Union Leader - March 2023

UNIONLEADER

Taking the world by storm

Union student raises money to fight cancer

By Javon Ross Staff Writer

Abigail Han is on a personal mission to raise money and awareness to cure cancer. Han, a student at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child and resident of Union, is a candidate for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Student Visionaries of the Year fundraising campaign. She is on a campaign to raise $25,000 as her goal for the organization. Her campaign started on Wednesday, Jan. 11, and will end on Saturday, March 4.

Han’s involvement in this fundraising campaign is very personal.

See Page 3 Getting free computers

“My grandmother, Joanne Gunther, passed away from kidney cancer in 2014 when I was 5,” Han told LocalSource. “My grandfather also passed from lung cancer in 2006, and recently, a young boy in the community, Marciano Rosa, was diagnosed with leukemia. My campaign is dedicated to helping him and everyone affected by cancer.”

Han has been putting a lot of effort into raising money and was thankful for those who have supported her efforts along the way.

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See Page 4 Swim team champions

“I have weekly meetings with different contacts at LLS. We go over everything that’s going to happen for the week,” Han said. “I learned about different ways to fundraise, from personal asks to sending letters and emails, asking if people would be willing to help. I also approached businesses and scheduled proceed nights, where a percentage of your check would go toward LLS.”

Her involvement in fundraising toward a cure is connected to Han’s hope for a future career.

“I’m interested in medicine, I learned about three pillars of support from LLS: research, educational support and advocacy,” Han said. “I chose research, because that is what I am most interested in doing in the future.”

With her hopes set on college, Abigail has a few choices in mind.

“My brother’s school, Quinnipiac, has a really good medicine program,” Han said. “I am also interested in going to NYU. I also want to play sports in college, hopefully, softball. So, I hope that I can balance my time between pre-med and sports.”

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Han credits her parents for helping her balance her advocacy work with school and being a teenager.

“My mom and dad are a huge help.

They help me manage,” Han said. “Everyone on my team helps, but my parents know more people than I do. My mom told me this is a great idea and told me to go for it, so here I am.”

Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child is an independent Catholic school founded in 1924 by the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus. From prekindergarten to grade six, the school teaches boys and girls, and from grades seven to 12, the school teaches only girls. Oak Knoll provides English

and theocracy, world language, world and U.S. history, laboratory science, math and physical education courses. The school also welcomes a diverse student body, developing students who think critically, embrace knowledge, respond with moral and ethical integrity, and contribute to the lives of others. One hundred percent of graduates from Oak Knoll enter four-year colleges and universities.

Kathryn McGroarty, the headmaster of

Photos Courtesy of Danielle Han

Above left, Abigail Han, left, stands with Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child classmates at a recent fundraiser to fight cancer. Above right, Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child headmaster Kathryn McGroarty stands with Han, who McGroarty has praised for her campaign to raise money and her outreach work. Below, Han stands with various members of the Union Police Department who are donating to help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Kean U helps NJ public schools meet learning challenge

Nearly 100 New Jersey public school administrators came together in December on Kean University’s campus to hear the latest research on learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic and sample new technologies to support students and educators in the post-COVID learning environment.

Superintendents, principals, vice principals and curriculum supervisors attended the informational summit, Our Journey Beyond COVID-19: Meeting the Challenge, hosted by Kean University’s Division of Entrepreneurial Education Initiatives and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, an education technology company. HMH offers integrative programs to accelerate learning and close the learning gaps exacerbated by the pandemic’s remote learning phase.

“COVID-19 exposed a lot of the inequities that we knew existed in schools, but it also created a ‘probletunity’ — problem met with opportunity — to better understand the science behind learning and take the steps needed to address the longstanding inequities,” said Sancha K. Gray, senior vice president for EEI at Kean University. “At this conference, we sought to lighten the load for educators, the students and their families.”

Test scores from the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments show proficiency rates dropped at all grade levels in English language arts and nearly all grades in math and science this year compared to 2019, the last time the

exams were given before the pandemic struck. Results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the Nation’s Report Card, showed significant drops in math and reading skills nationwide.

The conference keynote speaker, Akbar H. Cook Sr., principal of West Side High School in Newark, urged the educators to lead with love and meet students where they are.

“In order for us to address the learning

loss, we have to treat students as individuals. We need to find ways outside of school to expose them to what they need to know, because life is not going to take it easy on them,” he said. “I am talking about tutoring after school and Saturday and summer classes, new technologies, and other ways to bridge the gap so we can get those kids back on track.”

Also addressing the conference was Michael Salvatore, Kean senior vice president for administration.

"I'm always excited to share researchbased practices for data integration, and the energy from the audience was contagious. The team in EEI does an excellent job engaging their partnership districts’ leadership personnel and providing highquality executive leadership opportunities for development,” he said.

The educators saw demonstrations of HMH intervention programs — Amira Learning, Read 180, Math 180, Waggle and Writable — that target specific learning gaps in reading, math and writing. Verborah Reeves, HMH account representative, said the programs offer individualized supplemental learning for students.

“There is a need across the entire state of New Jersey. It doesn’t matter the demographics or where the students are located. We are finding that almost every school district has learning loss,” Reeves said.

