Simran Polce is Keeping Busy

Photo: Simran Polce and Maria Alicia Carillo-Sepulveda presented their research on diabetic nephropathy at the annual Experimental Biology conference in Chicago in April 2017.

“When I attended the Admitted Students day in April of my senior year of high school, I was still debating about my future,” admits Simran Polce when asked about her decision to attend NYIT. “But then, when I walked around NYIT’s scenic campus, talked to current students and student leaders, a sense of belonging washed over me.”

For Polce it was a very big decision. Choosing to attend NYIT meant committing to a seven year combined Bachelor of Life Sciences and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program all at the same school. “I could just see myself in this welcoming environment and, more importantly, I saw a future environment where I could thrive and develop.”

Polce has wasted no time diving headlong into student life and leadership roles. Now in her third year, she is currently the executive vice president of the Student Government Association (SGA), a general member of the Campus Programming Board, and the chair of the Relay for Life Committee. Previously she has served as a senator and then secretary for the SGA executive board, a senator, chair of the Special Events Committee, chair of Internal Affairs Committee and co-chair of the Elections Committee. She was also a student member of NYIT College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Committee.

Even with all her extracurricular involvement, Polce’s academics have always been at the forefront of her mind at NYIT. “I have found myself challenged by all of my courses. They have forced me to adapt and think in new ways,” she says. “Every class helps me develop a unique perspective and that’s what motivated me to keep learning.”

For excelling in her studies, Polce is a recipient of the NYIT President’s Scholarship and a past recipient of the Peter and Barbara Ferentinos Annual Scholarship (2016). She also holds an undergraduate research position in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) as a part of the Advanced Research Core. Working with Maria Alicia Carrillo-Sepulveda, Ph.D., Polce’s research is focusing on diabetic nephropathy with the goal of alleviating renal and cardiovascular complications that accompany Diabetes Type 2. “We use a variety of wet lab techniques to test different mechanisms of controlling the body’s inflammatory response,” says Polce. “The project has taught me a lot about scientific research which will be applicable to my future as a doctor.”

Polce hopes that future will include both a practice as a doctor in addition to work in research. “This experience has shaped who I am by allowing me to develop into a leader and further develop my passion for the biological foundations of the human body,” she says of her time so far with the school.

“NYIT is like a hidden jewel. It can be obscured by other big names but if you put effort into your education, NYIT can help you blossom into a well-rounded individual.”