CSI has been named a STEM Jobs Approved College

The College of Staten Island (CSI)  has been designated a 2016-17 STEM Jobs^SM Approved College by Victory Media, the leader in connecting young professionals with education and career opportunities, and creator of STEM Jobs^SM media and resources for students interested in science, technology, engineering and math. The 2016-17 STEM Jobs^SM Approved Colleges survey rates universities, colleges, community colleges and trade schools on their ability and responsiveness to connecting programs and students with high-demand, high-growth STEM occupations.

For additional information, visit the STEM Jobs^SM Web site.

Dr. Morgado inducted to ANLE

College of Staten Island (CSI) professor Nuria Morgado, PhD, Associate Professor of Spanish was officially welcomed to the American Academy of the Spanish Language (ANLE).

Morgado was inducted after a thorough dissection of the philosophical foundations in the poetry of Antonio Machado and a clear description of the contributions of Emmanuel Kant, Johann Fichte and Emmanuel Lévinas to the poet’s thinking.

“From his first book Soledades (1903) to Nuevas canciones (1924) through Campos de Castilla (1912), the first edition of Poesías completas (1917) and the writings of his apocryphal Abel Martín and Juan de Mairena, the theme of Otherness has occupied to a great extent the thought of Antonio Machado, “said Dr. Morgado, who earned a PhD in Spanish literature from the University of Arizona and a journalism degree from the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

She ​​defined the otherness “as the experience of difference, investigating how this difference can challenge the systems of classification, interpretation and social categorization.”

“For Machado,” said the new inductee, during the event held in the auditorium of the King Juan Carlos I Center at New York University, “the concept of otherness is almost always conceived through a poetic-philosophical praxis that tries to understand how the Self interacts with the world, and how the experienced Self learns from this complex interaction. Machado asks ‘how can one establish meaningful communication with the Other in the world?’”

After pointing out that Antonio Machado emphasizes the importance of the Other in the Self, surpassing in this way the rationalistic solipsism of both Leibniz (windowless monads) and that of Kant (categorical imperative), Morgado declared that for the Spanish poet “one must transcend the totalizing thought and adhere to the infinite inquiries about unity and difference.”

Precisely in the presentation of the new inductee, the information coordinator of the ANLE, Daniel Fernández, highlighted the fruitful work of Morgado as editor and reviewer. “I find admirable her task of opening spaces for others to publish,” he said of his new colleague whom he defined as “Catalan from Barcelona, ​​Andalusian, Hispanic and Trans-Hispanic.”

Finally he praised the persistent commitment of Dr. Morgado for “building bridges of communication between literature and philosophy.”

Dr. Shen in his lab.

Chang-Hui Shen, PhD, Professor of Biology at the College of Staten Island (CSI), is the recipient of a three-year North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) grant award.

“The threat of terrorist attacks together with the increasing danger of local wars require a constant search and elaboration of new means for their counteracting. In the current project, we are proposing development of a portable, field-employable detector for assessing genotoxicity produced by explosives. On the basis of the enhanced sensitivity of living cells, the device will quickly, correctly, and confidently evaluate the genotoxicity danger for people’s health of CBRN agents. The use of the detector will enable the authorized personnel to estimate the situation and execute all appropriate measures to secure the respective polluted area,” according to Dr. Shen.

The efforts are a collaboration  between Dr. Shen’s lab, as well as labs in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Turkey.

“I am very pleased with the news of this three-year NATO award. Fostering new international collaborations, strengthening our research portfolio, and increasing the scope and number of research opportunities for the students are all part of the vision we have for the Division of Science and Technology. No doubt, this grant is well aligned with that vision,” commented Vivian Incera, PhD, Professor of Physics and Dean of Science and Technology.

Alejandra del Carmen Alonso, PhD, Professor in the Department of Biology and Director of the Center for Developmental Neuroscience, believes, “This award will allow Dr. Shen to increase his research and provide more opportunities with his students working in the lab, including the use of new molecular biology and DNA recombinant technology that we can integrate into molecular biology courses, and students will benefit from it.”

“The Biology Department is very proud of Dr. Shen’s award, an international collaboration that brings the opportunity of growth and exposure for research at CSI. ​In the name of the Biology Department, I would like congratulate Dr. Shen on his achievements and wish him good luck with this new research project,” said Dr. Alonso.

CSI has ranked 2nd on Fulbright Scholars Top-Producing List for Master's Institutions

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs recently announced the U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2016-2017 Fulbright U.S. Scholars. The College of Staten Island (CSI) is a top-producing Fulbright Scholar institution, receiving the second most Fulbright awards in a ranking of Master’s Institutions.

With fifteen Fulbright awards since 2000, CSI received three awards just this past academic year. Ava Chin, PhD, and Ying Zhu, PhD, received 2016-2017 Fulbright Awards, and CSI administrator Monika Wojciechowski was also selected for the 2016 Fulbright International Education Administrator (IEA) Program in Japan.

Dr. Chin is currently lecturing on U.S. journalism, focusing on food and popular culture in China, and Dr. Zhu, who has been awarded a Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship, is conducting research in China, primarily based in the Shanghai Film Academy.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 370,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. More than 1,100 U.S. college and university faculty and administrators, professionals, artists, journalists, scientists, lawyers, and independent scholars are awarded Fulbright grants to teach and/or conduct research annually. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program operates in more than 125 countries throughout the world. Lists of Fulbright Scholar recipients are available on their Web site.

