Researchers At Cornell Tech People Aware Computing Lab Recruiting Roosevelt Island Participants For The Calming Moments Study Using iPhone + Apple Watch For Personalized And Unobtrusive Anxiety Intervention

Yiran Zhao is a PHD Researcher at the Cornell Tech People Aware Computing Lab which:

... develops mobile sensing systems for capturing, learning, and interpreting people's context, activities and social networks. We are building applications that improve people's well-being and quality of life.

The People Aware Computing Lab is seeking volunteers for their Calming Moments Study:

... to understand how well does the subtle vibration on the wrist can help with anxiety in-the-moment.

The study will be one-week long. During the week, participants will wear a heart rate monitor throughout the day. The anxiety intervention will be delivered at random times throughout the day. After the intervention and at the end of each day, participants will fill in a short questionnaire....

According to Yiran Zhao:

Do you experience anxiety? The researchers at Cornell University are looking for participants to try out a novel, personalized, and unobtrusive anxiety intervention. This intervention detects when you might experience anxiety and delivers a subtle vibration to calm you down.

We are looking for people who:

• Live in the United States and are fluent in English
• Between 18-65 years old
• Have internet access
• Use iPhone + Apple Watch

Participants will use the intervention application for a week. Participants will also wear a heart rate monitoring band that will be provided by the researcher.

 Participants can be compensated up to $175.

If you have any questions, please contact the research team at yiran.zhao@info.cornell.edu.

We are recruiting now until the beginning of April. If you are interested, please use this link for more information and sign up.  

Click here to learn more about the Cornell Tech Calming Moments Study and for the sign up form.

Cornell Tech Post Doc Researcher Seeks Participants For A Virtual Reality Academic Study To Help Understand Pedestrian And Driver Traffic Interactions - Sign Up If You're Interested

Dave Dey is a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell Tech currently conducting a virtual reality study to understand traffic interactions between pedestrians and drivers.

Would you like to participate in the study?

According to the study's participant recruitment page:

What:

We are conducting an academic study in virtual reality to understand the interactions between drivers and pedestrians in a traffic environment. You will be asked to put on a virtual reality headset 

and play the role of either a driver or a pedestrian. 

You will pair up with another participant in the experiment and interact with them in the virtual environment.

Where:

The study will take place at the Bloomberg Center at Cornell Tech.

How long:

The study is expected to take 1.5 hours at most. Likely, it will be shorter, closer to 1 hour, but we would like to reserve 1.5 hours to be on the safe side.

Sign-up notes:

The study requires a pair of individuals — two participants need to be present together to conduct this experiment. You don't have to find a partner, but if you know a friend or colleague who might like to participate too, please share the sign-up link with them and ask them to sign up for the same slot as you! Otherwise, if possible, please try to sign up for a slot where someone else has already signed up (i.e. a slot where you see only 1 spot is left)! We will actively recruit other participants to fill in the slot, so do not feel obligated to look for a partner, but your help in spreading the word is greatly appreciated!

Contact: 

If you have any questions or concerns, have difficulties finding the location and need directions, or need to reach the study coordinator for any reason, feel free to email Dave Dey at dd639(at)cornell(dot)edu.

Click here to sign up for the study and more info.

Learn more about Cornell Tech research lab and initiatives.

Watch this interesting discussion with Dave Dey on Human Computer Interaction.

You're Invited To Help Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Students Research Process Of Applying For And Using Medicare

Cornell Tech researcher Ana Medinac reports:

Cornell Tech students are researching Medicare. If you are enrolled in or looking into applying to Medicare we'd love to chat.

Please reach out to am2667@cornell.edu.

We’re researching the process of applying to Medicare, and how people go from researching the right plan for themselves to then applying, to then being able confidently use it.

We’re looking at the entire process and trying to address any points in our project.

Roosevelt Island's NY State Senator Liz Krueger hosted a virtual 2024 Medicare Coverage seminar last November 20. Here's the video of the seminar.

Meet Rent Easy Roosevelt Island, A Peer-To-Peer Online Marketplace To Rent Almost Anything Being Developed By Cornell Tech Computer Science Master's Students - Sign Up To List Your Products And Participate In Pilot Project

A team of Cornell Tech students are developing an online peer-to peer rental marketplace linking individuals who own underutilized products with those seeking temporary access to those items. They are seeking Roosevelt Island residents who would like to participate in a pilot project for testing their rental marketplace platform.

Meet Rent Easy Roosevelt Island - A peer-to-peer marketplace to rent (almost) anything.

According to Cornell Tech student Karan Shah:

Millions of homes are choked by idle assets - unused tools gathering dust, forgotten sporting equipment, clothes long waiting for the next wedding, appliances yearning for purpose. These possessions not only clutter our lives but also fuel unnecessary production and waste, burdening the environment. Meanwhile, many face limited access to these same items, their occasional use not justifying hefty purchase costs. RentEasy seeks to bridge this gap, becoming a digital matchmaker between owners and renters seeking temporary access. Think of it as the Airbnb for a wide range of rentals.

Imagine borrowing a drone or a camera for a weekend trip instead of buying a new one; renting an expensive evening gown for a one-time occasion. Owners declutter and earn passive income on their idle assets, renters save money and enjoy wider access, and the environment breathes easier due to reduced production and waste, creating a win-win-win scenario. This is a chance to reshape how we interact with resources, embracing a more sustainable future built on sharing and responsible consumption.

