Defining the Future: Insights from the 2026 STEM in Industry Conference
- Gov STEM Scholars
- 11 hours ago
- 6 min read
On March 7, 2026, the Governor’s STEM Scholars convened at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) for the STEM in Industry Conference, bringing together a diverse cohort of 100 high school and college students with leading professionals from New Jersey’s most prestigious science, engineering, technology, and healthcare companies.
Throughout the day, scholars engaged in a comprehensive exploration of New Jersey's top industries, giving Scholars firsthand insights into various professional career tracks and the academic pathways that lead to industry leadership. The event provided a platform for students to learn directly from experts across various sectors, highlighting the multidisciplinary nature of professional STEM roles—from laboratory research and large-scale engineering to logistics and technology commercialization.
By connecting with experts from global organizations like Merck, Nokia Bell Labs, and Stryker, students were able to bridge the gap between classroom theory and practical, life-changing innovation.
Solving Real-World Problems: The Human Side of Engineering
NJIT President Teik C. Lim opened the conference by reframing innovation as the daily act of creating "solutions to practical problems". Highlighting NJIT’s elite status as one of only 180 Carnegie R1 research universities in the nation, President Lim emphasized that scientific inquiry must serve as a tool for education and societal impact rather than just publication.
"An equation is useless if it cannot be scaled up to serve humanity, if it's not affordable, and if it doesn't meet a need." — President Teik C. Lim, Ph.D.
Challenging the traditional academic model, President Lim asserted that modern success is built on a "collaborate or perish" mindset where diverse experts work in tandem to solve humanity's greatest challenges. As a top-ranked minority-serving institution for long-term value, NJIT serves as a launching pad for socioeconomic mobility, proving that a STEM education engages the "heart and the soul" as much as the mind. He urged Scholars to be bold in their thinking, reminding them that New Jersey is a global nexus of innovation and that "the future is not something that happens to us as an outcome—it’s something we create".
From Academic Paths to Industry Breakthroughs: Research in Action
Bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world application, the conference featured three Research Spotlights that highlighted the varied pathways to STEM leadership. These discussions revealed that professional success in modern industry is 100% dependent on teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Executive Director of Merck’s Biologics Development and Biopharmaceutics, Dr. Nicole Buist, shared her 18-year journey from studying biotechnology and synthetic organic chemistry to leading teams in pharmaceutical sciences. She demystified the complex drug development lifecycle—from initial molecular design to the intricate engineering required for large-scale manufacturing. Her primary message to Scholars was to find a personal "why" and to chase what you actually love vs. a “lucrative major,” as that curiosity is the only thing that will sustain you through a long, challenging career.
Bio Optics Research Engineer, Dr. Sohini Sarkar, explored how we communicate at the "edge of darkness" by using single photons to carry information via properties like time, color, and direction. Using superconducting nanowire detectors cooled to below 1 Kelvin, her team set a world record of 14.5 bits per photon, pushing the "Quantum Limit" toward a future of high-speed interplanetary communication. Throughout the session, Dr. Sarkar engaged with Scholars to answer questions about the expanding possibilities in the field, driven by innovations in AI and quantum research.
An NJIT alumna, Katrina David, walked Scholars through her professional journey from a biomedical engineering student to a Staff Product Development Engineer at Stryker. She illustrated the full lifecycle of a medical device by highlighting the development of an orthopedic implant designed for patients with metal sensitivities—a clinical gap identified through direct "Voice of Customer" feedback from surgeons. She shared how her team utilized cutting-edge 3D printing and advanced titanium coatings to turn concept prototypes into validated, FDA-compliant medical devices. Her spotlight underscored the human side of engineering, navigating rigorous design controls to safely move a product from a "clinical question" to a successful first surgery.
Shooting for the Moon: Cultivating Curiosity and Passion in STEM
The afternoon featured a keynote from Dr. Thierry Klein, President of Nokia Bell Labs Solutions Research, who provided a masterclass on transforming fundamental science into world-changing technology. Dr. Klein traced Bell Labs' legacy—from the 1947 invention of the transistor to modern AI foundations—leading up to their current mission: deploying the first-ever cellular network on the moon.
