The change suggests a wider cultural acceptance of the “sinister” hand preference, and offers representation for lefty fans of the beloved animated films.

The findings, “Princess hands: Handedness of protagonists versus antagonists in Disney’s ‘Princess’ animated movies,” were recently published in the academic journal .

Main findings

• Before about 1992, princesses were more right-handed than villains. Over time, princesses got more left-handed, while villains’ handedness stayed the same.
• In general, the characters were less strongly handed than in real life — most would be considered ambidextrous by the researchers’ definitions.
• Tiana (“The Princess and the Frog”) and Belle (“Beauty and the Beast”), both princesses, are the most left-handed; Villains Jafar (“Aladdin”), Dr. Facilier (“The Princess and the Frog”) and Namaari (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) were also left-handed.
• Mor’Du (“Brave”) and Maleficent (“Sleeping Beauty”) — both villains — were identified strongly right-handed.

More about the study

The research team, which included two undergraduate students at Montclair, examined hand use of princesses and villains in 13 official Disney Princess movies. They counted how many times each princess or villain performed various activities with one hand or the other, using three different handedness questionnaires including the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI).

“Our goal was to see if villains were more left-handed than princesses because culturally, evil is associated with the left-handed, and whether any left-evil associations had changed over time, given changes in culture,” says Ruth Propper, lead researcher and professor of Psychology.

Each Disney princess and villain was assigned a handedness score (-100 being perfectly lefty and +100 perfectly righty) and the results show that over time, princesses have become less right-handed, especially after about 1992, while villains have remained stable in their handedness.

Overall, the characters were much less right-handed than the human population.

What the researchers say

Prior to 1992, Propper explains, princesses were more right-handed than villains, while after 1992 princesses became more left-handed than villains.

So, what changed?

“We suspect that there are many factors at play here.” Propper says. “One possibility is that around the early 1990s the ‘Nine Old Men,’ the animators responsible for most Disney movies from the 1930s to the 1990s, retired.

“It’s possible that the new animators who were hired had less bias against left-handedness, as cultural views about lefties had changed. Certainly there are likely pragmatic reasons as well, and we don’t know the actual handedness of the animators, which could also have been a factor.”

Why it matters

The research and methodology were inspired by existing research Propper encountered analyzing early 1900s documentary footage to estimate rates of left-handedness at that time. Propper and her research team took the innovative approach a step further, utilizing Disney princess films that offer clear distinctions between protagonists and antagonists and allow for meaningful comparisons across character types.

Additionally, “because the characters are animated, handedness is a deliberate choice made by animators, which may reflect cultural assumptions or biases, rather than simply the natural handedness of an actor,” Propper says. Since the Disney princess films span roughly 80 years, this also gave researchers an opportunity to examine potential cultural shifts over time.

Propper says this study demonstrates that research does not always need to be complex or highly technical. And, it speaks to representation.

“Left-handed individuals have often been described as lacking a clear cultural identity and may feel overlooked or negatively stereotyped,” says Propper. “Seeing left-handed traits reflected in familiar and beloved figures, such as Disney princesses, can contribute to a sense of inclusion and reduce feelings of isolation.”

The findings also suggest a societal shift over the last 80 years: left-handedness appears to be more accepted today than in the past, and is no longer associated with the same negative or stigmatized beliefs as it once was.

“These films are culturally iconic, widely recognized, and meaningful to many audiences, which makes them a relevant context for this type of analysis,” Propper says.

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“These shorebirds are important, but it’s just as important to know which areas need to be monitored and protected to support the horseshoe crabs,” Witters says. “If we lose the habitat and areas they use to breed and lay eggs, it will be hard to get that habitat back and keep the populations sustained.”

As a nationally recognized high-research university, ����vlog gives students early access to faculty-led projects, which allowed Witters to join a lab in her first year and keep building her research skills in one continuous five-year path.

That early start is built into Montclair’s academic model: Montclair offers more combined programs than any other institution in New Jersey, giving students a head start on graduate study and careers. For Witters, that has meant not just upper-level science courses, but real ownership of a research question and presenting her findings at scientific conferences.

“I always thought it would be a fantasy to actually work with horseshoe crabs,” Witters says. “They were just my favorite animals. They’re so weird and unique – they have blue blood, they’re called crabs but are more closely related to spiders – and being able to build my own research around them really changed my life and showed me what I want to do.”

Kelly Witters holds a horseshoe crab molt the team collected while gathering samples. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Turning a favorite animal into publishable research

Witters and her twin sister, Caitlin – who also majored in Marine Biology and Coastal Sciences, graduated in January 2026 and plans to join the U.S. Coast Guard – first joined Biology Professor Paul Bologna’s lab as freshmen, finding not just mentors but a close‑knit community of students working side by side in the field and lab. 

When Bologna invited students to propose independent projects, Witters seized the chance to study her favorite animal more deeply, and together she and Bologna focused on a question that hadn’t been fully explored in New Jersey: whether quiet lagoonal back‑bay beaches are important spawning habitat for horseshoe crabs, not just the better‑known oceanfront beaches along Delaware Bay and the open Jersey Shore.

