Andrew Gordon delivers the keynote address

Andrew Gordon, a former Pixar animator known for his work on major films and now founder of the AI storytelling company , delivered the keynote. Rather than a traditional research-based talk, Gordon guided students through the structure of storytelling while weaving in his own journey. His perspective offered the students insights on how skills developed over time can evolve into unexpected and impactful career paths. He also demonstrated how students can better communicate their work and position themselves in a competitive job market. Adding a dynamic visual element, Phil Bakelaar from the CCOM department sketched live illustrations that highlighted the core themes of the presentation.

The session culminated in the presentation of two student stories highlighting their paths into science. Working closely with Gordon, Kira Paul and Stephen Darko developed and recorded their narratives, which were then transformed into AI-animated stories and showcased during the summit. Their projects served as powerful examples of how personal experiences can be shaped into compelling and professional narratives.

Expanding on the importance of transferable skills, shared how data serves as a foundation across a wide range of careers, from scientific research to public-sector leadership. Her talk highlighted how skills often developed in technical courses like data analysis, interpretation, and critical thinking can directly shape community impact. For students, this provided a powerful reminder that their training has value far beyond a single career path.

Glen Ridge Mayor Deborah Mans

The summit鈥檚 focus on confidence and career readiness came into focus during the final session led by Gen Hinson and Koralee Grullon. This workshop challenged students to bring everything together by encouraging them to reflect on their experiences and begin shaping their own professional narratives. Whether preparing for interviews, graduate school, or networking opportunities, students were guided to think not just about what they鈥檝e done, but how to communicate it in a way that resonates with employers and collaborators.

Participating students and judges posing for a group photo after the award ceremony

The 2nd Annual Building Skills for Success STEM Summit reflects an ongoing commitment by the College of Science and Mathematics to support students not only as scientists, but as emerging professionals. By intentionally integrating communication, data literacy, and career development into one cohesive experience, the college is helping students build the confidence and versatility needed to succeed, and to make a meaningful impact, wherever their paths lead.

That desire led him to biology so after leaving Northeastern, Matteo worked as a technician in a DNA sequencing lab, gaining real-world experience before returning to community college and ultimately transferring to 麻豆传媒在线 to pursue molecular biochemistry.

I love that you can study the fundamental mechanisms of life. You can zoom in to the molecular level and also see how those mechanisms affect entire systems.

Now working in Professor Eli Lee鈥檚 lab, Matteo studies protein condensates 鈥� dynamic, fluid structures formed when proteins separate from their surrounding solution, similar to oil separating from water. These condensates form through weak interactions between proteins, constantly assembling and disassembling.

His research asks a deceptively simple question: How does protein structure affect the properties of these condensates?

Understanding this process may help scientists uncover how cells transport membrane proteins and how lipid 鈥渞afts鈥� may form around specific sites in the cell membrane. It鈥檚 a complex system 鈥� always in equilibrium, constantly shifting 鈥� and Matteo is fascinated by its elegance.

His work will take him far beyond campus. This year, he will present at the Biophysical Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco and at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology conference in Washington, D.C.

Looking ahead, Matteo plans to pursue a Ph.D., with long-term interests in origin-of-life research, exploring how chemistry first gave rise to living systems.

鈥淚鈥檝e worked in industry, and it鈥檚 great for building technical skills,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I want to work toward big, long-term scientific questions.鈥�

Last year, Matteo took first place at 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 Science Slam 鈥� not by listing data points or presenting dense slides, but by telling a story.

Science Slam challenges students to communicate their science stories in an engaging, and accessible way. For Matteo, it was transformative.

鈥淚n lab reports, you just present the facts,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut Science Slam taught me that people understand stories better than lists of information. Science communication needs narrative.鈥�

His winning presentation centered on a hummingbird that migrates from New Jersey to the Dominican Republic for the winter 鈥� a rare but real phenomenon. The story unfolded from the hummingbird鈥檚 perspective, guided across the ocean by a protein in its eyes that detects Earth鈥檚 magnetic field.

