The SCHOLAR Certificate – which stands for Stewardship, Community History and Opportunities for Leadership and Academic Readiness – is a 10-11 credit certificate program that gives students structured, hands-on experience aimed at building professional skills and strengthening local partnerships. It is now required for all incoming Bloomfield College students, with transfer students able to opt in.

By asking students to do rigorous, research‑based work about communities they know best, the certificate is designed to build academic confidence and stronger writing and critical thinking skills from the very first semester. This foundation enables them to complete community‑engaged projects embedded in SCHOLAR‑designated courses throughout the curriculum.

The initiative reflects Bloomfield’s mission as a Predominantly Black and Hispanic‑Serving Institution, helping students connect their coursework with the histories, identities, neighborhoods and organizations that shape their lives.

What ‘Community Co‑Design’ Means

At the heart of the certificate is “community co-design,” the concept faculty developed to guide SCHOLAR courses, says Nora McCook, Cyrus H. Holley Professor in Applied Ethics and Associate Professor of Writing. McCook, whose background is in critical literacy studies and community engagement, sees it as a way to make learning deeply personal and genuinely collaborative.

“If students care about what they’re doing, if they recognize that this is about them, but also about them giving back, it really is powerful to set that tone, right at the beginning of a college career,” McCook says.

The certificate builds on three core elements:��

1. Reflection and self-awareness
2. Reciprocity and exchange
3. Culture and history

The first two come from long-established community engagement traditions. The third – culture and history – is the distinctive piece Bloomfield adds in terms of community engagement, scholarship and practice.

The first course to carry the SCHOLAR designation was Writing 105, Bloomfield’s first-year writing course, which McCook and First-Year Writing Director Freddie Harris piloted last summer. They shifted the curriculum so that students completed a multi-part autoethnographic project centered on a community they belong to.

Odyeli Ramos Tobar drew on her love of pupusas to explore the connections between culture, cuisine and community.

Odyeli’s Story: Culture, Cuisine and Community

Odyeli Ramos Tobar was part of the first group of students to undertake the project. A first-generation college student from West Orange, New Jersey, she chose Bloomfield for its Nursing program and small size, and found her first writing assignment unexpectedly meaningful.

Odyeli chose the Hispanic community she grew up in, but decided to focus even more specifically on pupusas, the traditional Salvadoran dish that connects her to her home and its indigenous history. She researched how pupusas are made, where the best ones are found, and the centuries-old traditions and rituals around them.

“I was really excited about my research because I grew up with pupusas,” she says of her childhood in El Salvador. “It was a tradition for me to buy it every weekend.”

For her, that made the writing feel different from a typical assignment. “You’re not doing it because someone told you to, it’s because it comes from you.” That sense of ownership, her professors note, is exactly what helps students push their writing, research and analysis to a higher level.

Growing a SCHOLAR Campus

For faculty, the pilot confirmed they had tapped into something powerful. McCook believes that in an era of AI, it matters that students see the work as both personal and communal, because that investment helps them do more authentic, deeper academic work.

As the model developed, Bloomfield’s leadership saw that it expressed something essential about the college. Today, Writing 105 serves as the first required SCHOLAR course for incoming students, and Bloomfield is expanding SCHOLAR electives so students can complete the certificate on top of their degree.

Faculty across disciplines have stepped forward to adapt courses. Planned SCHOLAR courses include Introduction to Informatics, a section of Intro to Game Design, a Theater in Practice course that recently culminated in a public monologue performance on the steps of Talbott Hall, Becoming a Changemaker – Intro to Social Innovation, Advocacy in Action, and special topics courses in Writing and Africana Studies. A community garden course with Newark-based nonprofit STEAM Urban is also continuing as a SCHOLAR course.

In Nursing, Foundations of Nursing and Community Nursing will both be SCHOLAR courses, giving transfer students to that program a path to complete the certificate with just one additional class.��

“Community-building is multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary, but it’s also about heart, ethics and practical skills students can carry into their careers,” McCook says.

Ready to Start Your College Journey?

Since Bloomfield College officially became Bloomfield College of Ģ����Ƶ, students have gained expanded academic options, more student life activities and access to Ģ����Ƶ’s resources while still keeping their home base on a smaller campus.

