Family Sparks NJIT Scholar's Research into Biomedical Engineering

Seeing her father struggle through rehabilitation exercises after a stroke made Marina Samuel think, why can't therapy be more personalized, effective and efficient for the patient?

So, with a central focus on patients, she pursued a bachelor's in biomedical engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology and after graduation in May, will seek a Ph.D. in the same discipline at NJIT. Her research as an undergraduate fueled this pursuit.

In the Clinical Neuromuscular Lab of Assistant Professor Jongsang Son, Samuel synthesized findings from 20 studies on the acute and chronic effects of static stretching on joint stiffness and neuromuscular activation for a review paper that she co-authored, during her sophomore year.

As a senior, her capstone project involved a line-following robot that applied constant force to the stronger leg of a stroke patient to support the physical therapy of the weaker leg. Now, as a Ph.D. student, she plans to "explore biomechanical models, improve human-device interaction and integrate real-time data analysis and machine leading to optimize personal therapy programs."

J&J and the Student Senate

While research helped define her undergraduate years, Samuel also plunged into outside work and extracurriculars.

At Johnson & Johnson, she landed both a cooperative education experience (in integrated supply chain compliance management) and an internship (in export trade operations). Along the way, she gained technical skills in developing dashboards, project trackers and analytical thinking and soft skills in presentation, collaboration and leadership.

Her biggest lessons in leadership, however, came via the Student Senate, where she ascended to president last year after serving as a first-year representative and vice president of student affairs. It was a productive presidency, as the Senate worked with the university to enable students to use meal plan points at outside eateries, gain free access to Adobe Creative Cloud, collect food for Newark Emergency Services for Families and establish a day of rest for mental health.

"She's certainly one of our fabulous, exceptional students," said President Teik C. Lim at a Town Hall meeting where Samuel was the sole student speaker - and a poised one at that. "She's phenomenal!"

Other extracurriculars included three years as a resident assistant and serving on a subcommittee that focused on learner advancement and success for NJIT's 2030 strategic plan - an outgrowth of her Senate work.

Family inspiration

Samuel credits much of her accomplishments in University Heights to her parents, who collectively taught her the value of hard work, faithfulness and family support.

Her mother, Magda Anwar Samuel, "shaped me into the strong woman I am today, always encouraging my siblings and me to work hard, stay grounded and remain true to ourselves," Samuel said.

Her father, Wadie Samuel, not only inspired her research but left the lasting impression of "constantly showing love and support for the people around him with a smile on his face," Samuel said.

Sadly, he passed away in 2017 during Samuel's first year at East Brunswick High School. His daughter, however, retains many of his traits as an exemplar of the Class of 2025.