100 New Jersey Students Graduate from Governor’s STEM Scholars

Lt. Governor Dr. Dale Caldwell Delivers Keynote at Statewide STEM Commencement

The 2026 graduating class of Governor’s STEM Scholars with Lt. Governor Dr. Dale Caldwell, Jeffrey Stokes, Council's Executive Director Kim Case, and Alise Roderer at the 2026 Governor’s STEM Scholars Commencement Conference.

On May 9, 2026, the Governor’s STEM Scholars celebrated its 12th graduating class as 100 students from across New Jersey completed the year-long program connecting students with New Jersey’s innovation economy. The commencement ceremony, held at Kean University, featured keynote remarks from New Jersey Lt. Governor Dr. Dale Caldwell and brought together families, educators, industry leaders, and partners from across the state to recognize the next generation of STEM talent. Among those in attendance was Jeffrey Stokes, Treasurer of the Research & Development Council of New Jersey and Senior Director – Development at PSEG.

Since its founding, more than 1,100 Governor’s STEM Scholars alumni have gone on to contribute to the innovation economy through careers and internships at organizations throughout New Jersey.

Lt. Governor Dr. Dale Caldwell delivers keynote remarks to the 2026 Governor’s STEM Scholars graduating class during the Commencement Conference.

"In New Jersey, we know that investing in STEM education is investing in our future," said Lt. Governor Caldwell. "These Scholars represent the talent, curiosity, and drive that will power our state's innovation economy for years to come. I am proud to celebrate their achievements and look forward to the impact they will make." Jeffrey Stokes, Treasurer of the Research & Development Council of New Jersey and Senior Director – Development at PSEG, reflected on the importance of cross-sector collaboration in preparing New Jersey’s future STEM workforce.

Jeffrey Stokes, Treasurer of the Research & Development Council of New Jersey delivers congratulatory remarks to the graduating Scholars on behalf of the R&D Council Board of Directors.

“The Governor’s STEM Scholars reflects what is possible when industry, academia, and government work together to invest in the next generation of talent,” said Stokes. “These students are not only developing critical STEM skills, they are building the connections and experiences that will keep New Jersey competitive in a rapidly evolving global economy.”

Preparing New Jersey’s Next Generation of STEM Leaders

Throughout the academic year, Scholars explored STEM careers and innovation through conferences hosted by Rutgers University, Princeton University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Kean University. They also participated in site visits and mentorship opportunities with organizations including Panasonic and Bristol Myers Squibb, gaining firsthand exposure to the careers and technologies shaping New Jersey’s innovation ecosystem.

Thomas Solitro, Bryan Oko, and Muzen Mohamedsaeed present their team’s research project during the 2026 Governor’s STEM Scholars Commencement Conference.

“Governor's STEM Scholars showed me the incredible foundation for STEM that exists in New Jersey. Working with my peers and mentors deepened my passion for STEM and helped me recognize the potential that my peers and I have to advance the STEM community. I learned the importance of STEM across industry, academia, and government, and I am incredibly grateful for the experience.” — Molay Kumar, 2026 Governor's STEM Scholar

A central component of the program is the team-based research experience, where Scholars work alongside undergraduate and graduate Research Leads to address real-world challenges connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and issues affecting New Jersey communities.

Research With Real-World Impact

Excellence in Research Award winners Nathaly Guillen, Kaylee Carranza, Iona Nandy, Reindy F. Sanon, Manya Rana, Joshitha Sripada, Siddhi Omesh, and Tze Chang (Justin) Ng are recognized during the Commencement Conference.

Tze Chang (Justin) Ng presents his team’s award-winning research project during the 2026 Governor’s STEM Scholars Commencement Conference.

An Excellence in Research Award was presented to Research Lead Tze Chang (Justin) Ng of Rutgers University and team members Kaylee Carranza, Nathaly Guillen, Iona Nandy, Siddhi Omesh, Manya Rana, Reindy F. Sanon, and Joshitha Sripada for their project, Wash! Track! Won! An Automated, Gamified Hand Hygiene Monitor for Adolescents. The winning team will be honored at the 2026 Edison Patent Awards on November 19 at Bell Works. The Excellence in Research Award recognizes the team whose work demonstrated the most rigorous research methodology, depth of inquiry, and quality of findings throughout the Governor’s STEM Scholars program.

