second safest college campuses in New York State.

NYIT has been ranked by The New York Times as one of the more diverse colleges in the United States.

US News Best Colleges ranks NYIT as one of the Best Engineering Programs at schools where doctorate not offered.

PayScale ranks NYIT as a top school in the nation for Return on investment.

U.S. News & World Report ranks NYIT #40 in the nation for Physician Assistant program.

U.S. News & World Report ranks NYIT #164 in the nation for Physical Therapy.

U.S. News & World Report ranks NYIT #151 in the nation for Occupational Therapy program.

U.S. News & World Report placed NYIT's medical school on its lists of "Best Medical Schools: Research" and "Best Medical Schools: Primary Care" in 2013.

NYIT's School of Engineering was ranked 37th in the nation in its classification (U.S. News & World Report 2002)

NYIT was featured on Washington Monthly’s 2014 Best Bang for the Buck Rankings, a national list of schools that help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.

NYIT was featured on Washington Monthly’s 2014 Master's Universities Rankings - Research.

In 2015, NYIT was ranked #33 for Engineering Technology in the United States by BestColleges.com.

In 2015, NYIT was ranked #58 for Engineering Management in the USA by BestColleges.com.

In 2015, NYIT was ranked #62 for Electrical Engineering in the USA by BestColleges.com.

Study abroad

In addition to NYIT's auxiliary campuses in Canada, China and the Middle East, NYIT has degree partnerships with over a dozen Chinese universities, as well as with universities in France, Taiwan, Brazil, India and Turkey. NYIT also has student exchange programs with universities in Denmark, Netherlands, China, United Kingdom, India, Costa Rica, Germany, Brazil and France.

Admissions

U.S. News & World Report describes New York Institute of Technology's admissions process as "selective".

NYIT has received 10,010 first-year applications from prospective undergraduate students for the Class of 2020. NYIT students represent nearly all 50 U.S. states and 112 countries. For the undergraduate freshman class that entered its New York campuses in Fall 2012, NYIT drew 6,769 applications and enrolled 1,005. The undergraduate transfer class that enrolled in 2012 engendered 1,625 applications and 497 enrolled. The average SAT score (critical reading and math only) of first-year undergraduate freshman was 1230, in Fall 2012. NYIT's average high school GPA for first-year undergraduate freshman was 3.47 on a 4.0 scale, in Fall 2012. NYIT's undergraduate acceptance rate was 65% in Fall 2012. For the undergraduate freshman class that entered its New York campuses in Fall 2014, NYIT received 8,394 applications, and its undergraduate acceptance rate was 64%. NYIT's undergraduate acceptance rate for the undergraduate transfer class that enrolled in 2014 was 57%.

Eight hundred eighty-three new graduate students beyond medical students enrolled in fall 2012. As of 2015, NYIT's graduate schools have acceptance rates of 7% to the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, 11% to the New York Institute of Technology School of Health Professions, 32% to the New York Institute of Technology School of Architecture and Design, 41% to the New York Institute of Technology College of Arts and Sciences, 49% to the New York Institute of Technology School of Education, 65% to the New York Institute of Technology School of Management, and 66% to the New York Institute of Technology School of Engineering and Computing Sciences.

In the 2012–2013 academic year, NYIT ranked 13th amongst US Master's Universities by total number of enrolled international students.

Overall accreditation and charter

Academic program accreditations

NYIT is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and:

Campus-specific accreditations, licensures, and approvals

NYIT-China is accredited by the Ministry of Education of China.

NYIT-United Arab Emirates is accredited by the Ministry Of Higher Education & Scientific Research of UAE.

NYIT-Canada is accredited by the Ministry of Advanced Education of British Columbia.

NYIT-Bahrain was accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Bahrain, as well as the Ministry of Higher Education of Kuwait.

NYIT-Jordan was accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Jordan.

