Tag: Alumni

Education Alum Appointed to 2 Roles at a Chicago University

A doctoral graduate from the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice has been appointed to two different leadership roles at a Chicago university.

Steven Gerner, Ed.D., was recently named the Assistant Dean for the College of Education and the Director of the Center for Christian Education at Concordia University Chicago.

Steven Gerner, Ed.D.

“With 28 years of urban education experience, [Gerner] continues to propel forward innovative and engaging educational strategy with the goal of success for all students,” the university said in a press release.

Gerner himself said getting the position was exciting and he appreciated being recognized as a good fit for the role.

“They valued the education experiences I had, and it was a good challenge to look forward and be somewhere where they supported this idea of continually getting better really focusing on becoming a premier university to all students,” Gerner said.

In his role as the Director for the Center for Christian Education, Gerner will work to serve as a catalyst and find opportunities for faith-fueled education in the community.

But in addition to these two roles, Gerner is also the CEO for the Center for Urban Education Ministries. Despite three intensive roles, Gerner said he is ready to take them on.

“It’s three distinct roles, but as much as we can, we can meld them together to really line up the arrows in the same direction,” he said. “I feel it’s part of what Nova prepared me for, to keep moving forward with all the different various workloads.”

Gerner earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from NSU in 2010. He said his ultimate goal is make sure all students are successful academically.

“Whether it’s leveling the playing field, whether it’s giving opportunities, the end goal to be seen across our country is making sure all students can be successful.”

Congratulations and Fins Up to you!

Posted 05/07/23

Psychology Alum Spins the Wheel, Wins Cash, Prizes

Matthew Jalazo, Psy.D.

“I’d like to buy a vowel.”

Contestants on Wheel of Fortune excitedly utter these words to host Pat Sajak and then hope Vanna White uncovers the letters they have chosen. NSU College of Psychology alumnus Matthew Jalazo, Psy.D., recently became one of those contestants. He spun the wheel and solved the puzzle—several puzzles, in fact.

Jalazo’s turn on the popular game show earned him $26,000 in cash and prizes, including a trip to Costa Rica.

His 15-minutes of fame—technically 22 minutes without commercial interruption—was the culmination of a journey that began when he was eight years old and first saw the colors of the wheel on his grandmother’s kitchen countertop television. He was in his 20s when his cousin got to meet Bob Barker on The Price is Right. She got to hear her name called with the phrase, “Come on down. You’re the next contestant on The Price is Right,” but unfortunately lost the game. Jalazo joked to her that it was now his singular life mission to get on The Price is Right to fix that disgrace to the family.

He did eventually audition for a spot on The Price is Right, and then tried using his celebrity impression of wrestler Hulk Hogan at a casting call for Deal or No Deal. Unfortunately, he didn’t make the cut for either show.

In November of 2022, Jalazo happened to see an advertisement inviting super fans of wrestling to try out for Wheel of Fortune, so he made a video and sent in the application. He was invited to a zoom audition, solved sample puzzles, and even dressed up as Hulk Hogan to entertain the casting committee and show his passion for wrestling. He remembered them laughing hysterically at his impersonation. Two hours later, he got the call to be a contestant, albeit not for WWE Week.

“They liked my energy and my enthusiasm, but not my wrestler impressions,” Jalazo said.

Jalazo traveled to California to be on Wheel of Fortune and put his psychology background to use when prepping for his appearance. Banking on his knowledge that it’s impossible to feel two emotions at once, he made sure he went into the taping feeling completely relaxed so it would be difficult to feel nervous. His goal was to be relatable—striking the balance between being entertaining and being ruthless in playing to win.

“I wanted to be a likeable, fun contestant, but I also wanted to play in a way that showed people I was taking the game seriously, because I understood I was very fortunate to get selected,” Jalazo said.

An army veteran and father of a 16-year-old son, Jalazo is a forensic psychologist and serves on the faculty of Albizu University. He has also participated in open mic nights for stand-up comedy.

“I tend to enjoy creative, spontaneous things where I get to show my personality,” he said. “It’s a nice balance with the serious work that I do.”

And while Wheel of Fortune is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Jalazo’s dream of competing on game shows isn’t done. His next goal is to appear on Let’s Make a Deal. He still wants to dress up as a professional wrestler and show off his Hulk Hogan impersonation to a televised audience.

“If you have a dream – whether trying to be a national game show, or something else that you think is not within reach – go, get it,” Jalazo said. “Appearing on Wheel of Fortune was an amazing experience—one I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. But had I not been looking at my computer for five minutes on that Wednesday morning, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“The message is to be open to life experiences each and every day. No dream is too big.”

Posted 05/10/23

Education Doctoral Alum Named VP of Student Affairs in Texas

Jason Abreu, Ed.D.

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice graduate Jason Abreu, Ed.D., has been named the Vice President of Student Affairs at Tarrant County College – Trinity River Campus in Fort Worth, Texas.