Folks, rather than opting to sell their pre-owned items on platforms like Facebook or other marketplaces, now have the opportunity to rent them out on this platform, earning a steady passive income. This innovative approach allows owners to generate more passive income over time through multiple rentals, all while retaining ownership of their products. On the other side, people just needing temporary access to these items can rent them for a cheaper price instead of buying it. 

I am currently pursuing my Masters of Engineering in Computer Science at Cornell Tech here on Roosevelt Island. The online peer-to-peer rental marketplace idea occurred to me during my quest to rent reasonably priced ice skates for one-time use. Faced with the challenge of not finding them easily available, I delved into extensive research and realized the need for a platform to bridge this gap. 

Eager to fulfill my entrepreneurial aspirations, this endeavor aligns seamlessly with my ambitions, coupled with the invaluable insights gained from my studies at Cornell Tech. Along with other like-minded friends at Cornell Tech, including Lakshit Dua, another Indian student pursuing a Cornell Tech Masters of Engineering in Computer Science, we are collectively working towards bringing this vision to life, starting with our lovely Roosevelt Island. The future goal is to establish ourselves as the largest rental platform ever. 

We have developed an initial prototype for this concept and are currently in the midst of conducting a pilot test. Following this phase, we plan to iterate towards the final product development, which will incorporate robust payment, delivery, and protection systems. Notably, the platform is offered completely free of charge for users to list their products, reflecting our commitment to promoting resourceful and sustainable living to its utmost potential.

We ask all Roosevelt Island residents to actively participate in this initiative by listing your products for rent. For a few days, people will only be able to list down their products and not acquire (rent) them, until there are a good number of products available. 

The process is straightforward: if you have any underutilized asset in your home, eg. camera, bicycle, or projector, you can easily upload it to the platform at no cost. Simply register, proceed to the listing page, enter basic product details and pricing, and you're good to go! When someone expresses interest in renting the products you've listed, they will contact you through the WhatsApp number you provided during registration. 

Here is the link to our Rent Easy Roosevelt Island website.

Thank you.

Remote Controlled Trash Barrel Robots Tested At Astor Place Plaza By Cornell Tech Researchers - Do You Find Them Friendly Or Creepy, Will Cornell Tech Trash Barrel Robots Be Coming To Roosevelt Island Next?

In a study by researchers from @CornellCIS and @cornell_tech, most people in a #Manhattan plaza welcomed trash barrel #Robots and happily gave them garbage, though some people found them to be creepy. @wendyju @TheOfficialACM https://t.co/9gpeenlGq1

— Cornell Chronicle (@CornellNews) April 19, 2023

According to the Cornell Chronicle

Cornell researchers built and remotely controlled two trash barrel robots – one for landfill waste and one for recycling – at a plaza in Manhattan to see how people would respond to the seemingly autonomous robots. Most people welcomed them and happily gave them trash, though a minority found them to be creepy. The researchers now have plans to see how other communities behave. If you’re a resident of New York City, these trash barrel robots may be coming soon to a borough near you. 

A team led by Wendy Ju, associate professor at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech and the Technion, and a member of the Department of Information Science in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, constructed the robots from a blue or gray barrel mounted on recycled hoverboard parts. They equipped the robots with a 360-degree camera and operated them using a joystick....

Click here for the full Cornell Chronicle article. 

Watch the Cornell Tech Trash Barrel Robots in action at Astor Place Plaza.

Where's the best area to test out the Trash Barrel Robots on Roosevelt Island? How about a test on the weekend at the Riverwalk Commons?

In 2019, Professor Ju gave a talk to the Roosevelt Island community about human interaction with automation, focusing on self driving cars. Here's some of the conversation.

Video of Professor's Ju's full presentation, including a story about a visit with David Letterman and Melinda Gates is here.

Roosevelt Island Women, Tell Us About Your Shitty Bra - Cornell Tech Students Working To Revolutionize The Bra Industry With Custom Fitting From 3d Body Scans And On Demand Manufacturing

Zain Abdelrazeq and Vrinda Lohia are students in the Cornell Tech Runway Startup Program which:.

... is part business school, part research institution, part startup incubator. Based at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, Runway ushers tech founders through a paradigm shift, from an academic mindset to an entrepreneurial outlook. Participants come to the Institute with ideas for unproven products and markets and receive significant support as well as mentorship from academic and business experts in connective media, health technology, security & privacy and computer vision, among a number of other fields.

They are asking Roosevelt Island women to:

Tell Us About Your Shitty Bra

According to Ms Abdelrazeq:

We at Project B are working on revolutionizing the bra industry so we are creating custom fit bras from 3D body scans and on-demand Manufacturing.

and Ms Lohia:

We've realized women often wear misfitting bras and therefore that leads to a lot of health complications in their life. Most of them don't even know that they're wearing misfitting bras so we're trying to revolutionize this space. We're creating a bra that actually fits them well and also supports them.

Contact the Project Bra Instagram Page to tell Zain and Vrinda about your Shitty Bra.

