Media Coverage

Apr 24, 2017

An article on ASME.org, a publication of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which focuses on promoting the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe, explores “robophobia” -- namely, the concern that robots and AI will soon replace some people in their jobs.  In the article, Robophobia: Bridging the Uncanny Valley, Kevin LaGrandeur, Ph.D. shares his beliefs that part of the aversion to robots and technology is cultural, and a reflection of the fact that many Americans have been bombarded with negative messages about robots and AI for decades.  

“Robots aren't as well accepted in American households as they are, say, in Japan where they're actually a lot more popular,” LaGrandeur says. “To some extent I think the Japanese have sort of a love affair with robots because they're kind of trained to it from the time they're younger. They have more cartoons and shows and things that have to do with robotic type of technology.” Read the full article.

 

Klotz Comments on Gender and Higher Ed Leadership

Apr 24, 2017

NYIT-Manhattan Dean of Students Ann Marie Klotz was interviewed by Rochester’s Democrat & Chronicle for a story about female college and university presidents. Klotz notes that women’s paths to higher education leadership can amount to an obstacle course. Most college and university leaders are still white men, even though most university students are women. "Until university leadership looks like the diversity of students they serve, we are doing a disservice to those student populations," Klotz says.

The article notes that Klotz was an invited keynote speaker at The College at Brockport’s recent series of events addressing the gender leadership gap, “Be the Revolution.”

 

Apr 17, 2017

As seen in InnovateLI and Cardiovascular Business, researchers at NYITCOM Department of Anatomy may have found a simple method to detect and monitor the progression of atherosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries which can restrict and reduce blood flow (and thus, oxygen) to areas of the body.

Although many deadly cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease and carotid artery disease, develop as a result of atherosclerosis, there is currently no simple way to diagnose atherosclerosis or monitor the disease's response to treatment. While previous research primarily used ultrasound, the researchers used histopathology to more accurately grade atherosclerosis development.Their findings suggest the radial artery as a possible method of measuring systemic atherosclerosis.

 

Newsday: Amundsen Offers Perspective on Planned LI Wind Farm

Apr 16, 2017

An offshore wind farm planned to address spiking electric demand on the South Fork of Long Island will produce excess energy when it’s needed least, according to an article in Newsday (subscription required).

Robert Amundsen, an energy-management expert at NYIT, said that plans to use wind energy to address a growing peak need raises questions. “From an operation standpoint it doesn’t really make sense to consider a wind farm as a peaking resource because the idea of peak is to have the power when you need it, and turn it off when you don’t,” he said. “The wind farm is not like that. That’s not to say it’s not a great idea. But it doesn’t by itself solve your peak power problems. You need to have either enough power in the area or to import it from somewhere else.”

A similar article was also featured in Long Island Business News on May 2, 2017 (subscription required).

 

Cybersecurity Research Shows New Threats to Smartphones

Apr 12, 2017

InnovateLI, Communications of the ACM, ECNmag.com, and more than a dozen international outlets including India Today have reported the privacy risk uncovered by a team of NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences researchers. NYIT’s Kiran Balagani, Aydin Farajidavar, and Paolo Gasti worked with colleagues Qing Yang and Gang Zhou of the College of William & Mary to show how a smartphone plugged into a compromised outlet is vulnerable to cyberattack even if the charging cable is not designed to transfer data.

Gasti says the team’s successful side-channel attacks exploited the fact that “webpages have a signature that reflects the way they load and consume energy.” The team used those “signatures” to determine which webpages were visited while the phone was plugged in. “Although this was an early study of power use signatures, it’s very likely that information besides browsing activity can also be stolen via this side channel,” says Gasti.

 

Anid Discusses Proposed Cuts to Science Funding

Apr 11, 2017

An Innovate LI article reported concerns about proposed cuts to federal funding for scientific research programs from leaders at “the heart of the Long Island innovation economy,” including NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences Dean Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D.   

“These cuts are going to affect us for sure, and it’s not just research. It’s funding for student tuition and fellowships,” she said. The article also noted that the proposed cuts are “a potential blow for programs aimed at increasing the participation of female students in STEM fields (for science, technology, engineering and mathematics), a ‘top concern’ for the dean.”

 

Apr 07, 2017

Dubai media outlets Your Neighborhood Flash, DubaiNewStyle.com, and Gulf News Xpress featured the work of a team of NYIT-Abu Dhabi Interior Design students who participated in the Future Retail Challenge at the 2017 World Retail Congress.

University student teams were asked to develop a bricks-and-mortar location for an online-only retailer from their country. The NYIT students describe their project for a “Khalidiya” store thus: "Our aim is to open a store that would not only allow visitors to purchase Khalidiya’s products, but also give them the opportunity to socialize, share memories, and even create new ones by taking part in the several activities happening in the shop."

 

NYIT International Student Encourages Study in the U.S.

Apr 06, 2017

NYIT junior Carlos Coto, an international student from Costa Rica, is cited in Newsday (subscription required) discussing the value of studying in the United States in a politically turbulent time. Based on his experiences coming to the U.S. (“the most exciting thing that could ever happen to me”), Coto says he would “still encourage people to come here, even if the [visa] process is harder.”

 

Apr 03, 2017

The struggle to eat healthy is a challenge Americans have faced for years. In a recent article featured in the online lifestyle source The List, Mindy Haar, Ph.D., registered dietician and director of program development for NYIT’s Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, weighs in on which eating habits were considered healthy 50 years ago.

Haar discusses the public’s shift away from animal fats as margarine became a staple of many diets. "Margarine was considered healthy, and a good substitute of animal-derived butter," Haar said. "As people started to opt for 'low-fat' diets at that time, nuts, olive oil, and avocados were avoided."

 

School of Management Scholarship Appears in GoodCall

Mar 31, 2017

In a story for GoodCall, Dean of NYIT School of Management Jess Boronico, Ph.D., discusses NYIT’s efforts to raise awareness of the gender pay gap. The story highlights the School of Management’s new Gender Wage Gap Scholarship, which encourages students to #WageAgainstTheGap.

Boronico mentions the School of Management’s support for “the principle of equality, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, country of origin, or other characteristics.”