Research & Development Council of New Jersey Program Offers High School and College Students Access to NJ STEM Careers
Chatham, N.J. – The Governor's STEM Scholars (GSS) is proud to welcome 111 New Jersey students into its 2024-2025 class. Selected from among over 1,000 applicants across the state, these students represent some of the highest achievers in New Jersey.
GSS 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 New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education, and public and private research institutions. GSS works to sustain and strengthen New Jersey’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) talent pipeline by introducing the state’s STEM students to the R&D and STEM ecosystem.
New Jersey has the highest concentration of engineers and scientists per square mile in the United States, according to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. Recognizing New Jersey’s rich talent pool, GSS serves as a vital bridge for talented STEM students to connect with research and STEM professionals within the industry, academia, and government sectors. By creating this essential link, GSS is building up New Jersey’s STEM network.
“New Jersey’s legacy of innovation is fueled by exceptional talent, and the Governor’s STEM Scholars is at the forefront of nurturing that talent. These Scholars are not only the future leaders in STEM, but they also represent the diversity and brilliance that defines our state,” said Anthony Cicatiello, President of the Research & Development Council of New Jersey. “Through this program, we’re laying the foundation for groundbreaking discoveries that will continue to drive New Jersey’s economy and enhance its position as a global leader in research and development.”
Through conferences, field trips, and research, Scholars are able to explore professional opportunities that can jumpstart their future STEM careers. Scholars attend four conferences to explore the STEM sectors of industry, academia, and government. For the 2024-2025 programmatic year, these conferences will be held at Rutgers University, Montclair State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Kean University.
Additionally, Scholars build relationships with diverse STEM professionals by attending field trips and fireside chats at New Jersey companies such as Bristol Myers Squibb, Kenvue, Panasonic, PSEG, and Mars Wrigley. Scholars also participate in an engineering design research project that enhances their analytical and 21st-century skills.
GSS prides itself on selecting a class that is representative of New Jersey’s diversity. Scholars hail from all 21 New Jersey counties. Sixty-two percent of the class identifies as female, and 89 percent as students of color. When these Scholars graduate in May 2025, they will join an alumni cohort of nearly 1,000 Scholars.
“The Governor’s STEM Scholars program is designed to open doors to extraordinary career opportunities. By connecting our Scholars with industry leaders and innovators, we provide them with real-world experiences that build their skills and fuel their passion for STEM,” said Alise Roderer, Director of the Governor’s STEM Scholars. “We’re empowering the next generation to take on the challenges of tomorrow and ensuring that New Jersey remains a hub for cutting-edge science and technology.”
To qualify for GSS, applicants must have at least a 3.5 GPA, be a high school sophomore through a doctoral-level student at a New Jersey-based high school or university, and demonstrate a strong passion for STEM.
The 2024-2025 Governor’s STEM Scholars are:
Janine Abdo, Passaic County
Asaad Abdul-Hamid, Union County*
David Adu, Salem County
Pomaah Agyen-Kumah, Monmouth County
Oluwadarasimi Ajewole, Middlesex County
Blessing Anyangwe, Morris County
Gabriel Arias, Union County
Jeffry Arteaga, Mercer County
Ahmed Ashraf, Hudson County
Maya Baireddy, Monmouth County
Sarah Bansal, Hunterdon County
Namish Bansal, Camden County
Warisha Bari, Essex County
Sanjushree Bastia, Bergen County
Madelyn Boston, Gloucester County
Happy Boutrus, Hudson County
Julio Cervantes, Hudson County
Shashwat Chakraborty, Morris County
Melanie Chauca, Hudson County
Amy Chen, Camden County
Anu Chidambaram, Mercer County
Isabella Cortes, Union County
Anyelo Cruz, Passaic County
Genesis DaSilva, Ocean County
Tanishka Dhake, Middlesex County
Maria Diaz Quintero, Bergen County
Jonathan Duran, Hudson County
Shreya Dutt, Middlesex County
Princess Eminue, Essex County*
Omoyemi Falana, Union County
Sean Fialcowitz, Union County
Fiona Gale, Cape May County
Sophia Gao, Monmouth County
Aryan Garg, Middlesex County
Ezra Goldfarb, Middlesex County*
Eliana Gonzalez Leon, Atlantic County
Riya Goyal, Atlantic County*
Dylan Gray, Hunterdon County
Hillary Guarango, Hudson County
Ali Hagag, Morris County
Sophia Halm, Essex County
Amiri Hayes, Hudson County*
Penelope Herra, Essex County
Noah Hyun, Burlington County
Leah Inzana, Middlesex County
Esther Ishola, Essex County
Kevin Jin, Somerset County
Navneet Kalatheeswaran, Somerset County
Ashley Kim, Bergen County
Anya Konduru, Somerset County
Gauri Kshettry, Middlesex County
Yasmine Lalani, Morris County
Gary Leschinsky, Bergen County
Lukas Liakhovitch, Warren County
Fatima Lira, Bergen County
Kriti Malhotra, Monmouth County
Prisha Malhotra, Hudson County
Prisha Malik, Morris County
Angel Marquez, Essex County
Hillary Martinez, Hudson County
Mukund Maurya, Middlesex County*
Noah Meier, Mercer County
Shaan Mody, Morris County*
Haley Mody, Passaic County
Arnav Mohanty, Middlesex County
Abdulqudus Morakinyo, Essex County
Maira Nadeem, Union County*
Mary Okolla, Gloucester County*
Lamarr Olive, Passaic County
Estefania Orjuela Parra, Essex County*
Taylor Pape, Ocean County*
Anna Park, Bergen County
Maahishee Patel, Cumberland County
Eva Patel, Middlesex County
Yash Pathak, Middlesex County
Kaavya Pratikantham, Middlesex County
Joseph David Quinn-Vitabile, Union County*
Rana Rabayah, Atlantic County
Sanjay Ravishankar, Middlesex County
Victoria Rose, Essex County
Andres Ruiz Grijalva, Essex County*
Di'dyana Rutty, Essex County
Christina Salazar, Passaic County
Rishabh Sankar, Somerset County
Krystal Santiago, Essex County
Josephine Serrano, Bergen County
Krishi Shah, Bergen County*
Siddharth Shankar, Monmouth County
Megha Sikka, Middlesex County
Breanna Smith, Essex County
Florence So, Morris County
Connor Stager, Hunterdon County
Daniel Steiner, Morris County
Brianna Suazo, Hudson County
Rachel Sun, Other County*
Elianna Taveras, Hudson County
Samuel Tobachnick, Sussex County
Paulina Tomlin, Cumberland County
Delancey Van Meir, Bergen County
Nandini Venkatesh, Middlesex County
Aaron Vivanco, Union County
Neeka Vojdani, Burlington County
Anhphi Vu, Morris County
Tanvi Walia, Middlesex County
Saniya Williams, Ocean County
Audrey Xu, Essex County
Annabel Yin, Somerset County
Simon Youn, Bergen County
Sapjah Zapotitla, Camden County*
Kevin Zhang, Hunterdon County
Bowen Zhang, Union Count
*denotes college-level Scholar
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