CUNY Research Scholars 2024 Cohort

Shawna M. Brandle is a Professor of Political Science and the Open Education Coordinator at Kingsborough Community College and a member of the faculty of the Digital Humanities program at the CUNY Graduate Center. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the CUNY Graduate Center. Her research areas include human rights, media coverage of human rights and refugee issues, and Open Educational Practices in higher education. In Fall 2021, Dr. Brandle was a Fulbright Scholar at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. She is the author of Television News and Human Rights in the US & UK: The Violations Will Not Be Televised (Routledge 2015); her current book project is co-authored with Dr. Janet Reilly. She spends her spare time making art with her family.

Dmitry Y. Brogun is a molecular evolutionary biologist. He holds a Master of Arts in ethology from Brooklyn College. He earned his Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Genetics from the Graduate Center (CUNY). He received his graduate research training from CUNY and Michigan State University and postdoctoral research training after earning his doctoral degree from CUNY and Rockefeller University. His research interests include molecular evolutionary biology and algology, which is the study of algae. Dr. Brogun received an NSF (National Science Foundation) grant that allowed him to implement and pilot an online course where students performed pathogen surveillance in public metagenomic datasets collaboratively with individuals from CUNY, SDSU, NIH, NLM, and NCBI. Professor Brogun has been educating students in general biology, microbiology, anatomy, and physiology at CUNY since 2007. At Kingsborough Community College, he has served as a Metagenomics Discovery Program (MDC) Principal Investigator and student mentor in the CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP) and Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP).

Evan F. Caccioppoli is Brooklyn born Theatre Director, Writer, Acting Coach, Interviewer, Researcher, Documentary Theater Practitioner, Filmmaker, Producer, and Professor. He has a BFA in Theatre Performance from The University of Illinois at Chicago, MA in Educational Theatre from New York University, and MFA in Directing from The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. Additional he studied at The Poor School in London, England, Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and performed at the International Theatre Festival in Varna, Bulgaria. As a director, Evan has staged World, American, and New York Premieres, reimaging of classical plays, musicals, and classical and contemporary plays. He has also developed, staged original documentary theatre, and devised work. Professor Caccioppoli has been an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Communications & Performing Arts at Kingsborough Community College since Spring 2018. At Kingsborough he has taught classes in Theatre, Film, and Speech. Professor Caccioppoli’s current research is focused on the History of Queer American Theatre in Performance and Cultural Context and The Women of Italian neorealism.

Dr. Hegazy is a nurse educator who specializes in qualitative research. Dr. Hegazy received a bachelor’s degree in Nursing Science at The City College of New York in Manhattan, NY, a master’s degree in Nursing Education (MA) at Pace University in Manhattan, New York, and a Ph.D. in Education, specialized in Adult Education from Capella University, Minneapolis, MN. Her clinical experience of 21 years includes caring for hospitalized patients, specialty in Cardiac Intensive Care, Community Nursing, and Long-Term Care patients. Dr. Hegazy joined Kingsborough Community College in 2014 and is an Assistant Professor who teaches Fundamentals of Nursing, Nursing Math Calculation, and Issues in Nursing. Currently, Dr. Hegazy is conducting a qualitative study on faculty satisfaction.

Professor Mariani is a molecular biologist. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Rome “Sapienza.”  During his career he worked in both academic and pharmaceutical environments and published several scientific peer-reviewed articles. He joined the Department of Biological Sciences at Kingsborough Community College first as Adjunct in 2018 and then as a full time Assistant Professor of Biology in 2019. At KBCC he currently teaches Anatomy and Physiology, General Biology, and Microbiology for Health and Diseases. Previously, he taught as Adjunct Professor, General Biology, Molecular Cell Biology at CUNY City Tech and Molecular Biology at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, NY. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY where he had an extensive training in virology, molecular biology, and developed animal models for diseases. He then joined as a Research Scientist, the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (ADARC), The Rockefeller University, NYC, NY, an organization completely dedicated to HIV research. Later he was appointed Staff Scientist at The Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA where he supervised and directed programs focused on innate immunity response to HIV infection. He then moved to the biotechnology industry as Senior Scientist and Consultant where he managed and developed programs for antivirals, diabetes, and antibodies therapeutics to treat asthma. Back in New York City, he joined a startup biotechnology company as Director where he was responsible to supervise and develop several viral vaccines programs, this collaboration led to a recent publication in Nature Communication. His scientific activities are mostly focused on virology and to understand molecular mechanisms related to diseases. His extensive activities in several fields of Biology gave him the opportunity to coordinate the laboratory sections of different Biology courses.

