Eight Edison Students Chosen For NJ Governor’s STEM Scholars Program

EDISON, NJ – Eight students from Edison were chosen to participate in the 2023-24 class of the Governor's STEM Scholars (GSS) program.

The students were selected among nearly 1,000 applicants from across this state and represent some of the highest achieving students in New Jersey.

The chosen students are:

• Nishi Agrawal
• Kerat Bangar
• Sonal Lakhani
• Akhil Vemuri
• Yash Verma
• Reeti Rout
• Zashaan Tahaqqum Shaik
• Shreyaah Iyer

Agrawal is a junior at Edison Academy Magnet School and Bangar is a college sophomore at Middlesex College. Lakhani and Vemuri are seniors, Verma and Rout are sophomores, and Iyer are juniors at John P. Stevens High School. Shaik meanwhile is a junior at Edison High School.

“New Jersey’s long-tradition of innovation, from the invention of the lightbulb to the development of the first transistor, are powered by some of the best scientists, engineers and inventors in the world,” said Anthony Cicatiello, President of the Research & Development Council of New Jersey.

“Through the Governor’s STEM Scholars, we are able to support the next generation of innovators right here in the Garden State, ensuring a continued legacy of invention and discovery that will drive our economy into the future.”

GSS is a public-private partnership between the Research & Development Council of New Jersey, the Office of the Governor, the New Jersey Department of Education, the New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education, and public and private research institutions.

The program works to sustain and strengthen New Jersey’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) talent pipeline by introducing STEM students to the R&D and STEM ecosystem.

Through conferences, field trips, and research, STEM scholars are able to explore professional opportunities that can jumpstart their future careers.

The chosen students attend four conferences to explore the STEM sectors of industry, academia, and government. For the 2023-2024 programmatic year, these conferences will be held at Kean University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Princeton University, and Rutgers University.

“Through the Governor’s STEM Scholars, New Jersey STEM students are able to learn from and engage with some of the state’s top STEM and R&D professionals, enhancing the students’ knowledge and understanding of career opportunities and introducing them to the STEM economy in New Jersey,” said Alise Roderer, Director of the Governor’s STEM Scholars. “With this career knowledge and exposure, we are setting these high school and college students on a path to achieve excellence in jobs of the future.”

To qualify for GSS, applicants must have at least a 3.5 GPA, be a high school sophomore through doctorial-level student at a New Jersey-based high school or university, and demonstrate a strong passion for STEM.

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