Learn more about��

“We have a robust offering compared to most of our competitors, and we offer lots of different times, days and modalities,” says Summer, Winter and Early College Programs Director Kirsten Tripodi.

There’s Still Time to Register

You decide how much of your summer you want to spend studying. These Summer Sessions are still available but don’t delay as the classes start soon:

• June 15 – July 14 (4-week session)
• ��July 1 – August 19 (7-week session)
• ��July 20 – August 4 (4-week session)

Whether you want to brush up on or, as our course catalog shows, we have you covered.

If you’re not sure what to take, Tripodi advises: “Check with your advisor to make sure it’s the right class to take.” She also suggests that students check with Red Hawk Central to see if financial aid is available.

5 Strategic Benefits for Currently Enrolled Students

If you need more good reasons to take a Summer Sessions course, here are five:

1. Core Courses��– Check that prerequisite off your list so you can take that class you’re excited about next semester.
2. ��Boost Your Resume��– Expanding your skills in a particular area or learning new ones can help with your career goals.
3. Learn a New Language��– Speaking more than one language is always a plus, especially if you want to travel or work in other countries.
4. More Attention��– Smaller class sizes during summer means you can get more individualized attention and get to better know your classmates and professors.
5. Love of Learning – If you consider yourself a lifelong learner, there’s no time like the present to learn something new.

Ready to plan your summer?

Log into and register today.

Still have questions about Summer Sessions?��We’re here to help. Reach out to summer@montclair.edu.

The statewide annual event featured New Jersey Commissioner of Education Lily Laux and the State Teacher of the Year Gillian Ober, who delivered the keynote address. The recognition highlights these new teachers’ commitment even at a time when the profession faces many challenges.

Ģ����Ƶ’s three student interns were selected from around 300 eligible students and more than 70 nominees, according to Professor of Teaching and Learning Minsun Shin and CEEL’s Clinical Year Placement Specialist P12 Nathan Cottrell, who oversee Ģ����Ƶ’s selection process. While many student teachers were deserving, the final three were chosen based on a state scoring rubric, says Shin, adding, “Our interns are thoughtful, dedicated, well prepared and deeply committed to the profession.”

The nomination process includes evaluations by cooperating teachers who work alongside them on a daily basis and letters of recommendation from university mentors and professors. Nominees also must submit an essay describing “a significant challenge during their full-time clinical practice and the sound steps that they take to resolve this challenge and reflect on it, and how the situation influenced their professional growth,” says Cottrell ’22 MA, Higher Education.

Positive Outcomes in Teacher Preparation

Ģ����Ƶ, originally established as the New Jersey State Normal School at Ģ����Ƶ in 1908, effectively prepares teachers for the profession. According to the most recent available outcome data (2024–2025) from the New Jersey Department of Education, Ģ����Ƶ’s initial teacher certification graduates:

• Are highly employable – 87% of graduates successfully secured positions in New Jersey public schools by the following school year after program completion
• Earn high academic standing – GPAs average between 3.68 and 3.9 and consistently meet or outperform statewide averages on most of their Praxis II subject exams
• Are prepared to enter classrooms – 97% received “Highly Effective” or “Effective” on Teacher Practice Scores
• Positively impact learning – 99% of Ģ����Ƶ’s new teachers received overall summative effectiveness scores of “Effective” or “Highly Effective”

If Ģ����Ƶ’s awardees are any indication, New Jersey children are in the hands of caring professionals who want to make a difference in and outside the classroom. Learn more about these future star teachers:

A Coincidental Reconnection: Maddie Heinold

Heinold chose Ģ����Ƶ for its proximity to her family home and her desire to work and save money. As a Family Science and Human Development major, Heinold worked at a daycare facility and later as a substitute teacher. She entered Ģ����Ƶ’s 4+1 combined BA/MAT program and earned dual certifications in elementary education (K-6) and teacher of students with disabilities.

Heinold’s passion for teaching resulted from a loss. When she learned that the 19-month-old Michael John “MJ” McFalls, whom she used to babysit died unexpectedly of an undiagnosed heart condition, she came to a profound conclusion.

