HORIZONS OF
Undergraduate Research FALL 2013
Find your depth! Undergraduate research gets you there.
P R E M I E R E
I S S U E
provost’s COLUMN HOFSTRA
I am very pleased that Hofstra University now publishes a research magazine that highlights the outstanding work of our undergraduate students. Education at its best includes a substantial experiential component, and undergraduate research provides that opportunity. Throughout our 140 undergraduate majors, the opportunity to pursue research is present, and more and more students are enriching their education and enhancing their opportunities for graduate study and professional advancement by doing research. We already recognize the good work that students do in the area of undergraduate research through our Undergraduate Research Day and the Hofstra University Library Undergraduate Research Award. I attend Research Day every year and am continuously impressed by the quality of work being done by undergraduate students in all areas represented. I am also impressed by the ability of our students to appropriately articulate the work they are doing to other students and faculty, even those in different fields, and also explain the important ramifications of the work. I view Hofstra Horizons of Undergraduate Research as an important extension of what already takes place on our campus. The excellence of our students is guided and enhanced by the excellence of our faculty. We now formally recognize the faculty member selected as Mentor of the Year, yet the reality is that the majority of our faculty qualify for this award. The Hofstra experience, which stresses small classes taught by faculty, not teaching assistants, makes an enormous difference in encouraging and facilitating undergraduate research. The first issue of this magazine is dedicated to Lynn Turgeon, a well-known economist who served for many years as professor of economics at Hofstra. Lynn passed away in 1999, but I will always consider myself fortunate to have team-taught with him for a number of years and to have learned from him continuously. He was the consummate teacher and when he was selected as Teacher of the Year, it validated what everyone already knew: that all of us – students and faculty alike – were privileged to be in Lynn’s company and had much to learn from him. Please enjoy reading our new magazine. Past performance is the best predictor of future performance, and I am certain that the students highlighted here will be very successful.
Herman A. Berliner, Ph.D. Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Lawrence Herbert Distinguished Professor
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
HORIZONS OF
Undergraduate Research
table of contents 4 What is Undergraduate Research?
5 Across the Disciplines: Student Profiles
10 Departmental Profiles Biology
12 Departmental Profiles
Global Studies and Geography
14 A Universe of
Undergraduate Research
16 Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Conference
18 Undergraduate Research Day 20 Hofstra University Library
Undergraduate Research Award
23 Mentors From Hofstra’s History 26 Mentor of the Year 27 Undergraduate Research Fund Front cover credit: Hofstra biology student Leslie Lupo off Española Island, Galápagos, Ecuador. Photo by Russell L. Burke.
editor’s NOTE:
On Undergraduate Research at Hofstra University Welcome to the first issue of Hofstra Horizons of Undergraduate Research! Though guided research has always been a part of teaching in any discipline, this new magazine, sponsored by the Office of the Provost, Office for Research and Sponsored Programs, Office for Development and Alumni Affairs, and Hofstra University Honors College, focuses attention for the first time directly on the supervised research performance and productivity of our undergraduate students.
Neil H. Donahue, Ph.D. Editor Hofstra Horizons of Undergraduate Research Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Senior Associate Dean Hofstra University Honors College Professor of German and Comparative Literature
This first issue presents the main events during the year for undergraduate research across the curriculum, along with profiles of individual students, departments and resources at Hofstra. Future issues will expand those profiles to provide a more detailed sense of the tremendous scope of fascinating and far-reaching work of our advanced undergraduates. Each issue will also highlight the recipient of the Mentor of the Year Award, which honors an outstanding individual as well as that aspect of what faculty do throughout the University; likewise, for historical perspective, each issue will honor a mentor from Hofstra’s history. This first issue celebrates the legacy of Dr. Lynn Turgeon – a longtime Hofstra professor and expert on comparative economic systems – as a scholar and mentor. The center spread of this first issue displays the broad range of student participation as a stunning visual montage of posters from different disciplines at the University. Dr. Neil H. Donahue has taught at Hofstra University since 1988. In addition to six books, he has published numerous articles and reviews. Dr. Donahue’s full biography and curriculum vitae can be found at people.hofstra.edu/Neil_H_Donahue.
Faculty Mentors From Hofstra’s History The first issue of Hofstra Horizons of Undergraduate Research is dedicated to: Professor Lynn Turgeon (1920-1999) Economics At Hofstra from 1957 until his retirement in 1990, Dr. Turgeon taught and inspired many students to pursue their own research, which they did, with success. See page 24.
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
What Is Undergraduate Research?
What is Undergraduate Research
The University is a place of both teaching and research. Research by faculty informs and enriches the classroom experience and allows students to progress from the fundamentals in a field to its advanced, more specific and nuanced branches of inquiry, and on toward the production of new knowledge. Faculty members instruct students not only in the content of an area but also in its methods of independent inquiry that will lead to new insights and discoveries. Undergraduates engage increasingly in guided research as they move from foundational courses to more advanced courses and more closely defined topics. Advanced students in a major can then engage in independent, supervised research sometimes as juniors, usually as seniors, and possibly for departmental honors, as a way of demonstrating their mastery of both content and methods in the field, and their ability to formulate and pursue their own line of inquiry, which may lead to exciting discoveries and new knowledge.
4
Undergraduate research thus serves as a capstone to a student’s work and development in an undergraduate major and can lead to graduate study or directly into professional life. The term undergraduate research refers to such pursuits in all fields as advanced work in the discipline, whether that work, that research, takes place in the laboratory or the library, in the studio, on stage, or in the field. Each student’s advanced research – after months of hard work, reflection, uncertainty and frustration, but also happy discovery, enthusiasm, relief and revision – culminates in the public presentation of the results, either in the department, in a public performance (on stage, in an exhibit or in a recital or concert), at a professional conference or on Undergraduate Research Day for the Hofstra community in general. Undergraduate research takes place under faculty supervision. The purpose of this magazine is to present an overarching perspective on undergraduate research at Hofstra University across the disciplines and to highlight individual achievements, past and present, along with notable events and awards. The presentation of research, the sharing of knowledge, reflects the commitment to free inquiry and teaching that is central to the University and that constitutes the life-blood of the academic enterprise, and we all benefit from and thrill at learning what our hardest-working, most advanced students have accomplished.
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
Disciplines
Across the Disciplines
Student PROFILES Cindy Schmelkin
by Carson Olivares
“But the fun of medical school will be trying out all the different fields to see what I’m interested in and what I’m passionate about and pursuing that.” you have a question on a problem-set you’re working on for class or you just want to get some career advice or talk just for fun,” says Cindy.
