As an international student from Mexico, she was drawn to Montclair’s computing program and the chance to build a tech career. After she excelled in a German language course, that success became the first step toward multiple degrees, as faculty encouraged her to add German, explore linguistics and step into teaching and research roles she had never considered. She even turned her work with children in German into a research project on how programs like the SPARK Lab influence college students’ interest in teaching.

“One of the most important things I’ve learned at Montclair is that you don’t have to limit yourself to just one thing,” Zarate Gonzalez says.

At Montclair’s SPARK Lab, Isabella Zarate Gonzalez collaborates with fellow students to plan German lessons for local schoolchildren as part of a national ‘SPARK for German’ teaching network. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Community‑engaged learning that opens doors

The SPARK Lab is a partnership between Montclair and nearby schools, giving children early access to world languages while mentoring college students into community‑focused leadership roles. It is part of a national network supported by the . Zarate Gonzalez is among the students who teach German to elementary school children one hour a week for six weeks each semester, including a Meistergruppe for kids who speak German as a heritage language.

Children in Montclair’s SPARK Lab listen to German fairy tales. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

As part of a multi‑university research project with the University of Tennessee Knoxville, the University of St. Thomas and the University of Chicago, she led data collection and analysis on how SPARK affects college students. She focused on whether experiences like the SPARK Lab encourage students to consider teaching German and what broadly applicable professional skills they gain, surveying Montclair’s student instructors about their motivations and how teaching had changed their career plans.

The research findings, co‑authored with faculty and collaborators at the four campuses, were and presented at the 2023 American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages conference in Chicago.

At Montclair, Isabella Zarate Gonzalez found support to grow a single major into three degrees – Data Science, Language, Business and Culture, and German – plus a minor in Linguistics. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Studying abroad with scholarship support

Scholarship support opened the world for Zarate Gonzalez.

Through the  Montclair–Graz Sister City Scholarship, she spent the 2024–25 academic year studying in Graz, Austria. The full scholarship, funded by ����vlog, Montclair’s Overseas Neighbors and the City of Graz, provides free tuition, room and a small stipend and sends two Montclair undergraduates each year to study in Montclair’s sister city.

Montclair’s status as a Hispanic‑Serving Institution also helped her win a full scholarship to Middlebury’s prestigious German Language School, a summer immersion program.

“There aren’t a lot of people who can say, ‘This university allowed me to do three bachelor’s degrees, win full scholarships and study abroad in Europe,’” she says.

Isabella Zarate Gonzalez talks with Associate Professor Pascale LaFountain in Montclair’s SPARK Lab. In addition to their work there, Zarate Gonzalez joined LaFountain on a translation project for an archive of Austrian Jewish history. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Hands-on research and a peek into history

Advanced language study also led Zarate Gonzalez into meaningful work and helped her discover the academic field that ties her interests together. With Associate Professor Pascale LaFountain and local resident Diane Forman, she worked on a translation project for an extraordinary archive of Austrian Jewish history centered on Forman’s grandfather, composer Wilhelm Grosz.

The team organized and translated Grosz’s letters – including correspondence with figures such as Leonard Bernstein and Langston Hughes – along with his musical manuscripts, Nazi‑era property documents and personal library, preparing the materials for the Exil.arte Jewish music archive in Austria.

For Zarate Gonzalez, working so closely with those documents made the Holocaust feel personal and showed her how language skills and data‑driven thinking could come together in fields like Computational Linguistics.

Looking ahead

When Zarate Gonzalez graduates in May 2026, she will have earned degrees in Data Science; Language, Business and Culture; and German, plus a minor in Linguistics – all completed in four years.

Now, as she looks ahead, she is exploring teaching opportunities in both German and STEM fields and planning for a future master’s program in Computational Linguistics.��

“I think about what would have happened if I had chosen not to come to Montclair,” she says. “My life would be completely different. I genuinely believe I got the most out of it.”

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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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“Today marks a milestone – a decade of collaboration, innovation and student-driven sustainability solutions,” said Amy Tuininga, director of the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies, as she welcomed the new Green Teams cohort May 28 at the program’s 10th anniversary launch event.

Since its inception, Montclair’s Green Teams program has grown into a powerful model of experiential learning and real-world problem solving. Hundreds of impactful deliverables have supported sustainable solutions for municipalities, nonprofits and corporations across New Jersey and beyond.