She times fieldwork with lunar cycles and high tides when spawning peaks. Back in the lab, she counts eggs and analyzes sediment types to see where egg densities are highest. The results are striking, and the work led to a peer-reviewed article co‑authored with Bologna in . Seeing her name on a scientific paper is powerful confirmation that her research matters, she says.

Because Witters is in a 4+1 program, the project didn’t end when she finished her bachelor’s degree – it became the foundation of her master’s thesis. She had already begun taking graduate-level classes while completing her undergraduate requirements, so the transition to full-time graduate study felt natural. “We’re out in the field, on the water and in the lab, and the five-year program lets me start graduate-level work early and build my research over several summers,” she says.

Kelly Witters examines horseshoe crab eggs under a microscope after collecting 20-centimeter sediment cores in Barnegat Bay. In the lab, she runs each core through a sieve series to separate eggs by size, then counts them and records their developmental stage. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Building toward a PhD and beyond

By the time she graduates with her master’s in 2027, Witters expects to have three summers of data on horseshoe crab spawning, experience presenting at national conferences and at least one publication – with more analyses underway. Along the way, she has also discovered a passion for teaching as a graduate assistant for introductory biology labs, working closely with undergraduates who, like she once did, are testing out a future in science. She continues to balance research with life on campus, from long days in the back bays of the Jersey Shore to training with Montclair’s varsity cross country team.

“Being able to build my own research around the animal I loved in third grade really showed me what I want my life to look like,” she says.

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“I didn’t know about these resources…and these are all free? Oh my gosh,” she recalls thinking. “It’s great.”

Sakae didn’t just become a visitor – she volunteered for months and now serves as a graduate assistant at the Pantry while pursuing her master’s in Nutrition and Food Science.

“I was able to pursue my dream education because everyone around me was helping my food security,” Sakae says. “If I was always hungry, thinking about what and how I was going to eat tomorrow, I wouldn’t be able to succeed.”

Her experience mirrors what research shows: If a student’s basic needs are not met, their academics, mental health and overall wellness will be negatively impacted. It is also indicative of a growing reality on college campuses across the country: Food insecurity among students is increasing and demand for support services continues to rise.

A Growing Need on College Campuses

“There’s definitely been an increase,” says Assistant Director of Student Access to Community Services Frances Jelks-Brown, who oversees the Pantry and Rocky’s Closet. She points to end-of-semester pressures, limited meal swipes and interruptions in SNAP benefits as contributing factors.

“Food insecurity is a major concern for our students, particularly when we’re nearing the end of a semester; a lot of students start to run out of their meal swipes, and those on SNAP benefits may still not know if they’ll be getting benefits again,” she says.

In the past six months alone, the Pantry has distributed 57,289 pounds of food and essentials, surpassing the 42,534 pounds distributed during the entire previous year.

The Red Hawk Pantry was established in 2016 after a student-led survey showed that nearly half of college students experience some form of food insecurity – a trend echoed in faculty research that led to the creation of Montclair’s Hunger Free Campus Task Force in 2019. Montclair became the first four-year university in New Jersey to open an on-campus food pantry, which is now common on many college campuses.

I was able to pursue my dream education because everyone around me was helping my food security.” ~ Kaori Sakae, graduate student

But with increased demands to food pantries and soup kitchens nationwide, a rise in Red Hawk Pantry visits is not surprising, says Fatima deCarvalho, senior associate dean in Student Development and Campus Life, who also serves on the Hunger-Free Task Force. “We are a microcosm of what is occurring in our society, so when you see food insecurities increase in our society, you’re going to see the same concerns on our college campuses.”

How Montclair Is Working Toward a Hunger-Free Campus

Montclair’s response is broad and collaborative, with multiple departments – from the Student Health Center to University Facilities – sponsoring food collection drives to meet students’ needs. The Pantry provides free food, hygiene products and household essentials, all funded through donations and grants. The University employs a full-time staffer but provides no operating funds.

“We are able to meet the need, but needs continue to grow,” deCarvalho says, noting the necessity for limited hours of operation and restrictions on the number of items visitors can take per visit.

Key Pantry partners include the Food Recovery Network, which is made up of student volunteers who work with Gourmet Dining to recover leftover meals from dining halls, individually package them and take them to the Pantry for distribution. In addition to preventing food waste, it provides Pantry visitors with greater food choices, says Student Development and Campus Life’s Director of Advocacy and Outreach Adela Caceres. Fresh produce is also supplied by Gourmet Dining and the Montclair Campus Community Garden. “Students come in, we give them a bag, and they leave with fresh fruits and vegetables,” Jelks-Brown says.

Moreover, Gourmet Dining’s Director of Dining and Wellness Jennifer Bostedo says that their NOURISH program endeavors to “make good nutrition choices accessible at any price point and provide the customized resources and nutrition education to make it attainable at any level. Our numerous dining venues follow suit, to make sure students have access to the best balance and value to fuel a great Red Hawk day.”

Additional support comes from the and the, owners and operators of 23 ShopRite stores in Bergen, Hudson and Passaic counties, both of which regularly provide pallets of food to the Pantry. Other campus partners, too numerous to mention, include the Student Government Association and the Latin American Student Organization.