Student Profiles
When Cindy Schmelkin came to Hofstra University in her freshman year, she tried her major, biochemistry, “on a whim.” “And it turned out to be the best decision I ever made,” says the now graduating senior, who recently had to choose from among the most prestigious medical schools in the country that had accepted her: She begins her studies at Harvard Medical School in fall 2013.
6
“I might want to be a reproductive endocrinologist,” Cindy says, with a world of possibilities before her. “But the fun of medical school will be trying out all the different fields to see what I’m interested in and what I’m passionate about and pursuing that.” Aside from her excellent grades, her undergraduate career shows solid lab research developing an easier and more costeffective alternative to the commonly used progesterone-based blood test to test pregnancy in cows, studying unexpected reactions in organic chemistry using nuclear magnetic resonance, and intensive work studying chlamydia at UCLA in order to develop a vaccine. She attributes her success to Hofstra’s Chemistry Department. “They’ve been so supportive from the second I got there. The professors’ doors were always open. You can go in there at any time whether
Aside from her outstanding research, Cindy served as president of the Hofstra Student Members of the American Chemical Society, gained clinical experience volunteering for the North Shore University Hospital Cardiac Catheterization Lab and interning for the Berkshire Medical Center Department of Pathology. She also found time to dance for the Dance Department Faculty Concert, and adds: “Medical schools always asked me about [dance].” In her term as president of Hofstra Student Members of the American Chemical Society (SMACS), a promotion from her previous year as secretary, the chapter was named Commendable Chapter at the 2012 American Chemical Society National Conference. The impressive honor does not seem to faze Cindy, for when asked about her favorite memory of leading the organization, she glowingly explains how SMACS conducts science experiments with troops of Girl Scouts: “They would pay us with cookies.” But others boast for her. “Cindy demonstrates her dedication and energetic leadership, which inspires everyone to do their best. She is an excellent role model and leader because she has a passion and a commitment for advancing chemistry, for helping students and for getting things done,” remarks faculty advisor to SMACS Dr. Ronald P. D’Amelia. Her humility
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
derives from a sincere love for her work. At our interview, Cindy sat down and immediately jumped in to explain her current research: “Based on the level of progesterone they can tell if the cow is pregnant but it often doesn’t give accurate readings and it’s kind of a hassle because they have to go take blood from the cows. It’s very involved. So my project is working to develop a pregnancy test for cows that can be used sooner than current methods and is easier and cost-effective,” she rattles off. “OK, so let’s back up a bit,” I say. “So you’re a biochemistry major?” Cindy Schmelkin is passionate about her work, which, combined with her intelligence, has cultivated a highachieving, yet refreshingly modest, young scientist. “I’ve known Cindy since her freshman year when she was daring enough to enroll in Organic Chemistry. Seldom do we have freshmen taking Organic Chemistry, and the few that do generally find their high school AP CHEM did not adequately prepare them for the volume of material and rigor required to succeed in organic chemistry. Cindy was the exception. She excelled in my course and in all of her chemistry courses. In fact, Cindy’s won every award our department offers,” says Dr. Nanette M. Wachter, her research advisor. To the simple question of what she is most proud of, Cindy ponders at length and responds: “I think I’m most proud of my involvement with the Chemistry Department here. I really immersed myself in my classes, I’ve done really well in my classes and I’ve just really
Across the Disciplines enjoyed learning in chemistry,” she says honestly, and adds: “Get involved with research as soon as you can.” Cindy advises chemistry students who may be following in her footsteps one day: “In our chapter of the American Chemical Society, often people just want to build their resume, but that’s not what you should be doing. You should be getting involved immediately because then you’re going to get the
Joe Burg
most out of it. By the time I was a sophomore I was already involved in research and going to conferences. I think that that happened for me earlier on because I got involved right away.” Another professor, Dr. William Nirode, says, “I met Cindy almost three years ago when she enrolled in my Quantitative Analysis Chemistry course. She excelled in my course and won the Department of Chemistry’s award for outstanding achievement in
analytical chemistry. Although Cindy is an outstanding student who excels in every class she takes, I think the best way to describe her is that she is also an outstanding person – very caring, thoughtful and kind.” With that kind of personality backed by a serious education with research experience, and now with a future at Harvard Medical School, Cindy Schmelkin’s “whim” is in fact turning out to be the best decision she ever made.
By Jessica Molinari
It seems almost impossible that a Division I athlete could have the time to devote to his sport (with a very heavy travel schedule) while maintaining a 4.0 GPA over four years, and do additional honors work in Honors College, and then also conduct multiple research projects. Joe Burg has managed it all: A star pitcher for the Hofstra baseball team, Joe aced a senior-level quantum mechanics course his sophomore year, with honors credit, and the course also sparked Burg’s interest and research in quantum mechanics and nanotechnology.
Joe pursued many other research projects through advanced independent studies one on one with faculty, which fulfilled his intellectual ambitions and also helped fit into his travel schedule for baseball. As a sophomore
In fall 2013, Joe begins a Ph.D. program (with full funding) at Stanford University and would like eventually to use his knowledge of nanotechnology to explore the commercial applications through start-up companies, perhaps right there in Silicon Valley. Joe believes that the research experience he has had at Hofstra will help him reach his goals. “In general my professors have always pushed me and they’ve allowed me to do independent studies.” Joe’s spirit of independent achievement through collaborative research, like his teamwork in baseball, was fostered at Hofstra and will continue to serve him well in his graduate school research, and beyond. Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
Student Profiles
Joe arrived at Hofstra from Illinois as an aspiring engineering major and baseball recruit. After taking a physics course with his future advisor, Dr. Gregory Levine, he decided to major in physics. He then paired his physics major with a second major in math to help him with his advanced physics course work. “The math and physics are really a foundation that I’ve tried to build for graduate school, and then later to go into applied research at the nano scale, which is why I’ve done theoretical work with Dr. Levine in quantum mechanics,” Joe explains. Indeed, Joe has worked very closely with Professor Levine on his research into entanglement on a small scale with implications that apply to multiple fields, from energy to medicine to electronics: “Working with Joe on a research project was like working with one of my professional colleagues. We would read papers together and work through them until we were completely satisfied. Joe was able to pick up all of the background material with incredible speed,” Dr. Levine says.
he built a cloud chamber to detect radiation. Another one of his mentors, Dr. Raymond Greenwell (Mathematics), spoke very highly of Joe’s work ethic: “Joe is a great student to work with because he’s so smart and hard-working.” Joe was not only dedicated to his work in the lab, but he was also heavily involved on campus. He was a Division I athlete, a member of the Math Club and the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a physics tutor, an astronomy tutor, and a Physics Department teaching assistant, and he was on the executive board for the Society of Physics Students. He is a member of many honor societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Mu Epsilon (Mathematics), and Sigma Pi Sigma (Physics). In fall 2011 Joe applied for a Rhodes Scholarship, the most prestigious and competitive international scholarship in the world. He was selected as a finalist, which in itself is a very noteworthy and exceptional accomplishment. Joe is Hofstra’s second Rhodes finalist, and the only one in the last 30 years.