Matteo watching as his classmates give their slam presentations

Unable to see land but knowing exactly where to go, the bird eventually arrives in the Dominican Republic,听 landing beside Matteo and his grandmother.

The metaphor mirrored his own visits to family from New Jersey to the Dominican Republic and connected deeply with audiences.

鈥淪cience isn鈥檛 just logic,鈥� he reflects. 鈥淭here鈥檚 an emotional component. We鈥檙e not just calculators. If you want people to care about science, you have to make it compelling.鈥�

He credits the experience with strengthening his graduate school applications and helping him learn how to frame his research as a cohesive scientific narrative.

Having attended multiple institutions, Matteo says 麻豆传媒在线 stands out.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a place where opportunities feel within reach,鈥� he says. 鈥淧eople know you. Professors and administrators are responsive. They advocate for you.鈥�

He points especially to 麻豆传媒在线鈥檚 Summer Research Program, where students immerse themselves full-time in research, live on campus, and engage in professional development while presenting their work to peers.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e doing research all day! It鈥檚 like a full-time job, but it鈥檚 so fun,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a no-brainer opportunity.鈥�

His advice to other students?

鈥淭ake every opportunity and see what sticks.鈥�

Don鈥檛 Miss This Year鈥檚 Science Slam

Inspired by Matteo鈥檚 story? You can experience for yourself on Monday, February 23rd, from 3鈥�5 p.m. Whether you鈥檙e a student considering competing, a future scientist refining your communication skills, or simply someone who loves a good story, Science Slam is your chance to see research come alive.

The ERI scholarship is awarded annually to an outstanding undergraduate or graduate student whose academic focus aligns with the mission of ERI in areas such as civil and environmental engineering, GIS, land use planning, and related fields. Scholarship winner is chosen through a competitive screening process that considers recommendation letters, a written essay, and academic performance.

Using complex geophysical analysis, machine learning and environmental risk assessment models, Shahnul鈥檚 study focuses on assessing the ecological and human health concerns associated with the toxicity of environmental heavy metals. His efforts enhance the stability and health of the urban environment.

The Scholarship Committee, Principals and Partners of Environmental Resolutions, Inc., had the opportunity to learn about Shahnul鈥檚 research and career goals at the formal award ceremony held at the ERI offices in South Jersey in August.

Anniversary meeting in Graz

Every five years, this special togetherness is celebrated with a visit to the respective twin city 鈥� this year a delegation from 麻豆传媒在线 visited Graz. Led by聽聽Susan Shin Andersen聽, Vice Mayor of 麻豆传媒在线, and聽聽Jonathan Koppell聽, Rector of 麻豆传媒在线, they聽were welcomed聽 at City Hall by Mayor聽Elke Kahr聽, Vice Mayor聽Judith Schwentner聽, and SP脰 parliamentary group leader聽Daniela Schl眉sselberger . They were accompanied by聽Lora Billings听,听Kimberly Hollister聽, and聽Tim White聽, representatives of 麻豆传媒在线. Before the official reception, the delegation from overseas signed the Golden Book of the City of Graz. “Graz and 麻豆传媒在线 have enjoyed a decades-long friendship, with many wonderful encounters that have taken place here in Austria or in America. 麻豆传媒在线 is an open city that has a positive outlook on all people, regardless of where they come from. I hope that you, too, will have many pleasant and positive encounters during your visit to Graz,” said Mayor Elke Kahr.

From person to person

Numerous alumni of the 麻豆传媒在线-Graz exchange program and members of the “Neighbors Overseas” association, as well as representatives of Graz universities and politicians, attended the reception in the city council meeting room. The event was opened by City Councilor聽Robert Krotzer聽, who led a minute’s silence in remembrance of the victims of the recent school shooting. Special attention was paid to the teacher who was killed on June 10th 鈥� she was a former exchange student in 麻豆传媒在线 and a member of the Neighbors Overseas association. “The great importance of vibrant city partnerships has lost none of its relevance. International understanding, mutual understanding and appreciation, the exchange of know-how, joint projects, etc. are more important today than ever. With this in mind, we look forward to the coming years of our city partnership with 麻豆传媒在线 and the further intensification of the friendly relations between our cities and citizens,” said Krotzer.

