Avenel Middle School students become chemists for a day

• TCNJ Business Institute%3A A five week summer intensive for non-business majors.
• Fords and Iselin Middle School go to Rutgers.
• Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra Choir Auditions.
• 300 hear praise for vocational education at MCVTS advisory committee.

Students from Avenel Middle School qualified to participate in the Chemical Education Foundation's (CEF) You Be The Chemist(YBTC) Middlesex County local Challenge.

The YBTC Challenge is an interactive academic competition that engages students in grades 5 through 8 in learning with their peers about important chemistry concepts, scientific discoveries and laboratory safety. The top 10 students from the March 27 local challenge were chosen to participate in the state competition based on their scores on a qualifying exam developed by the CEF. Winners of that event, conducted in April, are advancing to the state level national competition being conducted in Philadelphia in June.

ThecChallenge was brought to Middlesex County by scientists from the Iselin-based BASFss Catalyst Division's R&D site; the scientists are members of the company's African American Employee Group. This is Middlesex County's first time participating in the competition, joining 13 other company sites in North America in this annual event.

BASF has been creating chemistry for 150 years. The company's portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. The company seeks to encapsulate it contribution to the community through its corporate purpose: "We create chemistry for a sustainable future."

Fayetteville State University

Jiaqi Bao of Edison was named to the spring and fall chancellor's list at Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Students must achieve an average of 3.75 or higher and no incompletes.

Fords and Iselin Middle Schools go to Rutgers

Fords Middle School and Iselin Middle School students partnered with Rutgers University's Engineering Honor Society, Tau Beta Pi, on April 18 to offer 24 students an afternoon of building balloon-powered cars and learning about the role force and friction can play in the understanding of Sir Isaac Newton's three laws.

This is the second time these two middle schools have partnered up for this event. In October of this school year the schools worked with Tau Beta Pi to create water propelled rockets. Teachers Lisa Lubarsky and Richard Dosch have collaborated on this effort so that students of different grade levels can work collaboratively with peers within the district.

Dosch, Lubarsky, and Tau Beta Pi outreach coordinator Ian Reucroft established a team building event that would allow the middle school students to work with college juniors and seniors on the science behind motion.

"Many of the students at Fords Middle school are being introduced to the field of engineering for the first time, so in an effort to illustrate how Science and Math can be both engaging and enjoyable Tau Beta Pi helped coordinate this wonderful experience for them," Dosch said.

This is the fourth school year Tau Beta Pi has worked with Woodbridge Township students. The honor society's MindSET program has helped students understand the rules of propulsion with in both rocketry and cars, the stability factors of bridge design, how to create an Archimedes pump that moves water against gravity, and the amazing feat of how DNA may be extracted from an everyday item such as a strawberry.

Tau Beta Pi established MindSET with the objective of partnering with local schools to create and establish programs to assist students in making the connection between engineering and the world around them. Students who are exposed to the joys of math and science may pursue careers in the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Through a collaborative effort, both Fords and Iselin Middle School's engineering programs are dedicated to providing its members with experiences that are enjoyable, educational, and engaging. Assistant Superintendent John Bader and Principals James Parry and Kelly Cilento have supported this collaborative endeavor as an opportunity for the students of Woodbridge Township.

Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra Choir Auditions

The Greater Princeton Youth Choir is conducting auditions this month for its 2015-2016 season. There are openings for all voice parts at this time. The choir is open to every level and grade of player from seventh to 12t hgrade. Rehearsals are conducted at Montgomery High School's state-of-the-art facilities. Visit www.gpyo.org for more information and to register for an audition. Information can also be obtained by Choir Manager, Julianna LoBiondo, at choir.gpyo@gmail.com.

Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra has provided educational programs and pre-professional performance opportunities for talented students in our community for 50 years. Thousands of gifted young musicians from New Jersey and Pennsylvania have been members of this organization. They hone their skills as performers, learn to work with others in pursuing common goals, and enrich local communities through public performances of instrumental music.

Immaculate Conception School Art Exhibit and Open House

Turn a corner in the halls of Immaculate Conception School in Spotswood, and you may just run into a "Green-Eyed Monster!"

This is one of the many amazing projects on display for the Friday, May 15, art exhibit entitled "Green Explorations." From 7 to 9:30 p.m., guests will see a variety of two- and three-dimensional work created by students in K-8.

