Kean University President, Dawood Farahi PhD, delivered his opening address on September 1, 2010, just prior to the grand opening of Kean's newest facility, the New Jersey Center for Science Technology and Mathematics (STEM). Representatives from all departments, both faculty and student alike, gathered to hear the school year's beginning words. Though the speech detailed diverse advancements in almost every area of the university, the speech was a proud proclamation of two congruent themes: investment and success. Though the first of those themes may seem out of place to some, particularly due to New Jersey's current state of budgeting, President Farahi highlighted the measurable payoffs of investment. Rather than let the hardships suffered by institutions around the state lead the address, Farahi made clear that Kean University continues to prosper in saying, "These days, when so many institutions around us cannot locate their destination, Kean University knows EXACTLY where it's going."

Recent year's additions to Kean University have generated great, measurable progress, such as last year's opening of two new residence halls on campus. As a result of their construction, the capability to have more distant-commuting students make Kean their home away from home has expanded; now, every one in four undergraduates enrolled in Kean University is a resident student. The increased capacity helped to elevate enrollment to new record.

To highlight the rewards of student investment, President Farahi showed a short video during his address of recent years' alumni students who have made success out of their stay at Kean. Following the video, Farahi proclaimed, "Their success is the best measure of our success." Later, Farahi would go on to list remarkable students whose education at Kean would earn them prestigious placement in multiple PhD programs. This student-centered attitude of President Farahi's is not foreign to most. He even gave the honor of cutting the ribbon to Kean's newest facility to the students themselves, an honor often given to mayors or other city officials. During his address, President Farahi noted that though the architecturally-green building's official opening meant progress for the university, the emphasis lies deeper than its design. "It's NOT about the building, it is about what happens in building:" spoke Farahi, "Excellence in teaching, superb scholarship and learning."
President Farahi also spoke of another component of Kean's investment and successes. At the side of every successful higher-education student exists a dedicated member of that student's institution. President Farahi dedicated a great deal of his address to the praise of many members of his faculty. Congratulations were given to two of Kean's newest Deans: Dr. Kathryn Martell, Dean of the College of Business and Public Management, and Dr. Steven Lorentz, Dean of the Nathan Weiss Graduate College. President Farahi proudly noted last year's achievement of Kean University having received more than $8.2 million in grant funding for research and sponsored programs. These grants cover areas of medicine, education, and over-seas study, to name a few. For some faculty- recipients, these grants mark their second, third, and even fourth award! Scholarship and publication, new program development, and humanitarianism were some of the additional, astounding faculty achievements highlighted during the address.

One always true valuable investment is that of community service - a Kean achievement left for the closing of the President's address. Almost always with community service, the success surpasses the investment. For 2009, Kean University received a President Obama's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll placement.

President Farahi joined the audience after his address to the official grand opening of the STEM building. With an address highlighting great achievements of the recent past and present in mind, together, members of Kean University cut the ribbon to a piece if the institutions future.