From PCCC to Purdue: 20-Year-Old Alumna Starts PhD Studies

Last Fall, at the remarkable age of 20, Jehan Shalabi entered a five-year PhD program at Purdue University, a leading institution for electrical engineering, bringing the PCCC alumna closer to her goal of a career as a NASA engineer and, ultimately, an astronaut. She was also awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship, which covers her tuition at Purdue and also provides a yearly stipend of $37,000.

A few years ago, this all may have seemed unimaginable to a first-generation, Arab-American college student from Paterson, but Jehan is proof that at PCCC, exceptional opportunities can transform lives. “PCCC has been the foundation of my career and my life,” she affirms.

A 2020 graduate of PCCC, Jehan transferred to NJIT (New Jersey Institute of Technology) where she earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering last May, graduating with a perfect 4.0 GPA and an array of honors, including the Research and Development Council of New Jersey Merit Scholarship, Intel Scholarship, Chevron Scholarship, Rutgers S-STEM scholarship, and Society of Military Engineers Scholarship. Jehan was also named Outstanding Senior of the NJIT Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and also Outstanding Senior (overall) in the NJIT Newark College of Engineering.

“This is the first time in PCCC history that a transfer student to NJIT received the highest recognition from not only the electrical and computer engineering department but also the entire NJIT School of Engineering,” says Carlomagno Ontaneda, a recruiter for PCCC’s STEM and EOF (Educational Opportunity Fund) programs, both support programs in which Jehan participated.

An “opportunity” mentor to STEM and EOF students, Mr. Ontaneda notes that Jehan’s proactive attitude was key to her success.  “Jehan was always quick to act and take advantage when opportunity came her way,” says Mr. Ontaneda. “She understood and proved that one opportunity leads to others.”

Through PCCC’s STEM program, Jehan participated in a robotics competition, acted as a physics tutor, became a flight simulator instructor in the avionics lab, and built a telescope with the astronomy club. But the highlight of her PCCC career was a 10-week, on-site, paid summer research internship at NASA Goddard Space Center in Maryland. “That was life-changing,” says Jehan of her experience working alongside NASA engineers while  evaluating data and spacecraft components.

Also through PCCC, Jehan was named a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and conducted research at NJIT on drone-assisted mobile networking. She participated in a research internship at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in 2021 and was a finalist for her research presentation at the SHPE National Convention Engineering Science Symposium. Additionally, Jehan presented at the Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium (Rice University) and at the Purdue Engineering Graduate showcase, among others.

At Purdue, Jehan works in the electrodynamics group at the Birck Nanotechnology Center where her research focus is in electromagnetic fields and optics. She designs and fabricates high sensitivity thermal sensors and works to enhance thermal imaging for night-time autonomous navigation. Jehan hopes to create major advancements to thermal sensors and devices for space applications.  

“The STEM department at PCCC really helped me get a foot in the door,” says Jehan. She is especially grateful to Mr. Ontaneda for mentoring her and feels that PCCC was the right place for her to gain a strong foundation. “Take every opportunity you can,” she advises other students. “You never know where it can lead or who you will meet.”

 At this point in her journey, Jehan feels an obligation to inspire other first-generation college students who come from communities where opportunities seem scarce.

“Many of the other PhD students at Purdue have at least one parent who holds a PhD or other higher education degree,” says Jehan. “That’s not my story, but I’m there, too. PCCC helped me to get this far and can help other students who want to succeed.”