Author: iharrell

Education Graduate Authors Book on Overcoming Cancer

Alvin Haywood, Ed.D.

Alvin Haywood, Ed.D., graduate of NSU’s Abraham, S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice, recently authored his third book, “Take Up Your Bed and Walk: This is My Story!” a tale of how he overcame cancer.

Haywood was born in Vallejo, California, and attended public schools there from kindergarten through the community college level. Upon transferring to San Jose State University (CA), he later received undergraduate degrees in social work and psychology, a master’s degree in education, and teaching and administrative credentials.

After retirement from 34 years of elementary and middle school teaching and overcoming a bout with cancer in 2007, Haywood enrolled in Fischler’s doctorate program. His book focuses on personal stories of diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and Haywood’s optimistic outlook and faith.

Haywood is also the author of “Cultivating Early Reading Development: Reaping the Benefits of School Success” and “Students Loving Math: What’s Reading Got to do With It?”

He earned his Doctor of Education from NSU in 2015. For more information on his book, “Take Up Your Bed and Walk: This is My Story.”

Remembering 1989 Osteopathic Alumnus Gary Cohen, D.O.

Dr. Gary Cohen

On the morning of June 24, the world watched in horror as a portion of the 12-story Champlain Towers South building in Surfside, Florida, collapsed, claiming the lives of more than 100 people, including class of 1989 Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine alumnus Gary Cohen, D.O., whose body was recovered from the rubble and identified two weeks later.

Cohen, who was a respected physician at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in Alabama, was in an 11th-floor condo in the Champlain Towers South building when the collapse occurred. He had come to South Florida to visit his terminally ill father and was staying with his brother Brad Cohen, M.D., who also perished.

NSU Alumni Golfers Make Major Debuts at Open Championship

Richard Mansell and Ricardo Celia, former golfers on Nova Southeastern Sharks men’s golf team, made their major championship debuts on July 15 at the 149th Open Championship, the world’s oldest major golf tournament. This year’s Open Championship was held at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England.

Celia, a native of Barranquilla, Colombia, arrived at Nova Southeastern as a freshman in the fall of 2010 and graduated following the 2014 spring season as one of the program’s most highly decorated players. He was named to the All-Sunshine State Conference team all four years, including first team honors in both 2012 and 2013. He also finished among the top-3 at each of his four SSC Championships, with a first-place tie as a freshman and a two-stroke victory in 2013. In addition, he earned recognition on three Golf Coaches Association of America All-American teams, the best of which was a first team nod in 2013, when he finished the season ranked No. 3 nationally, as well as a place on the All-Freshman team in 2011. In 2012, he aided the Sharks to the first National Championship in program history, defeating his Chico State opponent in the final round of match play by a single stroke. He earned his spot in this year’s Open as the winner of the 2019 Open de Argentina, waiting an extra year to fulfill his dream because the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled last year’s event.

“It is a dream come true. Playing an event of this caliber is something I will never forget. I feel like I’m in a kind of movie surrounded by the best actors on the planet. The happiness I feel is indescribable,” Celia told PGATour.com. He also played his practice round with six-time major champion Phil Mickelson, who won the event in 2013, and 2020 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, adding “I wanted to put some pressure on myself before the first round to experience a little of what the tournament will be like. Playing with two idols like Mickelson and DeChambeau was amazing.”

Mansell, playing 213 miles from his hometown of Staffordshire, England, came to the Sharks as a transfer after a year at fellow NCAA Division II member Newberry College in South Carolina and wasted no time in making a name for himself. Much like Celia before him, Mansell also received a GCAA First Team All-American honor, finished the season with the No. 3 ranking in all of DII, and helped the Sharks to a National Championship, all in his first season with the program in 2015. He would go on to be named to both the All-SSC and All-American teams in all three years, picking up four SSC Golfer of the Week awards along the way. Another top-10 DII finish (No. 9) and individual National Championship run followed in 2016, and in 2017, he represented Team Europe at the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup and was a finalist for the Jack Nicklaus Division II Player of the Year award. He was named to the 156-player field as a final qualifier from an event held at Notts Golf Club in Nottingham at the end of June.

Alumnus Receives National Distinguished Service Award

Dr. Jeffrey S. Grove

Jeffrey S. Grove, D.O., FACOFP dist., a 1990 Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine alumnus, received the American Osteopathic Association’s (AOA’s) Distinguished Service Award during its 101st House of Delegates Annual Meeting on July 15 in Chicago, Illinois.

