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The new academic year started early for Raritan Valley Community College students Katie McLaren, Zahra Saeed, Hien Ngo, and Dean Ingram. The students are part of RVCC’s Authentic Engineering Experience program, which matches students with actual challenges from companies to develop their critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and project management skills.

The four students were tasked with their semester-long assignment at an August 23 kickoff meeting, hosted by researchers at ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company (EMRE) facility in Annandale. The facility—located 11 miles from the RVCC campus—sits on 800 acres and provides expert R&D support to all of ExxonMobil’s major business lines. It features 430 labs and 90 pilot plants and is one of company’s primary research hubs.

“We’re pleased to engage with our local community college, especially one with so strong a reputation and with such accomplished students eager to have an impact,” said Dr. Robert Lucchesi, Department Head, Research Operations at EMRE-Annandale. Joining Dr. Lucchesi for the student briefing were Jennifer Boes, Process Laboratory and Pilot Plant Supervisor; Nicholas Rollman, Laboratory Supervisor, Catalyst and Process Technology; Arun Sharma, Senior Research Associate; and Stefani Prigozhina, Advanced Researcher.

Under the supervision of RVCC Professor Peter Stupak, the student team will be developing an automated method for producing uniform catalyst particles as a necessary requirement for pilot plant experimentation.

“The students are thrilled by this opportunity and so grateful to the ExxonMobil team for providing this real-world challenge, one that is practical and can impact a laboratory process at so prestigious a corporation,” said Professor Stupak.

Ranked by BestColleges.com, WalletHub.com, and Niche.com as the #1 community college in New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 50 years. The College has been nationally recognized for its service to the community, environmental stewardship, and commitment to diversity. It is home to a Planetarium, Science Education Institute and 3M Observatory; a 1,000-seat Theatre offering professional performances for all ages; and an Honors College for high achieving students.

The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, small business assistance through the Small Business Development Center, professional development, and adult and youth personal enrichment courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 5, 2019

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #18