Turning a Con Ed Internship into a Capstone

Lauren Zaluk is a Verrazano graduate, class of 2019. She earned a degree in Electrical Engineering.

Lauren on the job

Throughout my internship at Con Edison I met a ton of wonderful, knowledgeable coworkers who gave me guidance on all of my projects. They showed me how to apply the technical knowledge from my studies to real life situations out in the field. They also gave me career advice on how to make the most of my three-month internship. The assignments that I worked on expanded my knowledge into different areas of engineering such as gas engineering, which I never thought I would get exposure to. I also obtained a lot of hands on field engineering knowledge that I was not able to learn in the classroom. This included analysis of steam traps and how to splice fiberglass wires together. My internship experience exceeded my expectations because I made many new friends, completed more projects than I expected, and I also obtained a co-op position at the end of it. It also exceeded my expectations because I never thought I would be going out in the field to other Con Edison facilities and construction sites.


What I learned from my assignments can be further developed in the future by applying it during my time as a co-op to other projects that I will be assigned by my section manager. The importance of safety learned during my internship can be further developed and applied to every aspect in my life. It has made me more aware of my surroundings and has helped me recognize potentially hazardous situations or work conditions. I would advise other students who are electrical engineering majors to pursue any internship from any engineering company. Such opportunity will give you engineering experiences that can’t be taught in the class room and is an excellent networking opportunity. Also, if they want to pursue a similar project, I would advise them to also research real life incident that involve improper grounding so they can analyze and determine where mistakes were made and how they can be corrected.

Finding a path to pharmacy

Regina Klimchuk is a Verrazano graduate, class of 2018. She earned a degree in Biology with a concentration in Health Science, and minors in biochemistry and chemistry. 

It was almost like yesterday, when I remember receiving my acceptance letter into the Verrazano Honors program at the College of Staten Island. At first, I didn’t really have much knowledge about the program, or what to major in, but I made a decision to attend after a riveting orientation. After the first couple of biology and chemistry courses labs, I realized that I belong in a science laboratory field. I soon heard of independent research, which was opened to students with Dr. Raja in the chemistry department. Once I showed my interest in working in the laboratory, I was luckily paired with an amazing PhD student, Andrew Mancuso. 

Regina, holding the oar aloft, on a kayaking VELA

At this time, I scored a job as a certified pharmacy technician and as the months went by, I found my passion in pharmaceuticals. When coming into the lab one day, I spoke to Andrew telling him about my interests in this field and right away we were able to work on projects pertaining to drug delivery.  Each year, I would find out more information about the latest research in the field, and find ways to incorporate that into my studies and classes. One of the most influential classes that I have taken in my undergraduate is biochemistry with Dr. Naider, who has published over 250 peer-reviewed articles. Being a part of his class gave me insight on today’s technology in the science field, as well as knowledge on how innovating biochemistry is in the drug field. By further pursuing my interest in medicine, I was allowed to volunteer at the pharmacy department in Bayshore Hospital located in New Jersey. 

On top of classes, I have participated in many Vela events, which have led me to find friends with passionate interests of their own. I learned about architecture in New York City, how to relieve stress fro, and even how to put together a professional resume. Being part of the honors program provided me access to internships, community service, scholarships, and motivation to be on the Dean’s List, which contributed to my college experience. The Verrazano Honors program at the College of Staten Island has taught me how to be a diverse intellectual, and allowed me to have a complete open door to my interests in research. I am glad to say that this is my fourth year in the program, as well as my fourth year participating in Dr. Raja’s laboratory. I hope that all students find their calling in college and allow for their college experience to be a rich one. My word of advice to incoming students is to seize every opportunity that the program gives because each chance can enrich further your adventure in the future. 