De-stigmatizing the Need for Services and Support

Sakae says international students often face additional challenges, citing ineligibility for federal aid, limited work opportunities and lack of transportation.

One Pantry visitor, Ahmed Moussa, who is legally blind, says student staffers go out of their way to ensure accessibility.

“They’ve been a great help,” Moussa says, explaining that accommodations such as flexible hours and personalized assistance make the Pantry easier to navigate.

A welcoming environment also may play a role in students’ seeking services, says Caceres, adding that Montclair has worked hard to “de-stigmatize” request for services.

“Our student staff are trained to approach every single visitor with a welcoming demeanor and in a respectful and dignified manner as they seek support,” she says, adding, that in addition to surging costs and instability of public resources, such as SNAP, “I believe that has been one of the factors impacting the increase in usage. Hence, students like Ahmed, are welcomed and supported in unique ways based on their individual needs.”

Our student staff are trained to approach every single visitor with a welcoming demeanor and in a respectful and dignified manner as they seek support.” ~ Adela Caceres, Student Development and Campus Life’s Director of Advocacy and Outreach

Learning While Giving Back

For Sakae, working at the Pantry is both educational and gratifying.

“Every day is a new learning,” she says. “Some students don’t have microwaves. Some have dietary restrictions. Having all different kinds of food and being able to help them is really, really rewarding. That’s what I love.”

Her goal is to work in community nutrition and to one day open her own food pantry, where she can teach people how to make healthy and nutritious meals.

Expanding Resources for Students

Montclair recently received a $52,000 grant from the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, which it will use to , expand access to food, transportation and emergency grocery assistance at Montclair, while also supporting ongoing research on student food insecurity.

In addition to the Red Hawk Pantry, Montclair students have access to other programs, all designed to ensure they can focus on learning and not hunger.

As deCarvalho puts it, “If you don’t have money for food, you probably don’t have money for toiletries. It’s important that we make those items available, so students can take care of their basic needs. Donations are impactful not only for us, but for the students coming here because you are not only helping their food insecurity, you’re also helping them thrive in life.”

That’s definitely how Sakae sees it: “Being a graduate assistant at Red Hawk Pantry is deeply meaningful because beyond food insecurity, I’m assisting the academic success and life success of students.”

Resources Available to Students, Faculty and Staff

• Red Hawk Pantry – Located at Blanton Hall, Room 1200, the Pantry provides free food, hygiene items and household essentials. All visitors must register at to attain food and other products. Contact the Pantry via email if you are unable to visit during regular operating hours.
  • For donors, the Pantry makes it easy to or via an .
• Shuttle Service to nearby ShopRite and other stores that accept SNAP benefits. Operated by University Facilities, shuttles are available on Wednesday and Saturday.
• Food Recovery Network, a student-led initiative, which collects healthy Gourmet Dining-prepared meals at Sam’s Place; complete meals are frozen and available to students at Red Hawk Pantry.
• Food Champion Program, which redistributes leftovers from catered campus events to students via Canvas on a first-come, first-served basis. Students can opt-in to this program via Canvas.
• Campus Community Garden, where the campus community grows and provides fresh produce to Red Hawk Pantry. Gardeners can keep some of what they grow or donate it all to the Pantry.
• Swipe Out Hunger, a national initiative enabling students to donate unused meal swipes to peers in need.
• Registered Dietitian Program, which provides counseling services free of charge to students, faculty and staff on a small group and one-on-one basis to address food literacy and insecurity, as well as assistance on how to shop for seasonal, budget-friendly and nutritious foods. “A nourishing focus can lead to a well-fueled student who can perform academically better,” says Bostedo.
• Cans for Citations, a Facilities-led effort which allows campus community members to donate canned goods in exchange for a $10 reduction of one parking citation. All the canned goods go to Red Hawk Pantry.

Story: Sylvia A. Martinez Photography: University Photographer Mike Peters.

Ready to Start Your Montclair Journey?

Prospective students: Learn more about Montclair’s Nutrition and Food Science programs and efforts to ensure a Hunger-Free campus.

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“Colette has made tremendous progress,” says SLP graduate student researcher Alexis Gallagher, who has been working with her throughout the study. “It can be disheartening in the beginning because they’re trying something new, and it’s not changing. Then, I think it was session four or five, suddenly, there was the ‘r’ sound. It’s thrilling.”

The software program they are using was designed by Hitchcock, a leading expert in speech-sound disorders, who, along with more than 20 colleagues across three universities, published “gold-standard evidence that biofeedback accelerates early progress with children” in the.

A Rapid Breakthrough for a Young Learner

After nearly three years of school-based therapy in Florida, improvement on the ‘r’ sound remained painfully slow for Colette, a general indicator of a Residual Speech Sound Disorder (RSSD). “While she’d made gains with other sounds, we just never saw progress with the ‘r’ sound,” says Colette’s mother, Meghan Fougere, a speech-language pathologist herself. A 2014 Montclair SLP alumna, she also tried helping her daughter.

