Author: iharrell

Theatre Major to Perform in Comedy at Broward Center

Spencer Carlisle on stage

B.A. in Theatre major Spencer Carlisle is taking his talents to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts with his upcoming role as Johnny Nunzio in the off-Broadway comedy “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding,” which debuts on Valentine’s Day.

A theater major in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Carlisle has appeared in productions such as “Maltese Falcon,” “The Mousetrap,” “And the World Goes Round” and “Zombie Prom.”

“Spencer is an incredibly dedicated student who works hard to bring his best to whatever he takes on,” said Bill J. Adams, D.M.A., professor and program director for the B.A. in Music and B.A. in Theatre programs. “It is always a pleasure to work with him.”

“Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding” is New York’s longest-running off-Broadway comedy and runs Feb. 14-25 at the Broward Center’s Abdo New River Room. The audience can participate in Tony and Tina’s wedding with a full-course Italian dinner and dancing. View showtimes and ticket prices here.

Learn more about the B.A. in Theatre program here.

Posted 02/04/24

Hip Hop Panel and Workshop Planned for Feb. 7

The B.A. in Dance and B.A. in Art + Design programs in the Halmos College of Arts and Science’s Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts present “Hip Hop Revolution,” a panel discussion and dance workshop on 50 years of hip hop and its influence on art and culture on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at the Performance Theatre in the Don Taft University Center.

Featured panelists include dancer/choreographer and Associate Professor Elana Lanczi, visual artist and Associate Professor Kandy Lopez-Moreno and multidisciplinary artist/dancer and Adjunct Professor Alonzo Octavias Williams.

There will be light refreshments from 5 to 5:30 p.m., with the panel discussion following and a hip hop dance workshop from 6:15 to 7 p.m.

For more information, contact Elana Lanczi at lanczi@nova.edu

Posted 02/04/24

NSU Celebrates Legacy of Carl DeSantis at Anniversary Event

Carl DeSantis’ son Damon address the crowd at the anniversary ceremony.

The H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship paid a special tribute on Dec. 16 to the late Carl DeSantis during a 20th anniversary celebration of the Nova Southeastern University building named in his honor.

For more than two decades, DeSantis was instrumental in moving NSU forward as a highly respected higher education institution when it comes to educating future business leaders and entrepreneurs.

Born in Massachusetts and raised in Florida, DeSantis was a lifelong entrepreneur with a natural flair for business and marketing. He launched Sundown Vitamins in his garage and built it from a mail order company into the world’s largest vitamin manufacturer. The company would later become Rexall Sundown, growing into a Fortune 100 company while revolutionizing the health supplements industry.

In 2000, Rexall Sundown was sold for $1.8 billion. DeSantis immediately began to invest in—and pioneer—a series of companies while also continuing to be a passionate philanthropist. DeSantis was inducted into NSU’s Entrepreneur and Business Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2002, DeSantis pledged a leading gift to the campaign to relocate NSU’s business college from a small off-site space to a 261,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility on the NSU Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus. In January 2004, the Carl DeSantis Building was opened as the home of the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship (HCBE).

Among those on hand for the anniversary celebration were HCBE Dean Andrew Rosman, NSU President George L. Hanbury II, Provost Ronald J. Chenail, Dean Emeritus Randy Pohlman, Carl’s son Damon, Carl’s daughter Debbie, event co-chair Arlene Pecora of the Signature Grand, and Jeff Perlman of CDS International Holdings.

Posted 01/14/24

NSU Names Chief Strategy and Operations Officer for NSU Health

richard james

Richard James, former chief development officer for HCA Healthcare’s East Florida Division, has been named NSU’s chief strategy and operations officer for NSU Health, effective Jan. 2, 2024.

Richard James

“James will join Vice President for Clinical Operations Leonard Pounds and the NSU Health leadership team as they continue to partner with deans, providers and researchers to pursue this exciting new vision for NSU Health as a preeminent, university-affiliated health care system that offers a new standard of health care to its patients and the community,” said NSU President George Hanbury. “With Dr. Harry Moon now serving as the university’s president-elect, as well as our current executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO) for the university, it was important for us to bring in a health care expert like Rick James to replace Dr. Moon’s former role as COO of NSU Health.”

“As NSU Health’s new chief strategy and operations officer, Rick will be in charge of developing and managing NSU Health’s growth and oversight, from integration of operations to exploring opportunities at regional locations to expanding clinical partnerships and new health care specialty offerings,” Dr. Moon said.

