Month: February 2023

Health Care Sciences Faculty Receives Simulation Award

Melissa Morris, MSN, RN, CPN, CHSE

Melissa Morris, MSN, RN, CPN, CHSE, the director of simulation and interactive technology with the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences, recently received the Award for Research in the Field of Virtual Reality Simulation.

The honor was presented to Morris at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare 2023 in Orlando on January 21-25.

The criteria considered for the award were:

  • How current is the research
  • Impact on patient care and learners and cost
  • Innovation (new or modified; how it is different from the current solutions)
  • Generalizability (how many programs/departments/professions can use it with success, (i.e., meeting outcomes)”

Morris was the primary investigator and team leader on this project.

Posted 02/06/23

College of Psychology Faculty Honored at Funding Reception

At the university’s annual External Funding Reception, which celebrates faculty and their research activities, several College of Psychology faculty were honored for their contributions to research.

Of the five Provost Research Awards were given, three recipients were from the College of Psychology. They were Jeffrey Kibler, Ph.D. (President’s Distinguished Professor, Department of Clinical and School Psychology), Justin Landy, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, and Emily Georgia Salivar, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical and School Psychology).

Kibler has an impressive history of publishing in prestigious high impact academic journals, and he has developed a solid, sustainable research program. The high quality of his scholarship is demonstrated through success with external research grants; he has received over $1.9 million in competitive funding from a range of agencies, including National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Landy pursues research that is located at the intersection of social psychology and cognitive psychology, and he’s delved into how people form moral judgments of other people and their actions. He has received recognition as a leading scholar from national professional societies and has an impressive publication record in top-tier journals and has authored five chapters in edited volumes from prominent publishers including Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press.

Salivar is a fellowship-trained licensed psychologist whose research focuses on romantic relationships and online couples therapy. She has an impressive record of peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and has achieved an h-index of 14 and an i10-index of 15. Her exceptional promise in the field of psychology has been demonstrated through research dissemination, national leadership positions and grant funding.

In addition, 12 College of Psychology faculty were recognized for their research activities. They were Soledad Arguelles-Borge, Ph.D., Jonathon Banks, Ph.D., Travis Craddock, Ph.D., Amy Ellis, Ph.D., Ana Fins, Ph.D., Barbara Garcia Lavin, Ph.D., Scott Poland, Ed.D., David Reitman, Ph.D., Lisa Robison, Ph.D., Jaime Tartar, Ph.D. (President’s Distinguished Professor), Vincent Van Hasselt, Ph.D. (President’s Distinguished Professor), and Angela Waguespack, Ph.D.

The Provost Research Awards, which are given annually, recognize demonstrated achievement in research, scholarship, and creative pursuits by NSU faculty members. Faculty are recognized across disciplines and career stages for their achievements in these areas. Faculty are nominated by NSU faculty and staff.

The first Provost Research Award was given to Mark Sobell, Ph.D. (currently Professor Emeritus, Department of Clinical and School Psychology) in 2011. In 2018, Linda Sobell, Ph.D. (President’s Distinguished Professor) became the second College of Psychology faculty member to receive the award.

The reception was held at Grand Oaks Golf Club on Tuesday, Jan 25, 2023. In attendance were the university’s senior leadership team as well as faculty and staff.

(Photos courtesy of the NSU Office of Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs)

Posted 02/05/23

NSUCO Students, Faculty Assist at Special Olympics

On Sunday, January 15, several NSUCO students and faculty assisted at the Special Olympics “Healthy Athletes: Opening Eyes Screening” helping more than 80 athletes with lensometry, auto-refraction, distance VA, near VA, color & stereo, tonometry, pupillometry, frames/dispensing, among other services.

The event took place at the NSU Fort Lauderdale/Davie campus.

Posted 02/05/23

University School Participates at ISSEEN Institute

Jaimie Crawford, Upper School Director; Ann Marie Sellers, Director of Student Academic Services; and Andrew Stephens, Director of Experiential Learning, presented at the Independent Schools Experiential Education Network (ISEEN) Winter Institute in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Their presentation entitled “Identifying Core Competencies to Drive Experiential Education” was selected for the Model Programs and Practices Workshop, and showcased innovative curriculum from our math, social studies, and world language departments.

Also, in attendance was Kevin Dibert, USchool’s Community Service Coordinator. The conference was attended by more than ​40 schools from across the U.S., Canada, and even as far as Vietnam. USchool’s participation as a model program shows we are a leader among our peer schools in the field of experiential learning.