“I’d never lost somebody close in my life,” she says. “But in the short time I had with him, I realized kids make an impact in my life in so many ways, and he’s a huge part of my why – why I want to become a teacher. I want to provide children a good education and academics but meet their needs socially and emotionally as well.”

Heinold lost touch with the McFalls when the family moved. But she and MJ’s mother, Heather McFalls, reconnected via social media as Heinold was starting her college career at Ģ����Ƶ, also McFall’s alma mater. Heinold shared with McFalls that she’d written her college essay about MJ’s impact on her life and her decision to pursue teaching.

McFalls ’06 (BA, Family and Child Studies) recalls how Heinold brightened her son’s days: “I remember the light she brought to his life and how happy he would be when she would walk through the door. It’s nice to look back and to think of that in his short life – how happy they made each other.”

She believes MJ has brought them together again because unbeknownst to either of them, Heinold will be teaching at the same school where McFalls teaches preschoolers in Bloomingdale, New Jersey, beginning this fall. “I’m excited to work in the same building with her,” says Heinold.

McFalls says: “I’m so proud of her, and I know she’s going to be such a great asset to our school district for those little kids.”

A Reciprocal Lesson: Juliana Di Cosmo

As a student teacher assigned to the Kearny School District, Juliana Di Cosmo received a homework assignment from a student, allowing her to build a connection. The student, who was social but disengaged from the biology content she was teaching, tasked her with learning “Wheels on the Bus” in Spanish, which he’d handwritten for her. She earned an A the following day when he quizzed her.

“The impact was immediate,” Di Cosmo wrote in her essay. “That small interaction demonstrated that I valued his culture and was willing to meet him where he was. He became more engaged during instruction and began attending after-school tutoring.”

Di Cosmo says she’s honored to be recognized for doing what she loves. “It really just solidifies that I picked the right path,” says Di Cosmo, who has accepted a job teaching 6^th and 7^th grade science in Woodbridge Township.

Creating a Safe Classroom: Lydia Brubaker

Although she was studying anthropology at Muhlenberg College, Lydia Brubaker spent her summers in New Jersey working at a preschool. Just before her senior year, she realized it was something she wanted to continue. “I found that I really enjoyed teaching and being with the children,” she says. “It was too late to change my major, so I applied for grad school.” She chose Ģ����Ƶ’s program because it “allowed me to come in having no background in teaching and still graduate in two years with my certificate to teach, and my master’s.” While earning her master’s, Brubaker worked as a teaching assistant and special education teaching assistant at Ģ����Ƶ’s Ben Samuels Children’s Center.

She soon discovered that making students feel safe in her classroom and adjusting to meet their needs was paramount to effective instruction. A student with selective mutism prompted Brubaker to choose it as a research topic and incorporate her learnings into teaching the child. “I wanted all of my students to be able to participate and feel safe in the classroom, and I could tell that he was having a harder time with that, so I wanted to figure out what I could do to help him,” she says. She deliberately incorporated nonverbal check-ins, alternative participation options and paired him with a buddy, whom she’d notice him whispering to at lunchtime.

“He really grew so much over the year. He started responding in one sentence answers,” she says. “The most rewarding thing for me was the relationships that I was able to form with him and all the other students, seeing how much they want to learn and enjoy being at school.”

She adds that by learning about selective mutism and adapting her teaching: “I was able to support my student while also strengthening my ability to differentiate instruction, create an inclusive classroom environment, and provide multiple pathways for student expression. Moving forward, I intend to continue building on these practices to ensure all my students feel safe, supported and able to participate.”

Ready to make a difference in the lives of students?

Learn more about our many education programs and apply today!

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In her new position, she will play a pivotal role in aligning the University’s enrollment goals with its mission to advance access, academic excellence and public impact. She will also lead the development and execution of a comprehensive, data-informed strategic enrollment plan that
aligns with institutional goals and academic priorities while establishing short-and-long-term enrollment objectives across Ģ����Ƶ’s 13 colleges and schools and all academic levels.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Roman to Ģ����Ƶ,” says Interim Provost Fatma Mili. “Her commitment to broadening opportunities for students to pursue higher education makes her someone who embodies the institution’s mission. We look forward to welcoming someone with her passion for student success to our community.”