This year's "green theme" afforded students the opportunity to utilize many of the connotations of the word green in their art. In addition to the art display, the school will have a mini indoor flea market, workshops, face painting, door prizes, and an eighth-grade retrospective. Guests are invited to dress "green" to express any of the different meanings of the word, but this is not required.

The event at the school on Manalapan Road also will be open to the public as part of the school's Pre-K-7 Open House. For more information about the art show or the school, call the main office at 732-251-3090.

Kean University

Max Friedman of Colonia has been named Kean University's Student Researcher of the Year and was during Research Days on April 28 and 29 at the Union-based university.

Friedman became the published author, lead illustrator, and designer of three books on design – two of which are currently on the shelves and in classrooms. He researched, conceptualized, illustrated, and designed the textbook series, according to a school news release.

As part of Research Days events, Friedman presented "Design Fundamentals: An Innovative Approach to Learning from Textbooks" at Kean University's STEM building. The event showcases the work of students and faculty from all disciplines.

In October of 2013, Friedman began work on the Design Fundamentals series with his professor and mentor Rose Gonella, executive director, Robert Busch School of Design (RBSD). The two went went on to complete "Design Fundamentals: Notes on Visual Elements and Principles of Composition" with Kean alumnus Christopher Navetta, as well as "Design Fundamentals: Notes on Color Theory." Gonnella and Friedman are now working on their third book for Pearson's Peach Pit division, "Design Fundamentals Notes on Type."

"The Robert Busch School of Design at Kean University is the courier between the student and greatness," Friedman said in a prepared statement. "The school truly allows its students to harness their talents, develop their skills and discover their true passion.'

As an undergraduate Friedman worked with a top Manhattan advertising agency, KBS+, for three months designing projects for American Express and BMW. He also interned with RBSD's in-house design studio, earning professional level awards for his designs.

"There have been many students who have excelled on extracurricular projects," Gonnella said. "However, Max far exceeded my expectations when he surged forward with our research and proposal to Peach Pit. I credit Max's vision with our success in landing the book series contract."

Friedman is also a member of a student team that collaborated with the Enough Project on a Human Rights campaign in the Congo. The team designed "Look Who's Getting Engaged," a global advertising campaign urging jewelry companies and consumers to shun conflict minerals in favor of ethically sourced gold and gemstones. Friedman and his teammates were recently recognized for their humanitarian efforts at Kean's annual Human Rights Conference.

More than 300 Kean University students, mentored by 77 Kean faculty members, presented research and creative projects at Research Days. High school student from Edison High and Hillside High School attended and participated in a day of scholarly exploration focused on STEM studies and history. Learn more at: http://orsp.kean.edu/ResearchDay_2015.html.

Lebanon Valley College

Laura Calderone of Monmouth Junction was inducted to Kappa Delta Pi honor society at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania.

Linden

On April 17, 166 students at McManus Middle School in Linden participated in the National Day of Silence, which was founded in 1996 and has become the largest single student-led action towards creating safer schools for all.

Participating students pledged to take a vow of silence during the entire school day to bring attention to anti-GLBT name calling, bullying and harassment in schools

Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools

A distinguished graduate and the CEO of a manufacturing company praised vocational education at the annual Advisory Committee Appreciation Dinner of the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools.

Judiann Chartier, headquarters counsel of the Communications Workers of America in Washington, D.C., and a 1983 graduate of East Brunswick Vo-Tech, urged 300 guests on the MCVTS Piscataway Campus, to support vocational education, citing the success of her family — four of her brothers, her sister, a cousin and her niece also graduated from MCVTS schools.

"As my family demonstrates, it works and it works very well," she said.

Andrew Campbell, CEO of the Jersey City-based Eastern Millwork, which manufactures building components, said Americans have been slow to recognize the nation's potential to grow as a manufacturing center.

"The U.S. manufacturing sector is larger than the economy of India," he said. "Americans make a lot of things."

But Campbell said the American education system needs to "realign" to provide the "human capital" needed to fill today's high-tech manufacturing jobs.

"I can't take contracts because I can't find the workforce," he said.

Campbell is part of an initiative to launch an advanced manufacturing career major next fall on the MCVTS East Brunswick Campus. The committee he serves on was one of 28 advisory committees that met following the dinner.

