Author: Christie Williams

Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences SLP Alum Recipient of the WPLG Local 10 LIFEchanger Award

Julia, a Camp Wings of Friendship camper, and LIFEChanger nominee, Samantha Novick Courtesy from The Friendship Journey

The Department of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) is excited to acknowledge alumnus Samantha Novick, who was the recipient of the WPLG Local 10 LIFEchanger Award.

This award recognizes a “hometown hero who has made a positive impact at a pivotal point in someone’s life.” Samantha was nominated by a camper from Camp Wings of Friendship, a free 8-week virtual summer camp for teens and adults with disabilities, that Samantha started and led this summer of 2020. Several NSU SLP Graduate Students served as assistant counselors and supported campers throughout various camp activities.

The Friendship Journey of South Florida, the nonprofit organization where Samantha serves as president, and Dylan’s Wings of Change of Connecticut, co-created Wings of Friendship to foster dialogue, develop friendships and deepen connections amongst individuals of all abilities in a safe, virtual space. NSU SLP graduate students continue to do community work in their ongoing programming.

We are so proud of you, Samantha!

 

 

 

NSU Writing and Communication Center Produces “The Writer’s Edge” Podcast

The NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) produces a weekly podcast titled “The Writer’s Edge” (TWE), which promises to cover ”what it take to succeed as a writer in academia and beyond,” exploring all forms of writing and communication “from the arts to the sciences and everything in between.” TWE features the following:

  • Interviews with NSU faculty highlighting writing in their discipline
  • Topical episodes on writing issues (such as dealing with writer’s block)
  • Interviews with NSU authors/designers/makers discussing their creative process
  • A showcase of podcasts created by NSU students
  • Discussions of writing-related events and projects on campus

Their most recently released episode sits down with Dr. Richard Singer, Chair of the NSU College of Dental Medicine, to discuss writing in the scientific professions.

Currently, TWE is hosted by HCAS Associate Professor and WCC Faculty Coordinator, Eric Mason, Ph.D., with the help of WCC Graduate Assistant Coordinators, and HCAS Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media Master’s students, Adara Cox, Emma Masur, and Michael Lynn, all of whom share a love for podcasting. “I feel like podcasting is really important for NSU students,” Adara states. “We’re all consuming media daily in some form or another, and a podcast gives students one more way to connect with different people and organizations, including the Writing and Communication Center.” For Emma, podcasting is a form of “digital storytelling where you can educate listeners about writing without having to resort to writing yourself.” And for Michael, hearing someone’s voice can be calming and encourage dialogue. He says a good podcast can be “like Franklin Roosevelt’s fireside chats in the 1930s and 40s, where radio was used to unify the country during times of crisis.” All of these suggest that now, while many students and faculty continue to connect remotely, is the perfect time for this podcast to reach out and engage students.

TWE is hosted on anchor.fm and available on Spotify and other platforms such as Google podcasts and Apple podcasts. TWE is always looking for faculty and students to talk to and projects to cover, so if you have episode ideas, questions or topics you would like them to address, or student podcasting projects to highlight, contact the WCC at wcc@nova.edu. They would love to hear from you.

To check out episodes: https://anchor.fm/nsuwcc

 

 

 

 

 

HCAS Alum Speaks at the Social Justice Roundtable during Virtual Residential Institute

Tony Gaskew, Ph.D

Tony Gaskew, Ph.D., graduate of the doctoral program in Conflict Analysis and Resolution in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS) in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS) was the featured presenter at the Social Justice Roundtable during the Virtual Residential Institute hosted by DCRS. This was the first time that Residential Institute was held virtually. Gaskew discussed his upcoming book, Stop Trying to Fix Policing: Lessons Learned from the Front Lines of Black Liberation.

Gaskew is professor of Criminal Justice and Director, Criminal Justice Program at University of Pittsburg Bradford. He spent over 20 years in law enforcement. In 2016, he was one of ten US educators invited to the White House to participate in a Roundtable on Criminal Justice Reform.