Learn more about NSU University School’s college preparatory program for students in Preschool – Grade 12 at www.uschool.nova.edu.

Posted 02/05/23

Fellows Selected for Conrad & Scherer Pathways Program

Front row (left to right): Averi Krickmeyer, Jordyn Minnis, Kayla Ferguson, Kennedy Newsome, Aleiah Luster, and Simone Martinez; back row (left to right): Alibek Normamatov, Victoria Newell, Jade Williams, Theodor Pintille, Eric Bonilla, and Alex Rosenblum

The Conrad & Scherer Pathways to Careers in Law – a collaboration between the Fort Lauderdale law firm, Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law (NSU Law) and Fort Lauderdale High School’s Pre-Law Magnet program – recently announced its selection of the 2023 Fellows.

These 12 junior and senior law magnet program students will participate in several activities designed to give them a clear understanding of the pathway toward a career in law. The fellows enjoyed a trip to the NSU College of Law and a reception Thursday, Jan. 26, where they were given a tour and had a chance to meet with NSU faculty members and NSU Law alumni who are Broward County judges. The Fellows also will visit the Broward County Courthouse and spend time at the Conrad & Scherer offices.

The fellows were selected from applications that included teacher recommendations, a resume and essay about why they want to pursue a career in law.

The 2023 Conrad & Scherer Pathways to Careers in Law Fellows* are:

  • Eric Bonilla (12th grade), hometown
  • Kayla Ferguson (11th grade)
  • Averi Krickmeyer (11th grade)
  • Aleiah Luster (11th grade)
  • Simone Martinez (11th grade)
  • Jordyn Minnia (11th grade)
  • Victoria Newell (11th grade )
  • Kennedy Newsome (11th grade)
  • Alibek Normamatov (11th grade)
  • Theordor Pintillie (12th grade)
  • Alex Rosenblum (12th grade)
  • Jade Williams (11th grade)

*all are students in the Fort Lauderdale High School Law Magnet program

According to Janine McGuire, a Conrad & Scherer partner managing this program, the Conrad & Scherer Pathways to Careers in Law provides an opportunity for high school students to gain exposure to the entire continuum, from high school through a career in law.

“Based on our experience with the program last year, we see clearly how this experience helps students understand what is involved in following a legal career path,” she said. “We are particularly excited about the addition of the Conrad & Scherer Pathways scholarship that will support one undergraduate student enrolled in NSU’s new legal studies bachelor’s degree program.”

“The partnership between NSU, Conrad & Scherer, and Fort Lauderdale High represents a unique and strong opportunity to support our community’s diverse student population by giving minority students a chance to learn about careers in law,” added José Roberto (Beto) Juárez Jr., dean of the Shepard Broad College of Law.

Posted 02/05/23

Student Case Competition Unravels Misinformation

The Office of Student Success in collaboration with Razors Edge Research hosted a one-week Case Competition in the Fall 2022 semester known as “Dissin’ Misinformation.”

The competition focused on a case study of how-to today’s world where there is a huge volumes of information, disinformation, and misinformation spreading rapidly on the internet making it difficult to discern what is true. Students then developed teams of 1-4 members selected a misinformation topic of their choice and provided solutions with peer reviewed scientific literature and other credible sources.

The students created a multimedia presentation educating the general public about how the misinformation spread, explaining what makes the misinformation incorrect, and spreading the correct information.

The students’ presentations were evaluated by a panel of faculty judges. Our three top winners received gift card prizes for their proposals.

1st Place Winner:

Topic: Statistics Regarding Harassment/Assault/Abuse

Case Competition Team: Kamalika Pothapu & Caroline Siu Yen Rodriguez

Sejal Jain

2nd Place Winner:

Topic: Obesity Medicine

Case Competition Team: Sejal Jain

3rd Place Winner:

Topic: Sunscreen Misinformation

Case Competition Team: Nimisha Kumar, Lauren Solovey, & Rojie Ekanayake

Posted 02/05/23

Optometry Professor Named International Optometrist of Year

Janet L. Leasher, O.D., M.P.H., FAAO, FNAP

Janet L. Leasher, O.D., M.P.H., FAAO, FNAP, received the International Optometrist of the Year 2022 Prize from the Polytechnical University of Catalonia (UPC), Faculty of Optometry and Optics in Terrassa, Spain (FOOT) on December 15, 2022.

