Undergraduate students across CUNY’s 22 campuses gathered at John Jay College of Criminal Justice for the fourth annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research on May 26th.
These students, who were mentored by CUNY faculty, presented their research to the CUNY community in two separate poster sessions.
Fourteen projects from CCNY students were included in the celebration. Two of these projects won Best Poster Award. Nihad Messous and Dayangi Perera won from their poster titled, ‘Purified Ankyrin Death Domains Enable Isoform-Specific Fab Development for Ankyrin-G Isolation’ with their mentor Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Dr. Francesca Vallese. Michelle Madera also received an award for her poster titled, ‘Conceptual Modeling for Permafrost in Fairbanks, Alaska’ with Professor Dr. María Sánchez-Muñiz.
This year’s celebration was the first time oral presentations were given. Over 30 students gave presentations in this format.
The celebration was hosted by CUNY Office of Research in conjunction with the CUNY Undergraduate Research Council (CURC). CURC is chaired by Dr. Ron Nerio, the University Research Programs Director in the CUNY Office of Research. As the chair of the CURC, Nerio also organizes annual conferences for faculty to increase research and mentorship opportunities.
The four-time CUNY graduate, Dr. Carlos Peñaloza delivered a keynote address with a focus on the career journey. Peñaloza serves as Chancellor for Leeward Community College & the University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu. Peñaloza’s history with research began early in his academic career when he attended Queensborough Community College where he received his associate’s degree. He continued his education at Queens College and immersed himself further in the biological sciences — eventually completing a master’s and PhD from the CUNY Graduate Center.
CCNY’s own Dr. Ana Carnaval gave a featured talk. Carnaval, a Professor of Biology investigates spatial patterns of biodiversity along their evolutionary processes. Attendees were provided with a glimpse of her research pathway from Brazil to CUNY.
Malina Seenarine is a recent graduate of Baruch College, where she studied journalism and minored in theater. In addition to writing for The RICC, she has contributed to Baruch’s award-winning Dollars & Sense Magazine and has written for the arts and news section of Baruch’s student-run newspaper, The Ticker. She’s also written for FSR magazine.