“I kept thinking, ‘I can fix it,’ and I wasn’t fixing it. I had done my best at home with her until she realized that she didn’t want her mommy working on her speech sounds with her. She wanted me to just be mommy.”

After moving back to New Jersey and before investing in private therapy, Fougere reached out to her former professor, Hitchcock, who invited Colette to participate in a new research project using biofeedback technology. “In just a few weeks, we started hearing a difference,” Fougere says.

Hitchcock says: “We managed to create this pilot study for Colette to work on a sound that has long been difficult for her, but to also work on a developing aspect of our treatment program.” Hitchcock’s research is funded by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant focused on improving children’s speech therapy. The goal is to better understand how kids hear and produce speech sounds, and to see whether new visual biofeedback tools and listening-based training work just as well online as they do in person. So far, more than 100 children ages 8 to 18 have taken part in the study. Gallagher then applied for – and received – a Montclair Graduate Student Research Award to move the pilot program forward.

How the Game-Changing Technology Works

The visual-acoustic biofeedback software program provides a real-time display of Colette’s ‘r’ compared to a target representing the desired output, enabling her to both hear and see when she pronounces her ‘r’ correctly. Biofeedback has shown promising results in people with RSSD who have not responded to previous treatments.

This new research has tremendous potential to improve outcomes for children and in much less time.” ~ Elaine Hitchcock, Communication Sciences and Disorders Chairperson

More traditional motor-based treatment for speech disorders often relies on imitation, sound modeling or props such as a mouth-and-tongue puppet. But the ‘r’ sound is uniquely challenging: there is no single right tongue placement, as partly evidenced by 22 different ultrasound images of ‘r’ production pinned to the wall where Colette practices.

“We’ve had a lot of success in situations that have not been successful before with the use of visual biofeedback,” Hitchcock explains. “They’re using the biofeedback as a way to ‘see’ if they’re saying the sound correctly; we’re working around a flawed auditory feedback system to utilize the visual system.”

Why Early Speech Intervention Matters 

Many children struggle with but self-correct the ‘r’ sound. When the issue persists, however, it  can become problematic when teasing or frustration begins and lead to obstacles in both social and academic environments.

The biofeedback technology “is more effective, and a faster means to an end,” says Hitchcock.
The stakes are surprisingly high. Left unaddressed, speech sound disorders and articulation challenges can affect people well into adulthood – impacting confidence, relationships and even income, says Hitchcock. “So, across the lifespan, it’s a surprisingly large impact, given that it can be as simple as one sound error.”

Montclair’s Nationally Recognized SLP Program Offers Research Opportunities

The long-term goal is to train clinicians in the effective use of biofeedback technology including in telehealth practices, making speech therapy more accessible to people, including those in rural areas, who may need treatment for speech sound disorders.

����vlog’s Speech-Language Pathology program is nationally recognized for integrating clinical training with faculty-led research, giving graduate students hands-on experience with innovative treatments like visual biofeedback. Currently, Montclair is vetting an app developed by an NYU researcher, which could be more accessible to clinicians.

I wanted to join Dr. Hitchcock in her work because this opportunity does not exist anywhere else.” ~ Alexis Gallagher, SLP graduate student

Making a Lasting Impact as an SLP Graduate Student

For Gallagher, the project is more than just a research opportunity – it’s personal. A former theater, TV and film actor who changed careers post-COVID, she came to Montclair specifically to work with Hitchcock. She also witnessed firsthand the life-changing impact that speech therapy had on her own daughter, who overcame similar speech difficulties as Colette’s.

Gallagher explains that Montclair offers her “a biofeedback clinic where you can learn” from one of the best researchers in the field. “She literally wrote the program we were doing. Why would I not take the opportunity to learn how to teach a child how to do their ‘r’s using this equipment when the author of it is standing over my shoulder, training me, helping me, guiding me?”

While Colette can now produce her ‘r’s in syllables, words and phrases, she occasionally slips back into losing the ‘r’ in casual conversation and will continue working with the research therapist in the spring, until Gallagher graduates with a master’s in SLP.

Meanwhile, Gallagher is determined to make a difference for Colette. “I know what that feels like as a parent, it’s devastating,” she says, “I want to help this child.”

Story by Sylvia A. Martinez

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Together, the three Hispanic-Serving Institutions will leverage their proximity and unique strengths and differences to better understand barriers and facilitators of student success with a particular focus on minority males, enhance support structures for them and improve retention and completion rates.

The 12-month project, titled “Empowering Minority Men in STEM: A Tri-Campus Hispanic-Serving Initiative,” is led by Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Junius Gonzales and co-principal investigators including:

• Daniel Jean, EdD, associate provost educational opportunity & success programs (����vlog)
• John A. Pelesko, PhD, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs (NJIT)
• Sotirios Ziavras, DSc, vice provost for graduate studies and dean of graduate faculty (NJIT)
• Weidong Zhu, PhD, interim vice president, academic affairs (Saint Peter’s University)
• Christina Mortellaro, PhD, assistant vice president for academic affairs and assessment (Saint Peter’s University)

Addressing a Key Challenge for Minority Male Students

The collaborative initiative aims to address an emerging challenge in higher education that shows a drop in men pursuing post-secondary education and graduate programs. These numbers are particularly stark for Latino, Black, and Native American men.