The Township of Union Public Schools is a partner with Kean’s EEI division. The principal of the district’s Battle Hill Elementary School, Sharon Drayton, attended the conference and said it was good to come together to compare notes with fellow educators.

“We all have the same issues, and we can share information about what we put to work in our schools,” she said. “It doesn’t mean that it has to be exactly the same issue. As we were sitting here, listening to the speakers, ideas were popping out around the table. That’s why conferences like this are important.”

Photo Courtesy of Kean University Nearly 100 New Jersey public school administrators came together on Kean University’s campus recently to hear the latest research on learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic and sample new technologies to support students and educators in the post-COVID learning environment.

Earth science graduate takes meteorology world by storm

After seeing lightning strike when he was 4 years old, Steve Sosna spent his childhood mesmerized by storms, even turning down the volume on the TV and delivering the weather forecast himself.

His passion for the weather led him into meteorology and, in 2017, to his home state of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia studios of WCAU-TV, NBC10.

“I enjoy sharing my knowledge,” said Sosna, a Lansdale native who earned a bachelor’s degree in earth sciences from Kean University in 2008 with a concentration in meteorology. “It’s a way of creating connections about something we all share.”

Like the weather, Sosna’s job can be mercurial. He may be sent to the Poconos to report on the opening of ski season, to North Carolina to cover a major storm, or into the local community to participate in roundtable discussions about how to better prepare residents for the impacts of climate change on their families and the infrastructure around them.

His focus is giving locally tailored forecasts on NBC10, KYW Newsradio and social media, providing more consistency than weather apps and fuller explanations of the “why” behind atmospheric events.

He’s aided by technology he developed for NBC10: augmented reality that conjures 3D graphics, and StormRanger, a mobile dual polarization Xband Doppler radar system that enables precise, potentially life-saving storm information for specific neighborhoods in danger.

Along with colleagues, Sosna won a national Emmy for StormRanger and a regional Emmy for lifesaving warnings and safety tips as tornadoes struck during the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

“Steve Sosna is one of the most dedicated and enthusiastic meteorologists I've worked with in my 50 years as a meteorologist,” said Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz, retired from NBC10. “He continues to search for ways to improve both as a forecaster and with weather graphics. He has become the go-to person on severe weather, performing his best when the weather is the worst.”

As a sophomore at Kean, Sosna was hired as a part-time weather producer at New York City’s WNBC-TV. Later, he freelanced at News 12 in Connecticut and Long Island before going on air at a small station in Austin, Minnesota, and then at its Minneapolis sister station.

In 2011, he returned to WNBC-TV as a senior weather producer, covering events such as Superstorm Sandy behind the scenes, but also appearing on shows, including “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell,” “Meet the Press Daily” and MSNBC Live.

His move to Philadelphia landed him on the air full time and brought him closer to his family, but uprooted his New Yorker husband, Jonathan Lovitz, a senior vice president with the National

LGBT Chamber of Commerce and a consultant on advocacy to businesses and organizations. “He not only handled it well,” Sosna said, “but has helped me navigate the highs and lows of television by teaching me to self-advocate.”

When not working, Sosna — who said his fascination with weather helped him endure bullying and financial struggles as a teenager — acquaints underserved and LGBTQ students with meteorology.

“I promised myself that, if I made it to my dream, I would be open with kids so they would know they can do this,” he said.

Sosna credited Kean’s “little program that could” with setting his path to success. At Kean, seasoned professors provided rigorous scientific coursework while teaching him to incorporate humanity

into meteorology, from being honest with audiences about uncertainties to responding to angry emails, he said.

Retired Kean Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Paul J. Croft said he remembers Sosna as a career “Top-10” student who was inquisitive and passionate. “It’s a joy to see him in action as a professional providing critical information to others,” Croft said.

Because meteorology is quickly evolving, Sosna suggested that today’s students cultivate curiosity and flexibility.

“Push past your comfort zone, be vulnerable, ask for help and never give up on your dream,” he said.

“You can always figure out a way to make it happen, but you’ve got to find the right people along the way and keep them close to you.”

Safe Routes to School recognizes local schools and municipalities

This year, the EZ Ride Bike & Pedestrian Program team hosted more than 450 events in 300 communities, including safety presentations, poster contests, bike safety presentations, walk assessments and walk-to-school days, to promote safety and biking.

Approximately 40,000 students attended these events.

The result: 154 schools and municipalities were recognized as winners of the NJ Safe Routes to School Program by the New Jersey Department of Transportation;

76 percent, or 117, of the 154 awardees were from disadvantaged communities.

• From Elizabeth, Sonia Sotomayor School No. 25 and Winfield Scott School No. 2 received First Step awards, and Joseph Battin School No. 4 received a gold award.

• From Garwood, Lincoln Franklin Elementary School received a bronze award.

• From Kenilworth, Harding Elementary School received a First Step award.

• From Linden, Highland Avenue School No. 10

received a First Step award.

• From Roselle Park, Ernest J. Finizio Aldene Elementary School received a silver award.

• From Scotch Plains, Coles Elementary School received a First Step award.

In addition to schools receiving awards, individual municipalities were also recognized. Clark, Fanwood, Kenilworth, Springfield and Westfield received First Step awards, and Elizabeth, Linden and Roselle Park received gold awards.

