Hofstra University

Jessie Hirsch (Bellerose, NY) and Julia Catanzano (Deer Park, NY), students from Hofstra's School of Health Sciences (SHS), earned top honors at the Greater New York American College of Sports Medicine (GNY ACSM) Conference held at NYU Langone in New York City. The conference showcased research from undergraduate and graduate students across the region, featuring 29 accepted abstracts and six finalists in the prestigious President's Cup Student Research Competition. Additionally, SHS had three student poster presentations that included collaborative research conducted by undergraduate Exercise Physiology students including Admar Calovini (New Hyde Park, NY), Jasmine Garmon (Holbrook, NY), David Wang (Valley Stream, NY), Erin Crisley (Wakefield, MA), Paige Kyle (Aurora, CO), Tarek Harhash (East Northport, NY), Emma Brennan (Myrtle Beach, SC), Lily Yepez (N.Bellmore, NY), Stacey Wong (Middle Village, NY), Anaya Davis (Palm Bay, FL), Amelia Heywood (Roseville, CA), and Emily Kishori (Elmont, NY).

Hofstra University's Class of 2024 Physician Assistant (PA) Studies students celebrated the culmination of their rigorous academic journey at the annual White Coat Ceremony on Wednesday, December 18, 2024. The event, held at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse, marked their transition from PA students to healthcare professionals. The students proudly donned their white coats, symbolizing their commitment to patient care.

HEMPSTEAD, NY - Sarah Abramowitz, BA, a medical student at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and a Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Fellow, published her research highlighting the inconsistencies of polygenic risk scores (PRSs) in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on November 16, 2024. On the same day, she presented her findings at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions in Chicago, where she was the only student finalist in the Genomic and Precision Medicine Early Career Investigator Competition. The study, conducted during Abramowitz's Sarnoff Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, examines the variability of PRSs in predicting coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Foundation, and the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Students from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell served as expert medical witnesses during the seventh National Medical-Legal Trial Competition on November 8-10, 2024. The event, hosted annually by the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University and the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, is the only trial competition in the country where a medical school and a law school collaborate to simulate real-life expert testimony by doctors. This year, 16 law schools from across the country competed with 11 medical students as medical expert witnesses, and Chicago-Kent School of Law, aided by Zucker School of Medicine fourth-year student Brandon Santhumayor, captured first place.

The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell hosted its Thirteenth Annual Medical Student Research Week November 4-8, 2024. Research Week is facilitated by the Office of Medical Student Research and the Advisory Committee for Student Research. Each year, the medical school community comes together for this auspicious week-long roster of events in support of student researchers at every level. Over 90 medical students participated in scientific research this summer, and after weeks of investigation, presented their findings on Monday, Medical Student Research Day, kicking off the week's activities. Medical Student Research Week concluded on Friday with a reception to celebrate the students' achievements. Six student researchers were recognized and awarded for their projects' quality, design and presentation. They included; Jason Ha, Priscilla Lee, David Murtha, Kadir Ozler, Marianna Tu and Elizabeth Weber.

Hofstra Votes LIVE, the award-winning, multi-platform election night broadcast, produced by Hofstra University's Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, aired on election night, November 5, after weeks of intense preparation and rehearsal.

Select students participating in Hofstra's Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) were featured in a video highighting the benefits of the program.

Edward Guo, a senior computer science student from Northborough, MA, is making waves in the world of computer science by achieving what many doctoral students only dream of: Guo will publish and present his groundbreaking research at the EuroSys 2025 Conference in the Netherlands in this spring.

The Hale Family Annual Scholarship, established in 2018 and renewed in 2022 by Hofstra alumnus Charles R. Hale '71, continues to support Hofstra graduate students pursuing a specialized Certificate in Alcohol and Substance Abuse. The scholarship, which awards $5,000 every semester for up to five semesters, reflects Hale's commitment to addressing the nation's opioid crisis. This year's scholarship recipient, Cynthia Escobar, a mental health counseling graduate student in the School of Health Sciences from Hempstead, NY, connects with the scholarship's mission.

For many students and faculty, summers are for vacationing and enjoying the sun at the beach; however, for Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell students, Madeline Bright, first-year PhD student, Louis Aghanwa, Adrian Puentes, and Armando Alvarez Suarez, second-year medical students, this summer was spent at the von Hagens/Body Worlds Plastinarium in Germany. The trip was held in conjunction with the Zucker School of Medicine's Office of Medical Student Research and for the participating students, the visit to the Plastinarium provided a unique opportunity to combine their passion for anatomy with real-life, hands-on experience.

In a poignant ceremony marking the next chapter in their professional journeys, 37 students from the Class of 2026 at the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies celebrated the start of their clinical training. The traditional pinning ceremony, held amidst family, friends, and faculty, symbolizes the transformation from student to clinician - a significant milestone in a nurse's career.

Hofstra Students Start the Fall Semester in Service Hofstra students from different majors, hometowns, and backgrounds started the fall semester in service to the local community. Several volunteer service days - from helping the food insecure to cleaning up area beaches - were offered to students as a chance to give back, get to know each other, and connect with their neighbors. Nearly 100 students have participated so far, with opportunities ongoing.

