Department of Chemistry & Environmental Science

We all know how bad smoking is for you, but what about vaping? A new study at New Jersey Institute of technology (NJIT) led by forensic anthropologist and biochemist Sara Zapico is exploring the potential long-term health risks of e-cigarettes and how they might manifest in young adults at the genetic level, which up until now isn't fully understood. With funding from the New Jersey Health Foundation, Zapico is investigating how vaping may alter patterns in gene expression in Gen Z and young Millennial users — insights from which could reveal early warning signs of cancer and...

NJIT’s forensics program made an impression at the 77th Annual American Academy of Forensic Sciences’ Conference in Baltimore’s Convention Center, unveiling new research and innovations that tackled this year’s conference theme, “Technology: A Tool for Transformation or Tyranny?” NJIT faculty and students presented on advances shaping the world of forensics, from research that could improve how forensic scientists estimate a person’s age at death, to technology demos of CSIxR — a virtual reality (VR) application developed at NJIT that simulates crime scenes scenarios to train crime scene...

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) has taken a significant step in its commitment to advancing artificial intelligence by establishing the Grace Hopper AI Research Institute (GHRI). The institute is a key component of NJIT's $10 million AI Initiative aimed at enhancing the university's capabilities in AI research and applications. In its inaugural call for research proposals, GHRI received more than $1 million in funding requests. These proposals span a diverse range of departments and fields, including engineering, computer science, mathematics and university operations. This...

Chao Yan, a New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) alumnus and co-founder of Princeton NuEnergy, has been named one of Business Insider’s Climate Action 15 for 2024 — a list highlighting global leaders deploying innovative solutions to combat the climate crisis.  The 15 honorees are trailblazers in energy, transportation, agriculture and shipping and provide answers to questions raised by climate change. In its profile of Yan '13, '17, Business Insider highlighted his childhood, education and impetus behind finding a new way to recycle batteries. Yan’s work tackles the pressing...