News Brief: Students Take First Place at MACUB Conference

Pictured from left: Lovejit Kaur, Linesha Davis, Assistant Professor Bryan Gibb, and Brianna Weiss.

Two NYIT students and one alumna took first place in the poster competition at the Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists (MACUB) conference on October 27. Linesha Davis (B.S. ’18) and biology majors Lovejit Kaur and Brianna Weiss showcased their work on the isolation and characterization of novel bacteriophages from kitchen sponges. Their poster won in the senior college category of microbiology and immunology.

Each year MACUB hosts the conference for students who want to pursue a career in a scientific field. More than 150 college students presented posters in 11 biological disciplines.

The students have been working on the project since early 2018. However, there have been challenges and setbacks to get to the finish line. “Obtaining first prize serves as validation of their hard work, and provides a source of external reinforcement that they are doing good work,” said Bryan Gibb, Ph.D., assistant professor of life sciences in NYIT College of Arts and Sciences.

“When I found out we won first place I wasn’t surprised because I knew in my heart we would get it,” said Davis.

Weiss, on the other hand, was overwhelmed with excitement, and said, “I believe the professors of NYIT are truly one of a kind. I met Professor Gibb during my freshman year in his microbiology class. Instantly, I fell in love with everything the subject encompassed and became very interested in getting involved with research. I cannot thank him enough for allowing me to see the potential within myself to become a fantastic researcher. I’m forever grateful for the opportunities he has given me.”

Added Gibb, “The students have gained confidence in their work. [The project] has instilled a sense of pride in what they have accomplished.”