Brian J. Loughlin, superintendent of schools, said the advice of the business, industry and labor representatives on the committees is needed to keep MCVTS programs and curriculum current with the needs of employers. Recounting the 100-year history of the district, he said MCVTS accepts the challenge of changing with the times with the help of the advisory committees.

"We're not the same vocational schools we were 100 years ago," Loughlin said. "And we are not the same vocational schools we will be five years from now."

Sean McDonald, MCVTS director of career and technical education, said the "close collaboration" of the committees is "critical" to the success of the district's students.

The guest list also included parents and students in honor of the district's centennial. Posters and a display of memorabilia told the story of the district from 1914 to the present.

Scott Decker of South Plainfield, a 1981 graduate of Piscataway Vo-Tech, said he has been employed as a diesel mechanic steadily since he left school.

"They hired me before I even graduated," he said. "This school gave me the first inkling of what I wanted to do. A lot of companies want these kids."

His son Gene is now a junior in the auto collision program in Piscataway.

The Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, the first full-time county vocational school district in the nation, has seven schools on five campuses, in East Brunswick, Edison, Piscataway, Perth Amboy and Woodbridge.

NJM Awards Grant to NJAC Foundation

NJM awarded the NJAC Foundation a grant of $5,250 for county vocational-technical school graduates who plan on continuing their education at home in New Jersey at a county college or State college or university.

"I'm grateful that NJM Insurance Co. and the NJAC Foundation have once again partnered on this important and timely initiative to provide county vocational-technical school graduates with valuable scholarships that will help them and their families meet the ever increasing financial demands of pursuing an education," said NJAC Foundation President Donald De Leo in a prepared statement.

The NJAC Foundation plans to distribute one $1,750 scholarship in each county where NJM maintains a corporate office, which includes Atlantic, Mercer, and Morris counties. NJM/New Jersey Manufacturers began in 1913; today, the company is a provider of personal and commercial auto insurance, and homeowners and workers' compensation coverage in New Jersey.

"We commend NJM for its continued commitment and generosity to the communities in which it serves, and look forward to working with our county vocational-technical schools in identifying hard working students dedicated to advancing their education at home in New Jersey," De Leo said.

The NJAC Foundation is a non-profit organization affiliated with the New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC) and is committed to providing innovative educational opportunities for county vocational-technical school and county college students. Visit www.njac.org for additional details.

Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations

Four students from Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations (SMLR)' master of human resource management (MHRM) earned a second place at The Ohio State University Human Resource Invitational Case Competition conducted at the Fisher College of Business from Feb. 19 to 21. The Rutgers team — one of only two winning teams — faced four competing teams which included Cornell University, Illinois State University, University of Minnesota, and The Ohio State University.

Throughout the event, each team was tasked with analyzing and proposing solutions to a business problem introduced by PepsiCo. The case centered on increasing employees' and executives' participation and engagement via a recently launched corporate-wide recognition program. The Rutgers team, which was comprised of winning members of The School of Management and Labor Relations' Jim Chelius HR Case Competition, spent weeks preparing for the national competition. The culmination of their work included the presentation to the PepsiCo executives in Ohio.

"The case competition taught me about the expectations of business leaders and gave me insight into actual HR problems that these execs have to solve," said Jonathan Liu, a Knoxville, Tennessee, resident and Rutgers team member, who won an additional award for best presenter.

In addition to Liu, team members included Zhonghao Zhang of Tongling City, Anhui Province of Chin;, AdnanMustafa of Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Kristina Scutari of Mountainside. All MHRM students are scheduled to graduate from Rutgers this spring.

"Our HR team worked hard and has been participating in our internal case competitions over the past three years. They were prepared and handled tough questions with great skill and confidence," said Professor David Ferio, director of the master of human resource management program. "The PepsiCo HR executives took notice of this and credited our 'simple but powerful content and true executive-style presentation skills,' and even reinforced that they will immediately use our team's recommendations. I am truly proud of their performance."

Mustafa believes that the competition provided an ideal opportunity for exposure to a large corporation like PepsiCo as well as to be among students from other top HR programs in the country. Zhang noted that while the team was under this pressure, the group maintained a solid state of mind throughout the event.

"Under those 24 hours of pressure, we never lost our focus and continued to trust each other. And of course, Professor Ferio has always been a strong support. This competition is definitely something I will never forget," Zhang added.