At many institutions, including Montclair, degrees awarded to minority men are flat or declining in comparison to women, where overall enrollments and completed degrees are growing. Retention and graduation rate gaps for these men lag, and in some STEM areas trends are worse. Even at HBCUs, male enrollment is declining.

How the ‘Empowering Minority Men in STEM’ Project Will Function

The tri-campus effort will follow a series of key goals that can help all students succeed in STEM graduate education, including:

• Create an organizational structure with four interdisciplinary teams with members from the three HSIs and key community units.
• Gather existing and new information about Black and Latino males’ entry, retention and completion of STEM graduate education from each institution, and identify multi-level institutional barriers and facilitators.
• Identify how academic program, department and college level barriers can be reduced, and how facilitators can be enhanced into shared capacity building, joint academic support services, academic program improvements or new designs.
• Understand the nature and strength of contextual influences such as family, peers, and community organizations on Black and Latino males’ entry into and success in STEM graduate programs.
• Recommend shared partnership changes in practices, structures, processes and policies to enhance equitable pathways for graduate programs in biology and computer science/data science, with a concrete outcome of a seed project to present to the Sloan Foundation and other prospective funders, including internal prospects at each institution.

The collaboration will also allow for the potential to share resources and create new efficiencies among the participating institutions to further create life-changing opportunities for students.

“The challenges that minority males face in higher education has been an area of focus for the University, as we recognize the importance of improving outcomes for these students – outcomes that can extend to families and communities,” says Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Junius Gonzales. “Collaborating with our partners at NJIT and Saint Peter’s University, with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, will give us a unique advantage to help create equitable pathways for our future leaders in STEM.”

About the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation makes grants primarily to support original research and education related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economics. The Foundation believes that these fields—and the scholars and practitioners who work in them—are chief drivers of the nation’s health and prosperity. The Foundation also believes that a reasoned, systematic understanding of the forces of nature and society, when applied inventively and wisely, can lead to a better world for all.

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.” – Joseph David Quinn-Vitabile 

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.

Learning Through Research: Skills Beyond the Classroom

After attending the , Quinn-Vitabile thought the projects by Physics students looked interesting and wanted to get involved. Shortly after, he became involved with Professor Shaon Ghosh’s summer research project.

One thing that sets the College of Science and Mathematics (CSAM) apart from many schools is the CSAM Summer Research Program. Through the program, undergraduate students have the opportunity to work with faculty mentors on projects that teach them the fundamental skills needed to pursue research; for example, learning how to navigate a Unix operating system and the fundamentals of version control in web-based platforms like GitHub. 

“The physics department here is great because it’s pretty small,” says Quinn-Vitabile, “and as a student in the program, you have an opportunity to meet with the faculty and talk with them a lot. They’re all pretty interested in hearing about your future plans and giving you academic advice, such as courses to take and ideas on different career paths. I felt like I had a good connection with all my professors, especially Dr. Ghosh.”

Goldwater Scholarship Winner, Joseph Quinn-Vitabile, pictured with his Montclair Physics professor and research mentor, Professor Shaon Ghosh. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

How Faculty Mentorship Plays a Role in Student Success

A member of the – which for the first time in 2016 in a major scientific breakthrough – Ghosh was drawn to Montclair due its having the biggest conglomerate of LIGO researchers in New Jersey (more than Princeton even), and its proximity to New York City. Through this collaboration, Ghosh participated in the latest observing run of the LIGO detectors which ended at the start of this year.

As far as his impression of Quinn-Vitabile, Ghosh calls him “among the best undergraduate students” he’s ever seen.

“I’m actually comparing him against the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, which includes students from R1 universities, Ivy Leagues, Cal Tech and MIT,” says Ghosh. “He is among the best there as well.”

Quinn-Vitabile is now building on research previously developed by Ghosh – a software package called GWXtreme– which is designed to infer the internal composition of a neutron star (dense objects left behind after massive stars die). By integrating newly available artificial intelligence tools, particularly a class of neural networks known as “normalizing flows,” Quinn-Vitabile has significantly advanced his professor’s codebase and its capabilities. Now, calculations that once took days or even weeks can be done in seconds.

I wouldn’t have trusted just anyone with this – he is using brand-new technology to completely rewrite a codebase I developed years ago as a postdoctoral researcher. He’s doing this as an undergraduate, using tools and techniques that didn’t even exist back then. It’s incredibly impressive, and he’s doing a fantastic job.” – Professor Shaon Ghosh

Earning the Barry Goldwater Scholarship

After expressing interest in scholarships, Quinn-Vitabile began to apply for the Goldwater Scholarship, a rigorous application process that required him to go back through his accomplishments and think about his future research plans.

“It’s really important to have close connections with your professors, because you need three recommendations,” says Quinn-Vitabile.

The hard work paid off.

The scholarship, one of the most prestigious in the country for undergraduates in STEM fields, recognizes students with strong research potential and academic excellence. Quinn-Vitabile is one of 441 , 240 of which intend to pursue research in the sciences.

