Noteworthy Achievements

PROFessionals of the Month - June 2026

• Rowan Online Student Success Coaching Team: Jason Salvatore, Mary Jean (MJ) Schultes, Jenni Matthews, Kristin Bennett, Hannah DeWoody

The PROFessionals of the Month program celebrates exemplary Rowan University employees, as nominated each month by their colleagues across the University community. To read honorees’ profiles, visit PROFessionals of the Month.

Noteworthy Accomplishments

Wendy Aita, Rowan Integrated Special Needs Ctr, received $236,941 from New Jersey Department of Children and Families to support the Assessment, Psychiatric/Psychological: Mental Health for Children with IDD through RISN Center. 

Gerard Capellades, Chemical Engineering, received $116,946 from Pfizer, Inc. to support the study “Workflow for measuring and modeling solubility in the presence of impurities.”

Millicent Channell, Academic Affairs (RowanSOM), received $786,938.00 from New Jersey Department of Health (prime sponsor: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) to support the study Rural Health Transformation: Technology Innovation & Preventive Programming 2026: Rowan-Virtua SOM Mobile Preventive Care Infrastructure Development to Improve Rural Health Outcomes.

Dyron Corley, Academic Affairs (RowanSOM), received $28,213 from The New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education to support Rowan University - SOM PreMatric.

Michelle Damiani, Wellness and Inclusive Services in Education, received $235,000 from NJ Department of Education to support the study Paraprofessional Program Competitive: Grow Local 2026-2027: ASPIRE Educator Pathways for South Jersey Schools.

Francois Gould, Neuroscience, received  $321,589 (total funding to date: $1,030,850) from National Institutes of Health to support the study “Impact of nigral and extranigral neurodegeneration on aerodigestive discoordination in a pesticide model of Parkinson's disease.”

James Grinias, Chemistry & Biochemistry, received $60,000 from Restek Corporation to support  the Investigation of Novel LC Stationary Phases and $375,000 (total funded to date: $1,125,000) from National Institutes of Health to support the study “Sensor-like LC-MS Platform for rapid online monitoring of metabolites in biological systems.”

Richard Jermyn, Rehabilitation Medicine, received $375,000 from NJ Department of Human Services (prime sponsor: US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) to support State Opioid Response (SOR): College Recovery Services.

Archana Kumari, Neuroscience, received $2,500 from New Jersey Health Foundation, Inc. to support New Jersey Health Foundation’s George F. Heinrich, MD Excellence in Research Award for 2025-2026.

Peter Schnatz, OB/GYN, received 25,000 from Osteopathic Heritage Foundation to support the study “Development and validation of an artificial intelligence tool for automated detection and grading of breast arterial calcifications on mammography.”

Elizabeth West, Neuroscience, received $25,000 from Osteopathic Heritage Foundation to support the study “Neural circuits mediating apathetic phenotypes in an Alzheimer's disease rat model.” 

Kingsley Yin, Cell & Molecular Biology, received $25,000 from Osteopathic Heritage Foundation to support the study “Direct Effects of ResolvinD2 on lung infection and injury in a clinically relevant model of secondary lung infection.”