7
Across the Disciplines
Student PROFILES Faith Reilem
by Carson Olivares
international health policies; then she interned with North Shore University Hospital, working directly with patients and reviewing their charts; and then she began to conduct research of her own, completing an honors thesis in her final semester on the eating habits and nutritional patterns of college students.
Student Profiles
She hopes her work will promote healthy eating habits on campus: “I took a nutrition class last semester and it really got me thinking about how we eat and how it affects our life, our health and our general well-being.” Her advisor, Corinne Kyriacou, Ph.D., identifies Faith as a budding health researcher: “Working with Faith on this worthy project has been an absolute pleasure ... She has a sharp, analytical mind and her “I have a passion for working with underserved communities excitement about gathering data has the potential to make a difference because I’m from one myself,” says Faith. in the lives of her fellow college students. “Everyone has a purpose in life and I feel like that’s mine.” It is refreshing.”
8
Faith Reilem grew up on a farm in the village of Lityei near a small town called Kapenguria in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya at the foot of an extinct volcano mountain, Mt. Elgon. With no electricity, Faith made sure to finish all her chores during the day before turning on the paraffin lamp at night. “I grew up accustomed to not having electricity ... But I imagine things would have been so much easier if we had had it.” Faith now looks forward to graduation from Hofstra University with a major in health science and a minor in chemistry and worries about medical school requirements, not lighting. “Everyone has to find their niche in life, and I think I’ve found mine,” says Faith. But it took a lot of hard work and diligence. In 2009 she came to the United States on a scholarship from the Zawadi Africa Education Fund: “When I came in I knew I wanted to go to medical school but I wasn’t so sure how the system works.” Undergraduate research helped Faith make the transition to her new disciplines and goals: She got involved with the World Health Organization by doing desk research on
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
Another professor, Dr. Israel M. Schwartz, who has been Faith’s major advisor, field placement supervisor and professor, notes how Faith stood out as an exceptional student when she first entered the program in 2011: “Faith’s consistently excellent performance and mature and focused sense of purpose are truly impressive.” After graduation, Faith plans to complete her medical school applications, while working as a research assistant at New York University studying the effects of air pollution on lungs, a job she landed after “bumping into” someone at a Hofstra sustainability conference. Faith feels that international public health is her calling, and she wants to help the women and children living in remote villages like her home in Kenya, or in areas in conflict such as the Congo or the Middle East: “I have a passion for working with underserved communities because I’m from one myself,” says Faith.“Everyone has a purpose in life and I feel like that’s mine.”
Across the Disciplines
Student PROFILES
“The project involved formulating an improved method of sending and receiving of codes in a
Steven Miller
By Colin Sullivan
Steven’s honors thesis, titled Trellis Demodulation of Two-Level Reed-Solomon-Modulated FH-CDMA Wireless Communication Systems, was written under the guidance of Dr. Wing C. Kwong, Hofstra professor of engineering. The research involved improving the sending and receiving of data – for example, the encoding of your voice during a cell phone call and the decoding of it on the receiver’s end. By improving the transmission of these messages, the speed and quality of reception is strengthened. “The project involved formulating an improved method of sending and receiving of codes in a two-level wireless communication system, with the ultimate goal of simplifying and improving the speed of the processes,” Steven said.
His research was published in Xplore, the magazine of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and was featured at the IEEE Long Island Systems, Applications, and Technologies 2012 Conference. “I feel very honored to receive this award. It is an amazing opportunity for me to make my own contribution to advancing science and technology,” Steven said. “I am excited by nanotechnology and photonics and the huge potential to positively impact society in many fields, from telecommunications to energy and health.” An East Meadow resident, Steven graduated from Hofstra with a B.S. in electrical engineering. On campus as an undergraduate he also served as president of Hofstra’s student chapter of IEEE and played principal trumpet in the Hofstra Symphony Orchestra. Steven took part for the last two summers in the Research Experience for Undergraduates in the Mid-Infrared Technologies for Health and the Environment at Princeton University. In 2010 he traveled to Denmark where he took part in the LoCal Renewable Energy Summer Program. Scientific curiosity, motivation and aptitude run in the Miller family. In 2008 Steven’s brother David graduated from Hofstra with a B.S. and double major in applied physics and engineering, and he also was a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and is completing a Ph.D. in environmental engineering at Princeton University, where he also received a full scholarship. Both Steven and David were members of Hofstra’s Honors College. David also engaged in undergraduate research that prepared him for his NSF and graduate school applications and future research.
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
Student Profiles
Steven Miller, a May 2012 graduate from the Department of Engineering and Hofstra University Honors College, was awarded a three-year graduate research fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recognizes and awards grants to outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. National Science Foundation Fellows are anticipated to become knowledgeable experts who can contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering. The grant provides an annual stipend of $30,000 for graduate study. Steven is now in his second year in the Ph.D. Program in Electrical Engineering at Cornell University, where he also received a full academic scholarship.
two-level wireless communication system ... “
9
Departmental Profiles
BIOLOGY
By Carson Olivares
“Our faculty are all experienced scientists anxious to
Departmental Profiles
pass on the excitement of doing science ...“ Hofstra’s Biology Department has much to offer undergraduates: Students can pursue a B.A. or B.S. in biology or urban ecology, and can obtain a general education in biology or specialize in an area such as premedical and health sciences; cell or molecular biology; or ecology and conservation studies, with lecture and laboratory courses in cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, physiology, developmental biology, comparative anatomy, parasitology, microbiology, ecology, evolution, conservation biology, field biology, invertebrate biology, tropical marine biology, marine mammals, and ornithology, to name just a few of the subfields. In whatever area the student chooses, the department offers one-on-one research opportunities with faculty, either as an independent study or as a summer internship by joining a research lab and conducting research under the supervision of faculty. The Department of Biology’s primary mission is teaching, yet all faculty members are deeply involved in research and share this expertise with students as mentors. In fact, the 2013 Mentor of the Year is Justin DiAngelo, an assistant professor of biology, who has already made his mark at Hofstra in his first three years here. But Dr. DiAngelo is not alone as a mentor of undergraduate research in biology. All faculty members offer opportunities in their specific research areas and serve as mentors, demonstrating techniques in the laboratory or the field. Qualified undergraduates also have opportunities to attend and participate in regional and national scientific meetings, where they present their research and represent the department and the University. In addition, the department offers several summer fellowships to undergraduate researchers.