Quinn-Vitabile credits the Physics department for its role in earning the Goldwater Scholarship and thinking through his future goals.

“It’s a great community of students and professors,” says Quinn-Vitabile. “The opportunities that are available for getting involved in research as an undergrad and for just talking and meeting with the professors are really helpful for considering your future.”

Shooting for the Stars

Students at ����vlog have access to High Performance Computing (HPC) Systems. Conducting research in these environments helps foster technical skills needed to compete in today’s job market. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Quinn-Vitabile has decided to pursue a PhD program in astrophysics.

For Ghosh’s part, he genuinely believes that Quinn-Vitabile should go to graduate school.

“I would really love for him to go into research [with the LIGO Scientific Collaboration], but it is entirely up to him,” says Ghosh. “If he goes into LIGO research, that’s great. We have some wonderful grad students in LIGO. But otherwise, it’s also fine, as long as he’s happy with whatever he’s doing.”

Quinn-Vitabile has some advice for fellow students or prospective students who are curious about research: “Try to explore as much as possible as early as possible.”

“Everyone thinks that they’re not prepared, and you will never feel like you are prepared.” he adds. “There’s so much going on, not just in the Physics department, but in other science departments in the school, so many professors that are doing awesome work. Every month there’s so many events, like research symposiums. Go to those events, meet with people, meet with faculty, ask them what they work on.

“And if you find any interest in anything, just try. Even if you feel like you’re not prepared, you will learn a lot just by starting it. And because you’re an undergrad, you don’t have to do anything forever, which is a great benefit.”

Story by Carolina Marion, University Communications and Marketing

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Fusing Art and Neuroscience: The Zebrafish Project

Assistant Professor of Biology Thomas Mueller, who uses zebrafish as a research model to study human affective disorders, approached Professor of Art and Design Cathy Bebout, head of printmaking, with an invitation for the collaboration.

Mueller’s work focuses on the amygdala’s role in regulating fear and anxiety in the brain. “Zebrafish is really a very important genetic model organism,” he explained. “It shares around 70% of genetic similarities with humans and about 80% of the diseased genes that you find in humans have a counterpart in zebrafish.”

Following a presentation of Mueller’s research, students were challenged to create artwork inspired by scientific imagery. The resulting prints, produced through collaboration and layering, mirrored the investigative process of scientific discovery.

“There’s a relationship between this collaborative way of working and a scientific process,” said Adjunct Art Professor Bridget McGuire. “It’s experimental. It was an interesting investigation and felt like a research collaboration.”

Senior Lindsey Scheier, a Visual Communication Design major, found inspiration in the abstract nature of emotions: “Dr. Mueller’s presentation made me think about abstraction, and how to convey fear through abstraction. It felt too literal to print a fish, so I tried to explore what the shapes and colors of fear might feel like, especially for such a tiny creature.”

Bebout emphasized the project’s educational impact: “This project uses art and science as a teaching tool, fostering dialogue and learning between disciplines while demonstrating the arts’ power to drive engagement and social change.”

From Data to Design: The Creative Process

Under the guidance of Montclair faculty, students transformed scientific data and microscopic images into artwork now on exhibition at  Finley Gallery. The scientific research generated vibrant images of neurons and neural circuits in zebrafish brains, inspiring a unique approach to artistic expression.

“It shows up in the brain as color, so that’s why you see all this brilliant color on display,” Bebout said about the students’ artwork. “The students, in the beginning, were like zebrafish too; I could see a lot of fear and emotion. As artists, we get these ideas in our head about what we see. And for the students, it was sort of like groping in the dark in the beginning, and then things started to develop.”

The students’ work emerged from several “print jams,” intense printmaking marathons where Illustration, Visual Communication Design, Visual Arts, and Art Education majors collaborated. The final exhibition, “Zebrafish and the Art of Fear: A Creative Inquiry into Memory and Emotion,” showcases a range of abstract and literal interpretations.

The exhibition is part of a month-long, multi-faceted series of events that included animated projections featuring zebrafish in both the Finley Gallery and the lobby of Irvin D. Reid Hall, an Art Forum discussion with London artist Andrew Carnie, who specializes in science-based works, an Art and Science Symposium featuring renowned neuroscientists, Koichi Kawakami, of the National Institute of Genetics in Mishima, Japan, and New York University Professor Joseph E. LeDoux, director of NYU’s Emotional Brain Institute.

Senior Visual Arts major Grace Whitaker incorporated fish eyes into her prints, while other students took a more abstract approach. Scheier described the process as both challenging and rewarding. “Screen-printing being such an experimental art form encouraged learning through doing. It was a great opportunity for creative exchange, as we all shared and taught each other new techniques along the way.”

Art Professor Sharon Lindenfeld echoed this sentiment: “You learn from what you just printed and then you try something different in the next one, much like a scientific process. Working this way creates tension and feelings of anxiety and fear, relating back to the research.”