History of Fulbright Scholars

2016-2017

Ava Chin, PhD

Monika Wojciechowski

Ying Zhu, PhD

2015-2016

Irina Sekerina, PhD

2010-2011

Sarah Berger, PhD

Prosper Bernard

2009-2010

Barbara Clark

2007-2008

Jane Marcus-Delgado, PhD

2006-2007

Susan Smith-Peter, PhD

Cindy Wong, PhD

2004-2005

Alan Zimmerman, DPS

2003-2004

Nan Sussman, PhD

2001-2002

Daniel Fuchs

Peter Simpson, PhD

2000-2001

Stefano Harney

CSI faculty members have received grants from the NSF and the NIH.

Adding to the impressive array of substantial grants received by College of Staten Island (CSI) faculty are several new and well-deserved federal awards.

Professor Christina Tortora, PhD, has received a $740,000 grant to continue her research in linguistics. The collaborative research grant includes CSI as the “Lead Institution,” as well as the University of Pennsylvania, Queens College, and Lehman College.

According to Dr. Tortora’s grant proposal, “The Corpus of New York City English (CoNYCE) is an in-progress project that aims to further the study of New York City English (namely, the varieties of English particular to New York City and the surrounding region), through the development and use of an innovative audio-aligned and parsed corpus of New Yorkers’ speech.”

“I was thrilled to receive positive news from the NSF so early in the process,” said Dr. Tortora, a 16-year veteran at CSI. This is her seventh National Science Foundation (NSF) and ninth federally funded grant.

The CoNYCE “will combine recent advances in speech corpus development tools with the special talents and backgrounds of CUNY undergraduates to create a database that will be a resource for researchers in all areas of linguistics.  In so doing it will provide extremely valuable research opportunities and experiences for CUNY undergraduates,” according to Dr. Tortora.

During the 42-month grant, Dr. Tortora will recruit students from her course “Methods in Linguistic Research,” a class replicated at Queens College and Lehman College, to conduct 200 interviews with people living in New York. The goal is to get one million words recorded, the industry standard for this kind of work, and, according to Dr. Tortora, this student involvement is “really key.”

“Our students are perfectly positioned for this, and they are so excited about the prospect of interviewing a person of their own choosing. They are excited to contribute something of value, and they are committed to doing it right,” noted Dr. Tortora, who is also working closely with CSI-CUNY Speech Laboratory Director, Jason Bishop, PhD.

As students gather data from different people and begin to process and analyze that data, they also work closely with Dr. Tortora as she mentors them through related research projects.

Another significant award was made to Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sharon Loverde, PhD. Dr. Loverde received a $477,089 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to study the behavior of small molecules and to examine how they interact with each other or with cell membranes. Using computer simulation, Dr. Loverde’s team is able to observe perspectives that are sometimes difficult to recreate in an experimental scenario.

“We can help experimentalists design better molecules or drugs, and our work is really best done at places like CSI where we can take advantage of the HPC and NSF Super Computers,” noted Dr. Loverde, who is currently working with three graduate students and two post-doctoral researchers, as well as with collaborators at City College of The City University of New York. They are looking to design different molecules to deliver cancer drugs to tumors. The focus is on how molecules behave in the body and these computer simulations are able to show just that.

“I hope that people in my group are able to learn from their experiences here at CSI and then can move on to other positions in the industry or academia, and I also hope the collaborations that I’ve started will continue,” said Dr. Loverde, a Chicago native, who has been at CSI for three years.

In other notable news, Dr. Emily Rice received a $565,658 NSF grant, her third from NSF; Dr. Sarah Berger received an NIH Research in Undergraduate Institutions  grant for $375,000; Dr. Mark Feuer, with Jiang Xin, received his first NIH award of $307,156; Dr. Tobias Schaefer received a $99,554 NSF grant;  and Dr. Greg Phillips received a $82,373 NIH award.

“Awards such as these are extremely competitive,” commented Associate Provost Mel Pipe, congratulating the recipients of these awards. “We are fortunate at CSI to have so many faculty who compete successfully at the highest level, not only for these federal grants but for funding from many other sources also.”

NIH offers funding for many types of grants, contracts, and even programs that help repay loans for researchers. To read more about NIH, visit their Web site.

NSF funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. It does this through grants and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science organizations, and other research organizations throughout the United States. The Foundation accounts for about one-fourth of federal support to academic institutions for basic research.

To read more about NSF, visit their Website.

The College of Staten Island (CSI) is nationally ranked as a military friendly school for the past eight years. This year, CSI is has been awarded as one of the top ten for being an elite Military Friendly Institution in the Public Universities with more than 10,000 students. Along with that accolade, CSI has now placed in the top three as a Military Spouse Friendly School.

“CSI faculty and staff will continue to strive to provide the best assistance to our brave heroes and their spouses. It is our duty and our pleasure, and this latest distinction is a welcome acknowledgment that we are extremely committed to delivering the best and most comprehensive assistance possible in academia and beyond,” said Laura Scazzafavo, Director of Veterans Support Services, who is also a United States Navy combat veteran, adding that “Veteran Support Services at CSI is dedicated to providing the support needed to help servicemen and women adjust to college life. Our mission is to facilitate a smooth transition from military life to the college experience by providing veterans a strong support system and centralized “vet-friendly” services. We thank you for your service and would like to make your college experience a memorable one.”

“Military spouses are expert problem-solvers. They thrive under pressure, and are highly educated and mobile,” said Daniel Nichols, Chief Product Officer at Victory Media’s Military Friendly® division. “Colleges and companies recognize these attributes and want to bring them on board. And, companies that employ both veterans and their spouses see even stronger retention and employee loyalty. Who better to train military spouses for successful careers than a Military Spouse Friendly School®?”

View the full listings on the Military Friendly Web site: http://militaryfriendly.com/2017-military-friendly-spouse-schools/

Students from New Dorp High School working in the Computer Lab on the CSI HPCC Tour.