10
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research
Departmental Profiles
“Our faculty are all experienced scientists anxious to pass on the excitement of doing science. Therefore it is not surprising that undergraduate research is deeply integrated into our curriculum. This process runs from our introductory classes that focus on asking interesting questions and learning how to assess existing science, through increasingly advanced practice in later classes, to the advanced research done by our juniors and seniors,” says Russell L. Burke, department chairperson and professor of biology. “We aim to demystify science by getting students to realize that they can learn to read and really understand current scientific literature, and then make contributions of their own.” Their intense focus on undergraduate instruction has worked: Hofstra students of biology go on each year to medical schools around the country, to positions in the health sciences or as researchers, or enter graduate school for advanced degrees (recent graduates have entered programs at Rutgers, Stony Brook, Emory, University of Virginia, s Medical University, Virginia Commonwealth University, etc.). Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
Departmental Profiles
Most biology students are interested in futures in medical fields, and tend to gravitate toward laboratory research (those who choose pre-medical studies can join APHOS, an organization run by and for students interested in health-related professions). In addition to these opportunities, studies in marine and freshwater biology, ecology, conservation biology, and urban ecology are carried out both on campus, using in-house facilities, and at local research sites around Long Island. In addition, students and faculty study nearby terrestrial, urban, and rural ecosystems. Students conduct field research both on campus and throughout the region. Some students also accompany Professor Burke (biology) and Professor Bennington (geology) to the Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador to learn about those remarkable and unique habitats.
11
Departmental Profiles
Global Studies and Geography
By Jessica Molinari
Global studies and geography represents one of the fastest-growing disciplines at Hofstra. Students are drawn to the department and its vibrant programs because of the diverse subject matter, and opportunities for travel and research. The faculty are extraordinarily committed to helping their students pursue their interests in the discipline, and around the world.
Departmental Profiles
Department chair Grant Saff emphasizes the department’s ambitions for its students. Of the social science students who graduated with departmental honors in 2012, 80 percent were global studies or geography majors (or both). The department currently has four students working on undergraduate research, three of whom presented their work at the Colonial Academic Alliance (CAA) Undergraduate Research Conference in April 2013. Last year six students from the department presented at the CAA. Such motivated students put the department’s faculty into overdrive with their research and internships! But the faculty enjoy their students’ eagerness to perform research and explore the world. The department does all it can to accommodate each student with opportunities for research or an internship.
12
The beauty of geography and global studies lies in the extremely broad spectrum for research. Current topics range from child labor and neoliberalism (Josh Ettinger) to Jewish immigration from Lithuania (Nathan Shapiro), American exceptionalism in the education system (Kayla Rivara), and media in the Congo (Anna Okoniewski). Many geography and global studies students get immersed in transnational issues by participating in the European Odyssey program (hofstra.edu/odyssey) organized by Professor Linda Longmire, who takes students each year in the spring semester to Europe for an academic bus tour of the continent with course work on the road and at many sites of historical and cultural interest. Students return to Hofstra transformed into global citizens and excited about global research. The department recognizes excellent students with two awards: the Manya and Max Tenenbaum Endowed Memorial Prize in Economics and the Inaba Scholarship. The Tenenbaum Award goes to the student with the best written work from the departments of Geography and Global Studies or Economics. [For many years Geography and Economics resided in the same department.] For the Tenenbaum Award, faculty from these three areas nominate students and then review their work carefully: Chelsea Whitfield, a global studies student, was awarded the Tenenbaum Award in 2011.
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
Departmental Profiles
Global Studies and Geography
The Inaba Scholarship is a new award in honor of Geography Professor George Inaba, who taught at Hofstra from 1959 to 1993. Professor Inaba’s family created the scholarship in his name because of his love for the school and geography. The family also plans to donate $1,000 each year to student events for the Department of Global Studies and Geography. Professor Saff praised this dedication to the field and department, and he hopes to keep that tradition going: “One of the big things we do is celebrate our former students and invite them to events.” The first recipient of the Inaba Scholarship in 2013 is Catherine Misczuk, who is a double global studies and journalism major. This combination of majors has become increasingly popular as students realize the need to combine their practical investigative skills with a broader awareness of global society.
The department owes its rapid growth over the past few years to the dedication of its faculty and students. Professor Saff even tried to turn me (Jessica Molinari) into a global studies major by the time I was done with the interview. “You’re a junior?” Professor Saff said. “I’m a junior,” I responded. “I bet if I looked at your DAR I could make you a global studies major without you doing anything. I bet you have three quarters of the credits already and you don’t even know it.” Professor Saff’s enthusiasm and energetic outreach, shared by the whole department, are the main reason Global Studies and Geography has become such a highly visible department at Hofstra.
For a full list of recent departmental honors theses, see http://www.hofstra.edu/academics/colleges/hclas/geog/geog_honors_dissertations.html
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
Departmental Profiles
The department also has ways to keep current students engaged through extracurricular activities such as the Get Global Club and Gamma Theta Upsilon International Honor Society, both headed by faculty advisor Dr. Kari Jensen. Over the last year the student club, in conjunction with the department, has been hosting very popular diversity dinners that focus on one particular world region and offer local cuisine, music and talks by students from that area. So far they have had dinners spotlighting Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and El Salvador.
13
A Universe of ...
Undergraduate Research
Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Conference
Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Conference Up to 10 students from each member school present their research either as a poster or as a short lecture; students travel together with faculty or staff to represent their institution.
16
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
CAA Undergraduate Research Conference at Hofstra University Hofstra University is the only member school to have hosted the event twice (first in 2005), having requested to do so in spring 2011 in order to coincide with the University’s yearlong 75th anniversary celebration (which began in September 2010). Visiting students, faculty and administrators from CAA member schools were encouraged at the opening reception to walk across the Unispan to view Hofstra’s timeline in words and images, as compiled and installed by the Hofstra University Special Collections Department. For images from past conferences, visit hofstra.edu/Research/research_undergraduate_photos_caa.html. Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Conference
Each year the CAA sponsors an Undergraduate The Colonial Academic Alliance (CAA) is the Research Conference hosted by a member school. parallel organization to the Colonial Athletic Up to 10 students from each member school Association. In 2002 the provosts of the present their research either as a poster or as a member schools decided that their association short lecture; students travel together with faculty should focus not only on athletic competition, or staff to represent their institution. but also on student academic achievement. The Colonial Academic Alliance was founded in The conferences generally also offer meetings order to develop, promote and facilitate on diverse topics of interest and use to collaborative programs and resource-sharing to students, such as a session on prestigious enhance academic quality and institutional scholarships (and how to apply), on graduate effectiveness among the member institutions: school, on ethics and honor codes, and on College of Charleston, environmental best practices. In 2008 and University of Delaware, 2009, representatives from Hofstra’s Drexel University, Elon University, environmental organization Students for a Towson University, Hofstra University, Greener Hofstra initiated student meetings James Madison University, on environmental activities at member University of North Carolina – Wilmington, schools, which led to regular meetings by Northeastern University, the different campus sustainability and The College of William & Mary. officers. In such ways, CAA member schools learn from one another and share ideas at all levels.