@project_b_bra Join our bra journey: link in bio ✨✨ #bras #bodypositivty #entepreneurs #womenled #fyp #startup #3Dprinting #3Dscanning #3Dtech #perfectfitbra #BraRevolution #bratech #braupgrade #women #femaleempowerment #fashion #smallbusiness #diy ♬ Sunroof - Nicky Youre & dazy

History Of Women In Computer Science Lecture By Cornell Tech Student Agustin Forero Presented To Roosevelt Island Senior Center - Watch The Video To Learn About Computer Pioneers Ada Lovelace And Grace Hopper And Current Status Of Women In Tech Industry

As part of its commitment to serve the Roosevelt Island community, students at Cornell Tech are encouraged to engage and assist local residents and organizations with their technology needs. According to Cornell Tech:

When Cornell Tech opened on Roosevelt Island in 2017, we joined a community of thousands of very involved and caring people who we are proud to call our neighbors. We were delighted to join a community of over 35 nonprofit and volunteer organizations on the island who work hard every day to improve life on Roosevelt Island — many of whom have become our partners and work with us on a regular basis. 

Whether engaging with island youth, older adults, people with disabilities, sustainability advocates, the arts community, island governance, or other community activists, Cornell Tech extends its mission of improving the connection between people and technology to the Roosevelt Island community. In the true land grant tradition, we aim to broadly apply the expertise and resources of Cornell for lasting impact on this wonderful community.

For example, Agustin Forero is currently working with the Carter Burden Network Roosevelt Island Senior Center. Mr Forero reports:

I am a Masters student studying Computer Science at Cornell Tech. I teach Demystifying the Computer at the Roosevelt Island Senior Center, a course with two aims: to teach my students how to use basic technologies (Zoom, iPhones, Windows, etc.), and to contextualize the history and inner workings of the computer. I want to help my students understand that computers aren't the mystical black box some people think them to be -- in reality, they're just very robust calculators!

For Women's History Month, Mr Forero presented a fascinating lecture on the history of Women in Computer Science

including the role played by Ada Lovelace

and Grace Hopper

as well as statistics on the current status of women in the Tech industry.

Here's the Women In Computer Science presentation to the Roosevelt Island Senior Center by Cornell Tech student Agustin Forero.

What do the Roosevelt Island seniors think of the class? Viviane Codderrens said Augustin is a really good instructor and she has benefited from the class. Diane Mangraviti said Agustin is just marvelous!

Roosevelt Island Tram And Red Bus Now On Google Maps In Test Phase, Goal To Launch Permanently By February Says Former Resident Alex Bores Who Spearheaded The Initiative - Great News, But When Will MTA's OMNY System Be Installed On Tram?

Roosevelt Island residents often think of themselves as the forgotten stepchild of NYC - services offered in other NYC neighborhoods are either not available here or we're waiting at the back of the line for them, but that has slowly started to change recently. 

For example, Roosevelt Island residents and visitors have asked for years when the Roosevelt Island Tram will be included in Google Maps? Now we know. As some residents have discovered recently, the Roosevelt Island Tram is currently on Google Maps in a test phase.

And the Red Bus shows up in directions😳 This is huge 😂👏🏾👏🏾

— Nameliest of the Norms (@NamelyNorm) January 14, 2022

The cats out of the bag! Proud to have worked with @kimmosc, @SeawrightForNY , and @RepMaloney to get the Tram and Red Busses on Google maps! https://t.co/0z4m7YigLA

— Alex Bores (@AlexBores) January 14, 2022

How did this happen? The initiative to get the Roosevelt Island Tram on Google Maps was spearheaded by Alex Bores, a former Roosevelt Island resident with a Masters in Computer Science and currently Democratic Party 76 Assembly District Leader (which includes Roosevelt Island).

Mr Bores reports:

The Tram and Red Busses Launch on Google Maps 

The Roosevelt Island Tram and Red Busses (including Octagon Express) are now in testing on Google Maps. Residents and visitors can look up transit directions the same way they look up the subway.
Google integrates around 120,000 different transit systems worldwide. This includes many different transportation sources around Roosevelt Island, including the subway, the Hornblower ferries, and Citi Bikes, but until now, did not include the tram or busses.

I noticed the tram was not on Google Maps when a friend tried to visit me. When he saw that Google’s directions did not suggest the Tram, he assumed it wasn’t running.  I teamed up with Assembly Member Rebeca Seawright and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) to accurately represent the schedule, and then coded it into the technical format that Google and other map providers use to show schedules.

Roosevelt Island has thriving businesses, but too few New Yorkers know how accessible the Island is. Instead of showing a route that requires people to wait up to 30 minutes for the Q102, visitors will also see the red busses running every 7-15 minutes. For residents that want to visit Manhattan destinations like the Trader Joe’s right across the river, Google Maps now shows the 13 minutes the trip takes by tram instead of 19 minutes via the F train.

The schedule is still in testing, so the feed may change or be temporarily unavailable in the future. RIOC will provide updates to the schedule over time. The schedule is static, meaning it shows the planned schedule instead of tracking the real-time location of any busses or tram cabins. The goal is to launch it permanently by the end of February, as well as to have it appear on Bing Maps and Apple Maps (where currently the tram appears but not the busses).

“The Roosevelt Island Tram has been a relied upon and heavily used mode of transportation that has been serving New Yorkers for the past 45 years and carries about 6,000 people per day between the island and Manhattan,” said Representative Carolyn Maloney. “Despite all that the tram contributes to our community, it has never appeared on Google Maps. By listing it as an option and displaying its schedule on Google Maps, Roosevelt Islanders and visitors alike will be able to better take advantage of this eco-friendly transportation option. I am thrilled that District Leader Alex Bores and island residents successfully campaigned to correct this oversight.”

The team used software built by the National Rural Transit Assistance Program (NRTAP) program under the federal Department of Transportation. The free software makes it easier for smaller transit agencies to create and change their schedules in ways that Google and other map providers can ingest.