Bahira Akramy thinks outside the box

Bahira Akramy is a Verrazano graduate, Class of 2019, earned a degree in Electrical Engineering

Being a fourth year Verrazano student majoring in Electrical Engineering student proved to be difficult in the beginning. On top of juggling an internship, school work, and a required senior design project, I needed to decide what I wanted to my capstone project to be on. At first, I was dreading it because I just didn’t have the time to even think about what I wanted to do, and I felt overwhelmed. For my senior design project, I had already decided on a project that was in the field I was interested in so I was really just confused on what I should do. 

However, after taking a few deep breaths, a few naps and doing a lot of running around, I realized that I could take my capstone in a totally different direction that my senior design project was going in.  I realized that there is so much to explore in the field of Electrical Engineering, and I wanted my Capstone project to reflect a different topic that I would normally never even think about. 

Bahira in lab

For my capstone I chose to research how removing the Bayer interpolation in a camera can increases the rate that data on an LED Array can be captured from a camera. Bayer interpolation is a process that takes place in all commercial cameras that results in two-thirds of pixel data being lost to the estimation of the location of the pixels.  In order to complete this, I needed to first create a software receiver that could process an image that was not Bayer interpolated. 
Learning new things was something that happened frequently during the completion of my capstone. Not only did I learn about image processing, cameras, programming etc. but I developed skills that can’t be taught. I learned how to properly debug a program, how to think critically and most important how to explore of multiple solutions. Most of the time when I was programming in the lab the first solution to a problem did not work and an  alternate approach needed to be taken. This capstone helped me develop my problem-solving abilities, which is an important skill needed for an Engineer.   Engineers are confronted with problems everyday and in order to solve a problem sometimes an alternate approach needs to be taken.  I can now transfer these skills I developed to real life problems I will be facing as an electrical engineer.  

Samantha Iervolino finds her path in helping teenagers

Samantha Iervolino is a Verrazano graduate, Class of 2019. She earned an RN and BS in Nursing. 


Throughout my four years at the College of Staten Island and the Verrazano Honors Program, I grew a lot as a person and I challenged myself in many ways I never thought were possible.  Completing the Nursing Program was my biggest challenge and it was there that I was exposed to many different areas of healthcare.  I always felt drawn to obstetrics and gynecology, therefore I began to look for a job in the field.  In September of 2017, I began working in a local OB/GYN office and it was there that I saw my first adolescent pregnancy first hand.  The patient, a 15-year-old, was 24 weeks pregnant and came to the office for her first prenatal visit. She claimed she had just found out she was pregnant.  When I looked at her I saw she was scared and did not know what she could do at this point. Ultimately, she decided to give the baby up for adoption, but I know this is a decision that she will live with for the rest of her life.  It was then that I decided that this was the field for me and that I specifically wanted to target the adolescent population to promote health and decrease risky reproductive behaviors.

Sam at her pinning ceremony!

My research not only discusses adolescent pregnancy, but how we can empower adolescents to seek preventative care.  It also discusses how education plays a vital role in decreasing not only the adolescent pregnancy rate, but also the rate of sexually transmitted disease (STD) and sexually transmitted infection rates (STI).  After conducting the research, I created a pamphlet that offers adolescents answers to their many questions and also grants them resources that they need to help guide them through their new-found curiosity in sexuality.  The research conducted will decrease the risky reproductive behaviors that adolescents often engage in.  

I feel very fortunate to have been in the Verrazano Honors Program because it granted me an opportunity to conduct this type of research.  In my career as a Registered Nurse, I will continue this research and I vow to educate as many adolescents as I possibly can.  In the future, I would like to go on to become a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP).  As a WHNP, I plan on having a clinic that specifically treats adolescents.  I am forever grateful to have been a part of the Verrazano Honors Program as it granted me a wonderful advisor, Cheryl, who has guided me through many struggles and always offered up motivation when needed, a lovely secretary, Cynthia, who always made sure I was completely prepared and always had everything I needed, friendships that will last a lifetime, and knowledge that will be ever growing.  

Two majors, two cultures

Samantha Brandt is a Verrazano graduate, Class of 2018. She complete majors in International Studies and Political Science.

