Tag: Farquhar Honors College

Honors College Launches Alumni Mentorship Program

Honors student Ruthie Fogel meets with her mentor Mariam Haroun, D.M.D., over Zoom.

The Farquhar Honors College alumni mentorship program has created lasting relationships between honors students and alumni. Launched during the winter semester, the program connected students with alumni mentors with similar career interests who could help them achieve their professional and academic goals for the year.

Meeting every month over Zoom, alumni were able to advise their assigned students on everything from mental health and stress management to college and career advice. Some students were even fortunate enough to receive special opportunities from their mentors like research, publication, and shadowing experience.

For Ruthie Fogel, this was an especially lucky match, as her mentor Mariam Haroun, D.M.D., is a practicing orthodontist in her hometown. As an aspiring orthodontist herself, Fogel was able to shadow her mentor every week over the summer.

“Shadowing [Dr. Haroun] was a very valuable and rewarding experience . . . Her dedication to the art and science of orthodontics has motivated and inspired me to keep dreaming of attending dental school and pursuing orthodontics!” said Fogel, a sophomore engineering major. “A big takeaway from the alumni mentorship program is that it taught me to try new things, to always be curious of the unknown, and to be unafraid to step outside of one’s comfort zone.”

For alumni, the voluntary program gave them a meaningful way to stay connected to the college and help shape the paths of current honors students.

“These mentees are so mature and bright, and they’re involved in so many aspects of education, which is so wonderful to witness,” said Tia Cifu, a class of 2017 honors alumna with a B.S. in mathematics and an M.B.A from NSU. “I’m very proud to be an alum of this program.”

The program will run each year with mentoring relationships lasting for the entire academic year. The next round of the program will begin this fall.

“As someone who is considering pursuing a Ph.D. directly out of undergrad, [my mentor] was a perfect match for me because we were able to talk about her experiences, and I was able to see what life looks [like] for someone who was in my shoes not so long ago,” said Courtney White, a senior chemistry and marine biology major. “Mentor-mentee relationships are special connections, and I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to establish a relationship with someone who can provide me with a point of view I didn’t have access to before.”

Posted 09/25/23

LaSirène’s Mirror: Reflections of Sustained Resistance through Art and Vodou, Sept. 30

Since its inception, Haiti, the second free republic in the Americas, has grappled with enduring misconceptions about its people and the role of Vodou. Haitian artists have been pivotal in visually capturing the cultural interpretations of Vodou, using artistic imagery to document the essence and significance of the tradition’s resistance to colonization. Rooted in Vodou, Haitian inhabitants have preserved an epistemology of liberation through visual depictions—a legacy continued by artists today. LaSirène, the cosmic embodiment of the goddess spirit, and Lwa of the sea serve as a symbol of water, beauty, and fierce sacred healing, having witnessed the middle passage.

This presentation – on Sept. 30 at the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale from 3 to 4 p.m. –explores LaSirène, particularly within the context of the water Lwa spirits featured in NSU Art Museum’s Cosmic Mirrors exhibition. The presentation will be made by Professor Charlene Désir, Ed.D., with NSU’s Fischler College of Education & School of Criminal Justice, and Andrea Nevins, Ph.D., M.F.A., Dean of NSU’s Farquhar Honors College. It also will investigate Western depictions of Haiti, revealing distortions that have obscured the nation’s rich cultural fabric. With a focus on Haitian culture’s preservation, the presentation underscores Vodou’s enduring role as a bastion of spiritual expression and resistance against attempts to undermine its importance. Through this exploration, the presentation highlights the intertwined narratives of LaSirène and the water Lwa spirits, unveiling their profound ties to Haiti’s ongoing struggle for identity, autonomy, and cultural preservation. By delving into the role of art in preserving tradition and conveying resistance, the narrative of Haiti’s history is recontextualized, empowering its people to reclaim their stories from misrepresentation.

Posted 09/19/23

Honors Student Presents Research at International Dental Conference

Janaki Chandra

Farquhar Honors College student Janaki Chandra presented her dental research at the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) conference in Portland, Oregon. Completed as part of her honors thesis, Chandra’s research investigates whether S-PRG filler, a biomaterial commonly used in dental care, affects osteoclast generation, a type of cell responsible for bone resorption.

