NJIT in the News

All students (BS, MS and PhD) are invited to experience the spirit of innovation that drives biomedical engineering research in University Heights at NJIT's Biomedical Engineering Research Open House on Oct. 16, 2-4 p.m. in Fenster Hall, 6th Floor. Tour NJIT BME laboratories and see the work first-hand, meet with NJIT BME faculty who are leading these research programs, and much more. 

Stem cell researcher Treena Livingston Arinzeh will discuss current stem cell applications at NJIT, including the regeneration of bone and cartilage for bone fracture and osteoarthritis treatments, spinal cord repair, and liver regeneration at NJIT’s first Research Café.  

NJIT Biomedical Engineering Professor Treena Livingston Arinzeh, PhD will discuss "Stem Cells: Their Origins and Applications Being Explored at NJIT" at the opening session of The Research Café on Sept. 29 at 4:30 p.m. in the Faculty Dining area on the third floor of the Campus Center. Refreshments will be served and also can be purchased in the Pub or other Campus Center locations. Contact Jay Kappraff at x3490.

Mesut Sahin, PhD, of Clifton, assistant professor in the department of biomedical engineering, was promoted to associate professor with tenure at NJIT’s University Convocation, an annual celebration held on Sept. 2, 2009.  

Sergei Adamovich, PhD, of Garwood, associate professor in the department of biomedical engineering, was promoted to associate professor with tenure at NJIT’s University Convocation, an annual celebration held on Sept. 2, 2009.  

NJIT marks the start of the new school year on September 2, 2009 with University Convocation, an annual celebration and awards ceremony.  The event, which recognizes the accomplishments of students, faculty and staff, will be held at 3 p.m., in the Jim Wise Theatre in Kupfrian Hall on the NJIT campus. A reception follows.

Learning science has never been more rewarding for young girls than during the next few weeks at NJIT when FEMME, the 28-year-old, five-week, summer enrichment program, whirls to a fabulous finish. Hands-on, sophisticated projects guarantee to keep girls (ages 8-15) happy and learning. Among the lessons: building paper roller coasters to learn physics and tie-dyeing shirts to study chemistry. 

Natacha DePaola, PhD, professor and Department Head of Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, will discuss "Biophysical Regulation of Mammalian Cell Function: Understanding Disease, Developing Therapies, and Engineering Functional Tissues" on March 27 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Lecture Hall 3. 

Gene Gurkoff, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California-Davis, will discuss "Post-Traumatic Neuronal Activity and Cell Death" at a Biomedical Engineering Department Seminar on March 26 at 11:30 a.m. in Fenster Hall Rm. 698.

Jelena Kovacevic, PhD, professor in the Biomedical Engineering and and Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments at Carnegie Mellon University, will discuss "Problems in Biological Imaging: Opportunities for Signal Processing" on March 13 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Hall Lecture 3.

More than 300 people and 30 companies are expected to attend the sixth annual biomedical engineering showcase and career fair on March 13, 2009 at NJIT. The annual event, to be held from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in NJIT’s Campus Center, unites industry professionals and academics interested in the applied-life sciences.   

Jelena Kovacevic, PhD, professor of biomedical engineering and electrical and computer engineering and director of the Center for Bioimage Informatics at Carnegie Mellon University, will discuss "Problems in Biological Imaging: Opportunities for Signal Processing" on Feb. 13 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Lecture Hall 3.

Michael Jaffe, PhD, Research Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry and director of the Medical Device Concept Laboratory at NJIT, will discuss the “Impact of Process and Physical Structure on the Performance of Polymeric Biomaterials” on Jan. 30 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Lecture Hall 3.

NEC Foundation of America has awarded NJIT a $32,000 grant to support the dissemination and use of therapeutic video games to serve children with severe sensory and motor disabilities. 

New Jersey Monthly magazine this month named NJIT President Robert A. Altenkirch one of New Jersey’s most important people to watch in 2009. 

Judith Sheft, associate vice president for technology development at NJIT, has been awarded funds from the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology to assist faculty researchers with the most promising patentable inventions with funding grants of up to $50,000. 

