News Archive

Kean University honored more than 500 students at its 2026 Honors Convocation, recognizing academic excellence across all six colleges. Speakers highlighted the dedication behind students’ success while encouraging graduates to reflect on their journeys and pursue meaningful futures.

Angeryca Concepcion graduated from Kean University a year early with a degree in management, combining strong academic achievement with extensive campus involvement.

Senior Shaun Hunter leveraged a Kean course to secure an internship with the New Jersey Devils, where he gained hands-on experience in sports marketing and fan engagement.

Two Kean University students are helping transform Nantucket’s historic Old Gaol into an immersive virtual experience, allowing users worldwide to explore the site through 3D modeling and extended reality. The project blends digital capture with storytelling, giving users interactive control while expanding access to historically significant spaces.

Samantha Dreissig conducted research on transient paralysis in football players, focusing on the importance of diagnosing spinal shock and differentiating it from more severe spinal cord injuries to ensure timely and appropriate treatment. In Fall 2025, Dreissig worked with the National Football League’s (NFL) New York Giants as a student athletic trainer.

Kean University senior Olga Lopez researched how watching childhood television shows can reduce stress, presenting her “Nostalgia Therapy” project at 2026 Research Days. Lopez, a psychology major, plans to pursue a career in forensic psychology and credits Kean for strengthening her research skills.

Kean University’s Matthew Niepielko, Ph.D., is advancing an inclusive STEM training model through the NJ-RAISE program, giving students early, hands-on research experience and financial support to help them stay in STEM fields. His work reimagines labs as training spaces that build career-ready skills from high school through college.

Retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Clayton, a Kean Ocean student and public administration major, founded the campus Student Veteran Organization to build community and support for fellow veterans. Graduating with honors, Clayton leaves a lasting legacy at Kean Ocean and will continue his work supporting veterans in a full-time role at Brookdale Community College.

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) has advanced the merger between Kean University and New Jersey City University (NJCU).