While presenting her research, Chandra was fortunate enough to meet executives from the company that makes the S-PRG filler at the center of her research.

“I felt so much joy seeing how enthusiastic [the executives] were. [They] were so kind and mentioned many thanks and were so proud of the research being conducted!” said Chandra, a senior biology major.

She was inspired to pursue this research because of her passion for dentistry and its constant evolution and growth. She aspires to become a dentist one day.

“I [am] so beyond grateful for Dean Nevins and the Honors College for allowing me to present [my] research at the AADOCR conference,” said Chandra, who was the only undergraduate student presenting in her section of the conference. “It was such an enriching experience meeting a variety of scholarly researchers, and to be able to present collaborative research after almost two years [was] the most rewarding part.”

Posted 08/20/23

Honors College Gives High Schoolers College Experience

Students, faculty, and staff in the Knowledge for Freedom program

This summer, the Farquhar Honors College kicked off its Knowledge for Freedom program, a free college-readiness program for high school students in Broward County, FL. During the program, called “One Person Can Change the World,” 15 high school juniors attended college-level humanities seminars with NSU professors and lived in campus dorms for a full college-life experience.

The program, funded by the Teagle Foundation, allowed students to become college students for three weeks over the summer as they navigated the college experience. Students also got to meet distinguished guest speakers, visit educational sites in South Florida, and participate in recreational activities.

“Meeting the students and learning over time how varied their goals and interests are has been [my] favorite part of this program so far,” said assistant program director and lead faculty instructor of the program Aileen Miyuki Farrar, Ph.D., associate professor and associate chair in the Department of Humanities and Politics (DHP) at the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences (HCAS). “Seeing them connect with each other and the group as a whole lift each other up has been an even more rewarding experience.”

During class, Farrar led discussions on humanities texts about equality and change in America alongside guest lecturers G. Nelson Bass III, J.D., Ph.D., assistant professor and associate chair in HCAS, and Vicki Toscano, J.D., Ph.D., associate professor in HCAS.

These seminars prompted students to develop Change Projects—practical plans to create change in their communities that they’ll carry out during their senior year. Their projects focus on issues ranging from voting rights and mental health awareness to homelessness and environmental protection.

“One of my favorite things about this program is that I’ve been able to actually collaborate with other students from all around Broward County [and] see what their Change Projects are and the different views they have,” said Kevin Romero, a student from McFatter Technical High School. “I’ve also been able to have the privilege to be taught by three excellent professors, and I’m so happy to have had this experience.”

Aileen Miyuki Farrar, Ph.D., leads class discussions.

Students will continue to meet with faculty throughout their senior year to receive help with their Change Projects and college applications. The program will culminate with a showcase at the end of their senior year where they’ll present their Change Projects and outcomes and meet the next cohort of students.

“I feel much better prepared for the second round of the program, and [I’m] relieved that everything went well,” said program director Andrea Nevins, Ph.D., M.F.A., dean of the Farquhar Honors College. “I am also very thankful that the Teagle Foundation believed in us and gave us the opportunity to host this program.”

Nevins, Farrar, and the program’s assistant director Melissa Dore, Ph.D., director of academic support and administration in HCAS, worked together to bring the program to life. Various departments across NSU and the teaching and resident assistants also contributed to the success of the program, which will repeat for the next two years.

Learn more about what the Change Scholars have been up to this summer.

Posted 08/13/23

Applications Open for Provost’s Research & Scholarship Awards

Starting August 7, 2023, nominations will be accepted for the annual Provost’s Research and Scholarship Awards. Last year this program was expanded to increase recognition opportunities for NSU faculty, and to improve accessibility to faculty from all academic disciplines and career stages.

The Provost’s Research and Scholarship Awards (PRSA) program now awards up to four awards. The PRSA program has two disciplinary categories and two awards within each category by career stage (one for early career and one for established faculty). Therefore, the below four awards, given sufficient candidates in each category, will be awarded annually:

  1. Assistant Professor in the Arts, Business, Humanities, Law, and Social Sciences
  2. Associate/Full Professor in the Arts, Business, Humanities, Law, and Social Sciences
  3. Assistant Professor in STEM and Health/Medicine
  4. Associate/Full Professor in STEM and Health/Medicine

The purpose of this program is to recognize demonstrated achievement in research, scholarship, and creative pursuits by NSU faculty members. These annual awards recognize distinguished accomplishments in the pursuit of research, creative, and scholarly activities across disciplines and career stages, as noted above.

