All things science took over Hostos on Nov. 13, as the entire day was dedicated to the discipline on the campus. STEM studies have become a point of emphasis on campus, and the commitment to science, technology, engineering and mathematics was on full display through lectures, research presentations and demonstrations.
Science Day 2018: “Science of the Brain; From Molecules to Cognition” featured a keynote address from Dr. Virginia García Marín from the Center of Neural Science at New York University. Dr. Marín’s presentation, "Cajal: The Man Who Spent His Life Behind the Microscope" chronicled the life and career of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, widely considered the father of modern neuroscience. Cajal was a pioneer in microanatomy, and his observations regarding degeneration and regeneration helped win him the Nobel Prize in 1906.
The showcase of Hostos science professors and students also featured a science exhibit from the Natural Sciences Department and Engineering Program titled, “From Molecules to Cognition.” Curated by Hostos Professors Carmen Inda García and Yoel Rodríguez, the exhibit featured different interactive stations and projected proteins and neuronal cells to allow visitors to see how they can be visualized in three dimensions and under bright field microscopy, respectively, to identify their important roles in different neurological processes.
A Hostos STEM Student Research Presentation was a bit hit in Room C-391 as various poster projects were on display and a student panel discussed various ways their peers can conduct research.
Science Day also included a panel discussion organized by Hostos Professor Carmen Inda exploring “Women in Science: Navigating Career Challenges.” Professor Inda moderated a panel that included:
- Professor Kathleen Delgado, MS, RDN, CDN, Hostos’ Natural Science Department;
- Professor Soheli Chowdhury, PhD., Hostos’ Natural Science Department and neuroscientist researching multiple sclerosis at Winthrop Hospital, Mineola NY and at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital, NY; and
- Professor Lourdes Serrano, Ph.D., Rutgers University and Research Assistant Professor investigating the role of chromatin organization in the genome.
The panel acknowledged the contributions of Professor Donna Strickland, who in 2018 became the third women awarded with the Nobel Prize in Physics as they shared their research interests and responded to questions.
Professor Inda and the Natural Sciences Department plan to hold the series at least once per semester at the College during Science Week and Earth Week activities.
Science Day also helped anchor other events, including the 7
th Hostos STEM Olympiad and Math League Contest Award Ceremony held December 4 in the Art Gallery. The winners of the contests were:
BIO 210
Timed Question: Cheyenne Baskett; Challenge Questions: 1st Place: Araba Acheampong, 2nd Place: Raylin Collado, 3rd Place: Othniel Kassonyo
CHE 210
Timed Question: Francisco Javier Gómez Pérez; Challenge Questions: 1st Place: Eulis Manuel Martinez Estevez, 2nd Place: Alpha Bah, 3rd Place: No Winner
CHE 220
Timed Question: Kingsley Odae; Challenge Questions: 1st Place: No Winner, 2nd Place: Kingsley Odae, 3rd Place: No Winner
CHE 310
Timed Question: Kelly Ann Wilson; Challenge Questions: 1st Place: Ndeye Bakhoum and Scarlet Martinez, 2nd Place: No Winner, 3rd Place: No Winner
PHY 210
Timed Question: Fatimata Kafando; Challenge Questions: 1st Place: Fatimata Kafando, 2nd Place: No Winner, 3rd Place: No Winner
PHY 220
Timed Question: Escarle Beato; Challenge Questions: 1st Place: No Winner, 2nd Place: Abdoul Aziz Nignan, 3rd Place: No Winner
MAT 215
Timed Question: Raziel BenReuben
ENGR 204
Timed Question: Isaiah Freeland Challenge Questions: 1st Place: No Winner, 2nd Place: Isaiah Freeland, 3rd Place: Vanessa Pujols and Luis Tapia
NYS Math League Contest
1st Place: Hamidou Kabore, 2nd Place: Baowend Ouedraogo, 3rd Place: Ndeye Bakhoum, Honorable Mentions: Abdoul Aziz Nignan and Abdou Niang
Longtime Hostos Professor Francisco, Ph.D., Chair of the Natural Sciences Department served as Chair for this incredible series.