How do ghosts study at Stevens? They read their text-BOO-ks! Happy Halloweekend!
We write Stevens history HOBOKEN, NJ | NOVEMBER 1, 2024
VOLUME CXXI No. 9
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
The selection for 2025-2026 Resident Assistants (RA) begins BY FIONA SHI, CONTRIBUTOR
PILOT INSTALLATION OF OTYS TRAIN’S ANTI-BIRD COLLISION FILM ON OCTOBER 11, 2024 FUNDED BY HIS YOUTH CLIMATE ACTION FUND “BRING BIRDS TO HOBOKEN” AWARD GRANT. AVA WANG FOR THE STUTE
Recent installations of anti-bird collision technology on campus promote wildlife conservation BY AVA WANG, OUTREACH CHAIR This past February, The Stute published “Stevens’ invisible threat to bird safety”, containing an interview with Hoboken resident Jeffrey Train, and a discussion of the dangers large glass structures pose to Hoboken’s avian wildlife. This follow up article aims to summarize the updates campus has observed in the time since.
In early July 2024, installation of transparent dots were observed on the free-standing glass panels between the North and South UCC towers, an area also referred to as the UCC breezeway. This decal installation was confirmed to be Bird Divert technology in an interview with the Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communication and Public Relations, Kristen Daily. Bird Divert is
New Jersey-based company, endorsed by the American Bird Conservancy and the Audubon Society, which develops optically clear, anti-bird collision solutions for both residential and commercial glass. Bird Divert’s anti bird-collision marker technology employs a key difference in optical capability between humans and birds to accomplish a proven (Rössler and Zuna-Kratky, 2004; 2007) visual bound-
Professor Englot receives millions for automated-naval exploration BY EVAN PAPAGEORGE, HEAD COPY EDITOR
Professor and Director of the Stevens Institute for Artificial Intelligence (SIAI) Brendan Englot has received a $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Navy. With this support from the Office of Naval Research, Englot will spearhead a pioneering five-year project to enhance the autonomy and operational capacity of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs). His work targets improving these autonomous vessels’ capabilities in tackling complex, often unpredictable missions in marine environments. The study, “Advanced Autonomy for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) via Distributional Reinforcement Learning,” seeks to take USV autonomy to new levels, particularly in scenarios requiring rapid adaptation and decision-making. Englot’s team will investigate the potential of distributional reinforcement learning, a sophisticated method that builds upon traditional reinforcement learning. This approach equips USVs with more comprehensive situational awareness and enables them to make informed, safety-focused decisions in real-time.
“Think of it like autonomous whitewater rafting,” Englot explained. “Even with maps and GPS, a vessel may not be aware of threats such as boulders, eddies, or shifting currents until they’re encountered. We aim to develop methods for USVs to learn safe navigation in challenging, dynamic conditions to complete their missions effectively.” Englot’s vision is to expand USVs’ applications beyond their current uses, focusing on relatively straightforward monitoring tasks. His team envisions USVs as central players in crucial missions such as tracking algal blooms and oil plumes, assessing
NEWS (2-3)
SCIENCE (4)
Recent installations of antibird collision technology on campus promote wildlife conservation Learn about the new technology implemented around campus. FEATURE (6-7)
Post-Midterm TLC Read about some tips for recovery and top pastimes.
ary for birds that is imperceptible to the human eye. Birds are tetrachromatic, meaning that they see color through four distinct classes of photoreceptors. Humans, on the other hand, only have three. The additional fourth class of photoreceptors that birds maintain over humans allows them to see into the UV range, which human eyes can’t do.
SEE BIRD PAGE 2
Walkable cities? Physics Nobel Prize? Electrical Sutures? See 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.
