Author: iharrell

Honors Student Develops App to Aid in Data Collection

Professor Jeffrey Matthew Hoch, Ph.D., with Honors College student Rose Leeger.

Farquhar Honors College student Rose Leeger has developed an app that optimizes the data collection process for researchers in the field. The app, called “Everglades Research for Mosquitofish Data Collection,” allows researchers to upload pictures and input data into premade categories for a more efficient and accurate method of data collection.

Leeger, a junior triple majoring in Marine Biology, Environmental Science, and Biology, created the app using software on ESRI’s ArcGIS system as part of her final project in her Geographic Information Systems course. The app has proven to be a handy alternative to the waterproof paper and pencils previously used in the field, allowing Leeger and her peers to conveniently collect and organize data on their phones. This data is then uploaded to an online data collection system that makes it easy for them to locate past data and identify trends in their research.

“I was able to save time and allow for more thorough research and data collection to be done,” said Leeger, who is currently using the app to collect data for her Honors thesis analyzing the distribution of biologically vulnerable mangrove mosquitofish and its relation to climate change and human activity in the Everglades.

Leeger plans to continue pursuing her passion for marine environment conservation by getting her Ph.D. to become a professor who can inspire future generations to do the same.

Posted 12/12/21

Alpha Alpha chapter of Alpha Mu Gamma Honors Inductees

NSU’s Alpha Alpha chapter of Alpha Mu Gamma: National Collegiate Foreign Language Honor Society held its fall 2021 induction ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 16 from 5 to 6 p.m. The chapter is housed in the Department of Humanities and Politics in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center.

The following students were inducted:

  • Amaya Allen, Spanish
  • Deirdre Casey, ASL
  • Kelli Green, French and Spanish
  • Kathryn Macias, French
  • Rosa Martinez, Spanish
  • Samantha Sigler, Spanish

Holding flameless candles, the inductees were brought into the room by Erika Medina, chapter secretary, who served as marshall for the event. Emma Heineman, chapter president, received the inductees following AMG ritual and everyone sat down. Yvette Fuentes, Ph.D., faculty adviser gave a short welcome address. Following her address, Medina, gave a brief history of Alpha Mu Gamma and its symbols. The initiation ceremony was then led by Heineman, and following the pledges, students read “The Golden Bough” poem. Certificates, pins, and graduation cords were distributed by Fuentes and Medina. After some closing remarks by Fuentes, a group picture was taken and a small reception was held for inductees and members.

The NSU chapter of AMG was chartered in fall 2019 but because of COVID-19, the first and second induction ceremonies were held virtually. This year’s induction ceremony was a joyous occasion for AMG members and their faculty adviser.

For more information about the chapter, please contact the faculty adviser, Yvette Fuentes, Ph.D. at yf60@nova.edu

Posted 12/12/21

Halmos Faculty Presents with Doctoral Student, Alumna

McKay

Judith McKay, J.D., Ph.D., director of the doctoral program and faculty in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS) in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS), presented at the 2021 Association for Conflict Resolution Annual Conference. McKay invited DCRS doctoral student Courtney Connor, J.D., and DCRS alumna Michelle Cromwell, Ph.D., to be co-presenters. The conference was held virtually from September 29 to October 1, 2021. The conference theme was “Reflective Engagement: Learning from our Past. Transforming our Future.”  The presentation was titled “Building a Socially Just Community: Community Dialogues, Planning, and Partnerships.”

Connor

McKay is the faculty adviser to the Social Justice Roundtable and works with students in the community through Community Resolution Services (CRS), a practicum and volunteer site for DCRS. CRS hosts Story Café, We Love our Families series, The Women’s Roundtable, and is involved in offering workshops for the county’s Crisis Intervention Teams, and other events for community groups and organizations. She is also the Co-director of the NSU Council for Dialogue and Democracy (CDD).

McKay’s scholarly interests include conflict coaching, strategic community planning, and violence prevention and intervention in family, neighborhood, and organizational conflicts.  For more information about Community Resolution Services and the CDD please contact McKay at mckayj@nova.edu.

Cromwell

Courtney Connor, J.D., is a doctoral student in DCRS and is the Safety Specialist for Baptist Medical Center Beaches in Jacksonville Beach. In this current position, she had to obtain two additional certifications: Certified Healthcare Emergency Professional (CHEP) and Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP).

