NYIT Students Rebuild Broken Robots to Compete at VEX Robotics World Championship

Apr 20, 2013

NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences students in the Vex Robotics World Championship found themselves in a challenging situation when they landed in California:  their robots were broken upon arrival. "Our robots were in pieces," tech adviser Saverio Marsicano told the Orange County Register.  "Since Tuesday, we have been working around the clock in our hotel room using our Dremel tool on the balcony, just so we can compete. It's been a very busy week." The Bears - who joined 15,000 participants at the competition -- rebuilt their robots and took 35th place out of 52 teams.

 

NYIT Hosts High School Science Competition

Apr 12, 2013

NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences faculty members and students served as judges for the university's high school science and technology competition, presenting local students with awards for their robotics, engineering and STEM projects. The team from Commack High School won first place for designing a glove that measures distance for people with visual impairments. As noted in Patch.com, NYIT judged the high school teams, each of which was required to include at least one female student, on their understanding of science and technology, originality, practicality, and the significance of the underlying problem the project addressed.

 

In NYT Letter, Hadjiargyrou Discusses Animal Abuse in Factory Food Production

Apr 10, 2013

College of Arts and Sciences Life Sciences Chair Michael Hadjiargyrou, Ph.D., advocates vegetariansim in a letter responding to a Times editorial. "If people have their eyes closed, it is because they want to, not because the information is not available about animal cruelty and the abominable conditions under which animals destined for food consumption live. We have repeatedly seen videos of animal abuse as well as cruel aspects of factory farming (small cages, overcrowding and restriction of movement, snipping of tails and beaks, overuse of antiobiotics, nocious air and so on). Given the plethora of such information, eating is no longer a simple biological necessity. It has become a philosophical, political, economic, societal and ethical act."

 

Bernard Letter to the Times on Computerized Essay Grading

Apr 07, 2013

"On Sunday nights I would rather be anywhere but at my desk facing a stack of student essays," writes College of Arts and Sciences Associate Professor Cathy Bernard in response to a New York Times article on computerized grading of essay tests.  "Still, I question the arguments offered in support of automated essay scoring...Writing is not a game in which you click away until you hit on the right answer. Writing is thinking, and revision is a slow process, unpredictable and exploratory. A piece of writing, like a cake taken from the oven, needs some time to cool before the revision process can even begin."

 

NYIT Helps "Take Back the Night"

Apr 02, 2013

"Females who are sexually assaulted on college campuses often drop out of school and do not continue their education and this is a major problem," College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Professor Beth Adubato tells Fios1 News in a segment about NYIT's "Take Back the Night" event. In the aftermath of the Steubenville, Ohio rape case verdict and other accounts of sexual assault and violence, Adubato led students in organizing the event, part of a global movement featuring guest speakers, a candlelight vigil and a call to "shatter the silence and stop the violence." NYIT students gathered on the quad to share stories, and several were featured in the report.

 

DiFranciso-Donoghue Offers Walking Tips on Livestrong.com

Mar 22, 2013

"Walking works large muscle groups -- quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteal muscles -- as well as other muscles in the lower legs and feet," says Joanne DiFrancisco-Donoghue, a registered clinical exercise physiologist with NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, on Livestrong.com. DiFrancisco-Donoghue recommends several tips in the article, including advising that people start a walking routine by counting their steps with a stopwatch and pedometer. "Start with 10 to 15 minutes of walking each day. Do not walk 30 minutes right away because this will lead to overuse injuries and can also be discouraging if you are not able to complete the session."

 

Hyde on Career Prospects for Computer Science and Engineering Grads

Mar 21, 2013

"Students with the right skills have a lot of opportunities on Long Island," says Dean of Career Services John Hyde in Long Island Business News (subscription required). The article, "Engineering, Computing Grads Fed Top Salaries,"  focuses on the high salaries offered to new graduates with engineering and computer science degrees. Hyde notes that more than 60 percent of the recruiters at NYIT's upcoming career fair are looking to fill technology and engineering jobs.

The article cites a January 2013 salary survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers that found computer engineering grads can expect an average starting salary of $70,400 while chemical engineering and computer science grads average $66,400 and $64,400 respectively. Hyde also notes he believes the job market will get more competitive, especially in light of Northrop Grumman Corp.'s announcement that it is moving 850 jobs off Long Island. But many local companies, he says, continue to recruit students with technical majors.

 

Ott in The Chronicle of Higher Ed: They're Transfer Students, Not Cash Cows

Mar 18, 2013

"Colleges, as businesses, have a responsibility to be forthcoming on costs to their students as consumers," writes Alexander Ott, Ph.D., associate dean for academic support and enrollment serivces, and co-author Bruce Cooper in The Chronicle of Higher Education. "With transfer-credit information in hand before paying a deposit, students can make a well-informed comparison of institutions...Transfer students have a need -- and we would argue, a right -- to know how many credits they will receive before they must financially commit to the institution. After all, it's their time and their money."

 

Haar on Energy Drinks

Mar 10, 2013

"Because energy drinks are classified as health supplements, sale is permitted until enough people have serious side effects," says School of Health Professions Director of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Mindy Haar in Your Teen. The article, "Energy Drinks and Teens: Safe? Not So Much," notes the rise in teen and young adult emergency room visits for problems associated with energy drinks. 

 

Patients Need Caregivers to Listen, Provide Targeted Follow-Up Care

Feb 21, 2013

“Patients want to be heard and be considered a valued member of their healthcare team,” says Sue Neville, Ph.D., RN, NYIT associate professor and chair of the department of nursing, in Nursezone.com. "Attentive listening is a crucial communication strategy that is embedded in clinical practice." Neville also notes that patients require care after they return home from a facility. "Patients are being discharged 'quicker and sicker' back into the community. Patients want targeted follow-up care to assist them in attaining their optimum level of health and wellness."