Soon-to-Be Provost Gonzales Profiled in Long Island Business News

Apr 26, 2018

In “New Provost in Town” (subscription required), Long Island Business News features a profile of Junius Gonzales, M.D., who will begin serving as NYIT’s provost and vice president for academic affairs on June 4.

 

Solounias' Horse Anatomy Research Featured on The Academic Minute

Apr 23, 2018

As heard on The Academic Minute, findings from NYITCOM anatomy professor, Nikos Solounias, Ph.D., refute the theory that today’s horses are one-toed, arguing that the animals retained remnants of five toes from an early ancestor. As he notes in the segment, which aired on WAMC Public Radio and was shared with readers of Inside HigherEd, Solounias discovered not only fossil evidence in support of his claims, but also neurovascular clues. He states:

“Fetal dissections of the modern horse reveal a greater number of arteries and nerves than would be expected in a single digit. If today’s horse is indeed monodactyl, meaning one digit per forelimb, we would expect each forelimb to have two veins, two arteries, and two nerve bundles. However, we found between five and seven neurovascular bundles per forelimb, suggesting that more toes begin to develop, but do not fully form. Therefore, the horse is not truly monodactyl as previously expected.”

 

Provost Appointee Named in The Chronicle of Higher Education

Apr 20, 2018

The appointment of Junius Gonzales, M.D., as NYIT’s next provost and vice president for academic affairs is announced in the Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Transitions” column. As mentioned in the column, Gonzales, who currently serves as senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina System, will become provost and vice president for academic affairs at NYIT on June 4.

 

NYIT Volunteers and President Foley Pictured in Syosset Advance

Apr 19, 2018

President Hank Foley and several student volunteers who made dog toys for the Town of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter are featured in Syosset Advance. The item describes NYIT’s “Day of Giving.”

 

Healthline Quotes Haar on Sugary Cereals

Apr 18, 2018

According to a Healthline article, more millennials are turning to sugary cereals as a snack. In fact, 43 percent of people in the United States say they eat cereal as a snack, including 56 percent of millennials, compared with 33 percent of baby boomers. However, NYIT nutrition expert Mindy Haar, Ph.D., says new Nutrition Facts labels from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may help consumers make healthier choices by distinguishing between added and naturally occurring sugars.

“Naturally occurring sugars in raisins or milk powder that may be included in the cereal would not count as added sugar,” says Haar.  

In regard to cereals like Raisin Bran, where sugar is added to the flakes and the raisins, she notes, “It would still be considerably less sugar than Trix, Cocoa Pebbles, etc., and include seven grams of fiber/serving, so I wouldn’t have a big problem hearing that this was anyone’s daily breakfast. Yes, there are even healthier cereals, but given current eating habits across the nation, we nutritionists have to have realistic expectations for choices people will make and keep for the long run.”

 

InnovateLI Shares News of NYIT's New Provost

Apr 13, 2018

The appointment of Junius Gonzales, M.D., as the university’s next provost and vice president for academic affairs is announced in InnovateLI's weekly newsletter. Editor Greg Zeller, writes:

“The New York Institute of Technology has a new chief administrative officer. On Thursday, NYIT President Henry Foley announced the appointment of Junius Gonzales as the university’s next provost and vice president for academic affairs, effective June 4.”

 

Kirk Explains Consumers’ Territoriality on The Academic Minute

Apr 13, 2018

Assistant Professor Colleen P. Kirk, D.P.S., of NYIT School of Management was a guest presenter on today’s Academic Minute, where she shows how she and her colleagues determined that psychological ownership contributes to consumers’ territorial behavior. The episode is broadcast on dozens of public radio stations and posted on Inside Higher Ed.

Consumers with a feeling of psychological ownership of something don’t like it when others signal psychological ownership of the same thing. When they feel thus infringed, they are likely to behave in ways that hurt business.

Kirk concludes her segment by saying, “While we consumers might need to be careful not to touch something another shopper has claimed, businesses should be especially careful not to trespass on someone else’s psychological ownership.”

 

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.