Roman has led innovative, data-informed enrollment strategies focused on expanding access and opportunities for students at institutions including Rutgers University-Camden, the University of Cincinnati and most recently the University of Delaware. She has implemented systems across admissions, one stop, and financial aid, contributing to the shift to automated and streamlined processes and making the admissions experience smoother for students.

Her work has taken her all over the world to work with government officials to reimagine educational systems, including working with local governments on enrollment strategy through a USAID grant in Paraguay and Puerto Rico.

“I am incredibly honored to join Ģ����Ƶ at such an exciting moment in the university’s trajectory,” says Roman. “Ģ����Ƶ’s commitment to access and student success feels personal and aligns with who I am at my core. I am excited to help shape the future of the University and create opportunities for New Jersey residents and beyond.”

Roman holds a PhD in Public Affairs-Community Development and a master’s degree in Community Development from Rutgers University-Camden, and an MBA in Management from SUNY-Oswego.

Thompson will serve as the lead academic and administrative officer for the College, which offers a diverse portfolio of rigorous programs in disciplines including Psychology, English, Political Science and Law, History, Philosophy and Global Cultural Studies.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Thompson to Ģ����Ƶ,” says Interim Provost Fatma Mili. “She comes to us with an impressive track record of transformational and collaborative leadership. She approaches each context with passion and intellectual inquisitiveness. I look forward to working with her as she leads the College and solidifies its standing and impact in the University and the community.”

Thompson joins Ģ����Ƶ after serving as the Director of the School of Teacher Education and Mack and Effie Campbell Distinguished Professor at Florida State University. In her role, she was responsible for all aspects of the school, including overseeing more than 200 faculty, staff instructors, graduate students and other employees and managing $17 million in endowed and non-endowed foundation funds.

Previously, she held three different leadership roles at West Virginia University in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences: Inaugural Director of International Relations and Strategic Planning of the college, Founding Co-Director of the English Language Learning Institute and Chair of the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Linguistics. She has recently received the Modern Language Association (MLA), Association of Language Departments (ALD) Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession.

A prolific scholar in applied linguistics with more than 55 peer-reviewed publications, books, and a number of national and international invited lectures and workshops, Thompson’s research focuses on multilingualism, language learning, linguistic racism/native-speakerism, women in higher education and higher education leadership.

“I was drawn to Ģ����Ƶ and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences because of the clear dedication to promoting student success in practical and innovative ways,” says Thompson. “I was extraordinarily impressed by the faculty, staff, students and leadership during my visit to campus, and I cannot wait to see what we will be able to achieve together.”

Thompson holds a PhD in Second Language Studies and a master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Michigan State University.

For more information about the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Ģ����Ƶ, visit .

In the role, he will oversee all core global units and services at Ģ����Ƶ, develop and execute the University’s international plan and business model, expand and steward high-impact international partnerships and ensure compliance, risk management, and fiscal stewardship for international activities.

“Takeo Suzuki brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to broadening access to life-changing global educational opportunities for our students,” says Ģ����Ƶ Interim Provost Fatma Mili. “We are excited to welcome him to the Ģ����Ƶ community and work with him to expand and magnify Ģ����Ƶ’s international initiatives.”

Suzuki previously served as the inaugural Senior International Officer and Executive Director of the Center for Global Education at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and was a member of the Provost’s leadership team. Since 2015, he led the university’s global engagement efforts, integrating international student and scholar services, study abroad, ESL programs, international research, and global risk management. He also served as the university’s Principal Designated School Official and Responsible Officer, overseeing federal compliance.

His research focuses on the lived experiences of individuals using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach. His recent work, featured in the Institute of International Education magazine, explores how Japanese anime and manga can serve as a lens for understanding soft diplomacy and developing intercultural competency. Originally from Kobe, Japan, he came to the United States as a J-1 exchange visitor and is now a U.S. citizen. His work is grounded in a deep commitment to expanding access, fostering belonging, and preparing students to lead in a globally connected world.

“Joining Ģ����Ƶ is both a tremendous honor and an exciting new chapter for my family and me,” says Suzuki. “Ģ����Ƶ stands out as a university with extraordinary momentum, incredible diversity, and a clear commitment to preparing students to thrive in a globally connected world, and I am genuinely excited to become part of the Ģ����Ƶ community.

