NEWARK, NJ--NJIT Athletics announced the establishment of the Dr. Louis Rizio Family Endowed Scholarship thanks to a generous gift from Team Physician Dr. Louis Rizio that will establish a scholarship in his name.   The scholarship will be awarded for the Fall 2020 semester.

The Dr. Louis Rizio Family Endowed Scholarship will be presented annually to an NJIT student-athlete who is pursuing a degree in the life sciences, biology, biomedical engineering, environmental sciences, pre-med or other related fields, with the intention of pursuing a career in the medical, healthcare or environmental sciences profession.

"Approximately 15 years ago, I met with the new Athletic Director, Lenny Kaplan who had a vision for NJIT sports that was exciting," said Rizio. "Lenny and NJIT have supported me since that time and trusted me with overseeing the medical care for the athletes of NJIT. My connection, respect and commitment to NJIT and its athletes has been cemented over these years, I hope this scholarship will assist athletes pursue their goals off the field."

Dr. Louis Rizio is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon and is fellowship trained in the field of sports medicine. After receiving his medical degree from Rutgers Medical School, he completed his orthopaedic residency at Tufts University in Boston and sports medicine fellowship at the University of Miami (Miami Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Institute).

During his fellowship he participated in the care of the Miami Dolphins, University of Miami Hurricanes, and the Florida Marlins.

"Dr. Rizio has been an important part of our program for many years," Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Lenny Kaplan commented.  "He knows first hand the quality of our student-athletes.  We are so very grateful for his generosity and commitment to our students both as scholars and athletes."

Dr. Rizio founded the Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in 2005, which provides the most advanced and innovative care for athletes of all ages and is committed to returning patients to their desired level of activity. 

Prior to starting his own practice, Dr. Rizio was the Chief of Sports Medicine at the NJ Medical School from 2000-2005. He currently is a professional, college, and high school team physician.

In 2013 & 2017, Dr. Rizio was honored by the magazine New Jersey Monthly on its "Jersey Choice Top Doctors" list.

If you would like to contribute, please contact Director of Development for Athletics, Sean Morrison (smorriso@njit.edu; 973-596-3440).