Undergraduate Research at Fordham

I’ve been lucky enough to participate in undergraduate research since my second week on campus of my freshman year (I am currently a second semester senior).  I am a member of the Wireless Sensor Data Mining (WISDM) Lab that is run by Dr. Gary Weiss from the Department of Computer and Information Science.  Our main projects utilize data mining techniques with sensor data from smartphones and smartwatches to perform activity recognition and biometric identification tasks.  Fordham is a strong proponent of undergraduate research, so being able to participate work in a lab with one of my professors an undergrad has afforded me many opportunities that I may not have had at another school. 

WISDM members and Dr. Weiss working in the lab

I have been awarded multiple Fordham Undergraduate Research Grants during my time here that have funded my work during the academic year.  I have also received grants through Fordham and the Clare Boothe Luce Foundation so that I could continue my research on campus during the summer where my housing was paid for and I received a stipend.  One highly anticipated event every spring is Fordham’s Undergraduate Research Symposium held in April.  Over 300 students participated last year giving talks or presenting posters about their work.  I have participated in this event each year and look forward to once again sharing my research with faculty and my peers.  I have also had a chance to present my work at the Bronx Science Consortium Poster Symposium held at the Bronx Zoo.  Fordham University is part of the consortium alongside the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Hospital, the New York Botanical Gardens, and the Wildlife Conservation Society/Bronx Zoo.

WISDM poster at the Undergraduate Research Symposium

In collaboration with Dr. Weiss and some other members of the WISDM lab, I submitted a paper to a conference describing our most recent work with smartwatch-based activity recognition.  We recently found out that the paper was accepted, and I am especially excited because I have the opportunity to attend the BHI-2016 International Conference on Biomedical and Health Informatics in Las Vegas.  Fordham awarded me an undergraduate travel grant so that I can present this paper at the conference at the end of February. 

Working on my research in the WISDM Lab

My involvement with undergraduate research has afforded me many opportunities to learn about and gain relevant experience in the computer science field.  I would not be pursuing the career path I am now if I had not been exposed to the field of data mining through my involvement with the WISDM Lab.  As I reflect on my time at Fordham, I am especially grateful for the support my school and faculty have offered me in my pursuit of my research.  I would not be where I am today without this incredible experience.  

You can read more about student research at Fordham here and here.  If you want to learn more about Fordham College at Rose Hill undergraduate research, research grants, and the Undergraduate Research Symposium, you can read about it here. 

Undergrads Doing Research!

Before it gets too crowded, presenters check out other students' work. 

Last Wednesday, the weather was beautiful at Fordham. Eddie’s Parade looked like a beach with the number of people lounging and sunbathing. On Wednesdays, a lot of students don't have classes, so it was the perfect day to just kick back and relax. It was glorious. I, however, staying inside most of the day doing something else fantastic: the 8^th Annual Fordham Undergraduate Research Symposium. Now before you think I am being sarcastic, hear me out.

One of my favorite posters is a thesis that will
take the form of a stand-up comedy routine. 

Some of the tote bags being handed out, with copies of the
Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal in the background. 

There were 322 undergraduate students presenting research at the symposium. Some did independent research using grants, and others submitted research papers they had done for a class or their theses. Students gave oral presentations as well as poster presentations to peers, alumni, professors, deans, and anyone else who cared to drop by the McGinley ballroom where it was held. Even the people who arrived for the free sandwiches and fruit (and cafeteria cookies!) stayed to learn more about research in all manner of disciplines. Students talked about HGH in diabetic patient treatments, raising Deaf children, nanoscale drug delivery systems, and how early New Amsterdam/New York became a melting pot among a multitude of other things. Watching classmates present on their work is a lot of fun because, oftentimes, you forget how brilliant the people surrounding you are.

Participants and their research mentors received fair trade tote bags as this year’s gift. Fordham has a working relationship with the Amani Project, and the bags helped pay for school fees for Tibetan children who wouldn't otherwise be able to attend. All in all, it was a great way to spend the day, and there was still time after to enjoy the great weather. 

On a personal note, this is my final blog entry. I have written for I Am a Fordham Ram since the very beginning of my sophomore year (September 24, 2012, to be exact). It's been a pleasure to talk about some of my favorite things at Fordham and to talk to students who reached out after finding my email on the profile pages. Most readers are probably in the midst of making their college decisions, which is really, really hard. Everyone writing for this blog remembers that and may be going through the same process with grad school and jobs, so please look at our profiles and send us emails if you have questions that haven't yet been answered. We would be glad to talk with you-- that's really why we are here. So long, good luck, and I hope to see you at an alumni event in 4-10 years. 

Presenting your research

What is the significance of Fordham College at Rose Hill as opposed to Fordham University? A university implies a group of smaller colleges grouped together into one large body. The advantage of this is that Fordham has the resources of a big school but the individualized liberal arts education of a smaller school. How does that affect the students, you may ask? Well it does and in a big way, especially when it comes to research.

Roger Williams University, where Fordham is paying for me
to travel and present a research paper.

As a research university, Fordham provides a wide range of options for its undergraduate students in all different fields. I blogged about FURJ, our undergraduate research journal, in September of last year, but seeing your name isn’t the only fun (or beneficial) part of research. Fordham also offers travel grants to students who are invited to present their research at conferences around the country.

Dr. Ipsita Banerjee (Chemistry) receives a research
mentor award at a past symposium.

