INFORMATION FOR
William Paterson University’s College of Science and Health provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs and state-of-the-art facilities that place the University at the forefront of science education in New Jersey.
The College encompasses our School of Nursing, which was established in 2023 and has grown to become the largest in Northern New Jersey and among public regional universities in the state. The College also includes the departments of biology, chemistry, computer science, speech language pathology, environmental science, kinesiology, mathematical sciences, and public health.
Our more than 100 full-time faculty are accomplished teachers, researchers, and grant winners. They foster an environment that combines intellectual inquiry with the learning of practical skills, while nurturing and guiding students toward success in their future roles as knowledgeable and responsible employees and citizens.
When you enroll in the College of Science and Health, you will benefit from a wide range of hands-on learning opportunities in our advanced facilities, including our Science Complex, which features smart classrooms and sophisticated research laboratories designed to encourage an interactive learning environment; 3D Anatomy and Virtual Dissection lab; and a cybersecurity lab, among others. Biological and environmental studies students utilize woods, ponds, streams, and a waterfall, all accessible from the campus.
Students in health-related subjects receive valuable experience in the many health facilities in northern New Jersey. In addition, nursing students benefit from the Nel Bolger, RN, Nursing Laboratory, a high-tech patient simulation laboratory suite that enables them to enhance proficiency with decision-making and procedures in a sophisticated, clinical facility. Students in our kinesiology programs have access to resources including a Human Performance Lab, Phlebotomy Lab, and Human Motion Lab, among others. In addition, our on-campus Speech and Hearing Clinic also offers clinical experience opportunities to graduate students in our speech-language pathology program.
The mission of the College of Science and Health is threefold:
Goals of the College of Science and Health:
Dean, College of Science and Health
EMAIL: sharmav@wpunj.edu
PHONE: 973-720-2194
OFFICE: Science Hall East #3019
Associate Dean, College of Science and Health
EMAIL: zelekem@wpunj.edu
PHONE: 973-720-3415
OFFICE: Science Hall East #3017
Associate Dean, School of Nursing
EMAIL: guttmanm@wpunj.edu
PHONE: 973-720-3491
OFFICE: University Hall #342
A newly published research paper led by William Paterson University environmental science professor Nicole Davi finds that coastal forests demonstrate incredible resiliency following major hurricane events, but these forests are increasingly at risk from storm damage and surges and continued sea-level rise.
Published in the journal Global and Planetary Change, the paper looks at the impact of major hurricanes (category 2 through 5) on three coastal oak forests—Montauk and Mashomack, New York and Newport, Rhode Island—between 1858 and 2012. The researchers used several tree-ring parameters—total ring width, earlywood (the parts of the wood that are formed in the spring), and latewood (the parts of the wood that are formed later in the growing season)—along with wood anatomy (cellular detail) to better pinpoint hurricane impacts on tree growth.
Davi, who serves as lead researcher on the project, and her collaborators, including Wiliam Paterson postdoctoral researcher Caroline Leland, found a significant reduction in tree-ring growth the year following a hurricane. Yet, Davi says, “One thing that we found is that these trees are able to recover quite quickly, within two years of the storm, so they are remarkably resilient. This information could inform foresters or other decision makers when it comes to forest conservation and restoration initiatives.”
However, Davi adds, these forests are also vulnerable to sea level rise, noting that sea-level rise along the U.S. East Coast is accelerating at a faster rate than in many other regions globally. “These forests are highly vulnerable ecosystems, which are increasingly marked by stands of dead or dying trees,” she says. This includes maritime forests in many New Jersey coastal areas.
“Given the critical role these forests play in protecting densely populated communities – by buffering wind, supporting dune infrastructure, enhancing groundwater recharge and sustaining wildlife –greater attention is needed to study and protect coastal forests,” says Davi.
Davi, a dendrochronologist and paleoclimatologist, is also an adjunct senior research scientist at the Tree-Ring Laboratory of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, where some of the top researchers from across the world collaborate. Leland is also affiliated with the Tree-Ring Laboratory at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
Other collaborators included researchers from the Tree-Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University; the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF) and the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain; the Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TESAF), University of Padua, Italy, and the Harvard Forest, in Petersham, Massachusetts.
In addition, six William Paterson University alumni—Troy Nixon ‘19, Michaela Gardiner ’20, Marta Urbaniak ‘23, Matthew Young ‘21, Brianda Calderon ‘21 and Nicole Lucianin ‘21—assisted with various parts of the project while they were undergraduate students, from data development to determining which hurricanes had the most impact on the region, as well as taking and measure tree core samples.
The research was sponsored by the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium with funds from NOAA’s Office of Sea Grant, U.S. Department of Commerce.
Read the paper, “Identifying hurricane and sea-level rise signatures in coastal oak forests of the Northeastern United States using a multi-parameter approach,” on Science Direct.
" From the time I started at William Paterson, I’ve been able to connect with my professors, including doing research over the summer, working in a biology lab."
Francisco Perez Ramos Biology/Pre-medical professions major | Class of 2025
"Majoring in Exercise Physiology here at William Paterson University has enriched my educational journey and my personal growth. This program provides in-depth hands-on experience, allows you to develop a great relationship with our amazing professors, and offers excellent internship opportunities; the professors give you many options and really want to find the perfect fit for you. Overall, this major equips students with all the knowledge and skills they need to be successful: It empowers individuals to make a big impact on the well-being of others."
Diana Zuta Exercise physiology major | Class of 2025
“Since I stepped foot into William Paterson, I’ve continuously been guided with support every step of the way. Thank you to the amazing Dr. Martin, who has invited me to partake in his research … to the ASPIRE STEM program, who have always been by my side offering me support … and to William Paterson’s professors in the College of Science and Health for continuously pushing me and supporting my dreams of becoming a physician.”
Jerline Nathaly Sanchez Biology/Premedical professions| Class of 2027
