NYC Gazette

Each summer, students from the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program at Stern College for Women engage in diverse internships both domestically and internationally. These experiences are pivotal as they develop skills crucial for their future careers.

Esther Nahon spent her summer at Bar-Ilan University in the Okun Lab through the BIU-YU Summer program, focusing on Alzheimer's disease research using animal models. The biology and neuroscience major learned techniques such as microtome brain slicing, immunofluorescence staining, and ELISA immunoassay methods. "Overall, it was an incredible experience that definitely catered to my field of interest," said Nahon. She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work in a real-life lab setting, which broadened her understanding of scientific research.

Chaya Sara (Sarale) Goldberger, a senior computer science major, interned with Professor Alan J. Broder at Stern College's Computer Science department. Her research involved exploring quantum computing applications for financial fraud detection and prevention. Goldberger stated, “Through this experience, I was introduced to the vast and rapidly emerging world of quantum computing.” She developed a passion for quantum mechanics' unique phenomena like superposition and entanglement during her internship.

Mijal Gutierrez interned at Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia’s office in the Bronx through the Simon Wiesenthal Government Advocacy Program. Her responsibilities included public policy and constituent services tasks such as managing cases and assisting at community events. "I had the opportunity to work with constituents face to face," Gutierrez noted. As a Spanish speaker working in a predominantly Hispanic district, she often served as a translator between constituents and office members.

In New York City, Hadassah Mayerfeld participated in Columbia University's Summer Research Program at the Irving Institute of Cancer Dynamics under Drs. Andrew Blumberg and Bianca Dumitrascu's mentorships. Mayerfeld's research focused on using optimal transport techniques for cross-species reference cluster mapping with scRNA-seq data.

Other notable internships included Allison Warren's participation in Mount Sinai Hospital’s Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research program alongside Dr. Rachel Solnick on HIV testing rates in emergency rooms; Gabrielle Green interned at JScreen, concentrating on genetic screening awareness related to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome gene mutations.