17
Undergraduate Research Day at Hofstra
Undergraduate Research Day 2012-2013
ach student’s presentation E marks the culmination of intense individual or team research, in the library or in the lab, in the field or studio or on stage, often with moments of anguish, uncertainty, and frustration, but also with happy discovery, satisfaction, enthusiasm, relief and – revision, revision, revision. There’s a reason it’s called a discipline!
18
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
Advanced student research continues throughout the year in all disciplines and, after months of hard work, merits the opportunity for presentation, recognition and applause!
The culmination of an undergraduate student’s work in a particular discipline reflects the mastery of both methods and foundational knowledge, and a transition to graduate school or professional life.
Undergraduate Research Day at Hofstra
The presentation of research, the sharing of knowledge, is the life-blood of the academic enterprise, and we all benefit from knowing what our hardest working, most advanced students have accomplished.
Undergraduate Research Day makes visible to the University community in general the outstanding work of highly motivated student researchers under the guidance of experienced and engaged faculty members.
19
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
Hofstra University Library Undergraduate Research Award The annual Hofstra University Library Undergraduate Research Award was established in 1997 by the Library faculty to recognize and reward excellence in research and writing by two graduating seniors. All papers are nominated by the faculty advisor who supervised the research and are read carefully by a faculty selection committee. Both winning papers are published on the website, and both authors receive an award of $500.
Hofstra University Library Undergraduate Research Award Recipients
Past winners have come from the departments of Fine Arts, History, Music, Political Science, Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, Global Studies and Geography, and Psychology.
20
“I took my first global studies class my sophomore year, and the department was amazing and incredibly supportive.”
ETANA JACOBI Class of 2012
by Carson Olivares Etana Jacobi’s majors in global studies and political science, along with a minor in geography, were a natural fit for her passion for civic engagement: “I took my first global studies class my sophomore year, and the department was amazing and incredibly supportive. So I just really enjoyed it and jumped right in,” said Etana. In her junior year she was awarded a Hofstra Provost’s Scholarship to spend a year in Holland at the University of Amsterdam, where she fell in love with the city and Dutch culture, and also worked as a research assistant in the Social Psychology Department doing interviews. Upon her return, she began research for her departmental honors thesis, which resulted in her study “iGlobalization:
Kodak, Apple and the Evolution of U.S. Employment from 1960 to 2012,” which won the Hofstra University Library Undergraduate Research Award for 2012. “I looked at how the 1970s was a transformational time and viewed it through the lens of Kodak and Apple,” she explained. “When you thought of American technology, American companies, then you thought of Kodak. But Kodak was very invested in its surrounding location and community. It was based in Rochester, and many people called Rochester ‘Kodak City’. Kodak employed 82,000 workers at the height of its domestic peak in Rochester alone, and they had amazing benefits. Kodak really felt connected to its workers and Eastman, the founder of Kodak, felt that Rochester’s success was tied to Kodak’s success. So a happy citizen in Rochester meant a happy worker at Kodak. Then I compared that to Apple, where Apple is now considered the technological titan of its time. When we look for innovation we look to Apple, just as we used to look to Kodak. But Apple employs only 40,000 workers throughout the entire country – less than half of what Kodak employed in one city. So what does it mean to be
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
an American worker if the products you make are not made in America and your employees are not American? On the back of every product you’ll see ‘Designed in California’ but also ‘Assembled in China.’ What are the implications for an American, as an American worker? I looked at the economic framework of how we got there and what the globalization impact is on our economy, looking at outsourcing and offshoring and what it means to be an American.” Etana’s thesis was also awarded departmental High Honors in Global Studies, and she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Her work as an undergraduate combined quantitative and qualitative research with activism in the community, and that work continues. She is currently The Harry H. Wachtel Leadership Scholar, a Herman Goldman Foundation Democracy Fellow, and assistant director of the Deepening Democracy through Deliberation project, as well as a member of Hofstra’s Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) Advisory Board.
William advises every student to get involved in undergraduate research:
WILLIAM BARNA Class of 2012
by Jessica Molinari
JESSE CROSSON Class of 2013
by Carson Olivares A political science major from Reedsville, Pennsylvania, Jesse Crosson also pursued minors in mathematics and philosophy. Jesse graduated in 2013 summa cum laude with a perfect 4.0 G.P.A., and completed a departmental honors thesis that examined the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) and Affordable Care Act (2010), including the relation of the U.S. president to Congress in the legislative process, the role of congressional leadership, and the influence of interest groups on policymaking. “Throughout college I’ve been interested in both education and health care policies, so I wanted to do a thesis that had something to do with the politics of both of those policies. And then toward the end of my college career, I also became very interested
William advises every student to get involved in undergraduate research: “If you’re given the opportunity, then definitely go for it. You might think it sounds like a huge undertaking at first, but little by little you kind of chip away at it with every paragraph. And before you know it, you’re writing a couple of almost separate papers, putting them together, and then you have this huge project you didn’t think you were going to be able to get done before.” Aside from doing research, William was also a member of Hofstra’s ROTC program. He had been in the military 4½ years prior to attending Hofstra and was then awarded a scholarship and granted leave. He is now living in Washington, D.C., working as a military intelligence officer for the U.S. Army. William was a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society and Pi Sigma Alpha political science honor society. He graduated from Hofstra with the Honors College Associate designation and magna cum laude honors.
in the additions that sort of encourage bipartisanship. That really gave way to the idea of my thesis,” ... “[I was] trying to isolate reasons and conditions that allowed No Child Left Behind to pass with overwhelming bipartisanship and the Affordable Care Act to pass with no bipartisanship,” Jesse explains. In his research, beyond works of scholarship and newspaper articles, Jesse also consulted with nationally known political adviser Ed Rollins, who has been, since September 2009, a senior presidential fellow at Hofstra’s Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency. “I was peer teaching in a class that he [Ed Rollins] was co-teaching. And so I met him a number of times, bouncing ideas off him, getting his sense of whether my explanations were accurate because he was on Capitol Hill at the time,” says Jesse. “That was very helpful.” Jesse’s work received the 2013 Hofstra University Library Undergraduate Research Award.