Felicia Amaechi, a senior majoring in biomedical engineering, and Karen Martinez, a junior majoring in chemical engineering, captured second place in the ExxonMobil Subject Matter Expert (SME) Bowl at the 2009 Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Conference on Nov. 8 in Baltimore. The SME Bowl is a competition with a "College Bowl" atmosphere where student teams representing the 10 SWE regions compete to answer engineering, math and science questions. Felicia and Karen, who are both in NJIT's Educational Opportunity Program, were part of a five-member team that included fellow region members from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Each team member received a $75 cash prize and $1500 for the region. Felicia is president of NJIT's SWE section and a Murray Women’s Center Ambassador.

"Tools of the Trade" is the topic of a Biomedical Engineering Department Seminar on Nov. 21 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Lecture Hall 3. Dennis R. Filippone, MD, former chairman of the Department of Surgery at Saint Barnabas Medical Center and a surgical services consultant at Saint Barnabas Health Care System, will track the fundamental disciplines in medicine, namely diagnosis, treatment, and procedures from the simple to the complex with a focus on the urinary system.  

Beth Cheney, R&D Project Manager at Datascope Corp. will present an introduction to medical device product development and respective regulatory requirements on Nov. 14 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Lecture Hall 3.    

Thomas Felicetti, PhD, executive director of Beechwood Rehabilitative Services, Woods Services, will discuss “Red Flags in Brain Injury” at a Biomedical Engineering Department Seminar on Nov. 7 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Lecture Hall 3. 

NJIT's Department of Biomedical Engineering will host a seminar by Kathryn Uhrich, PhD, professor, associate chair and graduate program director and co-director of the Stem Cell IGERT at Rutgers University on Oct. 31 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Lecture Hall 3. "Biodegradable Polymers from Bioactives" will be the topic.

Howard Scalzo, principal engineer at Ethicon, Inc. will discuss career opportunities for biomedical engineering majors at the Biomedical Engineering Seminar Series on Oct. 10 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Lecture Hall 3. Scalzo will describe the research, development and launch of two products he has been involved with during his career.

Camelia Prodan, PhD, assistant professor in the department of physics at NJIT, will discuss "Dielectric Spectroscopy for Biological Applications" at the Department of Biomedical Engineering Seminar Series on Oct. 3 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Lecture Hall 3. 

Michael T. Bergen, a biomedical engineer at the Neurobehavioral Research Laboratory, VA New Jersey Health Care System and an adjunct professor in the department of biomedical engineering at NJIT, will discuss “The Development of An Ambulatory Recording System for Multi-Variable, Multi-Subject, Studies” on Sept. 19 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Lecture Hall III.      

NJIT's Vision and Neural Engineering Laboratory is seeking research subjects who have tried progressive lenses (bifocals without the line) and wear them regularly or dislike them and have not had LASIK surgery or any other types of eye surgery. Participants will receive $10 per hour of experimentation. The study will last 3-6 sessions; each session is approximately 1 hour and occurs on different days. We will work with your schedule. Contact: Tara Alvarez, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering at NJIT, e-mail: tara.l.alvarez@njit.edu; 973-596-5272.  

Gloria Portocarrero, of Union City, receives her bachelor of science in biomedical engineering from NJIT at the Prudential Center this Saturday at 9 a.m. She’ll walk at the head of her class—an Albert Dorman Honors College scholar who’s accepted into a master’s degree program for next fall in biomedical engineering.

Tara L. Alvarez, PhD, associate professor in the department of biomedical engineering and director of NJIT’s Vision and Neural Engineering Laboratory, was one of 12 Outstanding Women of Science recognized at the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research (NJABR) 2008 Red Carpet Gala held on May 1 at the Bridgewater Manor in Bridgewater, NJ. 

A better understanding of brain injury, a way to rejuvenate dead nerve endings and a device allowing patients to monitor their glaucoma at home, number among this year’s nine winners at NJIT’s annual provost’s student research day.

Robert Heary, MD, professor of neurosurgery and program director of the Neurosurgical Residency Training Program at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, will discuss "Spine Biomechanics and Spinal Cord Injury and Biomechanics Laboratories" on May 2 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Lecture Hall 3. 