麻豆传媒在线 Vice Mayor聽Susan Shin Andersen聽expressed her deep emotion at the current events and expressed her condolences to the city of Graz. “I’m still glad we’re here now. Because a sister city relationship isn’t just about happy moments, it’s also about sticking together.” She emphasized the importance of international exchange programs for mutual understanding: “A stay abroad can be life-changing鈥攕eeing how people live in other cultures and recognizing what connects us. Through our sister city relationship, we can build relationships鈥攐ne link at a time, between people, cities, and governments.”

Jonathan Koppell聽, Rector of 麻豆传媒在线, also聽emphasized in his address how important such partnerships are, especially in difficult times. “What happened in Graz underscores the importance of city partnerships like this, as they foster understanding and empathy. Thank you for welcoming us even in this time of grief. In a time of global uncertainty, it is even more important to build relationships and show empathy. We must build on this shared history and further deepen this partnership.”

Association “Neighbors Overseas”

For many years, the heart and soul of the exchange program in Graz and the “Neighbors Overseas” association was聽Maxie Uray-Frick聽鈥� affectionately called “Graz Mom” 鈥嬧�媌y the 麻豆传媒在线 students. She has been a member of the “Neighbors Overseas” association for over 40 years and led its affairs for decades. The association’s leadership is always the current mayor. Uray-Frick looked back on her role with great affection: “Whenever the students had a problem, no matter what it was, they always said: Call Maxie! I loved being the Graz Mom and hope that the exchange program continues for at least another 75 years!”

Since 2024,听聽Sigrid Karner-R眉hl,听who studied in 麻豆传媒在线 with her husband, has continued to lead the association with dedication and great conviction.

Our mission is to connect students with each other. We support students wherever we can. We accompany them to official procedures, pick them up from the airport, organize regular program events, and are available to answer any questions!

Initially drawn to 麻豆传媒在线 for its affordability and proximity to his home in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Quinn-Vitabile enrolled as a聽Computer Science聽major. Like many Computer Science majors, he set about finding a software engineering internship, thinking that he might work at a tech company after graduation. Though he ended up getting that internship at Johnson & Johnson last spring, he also happened to choose Physics for his elective science course that semester.

I really had a great time in physics. I thought that it was much more interesting than anything I had done yet in computer science. I wanted to continue studying physics, and I saw there was a lot of opportunity to use skills from computation and software to work in physics, whether research or other applications.鈥�

Quinn-Vitabile decided to add the minor in聽Physics聽as it would only be a few extra classes. He could continue studying it, meet more people, and get involved in research. And that鈥檚 what he did that following summer.聽鈥淚t all happened pretty quickly after that,鈥� he says.

Read the Full Article on University News

Led by 麻豆传媒在线 professor聽Rui Li聽with co-PIs聽Stefan Robila,听Jennifer Yang, and聽Gustavo Heidner, the project brings together expertise in multimodal interaction and affective computing, computational sensing, psychology and spatial cognition, as well as human biomechanics and motor control to conduct cutting-edge research focused on humans and machines. This research will be tested and deployed on the 麻豆传媒在线 extended reality-based driving simulator (XR-Drive), sponsored by the NSF, over the three-year project.

The success of this NSF project is a very important step for me and my team鈥檚 research at 麻豆传媒在线. It enables us to explore the interactions among humans, machines, and environments collaboratively. Most importantly, the interdisciplinary nature of this project will allow innovative collaborative studies that integrate expertise across multiple disciplines centering on intelligent machines, human factors, and environmental factors. It will serve as a new platform for STEM training. For example, students can develop and deploy software content on this new hardware.

