Rosita Harris presenting her research.

Graduate students at the College of Staten Island (CSI) had the opportunity to share their research with a larger audience at the Second Annual Graduate Conference on Research and Scholarship. The Conference also spotlighted the one-on-one mentoring relationships between CSI faculty and students, which is a critical component of an education at the College.

This year’s program consisted of four oral presentations (moderated by Professor Wei Zhang) and 54 poster presentations by more than 67 CSI students.

One participant, Rosita Harris in the Social Work Department, who is studying with Nafees Alam, appreciated the chance to share her research. “It’s a great opportunity. You don’t get to do this every day.” Another poster presenter, Omri Schick, a current high school teacher who is studying Education with an emphasis in Biology under Professor Irina Lyublinskaya, emphasized the importance of research and collaboration at the Conference. “It’s very important for me to participate in research for my professional development as a teacher. Research allows us to see different methods, different approaches, and we can learn from each other.”

Omri Shick presenting his research.

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Gary Reichard, PhD, discussed why the event is beneficial to CSI’s graduate students, and the College. “In its second year, the Graduate Research and Scholarship Conference afforded our graduate students the chance to share the results of their research and collaborations with our faculty with a broader audience, from both on and off campus. Their work, showcased in both posters and live presentation, provided outstanding evidence of the quality and breadth of CSI’s master’s and doctoral-level programs. Like the College’s longer-established Undergraduate Research Conference, the Graduate Conference has already become one of our signature programs.”

Beyond the poster and oral presentations, the Conference also featured a Plenary Session with music provided by William Bauer, PhD, of the performing and Creative Arts Department; comments from Mel Pipe, PhD, Associate Provost for Graduate Studies, Research, and Institutional Effectiveness, and CSI President William J. Fritz, PhD; and a keynote address, “My Life with Peptides: Shmoos, Food, and Drugs,” by Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Fred Naider, PhD.