Academic Programs Highlights
College of Arts + Sciences
Three SUNY Poly Professors Detail Collaborative Interactive Tabletop for Education (CITE) Project in Published Book Chapter
Three professors from SUNY Poly’s College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Ana Jofre (PI), Dr. Kristina Boylan, and Dr. Ibrahim Yucel, have written a chapter in the recently published book, “Rethinking Freire and Illich: Historical, Philosophical, and Theological Perspectives.” In the chapter they argue that placing Brazilian philosopher/educator Paulo Freire (best-known for writing Pedagogy of the Oppressed) and Austrian theologian and intellectual Ivan Illich, S.J. in dialogue with linguist James Paul Gee’s insights on what games (video games and otherwise) can teach us about deep engagement with source materials, literature, and learning and creative processes, provides a foundation for creating interactive educational tools. Read more.
Dr. Byeongdon Oh Publishes Research Analyzing Racial Inequality in Higher Education from 1980 to 2010
SUNY Poly Assistant Professor of Sociology, Dr. Byeongdon Oh, and peers from Portland State University recently published research titled, “Shifting Tides: The Evolution of Racial Inequality in Higher Education from the 1980s through the 2010s,” in the academic journal Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World. The research analyzed national survey datasets to investigate racial disparities in college attendance outcomes from the 1980s through the 2010s. The data showed that college entrance rates increased for all racial groups, but that Black and Hispanic youth became increasingly less likely than their White peers to attend four-year selective colleges. Dr. Oh notes that the findings underscore the urgent need for proactive policy interventions to address the widening racial inequality in attending selective postsecondary institutions. Read more.
Dr. Shing Chi Leung Publishes New Physics Research
Dr. Shing Chi Leung, SUNY Poly assistant professor of physics, in collaboration with Mr. Chun-Ming Yip, Dr. Ming-Chung Chu and Dr. Lap-Ming Lin, from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, published a peer reviewed article in The Astrophysical Journal. They discovered that the explosion of a low-mass neutron star can be the alternative cosmic source for the Lanthanides and other heavy elements, including precious metals, such as gold and platinum.
Later in the academic year, Dr. Leung delivered a series of public science talks about stars and supernovae as part of his Astro Seminar Series, funded by a National Science Foundation Grant. In each talk, Dr. Leung gave a survey on the physics and mechanisms of stellar evolution and supernova physics. He discussed the research opportunities in these areas and how some of the skills in physics research can be translated to industry jobs. He concluded the talk with the relevant projects available as part SUNY Poly’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP).
Dr. Ana Jofre Publishes Digital Project Featured in Oxford Research Encyclopedia
SUNY Poly Assistant Professor of Creative Arts and Technology, Dr. Ana Jofre, recently collaborated with Dr. Rosa Bruno-Jofre, a Professor of History of Education at Queens University on a digital project titled, “Jesuit Vision of Education 1540-1773.” The project, which provides an interactive narrative on the history of the Jesuits’ international network of schools and colleges, from the Jesuits’ foundation in 1540 to their suppression by the Pope in 1773, was recently published in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia and in a Brazilian journal. This particular study is the first chapter of a much wider historical analysis of pedagogical ideas and movements in western education. Read more.
Dr. Vijay Ramalingam’s SUNY Poly Research Enhances Singlet Oxygen Generation with More Efficient Photosensitizers for Therapeutic Applications
SUNY Poly Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. Vijay Ramalingam and peers recently published research titled, “Supramolecular Enhancement of BODIPY Singlet Oxygen Generation Using Bile Salt Micelles,” in the Austin Journal of Analytical and Pharmaceutical Chemistry. The significant research could lead to improved cancer treatments by making the drugs used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) more powerful and efficient, ultimately helping patients fight cancer more effectively. Read more.
Dr. Linda R. Weber Explores Trust People Have In Their Physicians
SUNY Poly Professor of Sociology Dr. Linda R. Weber recently published research titled, “Measuring trust in one’s physician: A scoping review,” in The Public Library of Science ONE (PLOS ONE). Trust in one’s physician drives positive health practices. This scoping review discovered new developments in the measurement of trust, identified those measures of trust that have known reliability and validity, and compared those instruments’ conceptualizations, dimensions, and indicators. Read more.
Dr. Andrew Gallup, SUNY Poly alum Sabina Wozny Further Demonstrate Connection Between Yawning and Threat Detection
Professor of Biopsychology Dr. Andrew Gallup and SUNY Poly alum Sabina Wozny have published new research in the American Psychological Association’s Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences journal titled, “Seeing other people yawn selectively enhances vigilance: A conceptual replication.” Prior research backs the hypothesis that seeing other people yawn enhances vigilance by improving the ability to detect snakes. In this study, Dr. Gallup and Wozny replicated this effect showing that exposure to people yawning similarly enhances the detection of a different type of predator: lions. Overall, their findings provide further support that merely witnessing others yawn elicits cognitive changes that improve threat detection during periods of enhanced vulnerability
Dr. Kazuko Behrens Awarded a Summer Visiting Research Fellow Position at the University of Cambridge (UK)
SUNY Poly Professor of Psychology Dr. Kazuko Behrens traveled to the University of Cambridge in England this summer and will next year as well, as a visiting research fellow to be affiliated with the Department of Public Health and Primary Care. She will be involved in a number of research projects, and she will also teach a hybrid two-week intensive training workshop on psychological assessment. More specifically, she will be training the utilization of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) for assessment of psychological states of mind. She is one of around a dozen psychologists licensed to teach this instrument around the world, which was developed by her mentor at UC Berkeley, the late Dr. Mary Main. By interviewing adults, AAIs allow trained, reliable psychologists to predict what kind of attachment quality their kids will have. According to Behrens, AAIs have been approx. 70 percent accurate in its prediction, statistically. Behrens has also begun her role as a Guest Editor of the Special Issue for the high impact journal, Attachment and Human Development. She will also be a contributing author in another special issue of the journal, which honors Dr. Main.
Dr. Lauren Endres Presents at Wynn Hospital
On March 26, SUNY Poly Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Lauren Endres gave an invited talk on forever chemicals at the Wynn Hospital as part of the Mohawk Valley Health System’s Physicians and Faculty Development Series. Her presentation centered on research she’s done investigating the potential of PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkylated substances) to induce oxidative stress in cells with links to diseases such as cancer and aging. Read more.
