Jacqueline was so enthusiastic regarding her work with an RNA virus in my lab at Montclair. It is so exciting that this beginning led her to be a part of a team that is making such a significant contribution to self-replicating RNA technology.

Dr. Claudio M. Fernandez, our 2022 Inductee into the Weehawken Academic Hall of Fame, was born in Lima, Peru on October 21, 1982. He immigrated to the United States in August 1996 with his mother. After growing up speaking only Spanish, Dr. Fernandez started his freshman year at Weehawken High School. Since he lived with his mother and stepfather who worked long hours every day, he spent most of his day in the school.

Dr. Fernandez fondly remembers the support and dedication of the people he met while at Weehawken High School. His English as a second language teachers, Mrs. April Morris and Mrs. Josephine Celia, spent countless hours after school helping him learn English. Mr. Tom Russo sparked his interest in science. Ms. Magaly Rodriguez and Mrs. Judith Hechavarria-Matos were amazing teachers who always gave him advice and helped him overcome the challenges of being a teenager in a new country. Mrs. Carol Maish went above and beyond to help him succeed in his career, helping him find scholarships and with his college search. Dr. Fernandez says that his experience at Weehawken High School shaped him into the man he is today. He says that Weehawken teachers saw the fire in his eyes and helped him achieve his great goals.

Throughout high school, Dr. Fernandez was always interested in medicine and teaching. At one point, he was torn between going to medical school or becoming a university professor. After graduating from Weehawken High School in 2000, Dr. Fernandez went on to earn both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from ����vlog. While he was in college, the World Trade Center was attacked. Dr. Fernandez says this was a pivotal moment for him. He was dispatched as an EMT to New York City and received the Heroic Award for his response during his time in college. Being able to help people in the face of this disaster inspired him to pursue medicine. Dr. Fernandez went on to be an adjunct professor at ����vlog and later attended medical school at UMDNJ’s School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Fernandez has dedicated his life in the service of humanity. He currently practices emergency medicine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and is a core faculty member for the residency Emergency Medicine Program at HCA Westside Regional Health System. He also travels to Kingston, Jamaica annually on a medical mission to help the poor. He has done this for the past ten years, and is working towards a second fellowship from the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians. He is already a fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Internists, as he is double boarded in emergency medicine and internal medicine.

To our current Weehawken High School students, Dr. Fernandez would like to remind them that there is no obstacle too large to overcome.

Never take ‘no’ for an answer if you want to reach your dreams in life. Patience and dedication are your best allies.

Kindness, focus, and perseverance are three core principles that young people should always maintain.

Dr. Fernandez would like to thank his mother and his family, along with every person that he has encountered along the way, who worked tirelessly to help him reach his goals in life.

It’s not easy doing both and they have always been ready to help with anything I needed including tutoring, academic advice and finding new avenues of financial support.

She won the prestigious  for an essay she wrote about the environmental destruction she witnessed as a child in Brazil, as well as the Richard A. Bard Endowed Scholarship, the AFT Local 1904 Scholarship, and the Marie Kuhnen Scholarship.

Professional support continues into the teachers’ early years from the Montclair Center for Student Success and Educator Excellence induction program and Noyce connections are particularly strong.

Kathryn Beatty ’17, a Noyce alumna and environmental science teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson served as Resende’s cooperating teacher during her teaching internship. “Andreia is the perfect type of teacher and perfect type of person to be a teacher because she understands the kids, because she’s from the area. I tell her, ‘you are the type of person that these kids need in the school.’”

I want to be able to encourage, to plant the seed where my students can believe in themselves and know that if they work hard enough that they can make it.

Read the full article on the University Newscenter

Emma is not waiting around until she finishes medical school, however. During her time at Montclair State, Emma founded the international 501(c)(3) child advocacy non-profit group, , to establish resources and programs for prevention of sexual abuse, and improve health and education, in Ghana, West Africa. As the Founder and CEO, Emma travels to villages in Ghana to educate children and adolescents about ways to prevent child sexual abuse, advocates for medical supplies for the Pediatric Medicine Department at KATH hospital, and brings donated books from the United States to children in Ghana. Indeed, Emma has been working to advocate the construction of a new children’s library in Ghana.

In addition to her non-profit work, Emma has been actively involved in numerous experiential learning and mentoring opportunities during her time at Montclair State. She has been a Health and Life Skills Coordinator Intern for the Boys and Girls Club of Clifton, where she educated girls about health and life skills. Emma was also a Youth Delegate to the United Nations 23rd Youth Assembly, where she was empowered to be a change agent who will work toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Back in the Nest, Emma conducted undergraduate research in the laboratory of Dr. Matthew Aardema in the Department of Biology, and was member of the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) program, where she was recipient of the 2018 .

Emma will continue her education in the Premedical program along with a certificate in Non-profit Management this Fall at Harvard University. As she leaves the Nest, Emma has the following message for CSAM students coming up behind her:

Leadership is serving with humility. Lots of good things come from serving. When you are a leader, it is an opportunity to serve. You serve people, and they follow you.

The College of Science and Mathematics is proud to graduate Red Hawks like Emma, who truly made a difference every day during her studies at Montclair State!

Following her graduate studies, Aline went to Seton Hall for her PhD in Molecular Biosciences. There her doctoral advisor was Dr. Tina Chu, who also received her BS at MSU, and was advised by Dr. Lee! After leaving Montclair, Tina received her PhD from UMDNJ, majoring in Biomedical Informatics. Dr. Chu is currently an associate professor at Seton Hall. In the end we see a rare occurrence of three generations of scientists all coming from the same professors lab!

Both Tina and Aline were excellent students, with high GPA’s.
Both initiated their research experience at MSU.
Both worked with female faculty, Tina with Dr. Bonnie Lustigman and me; and Aline with Dr. Adams and me. We always try to promote female students in the sciences.

They are our exemplary students. I am very proud of them.

Aline is currently Lead Associate and Regulatory Scientist of Global Regulatory Affairs – Oncology at , whose parent company, Johnson & Johnson, has been championing women in the workforce and in the sciences for over 100 years. Read about their commitment in their recent post in celebration of National Women’s Day: .