There are approximately 13,605 Yellow Taxi Cabs in New York City making more than 500,000 trips per day. Jonathan Peters, PhD, took note of these gargantuan numbers and after more than 48 months of collecting data, in partnership with researchers at Arizona State University, the College of Staten Island (CSI) professor has a little more than 600,000,000 records in his database.

Dr. Peters has been studying urban issues such as New York City taxi cabs, the bike-share programs, and what folks are tweeting in City Starbucks locations.

His presentation, “Big Data Analytics Examples and Issues Exploring Travel Behavior,” outlines how Dr. Peters uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the High-Performance Computing Center (HPCC) at CSI. The lecture kicked off the agenda for the CSI HPCC Tour.

It was truly a big day for big data as 19 New Dorp High School (NDHS) students traveled to CSI to learn more about how data from devices like Global Positioning System (GPS) units are used today.

Accompanied by their teacher, Christine Rivera, and NDHS Assistant Principal Salvador Contes, the young crowd of ninth and tenth graders experienced a day of college-level learning and exploration. The event was sponsored by the Office of Information Technology.

“I enjoyed the event at CSI because it was intriguing and I found it was a fun topic to learn about. I learned how GPS systems work and how technology has evolved into a smarter and quicker way of doing things. This field of study really makes you wonder how far the human race has advanced and how much more it can improve,” commented Rodrigo Balderas, a 15-year-old junior from NDHS, who plans to study software/hardware engineering in college.

New Dorp High School students visiting the HPCC server room.

“The most interesting part of the day was when we learned how all of modern-day technology can be used to track anyone or anything quick. This is a very interesting experience and might just change my future plans,” said Balderas, a Dongan Hills resident who grew up in Brooklyn.

Urban Policy Analyst Nora Santiago helped coordinate the event and also introduced students to GIS. Following the lectures, students worked on two hands-on GIS projects: the Great Fire of London, 1666, in which students completed GIS spatial queries, walking through the historical event step by step as the fire was spreading through the streets of London. In the second project, students created a map of the historical fire at the end, and the Great Plague of London, 1665, where they mapped the number of weekly deaths due to the plague by parishes as it was reported for the Bills of Mortality. Students were also able to include a graph of the total number of burials per week. They then created a map of the historical plague.

The participating students are a part of a smaller NDHS learning community called Business and Technology.

“These events provide our students with the opportunities of visiting a college and to meet first-hand, professors discussing new and up-to-date information on majors that align to our schools Smaller Learning Community (SLC) themes,” noted Contes, adding that the collaboration between NDHS and CSI has created a “trust within both schools.”

“With trust, students are more comfortable with sharing their thoughts and potentially seeing the multiple opportunities CSI provides, in turn, strengthening our collaborative efforts into a stronger partnership,” said Contes, a three-year veteran at NDHS.

The next stop was the HPCC where students heard from Paul Muzio, Director of the facility, who discussed High-Performance Computing.

Nineteen New Dorp High School students attended the event.

The curious tech-savvy teens also visited the HPCC server room. Eyes wide and ears covered, students were able to see and hear the massive energy and processing of the system.

“Students attending this event were able to get a real-world experience of what it is like to participate in a college course at CSI. All of the students on the trip take interest in technology (both software and hardware), and by allowing them to use the computer lab to create their own projects, as well as, get a tour of the server, the students were able to see that they don’t need to go far away to get a quality education on what they love. Instead of traveling, they can get a quality education right in their own backyard,” commented Rivera..

The day culminated with a pizza lunch and lots of interesting tech banter.

“On the bus back to school, there were some conversations on how interesting the software was and the many things CSI can accomplish with the HPCC. Events like this one illustrate how CSI provides just as valuable, if not more valuable a post-secondary education than most colleges,” Contes said.

Rivera agreed that, “This collaboration with CSI helps students to see that the College has so much to offer in regard to obtaining a quality education. It allows the students to obtain awareness of what is offered right here on the Island and how they can take advantage of it when it is time for them to attend college.”Dr. Chin was equally pleased to work with the student.

Patricia Kahn, PhD, CIO, and Assistant Vice President for Information Technology Services and the High-Performance Computing Center, noted that, “The College of Staten Island is excited to offer opportunities to high school students to encourage STEM careers. Providing exposure to the HPCC and the research that is currently being conducted using this facility, will hopefully encourage our youth to consider a career that uses computational thinking.”

The 12th annual GIS day will be on November 15, 2017 when organizers hope to extend the invitation to other high school students on Staten Island and introduce them to GIS technology.

James Raio poses next to a police car by the Coliseum on his trip to Italy.

Ever since Career Day at PS 53, James Raio ‘17 has wanted to be an attorney. In fall 2017, the College of Staten Island (CSI) Macaulay Honors College (MHC) student will be closer to that dream as he enters Fordham Law School on a partial scholarship.

Maintaining a 3.9 GPA, the Political Science major, minoring in Legal Studies and Economics, advises his peers to “work hard because good grades will pay off later, whether you are applying to grad school or searching for employment!”

The Staten Island Technical High School graduate has interned at the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office, an experience that certainly solidified the budding prosecutor’s career plans.

“It was really interesting and taught me a lot about the field. I was able to work closely with attorneys and talk to them about law school and also spoke with law enforcement officials about the criminal justice process,” noted Raio, age 21.

The Bay Terrace resident also works as a pharmaceutical technician and says that time management has been key for him.

“I have always been good about staying on top of deadlines and getting things done early. You can’t wait until the last minute,” urges Raio, who is currently completing his senior thesis, early, of course. His thesis is focused on President Donald Trump and the 2016 election.

James Raio at his high school prom.