Dr. Kathryn Stam Presents Anthropology Research in Missouri and New Mexico
SUNY Poly Professor of Anthropology Dr. Kathryn Stam presented a talk, “The Rainbow Body and the Material Remains,” at the Anthropology of Consciousness Spring Conference in St. Louis, MO, April 9, 2024. Panelists Yadong Li, Dr. Stam, and Phylis Passariello are pictured here at their panel, “Beyond the Human, Beyond the Living.” Dr. Stam also presented her research, “The Promising Role of Visual Anthropology Methods for Sharing Immigrant Stories and Images: Uses for a Large Photo Collection of Refugees in the U.S.” at the Society for Applied Anthropology in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Wed, March 27, 2024. There are two digital collections showcasing this research that Dr. Stam created in collaboration with SUNY Poly Library Director Rebecca Hewitt. Read more.
Dr. Christian Corda Recognized By Gravity Research Foundation
Dr. Christian Corda, a visiting faculty member in SUNY Poly’s Department of Mathematics and Physics, was awarded an Honorable Mention by the Gravity Research Foundation in a “Best Essays on Gravitation” competition in 2024.The main purpose of the Gravity Research Foundation is to encourage scientific research and to arrive at a more complete understanding of the phenomenon of gravitation through its annual awards for essays on gravitation with the expectation that beneficial uses will ensue. Dr. Christian Corda collaborated with Dr. Elmo Benedetto (University of Salerno, Italy) and Dr. Ignazio Licata (Institute for Scientific Methodology, Italy). Their essay is entitled “Equivalence Principle and Machian Origin of Extended Gravity.” Read more.
Culture of Mathematics Cultivates Student Success at SUNY Poly
If you spend time with students in Applied Mathematics Professor and Program Coordinator Andrea Dziubek’s Numerical Differential Equations (MAT 460) class, two things become abundantly clear. The first is that the focus area flexibility an Applied Mathematics degree provides is apparent in their plans post-graduation, and the second is that they share a genuine love for mathematics and the role it plays in everyday life. At SUNY Poly, Applied Mathematics majors are able to apply mathematical and problem-solving skills to real world problems, developing and using a wide variety of mathematical methods in order to understand and to work with systems encountered in science and industry. Moreover, they are able to simulate the behavior of complex systems without actually having to construct expensive physical models. Read more.
SUNY Poly Student Presents Neutron Star Project at International Physics Meeting
SUNY Poly Student Anthony DeVasto recently presented at the American Physical Society (APS) April Meeting in Sacramento, California, sharing results of a neutron star glitch project completed in collaboration with Dr. Shing Chi Leung, an assistant professor of Physics at SUNY Poly. The APS April Meeting is a four-day academic conference which focuses on frontier research in fundamental physics ranging from particle physics to cosmology. More than a thousand physics researchers and students around the world attend the conference and present their projects in oral and poster presentations. Read more.
Writing Center Staff, Students Present Projects at Various Events
SUNY Poly Writing and Communications Center Coordinator (WCC) Dr. Don Moore, WCC students and peers recently presented their work at various events and conferences locally and afar. WCC students also participated participated in the WCC Spring Poetry Workshops and Poetry Workshop with Poet Laureate Charlotte Pence. Read more.
College of Business
College of Business Remains AACSB Accredited
Through the hard work and dedication of College of Business faculty, the college has maintained AACSB accreditation, and is currently in the reaccreditation process. This is a clear indicator of the high quality of our programs the college offers, which continue to earn several impressive rankings from the likes of Fortune and Forbes Advisor. Only five percent of the world’s business schools are AACSB accredited.
The College of Business offers a plethora of programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Currently, most undergraduate classes are taught on campus, and all graduate classes are delivered completely online. Strategic initiatives are being taken to foster innovative learning environments through hybrid delivery modes, joint programs, cohort offerings at high-demand locations, etc.
MV Regional Returns to SUNY Poly
This past spring, SUNY Poly once again hosted the Mohawk Valley Regional of the New York Business Plan Competition, which in addition to building the skills of student participants allows them to pitch their game-changing business proposals for a chance to reach the final round of the NYBPC and win cash prizes. Four SUNY Poly student-led ventures were among the finalists advancing in the statewide New York Business Plan Competition (coordinated by SUNY Poly’s Dr. Robert Edgell), as well as two ventures featuring SUNY Cobleskill students and one venture featuring Hamilton College students. The first place team, comprised of Hamilton College students, went on to win the state competition, which is a testament to the high quality of ventures created by students in our region. Read more.
Master’s in Accounting Program recognized by Fortune
SUNY Poly’s Master’s in Accounting Program was ranked fourth in the nation, amongst some of the best business schools in the nation, as part of Fortune’s Best Online Master’s in Accounting Programs for 2024. Read more.
Business Faculty Collaborate on Research Highlighting Concerns About Residential Mortgage-Backed Loan Securitization
Interim Dean of the College of Business Dr. Rafael Romero and Assistant Professor of Accounting Dr. Katie Matt recently published research titled, “Residential Mortgage-Backed Loan Securitization: Breach of Contract Evidence,” in the Global Journal of Business Research. Their research focused on analyzing for breach of contract evidence, helping to understand areas of litigation and concerns surrounding Residential-Mortgage Back Securities. Read more.
Dr. Robert Edgell Examines Implications of AI Use in Newly Published Research
Professor of Technology Management, Dr. Robert Edgell, recently published a paper titled, “A monstrous matter: The three faces of artificial creativity” in the Journal of Creativity, which analyzes the potential affordances, constraints and pitfalls brought about by the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) models. Researchers, practitioners and educators have explored this topic through a focus on artificial creativity (AC). According to Edgell, the creativity community sees AC as a sociotechnical network that has become a “deeply consternating and contested monster.” Read more.
Dr. Marie-Odile Richard Provides Important Insights About Star Ratings in New Research
Associate Professor of Marketing Dr. Marie-Odile Richard recently published research titled, “Shooting for the stars: What are the topics of reviews that affect star ratings?,” in the Canadian Journal of Administrative Science. The research, done in collaboration with Morgan State University’s Dr. Shimi Naurin Ahmad, is significant as it provides insights on the drivers of star ratings, which play a key role in the economic success of a business. Read more.
