Support for Research and Student Initiatives
Support for Research and Student Initiatives
Support for Research and Student Initatives
Through the support of alumni and friends, New York Tech has facilitated valuable hands-on experiences for many students through research and other professional activities in 2024. Here are just a few highlights.
Through the support of alumni and friends, New York Tech has facilitated valuable hands-on experiences for many students through research and other professional activities in 2024. Here are just a few highlights.
NYITCOM student Manrose Singh and Associate Professor Dong Zhang, Ph.D., conduct research in the Center for Cancer Research.
Center for Cancer Research: Frank and Ann Russo
At New York Institute of Technology’s Center for Cancer Research, faculty from across schools collaborate on multidisciplinary approaches to understand the mechanisms of cancer, develop innovative technologies for earlier detection and diagnosis, and discover novel therapies.
In 2024, Frank and Ann Russo provided support to the Center for Cancer Research to allow students to present their work. For example, funding from the Russos paid for the publication of a case report written by multiple medical students and faculty titled “A case of malignant transformation of a serous borderline ovarian tumor effectively treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitor combination” in Gynecologic Oncology Reports (see student names below).
Funding was also used to support College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) student Vani Gupta in attending and presenting at the Annual American Radium Society Conference in California.
Students in Gynecologic Oncology Reports
The medical students, many of whom are in the D.O./Ph.D. program, involved in “A case of malignant transformation of a serous borderline ovarian tumor effectively treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitor combination” were:
• Manrose Singh
• Samatha Cornwell
• Ariel Shaddaie
• Leah Wachsmuth
• Ashwin Ragupathi
NYITCOM students at the inaugural CORK conference.
Conference on Osteopathic Research and Knowledge: Jordan Keys (D.O. ’10)
In June, osteopathic physicians and scientists from around the world traveled to New York Tech’s Long Island campus, where they joined members of the NYITCOM community for the inaugural Conference on Osteopathic Research and Knowledge (CORK).
CORK was founded by Jordan Keys (D.O. ’10), NYITCOM associate professor and director of the Osteopathic Medicine Center, and Kimberly Wolf, D.O., associate professor and director of pediatric osteopathic manipulative medicine at Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, in collaboration with the nonprofit Osteopathy’s Promise to Children.
Attendees participated in workshops.
Attendees, including NYITCOM students, actively participated in lectures, personalized mentoring breakout sessions, and hands-on osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) workshops on topics such as how OMT may improve the lives of patients with heart conditions, long-term COVID-19, cancer, and many other pressing health issues.
Sponsorship funding allowed NYITCOM to offer the conference at a lower price point, which permitted more people to attend. The funding also provided opportunities to bring renowned speakers who have now started to help mentor students. Funds were also used to sponsor students otherwise unable to afford the conference, as well as help with student research awards and student researcher travel expenses.“As an experimental scientist with a love for optical physics, this project was a dream come true,” says Gilson. “I am tremendously thankful that the fellowship provided an opportunity for me to work at NASA.”
From left: NYITCOM Professor Sheldon Yao, American Osteopathic Association President Ira Monka, Associate Professor Kimberly Wolf, New York Tech President Henry C. Foley, Associate Professor Jordan Keys, and NYITCOM Dean Nicole Wadsworth at CORK.
Edward Guiliano Global Fellowships Help Students Make Ideas a Reality
For the past 10 years, the Edward Guiliano Global Fellowship Program has given more than 180 New York Tech students the opportunity to participate in experiential-based learning opportunities around the globe that unite academics and culture.
Among this year’s cohort was student Chaya Konig, who traveled to Ohio in April for her project “My Music: Creating Independent Play Opportunities for Children with Motor Impairments.” Six children aged 2 to 7 with a neurodegenerative condition called Canavan disease engaged in independent play for the first time.
The children were fitted with Muse 2 headsets that allowed them to produce music using just their brain waves. After the project, Konig interviewed the children’s caregivers and sent them a digital copy of the music their child produced.
“I had the idea for this project for a while,” says Konig. “Seeing the results made me realize that it is my responsibility to bring this idea to fruition. Thank you, Edward Guiliano Global Fellowship, for making this a reality.”
Another student who benefited from the funding was Avery Gilson, a physics student who spent 10 days in August at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
Gilson pursued his project “Research on Polarization Aberrations at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center,” in which he worked in the Habitable Worlds Observatory—the first telescope designed specifically to search for signs of life on planets orbiting other stars. For his research, Gilson mathematically modeled polarization aberrations in the primary mirror of a telescope.
“As an experimental scientist with a love for optical physics, this project was a dream come true,” says Gilson.
“I am tremendously thankful that the fellowship provided an opportunity for me to work at NASA.” – Avery Gilson
Donations Help Underrepresented Students Attend National Conference
The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is a student-driven organization committed to supporting underrepresented minority medical students and addressing the health needs of underserved communities.
SNMA empowers its members with educational resources and networking opportunities, such as the annual SNMA National Conference Annual Medical Education Conference (AMEC). To help more students afford to attend AMEC, Philesha Teape, president of NYITCOM’s SNMA chapter in 2023, and Serena M. Jones, SNMA’s 2023 vice president, began the SNMA Travel Fund, which raised $17,000 in 2024.
“AMEC stands as the largest assembly of underrepresented medical and premedical students, and the support we received allowed NYITCOM students to embark on an uplifting and inspiring journey that will stay with them throughout their careers in medicine,” says Teape, who was among the recipients of funding to attend the conference in 2024.
The largest supporter of the SNMA Travel Fund this year was Raysha Crawford (D.O. ’14), a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board, who contributed $10,000 to help “give students as many opportunities as possible.”
“When I was a medical student, I was a part of SNMA; to be able to support their activities and the underrepresented students who benefit from them makes a lot of sense to me,” says Crawford, who is a physician through telehealth provider Amwell. “Through SNMA and in general, we need to support our minority students and doctors so that underrepresented communities can get better access to healthcare.”
From left: Philesha Teape, Raysha Crawford, and Serena M. Jones
New York Institute of Technology Annual Report © 2025 All Rights Reserved
New York Institute of Technology Annual Report © 2025 All Rights Reserved