James was a key member of HCA Healthcare’s executive leadership team. He was responsible for driving business growth in a region spanning Vero Beach to Miami, including 14 hospitals, 12 ambulatory surgery centers, 98 physician practices with 400 physicians and 60 urgent care clinics with 22,000 employees and $5 billion-plus in revenue.

“I look forward to collaborating with the academic and research communities to achieve a path to preeminence for NSU Health in the years ahead, seeing it become a high-quality, self-sustaining health care system,” James said. “Working together, I believe we can further elevate NSU’s clinical operations to fuel future growth, enabling us to attract the most talented and highest quality providers, and deliver the best care for our patients.”

NSU Health has provided 20-plus years of care delivered by a nationally recognized faculty and researchers in eight health care colleges and programs, offering accessible patient-centered care. NSU Health’s services include medical, dental, vision, family therapy, hearing, mental health, occupational and physical therapy, speech-language pathology and a community pharmacy.

Posted 01/14/24

 

Fischler Grad is First Black Woman to Serve in School’s Faculty Senate

Latonya Peterson, Ed.D.

Latonya Peterson, Ed.D., a Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice graduate, is the first black woman to serve in the faculty senate at Baker University.

She was recently elected for a second term to the two-year position. Peterson learned she made history shortly after she had been elected for her first term.

She said she received an email that said, “Thanks for making history” and when she inquired about it, she learned she was the first black woman in that role.

“It means a lot because it means I’m breaking barriers,” Peterson said.

The overall senate is made up of nine members, but Peterson is the only minority. There also only two other women serving as well.

Members of the faculty senate have a host of duties, including making recommendations regarding admissions criteria, degree requirements, new majors and more, serving as the policy body for programs and courses through the School of Professional and Graduate Studies and much more.

Peterson said her last term went well and the senate was able to accomplish a lot. One area they looked at was recruitment and making it easier for students to transfer to the school.

“We did vote on making it easier to transfer, you know, making sure we accept certain transfer credits, because the students have done the work and it shouldn’t be that hard for them to transfer,” she said.

Peterson said she hopes to build upon her previous success during this next term.

Peterson graduated from NSU with her M.S. in Criminal Justice, and her Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership. In addition to serving on the Faculty Senate at Baker University, she also teaches there as an adjunct professor with the Criminal Justice Program and the Master of Business Administration Program. Peterson is also a full-time Criminal Justice professor at American InterContinental University.

Congratulations Latonya Peterson! Fins up to you for making history!

Posted 01/14/24

Endodontics Department Gets Domestic Access to Care Grant

Dr. Yehuda Benjamin

NSU’s College of Dental Medicine’s Department of Endodontics has been honored as a 2023 Domestic Access to Care Grant awardee.

This grant, facilitated by the Foundation for Endodontics and U.S. Endo Partners, enables the university to provide critical endodontic care to Ukrainian refugees in South Florida, many of whom face barriers such as unemployment, language challenges, and ineligibility for Medicaid.

This project was led by Dr. Yehuda Benjamin, interim chair and director of post-graduate endodontics that exemplifies our commitment to serving those in dire need of dental care. We are proud to be a part of this humanitarian effort, making a real difference in the lives of those we serve.

The Foundation for Endodontics’ and U.S. Endo Partners’ Domestic Access to Care Program aids endodontic specialists in providing access to free endodontic care to underserved patients within the United States. The Foundation believes every endodontist has the capacity to make a significant difference and is proud to empower specialists to serve patients and spread goodwill.

For more information, see this link.

Posted 01/14/24

Honors, Law Alum Uses Law to Fight Cyber Fraud

John Paul, J.D.

Farquhar Honors College alum John Paul, J.D., is a lawyer on the leading edge of cyber fraud prosecution. Joining the ranks of the Office of the Florida Attorney General’s Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit as a senior assistant statewide prosecutor, Paul is dedicated to bringing justice to victims of cyber fraud.

Created by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit investigates and prosecutes cyber fraud cases across Florida. As technology rapidly advances, cyber fraud becomes increasingly common as scamming methods rise.

“The vision. . . to help victims of cyber fraud, especially elderly victims who sometimes lose their life savings through cyber fraud scams, really resonates with me,” said Paul. “Helping to recover these funds, prosecute those who violate the law and bring them to justice, and disrupt the criminal networks are all really rewarding.”