Research

The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research works with faculty members to apply for funding to support research programs. Each year, NYIT receives well over $20 million in research support from external sources. To date, NYIT has received funding from public, private, and government agencies, including among others:

In 1968, Federal government awarded $3 million in grants to NYIT for computer research. Researchers at the New York Institute of Technology Computer Graphics Lab created the tools that made entirely 3D CGI films possible. Among NYIT CG Lab's innovations was an eight-bit paint system to ease computer animation. NYIT CG Lab was regarded as the top computer animation research and development group in the world during the late 70s and early 80s.

In 1978, the digital noise reducer invented by William E. Glenn, earned NYIT its first television Emmy award. Glenn directed NYIT's former Science and Technology Research Center in Florida, where he also developed his invention. The digital noise reducer received a patent in 3-D technology in 1979.

In 1995, the School of Engineering took first place in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Air Road Rally. The student engineering team spent three years designing and building the high-performance hybrid electric car that beat out 43 other vehicles.

In 2007, NYIT received $500,000 in federal funding to develop a "green print" initiative to research alternative fuel technology and determine its carbon footprint.

In 2008, NYIT received a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to study the relationship between electric vehicles and renewable energy charging stations. For $250,000, NYIT was able to install two solar carports (one at its Old Westbury campus and one at its Central Islip campus), convert two Toyota Priuses to plug-ins with extra battery capacity, and install data collection technology. Each carport spans 4 parking spots, provides level 1 charging (110 volt) at each parking spot, and supports a 10 kW solar array. Congressman Steve Israel helped to secure the federal grant and spoke at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Central Islip carport. According to the relevant official press release, he said:

NYIT's research on electric vehicles, solar energy, and their resulting environmental and grid impacts continues in partnership with the Long Island Power Authority and the Electric Power Research Institute. The study currently has NYIT Students participate in car-share program where they are able to drive the plug-in Priuses between their homes and the school campus. The school plans to expand participation to faculty members as well.

Also in 2008, NYIT was awarded a $130,000 research contract by United Space Alliance to help NASA scientists design the crew module of the Orion spacecraft using 3-D motion capture technology.

In 2009, U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration awarded a $1 million grant to NYIT.

In 2010, NYIT and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum announced a new partnership to incorporate project-based learning for NYIT’s undergraduate students with the reconstruction of an aircraft restoration tent on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid through a design competition. Also in 2010, NYIT received a $1 million grant from National Science Foundation for interdisciplinary research on cyber-enabled learning.

In 2011, National Institutes of Health awarded NYIT a $1.8 million grant to study the link between heart failure and thyroid disease.

In 2013, National Science Foundation awarded NYIT a three-year multimillion dollars grant to establish a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site to study the security of mobile devices and wireless networks.

NYIT and Peking University led a research project that was selected as one of six U.S.-China EcoPartnership programs intended to promote innovative models for collaboration between the United States and China on clean water and environmental sustainability. The team also included Wuhan University, the International Society for Water Solutions of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), and HDR, Inc., an industrial partner. The project ran from September 2013 through August 2015.

In 2015, NYIT was awarded a nearly $0.5 million grant from National Institutes of Health to develop an implantable wireless system to study the body's gastric and digestive systems.

NYIT's research on animals such as dinosaurs and giraffes is regularly featured on National Geographic. NYIT's research is also often featured on BBC.

A renewable energy park in Point Lookout, New York, features a self-reliant solar house designed by architecture, engineering and interior design students at New York Institute of Technology for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon in 2007.

NYIT sponsors the Kids’ 3D Spaghetti Utensil Design Competition. NYIT sponsors many notable events and conferences related to academic programs every year, throughout the world. DARPA and United States Department of Homeland Security regularly headline NYIT's Annual Cybersecurity Conference.

Interdisciplinary graduate centers

NYIT's interdisciplinary centers of excellence feature interdisciplinary research, graduate degree programs, and "best-in-class" work in a small number of subject. The centers bring together departments, faculty, and students for collaborations and exchanges of ideas.