“Jesse Crosson is a smart and thoughtful rising star in political science. He understands the importance of analytically informed institutional research in American politics, and his senior thesis is an award-winning example of that research,” says professor and advisor Meena Bose. Another professor, Richard Himelfarb, adds: “Jesse Crosson’s research is extraordinarily thoughtful and perceptive. He already writes with the sophistication of a firstrate graduate student.”
“You know, Hofstra has sent me all over the place: the campus for the presidential debate, to New Hampshire for the primaries and then to D.C. for the inauguration.” Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
Hofstra University Library Undergraduate Research Award Recipients
William Barna’s research on U.S. military intervention earned him the Undergraduate Library Research Award in May 2012. William was a political science major and history minor during his time here at Hofstra. For his honors thesis, he worked with his advisor, Professor Paul Fritz, to come up with ideas and focus his research. But once the ideas were developed, William got to start writing on his own: his honors thesis, “U.S Military Intervention for Humanitarian Purposes: Exception to Policy or an Emerging Norm?” aimed to explain why the U.S. military intervened in some places rather than in others. In three case studies, he examined the U.S. interventions in Somalia, Libya and Rwanda.
“If you’re given the opportunity, then definitely go for it.”
21
JESSE CROSSON continued
Hofstra University Library Undergraduate Research Award Recipients
In sum, Jesse remarks: “Given the even-divide, politically, that we have in this country and given the level of challenges that this country faces, like it or not, bipartisanship is going to have to be part of the legislative strategy moving forward,” ... “I was trying to help out future leaders by pointing out some tactics and some things that increase one’s chances of having bipartisanship success in the U.S. Legislature.”
22
Jesse was also one of five students selected to represent Hofstra University at the 2013 presidential inauguration in Washington D.C.; he worked as an usher for the presidential debate at Hofstra University, and he was a fellow for the Center for the Study of the
Presidency and Congress (CSPC) and a Democracy Fellow for Hofstra’s Center for Civic Engagement. He attended the 2012 Republican National Convention as a student and field worker, spent a semester interning for The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., and was selected nationwide to be one of 25 summer fellows for the American Enterprise Institute, also in Washington, D.C. “You know, Hofstra has sent me all over the place: the campus for the [presidential debate], to New Hampshire for the primaries and then to D.C. for the inauguration,” remarks Jesse. “I’m just proud of the fact that I’ve been able to represent Hofstra and how fast we’ve grown and all the
wonderful things that we’re doing at so many different places in the country. That has probably been the biggest honor for me.” This fall, Jesse begins his studies at the University of Michigan to work toward a Ph.D. in political science (with full funding). While his sights are set on serving as a dean or provost at a university, he dreams of one day advising a U.S. president. “I certainly won’t measure the success of my career by whether I do that or not,” he laughs. “But that’s a long way off!”
“My research as an undergraduate significantly prepared me for my
ASHLEY ROTHBART Class of 2013
by Jessica Molinari During her undergraduate years, Ashley Rothbart worked in Manhattan as a curatorial intern at the Museum of Biblical Art (MOBIA), and she will continue to work there as a curatorial research assistant. Her work at MOBIA contributed to her interest in biblical art and gave her increased knowledge in the field, which led to her idea for a departmental honors thesis in her major of art history; her thesis in turn earned departmental high honors as well as this year’s highly competitive Hofstra University Undergraduate Library Research Award. Ashley drew upon the Axinn Library’s great resources in researching and writing her thesis, titled “A Figure Study: Depictions of King David in Renaissance and Baroque Art.” In fact, Ashley advises students looking to do advanced research as undergraduates “to utilize the many resources that they have available at Hofstra, including the library and its helpful staff, and to take time to meet with and learn from their professors.”
continued studies and work at the Museum of Biblical Art.” As an Honors College student, she also had greater opportunities to work closely with professors and get their assistance in her research. She enjoyed the intensive focus at Hofstra on undergraduate education. Originally from Long Island, Ashley graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in art history and a minor in history. She also earned the Honors College Graduate with Distinction designation. Ashley notes that her experience at Hofstra will greatly help her in the near future: “My research as an undergraduate significantly prepared me for my continued studies and work at the Museum of Biblical Art. I use the skills that I learned at Hofstra in my exhibition research for the museum director and my collaboration with the staff.” But Ashley was already familiar with work in a museum: She worked with the Hofstra University Museum to begin a new club on campus, aptly named MUSE (Museum Uniting Student Experiences), to give students
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
a voice at the museum. She also served as a volunteer and docent at the museum. Ashley worked as an undergraduate assistant in the Department of Fine Arts, Design, Art History; was the departmental student ambassador for the Hofstra College Advisory Board; and volunteered as a tour guide for the Office of Undergraduate Admission. In addition to her involvement on campus, Ashley’s scholastic achievement earned her induction into Phi Beta Kappa and the National History Honor Society, Phi Alpha Theta. Her research as an undergraduate confirmed her interests and gave them a broad base in her undergraduate activities. It also provided her with skills for her future studies and career. Ashley will continue to follow her muse.
Mentors From Hofstra’s History
To nominate a faculty mentor, alumni should visit hofstra.edu/Research/research_mentor_history.html. Letters of nomination with a description of the nominee’s mentoring activities should not exceed 500 words and should emphasize the most salient qualities of the faculty mentor’s influence and engagement with background information and anecdotal illustrations, if possible, to show how that mentor made a substantial difference toward enabling the success of a particular student or group of students. With questions, please contact the editor of Hofstra Horizons of Undergraduate Research, Neil H. Donahue, at neil.h.donahue@hofstra.edu.
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
Mentors from Hofstra’s History
Hofstra alumni are invited to nominate a full-time faculty member who supervised their advanced undergraduate research and guided them in both professional and intellectual ways toward developing their own ideas, pursuing their research, drawing conclusions and presenting those ideas in public through presentation or publication. Mentors from Hofstra’s history will be profiled in each issue of Hofstra Horizons of Undergraduate Research. The chosen faculty mentor will have had a great impact on undergraduate research at the advanced level of any discipline (in terms of the number of students or the degree of impact on an individual, i.e., the breadth or depth of influence and engagement). A historical perspective will be most welcome: How has the nominating student developed professionally since then? Looking back, did that undergraduate research experience have an impact and shape the future?