District Leader Kim Moscaritolo, who helped start the project, said, “I’ve spent many years traveling to and from Roosevelt Island, and having the tram on Google maps is long overdue! Now, all residents and visitors will be able to plan their trips easily and efficiently.”

“Roosevelt Islanders rely on the tram and Red Bus to transverse the City,” said Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright. “I am pleased to have been a part of getting these critical transportation options integrated into Google Maps. I commend our local District Leader Alex Bores for working with RIOC to make this integration possible for Roosevelt Islanders and visitors to travel with ease.”

wait really??? I literally have a message I copy and paste to send any friends when they come out to visit lmao pic.twitter.com/VRz6Hk99xj

— 😷 (@indigogurt) January 14, 2022

Next project is to get the Roosevelt Island Tram on the MTA's OMNY system.

@MTA when are you bringing OMNY to the Roosevelt Island tram? It's an important part of a daily commute for our community, and I'd love to use OMNY

— Stephanie Diaz (@climate_soccer) January 13, 2022

I thought it was supposed to be installed by the end of 2021. I guess @RIOCny forgot.

— Μiguel (@LTEstyles) January 13, 2022

Cornell Tech Working On Project To Improve Roosevelt Island Local News Gathering - Will You Help?

Roosevelt Islander Online relies on your written tips, photos, videos and documents to report on local Roosevelt Island news. I greatly appreciate the efforts by residents to help inform the Roosevelt Island community.

A group of Cornell Tech students are working on a project to improve the Roosevelt Island news gathering process. Will you help?

According to Tim Bernard, one of the Cornell Tech students working on the project:

Answer quick questions to support the Roosevelt Islander!

A group of Cornell Tech students are developing a system for members of the public to respond to requests for tidbits of information, photos, etc. from local news agencies, starting with the Roosevelt Islander. Sign up as a contributor here.

NY1's Pat Kiernan discussed the importance of local news in this 2019 video report.

According to Mr Kiernan:

 ... there will be over the next decade more big shifts and how local reporting is done and how people learn about that reporting and what they do with it when they get it.

Sign up here to help Roosevelt Island and local NYC news gathering.

Cornell Tech Students Offering Digital Literacy Classes To Roosevelt Island Residents - Sign Up To Learn The ABC's Of Hardware, Data, Software, Protecting Your Phone Privacy, Googling And Massive Open Online Courses

Cornell Tech students are offering digital literacy classes open to all Roosevelt Island residents. According to Jane Swanson, Cornell Tech Assistant Director Government and Community Relations:

DIGITAL LITERACY SESSIONS

Taught by Cornell Tech Students 

Are you interested in becoming more digitally savvy? Cornell Tech students will offer 

Digital Literacy Classes to Roosevelt Islanders again this year – but the format will be a little different: three two-hour sessions will be offered on consecutive Fridays. See class descriptions below. 

Sign up HERE to attend the INFO SESSION to be held next Monday, March 8th at 1:30 p.m. EST where you can learn more about the classes. You can also reach out to me at Jane.Swanson@cornell.edu To attend the classes, you must register for the INFO SESSION. 

Cornell Tech is grateful for the support and engagement of the Roosevelt Island Senior Center in offering these on-line classes! Hope to see you at the INFO SESSION. 

INFO SESSION 

March 08, 2021 at 1:30 p.m- EST 

March 19, 2021 10-12 p.m- EST
Setttings & Speed
The ABCs of Hardware, Data, Software and more 

March 26, 2021 10-12 p.m- EST
Picking Privacy
The ABCs of Protecting Your Phone 

April 2, 2021 10-12 p.m- EST
Search & Learn
Googling How to do things and MOOCS: Massive Open Online Courses

 Sign up HERE to attend

You're Invited To Engaged Roosevelt Island Virtual Zoom Event Monday July 27 - Meet Cornell Tech Student Summer Interns Working On Roosevelt Island Renewable Energy Opportunities

Engaged Roosevelt Island was formed last year to to promote environmental understanding and boost sustainable practices on Roosevelt Island. As previously reported:

... An Engaged Opportunity Grant from Cornell University's Office of Engagement Initiatives was awarded to Cornell Tech for a year of planning and learning with the community. The goal of this grant is to promote environmental understanding and boost sustainable practices on Roosevelt Island. Throughout the year there will be engagement events to foster collaboration with residents, community groups, schools, building managers, island businesses, RIOC, RIRA and elected officials toward a cleaner and healthier neighborhood....

Engaged Roosevelt Island invites you to their upcoming event.

Let’s Reconnect and Meet the Summer Interns

Please Save the Date Monday, July 27th 4:00 to 5:00 pm

RSVP at bit.ly/3ephLmN

or email Jane.Swanson@cornell.edu

Zoom link to be provided upon registration

Although unable to hold in-person events since March, thanks to three Cornell University summer interns, work continues towards the goals of Engaged Roosevelt Island: to foster environmental understanding and boost sustainable practices on Roosevelt Island.

These three internships, supported through Cornell University’s Office of Engagement Initiatives, were awarded to Cornell University Cooperative Extension-NYC Programs (CUCE- NYC) in collaboration with Cornell Tech to carry out work that builds on the goals of Engaged Roosevelt Island. Please join us to meet the interns, learn about their work and ask any questions you may have.

