Honors Ambassador Bios | Albert Dorman Honors College

Lead Ambassadors

Siri Uppuluri - Sophomore, Biology, Accelerated Medical Program NJMS

Siri is one of the co-leaders for the Honors Ambassadors. She is a second year biology major, and she is part of the Accelerated Medical Program with the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. On campus, Siri is a senior staff writer and copy editor for The Vector, the NJIT student newspaper, a staff writer for the Honors College Newsletter, an Honors Peer Mentor, and an Honors Freshman Seminar Teaching Assistant. Her hobbies include writing and reading.

Tom Trifon - Junior, Biomedical Engineering, Applied Mathematics; Mathematical Biology Minor

Email: tt239@njit.edu

Tom is one of the lead ambassadors. He has been employed with a health startup known as Health Recovery Solutions since January 2018, and has been doing research in the Brain Connectivity Lab on campus for 2 years. After graduating he hopes to go on to an M.D./ Ph.D. program and eventually become a neurologist. His hobbies include weightlifting, volleyball, racquetball, and reading.

Jeremy Bedient - Sophomore, Industrial Engineering, Minor Data Analytics

Email: Jdb72@njit.edu

Jeremy is a returning Honors Ambassador. He currently serves as the President of the NJIT Student Senate, and is a brother of Alpha Kappa Psi, the professional business fraternity. He works at the Highlander Pub, and is involved as a national Key Volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America. He enjoys traveling and volunteering with his church.

Janus Caldejon - Sophomore, Electrical Engineering

Email: Jc873@njit.edu

Janus is a returning for his second year as an Honors Ambassador. He is currently majoring in Electrical Engineering and is an active member of the Boys and Girls club in Jersey City, and a part time tutor for elementary school kids. He likes to spend his free time playing basketball, volleyball and following the latest fashion trends.

Justin Chow - Sophomore, Computer Science, Minor Mathemathics

Email: jlc45@njit.edu

Justin is a returning honors ambassador who is a sophomore studying computer science. He is a member of the MMA club, and enjoys martial arts of all styles. He enjoys cyber security and hopes to one day make the computer systems of tomorrow secure. He also is attempting to work an internship relating to security over the summer.

Yousef Gaber - Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering, Minor Mathematics

Email - yhg2@njit.edu

Yousef is a Mechanical Engineering major seeking a minor in Mathematics as well. He is currently a sophomore at NJIT and a returning honors ambassador for the Albert Dorman Honors College. He is part of the Muslim Student Association and the Society of Physics Students. In his free time he likes playing video games and watching football and basketball.

Yasmine Ghattas - Junior, Double Major Biology and Chemistry

Yasmine is continuing as an Honors Ambassador from her sophomore year. She has been heavily involved in neurobiological research spending her last two summers working in the lab. She is also currently leading a research team as a NJ Governor’s STEM scholar. This summer she also served in Namibia teaching HealthEd for three weeks to the villages in Wulvis Bay and Windhoek. She is looking forward to finishing her education at NJIT and continuing in her pathway to becoming a medical physician. In her free time she likes to play guitar, volunteer at HoboekenEMS, and explore the city.

Jonpierre Grajales - Sophomore, Double Major Applied Physics and Computer Science

Email: jg586@njit.edu

Jonpierre is a returning Honors Ambassador. He is in the double major program for Applied Physics and Computer Science. Jonpierre has been involved in many clubs and organizations on campus and is now the President of the Society of Physics Students, Secretary for the HAM Radio Club, and Public Relations Officer for RHA. He is also a Resident Assistant for the Honors Dorm and part of the Educational Opportunity Program (2017). Jonpierre has been part of multiple research groups and has received in the Provost Summer Research Fellowship. He interned at Liberty Science Center in the Planetarium Department.

Lauren Hutnik - Junior, Biology, Accelerated Medical Program NJMS

Email: lah9@njit.edu

Lauren has been an Ambassador since her freshman year. She is in the accelerated NJIT/NJMS medical program. On campus, she spends her free time doing research, working as a Physics T.A., swimming as a member of the Women's Swim Team, and serving as President of the jewish organization on campus, Hillel. In her spare time she loves drawing, reading and exploring.

