Engineers test new pavements designed for military use
After months spent developing special asphalt mixtures inside a lab, a team of researchers at Rowan University’s Center for Research & Education in Advanced Transportation Engineering Systems (CREATES) has rolled out its massive Heavy Vehicle Simulator to determine the life expectancy of new pavements designed for military use. 

The only one of its kind in a Northeast academic institution, Rowan’s simulator compresses the wear and tear of 20 years’ worth of heavy traffic in just a few months’ time. Called to duty only after months of lab testing is complete, the simulator’s hulking presence outside its hangar means Rowan engineers and students are inching closer to hard answers. Read more.
Changing the narrative: Rowan’s Faculty Research Day spotlights COVID-19, DEI and Camden
Rowan University hosted its fourth annual Faculty Research Day, an opportunity to highlight the breadth of scientific investigations from across Rowan’s three campuses, everything from advancing prenatal medicine using nanoparticles to finding ways to remove toxic metals from contaminated soil.

Organized around three themes—COVID-19, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Camden—the virtual event featured keynote speakers who shared how research is changing the narrative in the fight against the novel coronavirus, systemic racism and injustice. Read more.
NSF CAREER Award: Rowan professor searches for better, greener, cheaper methods for chemical analysis
For even the most ambitious researchers, opportunities for innovation hinge on the kind of research techniques available. When their methodologies are inefficient, wasteful, or unaffordable, scientists can’t do their best work. 

With support from a National Science Foundation CAREER Award totaling $524,999, Dr. James Grinias, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry in the College of Science & Mathematics, is exploring new, two-dimensional liquid chromatography techniques to advance the way scientists separate molecules found in chemical mixtures. Read more.
Rowan University announces new cannabis institute
With the passage of New Jersey’s cannabis reform legislation, Rowan University announces the formation of a new interdisciplinary research institute to assist and advise policy makers, health care professionals, pharmaceutical industries, government agencies and businesses.

The Rowan University Institute for Cannabis Research, Policy & Workforce Development provides expertise and guidance on a wide variety of topics including law, medicine, chemistry, pharmacology and business. Read more.
Rowan awarded U-RISE research training grant for undergraduates
Marking its ascension as the nation’s fourth fastest-growing research institution, Rowan University has been awarded significant new funding through the National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement program. 

Aimed at developing a diverse pool of scientists, the federally funded U-RISE program provides training grants to assist underrepresented undergraduate students interested in pursuing advanced degrees in biomedical research. Read more.
At vaccination clinics, Rowan students lead…and learn
Everyone wants to give the vaccine. But, by volunteering at the Rowan Medicine Vaccination Center, first-year medical student Eamonn Brace has learned there’s more to the art of medicine than giving a shot. “The more you spend time talking with people, the better physician you become,” Brace said. “This is introducing me to a whole new skill set.”

Since Christmas Eve, the Rowan Medicine Vaccination Center has administered more than 19,000 vaccinations. The site is staffed by 450 Rowan SOM students—from first-year students, like Brace, on up to fourth-year students gearing up to graduate. Read more.
CMSRU researcher co-authors NEJM paper analyzing convalescent plasma treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients
Noud van Helmond, MD, assistant professor of anesthesiology at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU), is co-author on an important research paper that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, one of medicine’s most prestigious academic journals.

Titled "Association of Convalescent Plasma Antibody Levels with Covid-19 Mortality," the paper analyzes whether treating patients for severe COVID-19 with convalescent plasma that has high levels of antibodies resulted in lower mortality rates compared to convalescent plasma with low antibody levels. Read more.
ReGelTec, Inc., a Rowan Innovation Venture Fund investment, receives FDA breakthrough designation
ReGelTec, Inc., a medical device company developing a treatment for chronic low back pain, has received breakthrough device designation for its HYRDAFIL System from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

The FDA Breakthrough Device Program speeds patient access to technologies that can provide more effective treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating conditions. Read more.
Rowan researcher wins Science Center award for cornea repair innovation
Dr. Iman Noshadi, a chemical engineering assistant professor in the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering, has won an award from the University City Science Center’s Proof-of-Concept Program, which works with regional academic and research institutions to prepare their most promising life science and health care technologies for commercialization.

