Media Coverage

Scientific American Publishes President Foley Op-ed

Apr 11, 2018

Roughly 2.5 million studies conveying innovative discoveries and solutions are published each year, backed by huge investments. But, these analyses can rarely be authenticated or proven accurate, writes NYIT President Hank Foley, Ph.D., in an op-ed published in Scientific American.  

This is where the emerging information technology blockchain may come to the rescue. By authenticating and certifying published research data using the blockchain, the scientific community could reduce errors and regain the public’s confidence, Foley writes.

“Every year, our nation funnels billions of dollars into research that is then used to make crucial policy decisions with even larger implications in lives and dollars. It’s imperative that science give us facts, not false impressions,” he says.

Scientists already have the ability to share raw data prior to the publication of their studies—but have few venues and little incentive to do so. Blockchain would make sharing, authenticating, and certifying information much faster and easier—and render it nearly impossible to alter data.

 

News Outlets Highlight Beta Blocker Alternative Posed by NYITCOM Researchers

Apr 10, 2018

Research by NYITCOM Biomedical faculty, which poses an alternative treatment for heart attack patients unable to tolerate beta blockers, was featured in News-Medical and Medical Xpress. Beta blockers have become a prescription drug staple for recovering heart attack patients, but these blood pressure-reducing medications cannot be tolerated by many patients who are at higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease. These patients include those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, the elderly, and diabetics. In both stories, Martin Gerdes, Ph.D., chair, Biomedical Sciences and the study’s senior investigator, notes the benefits of the thyroid hormone T3 as a replacement for beta blockers. He states:

“While beta blockers have been viewed as the gold standard in MI treatment for years, a significant population at risk for heart failure is unable to tolerate these drugs. If given beta blockers, these patients’ conditions can, in fact, worsen – heart rate may fall too low and heart function could deteriorate. Preclinical studies have shown thyroid hormone treatment to be a safe and effective method for managing cardiovascular disorders, and may offer a better option for these patients.”

 

Gandhi Op-ed: Disaster Response Needs to Improve

Apr 09, 2018

In an op-ed published in Salon, Farzana Gandhi, AIA, LEED AP, advocates for long-term planning to be a factor in disaster relief efforts. “Charities and government agencies need to channel funds to deliver long-term infrastructure support, rather than just short-term relief of emergency food, water and tents,” says Gandhi, an associate professor in the School of Architecture and Design.

In “We are failing Puerto Rico: Why short-term disaster relief is a disaster,” Gandhi emphasizes the need for the expertise of architects and urban designers. “They can create rebuilding schemes that respond to the needs of local community members—something aid agencies have often struggled with,” she says.

Citing effective short- and long-term responses to catastrophic destruction in Chile and Nepal, Gandhi concludes by advising governments and aid organizations to seek “locally tailored, forward-looking disaster responses” to enhance resilience in vulnerable communities.

 

NYIT Makes Telecare Appearance to Discuss Partnership with Catholic Health Services

Apr 03, 2018

NYIT President Hank Foley, Ph.D., and Jerry Balentine, D.O., vice president for Medical Affairs and Global Health, appeared in a Telecare interview with NYITCOM alumnus Patrick O’Shaughnessy (D.O. ’99), EVP and system chief medical officer, CHS. The discussion focuses on NYITCOM’s recently announced partnership with CHS to further advance patient-centered, community-based healthcare on Long Island.

 

Anid Pushes for Gender Equality in The Chronicle of Higher Education

Apr 02, 2018

As seen in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Nada Anid, Ph.D., dean, School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, joined other influential women in higher education to advocate for gender equality in the academy. Her commentary, which focuses on the need to encourage females to pursue careers and leadership positions in technology, states:

“Men become engineers and women become clerical staff. Even today, just 12 percent of engineers are women, and the number of women in computing has fallen from 35 percent in 1990 to just 26 percent today. That's why it's up to women with power to be the megaphone for those who can't be heard. Right now only 15 percent of all American deans of engineering are women. We need more female faculty members and more female faculty in leadership positions to serve as role models and mentors and encourage women not to accept glass ceilings. At NYIT, the number of female faculty has tripled over the past five years.”

 

Gilliar Comments on Symbolism of White Coat in The Baltimore Sun

Apr 02, 2018

Wolfgang Gilliar, D.O., dean, NYITCOM, was quoted in The Baltimore Sun regarding the history and significance of the physician’s white coat. As Gilliar explains in the article, “The white coats have been around since the 1900s and were first worn at hospitals and then spread to medical schools. Short white coats are common in medical schools, where students are presented the garments in white coat ceremonies at the start of their studies. Some specialties, such as pediatrics and psychiatry, have moved away from the white coat altogether because it is uninviting. In the end the white coat has become more a symbol of tradition than reason.”

 

Reader's Digest Quotes Haar on Breaking "Healthy" Eating Rules

Mar 30, 2018

Nutrition expert, Mindy Haar, Ph.D., was quoted in a Reader’s Digest story discussing the top “diet rules” registered dietitians break. In the article, Haar busts health myths about coconut oil, namely that the oil should be considered a preferred source of fat and eaten daily. She states, “At the end of the day, coconut oil is still a saturated fat. Not to mention highly caloric! I think olive oil, a monounsaturated fat, is a much better choice."

 

Farajidavar Lends Expertise to IEEE Article on Gastroenterological Monitoring Device

Mar 30, 2018

School of Engineering and Computing Sciences’ Aydin Farajidavar, Ph.D., is quoted in an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) article on wearable devices that non-invasively monitor electrical activity in the stomach. According to the article, a new wearable device that non-invasively monitors electrical activity in the stomach could help people with digestive problems determine with greater precision whether treatments or diets are working. Farajidavar has completed his own gastroenterological wearable device research to aid in gastroparesis, a condition which results when stomach muscle contractions function abnormally, causing the stomach's contents to empty too slowly, and affects as many as five million Americans.

 

CNBC Publishes Bloom Op-ed

Mar 29, 2018

President Trump recently unveiled his long-awaited infrastructure plan. It may help fix some roads and bridges, but it would starve public transportation systems of funding, writes Nicholas D. Bloom, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of social science, in an op-ed published by CNBC.com.  

Under the plan, aging U.S. rail and bus systems would further deteriorate, drivers would face worse traffic, and big cities would become less globally competitive, he writes.

“To compete internationally, we need to offer states more federal funding for mass transit,” Bloom says. “Governors know the specific needs of their urban regions and can craft large-scale, long-term plans for their constituents.”

 

LaGrandeur Discusses AI in Radio Interview

Mar 28, 2018

Kevin LaGrandeur, Ph.D., of NYIT College of Arts and Sciences is the guest on this week’s Mason Vera Paine Show, broadcast on WGN radio in Chicago and available online. In the 29-minute episode, "Is Artificial Intelligence something we should worry about?" LaGrandeur and Paine have a wide-ranging discussion about how artificial intelligence (AI) will affect the world economy.

Among other questions, LaGrandeur explains how today’s AI differs from the robotics of the past; which workers will have to learn new jobs; which elements of human work will be transformed by AI; and whether smart robots are likely to take over the world.