In 1981, NYIT’s Center for Robotics Research opened at the Old Westbury campus.

1998, NYIT's College of Osteopathic Medicine opened the Adele Smithers Parkinson's Disease Center. NYIT's College of Osteopathic Medicine uses 3-D motion capture technology to help doctors better identify mobility and stability problems in patients with Parkinson's disease.

The Center for Global Health is an NYIT center of excellence, and opened its doors in 2007. Students in medicine and engineering have traveled to places such as Ghana, where they help deliver babies and provide fresh water as part of NYIT's Center for Global Health program.

The Center for Metropolitan Sustainability is focused on creating a pathway to urban future. Combining aspects of architecture, engineering, and management, it looks to educate students and the general population about the right choices for sustainability.

The Center for Labor and Industrial Relations provides training and research into workplace related issues.

The Center for Gerontology and Geriatrics collaborates with the academic community, government, civic, professional and business groups, and funders, in its mission to help prepare for an aging society on the regional, state, national, and global levels.

In 2015, NYIT Center for Sports Medicine opened at the Old Westbury campus.

NYIT opened a 10,000 square feet cybersecurity center in Port Washington, New York in 2015.

NYIT's faculty and students have conducted research with such institutions as the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and other organizations around the world.

Research areas

NYIT conducts faculty-led and student-supported research in areas such as:

NYIT faculty and students are also involved in other areas of research, including sustainable technology, cardiovascular health, epilepsy, blindness, staph infection, and cyber security, among others. NYIT has won several million dollars in grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation for research on disease and for cyber-learning.

Industry connections

NYIT maintains close ties to the industrial world. Many of these connections are made through NYIT's cooperative education and internship programs. For example, in 2015, NYIT opened a 10,000 square feet cybersecurity research center in Port Washington, New York, where NYIT's faculty and students do research for the Federal government of the United States, IBM, Cisco and other companies.

The Entrepreneurship & Technology Innovation Center for Industry-University Partnerships at NYIT is structured around a collaborative network of industry-university partnerships, connecting industry and academia, innovators and entrepreneurs, the Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center (ETIC) is a catalyst for technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development. The ETIC focuses on three technological drivers of economic growth in the New York metropolitan region:

The Empire State Development Corporation has provided seed funding for the initiative, which is supported by the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council. An Advisory Board made up of members of industry, government, and the venture capital community, has agreed to help NYIT create the Center and work on its three focus areas create a high-tech teaching and research environment.

Traditions

NYIT has few formal traditions, compared to many other universities, but has a rich culture of informal traditions and jargon. There are a few "big events" such as Commencement (graduation), but many smaller, decentralized activities sponsored by departments, labs, living groups, student activities, and ad hoc groups of NYIT community members united by common interests.

Housing

The Office of Residence Life and Off-Campus Housing at New York Institute of Technology creates a positive living-learning experience for students living in residence halls and independently in housing off-campus.

Student government

NYIT’s Student Government Association (SGA) is the official voice of the student body. The SGA advocates on behalf of student interests—academic, cultural, and social. It is charged with working with the college’s faculty and administration to improve campus life. In addition, the SGA oversees the budgeting process for student clubs and organizations and supports a variety of campus-wide events.

LI News Tonight

LI News Tonight is a nightly television newscast produced on the Old Westbury campus as both a community service to Nassau and Suffolk counties and an internship opportunity where students can learn about careers in television news. For more than 25 years, college interns have covered breaking news and feature events alongside reporters and photographers from professional news stations, with their work appearing that evening on a nightly TV newscast aired on a Long Island cable station.

Globesville

Globesville is NYIT’s student-run web channel. It is an online network of students that uses the power of social media to integrate NYIT campuses, students and alumni from across the globe. The Globesville team creates and collects video and features which focus on the activities, interests, and goals of the NYIT community.