10 Years of Purpose-Driven Progress

This year’s Green Teams cohort includes 50 interns from 33 universities, 36 degree programs and 16 states – a reflection of the program’s growing impact. United by purpose, these students are applying their knowledge and skills to 10 projects that address urgent environmental challenges, including:

• Soil health and regenerative agriculture with drone and robotic tools (Foodshed Alliance)
• Flood risk mapping and GIS-based tools in Paterson (The Nature Conservancy)
• Urban greening and microforest creation in Bloomfield, Montclair and Newark
• Climate-smart infrastructure development with NJ Natural Gas, Eisai and the Port Authority of NY & NJ
• Inclusive workforce technology, including XR job training for adults with autism (Green Do Good)
• Schoolyard restoration and food forest planning at Hazel Avenue School in West Orange

Celebrating Long-Term Partnerships and Impact

“Some of our partners are long-time collaborators, while others are new to the Green Team family. Each one plays a vital role in shaping a more sustainable, equitable future,” said Tuininga.

����vlog President Jonathan Koppell praised the Green Teams program as a shining example of innovation and hope. In a world full of challenges, the program reminds us that solutions are not only possible – they’re happening right now, he said.

Dominique Lueckenhoff, executive vice president for Corporate Affairs, Environment, Health and Sustainability at Hugo Neu Corporation and keynote speaker, drew on her experience in government and private sector to urge long-term thinking and purposeful action.

She called for a “resilience revolution” to transform markets, infrastructure and communities – reminding us that sustainability means reimagining the systems we rely on, not merely reacting to crises.

“We stand at a crossroads. Choices we make today about our securities, markets, infrastructure and communities will shape generations to come.”

Amy Tuininga, left, director of the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies, introduces this summer’s Green Teams at the 10th Anniversary Gala and Launch Event. The 50 interns represent diverse academic backgrounds and are ready to tackle today’s pressing sustainability challenges.

2025 Green Team Projects at a Glance

• Sustainable Land & Agriculture
  • and its : Drone and soil data for regenerative agriculture
  • : Food forest planning and flood analysis
    
• Urban Greening & Resilience
  • , , : Microforests, tree mapping, green infrastructure
    
• Water & Emissions Management
  • : Water audits and drought strategies
    
  • : Scope 3 emissions tracking
    
  • : CO₂ reuse feasibility
    
• Climate Adaptation & Risk
  • (Paterson): Flood mitigation and GIS risk mapping
    
• Inclusive Tech & Workforce Innovation
  • : Virtual-reality modules for autism-inclusive training

The Green Teams program is funded through the generous support of the PSEG Foundation, the National Science Foundation, USDA and NASA.��

Discover Where Science Meets Purpose

At ����vlog, the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies and the College of Science and Mathematics advance real-world environmental solutions through research, innovation and collaboration.

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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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When Melissa Spigelman’s best friend was diagnosed with cancer, it changed everything. Watching her endure life-saving but brutal treatments sparked a mission in Spigelman — to discover more compassionate, innovative ways to treat aggressive cancers. Now, as a ����vlog graduate with a master’s degree in Molecular Biology, she’s combining cutting-edge research, faculty mentorship and scholarship support to reimagine cancer care.

Her journey into science began with the spark of an exceptional high school biology teacher. That early inspiration led her to fall in love with biology – but she wasn’t sure where it would take her. At the time, the only clear paths she saw were in medicine, but she knew she didn’t want to be a doctor.

Then, her best friend was diagnosed with cancer.

As Spigelman watched her friend undergo the harsh treatments that ultimately saved her life, she found her calling: cancer research.��

“She’s okay,” Spigelman says, “but at what cost?” 

That question fuels her every day, driving her to seek out more compassionate, non-invasive treatments for aggressive cancers.

Spigelman has competed in the Mario M. Casabona Future Scientists Program. Moments like this have helped her inspire the next generation of scientists. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

Finding Her Place in the Lab – and the World 

As a high school senior taking AP Biology, Spigelman was invited by a friend to observe the Montclair lab headed by Biology Professor Carlos Molina. Normally reserved for upper level students, she was the youngest person there. At first, she felt overwhelmed.

“As a high school student, I felt like, wow, what am I doing here? This is kind of crazy, but I just kept reminding myself, you’re here to learn; it’s okay that you don’t know everything right now, you’re just learning, you’re soaking everything up. So, I tried to be a sponge.”