Sam giving a presentation

My name is Samantha Brandt, and I am a completing my double majors of International Studies and Political Science, with a double minor in Business and Chinese.  I used the inspiration of the wide selection of classes to complete a Capstone that takes this all into account.  I researched Feminism in China, and how political and economic factors have impacted their society.  


This was not an easy topic to come up with, originally I had many ideas that I wanted to work with, and the topic changed as I worked on my essay.  I had to be fluid with what I was working with, as my research, and the information I was coming up with were all related, but I found myself focusing on slightly different things than planned.  It was an opportunity to learn how to go with the flow, let things come naturally, and grow as a person.

Sam working the table!

In today’s society, feminism is widely discussed on whether it is a good or positive influence in our society, but rarely do we hear people discussing its importance in other countries.  

 I wanted to expand my horizons and learn about the difficulties other people face around the world.  In my college career, I’ve focused heavily on international political science, and in my life I’ve worked with the Girl Scouts of a Greater New York in order to improve the lives of girls in my hometown.  This Capstone project enabled me to have insight necessary to continue to move forward with my cause.  Nothing comes about without hard work, and seeing the effort other women are putting in, makes me want to inspire others to do the same. Without having done this research, I wouldn’t have expanded my knowledge and pushed my own boundaries.  

Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling

Moet Askew, Verrazano Class of 2018, earned majors in Business Management and Accounting.

Moet and her mentor Professor Allen

My name is Moet Askew. I am a part of the Verrazano Class of 2018! I am a double major in business management and accounting. In my junior year, I took the HON 301 course with Professor Miller. I know a four-hour class on a Friday isn’t the typical interest for any college student. But, I’m so happy I did it! I truly recommend any Verrazano student to take this in their second semester of junior year. Here’s a secret… you’re basically starting your capstone early and getting all the help you need! In this course, you hear all of your fellow Verrazano members’ ideas spark each time we meet. Me,  having two business majors, I had to decide whether I want to talk about accounting (I’m sure we all know that can get a little boring) or talk about business management. I knew I could find an important issue to discuss within my business management major.

I realized that I will soon be entering the corporate field after graduation. Me, being an African American female, I felt it is important to bring awareness to the marginalization of black females in corporate America. It is as though they have glass ceiling on top of the actual “glass ceiling”.  I knew this was a difficult yet serious issue to discuss but I was up for the challenge. Luckily, I had an amazing mentor to help me through the process, Professor Robert Allen! He was my MGT314 (Small Business Management) professor. I knew he would make my vision come to life. 

The Glass Ceiling Before The Glass Ceiling: How the marginalization of black women in Corporate America presents a barrier to their success became the title of my capstone and I am so proud of myself for getting through this process. Doing this research, gathering data, and bringing awareness to this issue is something I definitely did not see myself doing coming to CSI as a freshman. I am so happy and passionate about this topic and presenting it at the Undergraduate Research Conference. My capstone helped me prepare for my near future and show me how I can overcome the obstacles and barriers that black women face on a daily basis. I am so excited and once again, up for the challenge to pursue my business career!

From Drug Delivery Research to Pharmacy School

Mohammed Bazrouk, Verrazano Class of 2018, earned a degree in Biology with a concentration in Health Science, and minors in Chemistry and Biochemistry.


My first year of college with the Verrazano School was exciting and very active between VELA’s, community service and other events for Verrazzanish students to attend. I was trying to find my inspiration in life by educating myself in different topics. My social and loving nature lead me to the field of medicine. I began taking classes in the basic core but I come to find I really enjoyed my biology courses. At the start of my second year I chose a major in Biology with a minor in biochemistry and chemistry. It was safe to say I would be pursuing a career in the sciences. Many of my peers worked in laboratories as research assistants and I always found their new and interesting discoveries to be really insightful and progressive. I thought that if my friends were capable of such outstanding work and then I should be able to part take in research that not only helps other people but can be used in practical medical applications. So I started research in an all-green (!) lab run by Dr. Krishnaswami Raja. This lab was perfect for me because the lab used only biologically safe materials that can be found in everyday life like curcumin and other plants to make protein polymers for the objective of drug delivery. My capstone project has been a string of experiments over the span of three years. 