Abreu graduated from NSU with his Masters in Leadership and an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership. His duties involve managing the experience for students beyond the classroom, including advising, financial aid, mental health, student life and activities, and more.

Abreu has been serving in the role since January, and he said he is enjoying the experience.

“I am thrilled to join an institution that values and places the student journey at the forefront. TCC personifies a first-class experience for students and the excitement is palpable” Abreu said.

All-in-all, Abreu said he hopes to truly make the student experience better for incoming, current, and graduating students.

“How can we increase our retention and graduation rates? How can we elevate the student experience to ensure goals are accomplished and workforce needs are met?” Abreu mentioned. “Lastly, we must focus on expanding resources. Right now, students are dealing with housing insecurities, food insecurities, inflation, mental health and other aspects that are impacting their educational journey. It is our responsibility to leverage the appropriate resources.”

This fits very much with Abreu’s own philosophy and personal story focused on educational accessibility and opportunity.

“Through higher education, I was able to see the world from a different lens and through this space, I am able to give back. Open access and equitable opportunities for a high quality educational experience is my motto,” Abreu said.

Congratulations on your new role Jason Abreu!

Posted 04/23/23

NSU’s Days of Giving Get Under Way April 11-12

April 11th and 12th are NSU’s Days of Giving this year – 1,964 minutes of giving! Join the NSU community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, donors, and friends to further NSU’s research and increase student scholarships. Together, we create change!

Looking for more ways to get involved? Join one or more of the ONE NSU events below and hear from your NSU Community on how they are creating change. To register, click the event below!

Posted 04/09/23

Doctoral Grad Accepted to Presidential Management Fellowship

Justina Jackson, Ed.D.

A doctoral graduate student from the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice has recently been accepted into a prestigious federal fellowship program.

Justina Jackson, Ed.D., was recently selected as a finalist for the Presidential Management Fellows Program. The highly competitive program lasts two years and attracts thousands of applicants with advanced degrees from different disciplines. Of 10,000 applicants, only 850 were selected.

During the fellowship, students will work to be appointed to a U.S. Government Agency for training, and at the end of the program, they may also be given the opportunity to become a permanent civilian employee.

“I was just completely shocked. And I was just like, ‘This is your moment. This is your season. This is God opening the door for you. I’m walking in that door and totally appreciative for the opportunities to even get this far,’” Jackson said, describing her feelings upon learning she had been selected.

Jackson graduated with her Ed.D. from NSU in 21’ and her Masters in Social Work from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in 13.’ She is currently pursuing a second Master’s degree in Leadership.

Jackson was told about the program by one of her mentors, and after applying, she interviewed, and then in February, she learned she had been selected as a finalist.

Having her doctorate in Education, Jackson initially aimed to be appointed to a position with the Department of Education, but a former PM fellow with an education background reached out to her and proposed working for the CDC. He described how his skills proved to be uniquely useful in that field, so Jackson considered doing the same.

“I applied for all the opportunities with CDC,” she said. “The jobs range from being a health scientist to a technical grant writer to public health analyst and policy analyst.”

All-in-all, Jackson said she hopes she can make meaningful change with this opportunity.

“I really want to be transformative, not just transactional,” she said. “If I could wave a wand, I would like to be some sort of policy analyst that can actually change the lives of students in a better direction, families in a better direction, whether that’s public health, social services — whatever it is, just actually making a genuine impact and not just surface level.”

Congratulations Justina Jackson! Fins up to you!

Posted 04/09/23

Fischler Alum Receives President’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Karlton Johnson, Ed.D.

A Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice alum recently received a recognition of presidential proportions.

Karlton Johnson, Ed.D., received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden in recognition of 5,000 hours of service in Florida, Texas, Virginia, and Arkansas.

The purpose of the award is to recognize the people across America who have volunteered thousands of hours over their lifetime. It was first established by President George W. Bush in 2003, but variations of the program have existed over the years.

“By sharing your time and passion, you are helping discover and deliver solutions to the challenges we face, the solutions that we need now more than ever,” the president said in a letter. “We are living in a moment that calls for hope and light and love. Hope for our futures light to see our way forward and love for one another. Through your service, you’re providing all three.”

“When I actually saw the award, saw the certificate, saw the badge and saw my metal, I was like, ‘Wow, this is real. A letter from the president himself,’” Johnson said. “This definitely put me on a platform where the notoriety of public education in districts across the country is really on the map.”

Johnson currently serves as the Director of Career and Technical Education for Broward County Public schools. Having spent more than 25 years in the education field, he said this was something his younger self never would have imagined.

“Our work is not just within the organization in which we work for the infrastructure, our work is mainly involvement and community outreach,” he said. “I’m so happy that the President and the Vice President were able to acknowledge those individuals across the world and I just happened to be one.”

The recognition left Johnson with the sense that his work is making an impact.

“It lets me know that the work that I do has a purpose towards changing lives and supporting lives across the country, and just not being an educator but just doing community outreach to help students across our country have a brighter future,” he said.