She decided to attend Montclair as an undergraduate studying Biology. Over time, she earned a spot not only as a contributor, but as a leader, working in the lab and earning her bachelor’s degree in 2023. She decided to continue at Montclair to earn her master’s.��

“She basically runs my lab,” says Molina. “For the last nearly three years, she’s been handling all aspects of the lab. She takes care of the other students and has even trained them, works on her own research and is doing all of the experiments. It’s unbelievable.”

Through her other work moderating the University’s Women in STEM Summit, presenting at the American Heart Association HSI Scholars  program, and competing in the Mario M. Casabona Future Scientists Program, Spigelman is paving the way for other aspiring scientists who are more introverted by nature.

“Going to Japan taught me that I can study anywhere, and now I feel a lot more confident. I’m going to be applying to PhDs this year. Now I just feel like I can live anywhere and I’ll be fine. I’ll be okay. I don’t have to limit myself.” (Photo courtesy of Melissa Spigelman)

She recalls a particularly difficult moment during her time abroad in Japan, where she traveled to continue her research on zebrafish through a prestigious National Science Foundation program.��

“It was very difficult lab work,” she recalls. “It was work I had never done before. So there was about five weeks of continued failure. It was really bad, and I felt really guilty about it, because I’m being paid to be there by the United States, and I’m not succeeding. And, science takes time, right? But I felt I was an imposter. I felt like, ‘Why have I been selected out of all of these great scientists if I can’t even get these cells to live,’ and, because of the 13-hour time difference, I didn’t have the same support system that I had at home.” 

Eventually, it was her mom who gave her the most pivotal advice.

“Meli, just go into it, and lead with your heart. Show them how much you care — it is okay if you make a mistake.”

She controlled what she could, and, eventually, it worked.

The perspective she has gained through her presentation skills, publishing papers and doing research internationally have made her something of a darling on social media, where she has co-authored a podcast titled

“That has been really beautiful for me to experience, the amount of high school students who message me and tell me, ‘I’ve never met a female scientist before, and I really like what you’re doing.’ It’s those moments when people reach out and tell me how much I’ve impacted them that really get to me, because I did have to grow into this position where I felt comfortable just saying yes to these opportunities. And I’m thankful that me saying yes has inspired others, too.”

In the lab, what began with taking care of fish and preparing DNA samples grew into full-scale genetic experimentation. Spigelman works on identifying natural tumor-suppressing proteins and testing their effects by genetically modifying zebrafish — an innovative model for cancer research. (Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)

What’s Next?

For Spigelman, the next year will be about continuing to build on all she’s accomplished at Montclair. She’s been hired to continue to work in the lab and for the Dean’s Office at the College of Science and Mathematics, before she takes the next step on her journey and enters a PhD program.��

In the meantime, “I want to rest and get into positive routines that involve eating, sleeping and exercising. I think in science, it’s often encouraged to really push through and keep working, which I’ve been doing and I love doing. But it’s time to take a rest, and I’m happy that I still get to do research.”

“I’m really happy to have the opportunity to stay at Montclair. I’m so thankful for the chance to keep impacting the community, and I hope to publish at least one more paper. I hope to host another Women in STEM Summit, and I hope to continue working to make sure that people know that Montclair is a great place to go, especially if you’re a first-generation college student like me.”

The University will celebrate its graduates at Commencement exercises on Wednesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 8, 2025, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.��

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.

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.”

The project, titled The Effectiveness of Psychoeducational Counseling in STEM Internship and Research Experiences, will be led by an interdisciplinary team and will seek to:

• Increase participation in high-quality STEM experiential learning opportunities across Montclair
• Embed professional group counseling into internships and research experiences to create opportunities with socio-emotional support
• Generate knowledge on the impacts of this counseling intervention on students, faculty mentors and program coordinators at a federally designated HSI.

The project will be led by Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Nina Goodey and a team of co-PIs including PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies (PSEG ISS) Green Teams Director Amy Tuininga, Associate Professor of Counseling Michael Hannon and Dean of Montclair’s College of Science and Mathematics Lora Billings.

The project has strong support from the University’s administration and contributes their HSI expertise as senior personnel. Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Junius Gonzales, brings his expertise in Hispanic students’ mental health and commitment to reduce equity gaps for student achievement and grow student internship and research opportunities. Milton Fuentes, Department of Psychology and MSU Provost’s Higher Education Academic Leadership Fellow, brings to the project a deep understanding of Hispanic students, mental health, and expertise in Latinx, multicultural, and family psychology.

