2019 Fall Colloquium Series

Friday, September 13

**Urbanization - Bad or Beneficial for Biodiversity?

Speaker: Caroline DeVan, Ph.D; Lecturer, Biological Sciences, NJIT

Since 2007, more people on Earth live in cities than in rural areas and the rate of urbanization continues to increase. By 2030, almost 10% of our planet’s surface will be urbanized. Through the process of urbanization humans change the existing ecosystem, modifying the larger landscape and the local habitats in many ways. However, urban ecosystems support not just human life, but also wildlife. Therefore cities can be considered a unique ecosystem with different weather, physical characteristics, and species than those found in either rural areas or non-human dominated wild-lands. How should we view these urban ecosystems? Do cities tend to have more species and therefore greater biodiversity than surrounding areas or are they bad for biodiversity, with fewer species present? What determines which species thrive and which species can’t survive in the urbanized landscape? The answer to these questions can help us consider how we want our cities to be and what actions we can take in support of the health of our communities: human and non.

**This colloquium is mandatory for all first-year seminar students to attend. It also fulfills the Leadership and Civic Engagement Track colloquium requirement. 

Tuesday, September 17

4-5pm

IDS room 2

Food, Agriculture and Climate

Speaker: Dr. Zeyuan Qiu, Honors Faculty Fellow

As the world population is rising toward 8 billion and quality of life is improving, there is increasing need for more and better-quality food. Agriculture is the production of food, fuel and fiber to meet such need from the growing population. Although social changes and technological innovations have transformed agriculture, agriculture is still a weather-dependent affair. Future climate change will result in sea-level rise, rising global temperature and irregular climate patterns and make it more challenging for agriculture to meet that need. The course will overview the world food and agriculture system and assess its diversity and importance from biological, economic, social, political and cultural perspectives, and discuss the transformative history of the food and agriculture system through science and technology such as the green revolution and biotechnology. The course will assess the close connections between the food and agriculture system and climate change to answer those intertwined questions: how does climate change affect food and agriculture? Will the food and agricultural system be adaptive enough to provide sufficient food to serve the growing population without harming the environment?  How does the food and agriculture system contribute to climate change? How can the food and agriculture system be further transformed through social changes and technological innovations to be used as a tool to combat climate change and improve the environment? The students are expected to gain a thorough understanding of the food and agriculture system and its connection to climate change and build a strong interest in developing sustainable, climate smart and resilient food and agriculture system through social changes and technological innovations.

Friday, September 20

11:30am-1:00pm

Eberhardt Hall 112

Indestructible Spirit

Speaker: Jack Pariser, NCE '55

Jack Pariser will share his family's experience in surviving the Holocaust and cheating the Nazis of their victory. This will include a 30-minute video. He will share his mission: “Never Again Mass Atrocities” and Jack will thank NJIT for seeing something in him, allowing him access to a college education regardless of not passing the admissions requirements. His electrical engineering major included humanities, shaping his life as an activist and engineer. The colloquium will end with a Q&A with attendees. 

Co-sponsors: Development & Alumni Relations, College of Science & Liberal Arts, Albert Dorman Honors College, Federated Department of History

Wednesday, September 25

2:30-4:00pm

IDS room 1 ADHC

Self-assembled Biomaterial Drugs

Speaker: Dr. Vivek Kumar, Honors Faculty Fellow

Dr. Kumar will discuss an overview of his course, Engineering Better Medicines. Learning outcomes of his course include:

- Develop an appreciation for the facets of the immune system that govern materials’ development and translation

- Develop a keen understanding of the chemical, materials and biological characteristics pertinent to material translation

- Develop a framework for moving a technology from bench to bedside to the market (understanding the barriers to translation)

- Develop a pitch deck (as a future start-up) to efficiently and succinctly present a research idea to potential investors

Friday, September 27

11:30am-1:00pm

Atrium

**The Environmental Crisis

Join us for a panel discussion featuring NJIT faculty experts from various disciplines, followed by facilitated round-table conversations about what we as individuals, and NJIT as an institution, can and should be doing to secure our planet’s future. 

Speaker: Gareth Russell

** This colloquium fulfills the Civic Leadership and Engagement Track colloquium requirement

Co-sponsors: Murray Center for Women in Technology, Albert Dorman Honors College

Tuesday, October 1

4-5pm

IDS room 2, ADHC

Design Thinking to Address Structural Inequality (from Information Gaps)

By Dr. Michael Lee, Honors Faculty Fellow

Dr. Lee will provide an overview of his course, Design Thinking to Address Structural Inequality (from Information Gaps). This undergraduate class teaches students design thinking skills in the domain of information and computing. It leverages multiple forms of active learning, involves a significant amount of studio-based learning, and helps students develop creative confidence. Students will identify and examine issues related to ‘information gaps’ which contribute to structural inequality. They will ideate, prototype, and iterate on designs to address these issues. Students will deliver a video describing their idea(s) and present their solutions(s) at a pitch panel.

