TCNJ

35 FALL/WINTER 2026 THE CAMPAIGN FOR TCNJ: ELEVATING EXCELLENCE FACING PAGE HANNAH YOON Do you know what AI has on you? That's a question this computer science student is asking, thanks to his Pelson fellowship RYAN WOJCIECHOWSKI '27 spent his summer immersed in research questions about the quiet ways in which everyday technology can collect personal data. More specifically, the computer science and criminology double major with a cybersecurity specialization examined the personal information users may not realize digital systems are collecting. Working with computer science professor Prerit Datta, Wojciechowski dug into "shadow AI" — hidden, AI-driven processing and data flows that happen without the user's explicit knowledge or awareness — in smart-home and connected-device environments. "Our main goal is to help build models and applications that give the power back to the user," Datta said. "If a company is collecting data about you, we want you to be able to see that and decide whether you agree with it." Wojciechowski was one of the inaugural recipients of the Barbara Meyers Pelson '59 Student Fellowship. Built on Pelson's deep commitment to faculty-student engagement, the fellowship was established through a $353,000 gift to fund students participating in TCNJ's Mentored Undergraduate Summer Experience. It provides funding for full-time summer research, on-campus housing, travel related to scholarly presentations, and, most importantly, the flexibility undergraduate students need to work closely with their faculty mentors for months at a time. "When talented students have the opportunity to do sophisticated research alongside outstanding faculty, it sets them up to achieve their goals and have success in the future," says Pelson. Wojciechowski navigated unfamil- iar technical territory during the summer fellowship. "Whenever I ran into an issue or hit a wall on a new topic, Professor Datta was always there to help me find a solution or walk through it together," Wojciechowski says. "I was also able to proactively conduct research that could one day help identify gaps or real security concerns with AI usage." — Michelle Rivera ON THE MOVE Alumni and friends gather to celebrate the Elevating Excellence campaign From Los Angeles to Boston, to NY and NJ, members of the TCNJ community have been gathering to drum up support for The Campaign for TCNJ: Elevating Excellence. Guests have been excited to hear student success stories and about how philanthropy is helping create new opportunities for future students. Be on the lookout for events near you.

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