“As someone whose own life was transformed through international education, I cannot wait to work alongside Ģ����Ƶ’s students, faculty, and staff to expand opportunities for global learning, collaboration, and deeper human connection. I look forward to building a campus culture where curiosity, empathy, and intercultural understanding become part of everyday life.”

Suzuki holds a doctoral degree in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University and a master’s degree in Global E-Learning from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

This designation places Ģ����Ƶ among institutions nationwide that demonstrate a sustained commitment to serving the military community. As an R2 research institution with a Friendly status, the University was evaluated on key measures including student support, academic outcomes, retention and career readiness for military-affiliated learners.

This recognition reflects Ģ����Ƶ’s ongoing commitment to helping military-connected students and families succeed through flexible learning opportunities, dedicated resources and a student-centered approach designed to support long-term academic and career achievement.

“Military-connected students and families bring exceptional leadership, resilience and real-world experience to our campus community,” says Jon Gubitosi, assistant director of Veteran and Military Services. “We are proud to support their educational journeys and help them reach their academic and career goals through programs designed with their needs in mind.”

The Military Friendly Schools® designation is based on a comprehensive evaluation process that assesses institutions on student retention, graduation outcomes, career placement and the effectiveness of services supporting military-connected students. The recognition serves as a national benchmark for institutions committed to serving those who have served.

To learn more about programs and support for military affiliated students at Ģ����Ƶ, visit the University’s Veteran and Military Services webpage.

About Military Friendly®

Military Friendly® is the standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort, and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefits for the military community. Over 2,900 organizations compete annually for the Military Friendly® designation. Military Friendly® is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business. Military Friendly® is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense or the federal government. Results are produced via a rules-based algorithm. The data-driven Military Friendly® lists and methodology can be found at .

Supported by the Global Center on Human Trafficking at Ģ����Ƶ and the non-profit organization , the Challenge invited New Jersey schools and youth organizations to create impactful awareness campaigns, art posters and creative writing to educate young people about human trafficking prevention. The 2026 World Cup, which begins June 11, will take place throughout North America with games being held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

The contest was divided into two categories: schools and youth clubs/organizations. The school category included middle school and high school winners, while the youth clubs/organizations category included winners in grades K–5, 6–8, and 9–12. All first place winners – including Zoha Ahmed of Paterson School 28, Emily Rodriguez Hernandez of Long Branch High School, Emma Nucum of Little Falls School No. 1, Louis Hansol Kim of Primoris Academy, Kimia Braxton of Boys & Girls Club Monmouth County, Deolinda Smith of Boys & Girls Club Garfield and Cesar Orellana of Empire Sports & Training – received a Congressional award, a trophy, and two tickets to a World Cup game.

“We are incredibly proud of the schools and youth organizations that participated in the Kids4Freedom Safety Challenge ‘26,” said Mimi Feliciano, CEO and Founder of Connect for Freedom. “This ceremony is not just about celebrating winners; it’s about underscoring the vital role youth play in protecting themselves and their peers. Their creativity and commitment to safety are truly inspiring.”

School-Wide Campaign Earns Honors

Senior health students at New Brunswick High School created a comprehensive awareness campaign for the competition to educate fellow students on the dangers of human trafficking and the international hand signals for help.

Combining print materials, podcast episodes and a gallery walk featuring contest submissions from other students, the class launched a Campus Takeover in March to raise awareness.

The results included more than 80% of students surveyed saying they would be more observant of the signs of human trafficking.

Special Recognition

Two groups of Ģ����Ƶ computer science students received Special Recognition at the event for their contributions to the competition and to educating children about online exploitation and human trafficking.

The groups developed engaging, age-appropriate web-based games designed to educate and empower K–12 students. Group 1 focused on creating content for students ages 13 and older, while Group 2 developed a game experience tailored for preteen students.

By combining technology with purpose, these students made a meaningful impact in advancing prevention education and equipping the next generation with knowledge that can help protect themselves and others.

