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Girls in Technology Symposium 2024

Inspiring & Supporting Young Women in STEM.

Check out the event program and photos from the 11th Annual Girls in Technology Symposium event!

Event Program   View Photos

The School of Continuing Education and Workforce Development’s Eleventh Annual ‘Girls in Technology' Symposium Showcases STEM Opportunities for Area High School and Middle School Students

The event included activities, contests, panel discussions, presentations, and more.

June 3, 2024, Jersey City, NJ – Women lead major research and development projects for corporations, build high-tech products, solve environmental problems, design websites for influencers, and mentor the next generation of young women interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) professions. Due to a lack of role models, women remain largely underrepresented in these historically male-dominated fields.

On Thursday, March 21, 2024, Hudson County Community College (HCCC) hosted its Tenth Annual Girls in Technology Symposium to inspire and support young women to pursue fulfilling and well-paying careers in STEM.

Valerie Medina of Jose Marti STEM Academy read her winning essay, “Technology and Its Components.”

The panel discussion, “A Day in the Life of Women in STEM,” was moderated by Carmen Gates, Director of Training and Community Initiatives, African American Chamber of Commerce of NJ.

Panelists included:

• Carol Benitez, Vice President of Operations, Greener by Design
• Fiona Aproo-Johnson, Executive Director, Ellucian Managed Services ITS, Hudson County Community College
• Alexandra Velez, Senior Cybersecurity Engineer at Provident Bank
• Linda Corso, Project Executive for the Trinity Hall Phase 3 Addition and Expansion project

Activity sessions included:

• 3D reconstructed skin as a tool for predictive evaluation and discovery led by L’Oréal.
• L’Oréal Technologies on the Cutting Edge led by L’Oréal.
• Encryption Expedition led by the Hudson County Community College School of STEM.
• Lead-Based Paint Inspection led by the Hudson County Community College School of STEM.
• Fundamentals of Coding led by the Girls Who Code (GWC) Club, Hudson County Community College Students.
• Wood Veneer Identification Challenge led by Eastern Millwork, Inc.

The STEM educators and entrepreneurs leading the activity sessions included:

• Angela Cruz-Hernandez, Senior Scientist for Product Safety at L’Oréal
• Hoor A. Javed, Emerging Scientist at L’Oréal
• Daniel Roy, Director in the Advanced Research department at L’Oréal Research & Innovation
• Stacy-Ann Stevenson, Sr. Scientist – Advanced Research at L’Oréal
• Dr. Kirtan Kaur, PhD, MS, MPhil Senior Scientist, Product Safety team at L’Oréal
• Priya Chilana, MD Senior Scientist at L’Oréal
• Rebecca Barresi-Thornton, a Senior Scientist II in the Advanced Research Translational Discovery Lab at L’Oréal
• Dr. Clive Li, Assistant Professor of Engineering Science at HCCC and recipient of the 2023 American Association of Community Colleges’ Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Recognition
• Yavuz Guner, Cybersecurity Instructor at HCCC who holds Certified Ethical Hacker – EC Council and CompTIA Security+ Certification
• Regi Mulla, Project Manager at Eastern Millwork, Inc.
• Lucia Xue Liu, Senior Scientist II in the Advanced Research department at L'Oréal
• Nasim Farahmand, Senior Scientist at L’Oréal
• Raffi Manjikian, Instructor of Chemistry at Hudson County Community College School of STEM
• Priya Suresh, Director, Global 360 Client Security Assurance Lead Ernst & Young LLP
• Susan G. Fitzsimmons, Director, Security Technology Services, EY

In the afternoon, the Student Display Contest highlighted works focused on “Technology: Past, Present, and Future.” Students learned about attending Hudson County Community College and the HCCC STEM programs. Representatives from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex and Hudson & Union Counties also attended. 

After lunch, attendees enjoyed the presentation, "Toxicology in Personal Care: Navigating Careers in Beauty – A Conscious World by L'Oréal," and the winners of the Student Display Contest were announced: Samantha Mursuli, Charlisse Burns, and Melody Andes-Phillips of Explore Middle School.

The HCCC Girls in Technology program was made possible thanks to the generosity of program sponsors – Eastern Millwork, Inc., L'Oréal, Ernst & Young LLP, OneConnect Bank, SILVERMAN, Englewood Health Physician Network, MAST Construction Services, Inc., eMazzanti Technologies. 

To sponsor or participate in next year's symposium, please contact Chastity Farrell at cfarrellFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE.

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Girls in Technology Symposium 2023

Inspiring & Supporting Young Women in STEM.

