NYITCOM at A-State Project HEART Receives Positive Attention in Regional Media Outlets

Jun 13, 2018

As seen on local television stations KAIT and WMC Action News, and in The Jonesboro Sun, NYITCOM at A-State hosted students from across the Delta, including east Arkansas and the bootheel of Missouri, for an event known as Project HEART, which stands for Health Education, Advocacy, Reflection, and Training. This year’s learning sessions, intended to introduce the region’s students to science-based learning and health literacy concepts, focused on human anatomy and allowed them to get hands-on with virtual reality.

“One of the things that we tell the students is if they want to make a difference in their community, you can start today," said Amanda Deel, D.O., assistant dean and assistant professor of Clinical Education, NYITCOM at A-State. "You don't have to obtain that nursing license or therapist license or that physician license to make an impact in your community. If you see a need, you can address it. So we give the students and work with them to develop a toolkit and they can take that toolkit back to their community and replicate it to bring healthy eating and healthy activity back."

 

New Provost Joins NYIT

Jun 12, 2018

The appointment of Junius J. Gonzales, M.D., as NYIT provost and vice president of academic affairs appears in Newsday and Long Island Business News (subscription required). Dr. Gonzales’ appointment  also is mentioned in The Pennsylvania Gazette, an alumni publication of the University of Pennsylvania, from which he earned his medical degree in 1986.

 

Kirk Describes "Buyer's Remorse" at Elliott.org

Jun 11, 2018

NYIT School of Management Assistant Professor Colleen P. Kirk, D.P.S., is cited in a story on consumer advocacy website Elliott.org discussing the phenomenon known as buyer’s remorse. “Buyer’s remorse happens when we perceive that a purchase we have made, upon reflection, appears to be inconsistent with other knowledge we have,” says Kirk.

Looking to the causes of buyer’s remorse, Kirk says, “Inconsistencies can come from becoming aware of alternative attractive products, from learning information about lower prices on the same product, or even from becoming more conscious of our own feelings or values that may be inconsistent with the purchase.”

 

Zwibel Featured in Highly Publicized Associated Press Story on Jockey Concussion

Jun 06, 2018

Hallie Zwibel, D.O., director, Center for Sports Medicine and assistant professor of Family Medicine, NYITCOM, has been featured widely in a story regarding the need for concussion protocols in horseracing. The story, which was originally published by the Associated Press just days before the Belmont Stakes, appeared in several prominent outlets such as USA Today, ABC News, and Fox Sports, among many others. Highlighting the actions of NYIT’s involvement with jockey advocacy groups, Zwibel speaks to the overlooked inherent danger of horseracing and the need to examine and treat athletes for concussion. He states:

“It's by nature a very dangerous sport. There's been more studies from the U.K. and Ireland that show that there are fairly high rates of head injury and repetitive head injury and cognitive deficit in the long term from those repetitive hits.”

 

HuffPost Includes Nutrition Advice from Haar in Healthy Summer Habits Article

Jun 04, 2018

Mindy Haar, Ph.D., assistant dean, Undergraduate Affairs, NYIT School of Health Professions, was quoted in HuffPost regarding healthy summer habits. In the article, Haar comments on seasonal diet changes that provide both recreation and nutritional benefits, including making the most of farmers markets and grilling outdoors:

“As farmers markets provide locally grown produce, the fruits and vegetables offered have spent so much less time in transit as compared to what is in the supermarket,” she said. “Many nutrients deteriorate over time…[so] seasonal fruits and vegetables are often at the peak of their nutritional value.”

 

Heard on The Academic Minute: Austin Discusses Social Media and Satisfaction Among Students

Jun 01, 2018

During NYIT Week on The Academic Minute, Melanie Austin, O.T.D., assistant professor of Occupational Therapy, examined the impact of social media on college students' satisfaction and well-being. In the segment, Austin discusses her most recent study, which compared the frequency of social media use to feelings of happiness among NYIT undergraduate and graduate students. She notes that her findings may counter reports that suggest social media does more emotional harm than good.