23
Mentors from Hofstra’s History PROFESSOR LYNN TURGEON (1920-1999)
Mentors from Hofstra’s History
Economics, Hofstra, 1957-1990
24
Dr. Lynn Turgeon’s field was comparative economic systems and contemporary economic policies, with a particular focus on comparisons between capitalist and communist economies. He published The Contrasting Economies: A Study of Modern Economic Systems (Allyn & Bacon, 1963), State & Discrimination: The Other Side of the Cold War (Sharpe, 1989) and Bastard Keynesianism: The Evolution of Economic Thinking and Policymaking since World War II (Greenwood, 1996), among other books. He was a two-time Fulbright Scholar and taught in Russia (twice) and in Hungary. He also published articles in distinguished periodicals such as The Wall Street Review of Books, Monthly Labor Review, The American Journal of Sociology, The Journal of Comparative Economics and The Nation. In 2003 the American Journal of Economics and Sociology (Vol. 62; No. 3: pp. 491-508) published a remembrance and appreciation piece written by five distinguished economists (Timothy A. Canova, Richard P. F. Holt, Robert N. Horn, J. Barkley Rosser Jr. and Marina V. Rosser) with the title “Keynesian Comparative Economics: The Iconoclastic Vision of Lynn Turgeon.” The authors emphasize the focus in Dr. Turgeon’s economics on the “effects on real people” (491) and issues of “quality of life” (494) with a commitment to “expanding human potential” (503). That “iconoclastic vision” engaged, provoked and challenged not only fellow scholars around the country and the world, but also his students, to whom he was devoted with intellectual and practical encouragement. Professor Turgeon’s dedication to his students’ independent thought created in turn very dedicated students, some of whom are represented here, who pursued their individual goals with great success and appreciation for their mentor. Dr. Turgeon received Hofstra University’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 1967. — NHD, editor
“ Lynn Turgeon, who taught in Hofstra’s Economics Department from 1957 to 1990 and was the first from the department to win a Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award, was a unique man. A great teacher full of humor and wisdom, he was at once a historian (obsessed with the Great Depression, which had marked him deeply), an unconventional economist with a very strong bias in favor of Keynesian policy prescriptions of easy money and deficit-spending, and a truly political animal of the left. His house on the edge of the campus served as the informal union headquarters of the AAUP when the faculty went on strike during three consecutive contract negotiations in the 1980s. He was the key guy in the department pushing for my appointment (which at the time was a slight matter of controversy), and so I owe him a great deal. This did not prevent us from having a series of spirited policy debates in front of students when we co-taught introductory courses or in public events sponsored by the Economics Club. Those were a great deal of fun for both of us, and we always continued our debates privately.” — Robert Guttmann, Ph.D. Professor and Former Chair, Economics Department, Hofstra University
This premiere issue of Hofstra Horizons of Undergraduate Research and the new Undergraduate Research Fund were made possible by the generous support and commitment of Sharon Oster and Elliott Sclar. The new magazine is proud to honor Sharon and Elliott along with their mentor.
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
ELLIOTT SCLAR • Class of 1963, Hofstra University Presently Elliott Sclar ’63 is professor of urban planning, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation; professor of international affairs, School of International and Public Affairs; and director, Center for Sustainable Urban Development, The Earth Institute, Columbia University. As a professional economist, Professor Sclar has written extensively about the strengths and limitations of markets as mechanisms for effective public policy implementation. His book You Don’t Always Get What You Pay For: The Economics of Privatization (2000), a critique of overreliance on market mechanisms, has won two major academic prizes: the Louis Brownlow Award for the Best Book of 2000 from the National Academy of Public Administration and the 2001 Charles Levine Prize from the International Political Science Association for a major contribution to the public policy literature. It is a definitive work in the field. In recent years Professor Sclar has been a leading figure in a scholarly movement to reconnect the work of population health experts and urban planners in creating healthier cities. In November 2007 he received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the International Society for Urban Health. On his professor and mentor Lynn Turgeon and the dedication of the first issue of Hofstra Horizons of Undergraduate Research to him: “I am pleased that this undergraduate research initiative is proceeding. Lynn Turgeon was a great supporter of such work by Hofstra undergraduates. The first article I ever wrote was for an undergraduate social science journal we produced with much guidance from Lynn. Such work can have major positive impacts on the way young people learn to think critically about the complexity of the world they will have to navigate to make sense of their adult lives.” For Professor Sclar, Professor Lynn Turgeon “made the pursuit of knowledge intellectually exciting and he connected it to the real world.”
SHARON M. OSTER • Class of 1970, Hofstra University
“I would say that Lynn Turgeon is the reason that I became an academic, and a reasonably successful academic. He identified me early on as an undergraduate who he wanted to encourage.
He had much higher aspirations for me than I had for myself, and he encouraged me to apply to the best graduate schools and cheered me on when I managed to go to Harvard. He played a huge role in my career and I’m delighted that he’s being honored in this way. “He was an original thinker and encouraged original thought. And in his own work I would say he was more original than the profession was excited about!” she laughs. “I took several classes with him ... But, you know, even beyond the classroom he encouraged me in other classes and in other things. He just kept after me in terms of making sure he knew what I was doing and that I was continuing to progress. “Our intellectual work is very different. He did Russian studies and macroeconomics, and I don’t do Russian studies or macro. I’m a microeconomist. ... And actually I’m much more conventional than Lynn was in terms of my work. But I’d like to think that his active encouragement of others to aspire beyond their own aspirations is something that I carry on with my students.” Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
Mentors from Hofstra’s History
Sharon Oster ’70 is the Frederic D. Wolfe Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship and director of the Program on Social Enterprise at Yale School of Management. She served as dean of the Yale School of Management from 2008 to 2011. She is a specialist in competitive strategy, microeconomic theory, industrial organization, the economics of regulation and antitrust, and nonprofit strategy. She has written extensively on the regulation of business and competitive strategy. Professor Oster’s book Modern Competitive Analysis (Oxford UP, 1990; 3rd ed., 1999), used widely at management schools, integrates a broad range of views in its analysis of management strategy and emphasizes an economic approach to strategic planning. Her second book, Strategic Management for Nonprofit Organizations: Theory and Cases (Oxford UP, 1995), takes the same economic approach to managing nonprofit organizations.
25
Mentor of the Year • New in 2012 Both students and faculty are invited to nominate a full-time faculty member who has supervised advanced undergraduate research and guided students, in both professional and intellectual ways, toward developing their own ideas and pursuing their research and careers. In this context, research refers to advanced work in any field, whether in the laboratory or the library, in the field or on stage, in the studio or in the clinic, and marks the transition of the student into graduate and professional life and on to continued independent and original work. The award will go to a faculty mentor who has had a great impact on undergraduate research at the advanced level in any discipline (in terms of either the number of students or the degree of impact on an individual, i.e., the breadth or depth of influence and engagement). In the name of one faculty member each year, the Mentor of the Year award also honors all faculty who have supervised and supported undergraduate research with their time, energy and expertise, as an important capstone achievement in the student’s work in a discipline.
