Cohn Op-Ed: “What My Research Reveals About Gift Giving”

Dec 01, 2021

“The National Retail Federation predicts that, this year, 13.3% of holiday gifts will be returned. The economic and relationship cost of bad gifts is high,” writes School of Management interim dean  Deborah Y. Cohn, Ph.D. in an op-ed in Baltimore Jewish Times.

Cohn’s research has focused on why many consumers buy gifts that are unwanted, even when buyers are trying to please. “On the one hand, with the best intentions, givers misjudge the recipient’s preferences. Other times, my research found that givers intentionally give bad gifts,” she writes, adding that some givers “send a message that can be interpreted as mean spirited.” Cohn’s research identifies bad gifts that are given on purposes and categorizes them as: 1) threats to self-concept, 2) to you – for me, 3) hostile, 4) ritual and obligation, and 5) competition.

The piece, focusing on Chanukah gift-giving, also offers advice on how to give gifts to people one cares about. Read the full op-ed.  

 

Local Outlets Highlight NYITCOM ESD Grant

Nov 23, 2021

As seen in Newsday, and Long Island Business News, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) was awarded funds via New York State’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative. The $1.05M Empire State Development (ESD) grant will support the creation of the future Microscopy Innovation Center, which will help to advance research and breakthrough treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, clinical depression, and other conditions, while also training future clinicians in diagnostic microscopy, visualization, and imaging technologies. NYITCOM Dean Nicole Wadsworth, D.O. notes that the grant “brings us one step closer to realizing this goal,” adding that the center will be “training the next generation of medical professionals to use cutting-edge technology that could help us solve some of healthcare’s most pressing challenges.”

 

Fortune Publishes Musho Op-ed

Nov 22, 2021

Fortune has published an op-ed by Suzanne Musho, AIA, NCARB, vice president and chief architect for real estate development and sustainable capital planning, which contends that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented universities and colleges with an opportunity to create campus environments that foster student success and well-being. As she notes, institutions can draw inspiration from corporate America, which has long succeeded in creating spaces that promote employee productivity and wellness. Citing innovative designs from Google, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Nike, and other corporate giants, she writes:

“It's smart for businesses to invest in these designs. If employees feel comfortable and content in their workplace, they enjoy their work and put in quality effort. They respond well to the respect their employers show them. The same can be expected of college students. If they feel valued and secure in their research libraries, lecture halls, cafes, and campus quads, they can focus more effectively on studying, look forward to learning, and thrive academically.”

 

Outlets Highlight IDC-Funded Architecture and Design Initiatives

Nov 18, 2021

As seen in Archinect and InnovateLI, the School of Architecture and Design launched major initiatives in computational technologies and digital fabrication with the support of a $2 million grant from the IDC Foundation. The initiatives comprise three major components: the opening of the IDC Foundation Digital Fabrication and Robotic Matter Design Labs (Fab Lab), the recruitment of an acclaimed international expert as the IDC Foundation Endowed Chair of Digital Technologies, and the launch of two new related graduate programs. The new Fab Lab is equipped with vacuum forming tools, laser cutters, computer numerical control machines, 3-D printing equipment, simulation programs, augmented and virtual reality, building information modeling technology, and robotic systems.

 

Newsday Taps Harper's Public Health Expertise

Nov 18, 2021

Newsday quoted Brian Harper, M.D., M.P.H., chief medical officer and vice president for equity and inclusion, in its coverage of the Commonwealth Fund’s 2021 Health Equity Scorecard. The scorecard provides a state-by-state report measuring access to healthcare, quality of care, health outcomes, and health disparities across the United States. As Harper notes, many of the disparities cited in the report are caused by factors outside of the healthcare system.

“This is very challenging because in order to see major improvement, you have to really improve on what we call the social determinants of health,” said Harper, who is also a former Suffolk County health commissioner. “When you look at things such as poverty and unemployment, residential segregation, environmental toxins, institutional racism—all of those things play a role in terms of the poor indices you’re going to see in minority communities.”

 

Cohn Offers Advice to Avoid Holiday Gift Debt

Nov 16, 2021

The DebtHammer.org blog surveyed more than 750 Americans from Oct. 27-Nov. 5 to study how COVID-19, fears of supply shortages and the overall economy are affecting spending plans compared to last year. Findings point to many factors indicating likely overspending on holiday gifts; experts from several colleges and universities weighed in with advice for those planning to go into debt due to holiday spending.

“I would suggest thinking clearly about the message you want to send with your gifts, and then find the best way to send that message without spending money that you don’t have, or don’t expect to have,” is among the guidance offered by Deborah Y. Cohn, Ph.D., interim dean, School of Management.   

 

New Scientist Quotes Dinosaur Expert

Nov 11, 2021

As seen in New Scientist, Karen Poole, Ph.D., assistant professor of basic sciences at NYITCOM-Arkansas, commented on the discovery of a new dinosaur species that once lived in the United Kingdom. Discovered in The Isle of Wight, Brighstoneus simmondsi was excavated in 1978 but was long mistaken for its more famous relative Iguanodon. Now, researchers from the University of Portsmouth have found that Brighstoneus, with its unique skull features and bulbous nose, was a separate species. Poole, who was not involved in the research, but is an evolutionary expert, notes that for a period of time, many fossils were mistaken for Iguanodon.

“Paleontology definitely went through a lumping period, where everything vaguely similar to Iguanodon got assigned to that dinosaur,” she says.

 

MSNBC Highlights Woodlands Art Collection

Nov 09, 2021

On November 8, New York Tech celebrated the launch of its Woodlands Art Collection with the inaugural exhibit: “Art, Health and Wellness: The Power of Nature—Through the Eyes of Sculptor Emilie Brzezinski.” The following day, MSNBC’s Morning Joe highlighted the event in an early morning segment and subsequent interview with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Housed within the new Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D. Art Gallery and Student Lounge on the first floor of 1855 Broadway on the New York City campus, the exhibit features three original sculptures: Cherry Bench II, a formidable bench hewn from a single cherry trunk that welcomes visitors to sit and explore, and Girl and Boy, two pieces from Brzezinski’s Water Garden Collection. At the ribbon-cutting event, Brzezinski’s daughter, MSNBC journalist Mika Brzezinski and founder of Know Your Value, represented her mother and was accompanied by her Morning Joe co-host and husband Joe Scarborough.

 

Partnership Featured in Esports Media

Nov 08, 2021

As seen in Esports Insider, Gaming Americas, and many other industry news outlets, New York Tech's Center for Esports Medicine has partnered with the gaming company Fnatic for an upcoming research collaboration. The Center’s healthcare experts will investigate whether compression sleeves increase performance time and improve recovery rates among competitive gamers. Once available, findings may help to inform the development of future Fnatic esports wear and products.

 

Exercise Science Expert Quoted in Men's Health

Oct 30, 2021

As seen in Men’s Health, Alexander Rothstein, M.S., instructor and coordinator for the Exercise Science program, shared insight on metabolism and sleep. “When we sleep, we are the most at rest, so our caloric expenditure is based on this,” says Rothstein, who also notes that additional factors influencing caloric expenditure include lean body mass, exercise performed that day, and food consumed.

The article was also published by MSN.com and Yahoo News.