“James has been a model student. He already has certain important lawyerly virtues. The words that most comes to mind when I think about James are ‘calm,’ ‘steady,’ ‘methodical,’ and ‘meticulous.’ I’ve always found him to be responsible and thoughtful. It has been a pleasure to have him in my classes and to witnesses his many successes,” commented Michael Paris, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Global Affairs. Dr. Paris worked with Raio on his law school applications and supervised his senior thesis.

A native of Staten Island, Raio also studied abroad in Florence, Italy in summer 2015. There, he studied sculpture and was also able to enjoy excursions such as horseback riding in Tuscany and visiting a Ferrari factory. His study abroad program was funded by his MHC Opportunities Fund.

“James is the kind of person I want in my corner, standing up for what’s right when the chips are down.  We are all so proud to have him here at CSI.  However he chooses to participate in our legal system, he will succeed – and he will make the world a better place for us all,” noted Charles Liu, PhD, Director of MHC and the Verrazano School.

Committing himself to advanced programs at both Staten Island Technical High School and now MHC, Raio is glad to have experienced “rigorous programs that challenged me to excel in difficult coursework. It really makes a difference to work and learn beside other high-achieving students.”

At Fordham, Raio plans to pursue corporate or criminal law.

Michelle Kushnir playing a doubles match during the CUNYAC Women's Tennis Championships in 2015.

As a star athlete, tech expert, and Macaulay Honors College (MHC) student, Michelle Kushnir ’17 may appear to have a full college plate. However, being captain of the College of Staten Island (CSI) Women’s Tennis Team, winning the 2015 CUNYAC Sportsmanship Player of the Year Award, and conducting data visualization research are just a few of this Computer Science major’s accomplishments.

Kushnir, who is minoring in Business and Mathematics and maintaining a 3.7 GPA, was also a member of the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), and has studied abroad and interned extensively.

The 21-year-old held a research assistant position for the CUNY High-Performance Computing Center, working with Michael Kress, PhD; Jonathan Peters, PhD; and Nora Santiago on analyzing public data such as taxicab and land use data. She is currently a research assistant for the Engineering Science and Physics Department, working with Dwight Richards, PhD, on improving the audience experience at cyber defense competitions using data visualization.

With the ELP, Kushnir volunteered at food drives for Project Hospitality and the CSI Food Pantry. She also traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark, taking a course in Danish Greenspace, and recently studied Japanese business and culture in Tokyo, Japan.

The Eltingville resident’s internship experience includes positions at Princeton SciTech as a Website developer, and at UBS as a Technical Business Analyst in the Business Intelligence Department, where she will return to this summer.

Michelle Kushnir studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“Take every opportunity handed to you. Even if it doesn’t fit exactly what you want to do, take it, because you’ll never know who you’ll meet or where that opportunity will take you next, “commented Kushnir, who graduated from Tottenville High School, where she was a student in the Classics Institute.

Born in Brooklyn, Kushnir plans to pursue a graduate degree in Information Systems Management, with concentrations in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics.

“Students in college should always explore a wide range of interests; Michelle has explored – and excelled – about as widely as anyone possibly can! She’s intensely driven to succeed in everything she does – while at the same time being fun-loving, deeply thoughtful, generous, and kind.  It has been a privilege to have her as a student in my class and as a member of the CSI community,” said Charles Liu, PhD, Director of MHC and the Verrazano School. Kushnir was a student in Dr. Liu’s HON 223 seminar, “Science and Technology in New York.”

“I am grateful to the Macaulay Honors College staff, specifically Lisa French, Anita Romano, and Dr. Charles Liu who all provided so much guidance for me throughout my four years at CSI. They truly care about their students, and were there for me whenever I needed their help,” said Kushnir.

Dr. Said Bouftass is an artist and professor from Morocco.

Said Bouftass, PhD, Professor of Fine Arts at the Institut Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Tetouan in Morocco, is co-founder, with Khaldoune Bencheikh, of Phenomorphology of the Human Body Atelier (PHB Atelier), an educational service that specializes in the teaching of theory and practice of the phenomenological drawing of the human body.

Dr. Bouftass will present “Phenomorphology of the Human Body,” on Tuesday March 21 from 2:30 to 4:30 pm in the Center for the Arts (1P-120), Recital Hall.

According to Mouniart.com, Dr. Bouftass is, “The greatest specialist in artistic anatomy in Morocco. Born in Casablanca (Morocco) on December 21, 1963, from a family originally from Izbi, near Tafraout, is a visual artist, a researcher at INBA in Tétouan, a graduate of ENSBA Of Paris, and doctor of aesthetics and art history at the Paris-VIII Saint-Denis University.”

“Professor Bouftass uses blackboard drawing as a way to demonstrate the anatomy of the human body, so his work combines anatomy and artistic pedagogy. It is really amazing what he does,” commented Vivian Incera, PhD, Professor of Physics and Dean of Science and Technology. “This is an outstanding example of the mutual benefits of the sciences and the arts, a message I believe in firmly,” Incera noted.

The event is sponsored by the Division of Science and Technology and the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Read more about Dr. Bouftass on Mouniart.com>

View Dr. Bouftass creating his art on Youtube.com>

The violin group at the CSI Strings Competition

Young orchestra musicians from around Staten Island traveled to the College of Staten Island (CSI) for the first annual CSI Performance Competition for Strings. The only one of its kind on the Island, the event drew six high and four middle school students. Parents, students, and teachers experienced the sounds of strings at the winner’s recital, and organizer Dan Auerbach looks forward to continuing the tradition next year.

“These young people in the CSI competition show just what can happen if we can keep a young person’s dream alive,” commented Professor Auerbach, who ran a similar event in Georgia for many years. “I wanted to focus much-deserved attention on the wonderful musical talent in Staten Island and also on the hard work of area music teachers,” he noted.