About Connect For Freedom

The mission of Connect for Freedom is to connect education stakeholders in K-12 schools to join the fight for freedom from online exploitation and human trafficking in their schools and communities.

The organization provides a wealth of resources, information and much needed guidance to education stakeholders on the unique role educators can play in combating human trafficking.

“The most rewarding part of working for NJHAP is the knowledge that I am making a true difference in the lives of the patients we work with,” says first-year audiology doctoral student Julianna Mijal.

Second-year audiology student Emma Simas agrees: “You feel nearly as much joy as they do when it’s their turn to get hearing aids. I am always incredibly grateful when they give us a call or send an email or letter and tell us all the new things they are hearing and experiencing with their new hearing aids.”

As students in the only Doctor of Audiology program in the state, Mijal and Simas are responsible for refurbishing donated hearing aids and working with a network of audiologists across the state to distribute them to people with hearing difficulty who may not receive hearing healthcare services otherwise. With oversight from Audiology Clinical Preceptor Elena Kagan-Weitz, they oversee the New Jersey Hearing Aid Project (NJHAP), which is housed in Ģ����Ƶ’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program. The project is a partnership with the state’s .

“Working with NJHAP has been an excellent lesson in humility and humanity,” says Mijal. “Connecting with patients human-to-human and understanding the multifaceted lives that they lead outside of our clinic is key in making them feel seen and heard, which leads to the best care outcomes.”

“The hearing aid project is way bigger than us. I’m so incredibly proud to be part of this project, this community and so intertwined in audiology and hearing aid fitting and selection.”�� �� �� ��~ Emma Simas

Kagan-Weitz, who serves as principal investigator and director of the NJHAP, says that in addition to providing people in need with hearing care, it provides audiology students an opportunity to learn new skills. “All of our students have worked directly with NJHAP patients in providing them with audiological care, which incorporates our program’s exceptional education with community outreach for underserved populations.”

The mission: hearing health as social justice

The Audiology program is part of Ģ����Ƶ’s College for Community Health, which operates on the principle that “health is a cornerstone of social justice.” For many low-income seniors and individuals with hearing disabilities, the high cost of hearing aids – which can run as high as $7,000 and are not covered by Medicare – can impede them from navigating life.

Elizabeth Hill, director of the, a part of New Jersey’s Department of Human Services says hearing aids are often “the third most expensive purchase a person might make, after a house and a car.” In addition, she adds that “one of the biggest barriers that individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing face is access to hearing health care… our mandate is to eliminate barriers to participate in society where people live and work and interact.”

Hill says that the partnership with Ģ����Ƶ is essential for the program’s success: “We are one of the most comprehensive hearing aid programs in the country. We are very grateful for the partnership.”

How the partnership works: a cycle of giving

Ģ����Ƶ serves as the operational hub for the NJHAP, which started in 2013, and operates as a student-led “hearing aid bank” that provides hearing devices to recipients. It works because of:

• Donations: The program relies on public donations of used hearing aids to maintain its inventory. Donors are encouraged to mail their devices to New Jersey Hearing Aid Project, Ģ����Ƶ, 1515 Broad Street, Bldg. B, Bloomfield, NJ 07003.
• Refurbishment: Under Kagan-Weitz’s supervision, Ģ����Ƶ students work in a state-of-the-art lab to refurbish these devices. If devices cannot be refurbished at the University they are sent to outside hearing aid laboratories.
• Distribution: In collaboration with participating audiology clinics and a Ģ����Ƶ mobile audiologist serving 14 counties, the hearing aids are custom-fitted and provided free of charge to eligible NJ residents aged 65+ or those on Social Security Disability Income who have hearing loss.

A learning opportunity for current, prospective students

For audiology students, the NJHAP offers experience that blends professional training with community impact. Second-year audiology student Emma Simas says Ģ����Ƶ has helped almost 100 people get hearing aids and other assistive listening devices in the past year, and there is currently a six-month wait list.

Career Readiness: Students gain hands-on experience. Kagan-Weitz says the audiology doctoral students work together to manage the daily operations of the NJHAP. Selected for their qualifications, she says, the students are “professional, consistently kind and highly collaborative, with a genuine willingness to support others.”

