The Hearst Foundations Promote Diversity in NJIT's Undergraduate Research Community

A five-woman team of undergraduate engineering students is tackling a problem experienced by a diverse and growing population: balance instability. For the elderly, people recovering from strokes and accidents or those living with disorders that affect movement, such as Parkinson’s disease, falls present the risk of grave injury.

With funding from the Hearst Foundations, the team is taking aim at the mechanics that lie at the heart of the problem, determining with precision – and on a step-by-step basis – when, where and how an individual loses stability.

While balance training and rehabilitation therapy are deemed critical measures to avert falls, there is no medical consensus on standard practice in clinical exercises, as “existing methods do not provide a univocal measure of a person’s state of balance,” the students wrote in a proposal for funding from NJIT’s Undergraduate Research and Innovation (URI) program.

“To address this gap, we have devised a way to quantify a person’s state of balance by measuring their position and speed as they move,” said Karina Dsouza ’20, a biomedical engineering student and member of the team assembled by Carlotta Mummolo, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, to help design and build a wearable device that collects and stores this data.

With its recent grant of $100,000 to the URI program, the Hearst Foundations have substantially boosted opportunities for motivated young researchers at NJIT; by targeting those funds toward women and underrepresented minorities, the organization has meaningfully broadened the pool of students able to develop their talent. The Foundations pay not only for project expenses, but for stipends that allow students to spend time in campus laboratories, rather than in conventional summer jobs.  

“The Hearst Foundations are committed to meeting the needs of a diverse society by ensuring that our problem-solvers come from a variety of backgrounds,” said Program Officer Alison Yu. “By supporting undergraduate researchers at NJIT, and particularly those from historically underrepresented groups, we feel confident that we’re advancing this goal.”

Mummolo says she is pleased not only by her team’s results, but by its group dynamics.

“I chose students with the strongest technical preparation, motivation, communication skills and maturity,” she said. “And they have already proven themselves by showing both tremendous dedication toward research work and incredible support for their teammates’ ideas and initiatives.” 

For Dsouza, the funds have allowed her to pursue a newfound academic passion.

“I thought I wanted to be a doctor, but then I discovered the problem-solving mindset of engineering and the satisfaction of working with my hands, as well as eyes and brain, to figure things out. I particularly like prosthetics,” said Dsouza, who plans to apply to Ph.D. programs in the field. “To me, this funding serves as validation. It shows that I am doing something important that’s worth investing in.”

NJIT’s URI program has evolved into a formal two-phase program under the guidance of faculty and dedicated STEM professional volunteers. In Phase I, students submit applications for seed grants of $500 per project to pursue preliminary research or demonstrate initial proof-of-concept prototypes.

Phase 2 seed grants provide up to $3,000 per project to pursue research further or develop a complete prototype. The Phase 2 grant involves full-time participation by each student for a period of 10 weeks during summer.

Karen Reyes ’21, a chemical engineering major, is working on a Hearst-supported Phase 2 project focused on discovering and testing novel methods for improving targeted drug delivery that employ nanoparticles. She joined Miriam Marquez ’20, also a chemical engineering student, who completed a Phase 1 project on the topic and applied to continue her research under the supervision of Kathleen McEnnis, an assistant professor of chemical engineering.

“I really like nanotechnology – it’s amazing what can be accomplished with something you can’t even see. But my favorite part is learning about blood – it’s such a complex system,” noted Reyes, who is interested in a career in the pharmaceutical sector. She is therefore also pleased to “be learning both the techniques and language of this field.”

The Hearst Foundations began supporting NJIT students more than 25 years ago.

“The Foundations’ continued support for undergraduate research and innovation is exemplary. They have provided NJIT students with intensive research experiences that prepare them to better address some of the key challenges of the 21st century,” said Atam Dhawan, senior vice provost for research and founder of the URI program. “Specifically, their support to talented researchers from underrepresented groups has inspired and nurtured incredibly talented young people whose contributions are enriching our society.”