Author: Abimbola Elizabeth Eminowa

Halmos Faculty Publishes Deep Sea Computer Algorithm

During May, members of the DEEPEND Consortium published the article, “An empirically validated method for characterizing pelagic habitats in the Gulf of Mexico using ocean model data” in the journal Limnology and Oceanography: Methods.

Halmos faculty members from both the Department of Biological Sciences and Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences contributed to this paper. Matthew Johnston, Ph.D. is the lead author with Rosanna Milligan, Ph.D. and Tracey Sutton, Ph.D. as two of the co-authors.

In this study, the researchers make an important contribution to better understand the dynamics of the deep ocean in the Gulf of Mexico. They developed a computer algorithm to classify the deep off-shore waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) into three distinct habitat types. The algorithm uses HYCOM ocean model data (sea surface height and water temperature at depth) and was validated by satellite chlorophyll measurements, water temperature, and microbial field samples collected by the DEEPEND Consortium. The study delivers one of the first methods to categorize the open-ocean environment of the GOM using only computer model data, without the need for field sampling. Going forward, the method will be an important tool for biological oceanographers operating in the GOM to help understand how deep sea animals use their environment.

For more information: http://deependconsortium.org/

Halmos College Fish Specimen Makes Cover of Science

NSU is among the world leaders in the exploration of the world’s least-known ecosystem, the deep sea. Recent expeditions led by faculty in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences (DoMES) have produced a wealth of new information, new species discoveries, and collections of rare specimens that change our view of how animals adapt to Earth’s harshest conditions. For example, a fish specimen collected by Halmos faculty member Tracey Sutton, Ph.D. was featured on the cover of Science, the leading journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This fish, photographed by Dr. Danté Fenolio (Department of Conservation and Research, San Antonio Zoo), was featured in an article that showed that deep-sea fishes, though living in darkness, actually see in color. This finding proves that our traditional views of vertebrate vision have been very limited.

For more information: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/364/6440

Halmos Graduate and Undergraduate Students Primary Authors in Prestigious Journal Article

During May, Halmos graduate student Michael D. Dressler and Undergraduate student Josue Conde co-authored the research article entitled, “Timing between successive introduction events determines establishment success in bacteria with an Allee effect” in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences with their Halmos Faculty Advisors Robert Smith, Ph.D. and Omar Eldakar, Ph.D.

The research team investigated the important general question of how a new species becomes established. Using cooperating bacteria as a model, they found that if the time between the arrivals of two populations of bacteria is sufficiently short, the bacteria become established. Otherwise, if the time between arrivals is too long, establishment fails. Establishment hinges on the ability of the first population of bacteria to modify the environment enough to allow the second population to grow. These results can help stop the spread of invasive species and infectious diseases, but can also help species reintroduction programs.

For more Information: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2019.0598#d74193e1

Halmos College Aids in Coral Rescue

On Thursday, May 23, The Oceanographic Campus (OC) received a very precious cargo: 341 corals collected of Key West. The goal of this coral “rescue” is to collect healthy corals ahead of the disease boundary. These corals will then be placed in land-based aquaria to prevent them from becoming infected, to preserve genetic diversity, and to serve as propagation source stock for future restoration activities.

This project focuses of 16 high priority species and 6 medium priority species.  The project is the first-ever rescue of this scale and is necessitated by the urgency and devastating impact of the FL Reef Tract Coral Disease Outbreak.

The Coral Rescue team members include Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) (Lisa Gregg) and NOAA Fisheries (Jennifer Moore) as project co-leads and team members include staff from NSU, FWC, FL Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, FL Sea Grant, Florida Aquarium (FLAQ), and the National Park Service.

The first batch of corals departed Stock Island early Monday morning. Eighty-two hours later, they docked at the OC’s neighbor: the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare base. From there, the corals were transported to the salt water tanks on the OC’s campus.

“Corals are very delicate,” said Nick Turner, a Halmos Ph.D. candidate who helped transfer the corals to their new home. “It’s hard to keep them alive in tanks. We need to regulate the sunlight to make sure they get enough,” he said. “Too much sunlight is just as bad. That’s why we’re using black shade cloths to let in just enough sunlight.”

FWC has a Coral Rescue Genetic Management Plan to ensure genetic diversity for restoration.

