A SOURCE for Impressive Student Research

Hundreds of students, representing all six New York Tech schools and colleges, gathered on the New York City campus on April 24 to present their academic research at the 23rd annual Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE).

SOURCE celebrates and highlights the outcomes of students’ scholarly work in collaboration with their peers and faculty mentors. Launched in 2004, this year’s symposium featured studies from more than 330 graduate and undergraduate students, via nearly 165 oral and poster presentations. Faculty and staff, as well as students’ peers, perused 16 W. 61st St., where the young academics showcased their research.

Welcoming remarks from SOURCE Chair and College of Arts and Sciences Professor and Dean Emeritus Roger Yu, Ph.D., along with Vice Provost for Research Jared Littman, Ph.D., reminded guests of students’ consistent academic excellence and commitment.

“Their work reminds us that discovery is not confined to the classroom,” said Littman. “It is driven by passion, resilience, and the willingness to explore the unknown.”

The day kicked off with more than 20 oral presentations. Topics ranged from “Why People Use Dating Apps” and “New York History Panel”—featuring five students’ individual insights—to technical matters like “Investigating the Techniques Taught and Practiced by Radiologists” and “Low Testosterone Damages Bone Health: Evidence from a Preclinical Study.”

Following lunch and a keynote address from President Jerry Balentine, D.O., the afternoon featured the poster presentations. Topics included “Nitrous Oxide Abuse: The Emerging Need for Regulatory Oversight,” “Encountering the Landscape: An Artistic Field Journal of Montana,” and “Fort Peck Native American Health Education Continuum: Strong Spirits, Healing Paths,” among many others.

Undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences students Soham Raval, Ryan Dong, and Winnie Yao presented their research poster, “Differential Expression of DNA repair Genes and NF-κappaB associated genes in Cancer Cells in Response to Curaxin.” They explained their work to passersby for the second time this month. On April 18, they displayed the study at the 2026 Sigma Xi Northeast Regional Research Conference in Danbury, Conn.

Dong, a biology student, and biotechnology students Raval and Yao investigated the molecular mechanisms of the curaxin compound (anticancer agent) known as CBL0137. This specific compound is notable for its ability to trigger cancer cell death. Raval and Dong agree that research showcase events like SOURCE are critical to students’ growth and confidence.

“Presenting lets me receive feedback from many different perspectives, and it helps me feel more confident explaining complex ideas in a clear way,” Raval says. Dong adds: “This gives me the chance to contribute to conversations that can strengthen both the research itself and my growth as a student scientist.”

Another poster presenter, Doctor of Physical Therapy student Charles Siguenza, discussed with attendees a study he was a part of, “Objective Tools Detect Lower Extremity Asymmetry in Parkinson’s During the Five Time Sit to Stand.” Focused on finding additional ways to detect early movement changes in people with Parkinson’s disease, he studied a common test in which a person stands up and sits down five times as quickly as possible. The findings suggest that using more detailed technology may help identify movement issues earlier and guide a more personalized treatment plan for those affected by the disease.

“SOURCE is important because it gives students the opportunity to showcase their hard work, research, and professional growth,” Siguenza says. “Before we graduate in May, this was a great opportunity for my classmates and me to work together, share ideas, and represent our programs while contributing to research that can make a real impact.”

View all the projects at past years and this year’s SOURCE.