Campus newspapers

On the Old Westbury campus, NYIT students produce The Campus Slate, the student-run newspaper founded in 1966. The Campus Slate conducted interviews with celebrities such as Oscar-nominated actress Diane Lane and The Beach Boys. On the Manhattan campus, students produce the NYIT Chronicle, a student-run newspaper founded in 2005. On the Central Islip campus, students produced the Campus Voice, a student-run newspaper founded in 1992.

NYIT Magazine

NYIT Magazine is the official magazine of New York Institute of Technology. The award-winning magazine features articles on topics relevant to alumni and the community, and includes news of events, research, sports coverage, and profiles as professor and alumni accomplishments. The magazine is published three times a year.

WNYT

Radio station WNYT was formed shortly after NYIT opened its Old Westbury campus in the mid-1960s, operating from studios located in Education Hall. The student-run station has alternately broadcast on campus via carrier current and closed circuit connections, and during the 1970s and early 1980s, it served as the audio for Cablevision’s on-screen program guide. Today, WNYT is heard online, with Internet-based programming via RealAudio.

WNYT Radio broadcasts many of the NYIT Bears sports broadcasts, giving more exposure to the station.

Fraternities

Sororities

Coed

DiGamma Omega Xi

Dining services

NYIT has seven major dining halls across its campuses in New York State, as of 2015. NYIT has five dining halls on its Old Westbury campus, one on its Manhattan campus and one on its Central Islip campus. A new dining hall is being built on NYIT's Old Westbury campus, as of 2015.

ROTC

NYIT has an ROTC program, including both Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps and Army Reserve Officers Training Corps.

Old Westbury

With the exception of its baseball team, which plays in NCAA Division I as an independent, NYIT's athletic programs compete in NCAA Division II, and are members of the East Coast Conference (ECC). The teams are called the Bears, and the school colors are blue and gold.

NYIT offers men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's basketball, softball, men and women's cross country, women's volleyball, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's soccer. NYIT has had much athletic success. The men's basketball team reached the NCAA Division II Championship game in 1980. The Lacrosse team has won four national championships, in 1997, 2003, 2005 and 2008. The volleyball team reached the NCAA tournament every year from 2001–2006 and 2011-2012; in 2005, the men's soccer team reached the NCAA Division II elite eight. The men’s and women’s tennis teams have also had success; the men’s team reached the NCAA Tournament in 2012 and the women’s team won its first conference title in 2012 and an automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Tournament. As of 2006 there is a credited cheerleading program on campus.

Manhattan recreational sports

The Manhattan campus offers recreational sports teams in men's basketball, men's soccer and co-ed soccer, co-ed volleyball, and dodgeball, playing on fields and in gyms across New York City. The men's basketball team won the YMCA Vanderbilt league championships in 2005 and 2006, while co-ed soccer, men's soccer and dodgeball each advanced to their respective league playoffs in the spring of 2012.

Alumni

New York Institute of Technology has nearly 100,000 alumni around the world, as of 2014. Many of NYIT's alumni have gone into business and finance, including: John Antioco, CEO, Blockbuster Video, Chairman, Board of Directors, Red Mango; Richard J. Daly, CEO, Broadridge Financial Solutions; Linda Davila, Chairperson, First Vice President, Investments Merrill Lynch; Eli Wachtel, Managing Director, Bear Stearns; Gary S. Lynch, managing director, Marsh & McLennan Companies; Itzhak Fisher, executive vice president, Nielsen Holdings, he also founded and served as CEO of RSL Communications, an over $1.5-billion telecommunications company with over 2,500 employees in 22 countries; Steve Johnson, Director for Labor Relations at The Coca-Cola Company; Robert E. Evanson, President, McGraw-Hill Education; Jerry Romano, chairman, New York Emmy Awards; Monte N. Redman, CEO, Astoria Financial; Patricia McMahon, vice president and general manager at Northrop Grumman, and vice president and general manager at BAE Systems; Indera Rampal-Harrod, director of human resources, American Express; Roseann Stichnoth, executive vice president and head of the Financial Services Group at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Chen Ningning, self-made billionaire; and Matthew F. Calamari, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Trump Organization.

