Bergen Community College

Bergen STEM Student Research Center Director Chris Tully, Professor Ara Kahyaoglu, students Mateo Garcia, Roselyn Diaz and Lucas Hahn, and Dean of Math, Science and Technology Emily Vandalovsky.

PARAMUS, N.J. – From establishing a hydroponic garden in an urban bodega to developing a low-cost prosthetic arm and using artificial intelligence to track brain activity, Bergen students showed how they will engineer “what’s next” at the annual STEM C^2 Conference. As the signature event of Bergen’s renowned STEM program, the conference serves as a magnet for science, technology, engineering and math-minded students, faculty and industry professionals.

“Bergen has become a hub for STEM education in our region,” STEM Student Research Center Director Chris Tully said. “The conference gives our students a chance to peel back the curtain and show the world the incredible work they have completed at our college.”

The nearly 400 attendees at the August 12 event at the Paramus main campus came from 37 high schools, colleges, industry and government. The conference featured a career and transfer college expo, a panel discussion with industry professionals and a poster competition for students to present their research. Judged by industry leaders and faculty volunteers, Bergen students Roselyn Diaz, Mateo Garcia and Lucas Hahn topped the field of 39 entries for their findings on engineering a rapid response system for detecting acute airborne toxins released from volatile organic compounds in academic and commercial environments. Professor Ara Kahyaoglu mentored the students.

“Our students are completing high-level research comparable to what you would see in graduate degree programs,” Bergen Dean of Math, Science and Technology Emily Vandalovsky, Ph.D., said. “I expect entries from this year’s competition to become published in peer-reviewed journals – just as other Bergen student research has previously.”

Among the industry professionals in attendance, a delegation of representatives from Trane Technologies – the multinational heating, ventilation and air conditioning manufacturer – visited to discuss potential opportunities for collaboration with the College. The company has previously partnered with community colleges in California and Arizona to establish “living learning labs” on their campuses to create experiential learning initiatives for students. President Eric M. Friedman said a potential partnership remains exciting.

“This is about connecting education with industry to create a workforce development talent pipeline where students participate in real-world, hands-on learning,” he said. “With a potential partner as accomplished as Trane, we can offer innovative educational opportunities that prepare students for good-paying, family-sustaining careers in various STEM fields.”

Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Vice President of Membership and Educational Services Robin Matross Helms connected Trane with College leaders after seeing the institution’s commitment to STEM education as part of an international learning exchange program sponsored by ACCT last year. Bergen served as an inaugural partner in the program.

The conference also provided Bergen faculty and staff with the opportunity to showcase the College’s robust portfolio of STEM offerings, including work conducted under a $4.5 million federal grant to prepare the next generation of food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences workers. The NEXTGEN project supports scholarships, mentorships and experiential learning in areas such as agribusiness and food product processing systems.

Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 24,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.

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