College of Engineering
New Agreement Between SUNY Poly and AFRL Will Create First-of-its-kind Open Federal XG Network
A new Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) will see the development of a first-of-its-kind open federated XG network that can be used to connect smart live Internet of Things (IoT) equipment. It will also help to develop an intelligent agility network that can facilitate the use of innovative application scenarios for education and teaching such as high definition (HD) live broadcasts, VR/AR teaching, holographic classrooms and HD supervision that currently suffer from the backward performance of current communication networking convenience, network delay, security management, terminal cost, and so on. The testbed supports real-time research that scales up to 10,000 5G-based user equipment.
AFRL is providing approximately $420,000 worth of equipment (5G network Core and Radio Access network), as part of the CRADA, for an Erickson 5G testbed to be established at SUNY Poly’s Advanced Cybersecurity Research Lab (ACRL) in Kunsela Hall, which Kholidy founded. AFRL will also be providing an estimated level of technical staff valued at approximately $150,000 over the life of the four-year agreement. The main goal of the CRADA is to extend the current testbed that has been developed at the ACRL to be a unique solution for companies and researchers to test their private 5G stand-alone interoperable applications, perform vulnerability assessments on this testbed, and develop and test Zero Trust security solutions. Read more.
Offshore Wind Grants Will Support Projects Led By SUNY Poly, UAlbany Faculty
Projects led by SUNY Poly faculty have received funding to advance offshore wind efforts. SUNY Poly Professors of Civil Engineering Dr. Zhanjie Li and Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) Dr. Iulian Gherasoiu have been included in the second round of Offshore Wind Training Institute (OWTI) grants awarded for workforce development.
A project led by Li is receiving approximately $298,000 to develop a strong workforce training program to increase the number of engineers, scientists, and engineering technicians with the skills to contribute to the current offshore wind industry and help foster its growth. SUNY Poly Department of Engineering Technology Chair Dr. Andrew Wolfe and Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Dr. Aarthi Sekaran are Co-Principal Investigators of this new effort. Li was also the recipient of an OWTI grant in round one this past spring, which totaled $400,000 and established the SUNY Poly Offshore Wind Training Team (SPOWT²).
Gherasoiu received $86,525 for his part of a collaborative project with University at Albany’s Professor of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Haralabos (Harry) Efstathiadis. The two professors are developing three new courses as part of an offshore wind micro credential program that would be available to students at both campuses (either in-person or asynchronously online). Read more.
SUNY Poly Professor Dr. Tarannum Zaman Receives $175K Grant from National Science Foundation
Dr. Tarannum Shaila Zaman, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly), recently received a $175,000 National Science Foundation Computer and Information Science and Engineering Research Initiation Initiative (NSF CRII) grant to support her project entitled, “An Automated and User-centered Framework for Reproducing System-level Concurrency Bugs by Analyzing Bug Reports.” Ultimately, this research will create a novel framework named RepSON, that addresses challenges caused by system-level concurrency bugs that frequently appear in modern software systems, thus lessening the burden faced by developers, who must currently troubleshoot them manually.
According to Zaman, reproducing software bugs is necessary to ensure that they exist so that their behavior can be observed and that they can ultimately be fixed. Reproducing system-level concurrency bugs requires not only input data but also the interleaving order of system calls. Manually reproducing this type of bug from bug reports is challenging, Zaman explains, due to its elusive nature and the need for supplementary details. Moreover, bug reports composed in Natural Language software are frequently unstructured, posing a challenge when it comes to extracting essential information. Zaman notes that existing bug reproduction tools are incompatible with this type of bug due to their inability to deal with the specific interleaving schedule at the system call level. Read more.
SUNY Poly Launches Transportation Research AI Lab
SUNY Poly recently established a Transportation Research AI Lab (TRAIL), located in Donovan Hall, which will serve as a hub for innovation in smart transportation, sustainability, and equity, as well as traffic operation and safety. TRAIL was founded by Assistant Professor of Transportation Engineering, Dr. Abolfazl Karimpour, through a combination of external and internal grants. The lab is equipped with strong computing systems, transportation software, and has access to statewide traffic data. TRAIL serves both educational and research purposes, supporting endeavors such as classes, independent studies, and capstone projects, while utilizing its resources for conducting research simultaneously. Further enhancing its capabilities, emerging data collection technologies like UAVs and virtual reality (VR) sets will be added during the summer. These additions will enrich the lab’s environment, enabling immersive experiences for transportation simulations, visualization, and comprehensive data gathering for innovative research projects. Read more.
$10K SUNY IITG Grant Expands Access to Four Civil ET Courses Through HyFlex Model
SUNY Poly received a $10,000 SUNY Innovative Instruction Technology Grant that facilitated the development of four upper-level Civil Engineering Technology (Civil ET) courses into a HyFlex Model, allowing for them to be taken online or in-person. The Civil ET courses offered through a HyFlex model as of the Spring 2024 semester include CTC 340 Transportation Analysis, CTC 415 Construction Estimating and Scheduling, CTC 422 Design of Steel Structures and CTC 426 Design of Earth Structures. Courses including CTC 224 Statics and Strength of Materials and CTC 320 Structural Analysis are already offered as HyFlex.
President Soboyejo and Peers Publish Significant Research
This past spring, SUNY Poly President Dr. Winston Soboyejo and peers recently published a research paper in Scientific Reports titled, “In-vivo studies of targeted and localized cancer drug release from microporous poly-di-methyl-siloxane (PDMS) devices for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer.” Their paper is significant because it presents a new way to treat triple negative breast cancer, which is a very challenging disease, and possibly prevent triple-negative cancer reoccurrence. Read more.
Then over the summer, it was announced that President Soboyejo and Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Tabiri Asumadu published a revolutionary new paper titled, “Robust Macroscale Superlubricity on Carbon-Coated Metallic Surfaces.” This paper explores an innovative approach to reducing friction on metallic surfaces – a significant advancement that could have major real-world impacts.The study shows that superlubricity – a state with virtually no friction that was once believed to only be achievable at nanoscale – can now be maintained at macroscale for extended time periods under regular atmospheric conditions by employing sustainably produced carbon coatings made from biowaste. To read more about that research which will touch a number of industries, click here. And finally, research by President Soboyejo and peers at Worchester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) titled, “Interfacial fracture of Perovskite Light Emitting Devices,” was recently published in the journal, Extreme Mechanics Letters. The study provides critical insights into the fracture behavior of Perovskite Light Emitting Devices (PLEDs), emphasizing the importance of interfacial toughness in device performance. This can influence future materials and interface engineering strategies in optoelectronic devices. Moreover, understanding the interfacial fracture toughness of PLEDs can guide the design of more robust devices by improving the adhesion between layers and reducing defect propagation. This can lead to enhanced performance and durability of PLEDs. Read more.
