New York Institute of Technology students are helping local residents get vaccinated through a volunteer effort known as The New York Tech Medical Outreach Program: COVID-19 Vaccine Assistance Group. While vaccination is key to stopping the spread of COVID-19, the process of registering for a vaccine can be confusing, especially for non-English speakers and those without access to technology. That's where the group's volunteers come in. Students assist New York residents, as well as some New York City workers who live out-of-state, with registering for vaccine appointments. The volunteers are responsible for interviewing patients and are trained to answer questions regarding the advantages and side effects of all available COVID-19 vaccines. They also assist people in choosing the best vaccine for their circumstances based on existing health issues, work and school time constraints, and other common challenges. "We help people who do not have access to computers, non-English speakers, hearing and visually impaired, and people who are not tech-savvy," says Laura Friedland, senior specialist at New York Tech's Department of Nursing, who launched the volunteer program. "For people with language barriers, we've helped with translations, and for those who cannot afford printers, we've printed numerous tickets. We've also raised money to provide transportation for families who cannot afford transportation to the site." During the last weekend in April, some volunteers assisted underserved communities in Port Washington, N.Y., not far from the Long Island campus. In collaboration with the office of New York State Assembly Member Gina Sillitti, students went door-to-door, registering residents for an upcoming pop-up neighborhood vaccination event. To date, the New York Tech Medical Outreach Program: COVID-19 Vaccine Assistance Group has registered more than 6,200 people across all five boroughs of New York City, Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Westchester County. The group has also assisted New Jersey residents who work in New York City.

Three New York Tech students have been recognized by the New York City Mayor's office for completing over 100 hours of volunteer service during the last year. Now in its second year, the Mayoral Service Recognition Awards program seeks to highlight exceptional volunteer projects in New York City.

New York Tech recognizes the student orator who will deliver congratulatory speeches to fellow members of the Class of 2021 at this year's Hooding ceremony for NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, taking place on May 24.

More than 135 undergraduate and graduate students showcased their research and creative scholarly work at New York Tech's annual Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE) held virtually on April 23. SOURCE highlights both student-faculty collaborations and interdisciplinary education. Throughout the day, students shared their research projects in the form of verbal presentations and poster presentations. Research topics ranged from the impact of sound on mood and memory to health policy research on marijuana, studies on cancer prevention, and the psychological impact of architecture, among many other subjects. View all the projects shared at this year's SOURCE.

Read the full story in The Box blog. Dozens of New York Institute of Technology students, including medical students at NYITCOM, as well as several undergraduates, contributed chapters on animal locomotion (walking) to the Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. The project, managed by NYITCOM's Michael Granatosky, Ph.D., assistant professor of anatomy, offered students a golden opportunity to conduct academic research during a time when the pandemic otherwise limited students' opportunities to gain valuable research experience. It also complemented their traditional coursework. Since animals and humans share many of the same bones, organs, and tissues, studying animal locomotion allowed medical students to gain additional context and nuance for their human anatomy lessons. For instance, pigs and cows commonly serve as predictive models for osteoarthritis in humans. Studying animal locomotion can also be helpful for future mechanical engineers and scientists. Many of today's robots are built as a form of "biomimicry," meaning that machines imitate elements found in nature, including animal movement. For example, NASA's "space custodian" is a robot designed to collect debris orbiting the earth. Inspired by the gecko, whose feet have tiny hairs for suction, the robot clears space debris using a suction method to prevent potential collisions with other spacecraft. In February 2021, all 27 chapters were published. Each chapter shares insight on the locomotive patterns of animals, ranging from bats, falcons, and horses, to lemurs, salamanders, and many other quadrupeds (four-limbed creatures). A few of the themes covered include the stride patterns of dogs depending on domestication, the precision and speed of sharks, and the various forms of flight that hawks can perform.

More than 560 students received degrees from New York Institute of Technology as fall graduates of the Class of 2020.

