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We write Stevens history VOLUME CXXI No. 2
HOBOKEN, NJ | SEPTEMBER 15, 2023
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
Newly named Office of Student Culture and Belonging BY ADVAIT DANTULURI, STAFF WRITER
NICOLE GIARDINO FOR THE STUTE
Recent updates to biomedical engineering curriculum EMMA SPOONAUER, STAFF WRITER The Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) is changing its undergraduate curriculum, introducing new concentrations that allow students to narrow their focus of study within the field. Stevens has aimed to make the BME major the intersection between engineering and science, and guarantee a multidisciplinary education, allowing students to feel confident in working with teams of engineers from different fields. In an interview with the As-
sociate Chair of Undergraduate Studies for the BME Department, Professor Sally Shady, The Stute got the inside scoop regarding these recent changes and their expected effect on students. In her position, Shady is in charge of maintaining the BME undergraduate curriculum’s alignment with current global health issues. In a world where technological advancement is constant, especially in the medical field, this can be quite a demanding task. Shady said that the recent curriculum developments are intended to address this dynamic en-
Stevens student Sara Deuidicibus publishes her first book: Ends on the Positive Ones EVAN PAPAGEORGE, her immediate family and professor Robin HammerOPINION EDITOR man, Deuidicibus learned
Whether it be a dream job achieved after meeting with company representatives at the career fair or taking a life-long project to new heights through a senior design project, Stevens offers many opportunities for students to take what they love further. Stevens fourth-year student and Stute member Sara Deuidicibus snatched up one such opportunity and published her book Ends on the Positive Ones. The Stute met with Deuidicibus to learn more about her journey into being a published author. Deuidicibus has been writing poetry since she was just 11 years old. Since then, her passion has only grown — and so has the number of poems. This past summer, after much encouragement from those around her, Deuidicibus embarked on her journey to compile her poems. Entering the final year of her Stevens career, Deuidicibus realized that publishing might become more challenging as her schedule expands to a job, internship, or other commitments. With help from
how to format her poems into a book, copyright her work, and register with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In August 2023, she self-published her first book on Amazon. Deuidicibus’ book includes seven unique sections, each with a theme, ranging from resiliency to self-perception and beyond. Within each section of the book, the tone of the poems gradually progresses from dark and sad to a more positive note in the end — hence the title, Ends on the Positive Ones. Deuidicibus worked to ensure that the theme of her book is one of hope and empowerment. She shared with The Stute that when she was an infant, she was diagnosed with autism before entering kindergarten with a recovered autism diagnosis. Experts told her family that she would not talk — odds which Deuidicibus has not only overcome, but shattered. She explained that this publication signifies much more than the theme of the po-
NEWS (2-3)
SCIENCE (6)
Newly named Office of Student Culture and Belonging and Recent updates to biomedical engineering curriculum
SEE SARA PAGE 2
Super Blue Moon? Stevens’ SocialBot? COVID ‘brain fog’? Learn more about what’s going on in the world of science. PULSE (10)
FEATURE (4)
High school vs college What are the differences, how can you succeed, and how to survive the transition.
Read answers from the Stevens community to our weekly Roving Reporter, plus solve our weekly puzzle and sudoku.