NSU is one of the intermediate holding facilities to hold and care for the ~4,500 corals. Other intermediate holding facilities include: Mote Marine Lab (Sarasota), Univ. of Miami (Miami), and FL Aquarium Center for Conservation (Apollo Beach). Longer-term holding facilities include Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) facilities across the US. The AZA Florida facilities are Disney, Sea World, Mote, and Florida Aquarium.

Read Alike Book Lounge at the Alvin Sherman Library

Find out what to read next based on your favorite movies and TV shows!  Each week we’ll pick a popular movie or TV show and give you great read-alike recommendations.  No need to come every week-just stop by when you can!

 

Second Floor, room 2046  from 2 – 3 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.

Wednesday, July 10: Black Panther

Wednesday, July 17: Harry Potter

Wednesday, July 24: Outlander

Wednesday, July 31: Twilight

 

Plus, Read a book, let us know what you think and you could win some Out of This World prizes!

Learn how at: public.library.nova.edu

 

NSU Endodontics Receives Diplomate and Research Awards

From left: Kenneth M. Hargreaves, D.D.S., Ph.D., editor of the Journal of Endodontics presenting the award for Basic Research: Biology to Taner C. Sayin, D.D.S., Ph.D., chair and associate professor at the NSU Department of Endodontics

The 2019 American Association of Endodontics (AAE) was one to remember as the Department of Endodontics at Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine received awards for their new endodontic diplomates and biology research paper.

Montreal served as the hosts for the annual meeting where professionals in the field took part in four days of networking, seminars and interactive workshops showcasing the best in the field.

From left: Jason Foreman, D.D.S., Taner Sayin, D.D.S., Ph.D., chair and associate professor at the NSU Department of Endodontics, Mary E. Sorrentino D.M.D., and Geoffrey Sas, D.D.S.

As part of many events, one of the annual highlights included the pinning of the new diplomates. To receive diplomate status participants must complete written, case history and an oral examination.  This year marked a new record as 150 diplomates were inducted in the largest class size to date. NSU Endo is proud to have four members represented: Jason Foreman,D.D.S., Geoffrey Sas,D.D.S, Mary Sorrentino, D.M.D., and Department Chair Taner Sayin, D.D.S., at the Louis I. Grossman Ceremony.

The success carried over as the department achieved another win at the AAE with a Journal of Endodontics Award. The monthly publication aims to show the latest changes in the field with new practice methods, technology and case studies being a part of its monthly content. NSU Endo collaborated with peers, and current faculty including endo Post-Grad Director Michael Flax, D.D.S., M.S. and Endo Department Chair Taner Cem Sayin, D.D.S., Ph.D.

The department earned the award for their research biology paper in “Culture-Independent Characterization of the Microbiome of Healthy Pulp.” The research aims to test if healthy pulp lacks bacteria in which 10 patients took part in the study. DNA and RNA samples were taken from the pulp of each tooth resulting in evidence that bacteria DNA can still be detected in healthy teeth.

The NSU Endo Department continues to make great strides in the field from hosting its annual alumni congress in the spring, performing dental work abroad in Barcelona, Spain and launching its upcoming global project aiming to bring in several continuing education courses during the year to NSU.

Photos from left to right show steps taken to retrieve pulp sample. For step-by-step description see page three of the research report.

College of Education and School of Criminal Justice Named Jewish Family Services Community Partner of the Year

NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice (FCE&SCJ) has been named Jewish Family Services (JFS) Community Partner of the Year!

Maribel Del Rio-Roberts,Psy.D., was in attendance at the JFS 57th Annual Meeting on May 15th to receive the award on behalf of FCE&SCJ for Community Partner of the Year.  She  has worked in collaboration with Jewish Family Services (JFS) this year to connect students in the MS in Developmental Disabilities program to employment opportunities within JFS’s newly established “BOOST” program.  The BOOST program is aimed at improving vocational and functional life skills, socialization and community integration for adults with developmental disabilities.  The program addresses a high need area in the community, while also providing an exciting real-world, paid employment opportunity for NSU students in the field of developmental disabilities.  The partnership resulted in employment for 3 MS in Developmental Disabilities students Alyda Inoa, Danielle Figg, and Nikol Rodriguez, as Skills Coaches within the program. The program is currently running for 24 weeks as a pilot for six young adults (currently ranging in age from 23-31, all on the autism spectrum), and will run another 24-week cycle for another six young adults upon completion of the first cycle.

