Faculty Accomplishments & News: Spring 2017

Photo: Some of the NYIT faculty members making news with their recent accomplishments. From left to right, top to bottom: Andrew Costello, Carol Dahir, Ahmed Awad, Ping Ke, Kevin LaGrandeur, Sarah Meyland, Elizabeth Donaldson, Melda Yildiz, and Paolo Gasti.

From studying the safety of Long Island’s waters to surviving the rise of machines, read the most recent news and accomplishments from NYIT faculty members, including from:

• College of Arts and Sciences
• School of Engineering and Computing Sciences
• School of Health Professions
• School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Education
• School of Management

The NYIT Office of Academic Affairs regularly posts news and accomplishments updates on its web pages. If you are a staff or faculty member with news you would like to share with the NYIT community, please follow this procedure.

College of Arts and Sciences

Nicholas Bloom, Ph.D., associate professor of social sciences, had his book, Public Housing That Worked: New York in the Twentieth Century, featured in “Bronx Tale: A Young Progressive Addresses Poverty on His Home Turf,” an article about New York City Councilman Ritchie Torres, in the December 12 issue of The New Yorker magazine. Torres named the book as one of the go-to publications he keeps on his office shelf. The article also ran online as “Fighting for the Poor Under Trump.”

Andrew Costello, Ph.D., assistant professor of behavioral sciences and a retired deputy inspector of police, is the featured expert in a Q&A on criminal justice schools and careers at Real Work Matters, a “resource for people interested in a non-traditional education path.” Costello says, “A criminal justice degree will help in subject matter related to promotional exams over other degrees. Having a completed bachelor’s degree prior to entry [in the field] will also allow for more effort in practice specialization within law enforcement while going up the supervisory ranks.” 

Amanda Golden, Ph.D., assistant professor of English, gave an interview, “Bringing Anne Sexton Back into the Conversation: Q&A with Amanda Golden,” in Cultural Compass, a blog at the Harry Ransom Center of the University of Texas at Austin, in November. Golden discussed her new book, The Business of Words: Reassessing Anne Sexton, a collection of essays by literary critics and poets, which brings “new attention to Anne Sexton’s poetry, archives, and legacy.” Known for her confessional style of poetry, Sexton won a Pulitzer for her work in 1967. The Ransom Center is among America’s finest research libraries, documenting the work of some of the nation’s most creative writers and artists.

John Hanc, M.A., associate professor of communication arts, published two articles in recent months. The first, “The Pilgrim Leader You Should Really Be Thankful for This Thanksgiving,” about Edward Winslow, who helped save the Plymouth colony and who is responsible for our knowledge of the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621, was published on the Smithsonian magazine’s website, where Hanc is a contributing writer. The second article, “Freeport’s Hellfighter: Behind the Lines, But No Less Vital,” was a cover story in the Sunday, February 19, 2017, issue of Newsday. Tied to Black History month, it tells the story of Arthur Weaver, a 90-year-old Freeport resident, who served in the segregated Army during World War II, and after the war, made the military and defense work his career. Hanc describes Arthur as “a self-effacing, good-natured man, who provides an interesting perspective on what is both an ugly and heroic chapter in American history.” The story also ran online with the title “Black WWII Vet in Freeport Recalls His Service Overseas.”

Kevin LaGrandeur, Ph.D., professor of English, had his article, “Early Modern Literature,” published in December 2016 in The Cambridge Companion to Literature and the Posthuman, an interdisciplinary publication on technology and literature. LaGrandeur’s article takes the form of an actual chapter in the book, which is published by Cambridge University Press. LaGrandeur also penned an op-ed, “Saving the Invasion of the Job-Snatchers,” that appeared in USA Today on March 13, 2017. The article’s subtitle declares that “Historic technical upheaval demands a dramatic response, not Trump-style protectionism,” and the author lays out a number of options he believes the U.S. should pursue (instead of the current administration’s proposed job claw-backs), including a basic government-income guarantee for the unemployed while they retrain, and the requirement of technology firms to compensate individuals each time they use their data.

