The Mario M. Casabona Future Scientists Program encourages students to recognize the importance of oral communication skills and the ability to discuss the results of scholarship effectively with various audiences and at all levels. The Program motivates, trains and rewards students for the preparation and delivery of effective communication of scientific research to the general public and non-science professionals. Such presentation and communication skills provide students with the capacity to be distinctly competitive and successful in their subsequent educational and career paths. Students/Mentors will be selected from each department to compete.
On Wednesday, April 8, 2026 from 2:00 – 5:30 pm in CELS, teams of students selected by each of our departments will present five minute, five slide presentations judged by our panel of professionals for awards. Students are presenting their research in both a poster session and five-minute oral presentation.
Awards
| First Place | Second Place | Third Place | Best Mentor | Audience Favorite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2000 | $1500 | $1000 | $1500 | $500 |
Presenters
- Understanding the Iris
- Nathan Cruz, BS in Biology
- Mentored by James Campanella
- Mapping the Merger: Reliability in Multi-Messenger Follow-ups of Neutron Star Collisions
- Joseph David Quinn-Vitable, BS in Computer Science & Mark Miuccio, BS in Physics
- Mentored by Shaon Ghosh
- Effects of Chronic Paternal Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Exposure to Dietary PFOA on Offspring
- Shelby Zuromski, BS in Biology
- Mentored by Alexis Khursigara
- THE FUTURE IS NOW: Artificial Intelligence-Empowered Natural and Trustworthy Human-Robot Interaction
- Dania Aslam, BS in Computer Science & BS in Information Technology
- Mentored by Weitian Wang & Jesse Parron
- Faster Feature Selection with Theoretical Guarantees
- Ariel Balcacer, BS in Computer Science
- Mentored by Yanhui Zhu
- Abandoned Mines as Geothermal Energy Assets For New Jersey: A GIS Based Feasibility Assessment
- Ray Nunez Castaneda, BS in Geographic, Environmental and Urban Studies
- Mentored by Pankaj Lal
- The Secrets of Cellular Shipping: Molecular Rules of Cargo Sorting
- Matteo Guzman, BS in Biochemistry & BS in Molecular Biology
- Mentored by Eli Lee
Judges
Mr. Mario Casabona
Founder and Managing Partner
Casabona Ventures, LLC
CSAM Advisory Board Member
Mr. Mario M. Casabona is an entrepreneur and active angel investor. In 2012, he founded TechLaunch, committed to identifying and nurturing early stage tech ventures by mentoring, coaching, and providing access to resources and capital. To date, TechLaunch has supported over 200 tech companies and mentored over 350 aspiring entrepreneurs. In 2006, he founded Casabona Ventures, investing in over 50 seed and early stage companies. In 1982, he founded Electro-Radiation Inc., which was acquired by Honeywell International (Aerospace Group) in 2004. He received the Small Business Administration National Tibbett’s Award for his contributions in technology, and was listed as one of the top five most influential persons in New Jersey technology by The Star-Ledger. He was twice recognized by the New Jersey Technology Council, (now TechUnited:NJ) first as the recipient of their Financier of the Year Award and subsequently their Legend of Technology Award. He is Chairman Emeritus of Jumpstart NJ Angel Network and Chairman Emeritus of the R&D Council of New Jersey. He also enjoys serving on the Boards of various for-profit and non-for-profit organizations. Mr. Casabona is an electrical engineer and holds twelve national and international patents in the field of satellite-based navigation and communications.
Dr. Barbara Brummer
State Director, New Jersey
The Nature Conservancy
CSAM Advisory Board Member
Dr. Barbara Brummer is the State Director at The Nature Conservancy of New Jersey where she is the key leader of the Conservancy’s program in New Jersey. A longstanding member of the Conservancy, Dr. Brummer was hired as State Director in January 2004. Prior to joining the Conservancy, she had retired from a successful career in the private sector, spending the last twelve years as an executive with Johnson & Johnson. Among her positions at J&J, she served as President of J&J Canada Inc. and Worldwide Vice President of the Women’s Health and Wellness Franchise. Throughout her career Barbara has maintained a passionate interest in conservation. For many years, she taught a course in field biology at Montclair State University and has spent many hours seeking out natural areas and studying the flora of New Jersey. In addition to her longstanding membership in The Nature Conservancy, Barbara has also been active in other local conservation organizations, serving on the boards of the New Jersey Audubon Society, the Pocono Environmental Education Center and the Palisades Nature Association. Soon after joining The Nature Conservancy, she was appointed by the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to the Endangered and Non-Game Species Advisory Committee.
Mr. Edmond Cunningham
Founder and Principal
Cmaetron, LLC
Edmond is an experienced advisor, investor, and operator focused on startups at the intersection of technology and business, particularly in AI, blockchain, and e-learning. As Founder and Principal of Cmaetron LLC, Trustee of JumpStart New Jersey Angel Network, and COO of an early-stage startup, he supports ventures with both capital and strategic insight. With over 30 years of leadership experience in consulting, procurement, IT, and sourcing, Edmond has scaled businesses, optimized operations, and led enterprise-wide transformations that have generated millions in value and improved productivity. He has built a successful IT services consulting practice and led global initiatives in strategic sourcing, business design, IT service management, and sustainability, and is known for turning strategy into action through trusted partnerships, innovation, and lasting commercial impact.
Mr. Alan Wink
Advisor
Capital Markets
Alan Wink, Advisor–Capital Markets, supports clients in capital budgeting, structuring, and sourcing, bringing over 20 years of financial and consulting experience. He previously served as Director of the Interfunctional Management Consulting Program at Rutgers Graduate School of Management, helping build it into one of the nation’s largest business school-based consulting practices, and began his career in accounting with a Big 4 firm and a Fortune 500 company before transitioning into corporate finance. Alan has led approximately $2 billion in acquisition activity as Director of Financial Analysis at AmBase Corporation (NYSE) and served as Vice President of Capricorn Management, a private equity fund focused on restructuring and turnaround opportunities. A leader in his firm’s Technology Group, he advises technology and life sciences companies on strategic planning, financing, and operational benchmarking, working closely with early-stage and growth companies to develop effective capital structures while leveraging strong relationships with angel, venture capital, and private equity investors to align entrepreneurial and investor return goals.