Junior Grace Xia named a NJ Governor's STEM Scholar

Congratulations to junior Grace Xia on being named to the 2023 class of The Governor's STEM Scholars (GSS). New Jersey’s GSS students are top high school and college students who are committed to being the future of the state's STEM workforce and economy. Grace joins 128 Scholars from 20 New Jersey counties, and upon graduation, she will join a cohort of over 700 Scholars. ⁠ ⁠

The opportunities through this program and the support from her teachers at Stuart have propelled Grace forward in pursuit of a career in STEM. “At Stuart, I discovered my passion for science with the help of my teachers and continued to develop it with their guidance. Enrolled in the Governor's Stem Scholars program, I had the chance to meet inspiring role models in various scientific fields and collaborate with my peers in research team 5. I hope this will be a stepping stone for my pursuit of scientific discoveries. With hard work, I wish to become a better person who contributes to our society.” ⁠ ⁠

This past summer, Grace conducted research on the bioluminescence of micro-dinoflagellates at the Rutgers Biochemistry Lab. She participated in a study to demonstrate how dinoflagellate cells can be grown in labs and to determine the force required upon the cells that will prompt them to glow. In the lab, Grace operated microscopy tools to take images to document the luminescence of the growing dinoflagellate cells. Although Grace is particularly interested in studying chemistry in the future, she is open and curious to learn about other areas as they all connect. As a STEM Scholar, Grace will network with the state’s leading STEM researchers and C-suite professionals, attend conferences to gain insight into the NJ STEM economy, explore top facilities in NJ, and join the rest of her class in building a pipeline of diverse STEM talent in New Jersey