SUNY Poly Student, Wolfspeed Employee Receives Women in STEM Scholarship from Zonta International
Sabah Haji, a mechanical engineering student at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, was recently named as a recipient of a $5,000 Zonta International Women in STEM Scholarship, the Zonta Club of Utica announced. The STEM scholarship encourages women to pursue education, career opportunities, and leadership roles in STEM fields. She is one of only eight women in the U.S. and 30 internationally to receive this year’s scholarship. While studying at SUNY Poly, Haji concurrently works at Wolfspeed as a Metrology Process Technician. In this role, she excels in the calibration, standardization and maintenance of precision measurement instruments vital to the semiconductor production process. Read more.
SUNY Poly Students to Participate in NYSID CREATE Symposium
This past spring, three SUNY Poly Mechanical Engineering students, Amy De Sena, Sarah Hahn and Gabriella Yacobucci competed for a chance to win $15,000 at the 2024 New York State Industries for the Disabled (NYSID) CREATE Symposium in Albany. The annual symposium sees students collaborating with rehabilitative support organizations to develop innovations that help those with disabilities succeed in their jobs. Their project, the Screw Counting Machine, was done in partnership with The Arc, Oneida-Lewis, with the trio being advised by Arc, Oneida-Lewis Executive Director of Business Enterprises Chad Hartwig and SUNY Poly Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Dr. Yu Zhou. Read more.
SUNY Poly Takes Third at NFPA Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge
For the first time in school history, SUNY Poly had a team participate in The NFPA Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge. The team, advised by Dr. Ahmed Abdelaal, earned a podium finish, taking third place overall of all the schools at the Ames, Iowa competition. The team was comprised of the following students: Pascal Harrison, Henry Miller, Josh Archanian, Thiha Soe, Chris Lam and Kyle Vedder. Described as a unique engineering design and build competition, the Challenge strives to promote original thinking in a competitive setting by combining two technology platforms that are not normally associated with one another—human-powered vehicles and fluid power. Instead of designing a bike that runs manually (foot to pedal), students outfit it so it runs on a fluid-powered hydraulic system. Overall, the competition aims to create an environment that results in uncommon connections and breakthroughs, while supporting learning and the growth of fluid power industry knowledge. Read more.
SUNY Poly Students Partake in ASME e-Human Powered Vehicle Challenge
Five SUNY Poly Mechanical Engineering Students participated the recent American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) e-Human Powered Vehicle Challenge (e-HPVC) in Lynchburg, Virginia. The engineering design and innovation competition gives students the opportunity to network and apply engineering principles through the design, fabrication, and racing of human powered vehicles. The first HPVC competition was in 1983 at the University of California, Davis and the contest has been held almost every year since. This year’s teams have been asked to develop innovative pedal electric vehicles which are limited to class 1-3 Electric Bicycle specification. Participating students are Kyle Camili (team captain, electricals), Aldo Centeno (drivetrain), Alexis Flint (fairing), Connor Hall (frame), Emann Stennett (steering). Read more.
Dr. Hisham Kholidy wins “Best Paper Award” at IoTSMS Conference
Associate Professor and Network and Computer Security (Cybersecurity) Department Chair, Dr. Hisham Kholidy recently earned the “Best Paper Award” as a sole author at one of the well-reputed IEEE conferences, the Internet of Things: Systems, Management and Security (IoTSMS 2023) Conference in San Antonio, TX. The paper, which Dr. Kholidy presented, entitled “A Smart Network Slicing Provisioning Framework for 5G-based IoT Networks,” develops an innovative Smart Network Slicing Provisioning Framework that uses a new artificial intelligence technique developed at SUNY Poly’s ACRL to address the shortcomings of the current AI-based multi-criteria decision-making techniques. Read more.
Dr. Asif Ahmed Publishes Study in Transportation Research Record Journal
Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering Technology, Dr. Asif Ahmed, and peers have published research in the Transportation Research Record Journal titled, “Investigation of Non-Equilibrium and Dynamic Behavior of Soil Water Characteristic Curves through Field Monitoring.” The findings of the study are significant as they could offer valuable insights to soil scientists, geotechnical engineers, and hydrologists, enabling them to gain a better understanding of soil behavior in varying climatic conditions and adapt their designs accordingly. Read more.
New Research by Dr. Abolfazl Karimpour and Peers Provides Framework For Transportation Agencies to Improve Ramp Control Strategies
Assistant Professor of Transportation Engineering, Dr. Abolfazl Karimpour, and peers from the University of Arizona have published new research in the Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems titled, “Data-driven transfer learning framework for estimating on-ramp and off-ramp traffic flows.” The research is significant because it introduces a data-driven framework using transfer learning to estimate freeway ramp flows accurately from mainline loop detector data. Read more.
Drs. Singh and Sen Publish Several Pieces of New Comms Research
Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Dr. Priyangshu Sen and Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Dr. Arjun Singh recently published several papers on communication topics, collaboratively and independently. Read more.
Dr. Iulian Gherasoiu Publishes New Research
Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Dr. Iulian Gherasoiu and peers recently published research in the Journal of Applied Electrochemistry titled, “MoVN-coated MoNi4-MoO2 nanorods as a bifunctional electrode for electrochemical water splitting.” This research uncovers the properties of cost-effective MoVN/MoNi4-MoO2 nanorods that are synthesized using a two-step facile hydrothermal method. Read more.
New Research Provides Evidence to Support Integration of Hands-on Projects & Interdisciplinary Teamwork in Engineering Curricula
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Dr. Aarthi Sekaran and Union College Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering/Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering Dr. Carolyn Rodak published new research in MDPI Education Sciences journal titled “Impact of Physical Model Projects and Multidisciplinary Teams in Fluid Mechanics Education.” The study provides evidence supporting the integration of hands-on projects and interdisciplinary teamwork in engineering curricula, promoting deeper understanding and application of theoretical concepts, potentially influencing educational practices in STEM fields. Read more.