2012 Mentor of the Year MARY ANN ALLISON • Journalism, Media Studies and Public Relations Dr. Mary Ann Allison teaches courses in media studies, including media literacy, research and mass media in contemporary society. She uses media theory, sociology, and complex-systems theory to study the ways in which individuals, communities and institutions are changing as a result of human immersion in electronic media. ityity ersrs nivve
tra ni the ofsra ofst proudly presents
2012 Year Mentor of the Award to
. lison, Ph.Dc Relat ions Mary Ann AlMedia Studies, and Publi
Mentors from Hofstra’s History
Assistant
26
alism, Professor of Journ
supervision of For outstanding a studies research in medi on. undergraduate of Communicati in the School ced nition of advan vision ms Hofstra’s recog y super his award reaffirresearch and dedicated facult ing excellence. undergraduate itment to teach dedication to as part of its comm n exemplifies such Professor Allisoresearch. undergraduate Presented at
nition Convocation
s Recog the Latin Honor 20, 2012 Sunday, May
itz Stuart Rabinow University President, Hofstra
“I like being a mentor to students in any situation but I especially love working with students over several years on independent study projects or honors theses where the student chooses a media studies topic that he or she wants to study in depth,” says Dr. Allison. “In these cases, the student not only uses scholarly sources but also actually contributes to the field by designing and conducting original research. It is a wonderful feeling to see young people gain confidence as they learn that they can develop and deliver research which adds to our understanding of the world. I’m thrilled to win this award.” — Mary Ann Allison “Dr. Allison has a way of making seeds of inspiration blossom into research papers, multimedia presentations and in my case, visual journalism. — Shea Molloy, Class of 2012
Herman A. Berliner t Vice Presiden Provost and Senior Hofstra University Affairs, for Academic
2013 Mentor of the Year JUSTIN DIANGELO • Biology Dr. DiAngelo teaches courses in cell biology and genetics, molecular biology, bioinformatics, and endocrinology. The research in his lab focuses on the ability of an animal to sense changes in its nutrient environment and adapt its behavior and metabolism accordingly.
“Dr. Justin DiAngelo has been a faculty member in the Department of Biology for [only] three years, and his influence and collaboration with student researchers has [already] become an invaluable asset to the department. Dr. DiAngelo has mentored 12 research students, a few of whom are now graduate students in prestigious cell and molecular biology programs, including Brandeis University and the University of Rochester. Students are the driving force of his research program; they perform the experiments, analyze the results, and author scientific publications. Dr. DiAngelo carefully structures the students’ research experience in order for students to learn the entire process of research. Students gain experience asking research questions, designing experiments, analyzing data, and communicating their results to the public. One student states, ‘He helped me to focus my attention to detail and showed me what the problem-solving aspect of science looked like in the lab.” — Professor Beverly Clendening, Biology Department
ofsra tra niversity ofst niversity proudly pre sents the
2013 Mentor of the Year Award
ngelo, Ph.D
Assistant Prof
essor of Biol
— Jacqueline McDermott
Hofstra HORIZONS of Undergraduate Research t FALL 2013
ogy
.
for outstand ing supervision undergradu of ate research Hofstra Coll ege of Liberal in biology in Arts and Scie nces his award reaff irms Hofstra recognition University’s of research and advanced undergraduat part of its comdedicated faculty supe e rvision mitment to teac hing excellenc as e.
Presented at
“Whether performing research in his lab or attending one of his classes, you will learn how to think like a scientist. Dr. Justin DiAngelo truly imparts his scientific experiences and knowledge to his students and encourages undergrads to pursue degrees of higher education within the sciences.”
to
Justin DiA
the Latin Hono rs Recognitio n Convocati Friday, May on 17, 2013
Stuart Rabinow itz President, Hofstra University
Herman A. Berliner Provost and Senior Vice Preside for Academ ic Affairs, Hofstra nt University
SUPPORT UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Make a gift today to the Undergraduate Research Fund!
The Undergraduate Research Fund will provide Hofstra University
undergraduates with the resources to purchase supplies and equipment necessary for their research or performance; or to travel to research or performance sites, such as archives, archaeological digs, or performance venues; or to present research at academic and professional events or conferences. The fund will support students in all disciplines. Undergraduate research translates theoretical knowledge in any field of study into action ... and into new knowledge! Help Hofstra students engage in supervised research and presentation in their field as a step toward later success in graduate or professional school, and their careers. Undergraduate research supports student recruitment, engagement and motivation, learning, retention, advanced achievement and postgraduate success, as our many alumni can attest! A little support goes a long way in helping students realize their ambitions by pursuing their research and presenting their findings. Your gift will enable current Hofstra students to perform and present at the highest levels in their disciplines, which, in turn, helps the University attract the best and brightest undergraduates. Your gift is fully tax-deductible and will help ensure that Hofstra graduates have the skills and knowledge to rise to the top of their field, and beyond. To make an easy and secure contribution online, please visit hofstra.edu/gur. For questions about giving to the Undergraduate Research Fund, please contact: Dawne M. Alvarado Office for Development, 101B Hofstra Hall, 101 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549-1010 Email: Dawne.Alvarado@hofstra.edu • Phone: 516-463-5821
Thank you for your support!
Rita Corbett is senior support specialist at Hofstra University Honors College and has worked extensively on Hofstra Horizons of Undergraduate Research. It couldn’t have happened without her help. Special thanks to our editorial assistants for all of their hard work and contributions. Carson Olivares, graduated in May 2013 with a major in journalism after completing an internship with Long Island Pulse magazine and Marie Claire magazine. She served as managing editor for Hofstra University’s Pulse magazine as well as contributing to the Department of Journalism’s Immigration Project. Currently, she works as a freelance reporter and writer in the magazine industry in New York City. Jessica Molinari, will graduate in May 2014 with a major in broadcast journalism and minor in political science. She currently produces the Hofstra WRHU show Gone Country, along with her internships with Taste Daily and College Lifestyles. She hopes to pursue a career in television news. Special thanks also to Sofia Kakoulidis, Alice Diaz-Bonhomme, Neena Samuel, Colin Sullivan, Geri Solomon, Dawne Alvarado, Linda Merklin, Kelvin Fonville and Denise Sarian for their ideas and practical assistance. 46525:9/13
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Hofstra University