Decorated Undergrads Share Path to Success at NJIT

A special group of NJIT's graduating seniors is finishing undergraduate life with a flourish - their achievements across the humanities and STEM sciences recently earned them the Outstanding Student Award at the College of Science and Liberal Arts Awards this month.

In the first of a two-part series, we catch up with this year's winners who share their successes and memorable moments at NJIT, as well as exciting plans following Commencement 2024.

Anneliese Schmidt, B.S. Applied Physics

Where did you grow up and what led you to NJIT?

I grew up in Matawan, NJ and originally decided to attend NJIT as an engineering major in 2020. My sister graduated from NJIT, and she encouraged me to apply. Halfway through my degree, I changed majors when I realized just how much I enjoyed physics research.

What was your research focus leading to your CSLA Outstanding Student Award?

I have been fortunate to work with and be mentored by many researchers at the NJIT Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research (CSTR) and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). I've worked in solar physics and space physics, studying flares and dynamics in the atmosphere of the Sun, as well as dynamics of the thermosphere and ionosphere - regions of Earth's upper atmosphere.

I was accepted and participated in the NJIT Institute for Space Weather Sciences REU program to study small-scale dynamics in the solar atmosphere using data from Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO), and the NASA GSFC internship program to study solar flares from a satellite mission called Solar Orbiter. I have been very fortunate to be able to present my findings from these programs at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in 2022 and 2023, and help publish research with Dr. Vasyl Yurchyshyn from BBSO in the Astrophysical Journal. I have also been able to travel to aid in the maintenance and deployment of space physics instruments, including Fabry-Perot Interferometers and high-frequency radio receivers.

What's next?

In the fall, I will be starting the applied physics Ph.D. program at NJIT. I'm very excited to go back to Big Bear Solar Observatory in California this summer to work on remote-sensing instrumentation to observe the Sun and I will be continuing that work during my Ph.D. program.

What will you take most from your time at NJIT?

Since changing my major to applied physics, I have learned that it is truly never too late to change your mind and pursue your passions. I am so happy I switched my major and can work in the warm and welcoming environment of CSTR, one that always pushed me to try my best. I learned the most exciting and fulfilling opportunities come when you put yourself out there and get uncomfortable. That's how you know you're learning and trying something new!

Madeline Miller, B.S. Cyberpsychology

Where did you grow up and what led you to NJIT?

I grew up in Lafayette, NJ. My father's dual connection to NJIT, as both an employee and as an alum, strongly influenced my decision to attend the university.

What was your research focus leading to your CSLA Outstanding Student Award?

My academic focus and research interests in the field of cyberpsychology have mainly lied in social media platforms, how their algorithms function, and the effect that they therein have on users' interactions on the app but also beyond the screen.

Particularly, my focus has been on TikTok and its profound influence on its user base. I've been investigating TikTok's connection to algorithmic bias, especially in suggesting users to follow profiles resembling their profile pictures. I've also explored how the platform correlates with anxiety, depression and memory loss, revealing its intricate influence on mental well-being and cognitive functions. Moving forward, I aspire to delve deeper into the study of this platform, its algorithm and the broader ramifications it entails.

What's next?

I'm currently investigating job prospects in fields related to social media, user experience and design thinking. Looking ahead, I aim to return to NJIT to advance my academic journey by pursuing a master's and potentially a doctorate in cyberpsychology.

What will you take most from your time at NJIT?

My past four years at NJIT have given me invaluable professional and personal experiences that are unique to this university. Immersed in this vibrant community, I've cultivated lifelong friendships, cherished countless memories and honed essential research skills crucial for my future career.

Mira Sapozhnikov, B.S. Forensic Science (Biology Concentration)

Where did you grow up and what led you to NJIT?

I grew up in Montville, NJ. As an NJIT forensic science student through and through, I came here with a single-minded focus - I wanted to focus my academics and research on molecular biology techniques applied to forensic science methods.

What was your research focus leading to your CSLA Outstanding Student Award?

Where did you grow up and what led you to NJIT?

I grew up in Montville, NJ. As an NJIT forensic science student through and through, I came here with a single-minded focus - I wanted to focus my academics and research on molecular biology techniques applied to forensic science methods.

What was your research focus leading to your CSLA Outstanding Student Award?

I spent my 2021 summer in a private laboratory in Chatham learning different assay techniques, including enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISAs), for the detection of HIV in human plasma. I took the skills from this research into professor Sara Casado Zapico's ForenBIOs lab, where I've been doing research for the past two years and received NSF support through the BioSMART REU 2023 Summer Program.

I've been studying molecular biomarkers for cognitive decline in Alzheimer's substance disease patients, and I'm also assisting another project looking into the quality of DNA extraction from highly degraded samples and menstrual blood. As an independent study, I'm now completing a literature review on the topic of Y-chromosome methylation - DNA modifications that involve the addition of a methyl group to a segment of DNA to change how that gene is read - and how it impacts male mortality, age estimation models and more.

What's next?

My first goal is to complete the submission of my literature review to a journal with hopes of seeing it published by mid- or late summer. After that, I'll be spending about a year at an endocrinologist's office as a medical assistant. Ultimately, I want to become a forensic pathologist, and ideally pursue an M.D./Ph.D. to discover further molecular techniques that can be used for cause-of-death identifications and age-at-death estimations.

What will you take most from your time at NJIT?

Participating in clubs like NJIT Hillel and the Forensic Science Student Association taught me leadership and teamwork skills crucial to working in the forensic science field. Working closely with faculty on research and other activities deeply influenced me as well.

Along the way, I've had some incredibly memorable experiences such as receiving the New Jersey Association of Forensic Scientists' Scholar of the Year Award, and joining the NJIT forensics team that helped exonerate a man wrongfully convicted of murder after nearly 30 years in prison. Overall, my time at NJIT has had an amazing impact on my professional and personal vision for my future.

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