The award, which is the highest honor the AOA bestows, is presented annually to deserving physicians or lay individuals for outstanding contributions to the understanding and advancement of osteopathic medicine through research, education, financial aid, or other areas that enable the profession to make a greater contribution to public health.

Halmos Assistant Professor Participates in STEM Education Virtual Workshop

Santanu De

Santanu De, M.Sc., Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center, was selected among top 20 applicants to participate in a competitive STEM Education Professional Skills Virtual Workshop organized by the Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) STEM Resource Hub of the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The workshop was titled “Designing competitive research questions for grant proposals.”  Representing NSU in the team of faculty members from multiple institutions across the U.S., De contributed to the following efforts:

  1. Using a gap analysis to identify the focus for future research grant proposals,
  2. Using a SWOT (strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats) analysis to identify the best route for answering research questions for future grant proposals,
  3. Designing specific and answerable research questions,
  4. Identifying potential sources of baseline data, and
  5. Building a research plan around the proposed research questions

De’s research interests include STEM education, pedagogy, reproductive physiology, developmental biology, cell biology, and protein biology. He is a member of  the Human Anatomy & Physiology Society (HAPS), an editorial board member of several journals including The American Journal of BioScience, and faculty adviser of  NSU’s Med-ED student medical organization.

Halmos Event Delves Into Conflict and Assassination in Haiti

Ernst Vincent

Roland Joseph

The Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS) and the Department of Humanities and Politics (DHP) in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS) hosted an event titled “Understanding the Conflicting Political Context of the Haitian President’s Assassination.” This event provided the opportunity for information and discussion regarding recent and historical perspectives on the events leading up to the assassination.

The event was coordinated by Elena Bastidas, Ph.D., faculty in DCRS. Bastidas welcomed the speakers and guests. Judith McKay, J.D., Ph.D., faculty in DCRS and Ransford Edwards, Ph.D. faculty in DHP were the facilitators. The speakers were two doctoral candidates in DCRS, Roland Joseph and Ernst Vincent.

Roland Joseph is a member of the Research Committee on Non-killing Security and International Relations at the Center for Global Nonkilling. He worked as a journalist and political analyst in Haiti for radio stations and newspapers such as Radio Evangelique Hosanna FM, Radio Ephphatha FM, and Journal le Matin for more than 15 years. He coordinated and led training sessions on peace, non-violence, nonkilling, and conflict resolution at Centre caribéen pour la non-violence globale et le développement durable (Caribbean Center for Global Non-Violence and Sustainable Development). Roland received his bachelor’s degree in political in Haiti; and his master’s degree in peace and conflict studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Ernst Vincent is working on his dissertation, which focuses on the conflict between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He is a pastor and a theologian. He received two master’s degrees from NSU, one in organizational leadership and one in conflict analysis and resolution. His research interests include the defense of human rights, race and ethnic relations and religious studies. Vincent is the current president of the Haitian Pastors Conference.

New NSU Parking Decals Are Now Available

NSU students and employees can conveniently pick up their new NSU Sharkfin parking decals at designated locations on the Fort Lauderdale-Davie (Main) Campus and at all Regional Campuses. In order to obtain your NSU Sharkfin decals, please register for a virtual permit through the NSU Parking Portal.

Main Campus Locations:
6100 Griffin; Administrative Services Building; Alvin Sherman Library, Research, And Information Technology Center; Campus Support Building; Carl DeSantis Building; Don Taft University Center; Grande Oaks Golf Club; HPD Terry; HPD Assembly I; Horvitz Administration Building; Family Center Village (Building 100/200); Law School; Mailman Hollywood; Maltz Psychology Building; Parker Building; Rosenthal Student Center; Shark Athletics Building; Student Affairs Building; Tom Panza Science Annex; The Commons Residence Hall; Leo Goodwin Sr. Residence Hall; Mako Residence Hall; Rolling Hills Office Center; Rolling Hills Residence Hills A Residence Hall; Center for Collaborative Research  (CCR)

Regional Campus Locations: 
Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Oceanographic, Orlando, Palm Beach, Tampa, San Juan

For additional information and resources, visit our parking webpage or contact us at parkingservices@nova.edu

College of Dental Medicine Partners with Heartland Dental

Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine is pleased to announce a new partnership with Heartland Dental.

Executive Associate Dean Hal Lippman

Under the leadership of our Executive Associate Dean of Operation Hal Lippman, an innovative externship program has been developed through partnership with Heartland Dental providing our D4 students a unique experience.