Wednesday, October 9

2:30-4pm

IDS room 2, ADHC

Multiphysics Mechanics of Polymeric Materials

Speaker: Shawn A. Chester, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Many new and exciting phenomena in mechanics are inherently multiphysics. A few examples include, thermally responsive shape-memory polymers, Joule heating causing creep, and pore pressure effects in geo-materials to name just a few. Because so many technologically important phenomena are inherently multiphysics, constitutive models and associated simulation tools must also include all relevant physics to capture the primary features of the materials response to be predictive.  In this talk, I will discuss recent and ongoing research on the multiphysics response of polymeric materials, specifically on polymer gels and light active shape memory polymers.

A gel is a polymeric material swollen by a fluid, the fluid does not degrade or chemically modify the polymer network.  The talk begins with a brief review of a model for the coupled deformation-diffusion of gels. That is followed by some recent attempts for experimental calibration and validation (or lack thereof) on relatively simple gels.  Preliminary results have shown that the majority of existing constitutive models are not capable of capturing the observed behavior.  

Next, the talk changes gears and moves onto the topic of light activated shape memory polymers.  The underling mechanism that controls the shape memory effect in these materials is a photochemical reaction driven by light.  That reaction may form or cleave bonds between functional groups attached to the polymer backbone, causing crosslinks to form or dissolve, modifying the underlying network structure.  A model is proposed and a numerical capability described that qualitatively describe the behavior of these materials.

Bio:

Shawn Chester is currently an associate professor in Mechanical Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Shawn was previously a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.  Prior to that he obtained his PhD in solid mechanics from the Mechanical Engineering Department at MIT, and obtained both his BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from NJIT. Shawn was a member of the Albert Dorman Honors College as an undergraduate at NJIT.

Shawn's research focus in the past few years has been the development of experimentally validated continuum level constitutive theories for large-deformation multi-physics behavior of polymeric materials and the associated numerical implementation.  His work spans most aspects of mechanics; experimental characterization, theoretical modeling, numerical implementation, and experimental validation. Shawn has been recognized by young investigator awards through an NSF CAREER, and an ASME award.

Friday, October 11

11:30am-1pm

Atrium

How can a STEM Graduate’s Training be Applied to Careers in the Legal Profession? 

Speakers: Catherine Fitch, Managing Counsel for Patents​, Merck & Co; Patrici​a​ Shatynski, '84, MS '86, Patent Counsel, Merck & Co.

The interface between science, technology and law is ever evolving.  Even without a law degree, there are many opportunities for STEM trained personnel to aid the legal profession.   Examples include:  explaining the science behind an invention in a patent dispute, using artificial intelligence to gather, manage, and analyze copious amounts information during the litigation discovery process and aiding lawmakers in understanding the scientific and technological basis of emerging issues such as IT security, bioethical or climate change. The addition of a law degree unlocks further legal careers, including that of patent attorney.  Drawing on personal experience,  patent attorneys Catherine Fitch and Patricia Shatynski will discuss how STEM-trained individuals can serve and enhance the legal arts.

Wednesday, October 16

2:30-4pm

IDS room 2, ADHC

Generation Next:  A Road-map for New Graduates Entering the Workforce in the Digital Age

Speaker: Dr. Vatsal Shah, Honors Faculty Fellow

"Millennials"-- the often-debated term for the generation of twenty and thirty-something year olds, are rapidly entering the workplace.  By 2025, Millennials will account for 3 of every 4 employees.  Rapid ideas and creativity are abound with this new class of professionals; however, sudden innovation and new methods of work may be startling to an industry such as engineering where experience and long-established standards of practice become challenged by a group with a seemingly endless wealth of information at their fingertips.  Whatever they're called, these new, graduating live at the intersection of cloud, social, and mobile platforms and can bring an energizing spirit, enthusiasm, and vision for organizations with their open-mindedness and energy; however, these unique traits may clash with long-standing cultures and traditions of the working world. 

The presentation was created specifically as a "crash course" for new grads preparing themselves for industry, with advice and wisdom collected from all the bumps, bruises, and lessons learned encountered over a decade of work from an NJIT and Albert Dorman Honors College grad. The presentation is meant to be interactive, and will adopt a Millennial’s spirit of its own by including interactive polling right from the audiences’ seats during the presentation to role play and navigate through example challenges together. 

Wednesday, October 23

2:30-4:00pm

Atrium

The Circular Economy

Speaker: Walter Stahel, a Swiss environmental economist who pioneered the concept of the "circular economy"

Dr. Stahel is a lucid thinker, an engaging speaker, and one of that rare breed of original thinkers. His concept of the circular economy underlies the contemporary discussion of non-linear modes of production such as the "cradle-to-cradle" approach to sustainability.