More information and the link to the application is available here: http://www.nova.edu/academic-affairs/provost-award/index.html.

The deadline to submit a nomination or to self-nominate is September 6, 2023, 5:00 p.m., EDT. The winners of the Provost’s Research and Scholarship Awards will be announced in November 2023.

Posted 08/04/23

Honors Course Encourages Water Sustainability Advocacy

Water is one of the world’s most essential resources, and its shortage is on the rise—a global crisis that receives little attention. The Farquhar Honors College Water & Sustainability course is on a mission to change that. Last semester, students in this multidisciplinary course became advocates for safe and sustainable water for all.

Throughout the semester, students learned from guest faculty speakers and community leaders from various disciplines who offered unique perspectives on water-related issues identified by the UN Sustainable Development Goal #6, which aims to provide clean water and sanitation for all.

“Water is a vital and exhaustible resource; it is also an inexhaustible theme for discovery,” said Eben Gering, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences. “Taking an interdisciplinary approach to water studies lets us (the instructors) learn in parallel with our students while spotlighting urgent sustainability issues at both local and global scales.”

Gering is co-facilitator of the course alongside Martha “Marti” Snyder, Ph.D., professor in the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice and director of faculty professional development in the Learning and Educational Center.

Along with engaging in class discussions, students took an active role in water sustainability efforts by participating in a beach clean-up; visiting water sites across South Florida, including the Everglades, to learn about different ecosystems and the importance of citizen action; and interviewing innovative business leaders dedicated to conserving and using water sustainably.

“This course has allowed me to become more conscious of my actions and how they could potentially contribute to large-scale environmental concerns,” said Smrithi Mukund, a behavioral neuroscience major. “I have gained a lot of valuable information and insight concerning the lasting impact of sustainability efforts, and I will definitely take more initiative in my day-to-day life to participate in these efforts.”

Posted 07/30/23

Honors Student Fast Tracks Into Ph.D. Program

Rose Leeger

For most students, getting into a Ph.D. program requires a master’s degree, but for Farquhar Honors College student Rose Leeger, all it took was an extraordinary dedication to research as an undergraduate student. Entering a Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) this fall, Leeger will begin her graduate research journey with financial support from the National Science Foundation.

Leeger was able to jumpstart her Ph.D. career thanks to two years of research experience working on an honors thesis and being a scholar of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI).

‘[The] honors thesis [gave] me the opportunity to conduct my own novel research,” said Leeger, who received bachelor’s degrees in biology, marine biology, and environmental science this spring. “This opportunity. . . distinguished me from other applicants when I applied to graduate school as my thesis work was used as my justification. . . to bypass a master’s degree and go straight to a Ph.D. program.”

Her thesis studies the range expansion and hybridization of Mangrove Mosquitofish in South Florida due to climate change and human interference and includes a land acknowledgment recognizing and respecting Indigenous Peoples as stewards of the land she conducted research on. She completed her research under the guidance of her thesis advisor J. Matthew Hoch, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, who introduced her to the topic.

While at CU Boulder, Leeger’s research will focus on interdisciplinary methods to better understand how to protect species in Antarctica. She was inspired to pursue this research path after working with NOAA’s Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division to study penguin colonies last summer.

“I have always been passionate about polar ecosystems,” said Leeger. “I’m excited to combine my research interests in conservation and ecology [and apply them] to an ecosystem that is constantly threatened due to human impacts [and] meet new people in my field.”

After completing her education, she hopes to become a professor to engage the next generation of scientists in polar exploration and conservation.

Learn more about the honors thesis.

Posted 07/30/23

Honors Student Named a Barry Goldwater Scholar

Farquhar Honors College student Courtney White was named a 2023 Barry Goldwater Scholar — an honor recognizing her outstanding passion for research in the natural sciences. As a Barry Goldwater Scholar, she’ll receive a $7,500 scholarship to fund her senior-year tuition.

“I am truly honored to have been welcomed into the Goldwater community,” said White, a junior chemistry and marine biology major. “When I got the notification, I was speechless. To be awarded such a prestigious scholarship is a surreal experience. Being selected as a 2023 Barry Goldwater Scholar has reaffirmed my aspirations to pursue a career in research and given me the confidence to chase that dream.”