According to Engaged Roosevelt Island:

What the interns are doing:

Working to make Roosevelt Island a Climate Smart Community: Camilla Bacolod is working under the supervision of a key staff member at Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) to complete and submit an application for Roosevelt Island to “mimic” and be compatible with New York State requirements and/or compliance on energy efficiency and sustainable practices.

Identifying Renewable Energy Use and Decarbonization Opportunities on Roosevelt Island: Stefan Engquist and Yosief Kidane are working under the supervision of Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council member, Chris Gassman, to explore and address one of the key questions surfaced by Engaged Roosevelt Island: what is the potential capacity to expand Roosevelt Island’s use of renewable energy? The interns are gathering information on current energy sources used by Roosevelt Islanders to identify opportunities for decarbonization including switching to renewable energy sources and identifying new place-specific options for renewable energy (e.g., tidal, geothermal power).

RSVP at bit.ly/3ephLmN or email Jane.Swanson@cornell.edu

More info about Engaged Roosevelt Island at their web site and sign up here to participate in ongoing efforts.

Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Student Neigbors Offer Virtual Tech Assistance To Residents - Make A New Friend And Become A Pen Pal With Cornell Tech Student Too

Our student neighbors at Cornell Tech

Image From You Tube

are offering virtual assistance to help Roosevelt Island residents with your tech needs. Also, consider becoming a pen pal and make some new friends with Cornell Tech students.

According to Cornell Tech

Cornell Tech students would like to connect virtually with Roosevelt Islanders during this challenging time and have come up with a few ways of doing so:

Virtual Tech Assistance: a few weeks ago Cornell Tech students received a number of “takers” on their offer to provide virtual tech assistance to Roosevelt Island residents. Now the students are back for round two! Perhaps you would like help using your iPad, phone, or laptop. Or, during this time of social isolation, maybe you would like to learn how to connect remotely with family and friends. No matter what it is, the students will do their best to help you. If interested, please email Jane.Swanson@cornell.edu with your name, phone number and a description of the type of help you need. The student organizers will do their best to match you with the student volunteer who can best address your need(s).

Pen Pals: all of us feel some sort of isolation during this stay-at-home time and many of us would love to make new connections – Cornell Tech students included! A number of them are interested in getting to know their Roosevelt Island neighbors better and learning about their families, backgrounds, hobbies, life on Roosevelt Island, etc. And many Roosevelt Islanders are separated from family and friends during this time and are also looking to make connections.

Virtually “meeting” Cornell Tech students and learning about their areas of study, backgrounds, career goals, hobbies, etc. is a way to get to know the students and to make new friends. If having a pen pal interests you, please email Jane.Swanson@cornell.edu with your name, email, and if you would like, a few sentences about yourself! (If you want to participate but do not have an email account, the students can help with that as well. Please call 646-220-1505).

Meet some Cornell Tech students and learn what they do.

Cornell Tech Urban Studies Post Doc Asks If Roosevelt Island Boudaries & Community Resilience In Time Of Coronavirus Crisis May Serve As Example For Future Policy In Preventing, Coping And Managing Spread Of Infectious Disease

NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo hopes that we have learned lessons from the Coronavirus Pandemic and will be able to build a better society because of it.

We are going through hell.

When this is all over, I want people to say, we went through hell but we learned lessons and we built a better society because of it.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 20, 2020

Sharon Yavo Ayalon. PhD. Architect, Postdoctoral Associate at Cornell Tech begins to raise some interesting issues that may be part of future lessons learned for Roosevelt Island and other urban areas in this excerpt from her article below:

... at a time when urban boundaries are redrawn for numerous reasons, the relative resilience of Roosevelt Island’s local community in this time of crisis may serve as an example for future urban development and policy.

... the definition of clear urban boundaries may prove key to preventing and coping with the spread of infectious diseases, or at least play a role in managing the process of getting ‘back to normal.’ Living on Roosevelt Island reminds me of the capacity of social boundaries to contribute to community resilience....

Here's the full article from Sharon Yavo Avalon:

The Healing Capacity of Urban Boundaries

As I write these lines while working remotely from my 23rd floor apartment on Cornell-Tech’s Roosevelt Island campus, I gaze out at the surreal emptiness of the Queensboro Bridge during the COVID19 outbreak. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, a handful of go-getters are taking a morning walk on the water promenade, and the tram just left the terminal. Though we live in the most contaminated city in the world in these hectic times, with incessant news reports and risk alerts and constant speculation on social media, it is almost as if nothing has changed. The water barrier remains a wall separating the island from the rest of the city’s stream of infections and horrifying statistics – perhaps not in a medical sense, as we cannot truly be isolated from the virus, but in a social sense, highlighting a different aspect of the capacity of urban boundaries to protect a community. And I wonder: Might these well-defined boundaries offer sort of insight toward demarcating a route of egress from this pandemic?

Read more »

Sign Up Now For Cornell Tech Adult 60 Years Old And Over Tech Literacy Course Beginning In March With Information Session February 28 - Prior Class Got Great Review

Cornell Tech will be hosting an 8 week Tech Literacy Course for Roosevelt Island adults 60 years of age and older at the Carter Burden Network Roosevelt Island Senior Center in March and beginning with an Information Session Friday February 28.

Cornell Tech Image From 2018 Roosevelt Island Seniors Tech Literacy Class

According to Cornell Tech Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations Jane Swanson:

Read more »

Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Students Celebrate Hindu Holi Festival Last Friday, Welcoming Spring And Summer With Colorful Body Paint, Music & Dance

Last Friday, May 10, Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech students were spotted joyously dancing, running around campus in colorful face and body paint.