College of Health Sciences
State invests in College of Health Sciences
The Health Sciences Wing in Donovan Hall is expanding, thanks to historic investments by the State of New York. These investments include the updating of nursing laboratories which will accommodate additional clinical stations with manikins and up-to-date simulators, allowing faculty in the College of Health Sciences to employ modern day equipment and simulations to enhance the student learning opportunities. There will also be an expansion of the health sciences wing in Donovan Hall that includes the establishment of the Center for Healthcare Innovation – a collaborative center to address the increasing mental health, physical health, and environmental health needs. The Center will facilitate entrepreneurial efforts in the health fields; promote multidisciplinary research, clinical practice, and program development; enhance applied learning opportunities for students; and cultivate community partnerships and initiatives.
SUNY Poly Nursing Programs Earn Accreditations/Reaccreditations from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Several of SUNY Poly’s nursing programs have earned initial accreditation and reaccreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).The accreditation process is designed to ensure a standard of quality for all Nursing programs offered in the US. It is a rigorous process, requiring an extensive self-study and review of documents, community responses, faculty responses, administrative support, and student outcome measures. Accreditation for new programs is afforded to quality programs for five years, while previously accredited programs can be reaccredited for up to 10 years.
The new DNP and CAS program in Psychiatric Nursing earned the full 5-year accreditation; The CAS program for the FNP and Nursing Education programs were also accredited for five years; And the previously accredited RN-BS, MS in FNP and MS in Nursing Education programs were given 10-year accreditations. Read more.
Scholarship Established in Honor of Carmella Teti ‘80
The children of Carmella Teti, a 1980 SUNY Poly alum, have generously established a $25,000 scholarship in their mother’s memory, which will be awarded to undergraduate students enrolled in SUNY Poly’s nursing program.
For nearly 48 years, Carmella cared for patients as a registered nurse, beginning at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Utica. After relocating to Florida, she spent time as a nursing supervisor at Naples Community Hospital, in addition to being a nursing instructor at Lorenzo Walker Technical Institute and Edison Community College.
“Our mother received a wonderful education at the St. Elizabeth College of Nursing and SUNY Poly,” said Stephen Teti, on behalf of his siblings. “Many students are now following a similar path through the recently established 1-2-1 program between both colleges. She’d be ecstatic knowing that this scholarship will help other young nurses currently on the path she lived. Our family believes that creating these opportunities for nursing students is a terrific way to honor her memory.”
SUNY Poly’s 1-2-1 nursing program, offered in collaboration with partner community colleges, is designed to provide a streamlined pathway for students to earn an Associate’s degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. The program structure involves one year at SUNY Poly, two years of hands-on clinical learning at St. Elizabeth’s College of Nursing, and another year at SUNY Poly, combining the strengths of both institutions. This innovative approach allows students to benefit from different program types, affording significant tuition savings and a partial residential college experience, all while gaining comprehensive nursing education and clinical experience, ultimately preparing them for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam and a successful nursing career.
SUNY Poly alums return to drive university’s LPP outreach efforts
For Caitlin Bajrektarevic ’21 and Caryn L. Schweinsberg ‘20, both graduates of SUNY Poly’s Community and Behavioral Health (CBH) program, you might say their ties to the institution run deep. Their mothers both attended and graduated from the university, and now they’ve returned to help lead the university’s educational outreach efforts at six Herkimer County school districts through the Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP), which is grant funded through the New York State Education Department.
Caryn currently serves as the project director, leading the close-knit team in serving the LPP contract for SUNY Poly, handling program development, trainings and conversations with partnered local agencies and managing collaborative partnerships, all of which help them with enrolling qualified students in the program which seeks to provide students with services and supports ultimately driving positive academic outcomes and success throughout the duration of their educational career. Caitlin has a dual role as assistant director and as a student and family advocate, assisting Caryn with planning and programming while supporting several served districts. They are joined in the office by another student and family advocate, who along with Caitlin, are each embedded at three districts, executing planned programming and working with Caryn and their respective districts to identify and provide student-centered programming to facilitate goal achievement and academic success. Read more.
SUNY Poly’s RN to BS Program Recognized By Forbes Advisor
SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s online RN to BS program was chosen as one of the “best affordable” in the nation by Forbes Advisor for 2024. Only 10 schools made the list. The program is designed to serve licensed registered nurses from state-approved associate or diploma nursing programs who are prepared to focus on their professional and career development. Most courses are offered in an asynchronous format, which provides working nurses with maximum flexibility to engage in coursework. Through various partnerships with statewide healthcare institutions, students are able to attend synchronous classes virtually and conveniently fulfill practicum requirements.
SUNY Poly Celebrates Progression of Nurse Practitioner Graduate Students with White Coat Ceremony
Students in the Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner graduate programs at SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) were celebrated in January during a White Coat Ceremony in the Wildcat Field House. Approximately 90 students recently completed the instructional portion of their respective programs, with the White Coat Ceremony marking the beginning of their clinical practice. Read more.
Nursing 300 Scholarship Established
AmeriCU Credit Union recently announced its partnership with the SUNY Poly Foundation in establishing the Nursing 300 Scholarship Program to support future healthcare professionals. The Nursing 300 Program will address the growing shortage of qualified nurses, ensuring the delivery of quality healthcare to the community. SUNY Poly’s College of Health Sciences launched the nursing pilot program in fall 2023 by offering 12 nursing students, currently enrolled at Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC), the opportunity to take their first Nursing 300 class at SUNY Polytechnic Institute at no cost.
SUNY Poly’s Post-Master’s CAS in Nursing Education recognized by NurseEducator.com
SUNY Poly’s fully online Post-Master’s Certificate in Advanced Study in Nursing Education program was named one of the best in the nation by NurseEducator.com.The 18-credit program, which accommodates full-time and part-time students, is designed to prepare graduates for a professional career as a nurse educator in academic and health care environments. Common courses across all graduate programs include nursing theory, research and health policy. Specialized courses in nursing education focus on curriculum development, instructional design and program evaluation, with related courses in teaching and learning, advances in nursing science, grant writing, measurement and assessment, and regulatory guidelines. Expertise in the educator role is acquired through a variety of learning opportunities and a culminating internship.
Historic Investments and Exciting Partnerships
Historic Investments
Governor Hochul announces $44 million investment in Colleges of Engineering and Health Sciences
Last November, Governor Kathy Hochul was joined by SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr., as well as our local and elected officials, announcing a $44 million investment in SUNY Poly. The result will be an expansion of SUNY Poly’s Health Sciences Wing in Donovan Hall, which includes the creation of the Center for Healthcare Innovation – a collaborative center to address the increasing mental health, physical health, and environmental health needs; A new Semiconductor Processing to Packaging Research, Education and Training Center in the Quad C building, where industry partner Semikron Danfoss currently operates; Updates to Nursing Laboratories that will accommodate 12 clinical stations with manikins and up-to date simulators; and a New Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education Lab that will enable both educational and research opportunities in areas that include advanced robotics, sensors and controls, smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0 initiatives as well as creating an integrated connection with SUNY Poly’s AI for All facility. Read more.
