Research in the Natural Sciences Department at LaGuardia
Faculty in the Natural Sciences Department conduct research work here at LaGuardia and in collaboration with external institutions within the CUNY system and beyond. The Department hosts a research lab, which houses state of the art instruments and facilities. Students interested in conducting research are advised to discuss the opportunities available with individual professors in the Department. Click here to see the list of Faculty in the Department, check the research interests and activities of each Professor.
Opportunities for Undergraduate Research
The Natural Sciences Department at LaGuardia attaches great importance to Undergraduate Research, and opportunities for such research activities are regularly available in the Department. Undergraduate research is a key element of science education in the modern world, and it provides a unique learning experience, which goes beyond the classroom, for students to progress toward their academic and/or professional careers. The success of the program in the Natural Sciences Department can be seen from the research presentations given by our students at many national conferences and symposia (New York State CSTEP conference, CUNY-AGEP Science Fair, Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students, American Physical Society meetings, and more), as well as research publications in high impact journals.
The Top Award for Live Featured Presentations at the Summer 2022 CRSP symposium, August 1st 2022.
"Microbiome Profiles of Estuarine Sediment in New York’s East River" by Caitlin Lynch and Dr. Lucia Fuentes, Natural Sciences department.
Importance of Undergraduate Research
While conducting leading edge research, students gain valuable experience and a deeper understanding of the processes involved in conducting scientific investigations. Students also acquire new skills, such as learning how to ask questions that are relevant to the phenomenon being studied, creating working hypotheses, designing significant experiments, problem solving, interpreting and rationalizing data generated and effectively disseminating the results to others. The latter can range from informal communications within the Department to the exciting opportunity of students presenting their work at conferences or publishing manuscripts in journals. All these activities are great to enhance the students’ CV and, thus, improve future career prospects. Lastly, and by no means the least, through conducting research projects, students gain self-satisfaction, a great sense of achievement and contribute to knowledge generation in the world.
CUNY Research Scholars Program
The CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP) provides funded laboratory experiences for Associate degree students over a one-year period. The goal of the program is to encourage undergraduate participation in authentic research and to increase persistence in STEM disciplines. Students receive continuous mentoring from faculty members and participate in programming offered at their campuses, including sessions on laboratory safety, public speaking and poster preparation. Please email Dr. Roman Senkov (at rsenkov@lagcc.cuny.edu) and Dr. Nathan Hosannah (at nhosannah@lagcc.cuny.edu) with any questions.
NIH Bridges program at LaGuardia Community College
LaGuardia Community College's 'Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program' provides mentored research experiences to qualified minority, disadvantaged or disabled students. The LaGuardia Bridges program has formed a consortium with three exceptional four year colleges, the City College of New York, Hunter College, and Queens College, to provide challenging research experiences in the biomedical and behavioral sciences for the STEM underrepresented college students (underrepresented minorities, the disabled, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds) that LaGuardia serves. Please contact Dr. Hendrick Delcham at hdelcham@lagcc.cuny.edu for more details.
Scholarships & Programs:
▹ The Undergraduate Research Program 2023 at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
▹ Internship at Pandemic Response Labs (PRL)
PRL PRL is a subsidiary of Opentrons Labworks Inc., a leading diagnostic life sciences company based in Long Island City, NY. PRL is led by a team of experts in genetics, clinical diagnostics, and robotics. PRL’s state-of-the-art labs use knowledge and technology based on research led by world-class geneticist Dr. Jef Boeke. PRL leverages proprietary innovations in automation, sample accessioning, sample processing, and assay sensitivity to enable faster turnaround and higher sensitivity vs benchmark sites.
PRL is collaborating with LaGuardia and looking for talented and dedicated student interns interested in pursuing science careers in the life sciences sector.
Eligibility:
- Enrolled Students must be US citizens or US permanent residents (including DACA participants), or holders of visas that allow completion of the internship without sponsorship.
- PRL may consider those who have already graduated if they are within a year of graduation, meet all other criteria, and are willing to commit to the program for the full duration of the internship period.
- Students must be at least 18 years of age.
- Students should have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Students with a GPA under 3.0 may apply but must write an explanation of extenuating circumstances.
- Participants must be able to commit to a 20-25 hours work week for the ten weeks of the program, must commit to the work requirements and are expected to attend and actively engage in all scheduled seminars, events, and activities.
Application Materials:
- Personal Statement: Please explain your interest in participating in the PRL internship program. How does this program fit in your future career goals? What professional and personal skills do you hope to learn during this internship? Note that this program welcomes both scientists and non-scientists; either way, we want to hear about your interest in being a part of the life sciences industry in New York City. Please include a brief description of the type of work you would like to do in your internship; in particular, specify if you would be interested in both business and science track roles. Science majors are encouraged to be open to both types of opportunities if at all possible in order to maximize chances of obtaining an internship (up to 500 words).
- Relevant Courses: Provide a list of any relevant courses you have taken, as well as specific skill sets.
- Transcript / Resume: Provide a copy of your latest academic transcript (unofficial copy is acceptable) and your current resume.
- Optional Video: You have the option (not required) of providing a video of up to 3 minutes expressing the reasons why you are interested in participating in the PRL internship program.
