JerseySTEM webmaster
Celebrating the achievements to STEM from the Hispanic community

The field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics has witnessed remarkable contributions from individuals around the world, with the Hispanic community playing a crucial role in shaping advancements across various disciplines. From space exploration to groundbreaking scientific discoveries, the Hispanic community has consistently demonstrated their dedication and innovation.

In September we celebrate  Hispanic Heritage Month. JerseySTEM highlights some of the most notable STEM contributions from the Hispanic community. 

France A. Córdova

Her STEM journey began at an early age, marked by her curiosity and passion for space exploration. Córdova’s achievements culminated in her becoming the youngest Chief Scientist of NASA in 1993, and the first Hispanic woman in the role, a testament to her dedication and intellect. Her contributions have significantly influenced space research, fostering a new generation of scientists and engineers.

She made history as the first Hispanic woman to venture into space, serving as a mission specialist aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1993. Beyond her role as an astronaut, Ochoa’s background as an engineer and inventor has further solidified her place in STEM history. 

Ellen Ochoa
Luis Alvarez

A brilliant physicist, he made significant strides in the fields of particle physics and nuclear science. Among his many notable achievements is the Nobel Prize in Physics he was awarded in 1968. The American Journal of Physics called Alvarez “one of the most brilliant and productive experimental physicists of the twentieth century.” Alvarez’s contributions continue to be studied and acknowledged as pivotal to our understanding of nuclear physics.

A Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner in 1995, his groundbreaking research revealed the detrimental effects of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) on the ozone layer, leading to a global awakening on environmental issues. Molina’s commitment to raising awareness about climate change and advocating for sustainable practices has made a lasting impact on both scientific and policy spheres.

Mario Molina
Carlos Juan Finlay

His discovery that mosquitoes transmit yellow fever marked a pivotal moment in the understanding of disease transmission. His research laid the foundation for subsequent breakthroughs in epidemiology and public health, saving countless lives and reshaping medical practices. In 1962, the Cuban government established the “Finlay Medical History Museum” in honor of his contributions. 

The Hispanic community has enriched the world of STEM with a diverse array of contributions that span space exploration, physics, environmental science, public health, and many more fields. But their representation in the STEM workforce is far behind.

9:28 pm 13Sep, 2023
JerseySTEM webmaster
Northstar Donates Advanced Educational Resources to JerseySTEM

For Immediate Release 

Courtney Ronaldo

908-797-4745

media@jerseySTEM.org 

Newark, N.J. and Florham Park, N.J. – August 1, 2023 – Northstar New Jersey and JerseySTEM recently partnered to ensure students at the 13th Avenue School in Newark, New Jersey are able to access critical classroom equipment including, microscopes, slides, molecular model kits, induction cooktops and more. As part of its After School Advantage program, Northstar donated $18,000 worth of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) equipment to JerseySTEM. This technology will enable students to have hands-on experience with chemistry, computer programming, biology and engineering.

“JerseySTEM is thrilled to partner with Northstar New Jersey and accept its donation of critical equipment that will enable us to bring coding and chemistry programs to students in underserved communities.”

– Dennis Boyd, Member, Corporate Development Taskforce, JerseySTEM

“This partnership is an excellent example of how non-profit organizations, such as ours, can combine forces in support of reaching more young students and furthering STEM goals in New Jersey. We thank the entire Northstar New Jersey team and look forward to delivering access to STEM education in underserved communities through our work together.”

“We are pleased to partner with JerseySTEM for this donation, and we support its goal of providing training to help middle school students in underrepresented communities across New Jersey, preparing them for the future. We look forward to continuing our philanthropic efforts in New Jersey for many years.”

– Adam Perlow, Northstar New Jersey Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

“Northstar’s After School Advantage donation to JerseySTEM is exciting for us as we continue demonstrating our dedication to providing New Jersey’s youth with resources and opportunities to further their education and development,” said Adam Perlow, Northstar New Jersey Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

Northstar’s donation and support will help JerseySTEM identify needs in the community and transform the lives of students at the 13th Avenue School with a focus on STEM education.

About JerseySTEM

JerseySTEM is a non-profit organization seeking to ignite interest in STEM subjects among the underserved youth of New Jersey. Projects that JerseySTEM facilitates include after-school programs, led by college students studying STEM subjects and mentoring programs between corporate sponsor employees and those college students. Visit us at jerseystem.org. To sponsor a JerseySTEM program, go to our Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities page. 

JerseySTEM’s Dennis Boyd (Center Left) accepts a “Foldscope” microscope from Tim Rolwood, Northstar New Jersey (Center Right), as part of an $18,000 equipment donation. Also in the photo are Dr. Maraima Grimes, I Have a Dream Foundation, NJ, and Michael Tierney, JerseySTEM.