Photo Courtesy of Kean University

Steve Sosna earned a bachelor’s degree in earth sciences from Kean University in 2008 with a concentration in meteorology.

100 free computers are distributed to students in need

The Loyalty Foundation distributed 100 Chromebook laptops to school-age child care participants in need at the Gateway Family YMCA in Elizabeth, Rahway and Union on Monday, Jan. 16.

The distribution event at the Elizabeth branch was attended by N. David Neeman, founder and chairperson of the Loyalty Foundation; Rahmean Pops of 211 Community Impact; and the entertainer Redman.

“It was a beautiful Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and we were so pleased to collaborate with all the wonderful folks from the Gateway YMCA in Elizabeth to distribute the computers.

“The community and atmosphere was electric, and we can’t thank the incomparable Redman and Rah-

mean Pops of 211 Community Impact enough for supporting our equity empowerment mission. Seeing all the smiles on the families faces and knowing how much these computers will help them, means the world to us,” said Neeman.

“We are very appreciative of the Loyalty Foundation, a strong partner to the Gateway Family YMCA and the families we serve. Access to technology is imperative to provide academic success and recovery from the learning loss experienced over these past few years. This donation opens a world of possibilities for our children,” said Melynda A. Disla, CEO of the Gateway Family YMCA.

“It was a heartwarming event and a great collaboration. We are truly thankful to Redman for taking the

time to visit with families at our YMCA and brighten the smiles of all who attended. We are thankful to Rahmean Pops of 211 Community Impact for joining the Loyalty Foundation in sharing the gift of technology with our students.”

The computer donation was made possible by the Loyalty Foundation, a New York City–based 501(c)(3) public charity providing computer technology–based education programs to underserved K-12 youth populations across the United States.

The Chromebooks were distributed to school-age child care families on a first-come, first-served basis at the three locations of the Gateway Family YMCA: Elizabeth, Five Points and Rahway.

Above left, The Gateway Family YMCA Five Points branch student Chloe smiles upon receiving her new laptop; she is with her mother, Amber, and sister Graisy. Above right, Naldy Velarde, school-age child care and camp director of the Gateway Family YMCA; Jasmine Shaw, housing coordinator; Redman, an entertainer; Earnestine Brookins, housing manager;

N. David Neeman, founder and chairperson of the Loyalty Foundation; Colleen Clayton, Gateway Family YMCA chief membership and development officer; and Rahmean Pops of 211 Community Impact share a moment with the last Elizabeth YMCA family to pick up a laptop on Monday, Jan. 16.

Photos Courtesy of Colleen Clayton

NJ bald eagle population continues to climb

The bald eagle population in New Jersey continues to climb, according to the 2022 New Jersey Bald Eagle Project Report developed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Fish and Wildlife Division and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, with 250 active nests identified last year, NJDEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced Jan. 20.

The 250 active nests — meaning the nests produced eggs — represent an increase of 28 active nests since 2021. Of those nests, 83 percent were successful and collectively produced 335 offspring. The productivity rate for nests with known outcomes was 1.42 young per nest, which is above the range required to maintain healthy population numbers.

“The continued growth of New Jersey’s bald eagle population is an inspiration to all of us and is a direct result of strong environmental protection laws, firm partnerships, innovative scientific techniques, and the dedication of many volunteers who devote much of their time to monitoring and protecting eagles,” LaTourette said. “The efforts of the New Jersey Bald Eagle Project — a partnership among the DEP, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey and volunteer eagle watchers — demonstrate how new technologies, effective coordination, public engagement and education are at work to protect treasured wildlife species such as the bald eagle.”

“The ongoing recovery and growth of New Jersey’s bald eagle population is a remarkable story that gets better with each passing year,” Fish and Wildlife Assistant Commissioner Dave Golden said. “Conservation efforts, such as protecting sensitive eagle nesting and wintering areas, engaging and educating the public, and tracking eagles’ movements, have all contributed to the enormous success of the program that will continue to conserve New Jersey’s wildlife for future generations to enjoy.”

The 250 active nests confirmed in 2022 represent a more than twofold increase since the beginning of 2013, when 119 active nests were counted. The Delaware Bay region remained the state’s eagle stronghold, with roughly half of all nests located in Cumberland and Salem counties and the bayside of Cape May County.

A total of 267 total territorial pairs were monitored in 2022. This number includes pairs that had active nests as well as those that maintained nest territories but did not lay eggs. Fourteen new territorial nesting sites were confirmed in the southern region, 10 in the central and five in the north.

“New Jersey continues to collect high-quality data on the health and productivity of its bald eagles, which is no small feat given the species’ ever-growing numbers. Other states increasingly look to New Jersey’s volunteer-based monitoring program as a guiding example of how to monitor this species efficiently and effectively in this latest stage of its recovery. It is a fitting moment to recognize these successes, as the Endangered Species Act, which supported this inspiring recovery, now celebrates 50 years,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Northeast eagle coordinator, Thomas Wittig, said.

New Jersey had just one surviving bald eagle nest into the 1970s and 1980s — a pair in a remote part of Cumberland County — due to widespread use of DDT. This synthetic insecticide had lasting impacts on the food chain, accumulating in fish that eagles eat and causing eagles to lay thin-shelled eggs that could not withstand incubation. The federal government banned DDT in 1972.