What was going on? Did the stress and tension of the academic year finally cause some to crack up?

No, what happened was a celebration of the Hindu Holiday of Holi - meant to welcome the coming of Spring and Summer as well as to spread happiness and love.

According to Cornell Tech Students Sat:

... It's a Festival to spread love and inclusivity, where you let go of your pain and suffering and make friends as a group....

and Anmol:

It's a very fun Festival where we put color on each other's faces and everywhere and then we hose them down with water. It's a lot of fun. You guys should try it.

Holi was traditionally celebrated on March 21 this year but Anmol explains why Cornell Tech celebrated last Friday:

Cornell Tech celebrated it last Friday as weather is a bit kinder (it’s not freezing outside ) and the festival of Holi is preferably celebrated outdoors. Also we thought it would be the perfect way to end the semester, which it was.

Almost all universities ( Stanford, Harvard, etc) have their own version of Holi and we were glad to start this tradition at Cornell Tech.

More on the Holi tradition here.

Amazing Roosevelt Island Girl Scouts Tech Hoppers Robotics Team Win NYC Lego Championship, On Way To World Championship Next Week With Plan For Asteroid To Mars - Honored By NY State Senator Jose Serrano With Achievement Certificate And Cited As Shining Example To All Young Women Interested In Robotics

As reported last March 18, Roosevelt Island Girl Scout Troop 3001 Tech Hoppers Robotics Team were the winners in the First Lego League NYC Robotics Championship. Girl Scout Troop 3001 Leader Aiesha Eleusizov reported at the time:

We are all still in a state of shock!! We did indeed win the NYC First LEGO League Robotics tournament today! The top two teams in NYC go to the World Championships in Detroit - It's pretty amazing!! The girls did such an amazing job!!

Last Wednesday evening April 17, during the Tech Hoppers final practice at Cornell Tech's Tata Innovation Center before heading off to the First World Championship Competition in Detroit, Roosevelt Island's NY State Senator Jose Serrano met with the Tech Hoppers team,

listened to their competition presentation on Flying An Asteroid To Mars and honored the Tech Hoppers with a Certificate Of Achievement.

According to this statement from Senator Serrano's office:

... Senator Serrano will be honoring Girl Scout Troop 3001's the Tech Hoppers, for their achievements in robotics and their first place victory in the FIRST Lego League New York City Championship. Next week, the troop is proudly headed to the worldwide FIRST Championship in Detroit, the world’s largest celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) for students. The team of nine girls in the 6th and 7th grades, meets weekly at the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island, where they are mentored and coached by Cornell students and staff. In its four years, the troops robotics program has involved over 15 Girl Scouts and has never turned a girl away because of need or experience.

"As a supporter of empowering girls and women to enter STEM fields, I am very proud of the Roosevelt Island Tech Hoppers," said Senator Serrano. "They serve as a wonderful example to other young students interested in robotics, and regardless of the outcome at the world championship, they have already accomplished a tremendous achievement."

and from social media.

Today I had the privilege of visiting the @girlscoutsnyc @nycfirst #TechHoppers at @cornell_tech #RooseveltIsland as they head to the World Championship in Detroit! They’re a shining example to all young women interested in robotics and #STEM. I’m so proud of their amazing work! pic.twitter.com/vcx57ID9Vu

— Sen. Jose M. Serrano (@SenatorSerrano) April 18, 2019

“I have a tremendous amount of pride in all of you. You should aim high.” @SenatorSerrano visits @cornell_tech and our @girlscoutsnyc @nycfirst #TechHoppers as they get ready for the World Championship in Detroit. They got certificates. He got cookies 🍪 pic.twitter.com/zeHdBrLIXH

— Diane Levitt (@diane_levitt) April 17, 2019

Here's the Roosevelt Island Girl Scout Tech Hoppers practice presentation proposing their solution to the radiation problem for astronauts traveling to Mars - use an asteroid as the transportation vehicle

Here's State Senator Serrano's presentation of Achievement Certificates to the Tech Hoppers Team.



Girl Scout Troop 3001 Leader Aiesha Eleusizov adds:

I would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all of our supporters -

Cornell Tech for providing the team with an amazing space, coaches and mentors – in particular, Diane Levitt and Samara Rose Selden and Cornell Tech mentors Jillian Burns, Natalie Abrams and Jivesh Tolani!

Nathalie and Ilan from Dr. Wu's lab at Cornell Tech

Talya Stein, Anne Goodfriend and Yoav Friedland from FIRST Lab for providing a welcoming space for us to practice on weekends!

Mike Sorrenti from SpaceX for mentoring and inspiring the girls on all things space-related!

Norm Sutaria and Lisa Cai from NYC FIRST

Girl Scouts of Greater New York - Abby Whipker, CEO Meredith Maskara and the Council's fabulous fundraising team, for supporting the team and sending us to Detroit!

We couldn't have accomplished so much without all of this incredible support!!

Roosevelt Island parents -

This is our local RI Girl Scout team and we are heading to Detroit next week!!! Our wonderful Girl Scout council is fundraising to pay for the entire trip!!! If you can support the team, please consider a tax deductible donation to our council!

You can follow us while we’re there on Instagram at techhoppers.

I am so proud of how hard these girls have worked!!!

If anyone is a parent of a girl that would like to be a coach next year - please reach out to me. Our incredible coach with these amazing girls want to mentor a new team next year!!