Roger Yu, Ph.D., professor of physics, published “Chaos in a Stadium-Shaped Acoustic Cavity” in the November issue of The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (JASA) in which he discusses “a numerical scheme [that] has been developed to solve wave equations for chaotic systems such as stadium-shaped cavity.”

School of Engineering and Computing and Sciences

Ahmed Awad, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science, co-edited Information Security Practices, Emerging Threats and Perspectives, a book that features “contributions by prominent global researchers and practitioners,” as well as the work of two of NYIT’s Information, Network, and Computer Security (INCS) alumni, Anoop Chowdary Atluri and Vinh Tran.

Robert Amundsen, Ph.D., associate professor and department chair of energy management, served as a panelist at the 2016 PSEG Long Island Energy Efficiency Conference on November 2, 2016. Amundsen gave an overview of credentials and training requirements for careers in sustainability and renewable energy.

Steven Billis, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering, presented his paper, “To Flip or Not to Flip,” at the 2016 Conference on Assessment: “Academic Quality: Driving Assessment & Accreditation” at Drexel University. 

Houwei Cao, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science, co-authored “Improving Cold Music Recommendation through Hierarchical Audio Alignment,” which was presented at IEEE ISM 2016 (The IEEE International Symposium on Multimedia) in San Jose, Calif., in December.

Babak Dastgheib-Beheshti, Ph.D., professor of telecomm and electrical engineering technology, published the articles, “Encryption for the Internet of Things (IoT),” for (In)Secure Magazine in September 2016, and “ Smart Devices Undone by Dumb Security,” in The Wall Street Journal on July 2, 2016. 

Aydin Farajidavar, Ph.D., assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, co-authored an abstract, “A Novel System and Methodology for Continuous Ambulatory Monitoring of Gastric Slow Waves,” which was selected by The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) as a Poster of Distinction for presentation during the organization’s upcoming Digestive Disease Week (DDW) in May 2017 in Chicago, Ill. It was rated in the top 10 percent of all AGA abstracts selected for poster presentation at the event. DDW is the largest event in the gastroenterological field, with more than 14,000 attendees annually and more than 5,400 original lectures and poster/oral presentations. 

Paolo Gasti, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science, received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) program for his research, “Towards Energy-Efficient Privacy-Preserving Active Authentication of Smartphone Users.” In November, Gasti published his article, “On Inferring Browsing Activity on Smartphones via USB Power Analysis Side-Channel,” co-authored by Farajidavar, in IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security (T-IFS).

Azhar Ilyas, Ph.D., assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, published a book chapter, “Surface Modifications and Surface Characterization of Biomaterials Used in Bone Healing,” in Materials and Devices for Bone Disorders, in November 2016. In October 2016, Ilyas co-authored a conference paper, “In Vivo Evaluation of Novel Amorphous Silicon Oxynitrophosphide Implant Coatings for Rapid Bone Healing,” for the Materials Science & Technology 2016 Conference & Exhibition, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He also presented his research work, “Electromechanical Fingerprinting of Cells for Tagless Identification of Cancer,” at the 13th Key Symposium: Bioelectronic Medicine—Technology Targeting Molecular Mechanisms at The New York Academy of Sciences in September 2016. 

Wenjia Li, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science delivered a tutorial, “Cloud Computing for Smart Transportation,” with assistant professor Dr. Ashwin Ashok of Georgia State University, at the 37th IEEE Sarnoff Symposium, in September 2016. In October 2016, Li published a research paper titled, “Node Localization Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks Using Compressive Sensing Theory,” in Springer’s Personal and Ubiquitous Computing (PUC) Journal, with Dr. Yehua Wei, associate professor at Hunan Normal University, China, and then-visiting scholar at NYIT.

