You’ll meet very few professors as committed and esteemed as Dr. Donald Lombardi. At the age of 20, he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from Fordham University and was well underway training with the Marine Corps during the end of Vietnam War. During this experience, he discovered his passion for teaching when tutoring fellow members of the Marine Corps seeking their GED. After leaving the Marine Corps, he pursued a career in healthcare management and education. Nine years ago, he left Seton Hall to join Stevens Institute of Technology, because “of the aspect of a unified community.”
Professor Lombardi is highly involved with student life and activities. Three years ago, he started the SATMax program, in which Stevens undergraduates tutored Hoboken High School students for the challenging SATs. Lombardi reported, “[Students] increased their reading comprehension scores from 520 to 690, and math scores increased to 770 and a few achieved a perfect score.” In April 2015, the six Stevens undergraduates and 16 Hoboken High students were honored at a ceremony for their roles in making the SATMax program a success.
When discussing the Stevens School of Business, Dr. Lombardi began by saying, “A manager does things right, but a leader does the right thing”. As the professor of courses Principles of Management (BT 100), Social Psychology & Organizational Behavior (BT 330), and Project Management (BT 353), he prepares his students for becoming successful leaders.
Furthermore, Lombardi provided great advice and tips for all incoming freshmen. For study tips, he said there are 3 things to succeed:
- Bring a notebook and pencil to every class. Everyone will have a laptop, but the notebook is the best way to draw concepts and create personal study guides.
- “Everyone who comes here is good.” Everyone had a near perfect GPA in high school, high SAT/ACT scores, and involved in all sorts of extracurriculars. Do something that makes you stand out among the rest.
- Take advantage of the small school size. Take advantage of the small class size, the numerous opportunities to gain one on one attention with a professor, and the tight-knit community.
For advice on becoming a well-rounded Stevens students, he said to make a PACT.
- P – Pride: Be proud of your school, but don’t become a “know it all.” Typically, those know-it-all students only end up knowing the same information for the rest of their life.
- A – Accountability: Be humble and accountable in all you do.
- C – Commitment: Once you start a project, finish it. Always stick to your word.
- T- Trust: Trust your professors, trust your team, but most importantly, trust yourself that you can accomplish everything you put your mind to!