$4 million ESD Grant towards semiconductor training center
In April, Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado and local and elected officials returned to campus to celebrate an announcement from Governor Hochul, which saw an additional $4 million (Empire State Development Capital Grant) allocated towards SUNY Poly’s Semiconductor Processing to Packaging Research, Education, and Training Center. In addition to educating and training traditional engineering students, SUNY Poly – through the Center – will also provide several workforce development training and upskilling opportunities for industry partners and their employees, as well as those seeking to gain entrance into the semiconductor workforce. Some of these opportunities for career enhancement will include non-credit bearing professional certificates and microcredentials along with credit-bearing stackable microcredentials.
The $4 million grant will be used primarily to fund metrology equipment for the Center, which will boast 5,000 square feet of cleanroom space. The Center will also have two classrooms that can seat 30 students each, in addition to office space for scientists, postdocs, and students. Read more.
SUNY and New York State Provides Additional Support to SUNY Poly
In addition to funds allocated as part of the 2024-25 operating budget, it was announced in the spring that SUNY Poly would receive an additional $1.6 million in funding from the State University of New York (SUNY) and New York State. This funding supplemented SUNY Poly’s operating budget allocation for the upcoming year and provides additional faculty and staff support; expands research activity; and enhances SUNY Poly student internship experiences. These additional resources are particularly remarkable within the broader context of support recently committed to SUNY Poly; the university has seen a $6.3M increase in direct state budget support over the past two years. Students, faculty, and staff are already benefiting from the funds dedicated in 2023-2024 to launching targeted, sustainable investments in mental health services; supporting the needs of students with disabilities; expanding internships for undergraduate students; advancing research; addressing food insecurity; and mitigating fees for graduate students who work on-campus.
Prior to that announcement, in April, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that 14 SUNY campuses are investing nearly $10 million in annual state funding, secured through the 2023-24 state budget’s historic $163 million increase in direct operating aid to SUNY’s state-operated campuses, to expand their research capacity. SUNY Poly received $2.7 million to create research centers in areas such as civil engineering, robotics and advanced communications, and advanced manufacturing, as it continues to chart a path to become the state and nation’s premier public polytechnic.
Chancellor King Visits
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. visited campus in July to celebrate these recent state investments in SUNY Poly.
“SUNY’s research enterprise is a driving force in New York’s economy, and the workforce of tomorrow is training across the university system,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “With this increased investment and new facility, SUNY Poly is well positioned to expand semiconductor research and training. We look forward to celebrating the opening of the Center with our students and faculty in the near future.”
SUNY Poly is perfectly positioned to drive workforce training and degree attainment in the Mohawk Valley, a critically strategic location for the semiconductor industry’s growth. The global market for semiconductors is expected to hit $1 trillion by 2030. Read more.
SUNY Poly Expanding Student Accessibility Services
Our Student Accessibility Services (SAS) office has expanded, thanks to new State aid provided to public universities as part of the 2023-24 NYS Budget and allocated by the State University of New York (SUNY), with the purpose of increasing support for the needs of students with disabilities.
These funds, of which SUNY Poly received $250,000, are expected to be available to qualifying institutions on an annual basis, and will supplement and not supplant current activities. As a result of these funds, SUNY Poly will: increase staffing in its student accessibility services office; support additional assessment/evaluation activities; develop unique programs for students with disabilities; conduct inventories of campus accessibility; and add sensory friendly spaces and accessible furniture throughout the campus. The SAS office currently provides services to approximately 140 SUNY Poly students, with that number projected to double in the coming years. Read more.
Record $210K raised on Annual Day of Giving
The generosity of SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s community of supporters was on display during this year’s SUNY Poly Foundation Annual Day of Giving in March, with a record $210,000 raised — shattering last year’s total of $185,000. This total includes the establishment of a new endowed scholarship created in honor of alumna Carmella M. Teti ’80.
The funds raised will benefit several areas of support on campus, including Wildcat Athletics, student scholarships, the Educational Opportunity Program, SUNY Poly Emergency Fund, Poly Pantry, and the SUNY Poly Annual Fund. The new scholarship will help further defray already-low college costs for students attending SUNY Poly. Of great significance was the fact that more than one third of the gifts were made to the annual fund, an area of great need for SUNY Poly.
Gifts to the annual fund are unrestricted, meaning they can be more flexibly used to support a wide variety of needs and strategic goals. Those who would like to establish a scholarship at SUNY Poly should contact Andrea LaGatta, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, at andrea.lagatta@sunypoly.edu. (For other gifts, please visit: https://sunypoly.edu/foundation/giving.html.) Read more.
Exciting Partnerships
SUNY Poly Becomes 11th member of Innovare Alliance
In May, it was announced that SUNY Poly would be joining the Innovare Alliance, as the universiry signed an MOU with Griffiss Institute. This partnership marks a pivotal moment in advancing high-quality educational, training, research, and entrepreneurial opportunities, with the goal of the partnership being to leverage collaborations among the academic, industrial, and defense sectors in Upstate New York, with a focus on advancing technical and professional development disciplines. By nurturing a skilled workforce and driving growth and prosperity in the region, the Innovare Alliance aims to maintain Upstate New York’s competitiveness and position it at the forefront of technological advancements and careers. Read more.
SUNY Poly Foundation Develops Mentorship Program Supporting First-Year Female STEM Students
The SUNY Poly Foundation has developed a mentorship program comprised of faculty, staff, alumni and local female professionals who serve as advisors to first year (FY) female students enrolled in the university’s STEM programs. The initiative, funded by a $10,000 grant from the Women’s Fund of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, focuses on students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, providing impactful support, and improving retention. Students impacted by this new initiative are enrolled in the following SUNY Poly programs: Network and Computer Security, Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Technology, Interactive Media and Game Design, Electrical Engineering and Electrical Engineering Technology, Computer Science, Information Science, Computer Engineering Technology, Civil Engineering and Engineering Technology, Applied Math, and Biology.