Simas adds: “The Hearing Aid Project has kept me hands-on since Day One. I’ve had early exposure to all the hearing aid brands, manufacturers and history of the technology and how far it’s come.”

Lessons in Client Care: Audiology students provide client care in real time. Simas says she’s learned to manage the expectations of patients and work to establish realistic goals and meet families where they are in the process. “Many of the individuals who participate in NJHAP are faced with a myriad of barriers, many of which involve social stigmas and systems that work against them,” adds Mijal.

Real-World Impact: Ģ����Ƶ students see the direct result of their work as these devices are distributed to those in need. Simas says: “You talk to some of these patients or their families and you build connections with them. This year, the New Jersey Speech-Language and Hearing Association helped us fundraise for hearing aid supplies and made decorative bags for our patients so that we can dispense with their hearing aids with cleaning cloths, hearing aid brushes, battery cases and other tools to keep their hearing aids in the best shape. Being part of these two communities and seeing the combined impact is so heartwarming.”

Are you ready to make an impact?

Apply to the only Doctor of Audiology program in New Jersey and turn newfound clinical excellence into community action.

in May during the 2026 Excellence in Policing Awards Ceremony held at the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex in Trenton by Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and Executive Director Isa M. Abbassi of the Office of Policing Strategies and Innovation (OPSI). The annual event honors outstanding service and innovation among law enforcement agencies across New Jersey while highlighting efforts that strengthen relationships between police agencies and the communities they serve.

The Ģ����Ƶ Police Department was one of fifteen agencies selected through a highly competitive statewide process that included more than 150 law enforcement agencies competing for a share of $500,000 in available grant funding.

About the Grant

The department was awarded $49,999.90 to support the continued development of comprehensive officer wellness programming focused on resilience, stress management, peer support, recovery, and healthy coping strategies. Funding will assist with training opportunities, educational materials and wellness resources including:

• Department-wide wellness event with a speaker focused on resilience, stress management, and trauma exposure
• Overtime funding to ensure full officer participation in trainings and wellness initiatives without impacting operations
• Strengthened peer support program with tools and resources to promote early intervention and internal support
• Implementation of ongoing wellness programming that supports stress reduction, recovery, and overall wellbeing
• Wellness kits and educational materials that reinforce healthy coping and daily wellness practices
• Expanded engagement to include officer families and retirees and strengthen long term support systems

“This funding will help us continue building a sustainable wellness program that recognizes the real impact stress, trauma, and burnout can have on law enforcement professionals,” said Timothy Fox, Associate Vice President and Chief of Police at Ģ����Ƶ. “Our goal is to provide meaningful support, practical resources, and a culture where wellness and resilience are prioritized for our officers, civilian staff, retirees, and families.”

Chief Fox expressed his appreciation for this grant to Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and also recognized the leadership of Isa M. Abbassi and Andrew Caggiano for their collaborative efforts to prioritize officer wellness initiatives throughout New Jersey law enforcement.

“The partnership between the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police and OPSI continues to demonstrate the importance of supporting the mental health and wellness of law enforcement professionals,” Chief Fox said. “President Andrew Caggiano and Executive Director Isa Abbassi deserve tremendous credit for helping make programs like this possible and for ensuring agencies across New Jersey have opportunities to strengthen wellness resources for their personnel and families.”

Chief Timothy Fox and Tisheka Allen.

Chief Fox also acknowledged the contributions of Tisheka Allen, who leads the department’s Office of Community Resilience and Officer Wellness and played a critical role in both the development of the successful proposal and the department’s long-term wellness strategy.

“Tisheka was truly the driving force behind this initiative,” Chief Fox said. “Her passion for officer wellness, trauma-informed support, and building meaningful resources for our personnel helped turn this proposal into a reality. Just as importantly, she will play a key role in ensuring these funds are used in the most impactful and thoughtful way possible to benefit our officers, civilian staff, retirees, and their families.”

Allen has helped expand the department’s focus on wellness and resiliency by strengthening peer support efforts, developing wellness programming, and helping foster a culture where seeking support and prioritizing wellbeing are encouraged throughout the organization.

The department’s wellness initiatives reflect Ģ����Ƶ’s broader commitment to employee wellbeing, leadership development, and community-centered public safety.