Gaskew has published extensively in the areas of criminal justice, and policing. He was a recipient of the 2014 NSU Distinguished Alumni Award.  His honors include the Fulbright-Hays Fellow for a research project in Egypt and the Academic Fellow in Terrorist Studies in Israel by The Foundation for Defense of Democracies.  He was named a University of Pittsburgh Faculty Diversity Fellow and Teacher of the Year by The National Society of Leadership and Success. He is the founding director of the nationally recognized UPB Prison Education Program. Gaskew received the Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies (DHS) Beacon of Dignity Award at Columbia University in 2015 for his outstanding dedication to equality and human rights. He is the book series editor of Critical Perspectives on Race, Crime, and Justice. For more information about his upcoming book, please see https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498589505/Stop-Trying-to-Fix-Policing-Lessons-Learned-from-the-Front-Lines-of-Black-Liberation

For more information about the Social Justice Roundtable, please contact Judith McKay, J.D., Ph.D., at mckayj@nova.edu

 

 

HCAS Research on Hammerhead Shark Migrations Identifies their Seasonally Resident Areas

 

Hammerhead sharks are some of the most iconic and unique-looking creatures in our oceans. While some may think they look a bit “odd,” one thing researchers agree on is that little is known about them. Many of the 10 hammerhead shark species are severely overfished worldwide for their fins and in need of urgent protection to prevent their extinction.

To learn more about a declining hammerhead species that is data poor but in need of conservation efforts,  a team of researchers from NSU’s  Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center (SOSF SRC) and Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI), Fish Finder Adventures, the University of Rhode Island and University of Oxford (UK), embarked on a study to determine their migration patterns in the western Atlantic Ocean.

The research team satellite tagged sharks off the US Mid-Atlantic coast and then tracked the sharks for up to 15 months. The sharks were fitted with fin-mounted satellite tags that reported the sharks’ movements in near real time via a satellite link to the researchers.

“Getting long-term, high resolution tracks was instrumental in identifying not only clear seasonal travel patterns but also the times and areas where the sharks were resident in between their migrations – key information for management action to help build back this depleted species,” said Ryan Logan, a Ph.D., student at the Halmos College of Arts & Sciences and Guy Harney Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS), GHRI and SOSF SRC, and first author of the newly published research.

The researchers found that the sharks acted like snowbirds, migrating between two seasonally resident areas – in coastal waters off New York in the summer and off North Carolina in the winter.

“The high resolution movements data showed these focused wintering and summering habitats off North Carolina and New York, respectively, to be prime ocean “real estate” for these sharks and therefore important areas to protect for the survival of these near endangered animals,” said Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D., professor in the HCAS and director of the GHRI and SOSF SRC, who oversaw the study.

Identifying such areas of high residency provides targets for designation as “Essential Fish Habitat” – an official title established by the US Government, which if formally adopted can subsequently be subject to special limitations on fishing or development to protect such declining species. The tracking data also revealed a second target for conservation. The hammerheads spent a lot of resident time in the winter in a management zone known as the  Mid-Atlantic Shark Area (MASA) – a zone already federally closed for seven-months per year (January 1 to July 31) to commercial bottom longline fishing to protect another endangered species, the dusky shark. However, the tracking data showed that the smooth hammerheads arrived in the MASA earlier in December, while this zone is still open to fishing.

“Extending the closure of the MASA zone by just one month, starting on December 1 each year, could reduce the fishing mortality of juvenile smooth hammerheads even more”, said Shivji.

The tracks of the smooth hammerheads (and other shark species) can be found at

www.ghritracking.org. For more information about the project, please contact Shivji at mahmood@nova.edu

Department of Family Therapy Joins the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

As result of NSU reorganizing, the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (KPCOM) welcomed the addition of the Department of Family Therapy in June. The fit served as a proper one, as the department has already been collaborating with the KPCOM through the Medical Family Therapy Clinic launching in 2016, and most recently the joint B.S. in Health and Wellness Coaching program in fall 2020.