storm damage, assisting in search-and-rescue efforts, and working with aerial drones and other marine vehicles for complex, coordinated operations. Englot’s prior Navy-funded research on enhancing autonomous vehicle reliability inspired this new project. Drawing on his mechanical engineering and artificial intelligence background, he aims to push the boundaries of what crewless marine vessels can accomplish. His methodology revolves around distributional reinforcement learning, which allows USVs to account for potential outcomes with
SEE NAVAL PAGE 3
SEE RA PAGE 3
NATIONAL NEWS Kendric Cromer’s story: first sickle cell gene therapy patient BY RIYANA PHADKE, SCIENCE EDITOR
PROFESSOR BRENDAN ENGLOT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A LEADER IN UNDERWATER AUTONOMOUS NAVIGATION. COURTESY OF STEVENS.EDU
The role of Resident Assistant (RA) is highly coveted on campus as it comes with numerous perks and is perceived as a great leadership opportunity. The RA Selection Process for the 2025-2026 academic year began on Tuesday, October 15, and here’s everything interested students should know. The first step to becoming an RA is to attend a mandatory information session to learn about the process and timeline. There are four sessions to choose from, and students can find the registration links on DuckLink.The last information session will be hosted on Thursday, November 7 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Gateway South 122. After attending an information session, students will receive a link to submit a video application. This link is open until November 22. Students who pass this stage will receive an invitation for an in-person interview on December 2, and interviews will be conducted in the middle of December. Finally, the prospective RAs for the next academic year will be notified in January, and they will have one week to accept or decline the position. If they accept, place-
ments will be sent in February. An RA’s role comes with both responsibilities and benefits, which is why the position typically receives hundreds of applications in its initial round for the 68 available positions. RAs provide support and safety services to residents on each floor of first-year housing buildings and the UCC towers in exchange for housing and meal plans at no extra charge. The selection process for the 2025-2026 RA Cohort came with two major changes. Firstly, interviews will be conducted on a web-based software called Willo. Assistant Director of Residential Education Ryan Nolen shared that this change will “further streamline our selection process while also offering an interview experience that mirrors companies that are hiring Stevens graduates or interns.” Secondly, undergraduate students will only be allowed to serve as an RA for a maximum of two years, while graduate students are no longer eligible to apply for an RA position. This new policy was put in place to “develop that staff member in their first year, have them hone their skills and serve as a mentor and
After 44 days at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., Kendric Cromer has left the hospital free of sickle cell disease. Cromer is the first patient to undergo a recently approved gene therapy for this disease. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is caused by a genetic mutation in hemoglobin and affects roughly 100,000 people in the United States. In people with SCD, the red blood cells, which are typically round and flexible, become crescent-shaped or “sickled.” This is due to abnormal hemoglobin from the genetic mutation. The change in hemoglobin’s shape results in red blood cells becoming rigid and sticky, causing them to clump together and block blood flow to small blood vessels. People with sickle cell disease often experience a variety of symptoms and complications, including anemia, fatigue, swelling in their hands and feet, frequent infections, and delayed growth. Additionally, SCD can lead to serious health complications such as a stroke or organ damage. Until December of 2023, there was no viable way for
people with sickle cell disease to get treatment. That month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two gene therapies: a $3.1 million treatment developed by Bluebird Bio and a $2.2 million therapy from Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Kendric Cromer, 12, was diagnosed with the disease as a newborn. Over the years, his crises have caused numerous trips to the emergency room and long-term hospital stays. Until now, Cromer was unable to participate in team sports or other common activities without major consequences. Kendric was part of a medical trial to find a cure for the disease when the FDA approved commercial gene therapies. The treatment’s goal was to genetically modify Kendric’s stem cells, which would cause them to produce normal red blood cells. The reprogrammed, healthy cells would help decrease the number of sickle cells, ending his hospital trips and allowing him to lead a more normal life. Dr. Andrew Campbell, director of the Sickle Cell program at Children’s National Hospital and Kendric’s doctor, explained that Kendric was picked due to his lengthy history of
hospital visits during crisis and because eligible patients must be 12 or older. “It’s a game changer,” Campbell said of the therapy. “They don’t have to take medications anymore because they’re walking around, allowing the stem cell to do the job for them.” The first phase of Kendric’s treatment was to remove his bone marrow stem cells, where they were then sent to a Bluebird Bio lab for genetic modification. They were returned to his body within three months. For the treatment, doctors needed hundreds of millions of stem cells. One extraction of stem cells generally takes six to eight hours. “The patient then gets some chemotherapy and that allows the bone marrow to kind of be wiped out and expand to accept the modified stem cells that have the gene therapy,” Campbell said. The process is both painful and costly, but luckily, Kendric’s insurance is covering the costs. On September 3, Kendric was admitted to the Hospital for this final stage. He underwent intense chemotherapy to clear his bone marrow,
SEE SICKLE PAGE 3