NJIT’s Jordan Hu College of Science and Liberal Arts (HCSLA) capped one of the most eventful years in its history with its annual awards ceremony recently — the first under its new name, which was prominently displayed on gonfalons and signage decorating the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center to mark the occasion.
Taylor Pape presents an interesting mix: honors scholar, year-round researcher, soccer defender, intern and budding educator.
Even her major and minor at New Jersey Institute of Technology — biology and computer science — represents an intriguing hybrid.
by Briana Foxx and Evan Koblentz
Cedric Alam, a senior business major concentrating in finance, will start his career this summer in the financial management analysis program at Bank of America’s headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A passion for business grew for Pablo Perez Ramos at New Jersey Institute of Technology and spurred him to now pursue a master’s in finance at the University of Florida.
His choice of graduate school also reveals his love for tennis, as UF won a national team championship in 2021 when 13th ranked pro Ben Shelton played there. You see, Perez Ramos, who tallied an impressive 73-21 record in singles matches as a Highlander, will continue to compete as a Gator.
Standout seniors from NJIT’s Jordan Hu College of Science and Liberal Arts (HCSLA) are capping off their undergraduate journey with one last accolade for achievements across academics and research, athletics and campus leadership.
Fresh from receiving the Outstanding Student Award at the HCSLA Awards Ceremony, these four students share their proudest NJIT moments, future goals and the lessons they’ll carry into the next chapter.
Gala Krsmanovic, B.S. Cyberpsychology
Every year, NJIT’s detachment of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps graduates several successful cadets into the military officer ranks. Three members of the Class of 2025 spoke about their backgrounds that led them to the program, experiences during their time as Highlanders and future plans.
The young men who will soon receive their commissions as second lieutenants are Fredy Aleman Jr., a computer engineering major from Elizabeth; Irvin Hoyos, an architecture major from Paterson; and Michael Ruzzi, an industrial engineering major from Trenton.
New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Aliza Mujahid, a senior biomedical engineering student, along with mechanical engineering Ph.D. student and research assistant Mohammad Jafari, reached the final round-of-eight in the 2025 U.S. Hult Prize competition for social-minded startup founders.
The duo, with Assistant Professor Farid Alisafaei and colleagues at Washington University, represent a new company called DermaMech that aims to better understand the science of human skin grafting and develop technology that will reduce infections, rejections and scarring.
Imani Ihmaid’s journey as an interior design student at NJIT is rooted in a passion for design that began in high school. After taking a drafting class and completing an internship with RH Interiors, the Paterson, New Jersey native discovered a love for interior design that solidified her decision to pursue the dual path of architecture and interior design. At NJIT, she found a welcoming and respected environment that fostered her creativity and growth.
As Acewin Tam prepares to cross the graduation stage at NJIT, she reflects not just on the culmination of five years of rigorous study, but on a deeply personal journey of growth, discovery and purpose. An architecture student whose work straddles the line between the technical and the poetic, Tam has made her mark not only through design excellence but through a commitment to community, justice and innovation.
Seeing her father struggle through rehabilitation exercises after a stroke made Marina Samuel '25 think, why can’t therapy be more personalized, effective and efficient for the patient?
So, with a central focus on patients, she pursued a bachelor’s in biomedical engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology and after graduation in May, will seek a Ph.D. in the same discipline at NJIT. Her research as an undergraduate fueled this pursuit.
