How do organisms adapt — or fail to adapt — to dramatic environmental changes, particularly those caused by human activity?

It’s a question driving Brock Shahinian’s research at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), leading to two of the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate honors: a 2025 Goldwater Scholarship and distinction as NJIT’s first-ever Udall Scholar.

The Sun’s corona—the outermost layer of its atmosphere, visible only during a total solar eclipse—has long intrigued scientists due to its extreme temperatures, violent eruptions, and large prominences. However, turbulence in the Earth’s atmosphere has caused image blur and hindered observations of the corona. A ground-breaking recent development by scientists from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) National Solar Observatory (NSO), and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), is changing that by using adaptive optics to remove the blur.

Alexis Palmere is riding the wave of excitement from commencement day, and with good reason. The biochemistry major from West Orange graduated summa cum laude and is set to begin her chemistry Ph.D. studies at the University of Pittsburgh in the fall.

When asked about her personal NJIT highlight, Palmere pointed to her research.

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.

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


Fibroblasts are the body’s building blocks. Among the most abundant human cells, they help form the structure of organs and tissues and hold them together. They are also its repair crew. After an injury, they migrate to the damaged area, cover it with collagen and exert strong forces that bring the edges of the wound together, closing it up.

But these repairs can go awry if their force is not moderated.

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) marked a milestone in the state’s innovation economy with the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the NJII Venture Studio. The event featured remarks from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, NJIT President Teik C. Lim and NJII President Michael Johnson, along with other distinguished guests.

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) chemist Pier Alexandre Champagne has received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to advance the understanding of sulfur-containing molecules that are key to cellular defense and health, but transform so quickly into different compounds — within fractions of a second — that scientists have struggled to understand them.

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.