Courtney White

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is awarded to students who are passionate about pursuing a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering. White dreams of becoming a researcher at the intersection of chemistry and marine biology to make a difference in the world and is already taking steps to do just that.

Though an undergraduate student, White has already gained considerable research experience. She’s currently pursuing an honors thesis to develop a new technique to measure persistent organic pollutants in keratinous tissue like hair, feathers, and bones that may harm our health and environment. She also works alongside her thesis advisors Dimitrios Giarikos, Ph.D., and Amy Hirons, Ph.D., professors in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences (HCAS), as a full-time research technician.

“I am passionate about using my knowledge, curiosity, and love of learning to have a meaningful impact on the world around me,” said White. “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you. My goal is to be always exploring, ever evolving, and continuously growing; as a result, I’ve learned to seek out those challenging experiences, whether it be in research, class, leadership, or in my personal life.”

One of her proudest research achievements was being named an undergraduate scholar for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Educational Partnership with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI). Through this program, she’ll be spending her summer in Alaska to work on a National Science Foundation-funded project exploring the life histories of baleen whales.

Supplementing her research prowess, White is dedicated to helping others around her through leadership. She works as a tutor and lab assistant and holds numerous leadership positions on campus, including within the Honors Student Advisory Board, Chemistry Club, Marine Biology Club, and NSU’s chapter of the American Association of University Women.

As White prepares to step into her senior year as a Barry Goldwater Scholar, she reflects on the mentors and leaders within her own life that have helped her receive this honor, including Giarikos, Hirons, Andrea Nevins, Ph.D., dean of the Farquhar Honor College, and Marlisa Santos, Ph.D., professor in HCAS.

“The Honors College has made my undergraduate experience more valuable than I ever could have imagined,” said White. “I’ve made connections and established some of the most important relationships in my life through the Honors College . . . I’m excited to continue to grow, challenge myself, and curate positive change in my community.”

Learn more about the Barry Goldwater Scholarship.

Posted 07/16/23

Students Receive American Association of University Women Research Award

From left: Christi Navarro, Ph.D.; Niral Praveen; Karen Jurado; and Shreya Madhudi

This year 11 student USS research posters were nominated for the NSU-AAUW Research Award. This recognition is awarded to the student research presentation that best supports our mission of promoting gender equity for women and girls through education, advocacy, and research.

The 2023 award goes to Karen Jurado-Lopez, Shreya Madhudi, and Niral Paveen. Their faculty sponsor was Christi Navarro, Ph.D.

Their work is titled Postpartum Depression: The Effects of Misdiagnosis on Maternal and Infant Health.  

Our judges had a difficult task to select just one, when all the posters nominated were outstanding. Special thanks to our judges: Tais Barreto, Sarah Divine, Julie Garcia, Sarena Hicks, Laura Macias, Katelynn Sell, Rita Shea, and Randi Sims. For more information about NSU’s Branch of AAUW visit https://nsu-fl.aauw.net/

Posted 04/23/23

Honors Students Place First at Neurosports Conference

From left, Zachary Lawrence and Shalet James at the 4th Annual Neurosports Conference.

Farquhar Honors College students Zachary Lawrence and Shalet James won first place at the 4th Annual Neurosports Conference’s poster competition. Their research, titled “Sex differences in the physiological and cognitive-behavioral effects of high fat and ketogenic diets in mice,” indicates that a ketogenic, high-fat diet may improve adulthood cognition.

As aspiring physicians, Lawrence and James are interested in how diets and holistic approaches can improve the health and lifestyle of their future patients. They’re further investigating this relationship through an honors thesis, which Lawrence recently completed and defended.

“There is well-founded evidence that the ketogenic diet can be used to manage certain disorders such as epilepsy, but I want to explore how it may influence other disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease,” said Lawrence, a senior biology and behavioral neuroscience major.

They conducted this study under the guidance of their thesis adviser Lisa Robison, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the College of Psychology, whose lab focuses on how lifestyle affects brain health.

“Winning first place for this research makes me not only proud of myself but especially proud of the Robison Lab team,” said James, a senior behavioral neuroscience major. “Dr. Robison and our team deserve this recognition!“

Posted 04/09/23

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