Hostos Conference Showcases Value of CUNY-Wide Mentorship, Experiential Learning, and Student Scholarship

 
In a powerful display of academic mentorship, scholarly collaboration, and the transformative potential of experiential learning, Hostos Community College held its Spring 2025 Hostos Research Center (HRC) Scholars Program Mini Conference on May 13. Designed to immerse community college students in the practices of academic research early in their educational journeys, the event underscored a central belief at Hostos: that scholarly inquiry, when made accessible, can ignite purpose, persistence, and a sense of belonging among first-generation, underrepresented, and nontraditional students.
 
The day-long conference allowed Hostos students to present original research alongside faculty and CUNY Graduate Center mentors. At a time when academic undergraduate research opportunities are rare, the HRC Scholars Program provides a model of how sustained, cross-campus mentorship can elevate student learning beyond the classroom and create real-world applications for course content.
   
"I share excitement about the great variety of works that students will present here today," said Hostos President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, addressing a room of students, faculty, and invited guests. “Their research and the support they’ve received reflect the brilliance of Hostos students and the power of intentional mentorship.”
 
Joshua Brumberg, Graduate Center President, echoed the call for greater access to collaborative research, noting, “We’re stronger when we work together. I’m glad we’re collaborating through research in a time when it’s looked down upon.”
   
The HRC Scholars Program was established to foster mentored research opportunities for high-achieving Hostos students in all disciplines. Led by Professors Yoel Rodríguez and Antonios Varelas, along with Research Programs Director Sofía Oviedo, the program connects students with faculty and CUNY Graduate Center doctoral fellows to explore complex questions, develop data and analytical skills, and build academic confidence.
 
"This event is a testament to the power of mentorship and collaboration within CUNY," said Oviedo. “These students are conducting research that bridges academic rigor and lived experience. They are gaining skills that will follow them far beyond Hostos.”
 
Throughout the day, students presented across two major sessions, tackling topics such as algorithmic discrimination in artificial intelligence, noise pollution in elevated subway platforms, the characterization of a high resistant bacterial strain across NYC’s five boroughs, essential oils' effectiveness against fungal spoilage on fruits, and the role of symbolic thinking in shaping human culture. Their work integrated ethnographic observation, data collection, sound measurement, interviews, and computational tools such as Python, showcasing a range of methods.
   
One standout project, led by student Jannis Tyson, quantified vibration and noise on Bronx subway platforms to explore infrastructure inequities. Using sensors, sound-mapping apps, and Excel analytics, Tyson presented correlations between structural vibration and environmental stress, arguing for more ethical urban planning.
Another pair of scholars, students Maya Jean and Jorge Sanz, examined the far-reaching consequences of algorithmic decision-making systems, which are increasingly used by government agencies, employers, and predictive policing technologies to make high-stakes determinations, such as eligibility for public services, job hiring, loan approvals, and criminal risk assessments. Their research highlighted how these automated systems, often perceived as neutral, can in fact reinforce structural biases when they rely on historical data that reflect discriminatory practices. For example, facial recognition tools have been shown to misidentify individuals with darker skin tones at higher rates, and risk assessment tools used in law enforcement have been criticized for disproportionately flagging Black and Latino individuals.
 
A particularly moving presentation came from an ethnographic research team studying the Hostos Family Empowerment Program (FEP), a support network for parenting students. The project, led by an HRC Scholar, Estelle Boukari, and a Graduate Center fellow, James Sevitt, employed interviews, participatory observation, and reflective analysis to document how parenting students navigate higher education while raising children, often as recent immigrants or single parents.
 
Quoting one student: “FEP is like a family for us… We support each other while dealing with school and parenting. This program is the reason I can keep going.”
 
Their findings identified “each one, teach one” as a defining philosophy within the FEP community, referencing the mutual support system that emerges among students when traditional safety nets are lacking. The research emphasized the emotional and material labor of student-parents and the critical role of programs like FEP in fostering student success.
   
The conference also featured a panel discussion with HRC Faculty Mentors and Graduate Center Fellows, who shared insights on the reciprocal value of mentoring and the importance of democratizing research access across the university system.
   
The day concluded with a certificate ceremony honoring every scholar, mentor, and fellow for their commitment to knowledge creation and educational equity. Professors Rodríguez and Varelas offered closing remarks, thanking all participants and reaffirming Hostos’ mission to ensure that opportunity and academic excellence go hand in hand.