Noshadi is developing an ocular sealant that is strong, resorbable, nontoxic, and can safely be applied to wet ocular surfaces, making it ideal for eye injuries and cornea tissue repair. Read more.
Rowan students’ sepsis app advances to real-world testing
As the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, sepsis can escalate rapidly. It occurs when the body’s immune system begins to fight itself as it fends off infection. Without prompt treatment, the condition can shut down organs, damage tissue and result in death. 

In a swamped emergency department, it can be challenging for health care teams to track time and symptoms, so they can meet the sequence of established assessment and treatment protocols. A new app designed by Rowan University students to help providers is undergoing real-world testing at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden, N.J. Read more.
Rowan engineering professor named KEEN Rising Star
Dr. Cheryl Bodnar, an associate professor in the Experiential Engineering Education Department at the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering, was honored as a KEEN (Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network) Rising Star at the 2021 KEEN National Conference. 

The KEEN Awards Committee recognizes three faculty members each year who have gone above and beyond to equip undergraduate engineers to create personal, economic and societal value through the entrepreneurial mindset. Read more.
Rowan startup using AI to map brain tumors wins CSIT award
A Rowan University-affiliated startup whose innovation could dramatically improve the detection of brain tumors recently earned new grant funding from the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT). 

MRIMath, LLC, was among 14 technology and life sciences companies to win a $25,000 grant through New Jersey’s Small Business Innovation Research Direct Financial Assistance Program. Read more.
Rowan Engineering prof’s transportation project aims to connect residents, jobs
Dr. Mohammad Jalayer, an assistant professor in Rowan University’s Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and the Center for Research & Education in Advanced Transportation Engineering Systems (CREATES), is leading a new research project that seeks ways to improve the ways people get to and from work.

Jalayer’s project, called “The Last Mile Solution: Improving Health & Access to Transportation for Camden's Vulnerable Populations,” is funded by a $500,000 research grant from the South Jersey Transportation Authority. Read more.
CMSRU researcher receives prestigious national honor from the Society of Critical Care Medicine
Christa A. Schorr, DNP, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, FCCM, a clinical nurse scientist at Cooper University Health Care and associate professor of medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, has been named the 2021 recipient of the prestigious A.S. Laerdal Memorial Lecture Award by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM).

Dr. Schorr is the second woman and the first nurse in the award’s history to receive the honor. Read more.
With NSF grant, computer science professor solves app-based worker privacy problem
Rowan University computer science researcher, Dr. Chenxi Qiu, an assistant professor of computer science at Rowan University’s College of Science & Mathematics, is working to protect the privacy of drivers who use spatial crowdsourcing apps, with support from a three-year, $227,107 award from the National Science Foundation. Read more.
En pointe: Historian explores ballet class as a childhood experience
Melissa Klapper is fascinated by the lives of ordinary children. That’s what led the Rowan University historian to focus her research on one of the seminal experiences of many American youngsters: ballet class.

“Literally millions of American children have taken ballet class over the 20th century and no one had written about it before now,” says Klapper, author of Ballet Class: An American History, published this year by Oxford University Press. Read more.
Public Relations prof explores consumer review sites in “The New Review Economy”
The influence of third party review sites like Yelp, Trip Advisor and parts of Amazon and Google cannot be overstated. From where to order dinner, take a vacation, or buy a new cell phone, slow cooker, car or coffeemaker, someone, somewhere, has a review for it.

The New Review Economy (Taylor & Francis Group), a new book by Dr. Alison Novak, assistant professor of public relations in the Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts, explores how pervasive the phenomenon of third party review sites (TPRS) has become, and how businesses – and consumers – can make the most of them. Read more.
University of the Future: A roadmap forward
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world as we knew it. It forced virtually everyone and everything to adapt amid uncertainty. It raised hard questions and compelled innovation. In early 2021, change related to COVID-19 persists all around us.

Rooted in what we now know and spurred by what we see on the horizon, this document describes the plan that will continue to transform Rowan University to meet the needs and drive the progress of our ever-changing world. Read more.
Notable Achievements
Dr. Nidhal C. Bouaynaya, Electrical & Computer Engineering, was invited to participate in the National Cancer Institute's SBIR/STTR Executive Roundtable, a peer mentoring program for life science small businesses. She also won an additional National Institutes of Health I-Corps Award to further develop her digital health startup company, MRIMath, LLC. 