Paul graduated from NSU in 2006 with a B.A. in Legal Studies and 2009 with his J.D. from the Shepard Broad College of Law. Since graduating, he has worked in prosecution and law enforcement for nearly 15 years.

“The [Honors College] gave me a well-rounded education that included a focus on interdisciplinary learning,” said Paul. “Having exposure to many subject areas is a tool that I use every day. My cases involved an intersection of law, cyber security, IT infrastructure, finance, business, psychology, and even medicine, just to name a few.”

Posted 01/14/24

Education Alum Named Finalist for STEAM Educator of Year

A Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice graduate has been named a finalist for STEAM Educator of the Year for Women in Technology.

Marquita Blades

Marquita Blades graduated from NSU with her doctorate in Instructional Leadership. After working as a teacher for 16 years, she began her own education consulting business. She also teaches classes at NSU as an adjunct professor.

However, Blades said that it wasn’t until she left the K-12 classroom that she finally began to win awards for her work, and most recently, her dedication to education earned her a nomination as STEAM Educator of the Year.

“It felt a little bit unbelievable,” Blades said. “It really felt like that after 20-plus years in the game, I am finally getting my just-rewards, and finally having my dedication validated in the broader community, and it’s not just within the education community, it’s in the broader STEM community.”

Blades was nominated by a friend and colleague for the recognition.

“She said, Well, I think that you’ll be a great fit for this, I think you’d have a good chance of being recognized.’”

The colleague’s hunch proved to be correct, as Blades made it to the final round, something that she has heard is unheard of for a first-time nominee.

The event was held in October in Atlanta, and the overall award was given to Dr. Hannah Oldham. However, the acknowledgment has propelled Dr. Blades to continue working in the field and to amplify her voice.

“When I got recognized by the Women in Technology, it just empowered me to become more vocal about the technology work that I am doing,” she said.

Blades works as a consultant training teachers on various aspects of STEM education. She also conducts a seminar called the 50 Best Tech Tools and Strategies for Increasing Science Engagement. She also recently developed and launched an AI tools for a science teachers training.

“I’ve been working to advocate for the presence of K through 12 science educators to become more vocal and more seen in the legislative community, but this — being recognized in this way by the Women in Technology — it has given me a bigger platform and a bigger voice to do more of that.”

Congratulations Marquita Blades on all your hard work!

Posted 01/14/24

Honors Students Spread Health Literacy Awareness

Pediatric HEROES, a student-run organization at NSU, is on a mission to improve health literacy across campus. Led by Farquhar Honors College students, the club recently launched a research initiative that encourages its members to create monthly infographics to raise awareness and promote understanding of pediatric health.

“It’s crucial and beneficial for young healthcare learners to both teach and learn about medicine simultaneously, helping them adapt to this field effectively,” said Brianna Lacasse, an honors student who started the infographic initiative. “This initiative gives them a chance to share their discoveries and develop skills to address health issues.”

Students have already created infographics highlighting conditions ranging from sickle cell disease to mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Pediatric HEROES, which stands for Health Education, Research, Outreach, Empowerment, and Support, is filled with aspiring healthcare professionals passionate about educating people on children’s health and careers in pediatrics. The club provides volunteer opportunities, events, and workshops to allow members to gain knowledge and experience.

See more Pediatric HEROES infographics.

Posted 01/14/24

Farquhar Honors Students Walk to Raise Suicide Awareness

This past fall semester, students in the Farquhar Honors College mental health course participated in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) Out of the Darkness walk to bring awareness to suicide prevention and mental health issues. Hosted at NSU, the community walk provided support and hope to survivors, families, friends, and advocates.

The honors team consisted of 29 walkers led by Christi Navarro, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Public Health at the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, and included students from Navarro’s honors Exploring Population Mental Health and Wellbeing course and students and faculty from across NSU. Together, they helped combat the prevailing stigma surrounding suicide and raised $190 to support the AFSP’s mission of saving lives from suicide.

“Having the walk located at NSU and getting the NSU community involved reminds us that mental health challenges can affect us all, and we can all have a part in preventing suicide,” said Navarro. “One of the most moving parts of this event is the honors beads which we all wear to show our personal connection to the cause, as well as connecting with others [who] understand our experiences. There are ten different colored beads, [each representing different connections to the cause]. Before we walk, they call out the individual colors and ask us to raise our beads in support. It is a reminder that we are not alone in our struggles.”

Learn more about the AFSP Out of the Darkness walk.

Posted 01/14/24

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