Looking Ahead: The Future of Interdisciplinary Collaboration

For many participants, this project marked their first time working across disciplines. “I’ve never worked collaboratively like this, so it was such a cool experience,” McGuire said. “There’s a relationship between this collaborative way of working and a scientific process, it’s very experimental. It creates tension, almost a feeling of anxiety and fear, again relating back to the research.”

Science and art faculty members are already planning future interdisciplinary collaborations. “This is the startup of a major endeavor and future collaborations,” said Mueller.

Bebout highlighted the broader impact: “The art will help to promote science and get people’s attention, so they want to know more.”

“And make neuroscience accessible to the wider public and maybe inspire students in the arts and high school students to pursue a career in these scientific sciences or in the arts,” Mueller added.

“I believe art and science are closely connected and more focus should be placed on their collaboration,” Scheier said. “I’m excited to see more partnerships between departments in the future.”

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Led by Montclair professor Rui Li with co-PIs Stefan Robila, Jennifer Yang, and 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 Montclair 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’s research at Montclair. 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,” says Li.

Housed within Montclair’s School of Computing, the XR-Drive simulator will enable an immersive simulation of various driving scenarios as well as the safe engagement of humans in a large true-to-life virtual environment via driving, a skill highly desired in daily life.

“This project highlights the transformative computing research taking place in Montclair’s School of Computing,” says School of Computing Director Md Liaquat Hossain. “Our faculty are creating truly hands-on research opportunities for students and interdisciplinary connections that will pay dividends for years to come. Students need an environment where they are able to interact with all corners of the institution, and this project is a testament to what can be developed when this occurs.” 

“This is another example of how the faculty of ����vlog are committed to both research and education,” says College of Science and Mathematics Dean Lora Billings. “This interdisciplinary project will provide hands-on experiences that prepares our students for the future STEM workforce.”

“This project highlights the transformative computing research taking place in Montclair’s School of Computing,” says School of Computing Director Md Liaquat Hossain. “Our faculty are creating truly hands-on research opportunities for students and interdisciplinary connections that will pay dividends for years to come. Students need an environment where they are able to interact with all corners of the institution, and this project is a testament to what can be developed when this occurs.”

“This is another example of how the faculty of ����vlog are committed to both research and education,” says College of Science and Mathematics Dean Lora Billings. “This interdisciplinary project will provide hands-on experiences that prepares our students for the future STEM workforce.”

How an Extended Reality-based Driving Simulator works

The XR-Drive simulator can replicate immersive and realistic driving scenarios in a safe, interactive, and programmable form. It includes an immersive audio-visual system generating driving-related visual information as well as synchronized auditory information to enhance realism and immersion. The powerful driving operation units and motion base allow users to have realistic vehicle driving experiences. A set of high-performance computing units installed with versatile software enables programmable vehicle control as well as customizable simulation of driving conditions. The integration with programmable extended reality technologies can enhance the delivery of an immersive and realistic driving experience to users.

The simulator will be the first of its kind on the Montclair campus, creating experiential STEM-related research and training opportunities for students.

“By supporting interdisciplinary studies, the equipment will also serve as a powerful training platform that enables students to be involved in corresponding science and engineering tasks while developing interdisciplinary skills,” says Li.

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This research is supported by the National Science Foundation MRI Program under Grant (2407953), which aims to support the acquisition of a state-of-the-art extended reality-based driving (XR-Drive) simulator to enhance user-centered interdisciplinary research and education at ����vlog. 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.

Andrea Uguna-Solano, an international student from Ecuador, vividly remembers the challenges of her first semester at ����vlog. Struggling with English, homesickness, and seasonal depression, she was ready to quit. “I felt like an outsider, struggling with language barriers and wondering if I could ever find my place,” she recalls.

At her husband’s urging, Uguna-Solano decided to stick it out for just one semester. That decision proved life-altering in multiple ways.

Recalling Albert Einstein’s famous quote, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” Uguna-Solano decided it was time to change things up and take action. “I started to ask questions, joined student organizations, took extra courses, and, most importantly, volunteered, which slowly helped me to find my voice,” she explains.

Today, Uguna-Solano celebrates her persistence and accomplishments as a graduate of Montclair’s College for Community Health, receiving a Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Science at Winter Commencement 2025 at Prudential Center.

Overcoming Early Challenges

Uguna-Solano’s journey to Montclair began when she moved to the United States to join her husband, who was pursuing a master’s degree in structural engineering at Manhattan College. She volunteered to translate for Spanish-speaking patients at a hospital to improve her English. After a couple of years, she felt ready to tackle graduate school in the U.S.

She applied and was accepted to several but ultimately chose Montclair because she felt welcomed as an international student and people were willing to answer her many questions. Back in Ecuador, Uguna-Solano had earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from the State University of Cuenca. But despite her academic background, the transition to graduate school was far from seamless. She soon discovered that “speaking English is not the same as taking a class in English,” she says.

Additionally, not all of her credits transferred and she had to retake courses she had already completed in Ecuador to complete her Certification of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She also found herself in a daunting research class that she believed was unrelated to her career goals. “It didn’t make any sense to me at that moment,” Uguna-Solano recalls. However, her willingness to volunteer with professors soon revealed the importance of that research class and her own potential. Leveraging her Spanish fluency, Uguna-Solano contributed to projects on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, and lactation programs in New Jersey, reigniting her passion for academic research.

