Dr. Lorenz S. Neuwirth of the Psychology Department and the SUNY Neuroscience Research Institute at SUNY Old Westbury was recently named the 2018 Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience "Carol Ann Paul Educator of the Year." The Faculty for Neuroscience (FUN) organization's award is named for the late Carol Ann Paul, a renowned scientist, instructor and founding member of the Neuroscience Program at Wellesley College.
Neuwirth was selected by the FUN organization under the Society for Neuroscience for his teaching and research commitment for undergraduate students at Old Westbury, and his development of a behavioral neuroscience and neuropsychology laboratory at the College. This lab has supported the research technical skills training and provided applied learning opportunities to 38 undergraduate and eight high school students.
“I was very humbled and grateful to receive such a notable award - Carol Ann Paul was a tremendous inspiration to the field and to be honored by an award in her name is truly special," said Neuwirth. "Having the opportunity to excite young, talented, and curious undergraduate students across different disciplines facilitates and further enriches a unique dialogue in the laboratory. This shared applied learning experience fosters a unique sense of neuroscience community for our students in preparation for their next educational level.”
The Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) organization was established in 1991 with a commitment to investing in both teaching and mentoring undergraduate students within the neurosciences. Neuwirth was previously awarded a grant through the FUN Grant Program and Data Sciences International for an electrophysiology station capable of EEG telemetry techniques to train students to study brain excitability patterns in response to environmental toxins. The projects goal is to map out which brain excitability patterns relate with cognitive disorders, learning and memory disruptions, and to examine epilepsy risk in response to environmental toxins.
Neuwirth is currently training students in undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, the Pre-Med B.S./D.O. NYIT 3+4 program, the Collegiate Science Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), and the Research Aligned Mentoring (RAM) program utilizing funds from his grant award.
Photo caption: Neuwirth (middle) with two of undergraduate research students Ericka Cabanas, B.S. Biological Sciences (Left) and Michelle Vasquez, B.S. Biochemistry (Right).