Noteworthy: Research grants, awards and publications

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Eric Stern, interim director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence, was on WTEN’s morning show with Stephanie Rivas to share details about UAlbany’s research partnership on a new U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium.

ALBANY, N.Y. (Feb. 29, 2024) — The latest developments on University at Albany faculty and staff who are receiving research grants, awards and other noteworthy attention.

  • Distinguished Professor of Sociology Zai Liang, along with Associate Professor of Sociology Tse-Chuan Yang, received $75,000 in funding from the Russell Sage Foundation for the study, “The Economic and Social Impact of COVID-19 and Anti-Asian Hate on Chinatown and Low-Skilled Chinese Immigrant Workers.” Liang, also a professor of East Asian Studies, plans to study foot traffic, sales, participation in financial aid programs and hate-related incidents to uncover patterns of how business in New York City’s Chinatown suffered and recovered during and after the pandemic and how business owners were affected by anti-Asian hate.
  • RNA Institute researchers recently published a study in Analytical Chemistry that was featured on the cover of the journal's January 2024 edition. The study explored the use of Raman spectroscopy to test for mRNA integrity in sealed COVID-19 vaccine vials, to determine whether a vaccine is active or degraded. Findings could help address mRNA vaccine delivery challenges for COVID-19 and other diseases.
  • Eric Stern, interim director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence, was featured live on WTEN’s morning show with Stephanie Rivas to share details about UAlbany’s research partnership on a new U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium and how the University is leading the way in bringing AI into the classroom. 
  • Distinguished Professor Emeritus Ronald Toseland, of the School of Social Welfare and internationally renowned gerontologist, has been listed among the top-100 most impactful global contributors to social work by the academic journal Research on Social Work Practice. The analysis behind this ranking focused on publications, citations and impact through the course of researchers' careers. From 1977 to 2019, Toseland published 75 papers and was cited 164,346 times.