Seven future physicians from NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine's (NYITCOM) Class of 2021 have matched into U.S. military residencies. Upon graduating from medical school, physicians must complete a residency training program and obtain a medical license to practice medicine in the United States and become board certified in a specialty. Medical residencies last three to five years for primary care physicians, with other specialties requiring additional years. While the "civilian" match will take place on March 19, 2021, medical students who have committed to military service for their residency are matched early in the year. "Military physicians play a critical role in defending our freedom, providing timely and skilled care to those making the ultimate sacrifice for our country," said Nicole Wadsworth, D.O., dean of NYITCOM. "We salute our student doctors who have voluntarily taken the charge to support and care for the service members that protect us all." Military physicians deliver health care services to military personnel and their families and work in a variety of settings, including hospital ships and international medical centers, among others. Physicians enlisted in the military may also participate in international relief and humanitarian efforts, helping to care for the victims of natural disasters and other events requiring medical stability operations. "I am incredibly proud of these outstanding student doctors, and I congratulate them on their remarkable achievements," said Shane Speights, D.O., site dean, NYITCOM-Arkansas. "We, as an institution, have tremendous respect for the work and sacrifice made by those who serve our country, and we are honored that these students have chosen this path of service as they continue their medical education." U.S. Army matches include: Steven Camacho (NYITCOM-Long Island), who will complete a family medicine residency at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Kimberly Fletcher (NYITCOM-Arkansas), who will complete a psychiatry residency at Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood, Texas. Zai Ganesh (NYITCOM-Long Island), who will complete an internal medicine residency at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Jessica Gregory (NYITCOM-Long Island), who will complete a psychiatry residency at Walter Reid National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Danny McIntyre (NYITCOM-Arkansas), who will complete a transitional year residency program at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Fort Gordon, Ga. U.S. Air Force matches include: Benjamin Tartter (NYITCOM-Long Island), who will complete an emergency medicine residency at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. U.S. Navy matches include: Craig Mills (NYITCOM-Long Island), who will complete a transitional year/flight surgery residency in Portsmouth, Va. "My time in the Navy was one of the greatest and most rewarding experiences of my life, and I'm thrilled for our students who are certain to gain similar invaluable lessons as they begin their graduate medical education and enter active duty in the military," said Amanda Deel, D.O., associate dean of academic affairs at NYITCOM-Arkansas. Deel spent five years in the U.S. Navy following her completion of medical school and provided expert guidance to NYITCOM-Arkansas Student Doctors Kimberly Fletcher and Danny McIntyre throughout the match process. After graduation from NYITCOM, the future physicians will begin their Graduate Medical Education (GME) in conjunction with service to their country. They will take the military oath of office at NYITCOM's 2021 hooding ceremonies this spring.

More than 60 college students completed New York Institute of Technology's rigorous Internship Certificate Program during fall 2020, earning valuable hands-on experience and developing skills in a wide range of work environments.

New York Tech congratulates the 463 students named to the Fall 2020 Dean's List.

As seen in The Box, two NYIT College of Engineering and Computing Sciences students have been awarded the Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Scholarship (CySP). Zachary Singleton, a graduate student studying cybersecurity, and Michael Valenzuela, an undergraduate student pursuing a bachelor's degree in computer science-network security, will each receive the full cost of tuition, books, and required fees. In exchange for a full scholarship, the students will perform a service obligation with the DoD as civilian employees. The DoD gives the scholarship as a grant to designated Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) schools. Only students at designated CAE-CDE schools are permitted to apply for the scholarship. The scholarship program is designed to encourage the recruitment of the nation's top cyber talent and the retention of DoD personnel who have skills necessary to meet DoD's cyber requirements and help secure our nation against threats of information systems and networks.

In August, four New York Institute of Technology students assisted university instructors in virtually teaching twenty-one rising sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students during the weeklong Middle School Summer Maker Academy. Lessons and workshops informed middle schoolers about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) topics and careers, as well as United Nations Sustainability Development Goals. The program included five days of lessons and concluded with a showcase of the students' final challenge, building a Clean Cargo Allocation Ready Truck. The project was required to meet the main objectives set forth by U.N. Sustainability Development Goal #3, to "ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages." The event was hosted by NYIT College of Engineering and Computing Sciences and NYIT College of Arts and Sciences, and was made possible through a Voya Foundation grant.