He shared the dramatic saga of the 2024 "Odysseus" lunar mission, where a "pizza-box-sized" 4G/LTE network had to survive launch and a crash landing. Despite the lander tipping over and losing primary power, Dr. Klein’s team seized a narrow 25-minute window to successfully activate the network, proving terrestrial technology can survive the universe's harshest environments.
Governor's STEM Scholars listen to Dr. Klein's keynote, outlining the five essential attributes of successful innovation.
Dr. Klein shared that these breakthroughs are only possible when researchers embrace five core principles:
Seek Fundamental Insights: Solve problems at their scientific core rather than settling for incremental gains.
Persevere Through Failure: In science, failure is the "only job" because you are doing what has never been done before. Dr. Klein urged Scholars to extract data from what didn't work and change their assumptions.
Stay Curious: Don’t dismiss unexpected "noise" in an experiment; it often points to a monumental discovery, much like the static that eventually proved the Big Bang.
Have Fun: Passion and playfulness are engines for revolution—the technologies powering every modern smartphone originally began because the creators of Unix and C simply wanted to build a better computer game.
Follow Your Passion: Dr. Klein, a self-described "space geek," encouraged students to marry their personal interests with their professional work, leading to opportunities they never could have planned for.
Mapping Future Careers: Insights from the STEM Speed Networking Session
To conclude an impactful day of discovery, the conference transitioned into the STEM speed networking session, a high-energy forum that allowed Scholars to engage in direct, small-group dialogue with architects of New Jersey’s most prestigious industries to learn how scientists and engineers work together to solve humanity's greatest challenges.
Zanele Nkomo, Kenvue; Piero Dalerba, M.D., Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine; Julie Thomas, Pharm.D, RPh, Johnson & Johnson; and David Gates, Ph.D., Thea Energy
In the life sciences track, Scholars gained perspective on global health from Julie Thomas, Pharm.D, RPh, Dina Gifkins, Ph.D., MPH, and Sergio A. Fonseca, M.D. of Johnson & Johnson, alongside Gangadhar Sunkara, Ph.D. and Daya Verma, Ph.D. of Novartis, and Zanele Nkomo of Kenvue.
Sergio A Fonseca, M.D., Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine; Jordan Bykowsky, united Airlines; and James Adams, P.E., C.M.E., CMQ/OE, KS Engineers
At the technology and infrastructure tables, mentors including Amazon’s Ashima Agarwal, Instagram’s Tiffany Zhao, and Siemens’ Abhishek Ramchandran shared insights from their careers in data and critical systems.
Roberto Morales, United Airlines; Ashima Agarwal, Amazon; Daya Verma, Ph.D., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; Dina Gifkins, Ph.D., MPH, Johnson & Johnson The breadth of the industry was further demonstrated by United Airlines’ Jordan Bykowsky and Roberto Morales, who shared the complexities of airline operations, and James Adams, P.E. of KS Engineers, who represented the field of civil engineering.
Scholars also engaged with David Gates, Ph.D. of Thea Energy and Piero Dalerba, M.D. of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, exploring the future of energy and clinical research.
Gangadhar Sunkara, Ph.D., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; Tiffany Zhao, Instagram; and Abhishek Ramchandran, Siemens Together, these mentors demonstrated that whether in a lab, an airport, or a data center, New Jersey’s industries are dynamic centers of opportunity where scientists and engineers work together to solve humanity's greatest challenges.
The 2026 STEM in Industry Conference concluded with a powerful reminder that the future is not an outcome that happens to us, but something we create through innovation and perseverance.
As these Governor’s STEM Scholars return to their labs and classrooms, they carry with them the "DNA" of New Jersey innovation—ready to solve the practical problems of tomorrow.
The Governor’s STEM Scholars is a public-private partnership between the Research & Development Council of New Jersey, the Governor’s Office, the New Jersey Department of Education, and the Secretary of Higher Education. Applications for the 2026-2027 are now open. Find more information here.
Comments