Academic and Professional Growth

Uguna-Solano’s perseverance paid off. She is a member of Alpha Epsilon Lambda Honor Society. She co-authored several research papers with Montclair Nutrition and Food Studies professors and presented findings at conferences, including one in Minneapolis and another in Galway, Ireland, where she presented part of an abstract she co-authored with professors Yeon Bai and Soyoung Lee. She also collaborated with Professor Lauren Dinour on a food insecurity report focused on Montclair students. In addition, she analyzed data relating to lactation research. 

These opportunities not only allowed Uguna-Solano to showcase her expertise but also deepened her sense of belonging. Ultimately, she became a research assistant to both professors. “At Montclair, I discovered a family,” she says. “The Red Hawks community surrounded me with friends, professors, mentors, and classmates who made me feel that I belonged. I found my inner voice here, the strength to stand confidently, and the courage to pursue meaningful goals.”

Her accomplishments were recognized when she won several scholarships and awards, including the Katharine B. Hall Family & Child Studies Scholarship from ����vlog, from the American Society for Nutrition and the (FNCE) for the second consecutive year. At the Minneapolis FNCE conference, she publicly thanked her mentors, professors Bai and Dinour.

Even Montclair’s signature red, a color she once disliked, became symbolic of her transformation. She now embraces it as representative of empowerment, she says. “It was as if the University ignited a power in me that had been waiting to be seen, encouraging me to step up and be part of something bigger.”

A Supportive Community

Uguna-Solano credits Montclair’s supportive environment for much of her success, particularly during that first semester. From faculty and staff to student organizations and the Office of Global Engagement, she felt embraced by the campus community. During International Student Orientation, CAPS staff reassured her and other students that feelings of homesickness and sadness were to be expected, and University Police’s assurances of student safety provided her peace of mind.

Uguna-Solano recalls: “A lot of people in my country want to come to the U.S. to have opportunities, including myself. However, after arriving, I was not happy at that moment,” she recalls. “I was completely sad. I missed my country and my family. Thankfully, during orientation, I connected with other people who share similar histories, and we were told that this was common.”

Looking Ahead: Goals Rooted in Service

Uguna-Solano is ready to embark on the next chapter of her career. This summer, she will complete a dietetic internship and exam to become a registered dietitian. She also plans to stay in the U.S. for at least a couple more years and pursue certification as an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant.

Her ultimate goal is to open her own lactation practice and help people to fight hunger. “Montclair has changed my life, uncovered strengths and given me the final puzzle piece,” she says. “I feel ready to start a new chapter with infinite possibilities on the horizon.”

Story by Staff Writer Sylvia A. Martinez.

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Montclair Associate Professor of Biology Colette Feehan led a team of researchers to examine the cumulative impacts of increasing tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic region over the past 50 years.

“Our research shows that as tropical cyclones become stronger, the damage to coastal ecosystems can become more severe and widespread,” says Feehan. “Mangroves, coral reefs, salt marshes, and other coastal habitats are vulnerable to these impacts, occurring in response to a range of tropical cyclone attributes, including winds, waves, and surge.”

What is a tropical cyclone?

A tropical cyclone is a powerful rotating storm system that forms over warm ocean waters near the equator. Depending on the region, it may be called a hurricane (in the North Atlantic and Northeast Pacific), typhoon (in the Northwest Pacific), or simply a cyclone (in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific). These storms draw energy from warm ocean waters and are characterized by strong winds, heavy rainfall, and low-pressure centers. Over days, they can intensify into some of the most destructive natural phenomena.

After forming, tropical cyclones can travel hundreds to thousands of miles, often crossing entire ocean basins. Many make landfall, causing significant damage before weakening over land or cooler waters, while others dissipate entirely over the open ocean. Their paths and impacts depend on regional conditions such as wind patterns, water temperatures, and geography.

Key takeaways and why this research matters

The study’s findings suggest that intensifying future tropical cyclones, driven by climate change, pose escalating risks to essential ecosystems that provide natural protection, support biodiversity, and sustain coastal economies.

Analyzing data from 97 tropical cyclones impacting diverse ecosystems throughout the North Atlantic, the researchers focused on immediate ecological consequences like species mortality, habitat destruction, and shifts in community structure.

The study’s findings indicate severe damage occurred most on mangrove forests, where strong winds lead to felled and broken trees. Coral reefs, on the other hand, suffer primarily from cyclone-driven wave damage, which breaks and dislodges coral structures critical for marine biodiversity.

Looking ahead

The research team led by Feehan, which also includes experts from the University of Western Australia, University of Canterbury, and Rutgers University, calls for targeted conservation strategies to protect vulnerable ecosystems and to mitigate the cascading effects of tropical cyclone damage on marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of coastal communities.

The researchers also stress the urgency of global action, as warming oceans are fueling stronger tropical cyclones. “Protecting and restoring these ecosystems is essential for building resilience against the growing intensity of tropical cyclones,” says Feehan. “This is not just about saving habitats—it’s about safeguarding our future.”