Check out the event program and photos from the 10th Annual Girls in Technology Symposium event!

Event Program   View Photos

Hudson County Community College’s Tenth Annual ‘Girls in Technology’ Symposium Showcases STEM Opportunities for Area High School Students

The event included activities, contests, panel discussions, presentations, and more.

March 30, 2023, Jersey City, NJ – Women lead major research and development projects for corporations, build high-tech products, solve environmental problems, design websites for influencers, and mentor the next generation of young women interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) professions. Due to lack of role models, women remain largely underrepresented in these historically male-dominated fields.

On Thursday, March 30, 2023, Hudson County Community College (HCCC) hosted its Tenth Annual “Girls in Technology” Symposium to inspire and support young women to pursue fulfilling and well-paying careers in STEM. The day-long event was held at the HCCC Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk Street in Jersey City. At breakfast, HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber welcomed Hudson County middle and high school students. Lori Margolin, HCCC Associate Vice President of Continuing Education and Workforce Development, provided an overview of the day, and Chastity Farrell, Director of Continuing Education and Workforce Development, delivered opening remarks. As part of the opening ceremonies, Grace Mejia of Jose Marti STEM Academy in Union City read her winning essay, “The Jetsons Were onto Something.” A panel discussion, activities, demonstrations, and contests followed.

The panel discussion, “A Day in the Life of Women in STEM,” was moderated by HCCC Engineering student Sofia Ruseva, an Environmental Assessor at UNYSE, LLC, New York’s most experienced source for asbestos, lead, mold, and hazardous materials testing. Panelists included  

• Zobia Alvi, Creator and Head Web Developer for The Z Collective, and Senior Technical Recruiter for DotDash;
• Summer Jones, Associate Vice President of Technical Support Services at Montclair State University;
• Nigar “Niko” Kazimova, Software Engineer, Mondo.com;
• Madhuri Singal, board-certified toxicologist and Principal Scientist of Worldwide Safety Evaluation at L’Oréal; and
• Ashley Turner, Virtual Design and Construction Manager.

Activity sessions included

• “Coding: Simon Says – Hands on Coding,” led by Latinos in STEM;
• “Color Matching Technology” for textiles, paint, print, and cosmetic manufacturing, led by the Hudson County Community College School of STEM;
• “Origami Space Challenge,” inspired by NASA and led by New Jersey City University (NJCU) Ed Tech Doctors;
• “Augmented Reality Storytelling Environments,” led by Membit and Jersey City Fab Lab; and
• “Sensory/Expert + Instrumental Evaluation – Skin” and “Hair Care and Color Evaluation Techniques + Hair Grading” Science activities led by L’Oréal.

The STEM educators and entrepreneurs leading the activity sessions were

• Fahima Bacha, a secondary mathematics supervisor at North Bergen High School and NJCU professor;
• Kin Bae, Google Software Engineer;
• Baldween Casseus, Google Global Product Lead;
• Yavus Guner, HCCC Cybersecurity Instructor who holds Certified Ethical Hacker – EC Council and CompTIA Security+ Certification;
• Clive Li, Assistant Professor of Engineering Science at HCCC and recipient of the 2023 American Association of Community Colleges’ 2023 Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Recognition, who holds three patents;
• Dana Mason, a Technology teacher in Bayonne and NJCU professor who combines her love of arts with technology;
• Michelle Megalia, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hickory Industries, Inc.;
• Karina Mitchell, Co-Founder and Vice President of Membit, a geolocative augmented reality application;
• Marcos Navas, an active Maker-Ed and Ed-Tech community member, and founder of Hands on Coding, LLC, and Latinosincoding.org;
• Eric Nadler, founder of Towhee Company, and Jersey City Fab Lab, which designs, produces and develops educational toys and programs, web and mobile media, accessories, and wearables; and
• Paulina Porembska, Morgan Lamber, Sharmaine Latar, and Nicole Totorello, Scientists at L’Oréal. 

In the afternoon, the Student Display Contest highlighted works themed “Technology: Past, Present, and Future.” Students learned about attending Hudson County Community College and the HCCC STEM programs.

After lunch, attendees enjoyed a Web 3.0 and Future Jobs of the Metaverse presentation by Latinos in STEM; learned about the Eastern Millwork, Inc. (EMI)-HCCC Holz Technik Apprenticeship and Internship program and how to apply; and discover the winners of the Student Display Contest.

The HCCC Girls in Technology program was made possible thanks to the generosity of program sponsors – Eastern Millwork, Inc., eMazzanti Technologies, and MAST Construction Services, Inc.

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