The adjudicators for this year’s competition were Professors Auerbach and Edward Brown, both of the CSI Music Program of the Department of Performing and Creative Arts, and Maestro Alex Guzman of the Staten Island Philharmonic.

Joining the talent were Beanna Dzhaniashvili, Christina Pan, Teresa Saverimuttu, Michelle Shevtsov, Isabel Bruschi, and Lila Bruschi. All are violin students of Roman Berlinsky.

Maestro Alex Guzman, Dan Auerbach, student winners, and Edward Brown at the CSI Strings Competition.

Also in attendance were Tyler Almquist on classical guitar, a student of CSI’s own Enrico Arcaro; Liam Gates on violin, a student of Deanna Eliot; Teresa Lynch from The Mighty String Demons, a student of Sanchie Bobrow; and Ganling Chu Braganti, a student of Anthony Harper.

Winners in the high school division from Staten Island schools are as follows:

Ganling Chu Braganti, a Port Richmond High School student, playing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4; Teresa Lynch, a Staten Island Technical High School student, playing Accolay’s Violin Concerto No. 1; and Isabel Bruschi, a Port Richmond High School student, playing Bach’s Presto, from the G Minor violin sonata.

Winners in the middle school division from Staten Island schools are as follows:

Judges and competitors at the Competition.

Michelle Shevtsov, an IS 24 student, playing Charles de Beriot’s Violin Concerto No. 9; Beanna Dzhaniashvili, an IS 24 student, playing Accolay’s Violin Concerto No. 1; and Liam Gates, a Michael J. Petrides School student, playing Vivaldi’s A Minor Violin Concerto.

This year’s competition sponsors were Nan Sussman, PhD, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences; the CSI Administration; the Performing and Creative Arts Department at CSI; Valpak of Staten Island/Greater Brooklyn; and Strings & Other Things.

While organizers work to secure funding for next year’s event, Professor Auerbach plans to open the competition up to all Staten Island residents, who may or may not attend an Island school.

Rachel Furhang working in Dr. Alonso's Lab.

Not only does Rachel Furhang ’17 have a white belt in jiu jitsu, she has certainly reached “black belt” status in the academic arena. The College of Staten Island (CSI) Macaulay Honors College (MHC) student is a recipient of the impressive Rosemary O’Halloran Scholarship. The Biochemistry major, who is minoring in Mathematics, is also working on an honors thesis in Biochemistry with Alejandra del Carmen Alonso, PhD, focusing on understanding the tau protein’s pathogenic state.

A graduate of Ma’ayanot Yeshivah High School in Teaneck NJ, the 21-year-old has always had a “clear vision” of what she wants to accomplish.

“When you are working toward a goal, all your choices become easier to make. That said, a goal is just the road map. Hard work will take you the rest of the way,” said Furhang, a Bulls Head resident, who was born in Manhattan.

She is grateful to Dr. Alonso who “has been helping me understand the components necessary to drive forward a research project and has very generously spent time guiding me through my honors thesis.”

“I was lucky that Rachel chose my lab to work in. From the beginning I noticed that Rachel is a special student. While we were discussing the research project, she not only was able to follow the research objectives, but she was jumping ahead and asking questions on how to answer unsolved problems. She designed her research actively. Not too many students have that capacity that requires another level of abstraction. Rachel is making excellent progress, and I am sure she will leave us with more pieces to build our proposed mechanism of neuronal disruption in Alzheimer disease,” noted Dr. Alonso.

In addition to her busy academic life, Furhang is also a note-taker for the Center for Student Accessibility, has served as Vice President of the Pre-Medical Pre-PA club, and was a part of the CUNY Service Corps, placed at the Institute for Basic Research.

Rachel Furhang in Zion National Park, Utah.

Furhang studied in Hong Kong in fall 2015, tutoring students in English and Biology, learning Mandarin Chinese, and taking in the local culture. She calls the experience “one of the most memorable parts” of her time as an undergraduate.

“Studying abroad was fun, but it also taught me many skills about learning across different cultures,” said the student, who also spent a summer at the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine studying the PTEN protein, which is implicated in cancer and autism.

As a student in Charles Liu, PhD’s, Science and Technology seminar, Furhang continued to impress with her broad interests and pursuits.

“Did you know that Rachel’s also a talented painter and digital artist?” asks Dr. Liu, Director of the Verrazano School and Macaulay Honors College. “Whether it’s science, art, culture, or anything else, Rachel is unafraid to push limits and bend boundaries – and we in the CSI community are all enriched by her uplifting audacity.”

Furhang plans to pursue an MD and PhD dual degree and become a medical scientist, focusing on the fields of neurodegenerative diseases, bacterial evolution, and the genetics behind both. Naturally, her plans include obtaining that black belt in jiu jitsu.

Students from CSI and LCC take time out to pose for a group shot.

For the past five years, the faculty from the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at the College of Staten Island (CSI) and the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program at LaGuardia Community College (LCC) have collaborated to provide students with an inter-professional experience. The Level 1 DPT students from CSI and the Level 1 and 2 PTA students from LCC met for this wonderful educational event.

Background information was provided to the students, regarding similarities and differences between the Physical Therapy (PT) and PTA professions, DPT and PTA curricula, as well as how to work together in a clinical setting.  The students also engaged in an exercise requiring collaboration between the students to come up with a treatment plan for a hypothetical patient scenario. Students also took part in a role-playing exercise that depicted how a real-life scenario might enfold between a PT and a PTA in a clinical setting. The event took place at CSI in Building 5N. The location alternates each year between CSI and LCC.