From the Girl Scouts of Greater NY:

Since 2011, Girl Scout Robotics has become an important component of our suite of STEM programs. We’re thrilled to announce that for the first time, one of our talented teams will compete in the world championships!

The Tech Hoppers of Troop 3001 won the NYC FIRST Lego League Robotics Tournament and have advanced to the international FIRST Lego League World Championships in Detroit!

After years of hard work, the Tech Hoppers from Roosevelt Island will join tens of thousands of students, educators, and STEM industry professionals at a multi-day competition this month. We could not be more proud!

We are working to raise $25,000 to send the Tech Hoppers to the Championship, and we hope friends like you will invest in these young engineers.

Will you make a gift to send this talented team to Detroit?...

Congrats to the Roosevelt Island Girls Scouts Tech Hoppers team for your achievements to date. Roosevelt Island is rooting for you in the Championships. Good Luck.

What's Going On With Roosevelt Island Sportspark Facility Renovations And Program Improvements - Cornell Tech Students Submit Sportspark Renovation Proposal To RIOC

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) operates the Sportspark Facility. According to RIOC:

... Sportspark is located just south of the Tramway Plaza on Roosevelt Island. The facility opened in 1977 and is available for the public to use on a membership, drop-in, or permit basis. Permit price varies according to the event, date, and number of hours.

The Facility

The Sportspark Complex is designed to offer numerous athletic opportunities for the New York City community. This indoor athletic recreation facility is equipped with a pool, gymnasium, multipurpose room, and locker room areas. Sportspark offers multiple indoor athletic and general fitness opportunities for all ages throughout the year....

Sportspark Image From Google Maps

The Sportspark facility is in need of building renovations and program improvements. The Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Island Services and Planning Committees have asked to meet with RIOC to provide community input on Sportspark renovations, improvements and future programing. To date, RIRA has not been successful in obtaining a meeting with RIOC on Sportspark issues.

RIOC President Susan Rosenthal reported on the status of Sportspark renovations and community input in her April Community report: According to Ms. Rosenthal:

Sportspark Renovation

RIRA also recently asked us to review their report and ideas for the Sportspark renovation project. While we have more plans to solicit community input on this project, we first should update you on the plan’s current state.

The first Sportspark RFP, set to be released by mid-June, is for design services and biddable documents only; not for physical renovation (that will be addressed in a subsequent RFP). Once we have a firm in place, then we will engage you, and the RIRA committee (and utilize our Cornell community study on possible programs) to receive your input and ideas on the renovation.

Members of our staff have reviewed the information RIRA provided, of which a majority involves facility concerns that we are aware of and agree should be addressed with the design.

We recognize RIRA is excited about the project and so are we. We look forward to working together. I will share additional updates as the project moves along.

Below are excerpts from the December 2017 Cornell Tech Sportspark Student Report.

Executive Summary

This report constitutes the recommendations for Sportspark improvements based on the discussions between Mary Cunneen and the Cornell Tech student team, as well as objective data gathered by a community-wide survey. The goal is to take advantage of the planned resources for renovation to make Sportspark more available, accessible, and relevant to the community, as well as drive conversion from daily passes to memberships. To this end, we recommend a use case for the upper floor, elucidation of Sportspark information, opening enabling facility amenities outside of class-hours, the creation of additional activities, and other suggestions as determined by the information we collected....

... Closing Thoughts

The biggest current problems with Sportspark are unclear messaging to potential patrons, a lack of “open-gym” activities, misalignment with the needs of some community members, and maintenance concerns. Our goal for this proposal was to address those problems, and we believe that the renovation provides a perfect opportunity to solve many of them. We hope that Sportspark can benefit from some of the suggestions provided here, and that the survey data collected can help guide future decisions that are out of scope of the topics discussed herein....

... Most commonly cited issues/suggestions from the Additional Comments section:

The locker rooms need renovation, including:

• Fix the showers to have adjustable water temperature o Add hooks to hang towels
• Fix toilet stall doors
• Showers should be sanitized regularly
• Soap dispensers should be filled

The website needs to be updated to be more navigable and clearer to readers

There should be a weight room with a trainer

Extend open hours (6am-10pm)

The water temperature in the pool is too cold

Make a group-priced membership available

Make the multipurpose room nicer with a softer floor

Add more family activities

Add more Yoga and Swimming lessons

Increase awareness of the facility across RI

Basketball Court should be mopped more frequently

Add Tennis lessons

Add Yoga-specific membership option

Add Cardio equipment

Add mirrors to multipurpose room

Establish partnership with Cornell Tech

Better AC in multipurpose room

Reconsider swim-cap rule for younger children

and here's the full Cornell Tech Student Sportspark Renovation report.

When Will Citibike Docking Stations Come To Roosevelt Island - Who Knows, But Cornell Tech Students Developing Pilot Roosevelt Island Dockless Bike Sharing Project

A frequent Roosevelt Island question asked is:

Why is there no @CitiBikeNYC on Roosevelt Island? @Rooseveltisland #pleasepleaseplease

— R P (@unionmaidnyc) April 23, 2018

Last weekend, I asked this group of Citibike riders visiting Roosevelt Island

where they got their Citibikes. They said from one of the many bike docking stations near their home in Long Island City and they asked why there was no docking station on Roosevelt Island, which they added, would be a perfect location.

Last month, I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Information Officer Alonza Robertson:

Any info on Roosevelt Island getting Citibike stations?