About the Institutional Transformation Project

While students benefit from internship experiences, Tuininga and Goodey were keenly aware of how internships often lacked the elements required for students with a breadth of identities and life experiences to feel a sense of belonging, particularly in STEM fields.

“Mature scientists know that STEM projects often involve setbacks and that embracing these challenges, with responsive support, can lead to persistence and unexpected scientific breakthroughs,” says Goodey. “The magnitude of these challenges can exacerbate psychological distress for all researchers, and particularly those with less experience and who are still adjusting to and embracing their STEM career identities.”

From 2022-2024, they partnered with Hannon to add weekly psychoeducational group counseling sessions for the interns in Montclair’s Green Teams program facilitated by PhD Counseling students, who are professional counselors.

“The PSEG ISS is pleased to lead innovation in best practices for responsive and inclusive internship experiences, like mental health support for young people that is much needed, particularly after COVID,” says Tuininga.

After its success and as part of this project, they plan to expand the services to students in CSAM’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program in the coming years.

Now, the team will work to quantify the impact of group counseling on internship and research participants and expand the program across Montclair with additional support from Montclair’s Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Junius Gonzales.

“Mental health support and education is key to supporting wellness, productivity, and managing stress in both research and education,” says Billings. “This project will empower all students to persist in STEM and holistically prepare them to succeed in the future workforce. ����vlog is proud to be a leader in quantifying the value of the mental health support services.”

“The inclusion of counseling support for students participating in these internship and research experiences is exactly the kind of proactive, preventative services that all students deserve. The award from the National Science Foundation positions our institution to be innovative in disrupting exclusion in higher education and to be holistically responsive to student needs. We are hopeful that the comprehensive scope of services will be nothing short of transformational for the students, for those of us privileged to engage with and serve them, and for ����vlog,” says Hannon.

Photo by University Staff Photographer Mike Peters.

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This research is supported by the National Science Foundation HSI Program under , which aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs. 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.

New research led by ����vlog School of Computing faculty Weitian Wang explores this not-so-distant “Industry 5.0” by leveraging the unique value of human capabilities and robotics technologies for collaborative manufacturing.

This project is supported by a 2024 National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award. It is the Foundation’s most prestigious award in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.

The project builds on previous awards from the Foundation to the Collaborative Robotics and Smart Systems Laboratory (CRoSS Lab) at the University, of which Wang is the founder and director. Wang, IEEE and ACM Senior Member, has longstanding and extensive research on collaborative robotics, smart systems, and their synergistic CRoSS-disciplinary applications in smart manufacturing and remanufacturing, sustainabilities, healthcare, intelligent transportation, smart agriculture, daily assistance, data science, cybersecurity, and interactive learning. His research has been supported by over $2.2 million in funding from different federal agencies and organizations. Wang is the founder of Montclair Robotics and AI Seminar Series. He is the recipient of Montclair Advising Excellence Faculty Advisor Award and Montclair Social Justice and Diversity Vanguard of the Year Award for recognizing his education and service contributions to the university. Wang is the Chair of IEEE North Jersey Section Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Chapter and the Advisor of IEEE ����vlog Student Branch. He is awarded as IEEE STEM Champion for his contributions to pre-university communities.

“This grant will greatly support us in exploring and creating new knowledge and understanding of human factors, task scheduling, and robot autonomy in manufacturing systems integration by leveraging interdisciplinary perspectives from robotics, AI, automation, manufacturing, engineering, and cognitive ergonomics,” says Wang. “We expect to democratize manufacturing sectors moving toward fulfilling dynamic customer demands with high variability through the strengths of human-robot collaboration to improve the well-being for both human workers and customers.”

“Thanks to my students for their great contributions to building our vibrant research team,” says Wang.

Research supported by this CAREER award will also be complemented by a scalable educational program in the areas of robotics, AI, and manufacturing for both college students and pre-university communities to foster and empower the next generation of scientists and engineers, especially those from underrepresented groups. In addition, this project will create potential opportunities for the university to develop new science and engineering programs/certificates to broaden students’ career pipelines.

“Dr. Wang is an academic role model who is committed to both research and education,” says College of Science and Mathematics Dean Lora Billings. “His ambitious project will guide us in designing interdependent human-robot partnerships that will improve our efficiency in manufacturing tasks. By including students in his research, Wang sets a wonderful example of how ����vlog leads the way in providing hands-on experiences that prepares the future STEM workforce.”

This research is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2338767.

For more information about Montclair’s School of Computing, visit montclair.edu/school-of-computing.