MORRIS COUNTY — County College of Morris (CCM) students, known as the CCM Data Titans, recently received two impressive awards from the Spring 2024 American Statistical Association (ASA) national DataFest competition.

They earned first place in the Two-Year College Category and were awarded for Best Statistical Analysis. Founded in 2011, this annual event requires undergraduates to work 24/7 to find and share the meaning of data in what is becoming a popular field of discovery.

CCM congratulates team members Hamza Alvi of Rockaway, Favio Jasso of Dover, David Maldonado of Wharton, Rohan Sharma of Mt. Olive, and Lucas Spitzer of Succasunna for an amazing job. The students are pursuing their Associate of Science degree in Mathematics, Computer Science-Data Science option, and are enrolled in the Certificate of Achievement in Data Analytics program at CCM.

Professor Kelly Fitzpatrick, CFA, of the college’s Department of Mathematics and a Tableau Desktop Specialist, served as the team’s faculty advisor. Fitzpatrick takes the students from zero to 100 in just 15 weeks to learn data science in MAT 114, Introduction to Data Science class.

“It is impressive every semester to see how quickly students can grasp high-level data science techniques using technology and perform at a high level to win national competitions,” said Fitzpatrick.

Each year, the ASA DataFest challenges students to analyze real-world data and make recommendations to address interesting and timely topics. The 2024 challenge was investigating the CourseKata student data and looking for discoveries to help improve student success in statistics and data science courses.

Team CCM Data Titans won Best Statistical Analysis by using box plots to detect and remove outliers and extraneous input, regression analysis, decision trees, and a heat map to determine how to improve student success. The team worked aggressively in R, Python, and Tableau to perform tidy data techniques and create custom categorical fields and visualizations during the weekend in April.

They presented their results in a five-minute video to the judges. On behalf of the Campus Life Center, each team member will receive a $25 gift card to the college’s campus store and a complimentary ASA student membership.

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, and Morris Plains Police Chief Michael Koroski, who also serves as President of the Morris County Police Chief’s Association, have announced the wider distribution of spike strips to local police departments throughout Morris County. This initiative aims to curtail vehicle pursuits and reduce auto thefts.

Tire deflation devices can be stored in patrol cars and quickly positioned to cause the controlled deflation of tires in fleeing vehicles. Using hollow steel spikes, the strips are designed to prevent blowouts and reduce the speed of the target vehicle.

This technology can potentially bring a police pursuit – which poses a risk to fleeing criminals, officers, and bystanders alike – to a safer end. The deployment of these devices will follow the Attorney General’s Office guidelines.

Ninety Stinger Spike System Model 90200 Trooper Tire Deflation Devices, produced by Federal Signal, have been purchased for $52,007. The purchase was funded by Morris County Prosecutor’s Office forfeiture funds. The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, and 13 municipal police departments have opted to receive the devices.

On May 9, 2024, employees of Federal Signal trained officers from each of these agencies, who will, in turn, train officers at their respective departments in utilizing the devices.

Officers from the MCPO and MCSO demonstrated using a spike strip to hobble a moving car during a demonstration in a parking lot at the Community College of Morris.

Prosecutor Carroll said, “Law enforcement working together has proven to be the most effective tool against these organized networks of thieves. These expanded resources are part of a multi-faceted strategy to combat auto theft and the growing number of thieves entering homes searching for valuables and key fobs. These devices are designed to stop criminals in motion, not just car thieves. Fleeing criminals pose a danger to our neighborhoods, and resulting crashes in Morris County have left vehicle occupants with serious injuries and property damage. These devices can bring down a target’s rate of speed and allow officers to conduct a controlled stop.”

Sheriff Gannon said, “It’s important to recognize that these are crimes that are occurring statewide – whether it’s auto theft, robberies, kidnappings, child abductions, or other major crimes. Our goal is to give our officers, who are on the road 24 hours a day, another tool in their toolboxes to safeguard our community. I think this exceptional, hands-on training prepares officers to utilize this equipment. No one wants fleeing cars going out of control down our streets. It’s our mission to intervene before anyone gets hurt, and that’s the public, the police, and even the actors behind the wheel.”

Officer in Charge Captain Chris Petonak recalled how the Boonton Police Department has been utilizing the devices for a few years. “We have used them approximately four or five times, and we have not only been able to recover vehicles but, more importantly, have reduced the speeds of these pursuits from close to 100 mph down to 30 mph. Each officer in our patrol division carries one of these devices. We have captured over a dozen offenders.”

Chief Michael Koroski said, “Just as the deployment of these spike strips will take collaboration and communication between municipal law enforcement agencies for effective use, this program is a further demonstration of the teamwork between Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Sheriff James Gannon, and our Morris County Chiefs of Police. Morris County law enforcement agencies will continue to combat auto theft, prevent and deter property crimes, and most importantly, protect our residents with proactive patrols, technology, and the best available equipment.”

MORRIS COUNTY — Jigisha Desai from Rockaway, 55, has been living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) for 20 years, a condition she discovered unexpectedly while undergoing surgery for a different health issue.

CKD has presented numerous symptoms and challenges. Despite these, Jigisha has persevered through various hardships, including health issues, financial struggles, emotional stress, and physical limitations, while raising two children and coping with the loss of a family business. At around 36, she developed chronic arthritis, particularly severe in her knees, which necessitated a knee replacement. However, due to her kidney condition preventing the use of painkillers, doctors recommended biannual gel knee injections instead. Living with constant pain and extreme fatigue has significantly impacted her family life.

Jigisha is currently listed for a kidney transplant at St. Barnabas in Livingston. Joyce is her transplant coordinator, reachable at (973) 322-5082. Her blood type is O+, less crucial as St. Barnabas participates in the paired exchange program. To help, please complete the living donor referral form available here, indicating “kidney donor for Jigisha Desai” in the submission.

MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris Museum in Morristown has introduced a new role, overseeing the development, implementation, execution, and evaluation of its three core mission-based program areas: education, exhibitions and collections, and theater.

Jess Van Nostrand has been appointed the inaugural director of public engagement and curatorial strategies.

In this capacity, Van Nostrand will collaborate with the existing leadership of Exhibitions & Collections and Theater while also directing the museum’s education team. According to a statement released by the museum, the director’s role is to ensure excellence and define success across all three program areas.

As a key partner to the executive director, this role is designed to foster coordinated and aligned efforts within the organization, especially in the areas of planning and program development.

“Central to the success of any cultural institution today is a deep connection with community stakeholders,” stated Thomas J. Loughman, reflecting on his first year as executive director. “Jess brings a rich mix of experience and insight, combined with a professional curiosity and a commitment to serve this esteemed New Jersey arts institution. We are all excited about the contributions she will make moving forward.”

Van Nostrand recently served as the director of exhibitions and public programs at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. In this role, she managed the exhibitions program at The Arts Center at Governors Island and led the annual River To River Festival, among other public initiatives.

From 2014 to 2020, she was the assistant director of exhibition programs and gallery initiatives at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). There, she engaged in a wide array of adult education programming, including interactive arts experiences at The People’s Studio, MoMA’s pioneering educational platform for adult learning.

Before her tenure at MoMA, Van Nostrand was the founding director of The Project Room, an arts center focused on the creative process that encouraged public engagement through live events, written content, and a podcast series.

Van Nostrand is a trustee of the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey and has also served on the boards of directors for the Smack Mellon Arts Center and ArtTable, a national leadership organization for women in the arts.