NSU’s Tampa Bay Anesthesiologist Assistants Program Nationally to Become 2019 Anesthesia Trivia Champions

NSU Tampa Bay AA Program faculty and students celebrate the 2019 Anesthesia Trivia victory.

The 2019 American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAAA) conference, held in the beautiful city of Indianapolis, proved to be a historical moment for NSU’s Tampa Bay Anesthesiologist Assistant Program. The Anesthesia Trivia competition, held annually during the conference, is an opportunity for all AA programs to test their existing knowledge and didactic training against all others. A team of four first-year students is selected to represent each program for the anesthesia trivia challenge. For the first time in the program’s history, NSU’s Tampa Bay AA program brought home the victory before a crowd of hundreds that included AAs, anesthesiologists, students, alumni, faculty, and directors from all AA programs.

The competition got off to a great start for all programs but NSU Tampa Bay quickly established the lead and never left room for the competition to catch up. The conference auditorium was filled to capacity with cheering in support of each program. Alumni joined their respective programs in celebration by wearing shirts specifically made for the team trivia challenge. However, no cheers were louder than those from NSU, especially as it became apparent that the win was inevitable. After two fierce rounds of competition, NSU Tampa Bay finished in first place and begin to revel in what would become a historical moment for the program.

From left, AA Tampa Bay Anesthesia Trivia Team, Michael Bean, Joshua Dulong-Bays, Aaron Pingel, and Nawreen Jahan

Huizenga Professor Promotes Locally-Sourced Produce

When Albert Williams, Ph.D., looks out the windows of his South Florida home, he sees more than just coconut trees – he sees money. And in the June 2019 issue of Fort Lauderdale Magazine, he’s sharing his perspective on Florida agriculture and supporting local farmers in a feature titled, “Farm Fresh Florida”.

“Agriculture in Florida is big business, over $160billion per year and second only to the tourism industry,” says Williams, who serves as associate professor and acting chair of the Finance and Economics Department at the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship. The professor received an education in agricultural and applied economics at the University of Georgia. Prior to joining Nova Southeastern University, he held the position of CEO at an agricultural marketing firm in Belize and worked as a commodity analyst at Restaurant Services Incorporated (the purchasing arm of the Burger King Corporation).

“Can people in Florida eat foods directly from the farm, implying little or no processing?” he asks. “The answer is yes.” Williams also believes that the option to eat more organically grown products is becoming more common, as the number of South Florida farms becoming “certified organic” continues to grow.

Additionally, Williams offers tips to South Florida residents looking to purchase farm-fresh produce. “Go to the farmer’s markets! Even though there are many middle men and women, many are selling produce that are from local farms. Purchasing local produce supports the farmers of South Florida, and Florida, in general.” Plus, Florida farmers have a lot to offer in terms of produce variety, including tropical favorites like mangoes, mamey sapote, bitter melons, and callaloo.

For an agricultural scenic drive, Williams suggests taking US-27 from South Florida to Tampa. The route offers miles and miles of sugar cane and citrus orchards, and helps put into perspective the billions of agricultural dollars at play. “We need to educate people about the importance of South Florida’s agriculture and we need young entrepreneurs to consider getting into the business.”

NSU’s College of Pharmacy Hosts: A Day for the Next Generation of Pharmacists

The College of Pharmacy-Palm Beach Campus hosted “A Day for the Next Generation of Pharmacists” event in May. This collaborative effort of pharmacy educators was designed to bring knowledge and understanding of the evolving pharmacy profession.  The event was geared to individuals seeking to gain insight into the pharmacy profession as they pursue their interests in becoming a pharmacist. Eighteen program participants from Florida, Georgia, and Texas attended the free event. The day included of mini lectures in core pharmacy pillars, as well as interactive activities focused on compounding, blood pressure monitoring, and simulated patient counseling.

“We are excited to increase the public’s knowledge about the impact pharmacists can have on their patients’ lives and to showcase our Palm Beach campus” said Rochelle Nappi, Ed.D., the assistant dean of the college in the Palm Beach.

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