Six NJIT Honors College Students Named U.S. Fulbright Semifinalists

NJIT students have broken three university records so far this year in pursuit of Fulbright scholarships, submitting a historic high of 11 applications, followed by another milestone achievement – the elevation of six to the semifinal round, including a first-ever candidate for study in the U.K., one of the most competitive countries.

“These six applicants are all incredibly accomplished, having taken advantage of immersive co-curricular experiences – especially research,” noted Lorna Ronald, associate director for prestigious fellowships and Honors advising. “NJIT's focus on research, including the Undergraduate Research and Innovation program, Provost research fellowships and the Honors Summer Research Institute, sets students up for success by giving them deep experience in their field.”

All six semifinalists this year are Albert Dorman Honors College (ADHC) scholars, two of whom transferred into the Honors College in their second year at NJIT.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program currently awards approximately 2,000 grants annually in all fields of study and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.

A seventh student, applied physicist Joseph Torsiello, is a semifinalist for the Fulbright Canada – Mitacs Globalink Research Internship. This new Fulbright award, just in it its second year, places undergraduate students in Canadian laboratories for 10 to 12 weeks in the summer. Torsiello is a 2020 Goldwater Scholar.

“We have been building a successful program over the past several years under Dr. Ronald's leadership, expanding and promoting interdisciplinary opportunities and highlighting critical issues, such as sustainability, public health, and the need for scientists to be engaged citizens,” said ADHC Dean Louis Hamilton.

He added that a broad range of faculty and administrators mentor and guide applicants over several months, ensuring that each produces the strongest application possible. “Whether it is a Fulbright, Goldwater, Boren, or any other award at this level, applicants need to conceive of their work in a much larger context. This broad, collegial process, open to all NJIT students, encourages interdisciplinary thinking and relies on close mentorship,” he noted.

The fellowships process is not only open to students, but also to alumnae/alumni. Some nationally competitive awards have age limitations, but generally Fulbright awards are open to applicants at all stages in their career.

“If a student or alum thinks they may be interested in study or research in another country, or a research degree in that country, we will work with them to identify awards that could be a good fit,” Ronald said.

2021 Semi-Finalists:

Matthew Cherrey ’20, Germany* – Creating and Implementing Abstract Models for Network Security Protocols. Cherrey, a master’s student in computer science at NJIT, would work alongside Dr. Marc Fischlin at Technischen Universität (TU) Darmstadt to define the necessary elements for a new protocol to improve the security of data that is transmitted over the Internet. He would then verify that the existing protocols meet these requirements and propose a new one if they do not.

Matthew Dasilva ’21, Portugal – Developing Simulations of Cerebral Palsy Children to Predict Intervention Outcomes. Building on his research in biomedical engineering at NJIT, Dasilva’s proposal would enhance clinical gait analysis using simulations. His research goal is to provide physicians with a prior understanding of the likelihood of success of a particular treatment.

Daniel Meza ’20, Australia* – Designing Biological Furniture. A graduate of NJIT’s industrial design program, Meza would continue his research into incorporating biological organisms into furniture design, which in the long term could revolutionize the way products are manufactured. He says, "Creating pieces of furniture out of slime mold will be the first step in developing a procedure for turning a malleable, living organism into a durable, static product."

Joseph Torsiello ’22, Canada – Particle Physics Research. A dual major in applied physics and mathematics and a 2020 Goldwater Scholar, Torsiello has conducted research as part of three applied physics groups at NJIT and intends to pursue a career as a particle physicist. The Fulbright-MITACS Globalink award would enable him to conduct research on superconducting quantum devices this summer in Canada.

Sydney Sweet ’21, United Kingdom – Masters of Science in Sustainable Engineering: Chemical Processing at the University of Strathclyde. A chemical engineering student and 2020 Goldwater Scholar, Sweet studied abroad in Australia and has been conducting research in two labs at NJIT. Her long-term goal is to conduct sustainable energy research and lead biofuel innovation.

Anna Wadhwa ’21, Sweden – Reducing Brain Damage from Ionizing Radiation in Children at Karolinska Institute. Wadhwa is a biochemistry major currently doing research at the New Jersey Medical School in neurobiology, looking at sex differences in autism spectrum disorder. At Karolinska, she would conduct research into the effects of tumor radiation therapy on the brain. Her career goal is to lead research projects that reduce neonatal mortality rates and disparities in health outcomes.

Kaylin Wittmeyer ’21, Canada – Graduate Certificate in Digital Creature Animation from Sheridan College. A digital design student, Kaylin would continue her work developing animation films. In her proposal, she says, "I do not believe that animation should simply try to mimic life or live action; instead, it should be celebrated as a distinct art form that can manipulate time in frame rates, push anatomy and shapes in unique ways, and breathe life into impossible creatures."

*Matthew Cherrey and Daniel Meza were selected in the 2020-2021 Fulbright award process and both received the award. Because of the uncertainty around COVID-19 and their ability to travel, they were allowed to apply for the 2021-2022 round of awards.