“Based on the systemic and collaborative perspectives utilized by the KPCOM and similarities in our philosophies, this reorganization has been a good fit for us,” said Farah Niazi, Ph.D., LMFT, LMHC, Department of Family Therapy chair and assistant professor. “We believe that this transition has brought new prospects for us in learning opportunities and to expand what we do well as systemic marriage and family therapists.”

The integration will allow several opportunities to work collaboratively with other departments within the KPCOM to provide opportunities for students and faculty members, as well as to create the space to seek new grants and contracts. The department has already been highly involved with the NSU-KPCOM Unity Program for Change, while working with the departments of basic sciences, geriatrics, medical education, and internal medicine on upcoming projects. In addition, it has started teletherapy services for clients at the Brief Therapy Institute on-site clinic and plans to launch the service at the Medical Family Therapy Clinic at NSU’s Sanford L. Ziff Health Center.

The Department of Family Therapy’s academic offerings include the B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies, B.S. in Health and Wellness Coaching, M.S. in Family Therapy, Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy, and Ph.D. in Family Therapy. The department also houses a unique certificate in solution-focused coaching, concentrations in medical family therapy and equine-assisted therapy, in addition to coursework in military families, infant mental health, grief and loss, and much more.

“We are excited about the future possibilities for collaboration, including expanding practice of medical family therapy, collaborating on medical outreach trips, working together on school-based and other community service projects, and cocreating educational opportunities for students, such as joint certifications and degrees,” Niazi said.

Marine Environmental Education Center to Receive Living Florida Coral Reef Exhibit

NSU Marine Environmental Education Center (MEEC) is getting a new addition!

To help educate the public about the wonders, beauty and threats to Florida’s coastal water ecosystems, a new coral reef exhibit is being installed at the MEEC that features live native corals, fish, and invertebrates. This first tank is more than 300 gallons and should be up and running by early 2021. Two additional exhibit tanks are planned to focus on the critical importance of mangroves and sea grasses. This exhibit is joining “Captain,” the green sea turtle who is the permanent resident – and environmental ambassador – at NSU’s MEEC.

“This project fits right in with the mission of the MEEC,” said Derek Burkholder, Ph.D., research scientists and director of the center. “Educating the public about our marine environments is vital and by brining attention to the plight of our coral reefs, we’re adding a new dimension to our outreach efforts.”

Initial funding was spearheaded by the regional nonprofit organization, Friends of Our Florida Reefs (FOFR). Generous donors have already committed $7,500 to kick start a ‘challenge match’ campaign for the exhibit. By the end of 2020, FOFR hopes to contribute at least $15,000 depending upon additional public donations towards the budget for the living coral reef tank and detailed informational signage.

Gifts of any size may be donated directly to FOFR (via the website, Facebook page, or mail) for the match challenge. Donors contributing $100 or more for the MEEC reef tank match will be invited to submit names for established coral colonies living along the southeast Florida reefs, and donors contributing $250 or more will have the opportunity to submit names for a limited number of corals to be placed in the MEEC tank.

NSU’s MEEC will provide additional funding and expert maintenance, while also fundraising for the remaining two tanks to highlight local mangrove and seagrass communities.

“As with coral reefs around the Earth, Florida’s long-lived corals have come under considerable stress over the last 30 years,” said FOFR Co-founder Scott Sheckman. “It’s critical that we do all we can to increase public awareness and appreciation of these living treasures, and reduce many man-made stressors on what remains healthy and restorable.”

FOFR is the dedicated Citizen Support Organization for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Coral Reef Conservation Program, which manages the northern section of Florida’s Coral Reef from the St. Lucie Inlet to the northern border of Biscayne National Park.

“Florida’s Coral Reef has been decimated by stony coral tissue loss disease, a serious outbreak that started in 2014,” said Melissa Sathe, FOFR’s President. “We are excited to partner with NSU which is on the forefront of disease research and reef restoration to bring awareness to our beautiful reefs.”

