Health Professions Students Shine at Aletheia
On May 7, more than 100聽School of Health Professions聽students gathered for the Aletheia Research Symposium. Held every spring, Aletheia (Greek for 鈥渢ruth鈥�) provides these young scholars the opportunity to showcase their research findings and defend the capstone projects they have carried out under faculty supervision.
The students presented 30 posters representing research that spanned graduate and undergraduate-level studies in the School鈥檚 five fields:聽physical therapy,听physician assistant studies,听occupational therapy,听interdisciplinary health sciences, and聽nursing.听
Kicking off the afternoon were opening remarks from Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy Beth Elenko, Ph.D., Provost and Executive Vice President Jerry Balentine, D.O., Vice Provost for Research Jared Littman, Ph.D., Dean Gordon Schmidt, Ph.D., and President and Chief Executive Officer of Gurwin Healthcare System Stuart Almer, FACHE.
鈥淩esearch motivates you and can change the course of your career. Research moves you forward,鈥� said Balentine. 鈥淓vents like this reward you for all of the great work you have done.鈥�
In a ceremony new to Aletheia, Almer presented five students鈥攐ne from each School of Health Professions academic discipline鈥攚ith a $1,000 financial award for academic excellence, sponsored by聽.
Those awarded students are Zeiad Kawy, interdisciplinary health sciences; Melissa Chattergoon, nursing; Caitlin Soravilla, occupational therapy; Burt Bacason, physical therapy; and Jillian Palma, physician assistant studies.
Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Studies Jaclyn Cotgreave Ph.D. (B.S.鈥�05), keynote speaker, presented the results of her dissertation 鈥淭eaching Emotional Intelligence in Physician Assistant Educators.鈥� Her study explores the knowledge of emotional intelligence skills and their importance in physician assistant educational leadership and the success of program graduates.
Student researchers then manned their posters as attendees mingled. Following the hour-long poster session, Professor of Physical Therapy and Aletheia Co-founder John Handrakis, Ed.D., D.P.T., led the platform presentation session鈥攎oderated by Instructor of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Alexander Rothstein, M.S.,鈥攚here eight groups of physical therapy and interdisciplinary health sciences students formally presented their research on stage.
鈥淎letheia is such an important annual event,鈥� said occupational therapy student Laura Johansen, who presented 鈥淧reparing Entry Level Occupational Therapists for Family-Centered Practice鈥� with her peers Angelina Loguidice, Darian Licata, and Katlyn Gluck. 鈥淭his provides an opportunity to bring everyone from the School of Health Professions together to learn about each other鈥檚 projects and gain more insight and knowledge about the other disciplines within the school.鈥�
Co-chairs of the Research and Scholarship Committee Elenko and Associate Professor of Physician Assistant Studies Shinu Kuriakose, DHSc, led faculty and the research committee who judged the 30 poster projects.
This year鈥檚 judges:
- Professor of Physical Therapy and Alethiea Co-founder John Handrakis
- Instructor of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Alexander Rothstein
- Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Rosemary Gallagher, Ph.D., D.P.T.
- Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Michael Tautonico, D.P.T.
- Associate Professor of Physician Assistant Studies Kristine Prazak-Davoli, Ph.D.,
- Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Amerigo Rossi, Ed.D.
- School of Health Professions Director of Administration and Operations Paul Anderson
- School of Health Professions Administrative Specialist Jeanne Renz
The following student teams were selected as first-place winners in their respective poster session categories:
Health and Medicine
鈥淗eart Rate Response to Maximal Exercise in a Participant with C8 Spinal Cord Injury鈥�
Student Researcher: Tash茅ima Johnson
Advisor: Alexander Rothstein; Amerigo Rossi, Ed.D.; John Handrakis, PT, D.P.T., Ed.D.
Department: Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
Lifestyle
鈥淓ffects of Pediatric Cancer on the Relationship Between Patients and Their Siblings鈥�
Student Researchers: Mazal Baron, Brocha Sima Feinberg, Miriam Kirschner, Natalie Nisanov, Peri Lieberman, Sussy Mayer, Joyce Shlomo
Advisor: Pamela Karp Ed.D., OTR/L
Department: Occupational Therapy
Technology/Education
鈥淧hysician Assistant Student鈥檚 Overall Program GPA and Effect on PANCE Scores鈥�
Student Researchers: Thomas Goldrick, Nicholas Pallis, Barbara Pepe, Nicole Posillico
Advisor: Sara Winter PA-C, M.S.
Department: Physician Assistant Studies
Rehabilitation
鈥淏alance Confidence and Falls Predict Figure of 8 Walk Test Performance in People with Parkinson鈥檚 Disease鈥�
Student Researchers: Jessica Feinstein, Yehuda Roth, Juliat Saju, Steven Shih, Simon Tsang
Advisor: Lori Hochman PT, Ph.D.
Department: Physical Therapy
More Features
Congratulations, Class of 2026!
On May 17, graduates, family members, and friends joined faculty, staff, and administration at New York Institute of Technology鈥檚 Long Island campus to celebrate its 65th annual commencement.
Dedicating Henry C. Foley Hall, Honoring Academic Innovation
At a renaming ceremony, a building on the Long Island campus was dedicated as Henry C. Foley Hall. 懂色帝 also announced that it has formed a chapter of the national Academy of Inventors.
Taste of Nations
College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) student Mereena Jolly shares her experience at NYITCOM鈥檚 Taste of Nations event.
Bear Bytes Initiative Supports Students鈥� Holistic Health
At 懂色帝, leaders recognize that access to healthy food is one of the most fundamental drivers of success.
Match Day 2026: The Road to Residency
NYITCOM鈥檚 Class of 2026 joined thousands of soon-to-be physicians across the country in discovering where they will complete their residency training after graduation.
懂色帝 Celebrates Women鈥檚 History Month 2026
Celebrate women and their many accomplishments during Women鈥檚 History Month. The university will host a series of events throughout March.