Recovery efforts in New Jersey began in the early 1980s, with reintroduction of eagles from Canada and artificial incubation and fostering efforts, which started to pay discernible dividends throughout the 1990s.

The federal government removed the bald eagle from its list of endangered species in 2007, reflecting strong gain in the population throughout the nation. The current bald eagle protection status in New Jersey, however, remains endangered during the breeding season and threatened for the nonbreeding season. The greatest threats to bald eagles in New Jersey are disruptive human activity in nesting and foraging areas and habitat loss.

DEP Endangered and Nongame Species Program biologists work throughout the year to reduce disturbances to nests by coordinating with a team of volunteer nest observers, providing guidance to landowners on how to protect eagle habitat, identifying land for acquisition and management, applying the state’s land use regulations, and educating the public.

Goals of the New Jersey Bald Eagle Project include monitoring the bird’s recovery status in the state; protecting nesting sites, foraging and wintering areas; documenting location data to identify at-risk habitats; and providing education to private landowners.

Biologists and Conserve Wildlife Foundation staff work with volunteer observers to monitor nests, report sightings and protect critical habitat to support the continued growth of the state’s bald eagle population.

Photo Courtesy of Jimmy Douglas

Photo Courtesy of Rich Nicol

Student works with LLS to raise money to fight cancer

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Han’s campaign, as well as the campaigns of other students at the school.

“Abigail’s mentor in the program is a senior, so I think it is a great way for the girls in this school to get to know each other better,” McGroarty told LocalSource. “This is a part of the community outreach work that girls at Oak Knoll have done for years. We have had prior students work with LLS, so moving forward next year, Abigail will be able to mentor someone else in the program and support fundraising efforts.”

McGroarty said students find these organizations to work with and engage in their communities.

“I love that this work is student driven. Many students reach out to these organizations and pitch these campaigns,” McGroarty said. “They are so passionate about their work. It is very exciting and amazing to see. None of this is required. It is all very organic and it comes from within.”

Han’s mother, Danielle Han, had nothing but praise for her daughter’s campaign.

“I love that Abigail is excited about this,” Danielle Han told LocalSource. “She has the help of her softball team and family.

“The fact that service is built into this is great. It’s important to remember where you came from.”

Photos Courtesy of Danielle Han Abigail Han stands with various members of the Union Police Department who are donating to help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Union girl helps swim team capture championship

The Mount Saint Mary Academy swim team captured the 2023 Skyland Conference championship on Saturday, Jan. 14.

“The girls were thrilled to win the Skyland Conference championship again this year. They’ve been working hard and deserved every bit of this repeat title,” said coach Megan Decker, who was named 2021-2022 state coach of the year by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. “It is an honor to receive the state coach award. … The Mount swimmers make this award even more rewarding with their fun attitudes, positive outlook, dedication and hard work year after year.”

After the retirement of Kevin Mahoney from the Mount’s swim program following the 2011-2012 season, Decker took the reins and immediately continued the team’s success, winning a state championship in her first season as head coach, 2012-2013. Through her guidance for the last decade, the team has added two NJSIAA state championships, two NJISAA prep state championships, one Somerset County championship, three Skyland Conference championships and two Skyland Conference division titles. Decker was named NJ.com’s girls swimming coach of the year for the Lions’ 2021-2022 campaign, which saw them compile a 10-1 record and a clean sweep in championship competition: NJSIAA state champions, NJISAA prep state champions, Somerset County champions, Skyland Conference champions and Skyland Conference–Raritan Division regular-season champions.

Competing in the meet on Saturday, Jan. 14, were Dani Carter, of West Orange, who came in first in the 50-yard freestyle and second in the 100-yard freestyle; Emily Castela, of Lebanon; Olivia Chow, of Union, who came in first in the 200-yard individual medley and second in the 100-yard backstroke; Meghan Dwyer, of New

Providence, who came in seventh in the 200-yard freestyle and eighth in the 100-yard butterfly; Haley Lamont, of Basking Ridge; Sophia Latini, of Stewartsville, who came in ninth in the 200-yard individual medley and second in the 100-yard butterfly; Kayla Marion, of Basking Ridge, who was seventh in the 100yard butterfly; Livia Minaides, of Bridgewater, who was 11th in the 50-yard freestyle and 10th in the 100-yard freestyle; Sofiya Piede, of Dunellen, who had a personalbest time in the 100-yard breaststroke; Catherine Ritter,

of Westfield, who was second in the 50-yard freestyle and fifth in the 100-yard freestyle; Zoe Tseng, of Watchung, who was sixth in the 500-yard freestyle; and Annie Zwally, of Westfield, who placed 11th in the 50yard freestyle.

Chow, Marion, Latini and Ritter placed second in the 200-yard medley relay; Latini, Marion, Dwyer and Carter placed first in the 200-yard freestyle relay; and Ritter, Chow, Dwyer and Carter placed first in the 400yard freestyle relay.

Photo Courtesy of Michelle H. Daino

Author gives lecture about identity and inclusion

Award-winning author and screenwriter James McBride spoke about identity and inclusion on Thursday, Feb. 9, as part of the President’s Distinguished Lecture Series at Kean University.

