Newsday: OT Faculty a “Hometown Hero”
Feb 01, 2024
Alexander Lopez, J.D., OT/L, associate professor of occupational therapy, is a “hometown hero” according to Newsday. The occupational therapist in being recognized in part due to the sports facility he founded called Inclusive Sports and Fitness (ISF) that is “dedicated to helping young people with disabilities improve their movement and socialization skills.” Lopez noted the work at ISF, which has state-of-the-art treadmills and other specialized equipment to help improve the movement of disabled children, is “backed by research from his colleagues at New York Institute of Technology.”
Haar Lends Expertise to BBC Article
Jan 31, 2024
The School of Health Professions’ Mindy Haar, Ph.D., RDN, shared her nutrition expertise for a BBC.com article about Starbucks’ olive oil-infused coffee, Oleato. Haar explains that the coffee is not the healthiest way to reap the nutritional benefits of olive oil, pointing out that the drink contains an excessive amount of calories. A 16-ounce Oleato Cafe Latte with oat milk, for instance, has 330 calories, while an Oleato Golden Foam Cold Brew has 310 calories, roughly the same amount as some fast food cheeseburgers. “If you want to have olive oil, have it with your food,” Haar advises.
Anatomy Research Featured in Prominent Outlets
Jan 30, 2024
Research by Postdoctoral Fellow Edwin Dickinson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Michael Granatosky, Ph.D., and NYITCOM student Melody Young appeared in the New York Times, New Scientist, Smithsonian Magazine, and others. The findings suggest that parrots use their beak as a third limb to swing from branch to branch, much like monkeys. Dickinson tells New Scientist that animal anatomy and behaviors don’t always match up in obvious ways; animals can co-opt body parts to do things beyond the purposes for which they evolved. “In the case of the parrots, you’re basically using your feeding system to move, and that’s a pretty complicated task from a neurological perspective,” he says.
Kirk Interviewed by NPR Affiliate
Jan 27, 2024
Colleen Kirk, D.P.S., associate professor of management and marketing studies, discussed her research in a Southern California public radio segment. Kirk, who co-authored a study with a professor at West Virginia University, explained to NPR affiliate LAIst that the findings suggest people have a psychological tendency to incorrectly assume their peers judge them harshly for declining invitations. In other words, turning down an invitation doesn’t typically bring the social backlash that invitees often expect.
The New York Times Spotlights Aluminaire House’s Next Chapter
Jan 25, 2024
Aluminaire House, one of the earliest examples of modernist architecture in America that for a time lived on the Central Islip campus thanks to the leadership of School of Architecture and Design Associate Professor Frances Campani and Professor Emeritus Michael Schwarting, was featured in a lengthy profile in The New York Times: “A Beacon of Modern Architecture Lands in the Desert.” The structure is soon to be displayed permanently in the Palm Springs Art Museum. Built in 1931, the house was set to be demolished in 1986 “until the architect Michael Schwarting raised the money to dismantle and move the house to Central Islip, N.Y., where it became an educational project” at New York Institute of Technology,” the article reads, continuing, “Schwarting and the architect Frances Campani worked with students on it until 2004… Eventually, to protect it from vandalism, they dismantled the house again and stored the pieces in a 40-foot-long tractor-trailer. ‘It took five days,’ Schwarting recalled. “It comes apart like a big erector set.”
Jan 25, 2024
Alexander Rothstein, M.S., coordinator and instructor for the Exercise Science, B.S. program, lent his expertise to the Real Simple article “How to Build Endurance for a Stronger Heart and Muscles.” Rothstein explains the difference between muscular and cardiovascular endurance, and that endurance is often confused with stamina. He explains that, while the two are similar and related, cardiovascular endurance focuses on just the physiological components of maintaining physical effort, whereas stamina includes the psychological as well as the physiological components.
“Stamina is a combination of cardiovascular endurance and the perception of fatigue,” Rothstein says, adding that it also includes the ability to push past the feeling of fatigue.
AI Business Features Nizich’s Insight on New Device
Jan 22, 2024
Michael Nizich, Ph.D., director of the ETIC and adjunct associate professor of computer science, is featured prominently in an AI Business article about a new AI agent, the rabbit R1 device, that seemingly understands what people want to do, and then does it for them. Nizich noted that “it appears that the very unique difference in the rabbit r1 device is that it is learning how you, as an individual, use your apps to make your life easier, more productive, and usually just more enjoyable.” Devices like the r1 work because an “individual’s digital routines typically show little variation, making them manageable by an advanced AI system,” he said.
Popular Science Interviews Rothstein
Jan 16, 2024
Popular Science featured insight from Alexander Rothstein, M.S., instructor and coordinator for the Exercise Science program, in an article about the pros and cons of “fasted workouts.” Rothstein explained that the benefits of fasting are typically short-term. While individuals do burn a percentage of reserved fat when fasting, there’s usually less total fat burned over time, as the intensity needed to sustain a high-impact workout is more than a body running on empty can handle. In addition, exercising on an empty stomach can also lead to lightheadedness, a direct result of low blood sugar and dehydration, as well as injury if one is lifting heavy equipment.
“Get some food in your stomach. It does not have to be anything heavy, but something that will keep [your] blood sugar at appropriate levels,” said Rothstein.
Jan 16, 2024
Mark Gugliotti, D.P.T., associate professor of physical therapy, lent his expertise to a Forbes article about ergonomic office chairs. In particular, he explains that although many office chairs are marketed as one-size-fits-all, they’re often not suitable for people with a height under 5 feet, five inches.
“Most office chairs are available in a standard size and come with an array of adjustments to accommodate most individuals. But these standard-size chairs are typically built to accommodate people between 5 feet, 5 inches to 6 feet tall. Although this ‘one size fits all’ industry approach may meet the needs of most, it is not always the right match for everyone,” said Gugliotti, who also noted that proper seat height adjustment should allow feet to rest flat on the floor while maintaining hips and knees at 90-degree angles.
Jan 12, 2024
Personal finance expert Wenyao Hu, Ph.D., CFA, was quoted in the GoBankingRates.com articles “9 Major Stocks to Watch in 2024” and “10 Key Signs It’s Time to Dump a Stock.” In the first article, among other trends, Hu notes that the return-to-office movement could trigger a resurgence of the commercial real estate market and potentially allow opportunities for investors to capitalize on real estate investment trusts. In the second article, he tells consumers to watch for clues such as continued management changes at the senior level, which could indicate uncertainty in the company’s future.
Similar coverage also appeared in Yahoo Finance, AOL.com, and Nasdaq.com.