“Considering the headlines citing social media’s negative influence, my findings suggest a more positive outlook is possible,” says Austin. “When compared to students who used social media less often, the daily users reported more satisfaction and fulfillment with their everyday routine. Additionally, a higher percentage of daily users described their routines more positively, choosing words such as productive, enjoyable, and fulfilling.”

This segment of The Academic Minute aired during NYIT Week.

 

Balagani Biometrics and Continuous Authentication Research Featured on The Academic Minute

May 31, 2018

As Kiran Balagani, Ph.D., associate professor of Computer Science, explained on a recent segment of The Academic Minute, current smartphone authentication tools, such as graphical passwords, PINs, and fingerprint scans, fail to provide security after the user is logged in. While behavioral biometrics, which determine a user’s identity by verifying keystroke dynamics and other behaviors, may fill the gap, continuous authentication comes at a price, and may compromise privacy and device battery life. Balagani states:

“Finding the right balance among security, privacy, power, and communication will render an ultimate solution invisible to users that will significantly enhance device security.”

This segment of The Academic Minute aired during NYIT Week.

 

The Academic Minute Debuts Donoghue’s Research on Female Runner Metabolism

May 30, 2018

As heard for the first time during NYIT Week on The Academic Minute, research from Joanne Donoghue, Ph.D., assistant professor of Osteopathic Manual Medicine, NYITCOM, refutes the claim that eating less and exercising more improves weight loss. Donoghue’s study, which examined energy expenditure vs. caloric intake in long and middle distance recreational female runners in their early twenties, found that abiding by this claim may in fact hinder weight management goals. Her study found that while caloric intake was similar between the two groups, with both consuming a minimal amount of energy, the long distance group had a lower resting metabolic rate.

“Although the long distance runners exercised significantly more, they consumed the minimal energy required to perform basic functions, such as breathing and digesting food,” says Donoghue. “This created a greater deficit between calories in vs. calories out, which can put the body into a starvation mode and slow the resting metabolism in order to conserve fuel.”

This segment of The Academic Minute aired during NYIT Week.

 

Raven Appears on The Academic Minute, Contends "Curbing Climate Change Needs the Right Design"

May 29, 2018

In a segment of The Academic Minute, Jeffrey Raven, associate professor and director of the Graduate Program in Urban and Regional Design, argues that cities that embrace "adaptive mitigation" are better positioned to remain livable. As he explains, cities must not only reduce their carbon dioxide emissions, but also design spaces that enable residents to adapt to a changing climate. He states:

“Developing a region in a denser, more compact form that mixes land use and supports mass transit is a key strategy for greenhouse gas mitigation. Yet these districts can also be concrete jungles, whose surfaces comprise heat-absorbing materials like asphalt, forcing residents to turn up their air conditioning in hot summer months. The challenge is to configure these dense urban districts to reduce the impact of increased urban heat and storms due to the changing climate while enhancing a high-quality, low-carbon lifestyle.”

This segment of The Academic Minute aired during NYIT Week.

 

Restivo Argues Against Solitary Confinement for Waived Juveniles on The Academic Minute

May 28, 2018

As Emily Restivo, Ph.D., assistant professor, Behavioral Sciences, cites in a segment of The Academic Minute, over 200,000 U.S. children and youth are tried as adults each year. Despite findings from the Department of Justice that conclude solitary confinement on juveniles waived into the adult prison system should rarely be used, solitary confinement continues to be applied to these individuals. Restivo’s latest findings show the number of days spent in segregation from the general prison population significantly affects the number of mental health diagnoses, and supports the argument to eliminate solitary confinement among all inmates, especially children and youth. She states:

“Our results reinforce the need to hold youth in the juvenile justice system while awaiting trial. Additionally, our findings show that the mental health and safety of waived juveniles could be greatly improved if these individuals remain in youth facilities until the age of 21 and are withheld from the unnecessary use of solitary confinement for disciplinary reasons.”

This segment of The Academic Minute aired during NYIT Week.