About Northstar’s ASA Program

Northstar’s ASA program, which began in 2013 in cooperation with IGT, provides educational opportunities to local children by donating new computers, printers, software, furniture, and volunteer hours to non-profit organizations that sponsor after-school programs statewide. The program aims to narrow the “digital divide” between affluent individuals and minorities, low-income households, and single parent families, to grant more children access to computers and other educational opportunities. 

As a global leader in gaming, IGT is committed to building sustainable communities where the Company conducts business worldwide. After School Advantage (ASA), IGT’s flagship community initiative, ensures students have access to participate in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educational opportunities in digital learning centers, while developing the knowledge and skills for the jobs of tomorrow. For each ASA technology lab, IGT donates new computers, printers, software, furniture, and curricula to qualifying public schools and non-profit agencies  Since the launch of the ASA program on April 14, 1999, IGT has installed computer centers in the District of Columbia, Antigua, Barbados, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, Rhode Island, Texas, Oregon, Georgia, California, Kentucky, Ohio, Arizona, New Jersey, Michigan, Kansas, Wisconsin, New York, Colorado, Missouri, Louisiana, Illinois, New Mexico, Virginia, Idaho, Florida, Tennessee, Nevada, Washington, Indiana, North Carolina, South Dakota, Mississippi and the United Kingdom. For more information about IGT’s ASA program, please visit www.IGT.com.

12:53 am 15Aug, 2023
JerseySTEM webmaster
Female Engineers From CDM Smith and City of Newark Inspire Students at Robert Treat Academy STEMTalks

When it comes to careers, STEM fields have long been considered a boys’ club. But thanks to organizations like JerseySTEM, that’s beginning to change.

Engineers Christine Ballard and Carolyn Loudermilk from CDM Smith and Skylar Reed from the City of Newark, New Jersey, visited the Robert Treat Academy campuses in Newark April 18 and 19 and met with the middle school students who recently participated in JerseySTEM’s eight-week spring program held onsite.

CDM Smith, which is a global engineering and construction company, funded the program. Their generous $6,640 grant was generated from a T-shirt design contest they sponsored for their 2022 summer interns. The contest winner, Megha Sawhney, a civil engineering student from Purdue University, requested the proceeds from the T-shirt sales to the company employees go to JerseySTEM.

“I chose the organization,” she said, “because they recognize the gender gap in the STEM field and are making efforts to close it.”

At the STEMTalks on the Stephen N. Adubato campus and the Jackie Robinson campus on April 18 and 19 respectively, Lauriene Tschang, a corporate program partnership manager from JerseySTEM, emceed and introduced Ballard, Principal Engineer-Client Service Leader, Loudermilk, Project Engineer, and Reed, Environmental Engineer, to the students. 

All three shared their career journeys and discussed the two ongoing projects they are working on together to deliver upgraded drinking water infrastructure to the residents of Newark. They also fielded questions ranging from “What did you have to learn in school to get to where you are today?” to “What did they like best about their jobs?”. Afterwards, the engineers watched and provided useful feedback on the final projects the students recently completed. On both days, several groups showcased the apps they created in Shark Tank-like presentations. 

“The students showed us what they learned during the eight weeks of coding and answered questions the engineers asked,” said Tschang. “Overall, it was a meaningful event for everyone involved.”

“We are grateful to work with CDM Smith and JerseySTEM to advance our students’ interest and exposure to STEM-related studies,” said Marcelino Trillo, principal at the Adubato campus. “They have provided us with critical resources, including access to their exceptional engineers who have engaged our students with fun and collaborative programs.” CDM Smith was pleased to participate in the events. “Early exposure to STEM topics gives young students more career options to consider as they progress through high school and college,” said Ballard.

“JerseySTEM and their STEMTalks enlighten students on how technology contributes to a better world. I’m delighted we had this opportunity to collaborate.”

At first glance, it might seem like these women are breaking barriers by becoming engineers. But when you look closer at their careers, you’ll see that they’ve been breaking barriers for a long time—and they’re just getting started!

Donations and support from sponsors like CDM Smith help JerseySTEM transform the lives of middle school girls in underrepresented communities. We look forward to hosting more transformative programs like these in the future. Thank you for your support!

