News Byte: New York Tech Shines at LISTnet Awards
Several members of the New York Tech community were among those honored recently at an awards ceremony hosted by the Long Island Software & Technology Network (LISTnet). The Long Island SummIT Awards (LISA) honor companies and individuals achieving success while helping to grow Long Island’s technology ecosystem.

Members of the New York Tech community celebrate this year’s LISA honorees, including Dean Babak D. Beheshti (back row, second from left), Associate Professor Frank Lee (front row, fifth from left), and students Ryan Ahmed (front row, third from left) and Pari Patel (front row, fourth from right).
The 27th Annual LISA Awards honorees include:
Babak D. Beheshti, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, received the John Kominicki Leadership Award, which is given to a local leader for promoting Long Island.
Frank Lee, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of computer science, is among the winners of the inaugural Tech Teachers award. According to Beheshti, this is due in part to his successful efforts to grow the Department of Computer Science in both teaching and research and his ongoing commitment to students.
Receiving the Rookie of the Year award is the startup Niura, under the leadership of Ryan Ahmed, an undergraduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences, and fellow New York Tech student Pari Patel, who is pursuing a degree in biology. Niura, wearable smart technology with brain health implications, was featured recently as the cover story in the spring 2024 issue New York Institute of Technology Magazine.
“It is an honor for the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences to have such a prominent presence among the LISA 2024 awardees. This is a testament to New York Tech’s commitment to student success, innovation, and creativity, as well as the growth of the Long Island high-tech economy,” says Beheshti.
More News

Dedicated to the Pursuit of Knowledge
Students and alumni from the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Health Professions, and College of Osteopathic Medicine shared research findings at impressive industry conferences.

Students Learn About Spectrum Technology From Industry Experts
Industry leaders, faculty, students, and staff from universities across the country gathered on the Long Island campus for Spectrum Sizzle, an undergraduate spectrum workshop funded by the National Science Foundation.

Cybersecurity Graduate Students Rank 25th in MITRE’s eCTF 2025 Competition
First-time participants, 10 cybersecurity students from the Vancouver campus break into the global top 25 in prestigious Embedded Capture the Flag (eCTF) challenge.

Understanding the Cellular Underpinnings of Obesity
In his research, Assistant Professor Henry Ruiz, Ph.D., is looking to understand what makes fat cells grow, which could lead to new and improved obesity treatments.

Entrepreneur, Treasurer, and Robotics Designer
When computer science student Gunn Aggarwal devised a business idea for a class, she didn’t envision the level of success that it would soon reach.

Forging New Frontiers in Computer Science
When Siddhant Bhandari (M.S. ’23) and Surbhi Hirawat (M.S. ’23) got together for dinner one evening, they had no idea it would inspire them to do research to help preserve their Indian traditions.