Each year, Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations organizes the Jim Chelius Case Competition to allow Rutgers HR students to gain in-depth experience in handling industry-related challenges. The event is typically sponsored by a corporation and leads to an onsite presentation to the sponsoring company's executives. Students are provided feedback from experts within the HR field, as they practice their public speaking and analytical skills. All students within Rutgers SMLR's HR program receive an award for participating in the competition. In addition to the professional development, the Chelius case event is advantageous for students planning on competing in national competitions, including The Ohio State University HR Invitational.

"The case competition was challenging, yet fun. It allowed us to apply all of the knowledge and skills we have learned over the past two years," Scutari said. "At the end of the day, we gained valuable insight from PepsiCo that will definitely help in our career as HR professionals."

Rutgers University

Samantha Winter, a PhD. student in the School of Social Work at Rutgers University, New Brunswick is one of 85 doctoral students nationwide selected to receive a $15,000 Scholar Award from the P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Sisterhood. Chapter AK of East Brunswick sponsored Winter for this scholar award.

She is currently working on her dissertation proposal, "Identifying factors that affect women's sanitation practices in informal settlements in Nairobi." She is also a research assistant at the Center on Violence Against Women and Children, at Rutgers University, New Brunswick campus. Winter co-teaches research methods to participatory action research undergraduate female students at Rutgers, through the Rutgers University of Botswana Interdisciplinary Working Group Grant.

The P.E.O. Scholar Awards (PSA) was established in 1991 to provide substantial merit-based awards for women of the United States and Canada who are pursuing a doctoral level degree at an accredited college or university.

The P.E..O. Sisterhood, founded in 1869, at Iowa Wesleyan College, Mount Pleasant, Iowa, is a philanthropic educational organization whose primary mission is bringing increased opportunities for higher education to women. There are approximately 6,000 local chapters in the United States and Canada with nearly a quarter of a million active members.

South River public schools

The South River School District's Art Show will be conducted from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, in the Middle School Cafetorium. All community members are invited to come out and see the work of talented young artists.

The College of New Jersey

The College of New Jersey will host the TCNJ Business Institute, a five-week summer intensive for non-business majors from Monday, June 29 to Thursday, July 30 on campus.

The 23-day institute gives non-business majors the opportunity to learn valuable skills from faculty at New Jersey's top undergraduate business school. The goal of the program is to help students in non-business majors better position themselves for careers in organizational settings of any kind. Each week focuses on a different theme that will give participants a holistic overview of essential business skills.

The institute offers academic-credit and non-credit options. Students can earn up to eight credits by successfully completing the institute. Fees include all instruction and materials, guest speakers and a site visit, skill-building workshops in Excel, presentation, résumé writing, and interviewing, and lunch and two snack-breaks each day. Housing is not included in the fee, but on-campus options are available.

Visit http://businessinstitute.tcnj.edu/ for the full details on the program, including curriculum, course specifics, and program fees.

Union Catholic High School

Nancy Richardson Saggio, Union Catholic High School faculty member and head volleyball coach, will host a Special Needs Teen Night at Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 15. The event is co-hosted by the C.R.A.Y.O.N Club (Community Raising Autism Yielding Opportunity Now).

Any child aged 12 to 17 with special needs is welcome at this event, which will be run by the school's C.R.A.Y.O.N Club and its co-moderators, Nancy Saggio and Cheryl Rossi, fellow high school faculty member. The night will include music, dancing, face painting, games, arts & crafts, snacks, water and juice.

The May 15 event is the second of its kind to be hosted at Union Catholic. It is designed to give hildren with special needs the chance to socialize with regularly-abled children, and also gives Union Catholic students the opportunity to gain a better understanding for children with special needs. The C.R.A.Y.O.N Club at Union Catholic was formed this year to raise autism awareness. Aside from Special Needs Teen Night, the club runs bake sales and other events to raise money to donate to Autism Speaks and other autism organizations.

A mother of four, including a daughter Sammy, who is autistic, Saggio recognizes the value of these types of social events, both for children with special needs and for their parents, who enjoy a respite night, according to a school news release.

Contact Saggio at nsaggio@unioncatholic.org for a registration form.

Student and School news appears Fridays. Email: hntmetro@mycentraljersey.com