Johnson earned his M.S. in Educational Leadership in 2000 and his Doctor of Education in 2015 from NSU.

Congratulations Karlton Johnson! Fins up to you!

Posted 03/05/23

NSU Receives Two Milestone Accreditations

When Nova Southeastern University President and CEO George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D., unveiled NSU’s Vision, Mission, and Core Values, he challenged all the deans to work with their faculty and staff to obtain recognition from their respective accrediting bodies.

 That challenge was not only accepted, but today, we can announce that it has been met, as NSU’s H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship and Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine both earned the highest level of accreditation in their disciplines.

In the case of the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, NSU earned accreditation from AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) – the world’s largest business education alliance. With the accreditation, NSU joins the ranks of less than six percent of the world’s schools offering business degree programs. Currently, 980 institutions in 60 countries and territories have earned this prestigious accreditation, which requires a rigorous approval process. READ MORE.

As for the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, it has been granted full accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)—the nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs in the United States and Canada. Achieving this final, essential approval involved a three-step accreditation journey, which included numerous site visits spanning more than six years. The accreditation grants NSU MD the privilege of officially conferring the Doctor of Medicine degree (M.D.) and state licensure upon its student graduates. READ MORE.

Posted 02/22/23

Fischler Professors and Alums Publish Book Chapter Together

A team of three professors and two doctoral alumni from the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice have published a new book chapter.

Gina Peyton, Ed.D.; David Ross, Ed.D.; and Vanaja Nethi, Ph.D.; and two doctoral graduates: Melissa Tara Sasso, Ed.D.; and Lucas A. DeWitt, Ed.D., recently published the chapter “Proven Best Practices in Guiding Non-traditional Dissertation Students to Degree Conferral in the United States.” It was published within the Palgrave and Macmillan book by editors Mulligan, Ryan, and Danaher, titled “Deconstructing Doctoral Discourses: Stories and Strategies for Success.”

Peyton said the theme of the book focuses on the different perspectives of many of those involved in the education process, including the students, advisers, and dissertation chairs. Furthermore, their chapter discusses methods of helping non-traditional doctoral students who are often professionals with full-time jobs and family commitments.

“They have all these other challenges that they’re faced with in terms of work life and family life, and aging parents, sick children or being ill themselves. Students have all these other obstacles that they’re dealing with, in addition to trying to complete an Ed.D. program. Our perspective is how do you work with this type of population? What do they need in terms of getting through the process successfully?”

One thing that Peyton said that helps these non-traditional students is having a strong support system.

“The literature supports that if you don’t have a good dissertation chair-student relationship, the success rate is not as high. Between all the resources that we offer, and then the individual attention that we offer our students, is why we have a pretty successful rate with our students who graduate.”

Peyton was also grateful that she and her colleagues were able to include the point of view of two recent doctoral graduates who previously went through the process. “Drs. Sasso and DeWitt wrote a lot about what they needed as well as provided the necessary steps to succeed, for example a solid support system and good time management skills.

According to Peyton, students, advisors, and dissertation chairs could all benefit from reading this book.

“It gives all of our experiences.”

Congratulations Peyton, Ross, Nethi, Sasso, and DeWitt! For more information on the book chapter, click here.

 

U.S. Sports Academy Promotes Fischler Graduate to Dean

From left: Provost Tomi Wahlstrom, Vandy Pacetti-Donelson, President T.J. Rosandich, and Brandon Spradley meet for Deans’ Appointment Signing.

The United States Sports Academy (USSA) has announced that Vandy Pacetti-Donelson, Ed.D., will serve as the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. She previously served the academy as its Director of Library and Instructional Design as well as an Assistant Professor of Humanities and Research.

She has been involved in the successful development and implementation of consistent quality standards, template design, and user experience of all course content through the User Story Successive Approximation Model of iterative development. She is a member of the Association for Educational Communications & Technology (AECT) and the American Library Association (ALA). Her expertise is in metacognition, project management, and scholarly communication practices research. Pacetti-Donelson has been involved in developing and facilitating non-profit bylaw revisions and championing policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Pacetti-Donelson earned her Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Southern Mississippi. She graduated from the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice in 2018 with her doctoral degree in Instructional Leadership with an emphasis in Instructional Technology and Distance Education.

Previously, Pacetti-Donelson served 20 years as a librarian and educator in K-12 education in central Florida before serving as online librarian at Ultimate Medical Academy in Tampa, Florida. She is a nationally recognized presenter and advocate for libraries.

Pacetti-Donelson said that receiving her degree from Fischler prepared her to succeed by helping her to develop advanced problem-solving skills to help create positive change and cope with the challenges in education today. She appreciated that her professors were invested in her success from the moment she began her program to the day she started her first job after graduation. She said their example demonstrated the type of educator and administrator she hoped to be one day.

The Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice wishes you the best of luck as you step into your new role. Fins up to you!

Posted 9/11/22

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