The grant from the Women’s Fund is supporting professional development training opportunities for faculty, staff and external mentors; employ a part-time coordinator to oversee the program, which will include recruiting mentors, organizing programs, collaborating with campus partners, program assessment and student follow‐up; provide networking opportunities for the mentors and mentees; and purchase program supplies, materials and equipment.
SUNY Poly Advances Efforts to Secure Defense Appropriation Research Funding
This year marked a concerted and focused effort by SUNY Poly to broaden its research efforts and further its relationship with the Department of Defense (DoD). In March 2024, the university, with the support and backing of the SUNY Poly Foundation Board, retained Command Strategies — a business development consultant with a long-standing track record of promoting, supporting clients’ business development and research agenda to U.S. governmental agencies and other commercial entities doing business with the U.S. government.
Throughout the past year, Command Strategies has been instrumental in working with President Soboyejo and Vice President for External Relations Wayne Westervelt in promoting SUNY Poly’s Research and Development capabilities to major U.S. Government agencies in general and the U.S. Department of Defense, military services, and commercial entities doing business with them.
This spring, SUNY Poly worked to align its faculty researchers (PIs) with DoD priorities. The university also prepared and submitted four specific Congressionally Directed Defense Spending Requests tied to foundational models in artificial intelligence (US Army), advanced manufacturing and testing technologies (US Navy), virtual constructive gaming analytics (US Army), and radio frequency sensor/effector technology (cybersecurity) for strategic defense (US Army).
In April, President Soboyejo, Vice President Westervelt and Vice President for Research Michael Carpenter met with SUNY Poly’s congressional delegation in Washington, DC, to lobby for the four projects, showcase SUNY Poly’s faculty, research capabilities and campus labs and facilities, and request support and inclusion of the projects in the Defense Appropriation Bill.
With the support of Command Strategies, SUNY Poly also hosted three meetings with DoD Program Managers in 2024: US Army/DEVCOM Analysis Center Chief Scientist Dr. Tom Stadterman in June; US Army DEVCOM/Army Research Lab Chris Kroninger in September; and NESAR Program Manager, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Dan Stanley in October.
As this Annual Report was completed, SUNY Poly is pleased to report that the foundational models in artificial intelligence (US Army) project was included in the Senate markup, thanks to the support of Senator Charles E. Schumer. SUNY Poly continues to work with Congressmembers Brandon Williams and Elise Stefanik and congressional representatives from New York and Texas, the University of Houston, and Xerox Corporation to advocate for the inclusion of the advanced manufacturing and testing technologies (US Navy) project into the final Appropriations Bill.
SUNY Poly, Herkimer College Create Additional Transfer Pathways
SUNY Poly and Herkimer College recently signed an agreement that strengthens the two institutions’ existing partnership through a Dual Admissions Program. The reaffirmed agreement concurrently admits students to a bachelor’s degree program at SUNY Poly upon admission to Herkimer College, guaranteeing a seamless transfer experience for students to continue their education at SUNY Poly after earning their associate degree at Herkimer College. Moreover, this reaffirmed agreement adds seven additional transfer pathways from associate degrees in Esports Management, Human Services, and Psychology to bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration, Communications + Media Design, Community + Behavioral Health, Interactive Media + Game Design, Psychology, and Sociology. Read more.
Utica CSD, MACNY hold inaugural Women in Manufacturing Summit on Campus
Last fall, SUNY Poly welcomed 100 Proctor High School students from grades 10-12 to campus as part of The Manufacturers Association (MACNY) and Utica City School District’s inaugural Women in Manufacturing Summit. The day began with remarks by SUNY Poly President Dr. Winston Soboyejo, who spoke about the important role women will play in future of manufacturing as the Mohawk Valley region continues to experience significant growth. The morning’s keynote speaker was Griffiss Institute President and CEO Heather Hage, Esq., who shared some of her personal experiences in life and industry, leaving the students with several key pieces of advice. Students then broke into four groups, rotating between tours and hands-on activities at SUNY Poly’s Center for Global and Advanced Manufacturing (CGAM) in Donovan Hall, and Semikron Danfoss. The day concluded with lunch at The Dish in Campus Center.
Then in the spring, for a separate event, the Utica CSD brought their seventh graders back to SUNY Poly’s campus over the course of two days for a STEM Expo, where over 40 industry partners from the region promoted authentic learning experiences. The goal was to create interactive booths to excite students about the CTE pathways that will be available to them, provide career awareness and exposure, and engage students in interactive, hands-on experiences to create a vision of what their future career could be.
AmeriCU Credit Union Partners with SUNY Poly Foundation
AmeriCU Credit Union recently announced its partnership with the SUNY Poly Foundation in establishing the Nursing 300 Scholarship Program to support future healthcare professionals. The Nursing 300 Program will address the growing shortage of qualified nurses, ensuring the delivery of quality healthcare to the community. SUNY Poly’s College of Health Sciences launched the nursing pilot program in fall 2023 by offering 12 nursing students, currently enrolled at Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC), the opportunity to take their first Nursing 300 class at SUNY Polytechnic Institute at no cost. Read more.
AIS Sponsor Free Youth Drone Camp at SUNY Poly
“Aviation is a Team Sport,” a camp offered by CNY Drones as part of the SUNY Poly Summer Spotlight Series was free to participants thanks to the generosity of Rome-based Assured Information Security (AIS).
The action-packed Official U.S. Drone Soccer Association STEM camp, that was open to kids 12-18 years old, blended robotics, aviation, and competitive team play. The immersive program goes beyond the ordinary, teaching students to build, program, and fly professional-grade drones in a thrilling 5 vs. 5 full-contact aerial sport. Attendees gained hands-on experience, collaborating with teammates to solve engineering challenges and engaging in team flight operations within a secure, netted enclosure. They also received a Youth Membership to the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) as part of this Official U.S. Drone Soccer Association course.
As a whole, the Summer Spotlight Series, which offered more than 25 workshops, events and camps for all ages, brought over 500 people to campus.
Research Highlights
Record breaking number of students participate in SURP program
SUNY Poly’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program pairs qualified undergraduate students with faculty mentors, providing the opportunity to conduct research across a range of disciplines from artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, biology, physics, sociology, engineering, etc. The program, generously supported by the SUNY Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund, SUNY Poly Provost Office, State monies and industry partners, allows students to engage in an innovative hands-on experience. In 2024, a record 33 students are participating in the program.
