The Office of Science and Technology (OST)
The Office of Science and Technology (OST) supports and enhances collaborative and interdisciplinary science across Kean University, its campuses, colleges, divisions, faculty, and students. In keeping with Kean’s role as New Jersey’s first Urban Research University, we aspire to engage our surrounding communities while striving to impact the world at large.
The OST works in concert with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs to advance the science mission and research activities of the University, in support of Kean’s transformational goal of achieving Carnegie R2 designation as a Doctoral University with High Research Activity.
Science and technology have undergone rapid and transformative developments this century, shaping essentially all of our daily lives. Advances in healthcare, information technology, biotechnology and genomics, renewable energy, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and other emerging applications are just a few examples.
This progress has been fueled by global collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches that combine insights, methodologies, and principles from diverse scientific and technological fields.
Future careers will depend upon collaborative and integrative approaches to generating new knowledge, promoting understanding, and solving the world’s most pressing issues.
Our Mission
OST’s mission is to increase Kean’s impact on science and technology by promoting innovation and supporting collaboration at the leading edge of numerous disciplines. We aim to nurture both the campus culture for research and the required vision and infrastructure to address numerous grand challenges in society, including: building public health systems that are inclusive, equitable, effective and efficient; mitigating environmental and ecological change; harnessing the impacts of disruptive technologies; promoting economic growth and outputs while reducing wealth and income inequality; and ensuring resilience and sustainability particularly during times of increasing conflict across the world. Our emphasis on science and technology will drive growth for Kean, opportunities for faculty and students, enrichment of academic programs, funding availability, and collaborative research.
The OST works to:
- Encourage collaboration across departments and disciplines, thereby exposing researchers to new ideas and networking
- Engage with the community through outreach programs, science events, and educational initiatives
- Establish partnerships with industry and external organizations to bring real-world problems to campus
- Facilitate commercialization of research findings
- Support development of university startups
- Assess academic program alignment with emerging trends in science and technology
- Train and deploy a well-educated, diverse science-facing workforce capable of meeting New Jersey and the world’s future needs