New York Institute of Technology welcomes its newest students for the fall 2020 semester.

Sixty-six students completed New York Institute of Technology's rigorous Internship Certificate Program during spring 2020, earning valuable hands-on experience, developing resilience in a real-life work environment, and honing other skills related to their chosen professions.

New York Institute of Technology student-athletes scored big in the classroom in fall 2019. In all, 127 student-athletes achieved at least a 3.2 GPA last semester.

On October 23, students in New York Institute of Technology's nursing program received their white coats. The Nursing White Coat Ceremony signifies the transition from classroom learning to clinical learning, and represents a formal welcome into the nursing profession. It is held each fall semester of the students' junior year, before beginning their first clinical experience in health facilities.

On May 20, a team of second-year physician assistant studies students took first place in the Yes, I Scan: Ultrasound Student Workshop and Competition. At the competition, held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Team Sonic Boom competed for the top honor against 36 other teams from physician assistant (PA) programs across the country. Team members demonstrated their ultrasound skills in a variety of clinical circumstances. One instance included the use of portable ultrasonography at a patient's bedside to quickly and correctly diagnose shock from a pulmonary embolism, which was caused by deep vein thrombosis of the leg. The students then also ordered the appropriate labs and treatment protocol.

On May 15, New York Institute of Technology students presented their work at the Film and Animation Festival, an annual event held by the institution's Communication Arts and Digital Art and Design departments. The showcase took place at the NYIT Auditorium on Broadway and included a diverse mix of student artwork ranging from short films, 2D animation, 3D animation, motion graphics, commercials, and more.

Fifty-eight students were inducted into two business honor societies at NYIT School of Management's end-of-year awards ceremony.

Five students have been named to the executive board of New York Institute of Technology's Student Government Association (SGA) for the Long Island campus for the 2019-2020 academic year.

New York Institute of Technology recognizes members of public relations firm the Carleton Group, a student-run group who served local nonprofit organizations during fall semester by designing logos, slogans, videos, and even stickers. Clients included the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, General Needs, the Congregational Church of Manhasset, and novelist John J. Dunn (Who Shot the School Board?).

NYIT recognizes 11 architecture students who recently completed a tour of Italy to research redevelopment of decommissioned power stations. The tour of industrial sites across the country was the culmination of classwork initiated in New York.

Twenty-eight students from NYIT College of Engineering and Computing Sciences attended the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Conference in Minneapolis, Minn., October 17 - 20. SWE is one of the largest conferences for women engineers but is open to anyone interested in attending.

Welcome to eSports, a skyrocketing industry and a new frontier on the collegiate athletics scene, where NYIT is poised to become a major player. eSports viewership is expected to reach 380 million this year, (according to market intelligence firm Newzoo), and by 2020, this segment of the video game industry is expected to generate $1.4 billion in advertising, sponsorships, tickets, merchandising, and media rights. "The world of eSports is such a phenomenon," says Dan Velez, NYIT director of athletics and recreation. "It's become more legitimized now that major TV networks like ABC and ESPN are televising matches." Higher education has also taken notice: More than 80 collegiate eSports teams have launched in the United States, according to the National Association of Collegiate Esports. In January 2017, the CyBears, NYIT's first-ever eSports team, officially launched with eight players; this fall, the CyBears are competing in the East Coast Conference's (ECC) inaugural eSports season. The Fall 2018 roster includes 30 students from NYIT's Long Island and New York City campuses who play the top eSports competitive games including Overwatch, League Of Legends, and Rainbow 6 Siege, among others. "I do consider eSports a sport because there is a lot of mental energy required," says Velez. "You have to learn to adapt to situations and possess a specialized skill set. The eye-hand coordination of an eSports athlete is through the roof." The overall commitment to their game makes eSports athletes similar to their traditional counterparts where focus, discipline, time management, and dedication are paramount. To welcome the CyBears to their ECC eSports debut, NYIT is building a new facility for them to practice and compete on the Long Island campus. NYIT has also launched a Center for eSports Medicine to understand the injuries and physical fitness of cyber-athletes and has introduced a customized bachelor's degree program tailored for students interested in emerging video game careers.