Advanced Undergrad Research on Display

Since the spring of 2018, 245 undergraduate students in the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences have had a unique opportunity to participate in the Undergraduate Research and Entrepreneurship Program (UREP), established by Associate Professor Ziquan (Cecilia) Dong, Ph.D.

“The reason I wanted to establish this program is to bring faculty-mentored research to our undergraduates,” said Dong. “As the principal investigator of New York Tech’s first Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs, I have seen the impact of research on undergraduates and wanted to bring this experience to our own undergraduates.”

In the highly selective program, students work on research or entrepreneurship projects in a group setting, under the guidance of faculty mentors. The collaborative projects run for a single semester or extend to multiple semesters, should the team decide to pursue further development. Each research team is provided with $500 to cover the cost of supplies.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, this popular research program has persisted, and on May 12, this semester’s cohort of eight teams comprising 28 students presented their research to faculty, peers, and others via a virtual event organized by Dong and Senior Student Engagement Specialist Sarah McGough. Each multidisciplinary team member offered information about their research, cited relevant scientific work, and provided next steps. At the end of the program, faculty attendees offered guidance and suggestions, and the teams were able to ask questions of each other and provide feedback.

“Research is a high-tech practice,” said College of Engineering and Computing Sciences Dean Babak Beheshti, Ph.D., in opening remarks. He added that studies show that participating in research makes an indelible mark on one’s education and is also great for résumés and interview discussions. In speaking of the UREP presentations, he shared that “This moment is a point of pride for me” to see students present their work conducted under the direction of faculty mentors.

Dong thanked the faculty mentors, the UREP fellows, and Beheshti for his financial and emotional support during this year in particular and expressed her hope that many of the projects would be able to continue in the fall semester. Spring 2021 projects, teams, and faculty mentors include:

The Impact of Electric Vehicles on the Carbon Footprint – An Analysis Into the Food Industry

Faculty Mentor: Ziqian (Cecilia) Dong, Ph.D.

Team Members:

• Jack Tenesaca
• Angily Ally
• Jigme Tobgyal,
• Marvin Rivera

The Effect of Eccentricity in Microwave Imaging of Multiple Composite Pipes

Faculty Mentor: Reza K. Amineh, Ph.D.

Team Members:

• Yuki Gao
• Noshin Raisa

Security and Trust Enhancement for Vehicular Networks Using Blockchain and AI Technologies

Faculty Mentor: Wenjia Li, Ph.D.

Team Members:

• Subin Neupane
• Hunter Glovinsky
• Jawad Rahman
• Jennifer Gulmohamad

DNAnalysts

Faculty Mentor: Reza Amineh, Ph.D.

Team Members:

• Lillian Pratt
• Chin Ho Kua
• Ema Graceni
• Mikhail Smirnov

Investigation of the Association Between Clinical Features and Diagnosing Major Depressive Disorder and Treatment Outcomes

Faculty Mentor: Maryam Ravan, Ph.D.

• Team Members:
• Mary Sanchez
• Nafiah Alam

Investigation of the Association Between Clinical Features and Diagnosing Major Depressive Disorder and Treatment Outcomes

Faculty Mentor: Maryam Ravan, Ph.D.

Team Members:

• Lee Ratigan Borden
• Ethan V. Medina
• Moumouni Sana

VR for Therapy

Faculty Mentor: Huanying (Helen) Gu, Ph.D.

Team Members:

• Afaq Anwar
• Luna Ferraro
• Brandon Green
• Guang Wei Too
• Michael Aquino
• Mohamed Elsayed

GRIP 2 - Handwriting Analysis

Faculty Mentor: N. Sertac Artan, Ph.D.

Team Members:

• Angela Khristine Vallejo
• Christie Julia Capo
• Sanzida Afrin Sultana