■ Enterprising Women
■ Enterprising Women
Hakensack Meridian Health Dr . Nicole Harris-Hollingsworth , EdD , MCHES Vice President , Social Determinants of Health
Dr . Harris-Hollingsworth leads the development and implementation of network wide social determinants of health strategy , stakeholder engagement interventions , and the development of community accessible resources across the Hackensack Meridian Health network .
For over two decades she has specialized in the development of community health programs designed to create behavior change and increase knowledge in hard-to-reach populations including regional school-based programs , national reproductive health organizations , and national child welfare organizations . Her interest areas include the development of effective regional collaborations to increase health equity and increasing the use of shared decision-making practices between health care consumers and health care providers to facilitate community engaged research .
In addition to her work at Hackensack Meridian Health , Dr . Harris-Hollingsworth remains deeply committed to community service and serves as a member of the American Hospital Association Population and Community Health Advisory Committee , has served as a national grants reviewer for the Human Resources Services Administration , and serves on numerous community boards . Nominated by Hakensack Meridian Health
HIGHER EDUCATION
Berkeley College LaTysha Gaines Campus Operating Officer
To understand the many ways LaTysha Gaines inspires others , one only needs to look to the students she has mentored during her 20-plus years as a higher education administrator and professor . “ From the beginning , ‘ Ms . Ty ’ helped me see my own strengths ,” said Erica Valentin , a 2024 graduate . “ Her confidence in my abilities inspired me to aim higher . Her guidance has made a profound impact on my journey , as both a student and an individual .” Other students remark on Gaines ’ cultivation of a learning environment where everyone feels valued and empowered , and her open-door policy that made the difference between withdrawing from school and crossing the graduation stage . Gaines also collaborates with local chambers and businesses , leading to internships and jobs for students . She was recently honored by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Paterson / Passaic and
the Paterson Education Fund for building the higher education pipeline for future generations . Nominated by Diane Recinos of Berkeley College
New Jersey Institute of Technology ( NJIT ) Tara Alvarez Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Alvarez is a distinguished professor of biomedical engineering at NJIT , where she directs the Vision and Neural Engineering Laboratory and leads the undergraduate biomedical engineering program . As the pioneering engineer of a transformative team , Alvarez is revolutionizing the treatment of vision dysfunction in brain injury patients , with a special focus on children with concussions . Her innovative system , designed for cost-effective use at home and by various healthcare professionals , is setting new clinical standards and is being evaluated in collaboration with five major children ’ s hospitals . Dr . Alvarez ’ s groundbreaking research was the first to document the brain ’ s changes due to vision therapy using fMRI , notably improving eye movements in concussion patients . Her work continues to advance the understanding of convergence insufficiency and its neural mechanisms . She co-founded OculoMotor Technologies , leveraging her extensive research to automate eye movement analysis . A Fellow of AIMBE and the National Academy of Inventors , and a Diplomate of the American Academy of Optometry , Alvarez ’ s contributions are pivotal in personalizing diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in vision science .
New Jersey Institute of Technology ( NJIT ) Cathy Brennan Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer , Sr VP for Finance and CFO
Brennan strategically leads the development of a more than half billion-dollar annual operating budget and a Finance Division that spans nine offices at New Jersey Institute of Technology , the state ’ s only public polytechnic research university , which holds the highest research classification of R1 and helps diverse students achieve upward economic mobility . She brings financial discipline , fresh thinking , and new models to higher ed based on her years of experience in NJ state government as deputy treasurer and section chief of revenue , finance and appropriations for the Office of Legislative Services . She ’ s leading a remodeling of NJIT ’ s annual budgeting process that ’ s data-driven , decentralized and identifies new revenue streams . The new model is designed to incentivize resource growth and fiscal stewardship , plan across multiple years and better align revenues and expenditures with operations and strategic
priorities – goals shared by a Bain & Company report on The Financially Resilient University .
New Jersey Institute of Technology Wunmi Sadik Professor and Chair , Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science
Sadik is department chair and a distinguished professor of the Chemistry and Environmental Science Department at New Jersey Institute of Technology . Additionally , Sadik runs the BioSensor Materials for Advanced Research & Technology ( BioSMART Center ), a lab seeking to develop innovative sensing technologies , functional materials , and environmental devices . Born in Lagos , Nigeria , Sadik completed her bachelor ’ s and master ’ s at the University of Lagos before pursuing a Ph . D . in chemistry at the University of Wollongong in Australia . Her 30-year career began as a researcher with the Environmental Protection Agency in 1994 , then the State University of New York at Binghamton , where she progressed for 24 years before joining NJIT to lead the department . Sadik ’ s research has been awarded for advancements in the fields of nanomaterials , green chemistry and sustainability , while sparking innovation in analytical sensor technologies used for the detection of everything from drugs and explosives , to human disease and environmental contamination .
New Jersey Institute of Technology Oya Tukel Dean , Martin Tuchman School of Management
Oya Tukel is the dean of NJIT ’ s
Martin Tuchman School of Management , bringing over 30 years of expertise as an administrator , researcher , and educator . Previously , she served as associate dean and chair of operations and supply chain management at Cleveland State University . Tukel ’ s distinguished career includes numerous teaching , service , and research awards , notably two Fulbright Specialist awards in 2016 and 2019 , and several ROI Influencer awards . Tukel has an extensive background in training and consulting on supply chain , innovation management , and project scheduling for local businesses . Her scholarly contributions include a book chapter and over twenty-four refereed articles in top-tier management science journals . Under her leadership at MTSM , she has spearheaded the launch of new degrees and programs , such as the Tech MBA and sports analytics program , aligning with the evolving needs of employers and the marketplace . Tukel also oversees the Leir Research Institute within MTSM , which integrates research and education to address critical global challenges and support sustainable economic
Continued
8 COMMERCE www . commercemagazinenj . com