Albert Lossinsky, PhD, senior research scientist and head of the Laboratory of Cell Culture, Neuroanatomy and Experimental Neuropathology and adjunct professor of neuroscience at Seton Hall University, will discuss "Transendothelial Cell Transport of Proteins, Leukocytes and Pathogens in Blood-Brain Barrier Inflammation" on April 25 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Hall Lecture Hall 3.    

Lisa Simone, PhD, assistant research professor in the department of biomedical engineering at NJIT, will be the guest speaker at the NJIT Collegiate Section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) annual Networking Night and Awards Reception on April 24 at 5:30 p.m. in the Faculty/Staff Dining Hall (Campus Center, 3rd Floor). RSVP by April 21 to Felicia Amaechi.

Patrick Snowhill, PhD, scientist, Product Development at Integra Life Sciences Corporation, will discuss “Integra LifeSciences: A Brief History of Medical Device Development” on April 18 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Lecture Hall 3.

Ralph Mitchell Siegel, PhD, an assistant professor in the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University-Newark, will discuss “There is No Spoon: The Misrepresentations of Association Cortex in Monkeys” on April 11 at 11:30 a.m. in Cullimore Lecture Hall 3.

Black Enterprise magazine has named Treena Livingston Arinzeh, 37, one of “40 under 40” to watch in 2008. Arinzeh, an associate professor in NJIT’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, has earned national recognition for her pioneering adult stem cell research to find ways to use biomaterials to re-engineer tissues.

Hamid Bagce will graduate on May 17, 2007 from NJIT at Continental Airlines Arena with a perfect 4.0 average and with one of the top honors from Newark College of Engineering. Last March, he was named best biomedical engineering student of the year.

Those seeking first-hand information and responses to questions about stem cell research are invited to attend the first regional Stem Cell Public Information Forum on May 22, 7-9 p.m. at the County College of Morris in Randolph. Donald Sebastian, PhD, senior vice president for research and development and Treena Arinzeh, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering, will participate in a panel discussion. Registration is free; seating is limited. Reserve seats by registering at www.stemcellhealing.org or e-mail info@stemcellhealing.org.

Liberty Science Center and NJIT have signed an agreement affirming their dedication to collaborating and cooperating in programs and initiatives that advance mutual missions and objectives that lead to improved teaching and learning, and that contribute to improved science and technology literacy.

More than 300 people and 30 companies are expected to attend the Fourth Annual Biomedical Engineering Showcase and Career Fair on March 9 at NJIT. The event, to be held from 7:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. in NJIT’s Campus Center, unites industry professionals and academics interested in the applied-life sciences.

Electrospinning: Process Modeling and Applications" is the topic of a discussion by Michael Jaffe, PhD, research professor in the department of biomedical engineering at NJIT, on Oct. 4 at 1 p.m., Mechanical Engineering Center Rm. 224.

Benjamin J. Glasser, PhD, an associate professor in the department of chemical and biochemical engineering at Rutgers University, will discuss "Segregation and Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Granular Shear Flows" on Oct. 9, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Mechanical Engineering Center Rm. 224.

NJIT Provost Named Honorary Member by ASCEPriscilla P. Nelson, PhD, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at NJIT, was elected an Honorary Member by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Board of Direction. Honorary Members are those who have demonstrated achievement and contributed noteworthy services in any field of endeavor who have adhered to high standards of conduct, and whose efforts have benefited their communities, the nation and humanity. The Class of 2006 of 11 Honorary members will be inducted during the ASCE Annual Conference in October.Graduate Student Awarded a 2006 SPIE Educational Scholarship  Aysegul Ergin, a doctoral student in biomedical engineering at NJIT, was awarded an  Educational Scholarship in Optical Science & Engineering by SPIE-The International Society for Optical Engineering. The Scholarship Committee selected Ergin for her potential long-range contribution to the field of optics and photonics. Student Places Third in First Annual Electronic Trading Olympiad Yanzhi Bai, a graduate student in the College of Computing Sciences at NJIT, placed sixth in the first annual Electronic Trading Olympiad sponsored by the Interactive Brokers Group (IBG). IBG created the Olympiad to highlight the growing need for engineers and computer science professionals in the financial services industry.  

Michael Jaffe, PhD, research professor in the department of biomedical engineering at NJIT, is scheduled to appear on a segment on alternate auto fuels tonight on Channel 9-UPN News at 10 p.m.