“Through SURP, students are exposed to each phase of the research process,” Dr. Rebecca Weldon, SURP Chair, explains. “This includes coming up with ideas, reading literature by peers who have worked in that respective field, and learning new techniques in the lab. This experience also allows students to identify if research is an area they’d like to further explore, with it serving as the catalyst of many participants’ decisions to look into graduate opportunities once they’ve completed their undergraduate degrees.”
“The program also teaches students that research is supposed to be a challenging and sometimes frustrating process,” SURP Vice Chair Dr. Asif Ahmed adds. “It is not supposed to be easy, but using the skills they acquire during the program, and putting the tools they’ve learned in the classroom to the test in an independent environment to tackle project goals, can be an incredibly rewarding experience.” Read more.
Additional Support for Research
In addition to funds allocated as part of the 2024-25 operating budget, it was announced in the spring that SUNY Poly would receive an additional $1.6 million in funding from the State University of New York (SUNY) and New York State. This funding, which does many things, will allow SUNY Poly to expands its research activity. Prior to that announcement, in April, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that 14 SUNY campuses are investing nearly $10 million in annual state funding, secured through the 2023-24 state budget’s historic $163 million increase in direct operating aid to SUNY’s state-operated campuses, to expand their research capacity. SUNY Poly received $2.7 million to create research centers in areas such as civil engineering, robotics and advanced communications, and advanced manufacturing, as it continues to chart a path to become the state and nation’s premier public polytechnic.
New Agreement Between SUNY Poly and AFRL Will Create First-of-its-kind Open Federal XG Network
A new Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) will see the development of a first-of-its-kind open federated XG network that can be used to connect smart live Internet of Things (IoT) equipment. It will also help to develop an intelligent agility network that can facilitate the use of innovative application scenarios for education and teaching such as high definition (HD) live broadcasts, VR/AR teaching, holographic classrooms and HD supervision that currently suffer from the backward performance of current communication networking convenience, network delay, security management, terminal cost, and so on. The testbed supports real-time research that scales up to 10,000 5G-based user equipment. Read more.
SUNY Poly Professor Dr. Tarannum Zaman Receives $175K Grant from National Science Foundation
Dr. Tarannum Shaila Zaman, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly), recently received a $175,000 National Science Foundation Computer and Information Science and Engineering Research Initiation Initiative (NSF CRII) grant to support her project entitled, “An Automated and User-centered Framework for Reproducing System-level Concurrency Bugs by Analyzing Bug Reports.” Ultimately, this research will create a novel framework named RepSON, that addresses challenges caused by system-level concurrency bugs that frequently appear in modern software systems, thus lessening the burden faced by developers, who must currently troubleshoot them manually. Read more.
SUNY Poly President and Postdoc’s research may enable economic and environmental breakthroughs across industry
The president of SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly), Dr. Winston “Wole” Soboyejo, and postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Tabiri Kwayie Asumadu, have published a revolutionary new paper titled, “Robust Macroscale Superlubricity on Carbon-Coated Metallic Surfaces.” This paper explores an innovative approach to reducing friction on metallic surfaces – a significant advancement that could have major real-world impacts.The study shows that superlubricity – a state with virtually no friction that was once believed to only be achievable at nanoscale – can now be maintained at macroscale for extended time periods under regular atmospheric conditions by employing sustainably produced carbon coatings made from biowaste.
These findings are significant for a number of practical reasons. In the automotive industry, more than 30 percent of fuel in passenger vehicles is used to overcome friction, so these novel coatings can help to drastically improve fuel efficiency. In manufacturing and industrial machinery, they could help to reduce wear and tear, leading to massive cost savings and decreasing the 1-4% of countries’ GDP that is spent on friction-related equipment issues. In electronic devices, friction at a minute scale can present large-scale challenges that coatings could help to alleviate. Read more.
SUNY Poly Launches Transportation Research AI Lab
SUNY Poly recently established a Transportation Research AI Lab (TRAIL), located in Donovan Hall, which will serve as a hub for innovation in smart transportation, sustainability, and equity, as well as traffic operation and safety. TRAIL was founded by Assistant Professor of Transportation Engineering, Dr. Abolfazl Karimpour, through a combination of external and internal grants. The lab is equipped with strong computing systems, transportation software, and has access to statewide traffic data. TRAIL serves both educational and research purposes, supporting endeavors such as classes, independent studies, and capstone projects, while utilizing its resources for conducting research simultaneously. Further enhancing its capabilities, emerging data collection technologies like UAVs and virtual reality (VR) sets will be added during the summer. These additions will enrich the lab’s environment, enabling immersive experiences for transportation simulations, visualization, and comprehensive data gathering for innovative research projects. Read more.
Four SUNY Poly Professors Discuss Interdisciplinary Work in Humanitarian Engineering
The culture at SUNY Poly is marked by interdisciplinary innovation toward practical solutions to real-world problems. A shining example is the work being done by those involved in humanitarian engineering initiatives across campus. As part of these efforts, faculty members from all four SUNY Poly colleges are collaborating to develop solutions that will change lives. Read more.
Dr. Byeongdon Oh Publishes Research Analyzing Racial Inequality in Higher Education from 1980 to 2010
SUNY Poly Assistant Professor of Sociology, Dr. Byeongdon Oh, and peers from Portland State University recently published research titled, “Shifting Tides: The Evolution of Racial Inequality in Higher Education from the 1980s through the 2010s,” in the academic journal Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World. The research analyzed national survey datasets to investigate racial disparities in college attendance outcomes from the 1980s through the 2010s. The data showed that college entrance rates increased for all racial groups, but that Black and Hispanic youth became increasingly less likely than their White peers to attend four-year selective colleges. Dr. Oh notes that the findings underscore the urgent need for proactive policy interventions to address the widening racial inequality in attending selective postsecondary institutions. Read more.
Three SUNY Poly Professors Detail Collaborative Interactive Tabletop for Education (CITE) Project in Published Book Chapter
Three professors from SUNY Poly’s College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Ana Jofre (PI), Dr. Kristina Boylan, and Dr. Ibrahim Yucel, have written a chapter in the recently published book, “Rethinking Freire and Illich: Historical, Philosophical, and Theological Perspectives.” In the chapter they argue that placing Brazilian philosopher/educator Paulo Freire (best-known for writing Pedagogy of the Oppressed) and Austrian theologian and intellectual Ivan Illich, S.J. in dialogue with linguist James Paul Gee’s insights on what games (video games and otherwise) can teach us about deep engagement with source materials, literature, and learning and creative processes, provides a foundation for creating interactive educational tools. Read more.
