Vice President Ken Iwama and President William J. Fritz accompany Senator Diane Savino on a tour of the Willowbrook Campus.

New York Senator Diane J. Savino recently toured the CSI Willowbrook campus to see the results of critical funding that she had secured for the College. The tour’s three main areas of focus were the Psychology Department’s new Eye-Tracking Equipment in Building 4S, the Engineering Science and Physics Department’s Polarization Synthesizer in Building 4N, and the School of Business’s Con Ed Trading Room Simulation Laboratory in Building 3N.

After a meet and Greet with CSI President William J. Fritz; Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Gary Reichard; Vice President for Economic Development, Continuing Studies, and Government Relations Kenichi Iwama, and other College officials, Senator Savino visited the Eye-Tracking equipment, which has been used both in instruction and research studies that has affected approximately 500 undergraduate students and 20 graduate students, and will continue to benefit additional students from the equipment each year. The purchase of this eye-tracker has substantially improved the quality research in the Psychology Department and expanded it from studying spoken language to investigating eye movements in reading.

The next stop on the tour was the Polarization Synthesizer. Engineering Science and Physics Professor Mark Feuer explained that the equipment “was used both in research by graduate students and undergraduate in the Bachelor’s program in Engineering Science, Electrical Technology, and Electrical Engineering. The polarization synthesis and analysis system has been successfully applied to our NSF-supported research into Stokes Vector Modulation for Terabit-Class Data Center Networks…to quantify the depolarization of binary polarization-shift-keyed light signals by polarization-maintaining pigtails, establishing limits on the acceptable level of differential group delay in data-transmitting fiber networks.

Thus, initial goals for the polarization synthesizer were successfully achieved, and we anticipate that it will continue to be essential as our work progresses into more complex, multi-dimensional signaling techniques.”

Senator Savino also toured the School of Business’s Con Ed Trading Room Simulation Laboratory. Founding Dean of the School Susan L. Holak noted that the “School of Business is very grateful for the technology funding from Senator Savino’s office, which made possible the purchase of dual monitors and display arms for 30 computer stations and the instructor’s position in the Con Edison Trading Room. The trading room project not only represents the renovation of a special experiential learning venue, but also the formation of a data center with timely financial feeds, co-curricular activities such as student clubs and competitions, and outreach to potential students and other constituencies. There is already tremendous excitement in the School of Business surrounding the Con Edison Trading Room and the student professional development opportunities that stem from this project. Senator Savino’s support has been invaluable to advancing this initiative.”