Mohammed presenting at the Undergraduate Research Conference

I was hopeful with the help of my mentor Andrew Mancuso that we could attain valuable results that would someday be able to help the community with treatment of diseases like cancer. The importance of a mentor cannot be understated when going through the learning process of bench top research. The beginning of research was a little bit of a bumpy ride and results weren’t be achieved as expected. However I learned that you need to have a lot of patience because nothing is easy! But through hard work you can achieve anything. This is exactly what I did but volunteering several hours in the lab each week. One important lesson I learned is when doing the research we are striving to change the world one slow step at a time and there will always be road bumps. One of my favorite activities during my polymer protein research is the ability to place my work under a microscope and be able to tell the exact shape size and morphology of the particles. This was by far my favorite part of volunteering my research hours because when you look under the microscope you can see all of your hard work revealed in front of you. My research deals with creating a drug delivery system that will hopefully be used in chemotherapy one day to attack cancer tumors at the site of proliferation. 

I am really proud of what I’ve been able to do given the time and classes during my undergraduate program. Along the road I met many friends that have been like family to me and have inspired me to keep pursuing my interests as I further my career. Next semester I will be attending a graduate pharmacy program right here in Brooklyn at the Long Island University of Pharmacy. Hopefully I will be able to bring my acquired skill with me to a research lab in my graduate program. 

On the Forefront of Predictive Policing

Maaz Syed, Verrazano Class of 2018, earned a degree in Computer Science.

Maaz and his partner developing their project

The capstone experience was surely a unique one for me. I still remember taking HON 301 with Prof. Edward Miller in my junior year when I had no idea what I was going to explore. The class taught me not only about research but also the whole experience surrounding it; it gave me confidence about working on new research that even my faculty advisor hadn’t started yet. As I finished the class, I started working on my actual research project with Prof. Feng Gu and my research partner, Tatiana Anderson. The project transformed throughout the time span of a year, and communication on each step played a vital role as being on the same page is very important. 

The topic of my research is Predictive Policing. My partner and I separated the jobs of data gathering and machine learning between us and met weekly. One of the first milestones that I covered was when I successfully implemented Google API according to our needs and automated the process of using API for more than 10,000 coordinates. A lot of testing and research went into gathering data. The second source we used for data gathering was Census, which is a great tool when used for a specific area (Census Tract in our case). Their API didn’t have as much documentation as the Google API did, and after a lot of dead-ends we were able to implement that for specific variables too. 
I was always fascinated by crime-related TV shows and movies, because it would portray how different tactics are considered by both sides. Predictive policing is currently in the infancy stages, but it is already becoming a tool to revolutionize policing. Every new technology has its pros and cons, nevertheless predictive policing is being used by police departments in cities such as NYC and Chicago. It was reported that an algorithm using big data analysis resulted in a 80% accuracy about the individuals most likely to get shot on Mother’s Day weekend of 2016 in Chicago, IL. Although the tragic news that nearly all the victims who were predicted did get shot, the confidence in predictive policing has been on the rise as well. A lot more research is still needed but if we can keep digging for the best results, an algorithm that has the potential to save lives isn’t far away.   

During the Fall semester of 2017, an opportunity to socialize and make connections was presented by Prof. Feng Gu. In this social event, I met multiple PhD students and CSC alumni who had worked on research with Prof. Gu. The research experience felt at times as we were coworkers of professor because of the respect that was given to us throughout that evening by other students and professionals. I not only felt comfortable researching but also learned a lot about writing, presenting and interacting with professionals throughout my research experience.
References:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/artificial-intelligence-is-now-used-predict-crime-is-it-biased-180968337/
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