Lawrence T. Babbio, Jr. ’66 Hon. D.Eng. ’01: Powering Stevens to New Heights

Inside Stevens’ laboratories and research centers, undergraduate students work alongside Ph.D. students on the most critical, high-impact innovations today. More often than not, a Pinnacle Scholar can be counted among the members of those research teams.

Through tuition support and opportunities for research, mentorship and study abroad, the Lawrence T. Babbio '66 Pinnacle Scholars Program has been helping Stevens compete for the most academically accomplished incoming freshmen since it launched in 2015. 

It’s no surprise, then, that the program’s namesake is an alumnus who has left an indelible mark on the organizations and institutions he has led and served throughout his illustrious career.   

Lawrence T. Babbio, Jr. ’66 Hon. D.Eng. ’01, former vice chairman and president of Verizon, has helped revolutionize the telecommunications industry since he began his career in 1966, first at New Jersey Bell Telephone and AT&T, and later at Bell Atlantic Corporation and Verizon.  

Babbio’s bold vision for and significant contributions to his alma mater have been no less transformational. He co-chairs The Power of Stevens, the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history. He has also devoted considerable time and counsel, notably serving on the Board of Trustees, including currently as chairman emeritus, and in various advisory capacities.

Additionally, his generosity provided the lead gift for what became the Babbio Center, a modern, five-floor facility that opened in 2005 and now houses the School of Business, School of Systems and Enterprises, Hanlon Financial Systems Center, and other major academic and research programs.