Last month, I received one of these travel grants to go to Roger Williams University for the Phi Alpha Theta Northeast Regional Conference. It’s a history conference organized by the national history honors society, and Fordham is paying for my transportation, hotel, and registration fees so I can present a paper I wrote for an American history class. Presenting at a conference may seem intimidating (I have a week left to prepare), but it is also a great experience for students interested in pursuing graduate degrees or students who just want to get out of their comfort zones and learn some more.

Fordham even hosts its own undergraduate research symposium at every April. There, more than 300 students come together to do poster presentations (which is a little more conversation than it is lecture) on their original research. FURJ also debuts there every year.

Freshman Friendly Research

Since my second week at Fordham, I have been a member of the Wireless Sensor Data Mining (WISDM) lab. WISDM collects and mines sensor data from smartphones with the goal of implementing the findings to change how smart mobile devices are used.  We currently work with Android devices, and one of our projects is an app that performs activity recognition using your smartphone’s accelerometer. The Actitracker app promotes a healthier lifestyle by helping you monitor your physical activities. If you have an Andorid phone check it out!

https://www.actitracker.com/

http://www.cis.fordham.edu/wisdm/

Actitracker App

My advisor introduced me to Dr. Weiss, the professor running the lab, because I am a computer science major. I was surprised that they would let a freshman work on the project, but my curiosity led me to pursue the opportunity. 

A typical WISDM meeting

I did not come to school with an extraordinary background in research, but my lack of experience did not exclude me from participating. I started off by attending the weekly meetings and helping with data collections. Seeing my commitment, Dr. Weiss paired me up with a senior on the project who started to teach me the skills I would need to conduct data mining experiments of my own. My current work focuses on improving our methods for biometric identification, where we predict the identity of a user from a set based on samples of their walking gait.

Fordham College Rose Hill is very supportive of undergraduate research. During the fall, I received a Fordham Undergraduate Research Grant to help fund my work, and the next semester, I presented my work at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. I was also able to continue my work on campus with WISDM over the summer, thanks to Fordham and a generous Clare Boothe Luce Research Scholarship.

2013 Fordham University Undergraduate Research Symposium

I have gained great friends as well as valuable experience working with WISDM.  Don’t make the mistake of assuming freshman can’t work on research. Talk to upperclassmen, your advisor, and your professors to find opportunities. Find what interests you and get involved!

Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal

Have you ever known that you've written a really good paper? Have you ever thought about pursuing the ideas of that paper further, and perhaps publishing it in a professional journal?

During Fordham’s Undergraduate Research Week last year, Fordham unveiled the first ever edition of the Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal (or FURJ, as we like to call it). Making it the sixth student-run publication at Fordham, FURJ allows students who are actively participating in research projects of their own a venue to publish their findings. Last year, research pieces that the journal printed covered topics that ranged from the issue of immigration at the Arizona border to mobile sensor data mining to the democratic undercurrents of Harry Potter. One of the most rewarding things about FURJ, though, is that it is an entirely student-run publication. Not only are the articles written by students, but these selfsame articles are reviewed by students (and a faculty advisory board) and edited by them as well! My connection to FURJ is that I am the Copy Content Editor, which essentially means that I check the journal for spelling, grammar, and citation errors. I know, most people think that sounds tedious and terrible, but I actually really enjoy my job. (I totally swore off publications after high school too … guess I reneged on that one!) If you follow this link to FURJ’s webpage, you can view our website and check out a rather helpful guide for English grammar (...that I made). Currently we're in the process of making a new webpage; I'll be sure to update with the new link after that project is complete. And please check us out and like us on Facebook!

Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal (FURJ) and Research Opportunities

Fordham College at Rose Hill offers many opportunities for students to pursue and disseminate research through three distinct avenues: grants that support the research process, the Undergraduate Research Symposium, and the Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal.


This year many students came together for the first time in order to start the Fordham Undergraduate Research Journal (FURJ). This journal is completely student-run and will feature high quality, peer-reviewed, original research conducted by undergraduate students. All students and work in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences will be highlighted. FURJ will include scholarly book reviews, review essays, and feature articles. All research articles undergo a rigorous double-blind peer and faculty review process. The first issue will be launched at the Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS) on Wednesday, April 27, 2011, which is an annual celebration of the creative and scholarly accomplishments of our undergraduates.


The URS invites undergraduates from all majors and programs to present their original work through poster presentations, oral presentations, and artwork. This event also provides a great opportunity for students across the disciplines to share their academic projects.


Fordham College at Rose Hill offers several grants so that students have an opportunity to conduct research:

1. Undergraduate Research Grants are designed to support independent research during the academic year.
2. Assistantships support students working on faculty-centered research during the academic year.
3. Summer Research Grants in the Sciences support independent or faculty-centered research during the summer. Summer Research Grants in the Social Sciences and Humanities provide support for students conducting independent research during the summer.
4. Travel Grants provide support for students presenting their research at a professional conference.
5. Micro Grants support smaller scale research efforts (including class projects, independent research, and faculty-centered research) throughout the year.
6. Faculty Undergraduate Research Grants and the Materials and Supplies Supplement provide the opportunity for faculty members to support undergraduate students working on their research. Detailed information about these grants, as well as application information and deadlines, can be found below.

All Fordham students are encouraged to become more engaged with undergraduate research. The university is proud to support the research efforts of our students.