Read the Full Article

This聽 ambitious project is led by a transdisciplinary team that includes co-PIs Amy Tuininga, Professor of Earth and Environmental Studies, Michael Hannon, Associate Professor of Counseling, and Lora Billings, Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics (CSAM). The project was inspired and piloted by the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies (PSEG ISS) Green Teams summer internship program, managed by Tuininga as Director and Goodey as Associate Director. While it was generally accepted that students benefit from internship experiences, Tuininga and Goodey were keenly aware of how internships often lacked the elements required for students with a breadth of identities and life experiences to feel a sense of belonging, particularly in STEM fields.

Mature scientists know that STEM projects often involve setbacks and that embracing these challenges leads to resilience and unexpected scientific breakthroughs. Facing these challenges can exacerbate negative mental states for inexperienced researchers who lack adequate support in adjusting to their STEM identities.

They consulted with Hannon, a counselor educator whose research focuses on mental health and wellbeing, who suggested they fill the gap with the addition of weekly psychoeducational group counseling sessions for the interns. Embracing a unique opportunity, the sessions would be facilitated by PhD students in Counseling, who are professional counselors. The pilot project from 2022-2024, funded by the PSEG Foundation, was well received by interns and it seemed natural to extend the support to other students.

“The PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies is pleased to lead innovation in best practices for inclusive internship experiences, like mental health support for young people that is much needed, particularly after COVID,” says Tuininga.

As a STEM partner, Goodey and Tuininga identified the growing CSAM Summer Undergraduate Research Program, managed by Billings, which similarly studied the benefits of undergraduate research on student outcomes at their HSI institution. This program was piloted in 2022 through a New Jersey Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund II (GEERF II) Opportunity Meets Innovation Challenge grant and then was supported by donor funding and a partnership with the NSF Garden State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. The CSAM program expanded to over 50 mentor-led projects in the summer of 2024.

Mental health is key to managing stress and supporting productivity in both research and education. This project will empower all students to persist in STEM and holistically prepare them to succeed in the future workforce. 麻豆传媒在线 is proud to be a leader in quantifying the value of the mental health support services.

The project has strong support from the University鈥檚 administration and contributes their HSI expertise as senior personnel. Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Junius Gonzales, brings his expertise in Hispanic students鈥� mental health and commitment to reduce equity gaps for student achievement and grow student internship and research opportunities. Milton Fuentes, Department of Psychology and MSU Provost鈥檚 Higher Education Academic Leadership Fellow, brings to the project a deep understanding of Hispanic students, mental health, and expertise in Latinx, multicultural, and family psychology.

The team will employ a mixed-methods approach to answer the following questions:

1. what impact does psychoeducational group counseling have on research and internship experiences
2. does participating in psychoeducational group counseling influence students’ sense of hope
3. how does participating in counselor-facilitated, weekly affinity groups impact research mentors and project managers? The hypothesis is that the counseling component will provide students with clarity regarding their career paths; increased group-cohesion; the confidence and tools to confront and disrupt racism; necessary mental health support; and mentally-safe and inclusive internship and research experiences.

鈥淭he inclusion of counseling support for students participating in these internship and research experiences is exactly the kind of proactive, preventative services that all students deserve. We are hopeful that the comprehensive scope of support will be nothing short of transformational for the students, for those of us privileged to engage with and serve them, and for our institution.

The team will also invite faculty mentors and program managers to participate in their own counselor-facilitated affinity groups to establish best practices for mentoring students with intersecting and marginalized identities. With additional support by the College and Provost鈥檚 Office, the University hopes to maximize the reach of this program and make it sustainable. The team will share the practices broadly within 麻豆传媒在线 and with other institutions of higher education as a model to integrate counseling into research and internship experiences.

This research is supported by the National Science Foundation HSI Program under , which aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Seaweed farming could reduce the pressure on natural seaweed forests by replacing wild harvesting. Yet, most of the seaweed consumed by humans is already farmed (97 percent of the 30 million tons of seaweed used by humans in 2018 was farmed, according to an article published in 2020 by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations). Given that the decline of habitat-forming seaweed is a worldwide concern (due primarily to climate change), further reducing wild harvest should be beneficial to ocean conservation.