CUNY Research Scholars Program
CUNY Research Scholars Program at Kingsborough Community College
What is CRSP?
The CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP) aims to increase the participation of CUNY community college students in faculty-mentored research in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Social Sciences, Business, and more. CRSP is a rigorous program where full-time Kingsborough students will receive stipends totaling up to $5,000, contingent on funding, and course credits on their transcripts through enrollment in research courses CRSP over the course of one academic year. Students are required to give oral presentations, poster presentations, attend career development seminars and produce a publication-quality research poster or PowerPoint presentation. The program culminates in a CUNY wide presentation at the CRSP Symposium in late May – early June.
Participating in CRSP Benefits
- Stipend for student researchers
- Faculty mentored research.
- Opportunity to present research projects.
- Career development seminars
- Producing a publication-quality research poster
Eligibility Requirements
- Full time student, in good standing, matriculated at Kingsborough Community College. Student credit load may not exceed 18 credits per semester.
- Open to all Majors!
- Committed to one full academic year of research at Kingsborough Community College.
- An instructional staff member must agree to be your mentor and willing to commit and complete at least 400 hours of research related activity with your mentor.
- Completion of program application & required forms.
- Complete online Research Ethics course.
- Attend all CRSP monthly group meetings, workshops and presentations.
- You must attend orientation in mid-late September.
- Willing to participate and attend in-person meetings, and or presentations.
Apply to CRSP
CRSP accepts applications once a year in the fall semester. The Interest Form for the 2025 cohort is currently open. Priority will be given to students who complete the interest form. The 2025 cohort will accept 19 scholars.
Students interested in reaching out to an Academic Advisors in the Health Sciences and STEM Academy, should visit: https://www.kbcc.cuny.edu/AdvisementAcademies/HealthSciencesandSTEMAcademy/index.html
2025 Cohort Potential Mentors
| Mentor Name | Subject | Research Description | Email Address |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hun Bok Jung |
Physical Sciences |
I am interested in conducting research on urban environment, including water and air quality. I am particularly interested in how climate change affects the environmental quality of New York City metro area. We will be conducting field investigation and lab experiments to understand the spatial and temporal variations of water and air quality as well as the environmental impacts on human health in New York City. |
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Sue Burgher |
Behavioral Sciences |
It is extremely exciting to research and study new and unsolved challenges. We need researchers with passion to bring new findings and answers to the future. |
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Careen Purcell |
Nursing |
Healthy Equity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion |
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Xinlong Dong |
Mathematics |
Hyperbolic Geometry, Quasiconformal mappings and Complex Analysis |
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Rachel Ihara |
English |
I'm interested in learning more about KCC alumni, their career trajectories, and how they see their education as contributing to their career success. I teach writing classes, so I'm particularly interested in learning more about the reading and writing KCC graduates do for their work or on their own and any connections they see between this work and the reading and writing they did for Comp I and II. |
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Joanna Maulbeck |
Education |
Essentially, I am interested in social justice and equity as it relates to our education system. I am interested in systemic and curricular reforms in education. I am currently working on a few research projects: 1. Implementing advocacy work into first semester college coursework to engage students. 2. Nature-based curricula to teach computational thinking in early childhood. 3. How to effectively prepare teachers to teach critical digital literacy and computational thinking. |
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Damele Elliott-Hubbard |
English |
A part of my research lies in assisting students with cultivating their authentic voices, as they navigate the unfamiliar terrain of the language of the university. I don't believe that students need to "acquire" the language of the university, at the expense of their own. There can be a blending of the language of the university and a student's authentic language. I also wish to investigate how classrooms can be sites of subversiveness, empowering marginalized students. |
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Larbi Rddad |
Physical Sciences |
Research Interests: Tracing the Sources of Groundwater Contamination in Urban Environments My research focuses on identifying and tracing the sources of contaminants in urban groundwater systems. Currently, I am leading a project investigating the potential contribution of evaporite minerals to boron contamination in New Jersey's groundwater. High levels of boron in drinking water can pose significant health risks, making it imperative to understand and mitigate its sources. In this project, students will engage in all aspects of the scientific process. We will collect evaporite mineral samples from various geological formations. In the lab, students will prepare these samples for analysis of boron content and isotopic composition, gaining skills in sample preparation and advanced analytical methods. By comparing our results with existing groundwater data, we aim to establish whether evaporites are a primary source of boron contamination. This research not only contributes to effective water resource management and public health but also offers students a unique opportunity to develop a range of skills. From fieldwork and laboratory analysis to data interpretation and scientific communication, students will be fully immersed in applied geochemical research. Scholars will also have the chance to present their findings at Kingsborough Community College (KBCC), CUNY, and potentially at national or international conferences. By joining my research team, students will gain a deep understanding of how geological processes impact our urban environments and learn to apply scientific methods to real-world environmental challenges. I am eager to mentor students who are passionate about earth sciences and making a tangible difference in communities. |
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Shawna Brandle |
History, Philosophy, and Political Science |
I would like to continue the project I began with my CRSP student this year- looking at human rights discourse in the US Congress. So far, we've developed our codebook and methodology, and identified that there is not a lot of coverage. But we need to cover more years and dig deeper into the specific content of the mentions in the Congressional Record. Ideally, I'd like to have two students, so we can analyze more data, and so they can learn with and from each other in a supportive social science team. |
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Kristin Polizzotto |
Biological Sciences |
I’m a paleobiologist with an interest in describing the biodiversity, ecology, and evolution of ancient organisms. My current research is focused on invertebrate marine fossil communities in upstate New York. Devonian fossils (420-359 million years old) can be found in creek beds and other outcrops throughout the state. My students and I collect the fossils and then analyze them in various ways to reconstruct the paleo ecosystems. |
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Steven Jaret |
Physical Sciences |
My research interest is in planetary science and geology. I have several projects involving looking at rocks and minerals within meteorites in order to understand how our solar system formed. This will involve lab analysis using optical and electron microscopes and computer calculations. |
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Dmitry Brogun |
Biological Sciences |
Species Metabarcoding and Metagenomic Analysis |
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Roberto Mariani |
Biological sciences |
Life sciences related to diseases. |
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Dorina Tila |
Business |
My research is focused on various methods and teaching pedagogy that improves students’ interest, learning, and academic performance. Some of the teaching tools that have been assessed are economic experiments, OER and open pedagogy, feedback and multiple submissions, WAC, etc. Future research will also be focused on the effects and implications of AI in academia. |
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Farshad Tamari |
Biological Sciences |
My research focuses on molecular biology of specific plant species. Specifically, my lab investigates technical aspects of DNA extraction and quantification, as well as comparisons of DNA and protein sequences using bioinformatics. |
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Michael Danza |
Physical Sciences |
TBD |
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Homar Barcena |
Physical Sciences |
TBD |
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Anupam Pradhan |
Biological Sciences |
TBD |
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Sarwar Jahnagir |
Biological Sciences |
TBD
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Raymond Fong |
Behavioral Sciences |
My project will be an in-depth ethnography focused on exploring identity formation within a diasporic community. While identity is often narrowly defined by nationality, this project aims to uncover the diverse factors that influence the identities of community members and explore how these identities are authentically created. Through this project, students will learn the methodologies of conducting an anthropological ethnography and gain insights into the various ways in which identity is constructed. |