In a salute to innovative student scholarship, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) hosted the inaugural 2026 Capstone Showcase on May 15 as a way to highlight stand-out research from across the School’s undergraduate and graduate programs.
Organized by the CUNY SPS Improving the Teaching and Learning Experience Strategic Planning Group, the all-day virtual event highlighted a wide range of topics that reflected both the diversity of the School’s curriculum and the students’ thought-provoking projects. This event follows the School’s recent Inaugural Full-Time Faculty Research & Projects Celebration, which also spotlighted the high-quality teaching and scholarship provided by CUNY SPS faculty.
Following opening remarks by CUNY SPS Dean Lisa R. Braverman and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Jennifer Sparrow, the Capstone Showcase featured back-to-back presentations by selected undergraduates in the morning session, and graduate students in the afternoon session. CUNY SPS faculty also introduced the student presenters and helped lead Q&A sessions at the close of each round of presentations.
Some highlights from the inaugural Capstone Showcase included:
Joël Scoville, BA in Liberal Studies, presented her capstone project Ain't I a Writer?: How the Exclusion of Black Women Dramatists in Theatre Perpetuates the Misrepresentation of Black Women in the Social Consciousness. Scoville, a playwright, dramatist and lyricist, discussed why it has historically been so difficult to get plays by Black women playwrights onto the stage.
Corey Pettway, BS in Business, discussed his project Applying the AAA Framework to Overcome Trade Barriers: A Case Study in Educational Product Globalization, which featured Pettway’s research on a product he is developing that helps children improve their learning skills from preschool on.
Ebony Walker, MS in Nursing Organizational Leadership, shared her capstone Improving Scheduling Accuracy, which focused on improving surgical booking accuracy at NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, where she works in the perioperative department.
Chi Hang (Philip) Cheung, MS in Data Science, presented Stock Market Chatbot (SMC) 0.4. Cheung, a clinical laboratory professional who is developing a conversational agent for stock market analysis, described how this agent can run on consumer-grade hardware using open weight large language models and retrieval augmented generation.
See below for a complete list of student presenters and their projects.
Undergraduate Student Capstone Projects:
- Yext, Inc. Strategic Management & Global Expansion Analysis, Idelsi Botex, BS in Business
- Ain't I a Writer?: How the Exclusion of Black Women Dramatists in Theatre Perpetuates the Misrepresentation of Black Women in the Social Consciousness, Joël Scoville, BA in Liberal Studies
- Open Mic: Episode 1 - Heavy Matters, Rashele Skinner, BA in Communication and Media
- Harmony Olayiwola ePortfolio, Harmony Olayiwola, BA in Disability Studies
- Employee Training and Engagement: Pillars of Success, Shani Long-Boxill, BA in Human Relations
- Applying the AAA Framework to Overcome Trade Barriers: A Case Study in Educational Product Globalization, Corey Pettway, BS in Business
Graduate Student Capstone Projects:
- Healthcare Mergers and Acquisitions: Important Research Considerations, Erica Ellington, MS in Research Administration and Compliance
- Bianca Smith ePortfolio, Bianca Smith, MA in Disability Studies
- Improving Laboratory Result Interoperability in the Core Chemistry Laboratory of Mount Sinai Hospital Through Health Information Management Governance to Reduce Diagnostic Delays in Acute Care, Dimario Roach, MS in Health Information Management
- Alyssa Seibert Capstone, Alyssa Seibert, MA in Youth Studies
- Clinically Based DRG Denial Improvement in HIM, Tracey Pinelli, MS in Health Information Management
- Research Safety Training and Its Efficacy in Higher Education, William Borgeson, MS in Research Administration and Compliance
- HIM Leadership Driving Data Governance and Operational Performance in HEDIS Outcomes, Antoinette Renfurm-Thorpe, MS in Health Information Management
- Failure to Remove Foley Catheter in a Timely Manner, Davianne Silvera, MS in Nursing Organizational Leadership
- Improving Scheduling Accuracy, Ebony Walker, MS in Nursing Organizational Leadership
- Stock Market Chatbot (SMC) 0.4, Chi Hang (Philip) Cheung, MS in Data Science
About the CUNY School of Professional Studies
As New York's leading online school since 2006, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) offers the most online bachelor's and master's degree options at the City University of New York, and serves as the University's first undergraduate all-transfer college. With over 26 degrees and numerous other non-degree and grant-funded workplace learning programs, CUNY SPS meets the needs of adults who wish to finish a bachelor's degree, progress from an associate's degree, earn a master's degree or certificate in a specialized field, and advance in the workplace or change careers. Consistently ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report for its online offerings, CUNY SPS has emerged as a nationwide leader in online education. The School's renowned and affordable online programs ensure that busy working adults may fulfill their educational goals on their own time and schedule.
Press Contact
Prerna Dar
CUNY SPS Chief Marketing Officer
Prerna.dar@cuny.edu