McBride, who received the National Book Award for his 2013 novel “The Good Lord Bird,” which was adapted into a recent Showtime series, is also the author of “The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother,” a memoir. That landmark work explored McBride’s search for identity as the son of a white, Jewish woman and a black man.

“James McBride is a true Renaissance man as a jazz musician, former journalist and leading writer of our time,” said Kean President Lamont O. Repollet. “As Kean celebrates Black History Month, it is fitting to welcome such an inspiring figure to our campus. We look forward to welcoming the community for this exciting event.”

The lecture took place at Kean’s Liberty Hall Academic Center & Exhibition Hall.

The lecture was titled “The Color of Water: A Meditation on Identity.” McBride used examples from his own life and the lives of those he’d met to encourage audiences to embrace their history and identity and appreciate the differences of those around them.

The moderator of the event was actor and arts administrator Deonté Griffin-

Quick, a Kean Class of 2018 theater and communication graduate who has performed at the Apollo Theater, at McCarter Theatre Center and with Premiere Stages, Kean’s professional theater in residence.

In 2021, Griffin-Quick was named Best

Performer in a Play in New Jersey by the BroadwayWorld Regional Awards.

McBride, a writer, playwright, journalist and musician, has been a staff writer for The Washington Post and other publications. He adapted his debut novel, “Mir-

acle at St. Anna,” into a 2008 film with director Spike Lee; toured as a saxophonist with jazz legend Jimmy Scott; and has written songs for Anita Baker and others, including the PBS television character Barney. His latest novel, “Deacon King Kong,” was published in 2020.

In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded him the National Humanities Medal “for humanizing the complexities of discussing race in America.” McBride is currently a distinguished writer in residence at New York University.

Following the lecture, attendees were invited to a meet-and-greet champagne reception with the author. Light refreshments were served, and the newest art exhibition at LHAC, “Sayaka Ganz: Reclaimed Creations,” was open for viewing.

The next guest in the President’s Distinguished Lecture Series at Kean will be Michio Kaku, a theoretical physicist, bestselling author and frequent TV commentator, who will speak on Monday, April 24, at 4:30 p.m., in Kean’s STEM Building.

The event coincides with Kean’s Research Days, a universitywide exhibition of student and faculty research. Kaku will speak on “The Future of the Mind,” exploring what the future might hold for the human race, including practical telepathy and telekinesis, artificial memories implanted into our brains, and a pill that will make us smarter.

Photo Courtesy of Kean University Award-winning author and screenwriter James McBride spoke about identity and inclusion on Thursday, Feb. 9, at Kean University.

Kean makes history as urban research university

Kean University will receive more than $4 million for a series of initiatives tied to its new designation as an urban research university through the federal spending bill signed into law by President Joe Biden.

The $1.7 trillion spending plan includes a total of $4.25 million specifically for new Kean projects, including a higher education program for middle and high school students and their families, a neighborhood revitalization project in Trenton, and expanded research facilities for life science and biotech startups housed at Kean.

“As the state’s urban research university, Kean is a leader in serving students from all backgrounds and conducting research that makes a difference in our communities,” said Kean President Lamont O. Repollet. “We are grateful to federal lawmakers who recognize the contribution that Kean makes in New Jersey and beyond. This funding will strengthen New Jersey’s technology economy, open more opportunities for students and revitalize one of our state’s great cities.”

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., from New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, sponsored a total of $1 million that will support the Kean Generation 2 Generation Parent University initiative, which aims to develop a higher education program and resource center for the parents, caregivers and family members of middle and high school students.

“I am proud to have secured this money to help Kean University’s G2G program and resource center,” Payne said. “I know this initiative will be a great benefit to the university and our entire community as it connects families to resources to help students succeed and transform their lives through higher education."

The G2G initiative will involve three K12 feeder programs and other programs that are part of the university’s Entrepreneurial Education Initiatives division.

“Kean is committed to building a successful pathway to higher education for all children in New Jersey, and we know that family involvement is absolutely critical to

that effort,” said Sancha K. Gray, senior vice president for EEI at Kean. “The Generation 2 Generation program is a holistic approach that allows us to connect the entire family with interventions and resources to help students and families succeed by disrupting the cycle of poverty for generations to come.”

U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, who represents the state’s 12th Congressional District, sponsored $750,000 for the Coalport Neighborhood Revitalization Plan initiative to support a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization project in Trenton's East Ward using students from the Michael Graves College of Public Architecture and the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research.

“Systemic disinvestment in neighborhoods like Coalport harm us all, especially black, brown and low-income communities. The Coalport Neighborhood Revitalization Plan is a step toward reversing this destructive trend,” Coleman said. “As our state’s sole congressional appropriator, I take pride in delivering real change for New Jerseyans, especially for those who need it most. I’m honored to

have secured this crucial investment for Coalport and to have played a role in Kean University’s efforts to lift up our communities.”

Joseph Youngblood II, Kean’s senior vice president for transitional learning and external affairs, said the project focuses on developing strategies for reversing the blight caused by redlining in the city’s Coalport neighborhood. Redlining, discriminatory business practices that deter black home ownership and reinforce housing segregation, has contributed to distressed cities in New Jersey for decades.