vironment. As for what sparked the idea to make changes to the curriculum in the first place, Shady recalls that the BME department chair, Dr. Kang-Mieler, “wanted to redevelop the program to provide students with the opportunity to specialize and explore concentrations at a greater depth.” Shady also mentioned that students had asked for the inclusion of concentrations in the past. Shady and Kang-Meiler had an idea, but the process to actually enact these changes took time. Shady
explains that overall there are two points of views that need addressing when creating these concentrations; regionally and nationally. She then remarks, “We then worked on leveraging our strengths and bringing some of our expertise to these significant areas in biomedical engineering.” Now that the idea for these changes were more concrete, it was time to share it to obtain feedback. Shady and her colleagues brought these changes to the entire biomedical engineering de-
SEE BIO PAGE 2
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion, created to provide resources and support students from underrepresented groups and diverse backgrounds, has recently been renamed the Office of Student Culture and Belonging. According to a LinkedIn post by the office’s director, Lilliana Delman, this change was done in order to better represent and showcase the office’s commitment to creating an inclusive community and to strengthen a student’s sense of belonging on our campus regardless of their culture or upbringing. The renaming is also intended to showcase how specific they are in the complex and intersectional work being done to ensure a more inclusive and welcoming campus. Ms. Delman quotes Dr. Terell Strayhorn, a prominent diversity academic, who defines student belonging as “students’ perceived social support on campus, feeling or sensation of connectedness, the experience of mattering or feeling cared about, accepted, respected, valued by and important to the group (e.g., campus community) or others on campus (e.g., faculty, peers).” The office
believes that cultivating a sense of “belonging” is critical to each student living on campus to make it a safe environment to learn, play, discover, and enjoy. Delman said that striving to make a more inclusive campus is important because it affects how students perceive themselves and others and opens doors to learning about different perspectives that could be helpful. The office intends to continue its mission in aiding all students from under-resourced and underrepresented backgrounds and provide ongoing training and consultation for the Stevens community. It intends to focus on five key objectives to create an inclusive campus: identity development (creating opportunities to help students learn about social identities, socio-historical context, intersections with others, and personal meaning), social justice education (fostering cultural consciousness through ongoing learning about systems of power, identities, and innovative practices for inclusion and equity), community-building (connecting intracultural and intercultural communities through dialogues, multicultural celebrations, networking, and civic en-
SEE SCB PAGE 2
Stevens alumni office developing an LGBTQ+ post-graduate network
Professor Goodman chosen for MOST program to teach the love of math
BY SHANE MITCHELL, they are and their alma mater.” With the Stevens CONTRIBUTOR alumni community grow-
EVAN PAPAGEORGE, educational not-for-profit organization. She then went OPINION EDITOR into teaching K-12 students
As of last May, the Class of 2023 joined a growing network of over 50,000 Stevens alumni nationwide. With significant geological and characteristic diversity amongst alumni, it’s crucial that Stevens graduates have opportunities to connect with each other and grow their respective professional networks. In an effort to help facilitate these connections, the Division of Development and Alumni Engagement has begun to develop an LGBTQ+ Alumni Network, which aims to help support former Stevens students who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. While still in its infancy, the LGBTQ+ Alumni Network has recently begun to take shape on campus. Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement, Annie McGuinness, has been a driving force in the implementation of this program. She described the initiative as an “identity-based affinity space within [the] Stevens alumni community.” The purpose of this space is to focus on providing resources so “alumni can find a connection between who
ing in size year after year, smaller groups like this one will facilitate personal interactions and ensure every member of the Stevens community feels welcome. As a key individual in the creation of this program, McGuinness has been responsible for structuring the initiative in a sustainable way. She has worked closely with Liliana Delman, the Director of Student Culture and Belonging, to support LGBTQ+ students not only on campus, but also throughout their journey “as they grow in their personal and professional lives.” This program is meant to be a lifelong resource for Stevens graduates, having been described as both a “safe space” and an opportunity to “connect in ways that [are] important to the LBGTQ+ community.” Even though the network is still in its initial stages, a number of alumni have already pledged their support for the idea, with a focus group having been created in July of 2023 to gather opinions and ideas
SEE LGBTQ PAGE 2
Here at Stevens, meeting someone who works hard to do what they love is nothing unusual. In particular, the many professors of the four schools of Stevens offer their students an intimate view of their experiences, knowledge, and skills. Stevens’ faculty’s love of teaching took center stage when Teaching Assistant Professor Sarah Goodman of the Chemical Engineering and Material Science department was selected to participate in the Math Outreach Seminar and Training (MOST) program at the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) as part of MoMath’s effort to spread STEM opportunities through math. The Stute met with Professor Goodman to learn more. Professor Sarah Goodman attended Rutgers University, studying chemical engineering, before going to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for her Ph.D. in material science and engineering of electron microcity and structure, the engineering of making better light emitting diodes (LEDs). While at MIT, Goodman spent a lot of time teaching and interning at an
in New York City before coming to Stevens in 2021. During the 2021-2022 school year, Goodman volunteered at MoMath, guiding guests and interpreting the museum exhibits. Her love of math, science, and teaching led to her selection for the MOST program. The MOST program selects 10 female math and other related field teachers for a summer program to help develop presentations focused on teaching anyone a complex topic with only the mathematical knowledge of someone with middle school experience. The program included communication skills, presentation creation, and improvisation classes to help improve participants’ ability to answer questions and convey their topics more clearly. The goal of the preparation was for the teachers to give an engaging and meaningful talk to people of all backgrounds but still be able to understand the topics. Goodman’s presentation focused on the structure of materials and using diffraction to uncover
SEE MOST PAGE 2