Newsday Reports on NYIT's National Science Foundation Grant

Aug 21, 2014

"With the help of this grant, nanotechnology, advanced materials science, and the microfabrication of labs-on-a-chip, implantable or wearable devices and sensors, are going to be integrated in the programs and engineering courses we offer," School of Engineering and Computing Sciences Dean Nada Marie Anid said in a Newsday article (subscription required) about NYIT's $230,000 National Science Foundation grant.

The NSF grant will support the purchase of a sputtering system -- a special piece of equipment that allows NYIT researchers to develop and study wearable or implanted mini-sensors that measure a patient's health. 

NYIT will build a clean room -- the first in Nassau County -- to house the system in Harry Schure Hall. Other universities, including Farmingdale State College and Stony Brook University, as well as local companies, will collaborate on projects that use the new facility.

 

Bloom on New York City Public Housing Woes

Aug 12, 2014

NYIT Associate Professor Nicholas Bloom, an expert in public housing, spoke to the New York Times about the severe economic and physical problems plaguing the New York City Housing Authority, which operates 2,600 buildings housing more than 400,000 people.

Federal funding for NYCHA has decreased dramatically in recent years, yet many buildings are in desperate need of major renovation to roofs, plumbing and heating, systems, and facades. Conditions are so poor that some buildings' equipment is at or beyond the end of its life.

“Basically,” said Bloom, "it’s a 1950s automobile that New York City is still driving. It’s like Cuba.”

Bloom is author of Public Housing That Worked: New York in the Twentieth Century.

 

SoECS Dean Anid Promotes STEM

Aug 01, 2014

"The message is this: This is what you can accomplish. You can do it. It doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl. Science and engineering are gender-neutral," says NYIT Dean of the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D. in a Long Island Business News article about encouraging younger students -- especially girls -- to pursue STEM careers.

NYIT's undergraduate female enrollment in engineering and computer sciences increased by 50% between fall 2010 and fall 2013, whle graduate female enrollment more than doubled.

"It's very important that younger students in high school and middle school identify with STEM careers," says Anid.

 

Enrollment VP Ron Maggiore on Keeping SATs in the Admissions Mix

Aug 01, 2014

"I have been in higher education for 30 years, and the conversation about SATs is at least that old," says NYIT Vice President for Enrollment Ronald Maggiore in a Long Island Business News article about test-optional admissions (subscription required).

Maggiore believes SAT scores should be among the mix of requirements in the college admissions process.

"The more information you have about students, the better decision you can make," he says.

NYIT requires varying SAT scores, depending on the field of study.

"Our admission criteria is established so that the student has a reasonable chance of success in a particular program," says Maggiore.

 

President Guiliano on Going Global

Aug 01, 2014

"The world has changed tremendously in education and otherwise," NYIT President Edward Guiliano, Ph.D., says in a Long Island Business News article about global education (subscription required). "Business, research, environmental issues -- they all have become global. Cultural fluency will be required to solve problems in the coming years, and our goal is to graduate global citizens."

The courses and curricula at NYIT campuses in Abu Dhabia, Nanjing, and Vancouver are the same as what is offered at NYIT's New York campuses.

"We assess students the same way, and our faculty can teach in multiple locations," Guiliano said.

Guiliano also discussed the growth of NYIT's dual-degree programs and global network.

"We have students on our New York campuses from about 100 countries," he said. "Having a global network of alumni, students, and faculty is an important part of being a global university."

 

Oren Shtayermman on Suicidal Thoughts and Autism

Jul 31, 2014

"As they become adolescents, they become more and more ostracized from their peer groups," says School of Health Professions Associate Professor Oren Shtayermann, Ph.D., in a Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative article, referring to autistic teenagers' risk of suicide. "They become more and more isolated from society."

The article, "Suicidal Thoughts Alarmingly Common in People with Autism," explores recent studies that concluded that adolescents and adults with autism, including those with Asperger syndrome, often feel suicidal, although it may be difficult for caregivers to recognize.

The SFARI article mentions Shtayermann's 2007 study in Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing. The study showed that five of ten adolescents with Asperger syndrome answered questions about suicidal thoughts that resulted in scores indicating they had a high risk for suicide.

Adolescents with autism have difficult experiences with the social and emotional turmoil common in the teenage years, he says in the SFARI article. 

 

SoECS Dean Anid's Work Celebrated in Online Feature

Jul 30, 2014

"Science and engineering don't have a gender, yet women are underrepresented in many STEM programs and professional fields," says NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences Dean Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D., in "Celebrating Women in Higher Education" on Gradschools.com. "I am committed to helping change this."

Anid was among several "inspirational females" profiled in an article designed to highlight their achievements in helping other women achieve professional success and leadership positions in the academic world.

"NYIT works tirelessly to provide high-quality education and experiential learning opportunities for our undergraduate and graduate engineering students, but also extends that to help instill a passion for STEM among K-12 students, especially girls and young women," Anid says. "I am invested in helping them experience the thrill of discovery through science, and in changing the face of engineering from nerdy to cool and fun."

NYIT Assistant Professor Ziqian "Cecilia" Dong noted that women need role models to "serve as examples of what they can do for this world," and she praised Anid's efforts to expose young girls to STEM fields.

 

Amy Bravo Talks Summer Jobs, Internships, and Volunteering

Jul 23, 2014

"Volunteering for nonprofits is a great way to build a variety of skill sets that can help you figure out what you love to do," says Assistant Dean of Career Services Amy Bravo  in a CardHub article on using summer breaks to maximize future career prospects. (Click on Amy's photo to see a Q&A.)

"At New York Institute of Technology, we have found volunteer positions for architects, engineers, graphic designers, and health students, all using the knowledge and skills they've developed in the classroom," says Bravo. "The opportunities are endless and the experience looks great on your resume."

Bravo says students should not consider any type of job as "menial labor." Rather, "Work is a great teacher," says Bravo. "You learn how to manage your time, how to persuade others, how to speak to and work collaboratively with others, and how to be responsible and reliable. Work can build character and credibility."

 

Haar on Antioxidants in Newsday

Jul 11, 2014

"This is an interesting paper, but I still think it's a good idea to base your diet on a variety of fruits and vegetables," Director of the Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Mindy Haar, Ph.D., tells Newsday (subscription required) in an interview about a new study on antioxidants and cancer.

Haar, a nutritionist, says dark, leafy greens and whole foods are are among the best sources for antioxidants.

"Foods contatin a variety of phytonutrients," which are known to prevent many health disorders, she says. Dietary supplements do not have the same properties, adds Haar, and she does not promote them.

Haar made her comments in response to a new study that found that dietary supplements with antioxidants have not reduced the incidence of cancer.

 

SoA&D Associate Dean Frank Mruk on Brazilian Design Icons

Jul 06, 2014

School of Architecture and Design Associate Dean Frank Mruk spoke extensively to CCTV America in a broadcast news segment about Brazil's leading designers, Oscar Niemeyer and Jorge Zalszupin. 

A NYC gallery recently featured furniture designed by both men.  Mruk says Niemeyer and Zalszupin rejected rigid architectural notions, and their ideas were compatible and complementary..