Dr. Polizzotto is a paleobiologist—a paleontologist who focuses on the biology of extinct organisms. She earned a B.S. in Zoology from Brigham Young University (1995) and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Cornell University (2003). While she would love to be an expert in zoo science, zoology means the study of animal biology (rather than plants or other organisms). She joined the Department of Biological Sciences at Kingsborough Community College in 2004 and had no idea what a stroke of exceptionally good fortune this would be. Dr. Polizzotto teaches general biology (focusing on evolutionary biology, ecology, and organismal biology) and marine biology. Over the past few years her research has focused on the science of teaching and learning, but earlier research projects have focused on 1) evolutionary change in gastropods; 2) soft-tissue anatomy of ammonoids (an extinct relative of squid); and 3) population variation in ammonoids. This year she is thrilled to return to paleobiological research with CRSP students. Our current CRSP project takes us in a new direction: the study of variation in crinoid fossils (extinct relatives of starfish). Ironically, this project will focus on fossils collected from a creek bed near Dr. Polizzotto’s New York State childhood home—a return to her earliest interest in fossils and paleontology!

Anupam Pradhan, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at City University of York’s Kingsborough Community College (KCC), Brooklyn since 2017. Dr. Pradhan teaches Microbiology of Health and Diseases (BIO051) and Anatomy and Physiology I (BIO11). Before joining KCC, Dr. Pradhan was Research Associate in the infectious disease and drug discovery group at University of South Florida (USF), College of Public Health and The University of Mississippi, College of Pharmacy. Dr. Pradhan has worked with the world’s top experts on malaria and other parasitic diseases. Dr. Pradhan did his dissertation work in Toxicology for which he received Ph.D. in Zoology in 2004 from Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), and the C.S.J.M. University, India. His current research interests are:

Survey of Enterococcus Indicator Species Salmonella and Shigatoxin-producing E. coli (STEC 0157) in Fresh Produce from Farmers’ Market in Brooklyn, New York. The project includes sampling from the NYC designated framer’s market followed by microbe isolation and testing using microbiological, serological and PCR based techniques.

An analysis of whole genome methylation status and genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in cord blood cells of fetuses exposed to maternal cigarette smoking. The study is done using DNA samples obtained from the parent study conducted at the University of South Florida, Tampa (IRB File#2018-0439). Students will get an opportunity to analyze the whole genome DNA methylation data compiled by CD Genomics and a wet lab study on modifications of brain regulatory genes like BDNF (Brain-derived neutrotrophic factor), Reelin (RELN) and FMR1 (Fragile X mental retardation gene) is studied using RT-PCR.

Professor Rothenburg is a CPA (certified public accountant) and economist. He received his Master’s Degrees in Economics from Brooklyn College and his Bachelor's of Business Administration in Accounting from Baruch College. He is also a CPA licensed in the State of New York. He started his employment at Kingsborough Community College in 1981 and received tenure in 2002 and full professorship in 2007. He works in the Department of Business. His specialty courses are in Economics and Finance. (ECO 1200-Macroeconomics, ECO 1300-Microeconomics, ECO 1400-Money and Banking and ECO 2200-Introduction to Managerial Finance.) He has taught all the Accounting and tax courses that the department offers as well as Business Communications. He is one of the data collection advisors for the Department of Business. He also was heavily involved with CUNY Central with the ACT, CATW and CPE standardized CUNY exams, heavily involved in statistical analysis. His areas of research include Social Security and the Middle Class, telecommuting and the effect on our population, business ethics, and taxes on e-commerce transactions. He also was a controller and consultant within the cable television industry, advocating for the small Cable TV operator. His current areas of interest include the Cal. State Model (utilized for English and Math courses) and its effect on CUNY students. His hobbies include studying the stock market, reading, listening to music, and theater.

