In his own words: I’m the Senior Vice President of Development Operations at Health and Wellness Partners (HWP), a global medical communications agency focused on strategy, science, and outcomes. I lead the technical development side of our work, helping to bring client-facing digital platforms and custom solutions to life. I started my career at Hybrid Healthcare Communications while I was still a student at Monmouth, and over the years moved up into leadership roles: first as VP in 2020, then SVP in 2023. That same year, HWP acquired Hybrid and our team officially became part of the larger agency.

What keeps me excited about this work is just how fast everything moves. We’re always adapting, solving new problems, and finding creative ways to meet client needs. No two days are the same. I’m constantly exploring new tools and technologies, and being an early adopter helps me stay ahead of the curve. It’s a space where curiosity, speed, and execution all matter. That combination keeps me sharp and energized.

My experience at Monmouth gave me a strong foundation, not only in technical skills but also in the soft skills that are essential for leadership and collaboration. I double majored in Software Engineering and Mathematics, which shaped the way I think and approach problems. Outside the classroom, I served as president of the IEEE/ACM student chapter, helped new School of Science students adapt to life at Monmouth as a peer mentor coordinator, and was an active member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, where I learned the value of brotherhood, responsibility, and community involvement. Those experiences helped me build leadership, teamwork, and communication skills that have been essential throughout my career.If I could go back, I’d challenge myself to take even more initiative. Jump into more side projects, collaborate outside my comfort zone, and get more comfortable with being uncomfortable. Monmouth opened a lot of doors for me, and the people and experiences I found there played a huge role in getting me to where I am today.

Four full-time faculty from the School of Science applied for and received promotion this year. Mathematics professor Torrey Gallagher was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. Azzam Elayan (Chemistry and Physics) and Emanuel Palsu-Andriescu (Mathematics) were each promoted to Senior Lecturer and Jeff Weisburg was promoted to Senior Specialist Professor. All four are well-deserved promotions recognizing their impact on the school and the students.

Monmouth University was awarded a grant for climate education through the Expanding Access to Climate Change and NJ Student Learning Through Climate Change Learning Collaborative Grant. This $300,000 award will fund professional development activities for NJ teachers and students. The Monmouth University CCLC aims to prepare NJ K-12 teachers to teach climate change in developmentally appropriate ways across all grade levels and subject areas. Monmouth Conservation Foundation, NJ Sea Grant Consortium, and the Urban Coast Institute will offer place-based curriculum and experiential learning opportunities while Monmouth University will offer professional development related to climate science, interdisciplinary instruction, and special interest topics related to climate change.

The Learning Collaborative is lead by Dr. Michelle Schpakow of the School of Education with Dr. Catherine Duckett of the School of Science and Dr. Peter Jacques of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences as Co-PI’s. The grant provides for a comprehensive program of professional development opportunities to teacher in NJ schools. The Climate Change Learning Collaborative website advertises these opportunities and has a repository of climate change teaching resources. The Climate Change Learning Collaborative also cooperates with partner school systems to deliver content at their schools and to host a symposium where teachers and students can showcase the learning and projects undertaken in the last year. A photo gallery of last year’s symposium is below. The grant runs through March 31, 2026. For more information and for video on the program see the Monmouth Climate Change Learning Collaborative website.

On May 15^th we celebrated the graduation of ninety-four undergraduates and thirteen masters students. Biology led with forty-two, Chemistry with twenty-nine, Mathematics with ten and Computer Science and Software Engineering graduated twenty-nine and five, respectively. Four students earned M.S. degrees in C.S. and three in S.E. We also graduated three students with Data Science M.S. degrees. We wish our graduates all the best in beginning their journey after Monmouth.  Congratulations to all!  A selection of photos of the ceremony is given below.

The School of Science Peer Mentor program has not only recruited a new cohort of students for the fall semester, see above, but a new faculty coordinator. Dr. Weihao Qu (below far left) from the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering has taken over the faculty direction of the program from Associate Dean Catherine Duckett, below far right. The program will continue to provide support to new and continuing students, professional development programing and an occasional social function.

The newly implemented Monmouth University Distinguished Scholar award celebrates and encourages sustained excellence in scholarship and research. This year, three university faculty were named as co-recipients who are each exemplary in their scholarship achievements. 

Dr. Jay Wang, Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering – Dr. Wang’s scholarly interests include artificial intelligence, software engineering, formal methods, discrete event systems, and service computing. In particular, Dr. Wang’s outstanding contributions to the field of artificial intelligence (AI) research has played a pivotal role in advancing AI applications to address real-world challenges, particularly in healthcare and emergency management.  His success in grant writing, and securing multiple IEEE grants for his AI research, are commendable.

Dr. Keith Dunton, Associate Professor in the Department of Biology – Dr. Dunton is a marine fisheries ecologist with over 15 years experience leading large acoustic telemetry projects focused on endangered Atlantic sturgeon and prohibited sharks to evaluate movements, migrations, and effects from anthropogenic factors. He is currently working on using eDNA as a tool to evaluate biodiversity of offshore fish communities. In the last five years, Dr. Dunton has received several monetary awards from diverse funding sources (federal, state, NGO) totaling over 8 million dollars, with additional grants under review.

Both Dr. Wang and Dr. Dunton successfully included students in their work, often leading to joint presentations and publications.

Dr. Hettie Williams, Associate Professor in History and Anthropology, in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, was the third recipient.

In her own words: I’m a biotech development consultant with a background that bridges biotech and finance. As an undergrad at Monmouth University, I spent four years researching harmful algal blooms under Dr. Jason Adolf. After earning my B.S. in Biology, I began consulting in pharmaceutical financing strategy and micro-cap IPO preparation for oncology biotech companies. Over time, I expanded into other sectors and industries; controlled environment agriculture, energy, security and defense, and environmental goods and services. ESG investing has been a priority throughout my career. While I gained valuable experience with financial institutions, I eventually shifted toward startups to pursue my passion for developing monetization pathways for climate-focused technologies. My work centers on translating science into compelling narratives for investors while ensuring compliance and connecting business with academia. I also support private investors by analyzing data through a scientific lens to guide decisions.

By coincidence, a client in my network was interested in seaweed aquaculture and climate-resilient infrastructure; a serendipitous intersection of my academic experience and professional niche. Without my research foundation, I wouldn’t have been able to step in and help move that business from concept to execution. That kind of work, diverse, meaningful, and self-directed, is what I find most rewarding. And yes, the travel and scuba diving in our quarry acquisitions are a big bonus.

Monmouth shaped who I am. My first-year seminar introduced me to climate science, and my research taught me how to communicate complex work, a crucial skill in investment settings where years of scientific discovery and innovation often comes down to a 15-minute pitch. My time at Cape Eleuthera Institute also strengthened my connections with the Ocean Research Education Foundation and other international collaborators I still value today.

To me, success is about finding happiness. I entered Monmouth as a pre-med student; a noble pursuit, but I felt disenchanted because I truthfully was not as passionate about that career objective as other students were. I wanted a career that made me feel like it was my purpose.  I was worried about financial stability too, but my professors helped me figure out what I was willing to work hard for. Once I leaned into my curiosity and found alignment with my path, the monetary rewards followed. In a sense, it was by accident that I cultivated my dream job. Every factor that led me towards it really traces back to Monmouth University. If I could do it all over again, I’d tell myself that fulfillment is the priority so I could savor that journey again.