Sarah Meyland, Ph.D., associate professor of environmental technology and sustainability, had several accomplishments in recent months. Meyland was a featured speaker at the Gardens as Art: Water Vistas program, where she presented on the Groundwater Resources of Long Island, August 27, 2016. She also provided review comments on the remedial options report regarding full containment of the Grumman Plume (Bethpage) to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and reviewed the project report to develop a hydraulic containment and groundwater remediation system for the Grumman Bethpage contamination plume. On September 12, Meyland gave testimony addressing Long Island water quality and contamination to the NYS Assembly and Senate Standing Committees on Environmental Conservation and Health, and presented “Understanding and Protecting Long Island’s Drinking Water—The Water Below” on episode 2 of “Water Matters,” a web program on Long Island groundwater, produced by Grassroots Environmental Education, in October.

Anand Santhanakrishnan, Ph.D., assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, published two articles in September 2016: “Factors Affecting Bacterial Propagation Toward Tumor Micro Environments” in MOJ Proteomics and Bioinformatics, and “A Micro-Finance Model for Spectrum Management in Wireless Networks,” in IEEE Transactions on Cognitive Communications and Networks.

James Scire, Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical engineering, published his article, "Involving Undergraduate Students in Research through the Development of Low-Cost Optical Instrumentation," which he also presented at the Fall 2016 ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Conference.

Jonathan Voris, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science, published two papers in recent months. As co-author, he presented “Driver Identification and Authentication with Active Behavior Modeling” in the proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Green ICT and Smart Networking (GISN) co-located with the 12th International Conference on Network and Service Management (CNSM), in 2016. He attended both events to present this research. Voris also presented “You Are What You Use: An Initial Study of Authenticating Mobile Users via Application Usage” in the proceedings of the 8th EAI International Conference on Mobile Computing, Applications and Services (MobiCASE). In addition, Voris’s abstract, “Utilizing Behind-the-Wheel Behavior for Driver Authentication,” was accepted and presented at the 2016 Transportation Technology Summit: Innovative Mobility Solutions.

Xun Yu, Ph.D., department chair of mechanical engineering, recently co-authored three journal publications: “Piezoelectric Active Sensing System for Crack Detection in Concrete Structure” in the Journal of Civil Structural Health Monitoring; “Study on the Reinforcing Mechanisms of NS to Cement-Based Materials with Theoretical Calculation and Experimental Evidence” in the Journal of Composite Materials; and “Intelligent Concrete with Self-X Capabilities for Smart Cities” in the Journal of Smart Cities. Yu also presented “Piezoelectric-Based Viscosity Probe for Early-Age Concrete Curing Process Monitoring” at the 2016 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE 2016) conference in Phoenix, AZ in November.

Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D., dean of NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, had a number of publications in recent months including, as book co-editor, The Internet of Women: Accelerating Culture Change, and as chapter author, Women in Academia: A Potential STEM Powerhouse, in the same book. 

Anid co-authored several papers with NYIT colleagues, including “A Collaborative, Multi-Campus Program for STEM Learning in Energy Science, Technology and Policy (ESTeP)” with Marta Panero, director of strategic partnerships in the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, along with G.P. Halada, and N. Simon, which was presented at the ASEE 123rd Annual Conference & Exposition in New Orleans, La., in June 2016. She also published, “Innovation and Entrepreneurship through Industry-Academic Collaborations: A Collegiate Model for Economic Development,” again with Panero, and presented by Brian Carbonette at the College-Industry Partnership Section at the ASSEE conference. She co-authored “Pathways to Cleaner Production in the Americas II: Application of a Competency Model to Experiential Learning for Sustainable Education” in the November 2016 Journal of Cleaner Production with Sarah McPherson, former chair of the Masters of Science in Instructional Technology at NYIT School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Education, and Panero, along with W. Ashton, M. Hurtado-Martín, and N. Khalili; and also a second paper, “Pathways to Cleaner Production in the Americas I: Bridging Industry-Academia Gaps in the Transition to Sustainability,” in the January 2017 Journal of Cleaner Production, again with McPherson, Panero, W. Ashton, M. Hurtado-Martin, and N. Khalili. 

Finally, Anid co-authored “Autonomous Real-Time Water Quality Sensing as an Alternative to Conventional Monitoring to Improve the Detection of Food, Energy, and Water Indicators,” in the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, March 2016, with Ziqian Dong, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical and computer engineering; Frank Lee, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of Computer Science; Babak Dastgheib-Beheshti, Ph.D., professor of telecomm and electrical engineering technology; Panero; and A. Mickelson. 