Some alumni have entered academia, including: Kyriacos A. Athanasiou, Chair of the Biomedical Engineering department at University of California, Davis; Ken Pugh, professor at Yale University; Jill Wruble, professor at Yale University; Peter Ruggiero, professor at Columbia University; Jeannie Liakaris, Assistant Dean at New York University; Michael Patrick Meehan, professor at New York University; Robert Cohen, professor at New York University; and Manish Sharma, professor at Cornell University.

Alumni in science and technology include: Eric Cole, chief technology officer at McAfee and chief scientist at Lockheed Martin Corporation; Peter A. Eckstein, Senior Principal Engineer, Northrop Grumman Corporation. IEEE Board of Directors member, and 2016 IEEE President; Mark B. Berger, senior vice president and chief information officer, SWBC; Steven Wolk, chief technology officer, P. C. Richard & Son; Michael McCrackan, Research and Development Director, Kodak; Vincent Connare, font designer and former Microsoft employee, amongst his creations are the Comic Sans font, and the Trebuchet MS font; James Chemp, Director of engineering and energy, 7-Eleven; Philip Fasano, executive vice president and chief information officer at American International Group (AIG); and Patri Friedman, Software Engineer at Google.

Alumni in government include: Joseph Saladino, New York state assemblyman; Anthony Seminerio, politician; Averof Neofytou, Cypriot politician who has been President of the governing Democratic Rally (DISY) party since 2013. Former Minister of Communications and Works and Mayor of Polis Chrysochou; Andre Pierre, former Democratic mayor of North Miami; Rafael Piñeiro, First Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (NYPD); Brian M. McLaughlin, New York state assemblyman; Nicholas Estavillo, NYPD Chief of Patrol; Tom Cilmi, Suffolk County Legislator; Keith Kazmark, Mayor of Woodland Park, New Jersey; Abdulla Bin Butti, Chairman of Energy Authority and member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council; and Thani Ahmed Alzeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment for the United Arab Emirates.

Many of NYIT's alumni have also gone into arts, journalism and entertainment. They include Isobella Jade, writer; Lori Bizzoco, writer; Patti Ann Browne, TV News Anchor, Fox News; Jim Geoghan, Emmy-nominated executive producer of The Disney Channel's The Suite Life on Deck and the original The Suite Life of Zack and Cody; Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalists Judy Martin and Ben Finley, who is the Editorial Producer with “Anderson Cooper 360” and has produced for several CNN and PBS programs; Brian Kenny, ESPN SportsCenter Anchor; Candice Night, lead singer, Blackmore's Night; and Adam Pascal, actor, singer, and producer.

Alumni in sports include: Allison Baver, Olympic Speed Skating Medalist (Bronze, 2010); Don Cooper, head pitching coach, Chicago White Sox; Jim Ferry (basketball), basketball coach; Sarah Fisher, race car driver; Joe Vasold, lacrosse player; Ray Giannelli, baseball player; Manix Auriantal, professional basketball player; Chris Algieri, professional boxer in the Light Welterweight division; Allen Watson, former Major League Baseball pitcher (member of 2000 World Series Champion New York Yankees); and Brian Brady (baseball), former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the California Angels.

Athletic coaches

Benefactors

NYIT financial supporters include:

Honorary degree recipients

Commencement speakers

Notable commencement speakers include George Pataki, the 53rd Governor of New York, and Sanjay Kumar, chairman and CEO of CA Technologies.

In popular culture

NYIT’s campuses have been the backdrop for movies such as Arthur (1981 film) and Three Days of the Condor and TV shows including Gossip Girl and Four Weddings.