Co-sponsors: Albert Dorman Honors College, the College of Architecture and Design, and the Forum on Society and Technology

Thursday, October 24

12:00-1:30pm

VentureLink, 211, Warren Street, Newark, NJ

Women in Entrepreneurship with NVP Labs and Digital Undivided

Speaker: Allison Williams

It is Women-in-Entrepreneurship Week and we are celebrating here at NJIT with a special panel of awesome women entrepreneurs. Hear Allison Williams of Newark Venture Partners Labs lead a panel discussion with three women entrepreneurs from Digital Undivided's BIG cohort talk about starting their companies. Allison Williams is Director of NVP Labs, a “bridge-to-seed” accelerator program at Newark Venture Partners. Before moving to venture, Allison became a seasoned leader with CEO and COO experience and a proven track record of driving expansive growth in startup technology companies. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and Columbia Business School.

Register for free here! Lunch will be provided.

Wednesday, October 30

2:30-4pm

Ballroom A

**NJIT's STEM Students Bridging Newark Public School's Digital Use Divide

Speaker: Darrin S. Sharif, Chief Administrative Officer & Director of Newark Kids Code, Urban League of Essex County

Mr. Sharif will discuss student activism, servant leadership, and leveraging intellectual capital to address the important community-based issues that have plagued Newark for generations.

Bio:

Darrin Sharif was born in Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, New Jersey. He attended elementary school in Newark, and middle and high school in West Orange, New Jersey. After high school Darrin attended Rutgers University where he majored in Business Management (concentration in finance), graduating Magna Cum Laude. After college, Darrin held a number of positions in the public and private sector. He developed a detailed knowledge of computers and technology after holding positions at the Summit Medical Group as a Computer Network Specialist, and as a Microsoft Office User Specialist for New Horizons, a corporate computer software training firm catering to fortune 500 companies. His knowledge of nonprofit management and program design came from serving as the Director of Operations for the Urban League of Essex County from 2004 - 2010. Darrin was introduced to local government serving as the Chief of Staff to United States Senator Cory A. Booker who from 1998 – 2002 served on the Newark Municipal Council representing the Central Ward. Darrin would later represent the Central Ward from 2010 – 2014. During Darrin’s time in office, the Central Ward led the State of New Jersey in commercial and multi-family development. Also, while in office, Darrin worked with many crosssector institutional leaders and community based organizations to make important “Human Development” investments in the most challenging, but deserving neighborhoods in the Central Ward. Darrin currently is the Chief Administrative Officer at the Urban League of Essex County, and the Director of Newark Kids Code, an exciting initiative designed to create the next generation of software engineers and introduce at-risk and technologically underrepresented youth to coding, App development, and web design, and other forms of digital technology.

** This colloquium fulfills the Leadership and Civic Engagement Track colloquium requirement

Friday, November 1

11:30am-1pm

Atrium

Environmental Health Research in PR & Hurricane Impacts

Wednesday, November 6

2:30-4:00pm

IDS room 2, ADHC

Big Knowledge Applications of Ontologies

Speakers

Prof. Yehoshua Perl , Co-Director of SABOC  Research Center

Prof. James Geller,Co-Director of SABOC  Research Center

This colloquium will feature three topics:

1. What is Big Knowledge and why we need it

Why SNOMED CT does not fit for EHR Annotation

2. Multi level navigation system

3. Using Big Knowledge to improve Macine Learning verification of placement in ontologies

Friday, November 8

8:30am-10am

Atrium

Board of Visitors Networking Roundtable

Students will have the opportunity to learn from and network with Board of Visitor members of the Honors College in a roundtable format.

Thursday, November 14

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Ballroom A

President's Forum and NJIT Research Institutes, Centers and Laboratories Showcase

Keynote: Dr. Rob Stone, Program Director, NSF: Research in Materiel Science

Thursday, November 14

7:00pm

Jim Wise Theatre, Kupfrian Hall​

Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Directed by Louis Wells

To purchase tickets ($15): https://theatre.njit.edu/current-season

Wednesday, November 20

2:30-4pm

Atrium

**The Curious Case of Medical Humanities in Undergraduate Education

Speaker: Stephen Pemberton, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medical History, NJIT

This talk is for you if you’ve ever wondered why a humanities class focused on a particular aspect of medicine or health is worth your precious time. Professor Pemberton will introduce the concepts and trends in medical humanities education in historical perspective, explain what some of the benefits of traditional investments in humanities have been in U.S. medical education, and why recent trends toward exposing undergraduate students to the medical humanities is a worthwhile, challenging, but not entirely comfortable, way of grappling with the question of how physicians and patients can improve the quality of medical care in the twenty-first century. Caution: There will be blood!

** This colloquium fulfills the Medical Humanities Track colloquium requirement

Wednesday, December 11

2:30- 4:30pm

Atrium

Wind and String Ensemble

NJIT Music Initiative that features 80 wind musicians and 25 string musicians.