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.

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

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.

Despite the challenges of a global pandemic, four undergraduate students at New York Institute of Technology collaborated to build a functioning robotic arm. Working under the guidance of Aydin Farajidavar, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of electrical and computer engineering, the collaboration was part of a senior design project for completion of the B.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering. When COVID-19 forced New York Tech's campuses into remote learning, the group pivoted quickly, understanding that flexibility with resources and location were necessary to complete their project. The team overcame pandemic challenges by working in shifts of two people at a time and between two places: a student's home and the senior design lab in Harry Schure Hall at New York Tech's Long Island campus. Group members wore masks when they were together, and all other communication was done remotely. Read the full story and see a video of the arm in action on New York Tech's The Box blog: https://www.nyit.edu/box/features/students_arm_themselves_with_innovation

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.

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.

When COVID-19 ravaged supplies of personal protective equipment and ventilators in the spring, medical students from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) assisted in critical efforts to provide hospitals with the necessary gear. As impending shortages loomed, the medical students supported faculty and partners of NYITCOM's Center for Biomedical Innovation in bridging the gap between supply and demand. Adhering to National Institutes of Health (NIH) standards, the team used 3-D printers to produce ventilator Y-splitters, as well as other prototypes and equipment.

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.

More than 350 New York Institute of Technology students completed community-based service-learning projects in support of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) during the Fall 2019 semester. In service-learning, the theory or concept of a course is paired with a social issue in the community. Students learn key concepts and then apply the lessons to solve a problem for the public good. The critical thinking gained from performing these community-based projects can also build valuable soft skills that employers are looking for, including confidence and interpersonal skills. A total of 353 students completed more than 170 hours of service-learning on projects that had a $4,361 economic impact. Students overcame challenges in a variety of STEAM-based projects that took them into New York City public schools, where one group taught music theory and another team analyzed children's body language. Students also completed STEAM-based projects that tackled challenges such as Long Island's food waste and transit sustainability.

During a recent elementary school visit to the New York Institute of Technology Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center (ETIC), seven New York Tech students helped children to become computer scientists and engineers for a day. The NYIT College of Engineering and Computing Sciences students joined Michael Nizich, Ph.D., ETIC director, in leading fifth-graders from Idle Hour Elementary School (Oakdale, N.Y.) in hands-on STEM activities that introduced them to emerging technologies and strategic problem-solving. The college students helped children draw up ideas to meet United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and then assisted the fifth-graders in prototyping their concepts using pipe cleaners, Legos, and erector sets. New York Tech students also demonstrated and helped the children to experiment with technology such as robotics, mixed reality, computer-aided design (CAD), 3D printing, video game design, and computer simulations. The children also learned about potential careers in engineering fields, including Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Cybersecurity.

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.