“As a first-year student in the College of Staten Island’s DPT program, I have been continuously taught the importance of communication between physical therapists and other healthcare professionals while working in the field. However, it is often difficult to demonstrate this discipline in a classroom setting that only consists of other PT students. The interdisciplinary seminar with the PTA students of LCC was an amazing opportunity to practice working together as a team and to begin incorporating necessary communication skills with each other. This collaborative workshop allowed us to develop a stronger awareness of the other’s profession, learn from one another, and simulate hypothetical scenarios that we will all likely experience in the future.  I left the seminar with a sharpened perspective of the PTA profession and ultimately feel more comfortable with my communication skills going forward in my physical therapy journey,” noted Sean Dwyer, Level 1 CSI DPT student.

“I used to think that a PTA was simply a liaison between doctor and patient, but it wasn’t until this experience that I realized we are more than that; PTAs are hard-working critical thinkers and DPTs value our opinions, skills, experiences, and judgement just as much as they value their education. I left that afternoon feeling even more proud of my professors, who not only love what they do, but taught it with such passion… This was a most privileged encounter that I will never forget and can only hope to one day pay it forward to the next generation of healthcare providers,” commented LCC Level II PTA student Amy Almeida.

Dr. Knikou is inviting individuals with spinal cord injuries for non-invasive clinical trials.

Neurophysiologist and researcher Dr. Maria Knikou invites people with spinal cord injuries to apply for non-invasive clinical trials to assess, rehabilitate, and improve motor function and control, while reducing spacsticity. Early trials are promising, many returning for Robotic Gait Training. Stipends and travel reimbursements available.

When we think about spinal cord injuries, thoughts generally turn toward Christopher Reeve who was thrown from his horse during trial events for an equestrian competition in 1995, and Steven McDonald, who was shot three times in 1986 after serving two years as an officer with the New York Police Department. Reeve’s and McDonald’s heroic and visible survival stories brought the severity of spinal cord injuries into the international dialogue.

Today at the College of Staten Island (CSI), Maria Knikou, PhD, is holding clinical trials of her breakthrough research designed to develop effective rehabilitation strategies to improve the walking ability of persons with spinal cord injuries that have affected the function of the central nervous system.

During her ongoing trials, she has recently worked with eight people with spinal cord injuries, including a 20-year-old who fell out of a golf cart and broke his neck nine months ago, and a Midwestern woman who broke her neck. These people, who have been diagnosed with tetraplegia (a spinal cord injury above the first thoracic vertebra or within cervical sections Cervical 1-8) and severe paralysis of the legs, came to CSI to participate in the research trials. After completing four to six weeks of therapy with Dr. Knikou, the patients saw motor function improve, with increased control and reduced spasticity.

According to spinalcord.com, “The spinal cord carries nerve fibers traveling both from the brain to the rest of the body and from the body back to the brain. Those coming from the brain are responsible for voluntary control of muscles. Those traveling toward the brain carry sensation.”

Dr. Knikou working in her lab.

Dr. Knikou’s non-invasive therapy focuses on assessing the signal transfer from the brain to the legs in order to strengthen and enhance that pathway and provide gains in motor function. Patients who undergo the phase one therapy may be eligible for the phase two Robotic Gait Training, designed to further stimulate brain, spinal, and muscular health on a pathway for improved mobility. People who participate in the trials are provided a stipend, and certain expenses may be covered.

Persons who are interested in learning if they are eligible candidates for this unique therapeutic approach should contact Dr. Knikou, Professor of Human Neurophysiology in the Physical Therapy Department of the School of Health Sciences at 718.982.3316 or maria.knikou@csi.cuny.edu. All trials are conducted on the Willowbrook campus of the College of Staten Island in New York City.

“Dr Knikou’s forward-thinking and expertise in human neurophysiology have enabled her to be extremely successful, with ongoing grant support from New York State and other private foundations,” commented Dean Maureen Becker, PhD. “She is one of the leading researchers in the School of Health Sciences at the College of Staten Island and her work, one day, will impact the lives of millions of individuals with spinal cord injury.”

Dr. Knikou’s research project is funded by the New York State Department of Health, Spinal Cord Injury Research Board, under the Project to Accelerate Research Translation (PART) award. She mentors high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral research fellows and junior faculty. Dr. Knikou serves on several editorial boards and has published her research work in high-ranking, peer-reviewed scientific journals.

For details regarding Dr. Knikou’s research visit www.researchgate.net/profile/Maria_Knikou

For more information about the College of Staten Island School of Health Sciences visit www.csi.cuny.edu/schoolofhealthsciences

MSW graduates preparing for their hooding ceremony.

The Master’s of Social Work (MSW) program at the College of Staten Island (CSI) has recently been fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Accreditation (CSWE), the national accreditor for undergraduate and graduate social work programs. The College now has two nationally accredited social work programs, a clinical MSW and a generalist BSSW.

“We are pleased that the rigor and excellence of our MSW program has just been recognized by the national accreditor of social work programs. MSW students can be confident that the College of Staten Island program meets all New York State and national expectations, and will prepare them well for an exciting and very meaningful career in a rapidly growing profession,” noted Christine Flynn Saulnier, MSW, PhD, Chair and Professor in the Department of Social Work.

The MSW program was introduced at the College in 2014 and initial accreditation by the CSWE is a three-year process. Nearly 1,000 pages are submitted annually with site visits each fall by CSWE representatives. The process at CSI culminated with the final visit in fall 2016, followed by a meeting of the CSWE Commission on Accreditation in February 2017.

The MSW has a single concentration in Disability Studies, which, according to the CSWE, is unique in the nation.

Students in a policy course discuss their case analyses.

“As we define disability broadly to include physical, developmental, sensory, and psychiatric impairments, as well as disabilities related to aging, chronic health issues, alcohol and drug problems, and military service, the clinical MSW prepares students for direct practice with individuals, families, groups, and communities. Graduates are eligible for the Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) exam immediately upon graduation and the LCSW upon completion of NY State-required post-MSW practice,” said Dr. Saulnier, adding that the program plans to offer a macro track as well, beginning in fall 2017.

