John Aje, DSc

Dean of the Heavin School of Arts, Sciences, and Technology

Dr. John O. Aje joined Thomas Edison State University as dean of the School of Applied Science and Technology in August 2013.

Dr. John Aje is the dean of the Heavin School of Arts, Sciences, and Technology. Prior to joining Thomas Edison State University, he was the associate dean for Academic Affairs and a full collegiate professor at University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), Graduate School, where he worked for about 24 years as a program director and chair of the Engineering and Technology Systems department. During his tenure as the chair of the department, he secured the first research grant award in the history of UMGC for a total of $450,000 from the Department of Energy. He has collaborated with several private and public organizations to develop innovative academic programs that are relevant to the needs of the workforce, such as the one in engineering management that was offered on site to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) managers for several years.

He held previous academic positions at George Washington University as a lecturer in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and as laboratory manager and instructor in the Department of Biochemistry, Howard University College of Medicine and Dentistry in Washington, D.C.

Aje is a past president and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association for Management of Technology (IAMOT) and the former vice president of the Northeast Region for the academic honor society of Phi Kappa Phi. He is the area editor of emerging technologies for the highly rated academic journal, Technovation: The Journal of Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Technology Management and, for 10 years, served as a member of the editorial board of IEEE journal, Transactions in Engineering Management.

He was recognized by Black Engineer Magazine as one of the “Leading Black Educators in U.S.” and selected to take part in New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s advisory group: Research, Innovation and Talent Group.

Before joining academia, Aje worked for several years as a research engineer and production chemist with Monsanto Company and Sigma Chemical Company.

Aje obtained his BS degree from Clemson University; MS degree from North Carolina State University; and a Master of Engineering Management (MEM) and DSc from the School of Engineering and Applied Science, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.