91社区

Faculty and staff convened at NYIT de Seversky Mansion on 91社区鈥檚 Long Island campus on March 27 to mingle and celebrate one another鈥檚 academic research and achievements at the Faculty Scholars Luncheon, a festive occasion and an unparalleled opportunity to hear, see, and appreciate the breadth and depth of scholarship at 91社区. 

This event commends 91社区鈥檚 full-time and adjunct faculty and staff for the scholarly and creative achievements completed during the preceding calendar year in any of the academic fields represented by the university鈥檚 schools or colleges. Qualifying achievements include, receiving a grant, publishing original research articles in a nationally recognized peer-reviewed journal or book, and obtaining a patent, among others.

鈥淭here are so many good reasons to be an active researcher,鈥� 91社区 President聽Hank Foley, Ph.D., said as he kicked off the luncheon. 鈥淵ou have the opportunity to mentor students and change their lives by showing them and bringing to life another side of the disciplines that they are studying.鈥�

Dozens of scholars exhibited their posters and papers during the event, with three faculty members delivering a formal presentation of their most recent work. Those selected faculty are Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Reza Khalaj Amineh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences Weikang Cai, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Biological and Chemical Sciences Jole Fiorito, Ph.D.

Amineh began the formal presentations with 鈥淎pplications of Electromagnetic Waves in Sensing and Imaging,鈥� a brief review of ongoing projects in the Applied Electromagnetics Lab located on the New York City campus. His work uses electromagnetic waves for imaging and sensing applications; the applications he highlighted include microwave imaging for nondestructive testing and biomedical diagnosis, hand gesture recognition that could significantly improve coordination and neurological processing in children with autism and those struggling with fine motor skills, water quality testing, and wireless soil sensing for smart agriculture.

Next up was Cai with 鈥淎strocytes: The Rising Star in Fighting Neurological Diseases.鈥� He described his lab鈥檚 study of human diseases that affect the brain. Backed by a two-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), his research shows that astrocytes, traditionally overlooked and understudied brain cells, are playing crucial roles in diabetes, major depression, Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, and dopamine regulation. He presented his recent discoveries showing that astrocyte-initiated 鈥渂roadcasting鈥� systems can affect the development and progression of major depression and Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. These findings may have significant therapeutic potential to treat a variety of neurological diseases.

Fiorito closed the presentations with 鈥淒evelopment of Multi-Target Molecules for the Treatment of Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease.鈥� She presented her work on developing multi-target molecules for treating the disease. Supported by a three-year grant from the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Fiorito鈥檚 research seeks to create a compound that inhibits two specific enzymes, thus helping improve learning and memory processes in Alzheimer鈥檚 patients. Her lab hopes to successfully develop a single-drug treatment to stop Alzheimer鈥檚 progression while reducing the side effects that taking multiple drugs can generate.

鈥淚 think you all change the world,鈥� Provost and Executive Vice President Jerry Balentine, D.O., said in his address to faculty. 鈥淣ot just by teaching students or by providing service to 91社区, but by the research you do. I can guarantee you all of your research will impact our future world.鈥