New York Institute of Technology

The student-athletes achieved a 3.2 or better GPA in the spring 2019 semester, and qualified for the university's Athletic Director's Honor Roll. Thirteen student-athletes actually produced perfect 4.0 GPAs: Julia Andor, Kaitlyn Byrnes, Ashley Claud, Diego Espiniella, Madisyn Hausch, Jean Kehyayan, Kylie Lacerte, Veronika Nemcova, Ane Rake, Ruth Rodriguez, Martin Sundell, Pol Zapata and Ann-Kathrin Zilles.

While some medical students took a summer break from their research, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) student Connor Abramowicz spent his summer researching cancer treatments at the birthplace of DNA's double helix: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. Growing up on Long Island's north shore, Abramowicz's family would often visit Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's science expositions. So when his application to be part of an investigation at the historic research lab was accepted, he took full advantage of the opportunity. Abramowicz joined the research lab of Jason Sheltzer, Ph.D., who studies aneuploid tumors, tumors with cells containing the wrong number of chromosomes. "Dr. Sheltzer wanted the perspective of a medical student, as most of the people in the lab came from a research background. I was extremely lucky to be offered a position at such a prestigious institution," he said. In their study published in Science Translational Medicine, the researchers wanted to understand why the failure rate is so high to determine how future therapies, namely targeted cancer therapies, could be more effective. When a new drug is tested in a clinical trial for a particular type of cancer, 97 percent of the time that new drug does not make it to market. However, the reasons why so many of these drugs fail is not well understood. They discovered, in the case of targeted cancer therapies, that these treatments may not be hitting their intended targets. Unlike other cancer treatments like chemotherapy, targeted therapies, which are used to treat many common cancers such as breast cancer, are meant to be aimed at the particular genes, proteins, or tissues that cancer cells need to grow and thrive. The researchers used CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis, the gold standard of genome editing tools, to see whether ten different targeted treatments were working as intended. They found that the drugs were not effective because they were missing the mark and targeting proteins not essential for cancer cell proliferation-a phenomenon known as off-target toxicity. Their work suggests that one of the reasons why some targeted treatments may fail in clinical trials is because the drugs are not designed properly. The researchers believe their study will spur more investigations into why so many cancer drugs are ineffective, with the hope that their work will pave the way for better treatments. The research was especially inspiring for Abramowicz, who hopes to one day become an oncologist. "Cancer treatment is an extremely important topic in modern medicine because it's one of the few diseases that we're still trying to treat effectively," he said. "Knowing what each cancer medication does in terms of its mechanism of action is important in producing a well-rounded medication profile."

For 10 days in July, 12 students in NYIT School of Health Professions traveled to Greece on a medical outreach program to work with refugees.

New York Institute of Technology recognizes spring semester's Consultants for the Public Good, who work individually and in teams to carry out projects for local non-profit and government organizations. Consultants are paired with community groups that need their skills with support from NYIT's Office of International and Experiential Education.

New York Institute of Technology congratulates more than 1,000 students who were named to the Spring 2019 President's List.

New York Institute of Technology congratulates more than 580 students who were named to the Spring 2019 Dean's List.

More than 100 students completed New York Institute of Technology's rigorous Internship Certificate Program during Spring 2019, earning valuable hands-on experience and developing skills in a wide range of work environments.

New York Institute of Technology congratulates the graduates who received their academic degrees at the university's 58th annual commencement, held in Old Westbury on May 19, 2019.

New York Institute of Technology Athletics placed 134 student-athletes on the East Coast Conference (ECC) Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2018-19 academic year. Student-athletes who earned at least a 3.25 GPA for the academic year earned the honor. Additionally, New York Institute of Technology men's lacrosse, men's and women's tennis, and Esports teams had the highest GPAs of any team in their respective sports in the ECC for the 2018-19 academic year.

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.

New York Institute of Technology's student orientation leaders are gearing up to welcome new students ahead of the fall semester. Orientation leaders serve as the main point of contact for new students and their families during New Student Orientation. In addition to leading several large-group sessions, they also facilitate small-group discussions with new students on campus resources, academic success, and life as an NYIT student.

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.

New York Institute of Technology's School of Management presented academic and achievement awards to 68 students who demonstrated outstanding performance throughout the 2018-19 academic year.

