Ron Nerio and Veer Shetty, director and program coordinator of the CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP) respectively, describe the program's origins and growth over its first ten years. As the largest research experience for associate degree students in the country, CRSP has engaged 1,958 students in research projects under the guidance of faculty mentors. The authors report on impacts and outcomes. They close with reflections of campus-based directors who detail the program's contributions to the culture of research at individual schools.

Insights and Journeys from the CUNY Research Scholars Program

After almost 2,000 students participated in the CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP) over the last ten years, it has been an inspiration to follow the program's alumni through their next stages in life. Many mentors and directors have told us that CRSP becomes like a family, with students staying in contact well after their research has concluded. We invited past students to share perspectives on their CRSP experience and to report on where they are now.

by Caitlin Lynch (Environmental Science major). The work was done as part of the CRSP program at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Lucia Fuentes.

Caitlin explores the microbial diversity within the estuarine sediments of New York’s East River, comparing three different restoration sites: Hunters Point Park, Bushwick Inlet Park, and Newtown Creek.

by Shelby Louis (Psychology major). The work was done as a part of the CRSP program at College of Staten Island/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Leora Yetnikoff.

This study explores dopamine's role in myelin plasticity in the corpus callosum, focusing on dopamine receptor mRNA expression by oligodendrocyte lineage cells.

by Ellis Spica (Liberal Arts and Sciences). The work was done as a part of the CRSP program at Guttman Community College/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Chulsung Kim.

This research investigates the direct detection of hexavalent chromium in drinking water, in the presence of potassium chloride, using absorbance measurement at a wavelength of 325 nm.

by Liting Zheng, Seungyeon Lee, Ling Lin, and Jun Hong (Computer Science majors). The work was done as a part of the CRSP program at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Yun Ye and Dr. Shenglan Yuan.

This article explores the development of an embedded hardware platform to study propagation properties of underwater acoustic signals, emphasizing the impact of environmental conditions. The research aims to optimize data processing for effective underwater communication.

by Amena Shamia (Biology major). The work was done as a part of the CRSP program at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Claudette Davis.

This study examines the evolutionary divergence of the gene CG7094, containing a protein kinase domain, across different Drosophila species.

by Shantal Amanda Edwards (Psychology major). The work was done as a part of the CRSP program at Queensborough Community College/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Resko.

This study explores the relationship between age, gender, social media use, and body positivity among college students.

by Jose Armando Keppis (Earth System Science & Environmental Engineering). The work was done as a part of the CRSP program at Hostos Community College/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Yoel Rodríguez.

This research identifies small molecules capable of blocking SARS-CoV-2's spike glycoprotein from binding to human receptors, a key step for the virus to infect cells.

by Claire Wilgus (English and American Literature). The work was done as a part of the CRSP program at Guttman Community College/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Ria Banerjee.

Claire's reading of T.S. Eliot's well known poem offers a relevant perspective regarding humanity’s impact on the environment. The article positions the 20th century poem as speaking to current climate change concerns, enforcing the ability of literature to remain relevant a century after its publication.

by Ani Iremashvili and Stefan Valdez (Biology majors). The work was done as a part of the CRSP program at Kingsborough Community College/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Dmitry Y. Brogun.

This study employed DNA Metabarcoding to explore microbial diversity in urban farm soil at Kingsborough Community College, comparing composted and non-composted samples.

by Mengyi Lin (Liberal Arts and Sciences). The work was done as a part of the CRSP program at Guttman Community College/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Chulsung Kim.

This study revisits the Diphenyl Carbazide (DPC) method, often used to measure hexavalent chromium in water, from statistical and kinetic angles.

by Caitlin Carela, Ambar Alvarenga, and Melina Turco (Biology majors). The work was done as a part of the CRSP program at College of Staten Island/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Nancy Liu-Sullivan.

This study investigates the role of collagen in the tumor microenvironment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), focusing on the differences in collagen expression between high-grade glioma (HGG) and low-grade glioma (LGG) and their impact on patient survival.

by ShaniaKay Williams and Bansari Patel (Biology majors). The work was done as a part of the CRSP program at Queensborough Community College/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Mangala Tawde.

In this study, novel strains of soil-dwelling bacteria Streptomyces were isolated from diverse locations in New York and Jamaica.

by Ryan Sumner and Jessica Master (Chemistry majors). The work was done as a part of the CRSP program at Medgar Evers College/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Richard W. Denton.

This study outlines the advancement in synthesizing novel DAG-lactone mimetics, aiming at potent Protein Kinase C agonists through microwave-assisted 3+2 cycloaddition reactions.

by James Babo (Biology major). The work was done as a part of the CRSP program at Queensborough Community College/CUNY, under the supervision of Dr. Regina Sullivan.

This study investigates the impact of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) on lung cancer cell migration and viability, using A549 lung cancer cells and endothelial cells for comparison.