Michelle Cromwell, Ph.D., is an M.S. and Ph.D. graduate of DCRS. In 2019 she was named the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the State University of N.Y. at Plattsburgh. Cromwell was a 2018 NSU Distinguished Alumna and has been a guest speaker for the Social Justice Roundtable.

Posted 12/12/21

Students Celebrate Respiratory Care Week in October

RT students celebrate Respiratory Care Week 2021.

The Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy (BSRT) students celebrated Respiratory Care Week during October 20th-26th. Health care facilities designate this week to respiratory therapists to acknowledge and thank them for their contribution as a vital member of the healthcare team. Their essential need has never been more apparent than during the Covid 19 pandemic which has led to a severe shortages of RTs across the U.S.

BSRT Student Government officers began the weeklong celebration by handing out gift bags to students, faculty, and staff at their campus entrance. Gift bags included candy, pens, and an inspirational message. Their goal was to raise awareness about the respiratory therapy profession and the BSRT program which is located at the Palm Beach Gardens campus.

The week ended with a respiratory therapy student luncheon with catered food and drinks, and a personalized cake to honor their future profession. Students played games, gave away prizes, and had the opportunity to socialize with other cohorts. The event motivated and energized the students as they continue their journey in becoming future RTs.

Posted 12/12/21

Razor’s Edge Student Honored at Biomedical Conference

Grace Waldron

Grace Waldron, a senior majoring in Biology with a minor in Research Studies as a Razor’s Edge Research Scholar in the Darwin cohort, was one of 42 awardees in the Cancer Biology category out of 138 presenters at the 2021 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS).

Waldron’s passion for cancer research strengthened when she was accepted into the independent study program at the Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research at NSU in the Fall of 2020. Since that time, she has been able to conduct and participate in research involving treatments for lung and breast cancer, including an upcoming contribution in a manuscript publication regarding current breast cancer research. Her primary mentor is Appu Rathinavelu, Ph.D., and her lab mentor is Umamaheswari Natarajan, Ph.D. In addition to presenting at the 2021 ABRCMS, Waldron has participated in the 2021 Life Science Symposium at Florida International University, and the 2021 NSU Undergraduate Symposium.

Waldron is thankful for the opportunities the Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research and all the research associates have provided her with. She plans to attend graduate school pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Cancer Biology.

Posted 12/12/21

Guest Lecture Series Highlights Rhetoric of Health, Wellness

Rachel Panton, Ph.D.

This fall, COMP 1500: College Writing hosted a guest lecture series highlighting the rhetoric of health and wellness. The series, facilitated by Assistant Professor of Writing, Rachel Panton, Ph.D., and the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts  in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences featured a variety of speakers and topics, such as the importance of science writing and communication, the rhetoric of public health during the pandemic, the rhetoric of women’s childbirth advocacy, and the rhetoric of mental health and social media.

“This lecture series was inspired by a desire to broaden student awareness to the centrality of rhetoric and writing in the sciences and humanities and to think across boundaries,” Panton said. “I wanted students to have a greater understanding of the interdisciplinarity and intersectionality of the rhetoric of health and wellness. Most importantly, I wanted them to feel as though they are contributors to these conversations, as well as agents of change.”

Featured speakers included:

Paola Espitia: NSU Marine Biology alumna, media producer, ocean communicator and speaker with the multimedia production studio Ola’Pi Creative

Patrice Leopold, Ph.D.: Assistant Professor for NSU’s Department of Counseling in the College of Psychology

Christi Navarro, Ph.D.: Assistant Professor of Public Health, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

Ravae Sinclair, former president DONA International: Doula Training and Doula Certification

Learn more about the Minor in Writing offered through the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts here.

Posted 12/12/21

10 USchool Seniors Chosen as Silver Knight Award Finalists

Top from left: Arina Zhirkova, Sinan Kassim, Amanda Frank, Tyler Zager, Madison Davidovic, Madison Drain. Bottom from left: Yardena Rubin, Rita Shuster, Samantha Weiner, Ryan Hoffman.

NSU University School is proud to congratulate 10 of our seniors who have been selected as nominees for the Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards – one of the nation’s most highly regarded student awards programs that recognizes outstanding students for their community service and academic achievements.

All nominees from Miami-Dade and Broward County schools will be interviewed by a panel of independent judges who will select one Silver Knight and three Honorable Mentions in various categories. The Silver Knight program culminates with a formal awards ceremony in the spring where all the nominees are recognized and the Silver Knights and Honorable Mentions are announced.