The macro track will prepare students for the LMSW exam immediately upon graduation and will provide graduates with the knowledge and skills to manage agencies, work in community development, and engage in policy making and other indirect practice. MSW graduates of either track are prepared to work with any population, but will have special expertise in a broad range of disabilities.

Students immediately begin to apply the theories and methods that they are studying in their carefully constructed and closely monitored internship placements. MSW students are placed in internships all over New York City and in New Jersey. Approximately one-third of interns are offered employment at one of the two places where they intern over the course of the academic year.

Dr. Naider will travel to Israel in summer 2018.

Fred Naider, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry at the College of Staten Island (CSI) has been awarded a Jakob and Erna Michael Visiting Professorship at the Weizmann Institute of Science for the summer of 2018. Dr. Naider will travel to the Weizmann Institute in Israel, where he will collaborate with Professor Jacob Anglister on research related to the HIV-1 virus which is the cause of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

“This Fellowship will enable me to continue to collaborate with a group that is conducting breakthrough research on the structural biology of a pathogenic virus that remains a scourge in underdeveloped countries.  Such interactions keep my research current and allows me to deliver meaningful and current scientific perspectives to students in my classroom” commented Dr. Naider, who is also a Leonard and Esther Kurtz Term Professor at the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center.

Dr. Naider plans to be primarily involved in research activities that involve the development of new methods to study peptide-protein interactions. Such interactions are ubiquitous in living cells and are the basis for the regulation of metabolism, cell growth and for the perception of external stimuli by cells. Understanding such interactions at the molecular level should enable progress on numerous diseases and pathological states.

“The award of the Jakob and Erna Michael Visiting Professorship is testimony of Dr. Naider’s outstanding scholarship and international recognition. We are very fortunate to have Dr. Naider among our distinguished faculty. He is an incredible role model for faculty and students alike,” noted Vivian Incera, PhD, Professor of Physics and Dean of Science and Technology.

The Erna and Jakob Michael Visiting Professorships were established by the Michael Family for the purpose of attracting outstanding scientists in all areas of contemporary research to the Weizmann Institute.

The CSI Orchestra will perform on May 7.

The CSI Orchestra is a unique initiative between Curtis High School and the College of Staten Island (CSI), in which students who ordinarily may not have the opportunity to participate in musical events can pursue their passion. This semester, through a generous grant from the Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation, students from the Orchestra were able to experience working with musicians from the Staten Island Philharmonic. Their hard work and dedication will culminate in a concert on May 7 in the Center for the Arts Springer Concert Hall at CSI at 3:00pm, when the professional musicians will perform with the students.

CSI vocal soloist Maria Zakharycheva and a student soloist from Curtis High School will perform, and there will be an appearance by the Rutgers String Quartet playing a concerto grosso by Geminiani. The event is organized and directed by Professor Dan Auerbach with Professor James Minenna as co-director Curtis liaison.

“It is through Prof. Minenna’s tireless efforts that recruitment is successful each year. He has been a wonderful colleague with whom to collaborate in this worthy musical endeavor,” said Auerbach.

Director of Development for the Division of Institutional Advancement and External Affairs Mary Anne Semon also noted the importance of past donors and the support of the College.

“This concert would not have been possible if it were not for the generous grant by the Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation. This grant enabled the continued funding of the orchestra, following a generous donation by Gordon Di Paolo, who gave seed money to start this exciting initiative. The CSI administration’s efforts have also aided in the continued existence of this orchestra, the only such venture in Staten Island,” commented Semon.

The program will include staples from the classical repertoire, including “Spring” from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, and Bach’s “Erbarme Dich” from the St. Matthew Passion.

General admission to the concert is $10 and free for CSI students.

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From Left to Right: Joseph Bottega, Joseph Muller, George Telmany, Megan Ernst, Christine Purelis, Dean L. Balsamini, Edward Piszko (Not Pictured: Cecilia Alva)

SI SBDC Receives 2017 Small Business Development Center for Excellence and Innovation Award for the New York District and Region II by the U.S. SBA

The Staten Island Small Business Development Center  (SBDC) has been selected as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2017 Small Business Development Center for Excellence and Innovation Award Winner for both the New York District as well as SBA’s Region II, which includes all districts in New York State, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

This award honors an SBDC service center for excellence in providing value to small businesses and advancing program delivery and management through innovation. New York SBDC State Director James King congratulated the Staten Island SBDC staff by commenting, “Since there are only 10 nationwide regional winners, this signifies that your team is one of the 10 best among 1,000 centers throughout the country”. SBA Regional Administrator (Region II) Alfred Titone congratulated the Staten Island SBDC by stating, “I commend you and your staff for the outstanding support and services that your center provides entrepreneurs throughout the region. This is a remarkable accomplishment and I would like to acknowledge the great contributions you are making on behalf of small businesses and entrepreneurs in your community, as well as to the economic development of New York.”

“We are honored to receive this recognition on not only a state level but a regional level as well,” stated Director Dean L. Balsamini. “The staff consists of a talented group of professionals who deliver extensive services to our clients and have a strong passion for serving the community.”

The Staten Island SBDC is one of 24 centers in the New York State Network of America’s SBDCs. Team members include Director Dean L. Balsamini; Office Manager Megan Ernst; Certified Senior Business Advisors, Edward Piszko and George Telmany; Business Advisors, Christine Purelis, Joseph Bottega, and Joseph Muller; and Student Intern, Cecilia Alva.

