MOUNT LAUREL – A student research team will debut the official college fragrances as part of RCBC’s Student Research Celebration at noon on Wednesday, May 1.

The team spent the semester studying the chemical structures of different fragrances to develop new combinations for a cologne and perfume named the Baron and Baroness in honor of RCBC’s mascot. The team consisted of students Ariane Dos Santos, Juliana Jusino, Iman Khan and Brianna West, with guidance from Chemistry faculty members Terrence Sherlock and Dr. Laura Stewart.

“Rowan College at Burlington County’s Student Research program opens doors to unlimited possibilities for students to explore their intellectual curiosities with scientific rigor and develop something new and amazing,” said RCBC President Dr. Michael A. Cioce. “Come, smell for yourself!”

The celebration begins at noon in RCBC’s Student Success Center. The public is welcome to take the first sniff of the Baron and Baroness and learn more about other student research projects at RCBC. 

The perfume project may be the semester's most olfactive student research project. Still, it’s one of about a dozen impressive projects students completed with RCBC faculty members' guidance. Other projects involved developing garments that are safe for the environment, developing a neural network in various programming languages and using geographic information system mapping to look for trends in how hawks place their nests throughout Palmyra Cove Nature Park.

A staple of RCBC, the Student Research Program allows students to work closely with faculty to research topics that interest them, learn to apply the scientific method in research, gain experience that looks great on a resume and have the potential to publish their findings.

Learn more at rcbc.edu/research