Biomedical engineer Bertila Bruka, part of the STEM youth project

 From the left: Bertila Bruka, Lilya Eid and Jack Goldberg

 Designed to engage the next generation of research and innovation leaders in the broader STEM economy, the New Jersey Research and Development Council created the Governor's Scholarships for STEM Scholars, for select STEM high school and college students from across New Jersey.

The 2022-2023 cohort of 128 scholars includes three Stevens alumni, – biomedical engineer Bertila Bruka, 25th class; biological sciences major Lilya Eid, 26th class; and systems engineering doctoral candidate Jack Goldberg — who serve as research leaders, developing projects that advance the work of New Jersey's research community, official website reports.

Throughout the academic year, Bruka, Eid, and Goldberg will lead a team of high school researchers in the implementation of their projects and attend conferences to explore different aspects of New Jersey's STEM economy focusing on STEM in government, academia, and industry.

"It's an honor to be chosen to represent New Jersey as a STEM researcher and I feel valued and supported as an immigrant and woman in STEM," says Bruka, whose project "Non-Invasive Computer Interface Systems of (BCI) to Restore Neural Function,” will translate the subject's EEG data directly into robotic arm commands.

"Besides myocardial regeneration and stem cell repair, the brain-computer interface is an area I would like to explore further as I continue my academic career," says Bruka.

Guernator Scholarships for STEM Scholars is a public-private partnership between the New Jersey Research and Development Council, the Governor's Office, the New Jersey Department of Education, the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education, and public and private research institutions based in New Jersey.