“The interdisciplinary team conducting this project is committed to involving the community in this important work, which we believe will be transformative not just for Trenton but also for other urban communities,” Youngblood said. “Creating equitable policies and practices is essential to moving our cities forward, and Kean has the expertise to bring many solutions to the table through this important work.”

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez sponsored $2.5 million aimed at renovating and

expanding the research laboratories and incubator workspaces that are utilized by faculty and by the Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship, a nonprofit research organization located on Kean’s Union campus.

“The federal funding bill we passed at the end of last year contains significant wins and critical funding for New Jersey, including $181 million for community projects throughout the state that I secured,” Menendez said. “I was proud to advocate on behalf of Kean University to deliver $2.5 million to expand their incubator workspaces and research laboratories to further establish New Jersey’s state universities as a leader in the STEM field, provide greater opportunities for our students, and enhance partnerships with nonprofits and corporations in the life sciences industry.”

ILSE works with a range of early-stage biotech and pharma companies across the New York/New Jersey metro area.

“Strong federal support is essential to Kean’s growth as an anchor institution in this state, said Kellie Drakeford LeDet, the university’s chief government affairs officer. “We are grateful that Sen. Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, recognizes how important this project will be to advancing our state’s economy.”

ILSE provides incubator space and accelerator services to life science companies and is also a science-driven research institute working in partnership with major academic, nonprofit and corporate organizations, and with entrepreneurs and regional institutions.

“ILSE helps STEM startups, including early-stage and academic spin-out companies, establish themselves and advance scientific discovery,“ said Keith Bostian, CEO of ILSE and Kean’s associate provost for science and technology. “This funding will support these entrepreneurs and Kean faculty, as well as Kean students — many of whom are minorities or first-generation college students — who engage with ILSE companies every year through research collaborations and internships.”

Photo Courtesy of Kean University

Kean University will receive more than $4 million for a series of initiatives tied to its new designation as an urban research university under the federal spending bill signed into law by President Joe Biden.

2023 Bauer Boucher Playwriting Award winners announced

Premiere Stages, the professional theater company in residence at Kean University, has named Kean University student Chad Colacurcio, Class of ’23, and alumnus Steven Patrick, Class of ‘78, as the winners of the 2023 Bauer Boucher Playwriting Award, named for longtime donors W. John Bauer and Nancy Boucher. Both winners will receive a cash prize and a one-day developmental reading of their play with a professional cast and director.

The reading of “The Troubles,” by Colacurcio, was on Monday, Jan. 23, in Kean University’s Little Theatre. “The Troubles” is a poignant drama about Kasey, who escaped Northern Ireland during the titular period of violent conflict only to confront additional tragedies as she struggles to help her family heal in 2003 New Jersey.

Queer artist Colacurcio just completed his final semester at Kean University in December 2022, earning a bachelor’s degree in theater. While attending Kean, he wrote and staged a reading of the play “I Am Beautiful,” based on the book written by Keiva Coreen and Sophia Ditchfield. During the past decade, Colacurcio has directed a theater recreation program in New Jersey. Along with his passion for writing and directing, Colacurcio also

completed the Multimedia Make-Up Artistry Program at Make-Up Designory’s New York campus.

The reading of “X ≠ X (X Does Not Equal X),” by Patrick, was on Thursday, Jan. 26, at Lantern Hill Senior Living, 535 Mountain Ave., New Providence. “X ≠ X (X Does Not Equal X)” is the story of Professor Lloyd, whose new theory questions accepted concepts of reality and may be the ruin or salvation of his struggling college.

Patrick is a 1979 summa cum laude graduate of Kean College. He is a partner at Ascendant Architecture & Interior Design PC, 10 Howell St., Metuchen, and has been an adjunct professor at Kean University and Brookdale Community College. His first novel, “Journey at Dusk,” was published by Ironbound Press, and his first short play, “Selective Service,” was produced and performed at Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center in Metuchen. Patrick has written several novels, short stories,

plays and screenplays. He is also a visual artist and has shown his constructivist wall sculptures at the Barron Arts Center in Woodbridge Township, the Arts Guild New Jersey in Burlington, Middlesex Community College’s Performing Arts Theatre gallery and the Edison Arts Society.

Honorable mentions went to Tyler Sautner in the student category and Dustin Ballard and B.V. Marshall in the alumni category.

The Bauer Boucher Playwriting Award, established in 2014 through funding by Premiere Stages supporters W. John Bauer and Nancy Boucher, recognizes the work of one Kean University student and one playwright from the alumni community on an annual basis. The Bauer Boucher Award supports Kean University writers with enhanced visibility, dramaturgical feedback, a cash award and the opportunity to hear their play read out loud by an ensemble of professional actors. The selected plays are directed by John J. Wooten, producing artistic director of Premiere Stages, and performed by professional actors. The winning student receives a cash prize of $1,000, and the winning graduate receives a $2,000 award. Honorable mention recipients receive $150 each.

Photo Courtesy of Christina Hoffman Steven Patrick and Chad Colacurcio

Professor receives award to support genetic research

Kean University assistant professor Matthew G. Niepielko has received the National Science Foundation CAREER award to fund genetic research while supporting students at the graduate, undergraduate, and high school levels.

As one of the most prestigious NSF awards for faculty members beginning their careers, the CAREER award will provide $829,000 to Niepielko’s lab for five years and fund research into the genes that influence fertility. Niepielko teaches computational biology in The Dorothy and George Hennings College of Science, Mathematics and Technology.

