Experimental Synthesis and Characterization of Perylenetetracarboxyl Diimide Derivatives

Fan Hu, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in Molecular, Cellular & Development Biology  

I started this research in October of 2022, the semester where in-person lectures were back in session and pandemic quarantine policies had loosened up but the effects and lasting impacts still loomed.
This was also around the same time of the global chip shortage (I also bought a Desktop during this shortage in December of 2021 where prices were inflated). When Dr. Jin invited me for an independent study I was intrigued, as he works on organic semiconductors. He mentioned that his research entailed the potential use of Perylene as a replacement for silicon in chips, which may be a more cost-effective alternative.
During this time, I was also shadowing my mentor in Northwell Staten Island University Hospital’s Emergency Department. I heard that the hospital has plans to upgrade their medical software system and it would cost them in the billions to do so! Their computer’s hardware was also getting slow, so if they needed to replace and update all those computers as well then wouldn’t the cost be far greater? Of course, the actual applications of Dr. Jin’s research may be well into the future, but it was a wonderful opportunity that fascinated me. That’s just a tie into healthcare as someone interested in going into medicine.
Going into chemistry research as a biology major was, admittedly, daunting. But once I did begin, the research itself made a lot of sense. It followed the basic cornerstone of chemistry knowledge that was taught in general chemistry and organic chemistry and merely built upon it, layer by layer.
What surprised me was how simple the physical procedures themselves were. Syntheses involved measuring compounds and transferring them into a vial with a stirring bar. Then they were left on a hot plate and heated. But the theory behind this simple procedure, the mechanisms, and the interpretation of results required a thorough understanding of chemistry principles. Thus, I believe this experience in undergraduate research provided me an opportunity to work on my critical thinking skills; something that will no doubt be held in high regard with the advance of artificial intelligence.
More optimizations can be made to the synthesis procedures if given more time; testing it in a lower temperature, conducting the chromatography in one single sitting, or perhaps testing the effects of different length alkanes. These attempts may increase the product’s yield from the current 20%—allowing greater versatility and equally advantageous yields. I also had the opportunity to visit a biology laboratory and from what I’ve seen, the inherent principles of research in a laboratory are similar. I believe this undergraduate research experience has prepared me well, no matter the type of laboratory or research I may participate in.

Dialogues on Dialogues

Netta Sandler, Verrazzano Class of 2024, completed major in History and minor in Art History

According to the geological principle of uniformitarianism, the past is the key to the future. The study of history is a great reflection of this concept and one that I strive in achieving in my research. The goal of my capstone project, “Dialogues of Zionism and Its Oppositions as
Discussed in the Menorah Journal,” was to reveal past arguments and how similar they are to current-day discussions on Zionism. With the guidance of my mentor, Professor John Dixon, I compiled articles submitted to the Journal that either supported or opposed the creation of a Jewish state and broke down their arguments to relate their modern-day relevance. The Menorah Journal formed as an extension of the Menorah Society, a club started by Jewish students at Harvard University. The Menorah Society later expanded in a network of
clubs in college campuses across the United States and eventually formed the Menorah
Journal, a public space for discussion regarding Jewish life in the modern world. I focused on
the years 1915-1926, as this was when mass Jewish immigration was severely limited and
therefore led to Jewish people to question whether the United States was the best place for
Jews to live. Eventually, this led to talks about creating a separate Jewish state based on all
sorts of factors such as culture, politics, nationalism, and spirituality.
Since there were so many facets of Zionism that I did not expect until I delved into my
research, I struggled to properly simplify the arguments in a way that would make readers who
are not familiar with the topic have an easier time understanding my work. Not only this, but I
was also worried that I would not be able to do this project justice. Zionism has been a heavy
topic for centuries, and has only been gaining traction as current events emerge. Initially, my
goal was to help others see how similar past discussions of Zionism were, but I ended up
learning that they are nearly identical in framework and ideology. Because of this, I worked
really hard to include as many sides of these arguments as well as research from other scholars
to have a well-rounded essay.
I am glad I had the opportunity to work on this project. As someone who hopes to
continue their academic pursuits, this was a great learning opportunity to see what being a
historian entails. Through the progression of my research, more and more questions that I did
not anticipate having began to surface. This led me to expanding my research to include
answers to those questions. Working on a project like this one taught me to be more
open-minded and curious when writing historic essays because it results in a more detailed and
satisfactory paper.

