Pre-College 40th Anniversary Alumni Profile: Stephanie Iring Is Pursuing Biomedical Research

Stephanie Iring grew up in a working-class community in New Jersey, where, she says, social status and educational inequality were closely related and opportunities for success were limited.

“Fortunately, my grammar school teacher recommended me to the Center for Pre-College Programs [CPCP] [at NJIT] in the sixth grade,” said Iring, whose mother enrolled her with tuition assistance from the Union City Board of Education. “It was in Pre-College that I first learned of biomedical engineering as a field that combines engineering with medicine and biology, which was life-changing for me.”

Iring participated in CPCP’s summertime Femme7, Femme8 and Femme Academy programs, designed for female students in middle school who are interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). She continued with CPCP in high school, taking calculus and physics through Academy College Courses for High School Students and earning college credit. Iring went on to study biomedical engineering at the School of Engineering at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, where she graduated in 2013. She then returned to NJIT for a master’s in the field, and is now pursuing her doctoral degree at Rutgers School of Biomedical Sciences.

Her doctoral research focuses on enhancing the understanding of mild traumatic brain injury, i.e., concussions. “I want to advance our diagnostic capabilities using my engineering skills to improve the noninvasive imaging we are performing on concussed players,” Iring explained. “I intend to develop biomedical diagnostic tests that can objectively determine concussion severity and are not dependent on baseline testing, ensuring concussed players are properly diagnosed and treated so they do not return to play, which could result in a more severe injury.”

Life has certainly been and continues to be busy for Iring, who married while a student at NJIT and is today the mother of three children under 6 years old. She credits her dedication to academic excellence to her experiences with pre-college enrichment programs, including those offered by CPCP. To pay it forward, she serves as CPCP’s teacher/teaching assistant supervisor.

“There is a demand for workers that are proficient in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In order for us to cultivate the next generations of scientists and engineers, we need to begin introductions and training during early childhood,” remarked Iring of the value of pre-college education in STEM. “[At NJIT], in addition to co-educational programs, there are programs that are geared toward young women in STEM. This is important if we want to level the gap between men and women pursuing careers in STEM.”

Fondest memory of CPCP:  “A pivotal moment in my childhood was our visit to the Kessler Institute. I was inspired by the rigor and societal impact of their research and quickly realized that I wanted to be a biomedical engineer. That’s exactly what I did.”

The Center for Pre-College Programs was established in 1979 in order to increase access to scientific and technological fields among traditionally underrepresented populations and to improve the teaching of science and mathematics in secondary and elementary schools. CPCP serves more than 3,000 students and their teachers annually through a variety of programs.