Four students from Hofstra University's Physician Assistant (PA) program spent their summer break giving back to those in need. They volunteered with Global Brigades in Panama, where they provided healthcare services to underserved communities.

Juliana Feeney, a physician assistant (PA) studies student from Congers, NY, is on a mission to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals. Thanks to a grant from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Health Foundation, Feeney is working on a children's book titled El heroico asociado medico (The Hero Physician Associate). The book idea was designed to introduce the PA profession to Spanish-speaking, elementary-aged children in the Hempstead School District, with the aim of encouraging them to consider it as a future career.

Students from the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies reached a milestone in their academic journeys toward the Doctor of Nursing Practice in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The White Coat Ceremony, attended by students' families and friends, marked the transition from classroom learning to clinical practice for the 54 students.

This past spring, Hofstra announced an exciting opportunity for students - a contest to design a T-shirt that will be given to the incoming Class of 2028 during Welcome Week. The contest was open to all students, regardless of major or discipline, to showcase their creativity and represent the spirit of the University through original artwork, within the theme "What does Hofstra mean to me?" A panel of expert judges evaluated all 48 entries with the grand prize going to Pallavi Singh, an English major from South Richmond, NY, for her design titled "Fill your cup at HOFSTRA." In addition to having her design printed on the Welcome Week shirts, Singh was also provided with a $250 gift card to the campus bookstore.

Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies hosted a momentous celebration, honoring the inaugural class of graduates from the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) program. The 2024 CRNA graduating class is the first in the nation to complete their education not only as CRNAs but also with a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP).

Annastasia Moore, a Hofstra Civil Engineering student from Morris, Alabama, spent seven weeks of her summer break with Engineers in Action (EIA), constructing a vital pedestrian bridge for a local community in Eswatini, a small country east of South Africa. This bridge will provide community members with safe access to clean water and food.

Victoria Bowman, a nursing student at the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, from Massapequa Park, NY, embarked on a transformative journey for her summer break - volunteering with Kenya Connect, an organization dedicated to educational empowerment and community development. For Bowman, this summer trip was more than just a volunteer opportunity; it was a culmination of lifelong values instilled by her family and enriched by her academic journey at Hofstra.

Hofstra University was honored for excellence in audio, print and digital news reporting at the annual Folio Awards, recently presented by the Fair Media Council (FMC) at the Garden City Hotel. Hofstra won a total of five awards, four of which were in student-produced categories.

Hofstra University was a big winner at the Press Club of Long Island (PCLI) Media Awards Banquet and 50th Anniversary Celebration, taking home 18 first place, nine second place, and three third place awards. The honors recognized students, faculty, and staff.

More than 1,700 Hofstra University students earned their undergraduate, graduate, or law degrees in spring 2024.

Hofstra University congratulates the students named to the spring 2024 Dean's List for their outstanding academic achievement. Students must earn a grade point average of at least 3.5 during the semester to make the Dean's List.

Hofstra University is proud to release the spring 2024 Provost's List, which recognizes students who earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

The Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (HCLAS) has awarded 10 students a Transformative Learning Grant (TLG). HCLAS Dean Eva Badowska explained that the TLGs are presented to students who have committed to an experiential learning program during a semester or an intercession. Students selected for the grant must have at least one major in HCLAS and a demonstrated financial need. The grants are made possible by the generosity of Hofstra donors.

In fall 2022, Hofstra engineering students from the Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science, along with volunteers from Grimshaw Architects and sbp (schlaich bergermann partner), constructed a 24-foot-wide kaleidoscope structure of acrylic, stone, and plywood behind Bernon Hall on South Campus. The structure, titled [re] fractal, has been revived and is now in its second installation at the Queens Botanical Garden. The urban oasis was a perfect fit for the second installation of [re] fractal, and itsrainbow-like colors, as it coincides with the location's Pride Month celebrations. With the assistance of 10 Hofstra engineering and honors college students, Dr. Segal installed [re] fractal at the Garden.

The Global Studies and Geography Department has announced Genevieve McCormick '25 of Allendale, NJ, as the 2024-2025 recipient of the Dr. Masaharu G. Inaba Endowed Memorial Scholarship.

A group of nearly 50 graduates from the Hofstra Class of 2024 were honored during Commencement Weekend at the Grads of Color graduation celebration event. The celebration recognized the efforts of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) students. During the event, the graduates were given their graduation cord to showcase pride in their backgrounds when walking across the stage at Commencement.

Nearly 100 Hofstra first-generation graduates from the Class of 2024 were recognized during Commencement Weekend at the First-Gen Graduation Celebration. The celebration served as an opportunity to honor the unique accomplishment of overcoming barriers facing first-generation students and brought together the Hofstra community to congratulate the graduates on their achievements. The event included powerful student stories, and the room was filled with emotions as the graduates recieved their cord while their names were read.

Hofstra students displayed research and independent study projects on topics ranging from antibiotic resistance to the impact of social media influencers as part of Spring Graduate Research Day.