New York SBA District Director Beth Goldberg pointed out that more than half of all Americans either own or work for a small business. “Small businesses are economic engines that create nearly two out of every three new jobs each year. Small businesses support our neighborhoods and strengthen our communities.”

Nearing their 25th anniversary, the Staten Island SBDC has assisted more than 8,100 businesses, helping them invest more than $174 M in the area’s economy, and creating or saving more than 5,400 jobs.

With the state-wide adaptation of an “it’s all about the client” mantra, the Staten Island SBDC assesses and determines the needs of the community by keeping open relationships with resource partners and clients. The center has an excellent campus partner at the College of Staten Island that supports the SBDC mission to provide education, entrepreneurship, and economic development. The Staten Island SBDC contributes towards enhancing the College footprint. The team is highly involved with the newly launched CSI Technology Incubator, which fosters the innovative drive for high tech entrepreneurs in NYC.

“The Staten Island SBDC consistently drives forward and enhances the knowledge base to the small business community, especially through marketing and social media activities”, stated Director Balsamini. The advisors provide opportunities to established businesses and start-ups who need support such as marketing, financial projections, staffing, and sustainability. Different types of services include MWBE certifications and BidLinx, which certifies eligible businesses to apply for federal, state, and city contracts.

The awards will be presented to the Staten Island SBDC and other award winners at the U.S. SBA New York Headquarters on May 1st 2017 during National Small Business Week.

The New York SBDC provides customized solutions through advisement, education, research and advocacy for Entrepreneurs, Innovators and the Small & Medium Enterprise community.

If you are looking to start a business or need assistance with your existing business, contact the Staten Island SBDC to make an appointment with a business advisor. Visit their website or join their e-mail list to stay up to date with the latest news and local events.

College of Staten Island Associate Professor of English Tyehimba Jess has been named the 2017 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Poetry for Olio, a volume of original verse published by Wave Books.

The Pulitzer organization called it a “distinctive work that melds performance art with the deeper art of poetry to explore collective memory and challenge contemporary notions of race and identity.”

Olio, published in 2016, has been called “Encyclopedic, ingenious, and abundant…” in Publisher’s Weekly’s starred review, and was selected as one of the five best poetry books of 2016. Olio was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award in 2016.

Jess is also the author of Leadbelly, a winner in the 2004 National Poetry Series. The Library Journal and Black Issues Book Review both named it one of the “Best Poetry Books of 2005.” He received a Lannan Literary Award December 2016.

Professor Jess has taught at CSI for seven years, and is currently on sabbatical in Chicago, returning to the classroom in fall 2017.

“Tyehimba is a great colleague and teacher, too, and we are absolutely thrilled for him,” commented Lee Papa, Chair of the English Department, adding “our amazing creative writing faculty includes Patricia Smith and Cate Marvin, both Guggenheim fellows; Ava Chin, a Fulbright fellow; Sarah Schulman, a winner of both a Fulbright and a Guggenheim; and, now with Tyehimba, a Pulitzer winner.”

“We have always known Professor Jess to be an integral component of the College of Staten Island experience, where he has shared the emotional depth and range of his poetry at many major events,” noted Nan M. Sussman, PhD, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences. “As coordinator of the Schwerner Writer’s Series, Professor Jess invited emerging and nationally-recognized poets to read to the college community and speak in classes. The College is honored and proud of this national distinction, and delighted that students at CSI have the opportunity to learn the craft of poetry in his classes.”

Read the Author’s Biography and more about the Winning Work at pulitzer.org>

Scholarship winner Petronilla Tesoriero and her two children. 

Hard times had fallen on Petronilla Tesoriero, who, divorced at 39 years old with two children, felt like she had “lost everything.” One of the recipients of the Helen Rubinstein Scholarship, the College of Staten Island (CSI) student is now pursuing her dreams.

“The Helen Rubinstein Scholarship has allowed me to get my self-esteem back and get into a career that I always wanted to but couldn’t afford. It also helps that when I put on my résumé that I attended CSI, companies will take me seriously,” said Tesoriero, who will graduate as a Certified Nursing Assistant.

The Helena Rubinstein Foundation provides scholarship monies to CUNY for Continuing Education students each semester. In the Spring 2017 semester, approximately one-fourth of all funding, a noteworthy portion, was awarded to College of Staten Island (CSI) students.

“CSI is truly a great school. The staff accommodated my needs as a single mother of two young kids. I had such a great experience with the College and with the people that offered me this lifetime of an opportunity to receive a degree in something that as a child I always wanted to do,” said Tesoriero, who plans to become a Registered Nurse.

“This Scholarship helps to transform the lives of students who are hard-working and may not have had the opportunity to return to school without assistance. We are grateful to the Helena Rubinstein Foundation for their continued generosity and commitment to the needs of our students,” commented Chris Cruz Cullari, Executive Director of Continuing Education and Professional Development.

Another proud Scholarship winner, Richmond Bradshaw Jr., noted that, “CSI impacted me by giving me a widespread choice of careers and fields to choose from and also providing financial and professional assistance to make these once far-fetched dreams and hopes a reality.” Bradshaw will graduate as a Phlebotomy Technician with future plans to excel in higher education even further and work in the field he loves.

Clinical Medical Assistant student Monica Pignatano​ is also grateful for the award. “This will afford me the peace of mind to completely concentrate on my studies. I will be able to give back to the Foundation with my graduation and high grades. CSI has allowed me to have a career in life that I love,” said Pignatano who plans to pursue employment at New York University Medical Center.

“The Helena Rubinstein Continuing Education Scholarship Fund for Career Advancement is open to individuals who seek to advance their careers through education and training, and who do not have access to other sources of funding that can pay for tuition and fees. Scholarship applicants may also be disadvantaged individuals who are unemployed or seeking a career change,” according the CUNY Website.