Cranford, NJ – UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ’s Vertical Farm Hydroponic STEM-Business Project received the 2025 STEM Collaboration of the Year Award from the New Jersey STEM Pathways Network. Dr. Mohamed Mohamed, Director of Student Research & Science Laboratories and Dr. Donovan Smalls, Director of the Business Center, were recognized for their groundbreaking collaborative STEM-Business project. This cross-disciplinary project not only enhanced students’ transfer and workforce readiness skills but also contributed to the College’s food pantry offerings to help feed students in need.
Under this innovative system, plants grow vertically indoors at UCNJ with synthetic material instead of soil and can be harvested every six weeks. STEM students observe and document the behaviors of the plants, making the necessary adjustments needed to help the plants grow and thrive. From the business side, students are tasked with creating detailed reports and developing a business plan that enables this project to become a successful farming business. STEM and business students are mentored and partner to create a successful agricultural business that also helps the College community.
“Congratulations to Drs. Smalls and Mohamed for creating an educational opportunity for the students involved in the research and the students who are nourished with the crops. With this Hydroponic Farm, students have hands-on experiences in both the STEM and business fields, preparing them for their future careers” stated UCNJ’s President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.
UCNJ is a public comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic programs and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to the Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research Lab. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 10 community colleges in the country as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more about UCNJ, visit www.ucc.edu.