Dr. Swift's teaching career began as an adjunct in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Baruch College. He also served as an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Latino and Caribbean Studies at Rutgers University. Dr. Swift holds an MPhil/Ph.D. in Public and Urban Policy from The New School. His research interests include the impact of health and immigration policies on Afro-Caribbean immigrants. Currently, Dr. Swift teaches Sociology courses at Kingsborough Community College within the Department of Behavioral Sciences. These courses include Introduction to Sociology (Soc 3100), Sociology of the Family (Soc 3500), Minority Groups in American Society (Soc-3600), and Introduction to Research (BEH-70). Passionate about student success, Dr. Swift has actively participated in high impact programs such as Opening Doors Learning Community, Intensive ESL/ACE Learning Community, Honors Program, CUNY Research Scholars Program, and My Brother's Keeper. Dr. Swift is currently exploring the Japanese concept of "Kaizen" as a pedagogical tool to address the achievement gap for males of color in community colleges. Prior to teaching, Dr. Swift worked as a Research Scientist at the Nathan Kline Institute, there he was a part of a team that designed research instruments, conducted surveys, and assisted with pilot-site training.

I first heard about CRSP in the first semester of my first year here at Kingsborough, which really was just last year, when Miss Samuel was a guest speaker in the ASAP (Accelerated Study in Associate Programs) class, I was in. I have always been interested in research. Up until now, the only type of research that I have ever had the opportunity of doing are research-based essays I write for English Class. And even then, you find evidence that other people wrote that helps support whatever argument you are trying to make. I finally have the time to dedicate this semester and thought it would be a good opportunity to get the experience while simultaneously challenging myself academically.

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Future RN after Graduating 

Some benefits of CRSP include:

• Gaining a mentor in your field of study 
• Networking 
• Conducting research that can improve understanding and conditions in a field that sparks curiosity and conversation. 

Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf3PpLPUCIM

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As an active member of Kingsborough’s Caribbean Club and recipient of the Peter F. Vallone Scholar scholarship, Lise plans to pursue her Bachelors of Science in Nursing at the College of Staten Island. Lise has future career plans to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).

Lise joined CRSP because she was interested in research. Having the chance to work with a mentor gives her the opportunity to enrich herself academically and develop professionally.

Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8owJGL6GUK0

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I am really looking forward to joining the CUNY Research Scholars Program because it is a great chance for me to dive into research. I am excited to learn from experienced researchers at Kingsborough. It is going to be a fantastic way to build my skills, get involved in projects. Plus, I am really looking forward to seeing how this opportunity will help me shape my future academic and career paths, and I am eager to contribute to and learn from the exciting work being done at Kingsborough.

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My name is Lesny Fontus and I am on track to receive an associate degree in Criminal Justice in June 2024. During my time at KBCC, I have received a certificate from the Dean’s list. I have also received a certificate from KCC’s track and field team for my academic accomplishments. I am starting a musical club as an extracurricular activity to bring KCC students closer together. 

After graduating from Kingsborough CC, I plan to transfer to John Jay to further pursue my academic studies. I plan to explore more subjects relating to science and its application to my potential future career.

I chose to participate in the CRSP program because I wanted to try something new, and the program delivered more than I expected. Being a member of the CRSP is an enlightening experience. The community is exceptionally reliable and has been incredibly supportive thus far. I will be forever grateful to have had the chance to participate in their events. I have had the opportunity to participate in research with a remarkable mentor. The program facilitated these amazing opportunities and included settings where I could witness the research of my CSRP peers.

Video: https://youtu.be/dY5XvB2dqb8

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Why did you choose to participate in the CUNY Research Scholars Program?

Helen Huang is a 2nd year nursing student, and she plans to go into research in nursing in the future. I chose to participate in the CUNY Research Scholars Program because it is a unique opportunity to participate in an extracurricular activity. I get to gain more experience in how to start a research project step by step and to better my communication skills on a public platform and my teamwork skills working alongside faculty and peers. Participating in CRSP is a terrific opportunity for me to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone. It has taught me how to start a research project step-by-step and to better my communication skills in front of a group of people.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf3PpLPUCIM

 

I believe that participating in the CUNY Research Scholars Program will be an interesting and valuable experience for me. This research will allow me to gain hands-on experience and discover more about the topic I am interested in. By addressing global issue such as obesity, I am hoping that my research will uncover the strategies for prevention, intervention, and management that will raise awareness and positively impact people's health.

