The National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs awarded a grant to Dr. Scott Santagata, Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Sciences, to help fund his research on the environmental impact of climate change in Antarctica. Dr. Santagata will study Antarctic benthic marine invertebrate communities by analyzing the genic evolution of invertebrate organisms, known as the bryozoans or ectoprocts.
New York Public Library Publishes Student Article
Dr. Tamar Barzel, a graduate student in the Palmer School of Library and Information Studies, published an article for the New York Public Library. “Hawaiian Steel Guitar as Resistance Music: Tracing a Hidden History” discusses the origins of the steel guitar and its impact on the history of music and the state of Hawaii. Read more.
Smithsonian Researcher Named Senior Scientist
Dr. Katrina Lohan, ’04, was appointed Senior Scientist at the Marine Disease Ecology Laboratory within the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Dr. Lohan specializes in parasite tracking and previously worked within the Department of Entomology at the National Museum of Natural History.
MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers Add Baseball Alum
The Milwaukee Brewers added LIU baseball alumnus Justin Topa, ’13, to the team’s 60-man roster. Prior to joining the Brewers, Topa was a member of the Texas Rangers organization. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012.
Coral Gables Hospital Taps LIU Alum as Chief Nursing Officer
Denise Hernandez-Figueroa, ’13, was named Chief Nursing Officer at Coral Gables Hospital, a premier acute-care facility in South Florida. She previously served as Director of Emergency services at Palmetto General Hospital in Hialeah, Florida.
Top 30 Virology Journal Publishes Professor’s HIV Research
Alecia Muwonge, ’18, Adjunct Professor of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Science, co-authored a paper that was published in Current HIV Research. The study analyzed chemical design changes caused by resistance associated mutations in combination antiretroviral therapy, used to suppress viral loads in HIV patients. Muwonge also serves as Associate Researcher at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Faculty Win British Cartographic Society Award
The Cartographic Journal awarded the 2020 Henry Johns Award for most outstanding article to LIU professors Christopher League, Computer Science, and Patrick Kennelly, Geography. “Cartographic Symbol Design Considerations for the Space-Time Cube” uses shading techniques from terrain representation to visualize data that evolve over cycles of time at particular locations, such as daily temperature readings or hourly transit usage. The award is administered by the British Cartographic Society and mapmaker Lovell Johns.
Student Thesis Gains National Attention
The work of Paige Bonavito, ’20, garnered discussion on the popular crime podcast Crimeficionados. The show cited her honor’s thesis “Exploring the Scott Peterson Case,” which has been widely cited in academic circles. Bonavito is currently working toward her Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice.
Shark Nation Star Joins Top Pro Team in UK
Former LIU basketball student-athlete Julius Van Sauers, ’19, is continuing his professional career overseas. Van Sauers signed with the Glasgow Rocks, Scotland’s top team in the British Basketball League.
NIH Funds Research on Emerging Disease
The National Institutes of Health awarded Dr. Bhaskar Das, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, a $1.2 million grant to fund research on treatments of microsporidiosis, an emerging zoonotic infection. Dr. Das leads the University’s Core Facility in Medicinal Chemistry and has conducted groundbreaking research in cancer therapy, obesity, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease.