Fall 2018: Semester in Review

The fall 2018 semester closed with an impressive array of final projects and presentations. Read on to see how students showcased their hands-on, real-world experiences at various events this winter.

College of Arts and Sciences

The Carlton Group and ProdCo:
Student-run groups The Carleton Group and ProdCo work together to develop marketing campaigns and innovative proposals for real clients. Last semester, they worked with four clients:

• General Needs is a not-for-profit organization that helps homeless veterans in the tristate area get basic necessities, such as underwear, socks, and shoes. To build awareness and make the brand more personal, the students created a new “spokesperson” that the organization can utilize in various ways, including in their upcoming event at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The founder of General Needs was so impressed with the students that he encouraged his son to attend NYIT—which he is.
• To build Health and Welfare Council of Long Island’s (HWCLI) brand awareness, the students produced a new video and social media content. They worked with NYIT alumna (and former Carleton Group member) Gina Dorso (M.A. ’16), who gave them the job.
• The Congregational Church of Manhasset was looking for ways to attract a younger generation. The students attended Sunday services to familiarize themselves with their client and their audience. The result of their research was a new logo and slogan: Faith Moving Forward.
• Author John J. Dunn, retired attorney and former Manhattan school board member, needed help marketing his book Who Shot the School Board. NYIT students created a successful media campaign for the racy, tongue-in-cheek exposé of what goes on at school boards.

Foundations of College Composition:
Placing orders for food on campus, scheduling classes with friends, and making appointments with professors were among the apps that students developed in Foundations of College Composition taught by Assistant Professor Amanda Golden, Ph.D. The course required students to read and discuss Jennine Capó Crucet’s novel Make Your Home Among Strangers, which follows a first-generation student’s college journey. Students then turned to the NYIT campus for College in a Digital World. The students worked in groups to develop apps for the NYIT community and then presented their ideas at an event modeled after the television show Shark Tank. Each group explained the purpose of their app, their target audience, and presented mockups of what their app would look like to judges Junius Gonzales, M.D., M.B.A., provost and vice president for academic affairs, and Nada Anid, Ph.D., vice president for strategic communications and external affairs.

College of Engineering and Computing Sciences

2017–2018 Biomedical Assistive Technology Design Challenge:
Five teams representing the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences and NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) focused their innovative instincts to create solutions for people with physical disabilities. Eleven teams entered the competition in September 2017, five finalists were chosen to submit their projects in May 2018, and winners were announced in December. Read the full story.

Undergraduate Research and Entrepreneurship Program:
Students in the Undergraduate Research and Entrepreneurship Program (UREP) work on a variety of projects in a group setting under the guidance of a faculty supervisor. Each research team is given $500 to cover the cost of supplies and materials. Projects can run for a single semester or extend across multiple semesters. “The UREP grants are focused on research and exploration, giving students a chance to understand new concepts and applications,” says Ziqian (Cecilia) Dong, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and UREP program director. Read the full story.

School of Architecture and Design

Design Studio and Thesis Reviews:
From December 10 through 18, NYIT School of Architecture and Design showcased undergraduate and graduate students’ final projects at a series of events on the Long Island and New York City campuses. “External reviews are crucial to evaluate and assess criteria of core student learning outcomes,” said Dean Maria Perbellini, M.Arch. “Most importantly, our full-school, end-of-semester final reviews are a community celebration of the student talented solutions and creative explorations through a rich exchange of ideas. They are opportunities to broaden the perspective on architecture and design beyond the classroom.” Read the full story.