The 35th annual Scholarship Brunch took place April 12, bringing together generous benefactors who have created scholarships at NJIT with the students benefiting from their support. The event humanizes and demonstrates the impact of giving back and removing a financial burden to those who need it most. In a unique opportunity, scores of scholars attended with each one proudly representing — and meeting — their donors.  Zooming out, the aggregate numbers are impressive: $40 million in financial aid was provided for the 2023-2024 academic year. With more than 90% of NJIT’s first-year…

From an estimated pool of over 5,000 college sophomores and juniors, two NJIT students — Danna Valentina Sanchez Hernandez and Owen West — have been named Goldwater Scholars this year by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. The scholarship is recognized as among the country’s most prestigious for STEM undergraduates pursuing research careers. The NJIT Goldwater Scholars represent two of 10 statewide, and 438 total students across the United States represented by 227 institutions. Goldwater Scholars each earn a prize of up to $7,500 per year for up to two…

Vaccines remain the gold standard of protection against dangerous pathogens, but take considerable time and vast resources to develop. Rapidly mutating viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 can blunt their effectiveness and even render them obsolete. To address these gaps, a multi-university team led by New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Vivek Kumar is developing a hydrogel therapy that acts as a first line of defense against viruses and other biological threats. The peptides that make up this gel prevent viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, from attaching to and entering cells. They do…

New Jersey Institute of Technology aims to be a nexus of innovation that embraces new tech, commercializes groundbreaking research, leverages its diversity and tackles global environmental and socioeconomic challenges under a new strategic plan that extends through 2030. The plan, NJIT Makes An Innovation Nexus, identifies six priorities, spells out the university’s mission to be a leader in research, innovation and entrepreneurship, and reaffirms its core values, including collaboration, social responsibility, diversity and sustainability. The priorities define student and faculty success…

The excitement was palpable at NJIT’s fourth annual Elementary STEM Challenge (eSTEM) — an event that recently brought scores of 3rd-5th grade students to campus to show off tech innovations they’ve been designing for weeks to enhance health and wellness in their communities.  There was plenty of friendly competition at this year’s event, organized by NJIT’s Center for Pre-College Programs (CPCP) and Newark College of Engineering. More than 150 students from 28 teams presented at the university Campus Center, nearly doubling participation from last year. “We were so excited to have…

NJIT has established employee resource groups (ERG) that meet regularly and encourage faculty and staff to connect outside of their direct working relationships. This month, NJIT is celebrating its Women’s Leadership and Employee Resource Group and publishing an employee spotlight on one of its members: Miosotis Hernandez, assistant director for first year engineering programs in Newark College of Engineering. Can you introduce us to your ERG? MH: I am co-chair of the Women’s Leadership ERG and our mission is to offer a safe, confidential and supportive community that aims to make NJIT…

A research team from New Jersey Institute of Technology is uncovering mysteries surrounding fluids in nanoporous materials, and has been recently awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support this research. The research is focused on the elasticity, or compressibility, of fluids in these nanopores. Understanding the elastic properties of fluids has significant implications across multiple disciplines. Engineering applications, geological exploration, materials science and environmental studies stand to benefit from insights gained through this research. While…

Rizwan Baig, chief engineer of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, visited NJIT to give a presentation on building the 21st-century transportation system. His talk, covering the architectural, design, construction and asset management aspects of the agency, highlighted the agency’s plan to revitalize infrastructure that is essential to economic growth and vitality. Baig is a transportation industry leader with over 35 years of extensive engineering leadership experience. In 1990, he began his career with the Port Authority as a junior engineer, and now serves as the chief engineer…

Two NJIT projects have been awarded as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Program. The $1.2 million program funded 16 different student-based projects throughout the country to research and develop innovative solutions that address environmental and public health challenges. The NJIT projects will tackle water quality and the detection of “forever chemicals” in the air.  Phosphorus removal, recovery and reuse Ph.D. student Lai Wei is working alongside principal investigators professors Lijie Zhang and Wen Zhang on…

Robert Cohen, a three-time New Jersey Institute of Technology alumnus and current chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, leads a digital, robotics and enabling technology division at medical technology firm Stryker Corp. that grabbed Apple’s attention this month for its work with the new VisionPro mixed-reality headset. VisionPro headsets put screens and software directly in front of a physician’s eyes. Stryker’s Vision Pro application is called MyMako. It lets surgeons plan and simulate pre-planning for robot-assisted knee replacement operations before they happen, and view the plans…