News

From left: Professor Matthew Lundquist, Juliet Hernandez '25, Biology post-bac Eliana Fassihi, Iris Parke '23, and Professor Alessandra Leri
Science Students Present and Win at Undergraduate Research Symposium
April 24
Marymount Manhattan Biology students shone in April at the 16th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in Biological and Chemical Sciences, where they presented original research and won first place in two categories. The symposium, held at William Paterson University in New Jersey, featured more than 100 undergraduate presenters from colleges and universities across the region.
Eliana Fassihi, Biology Post-Baccalaureate Student
Biology Post-Baccalaureate Student Eliana Fassihi Explains Leri Lab Study on Telemundo
February 24
Eliana Fassihi, a post-baccalaureate Biology student and member of the Leri Research Group at Marymount Manhattan College, broke down the lab’s recently published fecal bacteria study for a Spanish-speaking audience.
CBS News Report by Doug Williams
CBS News Reports on NYC Bacterial Study by MMC Scientists
February 24
CBS News New York reports on the recent study of fecal bacteria being tracked indoors by Prof. Alessandra Leri and Biology alumna Marjan Khan ’20.
Marjan Khan '20 quantifies fecal indicator bacteria in Professor Leri's biogeochemistry lab.
Student-Professor Team Publish Study of Fecal Pathogens on NYC Sidewalks
February 3

If you live in New York City, avoiding dog feces on the sidewalk is an art form. But do fecal bacteria persist on the sidewalk after the feces are picked up? Can the bacteria transfer to your shoes? And to the indoors?

Professor of Chemistry Alessandra Leri, Ph.D., and Biology alumna Marjan Khan ’20 set out to answer these questions by quantifying the fecal pathogens enterococci and E. coli on New York City sidewalks, on shoe soles, and in the indoor environment.

Ashley Pavia '21 at the SIMS Municipal Recycling Plant in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Chemistry Professor and Student Publish Article on Plastics Recycling
January 31
Alumna Ashley Pavia ’21 and Dr. Alessandra Leri, Professor of Chemistry, have published an article on plastics recycling in the Journal of Chemical Education. The paper, “Analysis of Plastic Waste for Sorting in Recycling Plants: An Inquiry-Based FTIR Spectroscopy Experiment for the Organic Chemistry Laboratory,” describes how sophomore-level organic chemistry students can use infrared (IR) spectroscopy to explore the fate of plastic waste.
Marjan Khan with her award in front of the Natural Sciences Wall of Fame
Junior Marjan Khan Wins Top Prize for Research Presentation
May 9
Biology major Marjan Khan received an award for her research talk at the 2019 Eastern Colleges Science Conference.