- References: You will need 1-2 people to provide letters of reference for you. You should ask professors, advisors, work supervisors or personal references as long as they aren't family members or friends, and give them plenty of time to submit a reference for you.
*All application materials must be shared via Dropbox links or Google Drive links. Please do not send application as attachments in the email.
Internship Description:
Title: Laboratory Internship
Reports to: Lab Supervisor
Schedule: Flexible; 24/7 days operation
General role: The Laboratory Intern provides support for the clinical laboratory to ensure that clinical operations and special projects are performed in a timely manner.
Responsibilities: Handle specimen plates for running on various automated laboratory protocols. Locate, retrieve, and transport specimens as needed. Store samples in designated storage areas. Handle specimens with utmost consideration to maintaining specimen integrity, safety, easy retrieval, and organization. Provide assistance to Lab Technologists in any area when necessary. Remove and/or discard expired samples from the storage area as required. Maintain a safe and clean workspace at all times. Maintain a well-organized work area with adequate supplies. Maintain documentation of assigned functions as required. Escalate any/all issues or questions through appropriate channels. Escalate any/all issues or questions to a Lead, Supervisor or Manager. Attend department training and meetings and interact in two-way communication to assist in process improvement. Other duties as assigned Basic qualifications: Previous lab work experience, lab automation a plus. Must be enrolled in a physical science degree program. Basic computer skills. Good written and verbal communication. Ability to work in a team environment. Problem solving skills. Sitting, standing, and/or walking for hours.
Advanced qualifications: Familiar with various laboratory automation, especially Opentrons, Tecan, Analytik Jena.
Downloads: Program description and company introduction (pdf, 3.6Mb).
Contacts: Dr. Na Xu ( nxu@lagcc.cuny.edu).
▹ Wnt Scientific Biotechnology Internship
Wnt Scientific, an NYC-based pre-clinical stage biotechnology company specialized in regenerative medicine, is looking for a funded internship for minorities, students with disabilities, and students from disadvantaged backgrounds to work on NIH-funded projects at company site. The goal of the internship is to address underrepresentation in the scientific research workforce, to encourage undergraduate participation in research at the biotechnology industry, and to enhance the education and career outcome of supported individuals. A candidate needs to submit a CV, transcript, and a personal statement describing the achievements and career goal for further review. Inquiries can be sent to Dr. Na Xu at Natural Sciences ( nxu@lagcc.cuny.edu).
▹ Goldwater Scholarship
The Goldwater Scholarship supports outstanding students interested in research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering. The scholarship covers undergraduate eligible expenses for tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to $7,500 per academic year up to 2 years. Please email Dr. Howard Motoike at hmotoike@lagcc.cuny.edu with any questions.
▹ Udall Undergraduate Scholarship
The Udall Foundation awards scholarship to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. In 2020, the Udall Foundation awarded 55 scholarships of up to $7,000 each. Please email Dr. Amit Aggarwal at aaggarwal@lagcc.cuny.edu with any questions.
▹ Elsevier Foundation Scholarships for Women in STEM
The Elsevier Women in S.T.E.M program is part of LaGuardia's broader effort to expand and strengthen STEM education. This long-term initiative seeks to provide new opportunities to LAGCC students and encourage diversity within S.T.E.M. fields. The scholarships include research scholarships to conduct research with a S.T.E.M mentor, child-care assistance and incentive to graduate scholarships. International students are eligible and should apply. Applications are open every Spring I semester. Please email Dr. Preethi Radhakrishnan at pradhakrishnan@lagcc.cuny.edu with any questions.
Applications are open
Application form with Eligibility: https://forms.gle/oZNCsCE6YxVAyeuB7
Applications close: May 30th 2022 @ 5 p.m.
▹ Project SEMBRAR Experiential Learning Opportunity
▹ Summer Research Programs at Stony Brook University
If you are interested in applying or have questions or concerns, please feel free to email Rosalia Davi at rosalia.davi@stonybrook.edu. We look forward to welcoming you (virtually) to Stony Brook this summer!
- REU Nanotechnology for Health, Energy and the Environment (Priority Deadline: February 1st; Rolling Thereafter): More faculty mentors and research projects have been added, including Dr. Thomas Woodson in Technology & Society and Dr. Wei Yin in Biomedical Engineering. Please visit the program website to view their projects and others!
- *NEW* REU Chemistry Program: We are excited to welcome the REU Chemistry program (back) to Stony Brook, which will kick off in 2021! Information is forthcoming, but interested students are welcome to contact the program's PI, Dr. Maria Nagan.
- Institute for Advanced Computational Science Data + Computing = Discovery: Final day to apply is February 8th. Click here to visit the IACS DCD website!
- REU Physics: The application deadline has been extended to Sunday, February 14th. Visit the program website for more info!
▹ Green Girls College Intern Position at City Parks Foundation
City Parks Foundation (CPF) is the only independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to offer programs in public parks throughout the five boroughs of New York City. At CPF, we are dedicated to invigorating and transforming parks in to dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through sports, arts, community development, and education programs for all New Yorkers. Our programs and community building initiatives ‐ located in more than 350 parks, recreation centers, and public schools across New York City ‐ reach 425,000 people each year.
Deteails: Position description (pdf)