HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
We write Stevens history HOBOKEN, NJ | FEBRUARY 13, 2025
VOLUME CXXIII No. 16
The student newspaper of Stevens Institute of Technology, and creator of Attila the Duck. www.thestute.com TikTok @thestute Instagram @thestute facebook.com/stevensthestute NEW STUTE EVERY FRIDAY • EST. 1904
Stevens BME research Vandna Rajpal’s first into improving fall mitigation in older adults place win at the D3CODE 2025 Global Hackathon BY TASHA KHOSLA, HEAD COPYEDITOR
PHOTO COURTESY OF ZAFERIOULAB.COM
BY AMELIE DELA CRUZ, STAFF WRITER Falls are the leading cause of injury in older adults, with over 14 million older adults reporting falls each year. The most common of these injuries is hip fractures, which are typi-
cally only repaired through surgery. These cause a decrease in mobility, loss of independence, and a general reduction in quality of life. Despite this, causes of falls and development of preventative measures are heavily understudied — but a Stevens BME lab is aiming to change this nar-
rative. With the goal of improving fall mitigation in adults ages 65 and older, Assistant Professor Antonia Zaferiou of the Biomedical Engineering Department led this research in her Musculoskeletal Control and Dynamics Lab. Utilizing force plates and motion
tracking devices, this lab is focused on sports biomechanics and preventative and rehabilitative studies. In this specific study, participants wore full-body motion tracking sensors to plot their movements. Their study emphasized
SEE BME PAGE 2
Stevens Master of Data Science graduate Vandna Rajpal and her team, Neural Navigators, received first place at the D3CODE 2025 Global Hackathon. Her team designed Predicting and Reporting Insights with Scalable Models (PRISM), which is an AI-powered data intelligence platform. PRISM allows users to ask questions about their data and receive reliable and secure answers. In an interview with The Stute, Rajpal summarized, “It is like having a data scientist, analyst, and AI assistant rolled into one platform — accessible to anyone, instantly.” According to Rajpal, PRISM allows users to ask questions about their data in “natural language” rather than having to use SQL or Python. It also automates ETL (Extract, Transform, Load), builds predictive models without requiring coding experience from the user, and understands documents (files, reports, texts, etc.). Additionally, PRISM has built-in governance and ethics, meaning that it “tracks data usage, decisions, and ensures transparency and responsible AI.”
Rajpal explained that PRISM is special for a few reasons, such as decreasing time to insight “from months to minutes,” reducing dependence on data engineers and data scientists, and it is “enterprise-ready” because it is “secure, auditable, and scalable.” Furthermore, PRISM bridges the gap between research and “real-world use.” Rajpal referenced “the ‘last mile’ problem in AI.” The“last mile” problem refers to “the gap between laboratory perfection and real-world implementation.” Essentially, for AI the “last mile” is “the gap between what AI can produce and what an organization can responsibly release into production.” PRISM stands out because of its ability to bridge this gap. As for the challenges of this project, Rajpal described, “The hardest part was making natural-language AI reliable at enterprise scale. Translating user questions into correct queries and models while enforcing governance, explainability, and access control was extremely challenging. We had to ensure the system was powerful without being opaque or
SEE RAJPAL PAGE 2
LOCAL NEWS Mandatory cursive, E-Bike licenses: 100 last-minute bills signed by former NJ Gov. Murphy BY HUGO HOLLAND, CONTRIBUTOR Former Governor Phil Murphy signed over 100 bills into law shortly before his term ended last month, with legislation ranging from new e-bike restrictions and mandatory cursive lessons to 2026 FIFA World Cup advertising funding. The 120 bills Murphy signed on January 20 capped his two-term governorship with a legislative flurry, hours before current Governor Mikie Sherrill was sworn into office. Among the most high-profile acts was increased regulation on e-bikes in the state. A new law introduces a reworked classification of e-bikes and significantly strengthens their ownership requirements, with all e-bike users now required to register their vehicle and have a valid driver’s license. Owners of more powerful e-bikes will also be required to have insurance for their vehicles. In order to help owners adjust
and give insurers time to formulate e-bike policies, there will be a grace period for enforcement, with owners having one year from the law’s signing to meet the new requirements. The law also restricts the age of e-bike users. According to the New Jersey Monitor, it will prohibit “minors under 15 from operating an e-bike or motorized bike, and require those 17 and older to have a driver’s license.” This was a key part of the law, introduced last November after a series of deaths involving e-bikes, including one involving a 13-year-old
NEWS (2-3)
SCIENCE (6)
Stevens BME research into improving fall mitigationin older adults Learn about how the BME department is constantly making advances in science ! FEATURE (4)
Valentine’s Day Discover the best florists in town and the easiest and thoughtful dishes to make your valentine!
PHOTO COURTESY OF NEWJERSEYMONITOR.COM
Heart attack? Strong friendships? Dating apps? Read about what’s going on in the world of science. PULSE (10)
Read answers from the Stevens community to our weekly Roving Reporter, plus solve our weekly puzzle and sudoku.
boy from Scotch Plains. Equally prominent among the bills was an act mandating cursive instruction for elementary-school-age children. The law, according to the NJ School Boards Association (NJSBA), requires that schools provide instruction “that help[s] students become proficient in reading and writing cursive legibly by the end of third grade.” The law represents a turnaround in New Jersey, where cursive instruction had previously been removed from state
SEE E-BIKE PAGE 2
ICE spotted in Hoboken and Jersey City border BY JOSEPHINE CHOONG, SECRETARY On February 1, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were seen making arrests at the light rail station on 9th Street and Jackson St. It’s located on the border of Hoboken and Jersey City, just a 20-minute walk from Stevens. ICE’s appearance has sparked tension and unrest within the Hoboken and Jersey City communities. Jersey City Councilman Jake Ephros witnessed the ICE agents and recorded his interactions. Ephros asked the ICE agents if they had a warrant, in which one of them responded, “We don’t need a warrant, bro. Stop getting that into your head.” When he attempted to ask other questions, he received few answers. Instead, he observed the agents and said that one person was taken into custody. While the exact number of arrests was vague at first, Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs for the Department
of Homeland Security, later reported that 10 people were arrested during the operation. Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour stated that her office received reports about ICE activity. She and Councilman Joe Quintero spoke to multiple witnesses in the area who confirmed that they saw vehicles and several individuals being apprehended. At a Hoboken community ICE meeting held on February 1, Jabbour confirmed that there were at least three cars, with two of them unmarked. She noted that at least two of the detainees worked for local Hoboken businesses. Jabbour remarked that the Hoboken Police Department was not notified in advance, nor did they assist ICE. Jabbour addressed the attendees’ concerns for community safety, affirming that Hoboken “remain[s] committed to supporting every resident, regardless of background or immigration status. You are valued, you are part of our community, and you are not alone.” Residents are encouraged to contact the Office of Constituent
Services at constituents@ hobokennj.gov to connect with local advocacy organizations, legal aid partners, and community groups. Additionally, James Solomon, Jersey City’s mayor, confirmed these reports. In a social media post, he stated that the “videos are extremely disturbing — apparently including randomly picking up people on their way to work.” Solomon signed an executive order stating that no city property can be used for federal immigration operations and local police can’t aid ICE without a judge’s warrant. He reminded residents to know their rights when interacting with ICE and to prepare by memorizing an emergency contact’s phone number and keeping important documents in a safe place. Due to the sighting, on February 1, Stevens sent an email detailing the protocol for possible ICE enforcement actions. The university previously sent a similar email in January 2024, when ICE raided a Newark store without a warrant. If
SEE ICE PAGE 3