Newark, NJ - The New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), an NJIT Corporation that applies the intellectual and technological resources of the state’s science and technology university to challenges identified by industry partners, has assembled an interdisciplinary team of NJIT students to create innovative ways to reduce fare evasion on NJ Transit’s Light Rail System.
Eight NJIT students are interning with NJII during the Spring 2015 semester with the goal of tapping into their imaginations and knowledge base to generate innovative ideas and develop concepts to reduce fare evasion that are potentially feasible and implementable. The students are enrolled in various degree programs including Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Digital Design. The students are being guided by John Carpinelli, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), and Edwin Hou, an associate professor in the ECE department. In addition, industry experts in facial recognition, transit station design, and project management are serving as resources to the students as they develop their ideas.
Colette Santasieri, director, strategic initiatives, civil infrastructure innovation, who is serving as NJII’s project manager commented, “This is an excellent opportunity for NJIT students to work on a real world project. It allows them to apply the knowledge gained within their own area of study, but also requires them to work with students of other disciplines. An interdisciplinary team structure gives the students a glimpse of how consulting engineering firms approach projects.”
The eight students are divided into two project teams. Kimberly Lam ‘16 manages one team, and Fabio Arias ‘17 manages the other. The six other student interns working on this project are:
“As a fan of public transportation and especially the Newark Light Rail with its rich history, I was delighted to see the opportunity that was presented to NJIT students. Through the internship, we worked in teams to brainstorm solutions, meet experts in the field, and really think about a problem that has no clear cut solution. This opportunity gave me a chance to lead us through the problem solving process and I hope that the solutions that we have made as eight diverse NJIT students, can make a difference,” said Lam, a member of NJIT’s Albert Dorman Honors College who is majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in applied mathematics.
“This has been a rewarding experience. Meeting with industry experts has given me insight into how prepared we have become for working with the practical technologies of today as well as looking into how to implement up and coming technologies. Working as a small team has also been great management skills experience as we learned to divide and conquer our tasks,” added Arias, also a member of the Honors College, student, who is majoring in digital design with a minor in entrepreneurship.
Colette Santasieri, director, strategic initiatives, civil infrastructure innovation, who is serving as NJII’s project manager commented, “This is an excellent opportunity for NJIT students to work on a real world project. It allows them to apply the knowledge gained within their own area of study, but also requires them to work with students of other disciplines. An interdisciplinary team structure gives the students a glimpse of how consulting engineering firms approach projects.”
The eight students are divided into two project teams. Kimberly Lam ‘16 manages one team, and Fabio Arias ‘17 manages the other. The six other student interns working on this project are:
- Walter Church IV ‘15
- Damilare Fenwa ‘15
- Romana Fnu ‘15
- Daniyal Ibrar ‘15
- Kevin Downey ‘16
- Ghislain Youdom ‘16
“As a fan of public transportation and especially the Newark Light Rail with its rich history, I was delighted to see the opportunity that was presented to NJIT students. Through the internship, we worked in teams to brainstorm solutions, meet experts in the field, and really think about a problem that has no clear cut solution. This opportunity gave me a chance to lead us through the problem solving process and I hope that the solutions that we have made as eight diverse NJIT students, can make a difference,” said Lam, a member of NJIT’s Albert Dorman Honors College who is majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in applied mathematics.
“This has been a rewarding experience. Meeting with industry experts has given me insight into how prepared we have become for working with the practical technologies of today as well as looking into how to implement up and coming technologies. Working as a small team has also been great management skills experience as we learned to divide and conquer our tasks,” added Arias, also a member of the Honors College, student, who is majoring in digital design with a minor in entrepreneurship.