Leasher received the award at the graduation ceremony for the class of 2022 at the Polytechnical University of Catalonia and delivered the graduation keynote address. The award was presented by Aurora Torrent Ph.D., Dean of UPC FOOT and the president of the COOOC (Official College of Optician-Optometrists of Catalonia), Joaquim Grau I Ingrada.

In conjunction with this award, she became the godmother of their incoming class of 2022 (who will graduate in 2026), and two student travel scholarships will be granted in her name for two students of this class to attend a professional congress of optometry.

NSU and UPC have a long history of collaboration, commencing in 2003 surrounding the work of the UNESCO Chair in Visual Health and Development. UPC housed the chair at the FOOT and NSU was the North American coordinating center until 2016.

Posted 02/05/23

Winter Issue of Mako Undergrad Student Journal Available

The Winter 2023 issue of NSU’s Mako Undergraduate Student Journal  published with multiple faculty-mentored student-articles in diverse categories is now available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/mako/.  The journal is online and free and offers articles from across the university.

The reviewers and editors were Aarti Raja, Ph.D., Navdeep Gill, Ph.D., and Santanu De, Ph.D., all faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences from the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS).  Librarian Keri Baker, M.S., of HCAS served as the publication coordinator.

Further submissions are encouraged to support the unique publication experience for our undergraduate students.

Posted 02/05/23

Library of Congress Features Halmos Faculty Article

Yair Solan, Ph.D.

Yair Solan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Humanities and Politics (DHP) in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences (HCAS), published an article on Buster Keaton’s 1924 film “The Navigator” that was recently featured in Now See Hear!, the blog of the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center. The article is part of an online collection of essays dedicated to films selected to the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry, which annually recommends for preservation a list of films deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

In this essay, Solan explores the making of one of the most iconic comedies of the silent era, detailing how a chance encounter with a decommissioned ocean liner led to the production of Keaton’s commercial breakthrough. Emblematic of the actor-director’s inventive visual comedy, the film includes intricate mechanical gags and innovative underwater sequences.

Solan teaches courses in literature and film studies in DHP. He previously presented his research on “The Navigator” in a commentary track on DVD and Blu-ray editions of the film. His published articles have appeared in Modernism/modernity, Studies in American Naturalism, and the Journal of the Short Story in English.

Read the full article.

Posted 02/05/23

Phi Delta Chi Awarded 3rd Place Overall for Thurston Cup

Brothers of Phi Delta Chi Pharmacy Fraternity with the awards

Gabriela Aponte (Current President) and Krysten Ferraino (Past President 2021-2022)

Phi Delta Chi (PDC), Beta Lambda Chapter, is a professional pharmacy fraternity that values selfless service, purpose-driven leadership, lifelong learning, and Brotherhood. For the academic year 2021-2022, the Beta Lambda Chapter was recognized in each pillar of our fraternity. We were ranked 1st in scholarship, 4th in Leadership, 6th in Brotherhood, and 4th in Service.

To achieve the Scholarship award, PDC organized 2-3 study sessions per month during the academic year, Brother-led tutoring sessions, and implemented the ‘A-Jar’ where Brothers who received an A grade in multiple assessments received a small gift card, with a final result of at least 50% of Brothers listed on the Chancellor’s or Dean’s Lists. For Leadership development, PDC arranged multiple events, such as roundtables and workshops for CV review and LinkedIn guidance by engaging our wonderful alumni.

Faculty adviser Devada Singh-Franco PharmD, RPh, CDCES

For Brotherhood, PDC facilitated peer mentoring by coordinating monthly events (bowling, ice skating, retreats) to foster professional growth. And most importantly, for Service, for at least  10 years, PDC has sold flowers at NSU graduation ceremonies to fundraise for St Jude Children’s Research Hospital. During this time, PDC has donated about $20,000 to our national philanthropy. Additionally, the Beta Lambda Chapter hosted an Introduction to Sign Language event with an instructor that was open to all professional colleges at NSU.

Overall, the Beta Lambda Chapter was ranked 3rd out of 80+ chapters. As a Chapter, we are honored for this recognition and achieving this would not be possible without the help of each officer, Brother of our fraternity, and mentorship from our faculty advisor, Devada Singh-Franco, PharmD, RPh, CDCES.

Posted 02/05/23

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