The grant launches a program called New Jersey’s Research Alliance for Inclusive STEM Education, or NJ-RAISE, that combines research with opportunities for students, especially those from minority or underrepresented communities.

“I congratulate Dr. Niepielko on receiving the NSF CAREER award,” said Kean President Lamont O. Repollet. “This grant shows the strength of our faculty and provides funding for one of a growing number of research projects underway as we fulfill our role as the state’s urban research university.”

NSF CAREER funding is awarded to early-career faculty “who have the potential to serve as academic role models” in both research and education. Niepielko’s award is the first received by a faculty member at Kean.

Niepielko, a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences and Kean’s School of Integrative Science and Technology, is studying animal reproduction at the cellular level — focusing on Drosophila, or fruit flies — as a model system to gain basic insight into the genes that control animal development.

The award comes as Kean pursues its designation as a Carnegie R2 research institution, further raising its research profile.

“This is groundbreaking for Kean University,” said CSMT Dean George Chang. “Matt is the trailblazer as we move toward becoming an R2 research institution.”

Niepielko also helps coordinate Kean’s Group Summer Scholars Research Program, in which high school students conduct scientific research. He said he has seen many qualified high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as Kean students, miss out on research opportunities because of financial pressures. NJ-RAISE addresses those issues.

The grant specifically provides scholarships for high school students to the summer program and stipends for Kean graduate and undergraduate students doing

research. Niepielko is working with educators in underserved communities to recruit high school students.

“This grant is special because of the broader impact it can have on the community,” he said. “It’s not just about the research; it’s about making real change in the local community.”

Two Kean students per year, for five years, will also receive support to train and conduct research at Princeton University during the summer.

Ahad Shabazz-Henry, a Kean sophomore biotechnology major from Newark, conducts research in Niepielko’s lab. This summer, he will work with Princeton’s Department of Molecular Biology through the award.

“The opportunity to conduct research at such a prestigious school is honestly mind-blowing,” he said, adding that when he got the news, he was driving and had to pull over immediately, “because I was just in shock.”

“Coming from an underrepresented community such as Newark, I know how hard it is to find opportunities for higher education and the many obstacles that need to be overcome,” he said. “Programs like this allow marginalized youth to experience what is possible and allow others to see their talents. I think it really encourages more kids to pursue higher education.”

Gisselle Hidalgo, of Long Branch, a senior majoring in biotechnology at Kean with a concentration in molecular biology, has conducted research with Niepielko since last year. She said the grant stipend eases her financial concerns.

“It is of the utmost importance for students like myself to have the chance to conduct research,” she said, adding that it opens the door to education and career possibilities. “Being able to do research is such a rich opportunity that provides you with the essential skills needed to work in a lab as well as think critically.”

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Photo Courtesy of Kean University Kean University assistant professor Matt Niepielko, left, is in the lab with, from left, student researchers Dominique Doyle, Ahad Shabazz-Henry and Gisselle Hidalgo.

NJ launches expanded Potential Lead Exposure Mapping tool

New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs, in partnership with the Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Protection, announced Jan. 24 the launch of an expanded version of the Potential Lead Exposure Mapping, or PLEM, tool, which provides new publicly available data that indicate potential sources of lead exposure.

The tool may be used by local health officers, community groups and other members of the public to help identify the potential sources of lead exposure. The PLEM tool also will have multiple uses that will be phased in over time. Phase 1 will look specifically at lead paint in housing as a source of exposure, while future phases will examine other indicators of childhood blood lead poisoning risk.

The DOH provided funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the map’s development, as well as through a CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking grant. The DEP developed the original data layer and platform and hosts the map tool. The PLEM tool can be found at tinyurl.com/yruv8xj4. The DCA contributed the latest data layers visualizing one- and two-bedroom rental housing units constructed prior to 1980 and applicable lead inspection methodology required in each municipality.

“The PLEM map is an extraordinary tool to help us track lead exposure in New Jersey,” said Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver,

who serves as DCA commissioner. “New Jersey remains a leader in the nation in protecting children from lead and is out ahead of the majority of states in that we continue to regularly and systematically inspect multifamily housing for leadbased paint hazards. This tool demonstrates how state agencies can partner to provide resources to help New Jersey residents and communities, and I commend DOH and DEP for partnering with us on this important work.”

“The expansion of this tool’s information capabilities will further strengthen New Jersey’s reach and efforts to protect children and families from the risks associated with lead exposure,” DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said.

“Protecting New Jersey’s environment requires a comprehensive approach and a variety of tools to assist the public with information about their communities. We are grateful to our sister agencies DCA and DOH, who continue to partner with DEP to ensure New Jersey is empowered and made healthier through knowledgeexpanding public resources.”

“Lead paint is one of the largest sources of lead exposure to our children, and any blood lead level above zero is unacceptable. These additional map layers will assist local health staff as they continue to work to eliminate lead exposure among New Jersey’s children,” Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said. “I applaud the partnership between

New Jersey Departments of Health, Environmental Protection and Community Affairs in the collective effort to reduce lead exposure in our state.”

