Montclair State student teams demonstrated strong technical ability and collaboration, earning first place and third place among dozens of competing teams. This marks a significant improvement from the University’s fourth place finish at the same event in 2025, reflecting the continued growth of the university’s hands on cybersecurity education and experiential learning programs. The teams competed across challenges in network defense, forensic analysis, and web exploitation areas identified as critical skill gaps in the national cybersecurity workforce.

Student Teams and Placements

The Hawkers – First Place

• Samuel Reyes
• Edwin Benitez
• James Barrera
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• Temi Salami

CyberHawks – Third Place

• Dina Mansour
• Fernanda Castro
• Krishita Vaghani
• Tushar Moradiya
• Benita Prince

Multiple teams of students were organized, trained, and mentored by Ramy Othman, Assistant Director of Technology and Infrastructure in the College of Science and Mathematics. Othman prepared the students through hands-on workshops in applied cybersecurity techniques, including network traffic analysis, vulnerability assessment, and forensic investigation leveraging the university’s dedicated Cybersecurity and AI research labs, which he built and manages. These labs provide students with enterprise-grade computing and give them direct experience with the tools used in industry and government cybersecurity operations.

The university’s participation was coordinated in collaboration with the ISC2 New Jersey Chapter, with Darryl Carpenter helping facilitate the team’s engagement with the event.

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 Montclair 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’s lab, Matteo studies protein condensates — 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 “rafts” may form around specific sites in the cell membrane. It’s a complex system — always in equilibrium, constantly shifting — 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.

“I’ve worked in industry, and it’s great for building technical skills,” he says. “But I want to work toward big, long-term scientific questions.”

Last year, Matteo took first place at Montclair’s Science Slam — 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.

“In lab reports, you just present the facts,” he says. “But Science Slam taught me that people understand stories better than lists of information. Science communication needs narrative.”

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

“Science isn’t just logic,” he reflects. “There’s an emotional component. We’re not just calculators. If you want people to care about science, you have to make it compelling.”

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 Montclair stands out.

“It’s a place where opportunities feel within reach,” he says. “People know you. Professors and administrators are responsive. They advocate for you.”

He points especially to Montclair’s 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.

“You’re doing research all day! It’s like a full-time job, but it’s so fun,” he says. “It’s a no-brainer opportunity.”

His advice to other students?

“Take every opportunity and see what sticks.”

Don’t Miss This Year’s Science Slam

Inspired by Matteo’s story? You can experience for yourself on Monday, February 23rd, from 3–5 p.m. Whether you’re 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 resolution highlights the Center’s multifaceted approach, including the utilization of advanced data techniques such as machine learning and data mining, along with collaborative robotics. The Center provides technical expertise and support in critical areas like smart systems, energy efficiency, energy security, and AI-based energy management. Its analytical methods and modeling tools have been lauded for providing accurate insights that aid in energy-based policymaking and help develop initiatives to meet clean energy goals.

According to the resolution, CESAC has “secured a sterling reputation for promoting clean energy research” through its work on climate analytics, grid resiliency, and natural resource conservation. The Center is also recognized for its role in fostering collaboration among stakeholders and for hosting educational programs and events, including its annual Clean and Sustainable Energy Summit and the Hydrogen Energy Workshop. These events serve as a platform for policymakers, industry leaders, and academics to address pressing sustainable energy challenges. The legislative body’s resolution states that the strength of New Jersey and the vitality of American society depend on outstanding enterprises like CESAC, which “harness vast resources to improve the effectiveness of our communities and the quality of life for our friends and neighbors.”

View the Resolution

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’s 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’s research and career goals at the formal award ceremony held at the ERI offices in South Jersey in August.

Initially drawn to Montclair for its affordability and proximity to his home in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Quinn-Vitabile enrolled as a Computer Science 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.”

Quinn-Vitabile decided to add the minor in Physics as it would only be a few extra classes. He could continue studying it, meet more people, and get involved in research. And that’s what he did that following summer. “It all happened pretty quickly after that,” he says.

Read the Full Article on University News

Rodano said, “I am honored to have been awarded the SMART Scholarship. I found my passion for robotics and STEM in high school at Mount Saint Dominic Academy. Here at ĚÇĐÄvlog, I searched out research opportunities to extend and apply what I was learning in my coursework. I look forward to returning to Montclair in the fall of 2025 to complete a MS in Data Science and then beginning a career with the Department of Defense.”

The Department of Defense is the largest employer of federal scientists and engineers, with nearly 300,000 civilian STEM professionals, and plays a pivotal role in developing the nation’s future STEM workforce. Initiatives like the SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program, combined with other Department of Defense education and outreach efforts, continue to build the future STEM workforce, upholding our nation’s scientific and technological edge. For more details on the SMART Program and application guideline, interested students are encouraged to visit the . The application is open annually from August through the first Friday in December.

IEEE R1 Technological Innovation (Academic) Award is a prestigious award to recognize faculty members whose work is for distinguished development, advancement, and pursuit of the IEEE’s technical objectives.

Dr. Wang is an Associate Professor in the School of Computing and the Founder Director of . He has long-standing and extensive research experience in robotics, autonomous systems, human-robot interaction, and artificial intelligence. His research and education initiatives have been supported by multiple programs from different federal agencies and organizations such as NSF CAREER, CRII, MRI, and ERI grants.

But within the results, it’s the University’s STEM programs – and the impact they’re having for women breaking into STEM-related fields – that further showcase how the institution is tackling society’s most pressing challenges.

Two academic areas in Montclair’s College of Science and Mathematics (CSAM) – Mathematics and Natural Resources (Environmental Science) – have been ranked No. 3 among the best schools for women in STEM in the Rankings’ category.

The rankings are based in equal parts on three measures: the percentage of program graduates who are female, the percentage of female students in the entire student body, and median earnings five years after graduation.

Women in STEM fields

While the percentage of women in STEM fields has improved, according to the National Center of Education Statistics, only 40% of bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields go to women.

Nearly 70% of Montclair’s students in both Mathematics and Natural Resources are female, showcasing the College’s commitment to continuing to reverse the trend.

The mission of the College is to increase access to STEM fields and provide high-quality educational experiences for these students. I am proud of our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment for women and diversifying the STEM workforce pipeline.

STEM Initiatives for Women at ĚÇĐÄvlog

Montclair champions several initiatives designed to increase participation by women and other underrepresented groups, including:

• The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
• The Bristol Meyers Squibb Science Scholars Program
• The American Heart Association HSI Scholars Program
• PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies Green Teams Program

Learn more about !

Issues and initiatives around the environment, and what they mean for the businesses connected to it, have never been greater.

That’s why we’re proud to present the second annual .

It’s an important look at the people whose work most impacts the environment in the state, whether that entails clean energy, offshore wind, electric vehicles, water or a host of other issues.

To them, we say: Congratulations!

To everyone, we say: Save the planet.