1:22 am 26May, 2023
JerseySTEM webmaster
Meet Sriya – JerseySTEM Program Instructor

One would think that middle school kids in a Friday after-school activity would be somewhat tired after a long week. But if you stop by the MySTEM Club classroom at Robert Treat Academy in Newark between 3:30-5:30pm each week, you’ll hear and see an infectious energy. From the opening icebreaker that usually involves talk about fashion to the final minutes spent in joyful dancing to “Cotton-Eyed Joe”, Sriya Jidugu’s class is far from ordinary. But that’s not surprising once you get to know Sriya.  

Born in India’s southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh, Sriya came to live in New Jersey with her family when she was young. Her youth was spent in suburban communities not far from the urban NJIT Newark campus, a place she says “feels like home.” What she likes most about NJIT is that it’s a small community where becoming a well-rounded person is a priority. If she had attended a different university she wonders if she would be as confident and out-going as she is now.

As a member of the NJIT Honors program, she is required to complete fifteen hours of on-campus service as well as fifteen service hours within the greater Newark community. This brought Syria and her many talents to JerseySTEM, but she has been applying her talent and enthusiasm to various programs since high school as a peer mentor to underclassmen and summer tutor for special needs kids.

Sriya is a bundle of energy. She is running for election as the NJIT student senate biochemistry representative, dances with the student Ehsaas dance team, and mentors local high schoolers about STEM career paths as part of the Lyra club. So how does she find the time and motivation to be such an inspiring Program Instructor for JerseySTEM?  “I just like to make people happy,” is how she explains it. And that she does, as evident by the hugs she receives every Friday from the girls who race to her MySTEM Club classroom. “Working with the younger kids is especially rewarding,” she beams.   

Due to her academic standing at NJIT, Sriya gets to be a part of a research team studying medical practices in 19th century Turkey. While not an assigned part of her course load, it is her favorite area of research. Maybe that’s why she plans to attend med school to study neuroscience after receiving her undergraduate degree.   

Although it doesn’t seem like there are any hours unaccounted for in her week, Sriya fits in some occasional down-time. When not in class, studying, dancing, or volunteering, she can be found challenging friends in crocheting competitions or perfecting her stove-top cooking skills.  Her specialty— jalapeno mac-n-cheese! It seems appropriate for someone with such a zest for life. 

Learn more about volunteering with JerseySTEM at https://www.jerseystem.org/program-instructor

12:23 am 31Mar, 2023
JerseySTEM webmaster
Increasing Female Representation in STEM Careers Starts with Exposure

JerseySTEM partners with schools and community organizations throughout New Jersey to create STEM-oriented opportunities for girls in underserved communities.

According to an article from EdSource.org, many girls aren’t taking STEM courses because they’re often not exposed to STEM in school and/or are encouraged to pursue other careers.

The article focuses on California where only 30 percent of high school students who take computer science courses are female. Yet, females make up 49 percent of the student population.

EdSource believes the California education system can close the exposure gap by doing the following:

  • Expose girls to STEM studies early in their education, no later than eighth or ninth grade
  • Invite STEM industry professionals to high school classrooms as guest speakers
  • Involve girls in cross-curricular projects that examine how the different STEM components come together
  • Administer aptitude tests to girls to show them they have the intelligence and skills to pursue STEM careers

JerseySTEM’s contribution to exposing girls to STEM education and career possibilities will continue to make a critical difference in how they view future STEM opportunities.

9:45 am 21Feb, 2023
JerseySTEM webmaster
Dishant Modi – JerseySTEM Volunteer Success Story

Volunteering for JerseySTEM can sometimes lead to an exciting career opportunity. That’s what happened for Dishant Modi, 26, who is originally from Gujarat, a state along the western coast of India.

After receiving his Master’s Degree in Data Analytics from Northeastern University in Boston, Dishant worked as a business intelligence developer consultant. He eventually answered a JerseySTEM LinkedIn posting seeking a volunteer with his technical expertise. Dishant soon became a data analyst intern at JerseySTEM, joining the team the Balu Vemburaj, an agile coach/project manager at JerseySTEM, supervises.

From mid-February through mid-August 2022, Dishant collaborated with the team on Jira software on which they managed their projects. He leveraged data from multiple domains and sources to build dashboards and reported on volunteer activity, plus participated in weekly virtual team meetings to discuss and plan other analytical projects.

It turns out that Balu, who is also a senior director at Akamai Technologies, Inc., needed someone with similar skills for his team at his company. He offered Dishant a job as a data analyst in late August 2022.

“I believe it’s important to volunteer and contribute to society by helping people not privileged as you are,” says Dishant. Being a volunteer at JerseySTEM allowed him to demonstrate his abilities, which led to his job offer. “There are many similarities between the volunteer work I did for JerseySTEM and my new job,” says Dishant.

11:35 am 7Feb, 2023