Six students at NJIT were cited for doing superior research projects that could one day lead to new technologies in fields such as biomedical engineering and cancer research. The students were honored during the Provost’s Student Research Showcase, held April 12 at NJIT.

Students at NJIT work side by side with professors on the university’s most prominent research projects—projects that could lead to new technologies in fields such as biomedical engineering and cancer research. During the Provost’s Student Research Showcase on April 12, top students will illustrate that research with poster presentations, which will run from 1:15-3:45 p.m. in the Campus Center Atrium. The event is free and open to the public.

Treena Arinzeh, PhD, assistant professor in the department of biomedical engineering at NJIT, will be a featured speaker at the third annual New Jersey Biomedical Engineering Showcase on March 10, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Woodbridge Hilton. The event is co-hosted by NJIT's Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Robert Miura, PhD, professor in the departments of mathematical sciences and biomedical engineering and acting chair of the mathematical sciences department at NJIT, will discuss "Solitons and the Inverse Scattering Method: An Historical View" on March 10, 11:35 a.m., Cullimore Lecture Hall II. Contact: John Bechtold.

Michael Jaffe, PhD, research professor of biomedical engineering at NJIT, will discuss "The (Potential) Impact of Materials Science on Biology: Causality Versus Correlation" on Feb. 1, 2006, 11:30 a.m., Mechanical Engineering Center, Rm. 224. Contact: Edward Dreizin, 973-596-3327.

Robert Miura, PhD, a professor in the departments of mathematical sciences and biomedical engineering, was honored yesterday by his colleagues for receiving on Jan. 13 the Leroy P. Steele Prize for a Seminal Contribution To Research In Mathematics from the American Mathematical Society.

Treena Arinzeh, PhD, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering who is one of the nation’s leading stem cell researchers, has received two grants that will help her bring the promise of stem cell research a step closer to reality.

MSPTC Students Awarded Distance Learning Scholarships Michele Fields and Hilary Deblak, students in the Master of Science in Professional and Technical Communication (MSPTC) program at NJIT, were awarded scholarships through the Go The Distance Scholarship Contest, the first merit-based scholarship exclusively for distance degree students. Michele and Hilary won two out of the three first-year graduate awards.  "This award recognizes the outstanding work of our distance learning students," said Nancy Walters Coppola, associate professor in the humanities department and director of the MSPTC program. "Our master's degree is one of the first completely online programs in technical communication and continues to attract exceptional students." Jackson Receives Minority Achievers Award Jesse Jackson, executive director of the Pre-College Consortium at NJIT, received the New Jersey Minority Achievers Award on November 18, 2004. NJIT Student Elected to National Executive Board of Phi Eta Sigma David Nare, president of NJIT's Phi Eta Sigma Chapter, was elected to the honor society's National Executive Board at its convention held last month in Savannah, Georgia. Nare, who is the first NJIT student to hold national office in Phi Eta Sigma, will serve as a board member for two years and help to develop the program for the honor society's next convention in 2006. NJIT Professor Cited by Congressman Menendez In recognition of her recent achivements, NJIT Assistant Professor Treena Livingston Arinzeh was cited by Congressman Robert Menendez, whose remarks were entered into the Congressional Record. "I applaud her for her exceptional achievements," he said. "New Jersey and our nation will greatly benefit from her groundbreaking work." New Jersey Stem Cell Researcher to Receive Research Award from Biomedical Group Treena Livingston Arinzeh, PhD, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at NJIT, whose research has proven the potential of adult stem cell research to help patients suffering from spinal cord injuries and related diseases, will receive an Outstanding Women in Research Award from The New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research (NJABR), Union. Read the press release. GSA Receives Award for International Student Support Program The Graduate Student Association at NJIT received an International Student Support Program Award from the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students. The award is given to graduate/professional student organizations with outstanding local or national programs.

Treena Livingston Arinzeh, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at NJIT, received the 2003 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers today during a ceremony at the White House. The Presidential Award is the highest national honor for young scientists and engineers. “I’m very proud to receive this prestigious presidential award,” Arinzeh said. “The award shows that my research in stem-cell based regeneration has great potential, and that it’s essential to the scientific education of students, both in college and in high school.”