At NJIT, McNair Scholars Advance Research as Their Futures Unfold
NJIT’s McNair Scholars have been igniting their research efforts in campus labs this summer, and many are starting to see their career aspirations take shape in the process.
NJIT’s Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement program has often been described as life-changing by those selected ever since the first scholar class was announced in 1999. The program provides many underrepresented or disadvantaged students with preparation for doctoral study, as well as a plethora of advanced research and travel opportunities that have a lasting impact on their future.
This year’s class features ten scholars from across the university’s diverse colleges who are involved in ten-week intensive research projects, which are each unveiled at NJIT’s annual Summer Research Symposium.
Here, a few of this year’s scholars share their experiences in the program and the research they’ve been pursuing throughout the summer.
Taylor Pape ’25
Toms River native Taylor Pape says she’s always been drawn to the subject of biology and athletics, so after being recruited to play for NJIT’s women’s soccer team, choosing her major was an easy decision.
However, unfortunate personal circumstances struck her freshman year which would inspire the specific research direction she’s now pursuing as a McNair Scholar.
“I easily decided to pursue biology at NJIT, but didn’t know which direction to take it,” said Pape. “Unfortunately, my father was diagnosed with cancer my freshman year and I spent most of my time by his side. He’s a talented software engineer who inspired my love for computer science, so the following semester I declared a minor in both computer science and data analytics.
“The research project I’m working on, Smart Biosensors with Machine Learning for Pain Assessment, gives me the opportunity to combine both biology and computer science and I believe this work can make a difference in the world.”
At NJIT’s BioSMART Center, alongside her mentor and Ph.D. candidate Maryam Mady, Pape’s research aims to develop a method of quantifying pain using machine learning and calibratable pain-related biomarkers.
The results, she says, could provide clinicians with new insights into the levels of pain patients experience and how best to treat it.
“Currently, we are in the early stages of the project and my research consists of finding a new procedure of indirect-sandwich ELISA, which is the technique used to measure concentrations of pain-related biomarkers,” explained Pape. “After this, we’ll develop a biosensor that measures biomarker data more efficiently and create a suitable machine-learning model to provide us with experienced pain on a scale from 0-5.
“Ultimately, this research could provide a revolutionary way of treating patients based on evidence of truly experienced pain instead of perceived pain through a biased patient, helping curb narcotic addictions.”
On Becoming a McNair Scholar:
“I was shocked. This was my first big scholarship and couldn’t believe it when I saw the email. This scholarship introduced me to the world of research while preparing for graduate school where I want to continue my studies in bioinformatics. The research skills I’ve gained through this experience will follow me throughout the rest of my education and career.”
Ricky Hernandez ’24
Many of us have seen Apple’s recent health data privacy ads. But information technology major Ricky Hernandez says that while Apple may be publicly addressing the issue, many developers of smart medical apps may not be.
That’s where his McNair summer research project, titled Privacy Aspects of Smart Medical Apps, comes in.
“We’re asking a simple question. When a mobile user downloads an application, can they know all the permissions that will be used by the app from reading the app description alone? … We believe app descriptions supplied by developers should encompass all of what a user should expect from using their app,” said Hernandez, of Englewood, NJ.
Under the advisement of NJIT computer science assistant professor Shantanu Sharma, Hernandez is utilizing trained language models to search Android app stores to find discrepancies between health app descriptions and the permissions declared for users’ legally protected personally identifiable information.
“If we discover poor description-to-permission fidelity on a large dataset of mobile apps provided on the Google Play store, we can prove a need for stricter publishing guidelines for app developers,” explained Hernandez. “User trust is essential for the growth and development of health apps. If the public cannot trust app developers to tell them why or how they are using their data, they will stop using them. This research could shine a light on a glaring issue in mobile ecosystems.”
On Becoming a McNair Scholar:
"I can’t believe how fortunate I am. I read about the McNair Program and Ronald McNair's story, and his great efforts to overcome the odds in his pursuit of higher education. I felt like I was acknowledged as a person from a minority group trying to break the mold of generational poverty. It was the reason I decided to apply. Eventually, I want to work in government within a cybercrime task force and I feel my summer research experience is setting the tone for my future work."
Faith Adams ’26
Biomedical engineering major Faith Adams felt at home at NJIT the day she stepped onto campus as a transfer student last year, and since, her willingness to seek out opportunity has led to plenty of success — earning numerous scholarships and distinctions, including joining the National Society of Black Engineers’ executive board.
“I thought NJIT was the right fit for me because of its renowned biomedical engineering department. Visiting during an open house, I felt a sense of community that I did not find at any other college,” said Adams, another Englewood native.
Adams found her footing as a researcher after sitting in on a talk given by NJIT biomedical engineering professor Jonathan Grasman about cutting-edge tissue engineering methods that his lab is exploring. “I was so impressed that I immediately reached out to the lab with questions regarding their research, and how they conduct it… I'm glad I did.”
At NJIT’s Tissue Innervation and Muscle Mimetics Laboratory, Adams is now researching muscle graft alternatives that could help combat veterans and others suffering from injuries leading to volumetric muscle loss, where 20% or more of skeletal muscle can be nonrecoverable.
“Muscle grafts from a person’s healthy tissue are often used to regenerate lost muscle but they have a high failure rate, so we are aiming to improve upon this by regenerating myofibers in muscle using collagen scaffolds,” explained Adams.
“Collagen is very present in the muscle regeneration process. We are investigating the abilities of collagen scaffolds to facilitate muscle cells regenerating host tissue again. We are conducting in vitro studies, and it’s promising. I know people in the armed forces that have suffered, so the opportunity to help them is amazing.”
On Becoming a McNair Scholar:
"I shouted in disbelief when I read the email … I knew this was going to be one of the most fun and challenging summers I've ever had. I see myself in the field of biomedical engineering, and I’d love to work for the government conducting tissue engineering-related research one day. One of the best things I can already say about the McNair Program is it’s not only helping me chase those aspirations, but it’s helping me become a more well-rounded person overall."