Jagathi Kalluru - Sophomore, Biology

Email: jk459@njit.edu

Jagathi has been an Honors ambassador since she was a freshman. She is very active on campus, serving as the President of the Red Cross Organization, the Outreach Chair of Beta Psi Omega, the Catering and Corporate Sponsorship Chair of HighlanderThon, and the Public Relations Representative of HOSA. In her free time, Jagathi likes to write articles for the Vector, post on New Jersey's American Red Cross blog, watch movies, and sleep

Nelly Laevsky - Junior, Information Technology, Minor Computer Science

Email: Nl232@njit.edu

Nelly is a continuing ambassador and is a third year information technology major. On campus, she is a founding member of the professional engineering fraternity, Theta Tau, a member of NJIT Dance Team and the IT major representative for Student Senate. Her hobbies include dancing and watching Netflix.

Tracey Mraw - Junior, Biomedical Engineering, Minor Mathematical Biology and Applied Mathematics

Email: tm325@njit.edu

Tracey has been an Honors Ambassador since my freshman year. On campus, she is a TA for an Honors Freshman Seminar class and the Community Service chair for NJIT's colony of Theta Tau, the co-ed professional engineering fraternity. Off campus, she volunteers weekly at the Newark LGBTQ+ Community Center. Her hobbies include playing and watching sports (especially soccer) and art.

James Nanchanatt - Sophomore, Biomedical Engineering

Email: jjn9@njit.edu

James is a returning Honors Ambassador. He is currently performing research in Dr. Arinzeh's lab at NJIT. He is involved with the school's startup EMT program and is currently an administrator for NJIT Splash in the spring. In his free time he enjoys eating at new places and binge watching shows.

Mitali Shah - Junior, Biology

Email - ms2297@njit.edu

Mitali has been an honors ambassador since her freshman year. On campus, she is a peer mentor for the honors college and on executive boards for Amnesty International, the biology fraternity Beta Psi Omega, and Ehsaas Dance Team. For the past two years, she spent her spring break volunteering with Global Brigades to host medical clinics in Nicaragua and Ghana. In her free time, Mitali likes to read, dance, and watch movies.

Siraj Shaikh - Sophomore, Biomedical Engineering, Minor Applied Mathemathics, Accelerated Medical Program NJMS

Email: szs3@njit.edu

Siraj is a returning honors ambassador. He is a junior from Texas in the seven-year accelerated program with Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He serves as a student-at-large on the Senate’s constitution committee, is an honors peer mentor, and is on the eboard for the MSA. His hobbies include playing sports, camping, competing in trivia, lifeguarding, and video gaming. He plans on becoming an EMT.

Pratik Sinhia - Sophomore, Biology, Accelerated Medical Program St. George's University

Email: pks57@njit.edu

Pratik is a second year Biology Major in the 7 year BA/MD program with NJIT. He is an active member of Biology Society and Pre-Health Society and is the secretary of Art Club. Moreover, he is currently doing research in the Biological Sciences Department at NJIT. In his free time, he likes to draw and do calligraphy.

Aarati Srikumar - Sophomore, Computer Science

Email: as3243@njit.edu

Aarati, from Edison NJ, is currently the Computer Science Rep on Student Senate, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity on campus. She enjoyed interning this past summer at the NYC Dept of IT, and enjoys meeting new people.

Vinaya Thadhani - Junior, Biomedical Engineering, Minor Mathematics

Email: Vt235@njit.edu

Vinaya Thadhani has been an Honors Ambassador since her second year at NJIT. She is on a bioinstumentation track for biomedical engineering and working towards obtaining a minor in applied mathematics.She has continued researching since her first semester at NJIT. She has also spent two summers working as a research intern for NJIT's Undergraduate Research Institute, completing two online publications and gaining valuable experience. In addition, she is a founding brother of Alpha Kappa Psi, Inc., Professional Business Fraternity, as well as the Vice President of Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority, Inc. She also volunteered as a JerseySTEM coach for robotics.

Johnathan Town - Sophomore, Civil Engineering

Email: jtt24@njit.edu

Johnathan is a sophomore civil engineering student at NJIT hoping to pursue graduate school at NJIT upon completion of his degree. He also serves as president for University Heights Toastmasters and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In his downtime, John likes to play guitar or write about the Phillies.

Geetasravya Vegunta - Sophomore, Biology, Accelerated Medical Program NJMS

Email: gv82@njit.edu

Sravya is a biology major in the 7-year BA/MD program with NJMS. She has been involved in the Honors Ambassadors program since freshman year. She is involved with neurological research at the Center for Injury Biomechanics, Materials, and Medicine, where she works on characterizing the dynamic and morphological changes in microglia after blast injuries. In her free time, she likes to watch shows, listen to music, and spend time with friends.