Infant’s Emotions during the Mobile Conjugate Reinforcement

Yulin Yu, Verrazzano Class of 2024, completed major in Psychology with minors in Disabilities Studies and Sociology/Anthropology

During the Fall 2022 semester, I joined the Child Development Lab. I was interested in studying the development of infants, especially infants in Tajikistan because these infants are cradled in a gahvora. The gahvora is a cradle that restricts the infants' posture and movement for extended periods of time. I was interested in studying how this practice could affect Tajik infants, because restriction in the gahvora may reduce their emotional reactivity.

Before I could even start analyzing, I needed to learn how to code videos using Datavyu. With the help of the graduate students in the lab, I learned how to code and started to begin coding videos in the spring semester. During that semester, I developed a coding manual with information regarding how to code positive, neutral, and negative vocalizations. I was able to code the infant’s emotional reactivity while they conducted the conjugate reinforcement task where infants have one of their legs tethered to an overhead mobile. When the infant kicked, the mobile would move making the infant want to kick more to get reinforcement.

The two specific areas I wanted to focus on were on the baseline and extinction trial where kicking did not give them reinforcement. I expected that Tajik infants would show more vocalizations during the last trial because they were frustrated that the mobile was no longer reinforcing their behavior. 

A Recession Renaissance

Brayan Diaz, Verrazzano Class of 2024, completed major in Business Finance

The purpose of my research paper was to explore the behaviors of different investment instruments during a recession, the months leading towards a recession, and the months after a recession to identify when and what would be best to potentially invest in during these times.

Some of the instruments of my focus were stocks, bonds, and CDs. My project explored what exactly a recession is, taking a deeper dive into what these instruments are, and most importantly it briefly explored what has happened in recent history to investments in these instruments that were made during, before or after a recession.  The goal was ultimately to uncover whether the investments went up or down in value significantly.

My thinking in choosing a capstone project was to choose something that would benefit me in some way. I also thought how when most people think of recession, all these negative thoughts come into their heads. In my case, there was a sense of regret in myself from the previous recession (during Covid-19) that I hadn’t taken the massive opportunity to invest my money in the stock market when prices were low and seeing how certain stocks have had massive returns in the years after.

I wanted to write a paper that could perhaps change the way younger people like me view a recession. I had already known at the time I began my capstone that I would be doing an internship at a bank named HSBC for the summer. I wanted to choose a topic that I could build more knowledge on throughout the internship. After completing my capstone, along with my internship experience, I am more aware of different things out in the market to invest in when I have the chance.

With the current events going on in the Middle East and Ukraine, speculation about a recession is heating up again. I hope my paper can act as an eye opener and as a source of knowledge to take advantage of different capital markets when the next recession hits the country.

The NYPD

Angye Galan, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in Sociology/Anthropology with minors in Business Management and Italian

This capstone aims to dissect the NYPD and educate people about the current reality of the institution. It is argued that the department is in dire need of police officers, due to members of the service retiring and/or leaving the force. The research focuses on understanding the NYPD as an organization by drawing on the theoretical constructs of Organizational Behavior such as Gareth Morgan’s “Images of Organizations.” Factors studied include the quality of the workplace, high demands, problems due to low staff, and quality of life. As a cadet at the NYPD and working with different ranks from police officers to inspectors, I’ve observed members of the service's daily working environment and analyzed the organization's functions. I studied how the NYPD has developed over the years, its current struggles, and what will be necessary for its sustainable survival to keep New York City safe.

During my capstone research, I learned so much about the NYPD. As an NYPD cadet I was able to interact and experience the ins and outs of the NYPD, at the precinct level. I was surrounded by all ranks of the department, from police officers to inspectors. During my research, I was able to observe the daily duties of police officers, officers on patrol, specialized units, sergeants, and so on. My first-hand experience has educated me about the NYPD, and all of the hard work they put in every day. During my research, I had the opportunity to work with my mentor, Professor Isabell Rechburg from Business Management. She was able to guide me throughout my research and help make correlations to different theories I studied.

I am extremely grateful for the work and what this internship has provided. In working with New York’s finest I have the opportunity to work with many different mentors that I treasure. I’ve met many people and networked through the precinct. It was always my dream to become a police officer, and this opportunity has opened many doors. It made me realize that even though times are bad, the members of service always strive to give back to the community as first responders. I’ve learned that there many are many opportunities in the NYPD if you work hard.

This internship truly opened my eyes, and now more than ever I want to become a police officer. My career is in the New York Police Department, and thanks to this internship I feel prepared and more educated about the department. I am extremely grateful to be a Police Cadet, and grateful for what this research and experience have taught me. Therefore, I’m happy to say that I will be joining the NYPD’s July 2023 academy class to become a police officer.