From Experts in Artificial Photosynthesis to Cell Therapy, NJIT Showcases its Newest Innovators

Their expertise ranges from technologies to improve infrastructure in some of the most urbanized regions on the planet to some of the remotest. Philip Pong, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, focuses on advanced sensing devices to enhance visibility, or “eyes in the field,” that provide power systems the data they need to monitor conditions and make decisions. William Pennock, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, optimizes water treatment systems for areas where specialized sensors, equipment and supplies are hard to source sustainably.

Pong and Pennock are two of NJIT’s newest faculty members, who were introduced to each other and the broader campus community at the 2021 Research Institutes, Centers and Laboratories Showcase, held virtually. More than 30 newly minted NJIT professors, hired over the last two years, presented their work at the annual event this spring.

“The goal is to improve water treatment for communities with few resources,” said Pennock, who is also developing sensors to detect lead in drinking water pipes.

In some cases, their interests converge. Farnaz Shakib, an assistant professor of chemistry and environmental science, focuses on the dynamics of electrons and protons when exposed to sunlight – the basis of energy conversion reactions in photosynthesis, fuel and solar cells – with the goal of designing green and sustainable “artificial photosynthesis” energy resources. Michael Eberhart, an assistant professor in her department, uses nanoscale environments to control and direct photoinduced electron transfer processes to harness light’s energy to create solar fuels such as hydrogen from water and liquid hydrocarbons from atmospheric carbon dioxide – to capture solar energy where it is abundant to provide it on demand where energy is needed.

Still others presented research on new methods to detect toxic chemicals and pathogens in the environment, using novel materials, and new technologies to treat diseases such as COVID-19, using cell and gene therapies.

“We are very proud to have this outstanding group of new faculty join the NJIT research enterprise, with its more than 135 research institutes, centers and laboratories in key areas that address grand challenges in healthcare innovations, sustainable communities, and smart data analytics and machine learning,” said Atam Dhawan, senior vice provost for research. “We already see interdisciplinary collaborations yielding exciting results, from sensors and machine learning-based models to test and monitor the pandemic spread of COVID-19, to technologies to help communities supply clean water, renewable energy and smart transportation, to cybersecurity, to responsible social networking and data-driven business management.”

“You are here at an exciting time in your own careers and in the life of the university,” said Provost Fadi Deek, who described a massive uptick in research awards and expenditures and influx of top-notch professors over the past several years.

Deek noted that NJIT’s new strategic plan, Building on a Strong Foundation – NJIT 2025, calls on the university to play a leading role in five emerging areas of multidisciplinary research – Bioscience and Bioengineering, Data Science and Management, the Environment and Sustainability, Material Science and Engineering, and Robotics and Machine Intelligence.

“The strategic plan will build new capacity, expand our portfolio and increase our competitiveness,” he added.

Through a variety of interconnected programs on campus – from a seed-grant program to support early-stage interdisciplinary projects, to research institutes to encourage partnerships on and off campus that will tackle complex challenges, to the New Jersey Innovation Institute, the university is focused on supporting ideas and inventions from inception, to translation, to acceleration, to validation and pre-commercialization.

The event’s keynote speaker, Colin Brenan, a serial entrepreneur and executive who builds early-stage life science companies, urged NJIT’s newly minted professors to look beyond their vision to the development of a successfully conceived, nurtured and marketed product that will have a broad impact on society.

Over the past 30 years, Brenan has been, for example, the founder, CTO, senior vice president for business development and a director of BioTrove, Inc., a Massachusetts-based life science nanofluidic tools company spun out from MIT and acquired by Life Technologies Inc. He was also a founder of Biocius, Inc., a drug discovery instrument and service provider spun out from BioTrove and acquired by Agilent Inc.

“I’m batting .400,” he said, noting that his experience has taught him that a visionary technology is just the start and that “paying attention to the boring stuff,” such as preliminary market research, quality control and invoicing, is key to success. Most important of all, he said, is accepting that innovation is customer-driven.

“Let the customers lead the innovation – let them tell you what to do,” he said. “And don’t be afraid to pivot.”