Congratulations to all NSU University School nominees for demonstrating excellence in their respective categories!

  • Madison Davidovic – Business
  • Madison Draizin – Math
  • Amanda Frank – General Scholarship
  • Ryan Hoffman – Music & Dance
  • Sinan Kassim – Speech
  • Yardena Rubin – Digital & Interactive Media
  • Rita Shuster – Journalism
  • Samantha Weiner – Social Science
  • Tyler Zager – Vocational Technical
  • Arina Zhirkova – Science

Posted 12/12/21

College of Business Establishes New Fellowship with USchool

The NSU H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship and NSU University School are set to launch a new partnership in the form of a fellowship this spring. Twelve high-achieving Upper School students from USchool have been selected from more than 60 applications for this highly anticipated program. “USchool has been building specialized fellowship programs since 2017 with different colleges at NSU, starting with the Dr. Kiran Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine and then adding the Shepard Broad College of Law in 2018. We are so proud to be adding this third partnership with the College of Business to our program offerings,” said Samantha Nelson, Director of Experiential Learning at USchool.

The Business Fellowship will begin at the start of 2022 and run from January until May. The fellows will be welcomed during a pinning ceremony with an official Huizenga College pin. Throughout the fellowship, students will be able to experience the different industries and career opportunities in the subjects of accounting, finance, management, marketing, entrepreneurship, real estate, and sports management. They will meet with expert faculty and have VIP invitations to many of the college activities and events with administration. Each week, the fellows will experience different college settings around the university such as the DeSantis building, Mako Hall Shark Cage, and the NSU-Broward Innovation Center. The fellows will also get to work with Huizenga Academy students as well as career services.

To conclude the fellowship journey, the USchool students will present their career path projects at a final Shark Showcase and celebration! This new era of innovation is the perfect time for this partnership. The goal is to prepare these passionate and curious students for college and beyond. The Dean, faculty, administration, staff, and students at the business college are looking forward to giving the USchool fellows a taste of the real business college experience. Go Sharks!

Posted 12/12/21

Out of Darkness Walk Addresses Suicide Prevention

On November 7, Nova Southeastern University’s Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to hold the Out of Darkness Community Walk. Scott Poland, Ed.D., professor at the College of Psychology and director of the Suicide and Violence Prevention Office at NSU, provided the opening address. The Out of Darkness walks are dedicated to providing a supportive community for those who have lost a friend or loved one to suicide, and to raising funds for suicide awareness and prevention.

The event represented a welcome return to in-person community walks after a year of social-distanced activities. More than750 participants took part, individually or as teams. Thanks to the hard work of participants, volunteers, and staff, the event raised more than $75,000. These funds will be used for research, education, advocacy, and support for those impacted by suicide. In addition to the incredible work of the sorority, several NSU organizations including NSPIRE (Nova Students for the Prevention and Intervention of Suicide and Response to Emergencies), the Office of Suicide and Violence Prevention, and MIND (Mental Illness New Directions) tabled at the event to raise awareness regarding mental health difficulties.

NSU’s dedication to suicide prevention continues year-round. For more information, visit NSU’s Office of Suicide and Violence Prevention website to find resources, publications, and upcoming events.

Posted 12/12/21

Honors Student’s Startup Helps Physical Therapy Patients

Varun Kota

Farquhar Honors College student Varun Kota has developed a startup to help improve the recovery prospects of physical therapy patients. The startup, called SMART MS3, aims to make the physical therapy process more efficient by providing direct and timely feedback between patients and their physical therapists.

SMART MS3 was conceived by Kota, a junior biology major, and his cofounder after conducting interviews and research that illuminated the widespread dissatisfaction among physical therapy patients with their long and uncertain recovery processes. The startup aims to minimize these recovery times by using an electromyography (EMG) sensor that measures muscle activity as patients complete their at-home exercises and a software app that sends this data directly to their physical therapists who can review their progress and tailor their exercise regimen accordingly.

Kota, involved with the coding of the app, is currently working with his co-founder, a graphic designer, and a team of engineers to optimize the device and app before it’s released.

“I have learned a ton through this process and [my] mistakes,” Kota said. “I now have an intimate understanding of the medical app framework, how apps are developed, time management, leadership skills, and public speaking. Initially, I really didn’t know how much I would learn from making a startup, but it has been an enlightening journey so far. I hope that I will continue to learn and improve myself as SMART MS3 continues to grow!”

Posted 12/12/21

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