Prior to the 1950s, lead was used in paint to achieve certain pigments, as well as to improve drying times, durability and moisture resistance. Lead-based paint was used for both home interiors and exteriors, and it became commonplace in the early 20th century as production shifted to larger commercial scales. Exposure in older homes happens when lead-based paint starts to deteriorate, cracking or peeling away from the walls. When paint is intact, meaning it is neither flaking nor breaking apart, exposure risk is low for inhabitants, even children.

Deterioration of lead-based paint results in lead-contaminated dust, which may be directly ingested or inhaled, and paint chips, which may be touched or, less

commonly, ingested. Exposure through direct ingestion of contaminated dust, paint chips or even soil around a house is especially a concern for young children, who often put their hands and other objects in their mouths. Living in a house with lead-based paint can result in a chronic accumulation of the heavy metal in the body.

Houses built after 1978 are less likely to contain lead-based paints. That year, Congress banned the use of lead-based paint in homes built or rehabilitated with federal funding through the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act.

By 1992, the act was amended to address lead-contaminated dust and soil in homes, as well as to adopt preventive strategies to reduce future lead exposure. Newer homes have the lowest risk of potential lead exposure from leadbased paint.

The Kean University research and design team first creates wireframe views of a room at Liberty Hall Museum; this one is of Susan Livingston Kean Niemcewicz’s bedroom.

Kean is Fast Company 2022 Innovation by Design Awards honoree

Kean University was honored in the Fast Company 2022 Innovation by Design Awards for a research project that used interactive 3D media to take visitors back in time to the historic Liberty Hall Museum.

The project, “Liberty Hall Museum: Room of Echoes,” was led by Michael Graves College associate professor Edward Johnston and included student researchers. The “Room of Echoes” project spanned several semesters at Kean.

The research project was recognized in the Learning category, the same category in which Google, Lego Education and other national brands have been honored in the past. In addition to the Kean University project, 2022 honorees include projects, products and services from Nike, Verizon, Microsoft and others.

“Congratulations to professor Johnston and his students for receiving this national recognition,” said Kean President Lamont O. Repollet. “Their work demonstrates Kean’s commitment to student research, real-world experience and community engagement.”

Johnston and his students used interactive 3D technology to re-create different iterations of one room in Liberty Hall Museum, the home of New Jersey’s first elected governor, William Livingston, making the room accessible to museum visitors with mobility concerns. Using a tablet, visitors can now view the room at various points in time over four centuries, as it was changed from Livingston’s library to a bedroom and to a dining room.

“We’re excited to represent Kean with

this prestigious honor,” Johnston said. “We very meticulously built out a room in Liberty Hall Museum in a 3D modeling environment, spanning the years from 1772 into the 1900s. Students had an opportunity to learn more about the history of our country and Kean University while conducting practice-based research and developing their design skills.”

Rachael Goldberg, Liberty Hall Museum executive director, called the collaboration with Johnston and his students a “win-win.”

“The museum can continue to expand its digital transformation, and students have an experience that they can take with

them into their careers,” she said. “Professor Johnston and his students really embraced this project, made edits when needed from the museum’s comments, and in the end, made an award-winning final project that the museum uses on a daily basis.”

The Innovation by Design Awards honor the designers, organizations and businesses solving the most crucial problems of today and anticipating the pressing issues of tomorrow. Entries are judged on the key ingredients of innovation: functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural impact and business impact.

“A common theme among this year’s Innovation by Design honorees, which range from health care interfaces to autonomous driving technology, is permanence,” said Brendan Vaughan, editorin-chief of Fast Company. “The products that leaped out to our editors and judges went against our quick-fix consumer culture, while also manifesting a more inclusive vision of design.”

Liam Elias, a Kean Class of ’19 alumnus who earned his bachelor’s degree in graphic design/advertising at Kean’s Robert Busch School of Design, worked as a student researcher on the project. Currently an art director at Scholar, a creative production company in New York, Elias said his work on the project helped him launch his career.

“We worked with interior design and architecture students, and I feel like that collaboration and going outside of my degree opened my eyes to what I could do in the future,” he said.

Elias, an immigrant from Cuba who arrived in the country at the age of 15, helped develop the original versions of the 3D environments. The project was one of several collaborations with Johnston that he said helped him find his career path.

“I feel like my experience is unique because I didn’t come into my degree knowing everything and having everything planned,” Elias said. “I feel like at Kean, I was able to do everything and anything that I really wanted to do. Having that support system is what allowed me to come into Scholar and, within three years, go from intern to art director.”

Photos Courtesy of Kean University The Kean University research and design team creates a rendering of Susan Livingston Kean Niemcewicz’s bedroom at Liberty Hall.

BRIGHTENING THEIR DAYS — Members of the Rotary Club of Union met to send warm wishes to the residents of Cornell Care & Rehabilitation Center in Union. Sharon Patel of Patel Printing Plus Corp. designed and printed cards to brighten the days of the residents. Rotary members wrote individual messages on each card. More than 110 cards were delivered to the Cornell Care & Rehabilitation Center in an effort to spread warmth to the residents. As one member stated, ‘It feels so good to spend some time doing something for others.’ The Rotary Club is dedicated to positively affecting the community and choosing service above self.

OPEN FOR LUNCH OPEN FOR LUNCH

Photos Courtesy of Kathy Arminio