Dr. Peter Galie, Biomedical Engineering, and Dr. Paola Leone, Cell Biology, were panelists at the Opportunities in Neuroscience virtual event in January hosted by the New Jersey Academic Drug Discovery Consortium. 

Dr. James Grinias, Chemistry & Biochemistry, is the 2021 recipient of the American Chemical Society Analytical Division Satinder Ahuja Award for Young Investigators in Separation Science. The award is given to recognize outstanding contributions to the field of separation science by a young chemist or chemical engineer.

Dr. Yatin Karpe, Office of Technology & Commercialization, moderated an international webinar, "Technology Transfer: Bringing your idea to market," presented by the University Industry Innovation Network, Amsterdam. 
Notable Grants (Jan.-March 2021)
College of Science & Mathematics

Dr. Helga Huntely, Mathematics, won a $92,853 (Total potential funding for the life of the project: $234,109) grant from The National Academy of Sciences, for the project, “Lagrangian Metrics for the Identification and Prediction of Loop Current Eddy Shedding Events."

Dr. Nathaniel Nucci and Dr. Suzanne Bausch, Science & Mathematics Dean, won a $186,312 (Total potential funding over the 5-year Period of Performance: $1,987,366) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the project, "U-Rise at Rowan University."


College of Science & Mathematics - School of Health Professions

Dr. Bethany Raiff, Psychology, won a $335,997 (Potential total award: $658,097) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the project, “Re-Connect: Personalized, Non-Monetary Smartphone-based Rewards for Smoking Cessation.”

Dr. Patrice Tremoulet, Psychology, won a $52,209 (Potential two year funding: $104,018) grant from Innovations Unlimited LLC, for the project, “Trach Alarm: A novel, low-cost accessory to automatically detect and alert caregivers to tracheostomy tube decannulation."


Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering

Dr. Mohammad Jalayer, CREATES, won a $500,000 grant from the South Jersey Transportation Authority, for the project, "The Last Mile Solution."

Dr. Amir Miri, Mechanical Engineering, won a $96,750 grant (Potential funding over 5 year period: $485,845) from McGill University (Prime Sponsor: National Institutes of Health – NIH), for the project, “Bioprintable Composite Materials and Microfluidic Tools for Vocal Fold Restoration and Repair.”

Dr. Iman Noshadi, Chemical Engineering, won a $200,00 grant from the University City Science Center, for the project, "Development of Highly Adhesive Hydrogel for Cornea Tissue Regeneration."

Dr. Sangho Shin, Electrical/Computer Engineering, won a $333,192 grant from the TBT Group, for the project, “Wireless In-Situ Pavement Sensors (WISPS)."


School of Earth & Environment

Dr. Jordan Howell, Geography, Planning, and Sustainability, won a $119,974 grant from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), for the project, "Enhancing Markets for Post-Consumer Materials through Development of New Exchange-Traded Derivatives."

Dr. Lauren Kipp, Environmental Science, won a $350,203 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), for the project, “Collaborative Research: Quantifying Seasonal and Interannual Changes in Shelf-Derived Material Inputs to the Arctic Ocean: The Arctic Radium Isotope Observing Network (ARION)."


Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. David Libon, New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging (NJISA), won a $49,885 (Total 4 year funding Potential: $130,328) grant from Boston University (Prime Sponsor: American Heart Association), for the project, "Integrated Digital Technology Platform for Optimization of Precision Brain Health."

Dr. Michael McCormack, Pathology, won a $139,279 grant from the NJ Department of Health, for the project, "Huntington’s Disease Services – FY 2021."

Dr. Elizabeth West Niedringhaus, Cell Biology & Neuroscience, won a $248,993 (Funded to date: $841,268) continuation grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the project, "Neural Circuitry Mediating Behavioral Flexibility."

Dr. Brian Weiser, Molecular Biology, won a $338,100 (Potential 5 year total: $1,690,550) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the project, "RPA-Directed DNA Repair Mechanisms."
Developing Innovative Research
Research at Rowan occurs in a collaborative, learning-centered environment. Highly qualified and diverse teams of faculty, staff and students integrate teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity and community service.


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