*"Mapping an Ancient Solution to a Modern Crisis" is part of NJIT's 2023 Research Magazine*

Athens is dense, dry and prone to drought. Together, rising temperatures, a lack of trees and intense heat island effects are baking the modern metropolis of more than three million people. Researchers think a nearly 2,000-year-old answer to the city’s problems may lie beneath its streets.

New Jersey Institute of Technology has been awarded $10 million by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of a $315 million initiative from President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites across the country. The funding comes entirely from the historic $1.5 billion investment from Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

Brownfields are abandoned or underutilized properties that may have hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants present, making their redevelopment complex.

It all started in sixth grade. Nikole Marin ’23 needed to select what she wanted to study for a class and because she didn’t want to go through the long list of choices, she selected among the first ones in the “A” section. Ultimately, that quick selection has led her to achieving two degrees from NJIT – Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Science in Architecture.

“I love working with building blocks, I love to draw, I love to design and create spaces ever since I was a little girl,” said Marin. “So I decided that I wanted to pursue that from the sixth grade.”

Erick Mejia’s fascinating story is adding another chapter as the Ecuadorian-native is now the first in his family to graduate college. Never forgetting his roots, the digital designer looks for ways to include his love of his home culture and country in his work.

“I moved here in 2011, knowing a little bit of English, almost nothing at all. I was missing home every single day, missing Ecuador, and nature,” said Mejia. “Over here, there's not much nature, we have the city, so coming to the city was a big change for me.”

Constance Chu’s passion for interior design started at a young age, assisting her mother — an interior designer — in picking samples and colors. Thanks to this early exposure, Chu trained a design muscle that has evolved into an education and career.

“That's just kind of always been what I've been surrounded by,” said the interior design senior and Albert Dorman scholar. “It instilled in me a sort of eye for design that I've been training over the years like picking out details in spaces that maybe other people don't see, and really understanding what that does to space. 

During her four years at NJIT, Haylee Merola has used her imagination and visualization to create different types of work in her interior design studios. Whether the project was a sci-fi movie, a retail store, an airport lounge or designing clothing for a fashion show, Merola always made sure to add her style.

The Hillier College of Architecture and Design (HCAD) kicked off its year-long celebration of two very important milestones – the 50th year anniversary of the New Jersey School of Architecture and the 15th anniversary of the School of Art & Design. 

The Design Showcase is the college’s flagship fundraising and networking event, which provides a chance for members of the Hillier College community to connect personally and professionally. This year’s event took place in the Jewel Box of One Gateway Center in downtown Newark, made possible by Onyx Equities. 

Darius Sollohub, professor and interim director of the New Jersey School of Architecture, Hillier College and Colette Santasieri, executive director of the Center for Community Systems, have been unwavering in their partnership to bring the full benefit of Newark’s Liberty International Airport to the city of Newark, in particular to the adjacent South Ward neighborhood.  

New Jersey Institute of Technology has again earned a spot on The Princeton Review’s top 50 undergraduate schools for game design in the 2023 rankings.

The Princeton Review chose the schools based on its 2022 survey of administrators at 150 institutions across the U.S. and abroad offering game design courses, majors, or degree programs. The survey collected information in four areas: academics, faculty, technology, and career prospects. The company analyzed more than 40 survey data points to tally the rankings.

Pamela Ospina ’18 was selected and recognized in Interior Design Magazine’s top 30 designers under the age of 30.

Ospina, a Paramus, New Jersey native, works at M Moser Associates in New York City. “I am very appreciative of the opportunities that have been presented to me,” said Ospina. “I work with very talented and inspirational designers that I look up to. This recognition could only have been achieved by the support of my colleagues.”

We were able to have support for one another.