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I love the pursuit of knowledge, so when I heard about the CRSP program I was highly interested. I thought of research topics often but was lucky enough to have one find me. When Dr. Anupam Pradhan proposed his research to me, I was ecstatic to take the opportunity to work with him. As a CUNY Research Scholar, I get the opportunity to have a hand in research that may be published. This experience has innumerable benefits i.e., job prospects, furthering education, and personal growth. I look forward to striving for accuracy in my research, and a positive experience in the CUNY Research Scholars Program.

Video: https://youtu.be/6S_-mTSWh9E

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My name is Li Cao, and my major is Media Arts. I also joined the ASAP program and that helps me a lot. Recently, I earned the Dean’s List status. 

I have been accepted to Brooklyn College and hope to pursue an additional degree at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). I have been accepted to BMCC. My future major will be in media arts fields, like editing and design advertisements. I appreciate how CRSP helped me in previous semesters. I learned how to create a digital survey and how to make slide presentations efficiently. Most importantly, my previous mentor, Ann DelPrincipe, taught me how to analyze student responses, especially the open questions. I just came in, said I am interested in this program, and they help me find mentor and research fields that fit me. Lastly, I made a poster of my research last week. I learned about this new technology with my mentor. It is nice that I was learning new skills in CRSP every week. So far, I feel so grateful that I can join this program. 

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My love for science stems from a curiosity about human nature and a desire to address the lack of access to basic medical care, issues I have witnessed firsthand daily. This motivates me to contribute to a better future for overlooked minorities. I am from a country that cannot provide students with hands-on research opportunities. Pursuing scientific learning and contribution was an unreachable dream for me.

Participating in the CRSP 2023/2024 cohort allowed me to fall in love with the challenge and knowledge gained from my project and fellow students' work. I hope my findings this year can benefit my community. I also intend to build skills in scientific methodology, presenting to experts and lay audiences and becoming an effective science communicator.

Background: Immigrant, Non-traditional student, Student with Disability, Low-income background, Non-native English speaker, First generation College student.

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KCC Accomplishments: Past President Hillel club, Phi Theta Kappa, Peer mentor, Student Government president 

Future Major and anticipated Career 

College(s) you were accepted: Brooklyn college, John Jay

Potential Future Colleges: Ivy League 

Benefits of CRSP: Provides a good education to learning to research

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Deciding to participate in the CUNY Research Scholars Program was not the easiest thing for me to do. I was anxious because I enrolled in college to be a graphic designer. Despite this, I talked myself into becoming a research scholar because art is not my only passion. I love writing and have a curiosity for sociology. I even considered majoring in Journalism before deciding on Graphic Design & Illustration. The CUNY Research Scholars program would allow me to explore and combine my interests into one, so I could not let it pass me by. Through this research, I look forward to gaining knowledge about the queer community, their history, and the marks left by them that influence today’s society.

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I have been an Honors Student on the Dean's List since my inception into Kingsborough. I will be attending the CUNY School of Professional Studies in the Fall of 2024. My major will be the same; Speech and Communications. I aim to pursue a career as a Speech Trainer. The benefit of CRSP is having a guiding hand by a mentor who is established in the methodology and conceptualization of doing research. The CRSP is a great way of learning research methods, learning how to present before an audience, meeting like-minded individuals, networking with other academics, and earning a bit of money as well.

Video: https://youtu.be/gUrvLpnSs4c

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KCC Accolades: 2023 Winter semester Deans List

Future College: Eastwick College

Future Major: Surgical Technology 

Anticipated Career: Surgical Technologist

I decided to participate in the CRSP program because I wanted the resources and time to do research with Dr Swift on our topic. I believe along with the mentoring I received, I learned a lot about my background and about how to approach any research projects in the future.

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Olga Shaidakova initially wanted to major in Mental Health and Human Services at KCC but decided to pursue her degree in Liberal Arts to explore more possibilities. Olga is an active member of the Ceramics club. She was accepted to Brooklyn College, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Baruch, and Hunter and is working on application to Columbia University.

Olga plans to pursue a major in Psychology while minoring in Philosophy as a minor. After getting bachelor's degree, she plans to pursue her Master's degree in Art Therapy. 

During her career, Olga is looking forward to working with children, teaching art classes and believes her psychology degree will continue to expand knowledge and allow her to apply art skills with children with autism and other neurological conditions, traumas. 

I chose to participate in CRSP because I believed I will learn research skills and ethics that I can apply in my future academic endeavors.

Video: https://youtu.be/LupoEDJtYtg

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