Mr Robertson replied;

RIOC staff is holding off pursuing any bike share companies until all the Helix road construction, both lanes ..

are completed.

A group of Cornell Tech students are working on a pilot project to bring dockless bike sharing to Roosevelt Island and beyond.

The Wall Street Journal explains dockless bike sharing.



The Cornell Tech students developing a Roosevelt Island dockless bike sharing program are

• Harrison Zhao
• Owen Wang
• Hanfu Liao
• Jim Zhu

and report:

We have built our minimum variable product, which includes an emailing unlocking system and two bikes. The tasks we are working on right now is to build a Bluetooth distance sensor that will guide users to park the bikes at specific areas so that the bikes won't affect others. For our next step, we will do more user research and refine our product. We plan to buy more bikes and launch our product..... The product will be first open to Cornell Tech students, and then open to the public.

In term of our mission, we hope our product could benefit people on the island and other daily commuters and make short trips more convenient and affordable. Moreover, we wish, through our product, Cornell Tech and Cornell Tech students can better fit into the Roosevelt Island community.

This is how the dockless bike sharing would work on Roosevelt Island



and Long Island City.



The Roosevelt Island dockless bike sharing pilot project began as a student project for the Cornell Tech Remaking The City Class. Here is December 2017 presentation by the student team

Roosevelt Island Dockless Bike Sharing Program Proposal From Cornell Tech Students

to a group of Roosevelt Island residents and Cornell Tech faculty.

Currently, the closest Citibike docking stations to Roosevelt Island are in Long Island City and Astoria.

Image From Citibike

More on Roosevelt Island bike sharing efforts, which have been going on since 2010

  Former RIOC President Leslie Torres & Nonno's Pizza Owner Alphonse At 2010  Bike Sharing Demo

at this prior post.

Stay tuned for upcoming Roosevelt Island bike sharing news.

Roosevelt Island Girl Scouts Tech Hoppers Lego League Robotics Team Win Award For Innovative Solution To Combined Sewer Overflow Problem With Support From Cornell Tech Faculty And Students

Roosevelt Island Girl Scout Troop 3001 Leader Aiesha Eleusizov reports:

Our troop’s robotics team was featured in a special video at the Girl Scouts of Greater New York Gala at Cipriani on Monday evening! Several of the Girl Scouts on the team attended the Gala and showcased the robot and their project. We hope you enjoy the video and if you see the Tech Hoppers around the island - encourage them to keep coding!

Cornell Tech Director of K - 12 Education Diane Levitt tweets:

Watch the story of the #TechHoppers, the #RooseveltIsland @GirlScoutsNYC robotics troop sponsored by @cornell_tech. We loved having these amazing young women on our campus every week. Can't wait for next year! @girlscouts @SylviaAcevedo @lathamwatkins https://t.co/P6Ev2OkRF4

— Diane Levitt (@diane_levitt) May 2, 2018

and shares the video of Roosevelt Island's Tech Hoppers Girl Scouts Troop 3001.



Ms Eleusizov adds:

The Tech Hoppers would like to express our sincere appreciation to Cornell Tech and Girl Scouts of Greater New York for their generous support of Roosevelt Island’s Girl Scout Troop 3001’s FIRST Lego League Robotics team this season! Their support has helped these girls have an amazing STEM experience this year! They earned third place overall in the qualifiers and won an award for their creative presentation made by the team about their innovative solution to solving the problem of Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) - which gave them a spot in the NY Citywide finals!

Cornell Tech provided an amazing motivational workspace for the girls at the Maker’s Lab at Cornell Tech. often there were Cornell grad students there working on projects at the same time - and the Girl Scouts were inspired by hearing about their cool high tech projects. They printed Cornell Tech and Girl-Scout inspired sweatshirts for the girls and helped them design and make their own light-up “Grace Hopper” headbands and hosted a fun tech end of the year celebration/party! Cornell Tech also generously sponsored Lego missions and robot supplies such as extra sensors to help the girls to build an amazing robot and program it to achieve its missions.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Diane Levitt, Senior Director of K-12 Education for Cornell Tech - she sacrificed her Wednesday evenings from September to March to support our team, allowing them to meet in the Maker Lab. She also led many awesome STEM learning activities and found incredibly patient student mentors for our budding engineers.

Jivesh Tolani, an MBA student at Cornell Tech, mentored the girls weekly since September - teaching not only our girls to code their robot to solve missions, but also mentoring other Girl Scout robotics teams in other parts of NYC. His dedication to the team was so appreciated.

Thanks to Niti Parikh, director of the MakerLAB, who let us use the lab all semester and leave our large table with lego missions in the middle of the lab all season!

Falana Ash joined us in the MakerLab when Diane wasn’t available and did the ordering of supplies and sweatshirts to make sure we had everything we needed for the girls to do their best.

Technologist in Residence Benedetta Simeonidis and David Gibbs, taught the girls about circuits and helped them make light- up Grace Hopper hats.

Cornell students and staff helped the girls further develop their idea for a new type of rainwater harvesting tank - and prepare a “Shark Tank” style presentation for the Global Innovation Award.

Steve Noone from the Cornell Tech capital planning team walked the girls around the campus and explained how the campus was built to manage water - inspiring the girls to come up with a solution to help solve the problem of Combined Sewer Overflow.

Thank you Cornell Tech and Girl Scouts of Greater New York!

Congrats to Roosevelt Island Girl Scouts Tech Hoppers Robotics Team.

Great job and keep coding!!!!!.