New York Institute of Technology recognizes nine finalists who responded to a design challenge to create technology targeting one of the UN's seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. The students, from NYIT College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, worked in teams on a range of software and hardware projects. The competition is one of a series of challenges organized by the Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center.

Valedictory award ceremonies held May 15 and May 16 honored Class of 2019 students from New York Institute of Technology's Occupational Therapy (OT) program. Students were recognized for their academic achievements, research, and community involvement.

On May 17, the 2019 graduates from New York Institute of Technology's physician assistant (PA) studies program were welcomed into the profession with a white coat ceremony. White coat ceremonies are a rite of passage celebrating the completion of a student's training as he or she graduates and goes on to pursue a career as a PA. In marking the transition into professional life, the event centers around the symbolic awarding of a new long white coat, to replace the short student white coat worn daily to class and clerkships.

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.

On May 16, the 56 nursing students from New York Institute of Technology's Class of 2019 were welcomed into the profession with a pinning ceremony. Nursing school pinning ceremonies are a rite of passage celebrating the completion of a student's training as he or she graduates and goes on to pursue a career as an RN.

Fifteen NYIT students from New York City and Long Island campuses formed eight teams and competed in the fifth ETIC Cybersecurity Hackathon. Teams had to solve an encryption problem, use the solution to unlock the next challenge, and so on until all the problems, in order of increasing difficulty, were solved. First, second, and third prizes were awarded to the fastest teams to solve all 15 problems.

New York Institute of Technology awarded Edward Guiliano Global Fellowships to seven students to carry out travel-related projects during summer and fall of 2019.

On May 8 New York Institute of Technology students presented research and posters at this year's Alethia Annual Research Symposium. Organized by NYIT School of Health Professions and held at the NYIT Long Island campus in Old Westbury, N.Y., the event's name comes from the Greek word for "truth," encouraging the future professionals to find passion in their work. Among the many topics covered by this year's projects and poster presentations were Parkinson's disease, the effects of vaping, the relationship between exercise and grades, and more. NYIT School of Health Professions prepares students for rewarding careers in fast-growing health professions, including Clinical Nutrition, Health Sciences/Health and Wellness, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, and Physical Therapy.

Twenty-eight students were inducted into the NYIT chapter of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society.

New York Institute of Technology presented student life awards to 18 students who showed leadership, served the university, and enhanced fellow students' experience throughout the 2018-19 academic year.

One hundred twenty-one students were inducted into the New York Institute of Technology chapter of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society.

On May 2, students from NYIT School of Health Professions were inducted into The Alpha Eta Honor Society, the national scholastic honor society for allied health students. With the motto "Together We Serve," Alpha Eta promotes and recognizes significant scholarship, leadership, and contributions to the allied health professions.

On April 19, medical students from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University (NYITCOM at A-State) participated in the second annual "Shave to Save" event. The event raised more than $8,000 for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, the world's largest private funder of childhood cancer research. The medical students solicited donations from friends and family. Many of those who reached their fundraising goal shaved their heads, while others cut their hair short and donated their locks to organizations that make wigs for cancer patients. According to the National Pediatric Foundation, only 4 percent of federal government cancer research funding goes towards pediatric cancer studies, so events like Shave to Save are incredibly important to fill the funding gap.

More than 160 student researchers presented their work at NYIT's "SOURCE" (Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression), sponsored by NYIT College of Arts and Sciences. Students presented in groups or individually, giving oral presentations or exhibiting posters featuring their research findings.

Fifteen students from NYIT College of Engineering and Computer Sciences enjoyed a guided tour of the Mid-Day Storage Yard, part of the Metropolitan Transport Authority's (M.T.A.) enormous East Side Access (E.S.A.) project. The train storage yard, still under construction, is in Sunnyside, Queens, and forms part of one of North America's largest public works projects.

Medical students from NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) made an impressive showing at Educating Leaders 2019, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) annual conference. The event, which was held from April 9 through April 13 in Washington D.C., is the largest osteopathic medical education event in the United States. This year, NYITCOM students shared findings on topics such as rural health care, science and health education for K-12 students, and the role of virtual reality in medical school education, among many other topics.