The project explored how technology and behavioral science could be combined to improve hand hygiene compliance among adolescents through an automated and gamified monitoring system. Through extensive research, prototype development, and iterative problem-solving, the team demonstrated how student-led STEM innovation can address everyday public health challenges with practical, community-focused solutions.

Research judges Diana Peña, Dr. Bibek Samanta, and Dr. Ian Crawley, evaluate student presentations during the 2026 Governor’s STEM Scholars Commencement Conference.

Research projects were evaluated by a panel of STEM professionals and researchers, including Ian Crawley, Ph.D., Quantum Computing Research Engineer at Nokia Bell Labs; Diana Peña, Graduate Student in Biomedical Sciences at Rutgers University; and Bibek Samanta, Ph.D., Member of Technical Staff at Nokia Bell Labs.

Recognizing Civic Engagement and Science Communication

Civic Impact Award winners Catharina Santana, Ananya Datta, Jo Anastasia Harkins, Francesca Baptiste, Hannah Park, Ally Yim, Prisha Bhattacharjee, and Ayaan Jain are recognized for their project on antibiotic-resistant bacteria detection and stakeholder engagement.

In addition to the Excellence in Research Award, Governor’s STEM Scholars recognized teams whose work demonstrated exceptional civic engagement and science communication. The Excellence in Civic Impact Award was presented to Research Lead Jo Anastasia Harkins of Stockton University and team members Francesca Baptiste, Prisha Bhattacharjee, Ananya Datta, Ayaan Jain, Hannah Park, Catharina Santana, Ally Yim for their project, Down the Drain and Into the Data: A Biosensor Prototype for Antibiotic Resistant Gene Detection.

The award recognizes the team that demonstrated meaningful stakeholder engagement by connecting research with real-world community needs and policy conversations. Through stakeholder outreach with Dr. Robert Newby of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Senator Dr. Andrew Zwicker, this team explored the growing challenge of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in New Jersey waterways. Their research and engagement contributed to broader policy conversations that led Senator Zwicker to introduce legislation establishing a two-year pilot program to detect, monitor, and address antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes across New Jersey water systems.

Excellence in Communications Award winners Aum Shah, Owen DuHaime, Pranav Bhuvanesh, Anfisa Gubareva, Ishani Bakshi, Amisha Rastogi, Lucy Sandor, and Rhea Rawat are recognized for effectively communicating their research to a broad audience.

The Excellence in Communications Award was presented to Research Lead Amisha Rastogi, of Rutgers University - Camden and team members Ishani Bakshi, Pranav Bhuvanesh, Owen DuHaime, Anfisa Gubareva, Rhea Rawat, Lucy Sandor, and Aum Shah for their project, Heimdall: An Overdose Detection and Prevention Kiosk.

The award recognizes the team that most effectively communicated complex research to a broad audience. This team was recognized in part for its NJ STEM Month public awareness video, which highlighted how STEM and public health innovation can intersect to address the overdose crisis in New Jersey.

“Governor's STEM Scholars pushed me to step outside my comfort zone, grow as a problem-solver, and better understand how STEM can create meaningful impact in New Jersey communities. It gave me the confidence to share my ideas and a clearer vision of how I want to use STEM in the future.” — Prisha Bhattacharjee, 2026 Governor's STEM Scholar

A Statewide Network for STEM Innovation

Lt. Governor Dr. Dale Caldwell speaks with Governor’s STEM Scholar Graysen Shaffer during the 2026 Commencement Conference at Kean University.

“This year's Scholars took on complex challenges and worked together to develop real solutions grounded in STEM,” said Alise Roderer, Director of the Governor’s STEM Scholars. “They are building critical skills and a clear sense of how they can contribute to New Jersey's innovation economy.”

The Governor’s STEM Scholars is a public-private partnership between the Research & Development Council of New Jersey, the Office of the Governor, the New Jersey Department of Education, the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, and New Jersey’s public and private research organizations. The program is free for all participants through the support of sponsors including Merck & Co., Stryker, and the Panasonic Foundation.

Explore the 2026 Research Showcase

To explore all student research projects from the 2026 Governor’s STEM Scholars class, including project fact sheets and research summaries, visit the www.govstemscholars.com/showcasewww.govstemscholars.com/showcase.

Applications for the 2026–2027 Governor’s STEM Scholars class are open through June 11, 2026. Learn more and apply at www.govstemscholars.com/apply.