DEP also co-manages the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary with NOAA. DEP is working alongside NSU/MEEC to create the new displays for the first exhibit tank.

Campuswide Testing of the NSU ALERT Emergency Notification System on October 20

At NSU, the safety of our students, faculty, and staff is our highest priority. Testing the NSU ALERT emergency notification system is one component of our Emergency Preparedness Plan. The test of the NSU ALERT emergency notification system will begin on Tuesday, October 20, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. It is being conducted university wide.

PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IS ONLY A TEST.

This is part of the continual process of testing and refining NSU’s emergency notification system and will include several components of our ability to identify, respond to, and notify the NSU community about an emergency on campus. If you have not registered or updated your personal contact information, please take the time to do so right now!

Visit  nova.edu/emergency  for a step-by-step guide to registering.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Public Safety – Emergency Management at (954) 262-8981.

The NSU ALERT emergency notification system capabilities that will be tested are:

  • NSU’s mass notification system including email, text, and voice messaging
  • Emergency Information Hotline (1-800-256-5065)
  • Nova Southeastern University website—main page banner
  • NSU emergency website
  • The NSU SaferWatch App
  • NSU Facebook
  • NSU Twitter
  • Campus outdoor digital signage (Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus)
  • NSU SharkTube displays
  • computer pop-up alerts (all campuses)
  • Outdoor speakers (Fort Lauderdale/Davie, East, Oceanographic, Palm Beach, and Fort Myers campuses)
  • Emergency classroom intercoms and phones
  • Building voice evacuation—public address fire panel systems
  • NSU Public Safety portable bullhorns and vehicle public address systems

Hispanic Heritage Month 2020: Dolores Huerta

Dolores Huerta

Dolores Huerta is an activist and labor leader who co-founded what would become the United Farm Workers.

As an activist and labor leader Huerta has worked to improve social and economic conditions for farm workers and to fight discrimination. To further her cause, she created the Agricultural Workers Association (AWA) in 1960 and co-founded what would become the United Farm Workers (UFW). Huerta stepped down from the UFW in 1999, but she continues her efforts to improve the lives of workers, immigrants and women.

Huerta has been honored for her work as a fierce advocate for farm workers, immigration and women. She received the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom Award and was inducted in the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993. That year proved bittersweet for her as she also experienced the passing of her beloved friend Cesar Chavez.

In 1998, she received the Eleanor Roosevelt Award, a year before she stepped down from her position at the United Farm Workers. In 2002, she received the Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship. The $100,000 award provided her the means to create the Dolores Huerta Foundation, whose purpose is to bring organizing and training skills to low-income communities.

Click here to read more.

Source: Biography.com

Picture source: Biography.com

NSU’s Rankings Soar!

For the first time ever, NSU is publicly ranked in the prestigious Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College ranking. NSU ranked 374 this year out of 797 institutions nationally, with the strongest pillar being “Environment” where the university ranked in the first decile. Within the “South region” NSU ranked 84 out of 208 institutions.

“The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Ranking is a pioneering ranking of U.S. colleges and universities that puts student success and learning at its heart,” according to the publication.

https://www.nova.edu/nsuflorida/facts.html

 

NSU University School Students Named Academic All Americans by the National Speech & Debate Association

NSU University School is proud to congratulate the Speech and Debate students who were named Academic All Americans by the National Speech & Debate Association. From more than 141,000 student members, only two percent of students earn this award, which recognizes academic rigor, speech and debate success, and personal excellence. Award recipients must have earned the degree of Superior Distinction in NSDA’s Honor Society; completed at least five semesters of high school; earned a high GPA; and demonstrated outstanding character and leadership.

Academic All American Award Recipients:

  • Ariel A.
  • Veronica B.
  • Daniel G.
  • Ella M.
  • Emma P.
  • Peyton R.

 

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