School of Health Professions

A quote by Mindy Haar, Ph.D., director of academic management in interdisciplinary health sciences, from an article titled “Breakfast Foods You Should Never Buy” in Rodale’s Organic Life, July 2016, was reposted last October on three additional sites, including MSN Lifestyle, Weekly Challenger, and Recipeland.

Susan Neville, Ph.D., professor and chair of nursing, and the entire Nursing Department achieved a stellar 2016 first-time NCLEX-RN licensure pass rate of 97.67%. “This is way above the New York State 2016 mean rate of 82.88%, and is also above the pass rates of all our peer institutions,” said Sheldon Fields, Ph.D., dean of NYIT School of Health Professions. NCLEX-RN exams are administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), which “is dedicated to developing psychometrically sound and legally defensible nurse licensure and certification exams consistent with current practice.”

School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Education

Carol Dahir, Ed.D., professor and chair of school counseling, was the keynote speaker for the School Counselors’ Circle of the Philippines event in Manila in December. She delivered “Multicultural Competencies and Ethical Issues: Millennial Concerns for School Counselors.”

Elizabeth J. Donaldson, Ph.D., associate dean for interdisciplinary academic initiatives and associate professor of English, presented two talks, “Fat, Blood, and Fiction: The Novel as Neurological Laboratory,” and “Comics and Schizophrenia” at the annual Modern Language Association Conference in Philadelphia in January.

Hui-Yin Hsu, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of Teacher Education, had her peer-reviewed article, “Preservice Teachers’ Uses of SMILE to Enact Student-Generated Questioning Practices,” published in the International Journal of Innovation in Education. Hsu was also re-elected president of The Chinese American Academic and Professional Society (CAAPS). Additionally, she delivered a lecture at the invitation of NYITCOM, entitled “Applying Learning Theories in Medical Education,” to medical scholars of 2017. Hsu led a group of Childhood Education students to conduct NASA STEM workshops for science educators at New York Hall of Science and Partnership for After School Education.

Melda N. Yildiz, Ed.D., associate professor and chair of Instructional Technology, completed her Fulbright U.S. Scholar service at Azerbaijan State Pedagogy University and Azerbaijan Ministry of Education, Baku, Azerbaijan. Yildiz conducted research at the Ministry of Education and lectured at Azerbaijan State Pedagogy University as part of the project, “Transforming Teacher Education through Transdisciplinary Innovative Pedagogy: Participatory Action Research.” Yildiz is one of more than 1,200 U.S. citizens who teach, conduct research, and provide expertise abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields.

Additionally, Yildiz co-authored the book, Global Media Literacy: Teaching Beyond Borders, New York, NY, Peter Lang Publishing. She also authored the article, “Media Binds or Blinds? Community Mapping and Digital Stories from P20 Classrooms Deconstructing Myths and Misconceptions in Global Media Education,” published in the Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) 2016 yearbook, Media and Information Literacy: Reinforcing Human Rights, Countering Radicalization and Extremism, published by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Yildiz also wrote “Immigration Across Cultures Throughout History: Deconstructing the Myths and Misconception in Teacher Education,” an article published in a special edition of the Winter 2016 Journal of Education Leadership Review. She co-authored the article, “Cultivating Global Competencies for the 21st Century Classrooms: A Transformative Teaching Model,” in the International Journal of Information Communication Technologies and Human Development,” and was selected to serve as a board member (January 2016 – present) for the New York Fulbright Chapter of the Fulbright Alumni Organization.

School of Management

Ping Ke, Ph.D., assistant professor of accounting, received the Best Paper Award at the 2017 Annual Conference of Pan-Pacific Business Research Conference (PPBRC) in Pomona, Calif., in February. “Stock Buyback and Value Maximization,” examines why companies repurchase their own stocks. The PPBRC is “a highly interactive conference that provides the opportunity for participants to share their research in an interdisciplinary setting and to disseminate research findings with others in the academic and business community.”