Chances are, you’ll be hearing about these students who are on track to becoming “the next generation STEM discoverers,” according to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Guttman’s Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) ‘24-’25 Fellows Keoni Quiroz (IT- AAS), Ejatu Jalloh (LAS- AA), Emiliano “Milo” Corte (SCI-AS) and Nicolli Mesquita (SCI-AS) were chosen to take part in NYC-LSAMP, a 2018 alliance of 11 CUNY schools that was awarded $3.97M by the NSF to provide rewarding research experiences and faculty-mentored training in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering for promising students. Named after Louis Stokes, the first African American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio and served 15 consecutive terms, LSAMP was created for underrepresented undergraduates in the nation’s colleges and universities to further the country’s STEM enterprise.
While Lehman is responsible for overseeing the project, Guttman Professors Ji Kim, Dalvin Hill, and Marla Sole have served as coordinators of LSAMP at the college over the years since 2019. Dr. Kim and her colleagues have recruited and selected first-year LSAMP Apprentices and second-year Fellows and matched them with faculty mentors. Fellows are offered LSAMP seminars every Spring semester, with guest speakers from CUNY, Princeton, Advanced Science Research Center, NYC Citywide Office of Safety and Health, alongside Science, Math, and I.T. Guttman faculty members.
In the spring semester of their first year, Guttman LSAMP Apprentices learn research methods, scientific writing, and preparation of research proposals and posters. Those selected in their second year as Fellows commit to 100 hours of undergraduate research activities throughout the academic year of their fellowship, receive a research mentor, a $3000 research stipend, guidance and additional training from Faculty Coordinators, and a travel budget to present their work in regional and national conferences. In addition to research opportunities on campus, NYC LSAMP offers students numerous off-site opportunities for STEM internships and summer research around the city and throughout the country.
Keoni Quiroz, working with Professor Laquan Black, is assisting her in investigating the role of AI in detecting and preventing healthcare data breaches, preparing a literature review aimed for publication in the scholarly journal “Perspectives on Health Information Management.” Toward this goal, Keoni is learning how to identify and evaluate source materials, write annotated bibliographies, explain the connectivity of Information Technology and Health Information Technology degrees/disciplines—all of which will help him prepare for future employment opportunities.
Nicolli Mesquita, working with Professor Kim and student Milo Corte, is researching existing EPA policies and community solutions regarding the use of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). This research has ignited Nicolli’s interest in science communication in environmental and public health issues. Ejatu Jalloh is using genomic data science to study if sickle cell carriers have genetic signatures that contribute to stress-induced crises.
Planning to become a geneticist, Ejatu noted, “When I attended the Young Researchers Symposium at the CUNY Graduate Center, seeing the wide array of research made me want to pursue that even more. It made me want to ask the questions that haven’t been answered and develop a path for my future.” NYC-LSAMP continues to contribute to scholarly work addressing leaks in the STEM pipeline, with research efforts that include a study by Guttman faculty member Camila Torres Rivera. Utilizing data collected from introductory STEM courses across nine participating CUNY campuses (2023–2024), her research explores how perceptions of challenges, rather than fixed group dynamics like gender or race, influence persistence in STEM fields. This work aligns with NYC-LSAMP’s broader mission to deepen understanding of factors that impact the retention and success of traditionally underrepresented students in STEM disciplines.