This honor’s externship program will offer an array of opportunities for our students to be mentored and to be provided with the experience of observing the everyday workings of a real world, fast-paced dental practice, while promoting ethics, professionalism, and communication within the private practice setting. Under the expert direction of selected Heartland Providers, our students will understand how each role in the office plays a crucial part in providing the best high quality patient focused care.

An emphasis will be placed on practice management, team building while managing a diverse patient population, and staff in a multicultural work environment.

Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine’s Administration looks forward to a strong partnership with Heartland Dental, providing our students with a learning experience that will impact their future dental pathways.

Facilities Management Hosts First Pete Witschen Field Day

Peter “Pete” J. Witschen, former VP of Facilities Management at NSU

The Office of Facilities Management at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) held its inaugural Pete Witschen Field Day to celebrate the life of former university leader Peter J. Witschen.

Otherwise known as “Pete” by his colleagues, Witschen began his career at NSU in 2008 and served as the vice president of Facilities Management from 2012 to 2015. Witschen aided in the construction of notable buildings like the Parker building and Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center. His work at NSU created a legacy, but sadly in 2015, Witschen passed away from a rare type of cancer at the age of 65.

The Pete Witschen Field Day was spearheaded by Daniel J. Alfonso, the current vice president of Facilities Management and staff member Lela Fairchild. Alfonso and Fairchild collaborated on this project by creating an interactive outdoor field day that supported the Pete Witschen Scholarship Fund.

Although the day was meant to be celebrated on June 4, originally Witschen’s birthday, the event was held on Friday, June 11, from 1 to 4 p.m. on the AutoNation football field.

“It’s been a very stressful year for everybody, especially those who have lost family members and friends due to COVID-19. This is a great opportunity to bring everyone together and celebrate the fact that we’ve gone through this whole year, and we’ve been able to maintain the campus and ensure NSU, as a whole, is running smoothly,” Alfonso said.

The Office of Facilities Management is comprised of 187 staff members and about 70 of those employees participated in the field day event.

“It’s about getting out there and having fun, while at the same time raising money for the Pete Witschen Scholarship Fund,” Fairchild said.

The field day games ranged from a football throwing contest to Jenga and even a candy counting contest. Alongside these games, the Alumni Relations and Annual Giving (University Advancement) team were present to cheer on the spirit and generosity of attendees.

“To me, this is a great opportunity not only to raise funds for scholarships, but to get our employees out of the office and onto the field where they’ve been working for a year without a whole lot of opportunity to talk in-person with each other,” Alfonso said. “We work in facilities, and I tell our folks that we create the environment where research, teaching and learning takes place.”

Alfonso emphasized the importance of camaraderie in his department and how they’re busy planning and preparing for the upcoming fall semester.

The inaugural Pete Witschen Field Day is set to become an annual event for the employees of Facilities Management and will continue to serve as a commemorative day to honor the unit’s beloved former vice president.

For more information regarding the Pete Witschen Scholarship Fund, contact Lela Fairchild at plela@nova.edu.

Fischler College Spotlights Alumnus Ford Craig

Ford Craig

In 1991, Ford Craig received is Doctor of Education from the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Craig currently lives in Seward, Nebraska, with his wife Doris. They have two grown daughters, Jody and Jill. Doris and Ford help with raising their three wonderful granddaughters.

Craig been busy during his 50 years of full and part time work experience. He serves as an adjunct faculty member with Concordia University and served as a consultant evaluator for the North Central Accrediting Association. Additionally, he served as a manuscript evaluator for the Teaching English in the Two-Year College and was a member of the Midwest Regional Conference on English in the Two-Year College. In the 1970s, he began his career in education as an English and speech teacher for Palmer Public Schools and Saint Paul Public Schools. Over the years, Craig found success through varying academic positions with North Platte City Schools, McCook Community College, Mid-Plains Community College Area, and the University of Phoenix.

Craig earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English education from Wayne State College, a Master of Science in English education from Kearney State College, and a Specialist in Education in educational administration from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. During his spare time, Craig contributes to his community through numerous churches in his area, including the Presbyterian Church of York, Nebraska, and Friedens United Church of Christ in Seward, where currently is pastor.  You can also find him working on cars and writing. Currently, Craig is working on a narrative for genealogy on his side of the family. He also served as an editor of a two-part book series on the history of the Mid-Plains Community College area.

Although his career has been filled with many accomplishments, he is very proud of being presented with the Who’s Who Among American Teachers Award while at McCook Community College. Looking toward the future, Craig intends to experience the continued success of his career. Fins up to you Ford Craig!

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