Author: iharrell

NSU Showcased at the Soref JCC’s Annual Meeting

Soref JCC Executive Director Donald Graw presents an award to Jill Gallner.

Soref JCC Executive Director Donald Graw presents an award to Irv Rosenbaum.

Nova Southeastern University’s Irv Rosenbaum, Ph.D., VP – Health Professions Division, Operations; and Jill Gallner, administrative coordinator at the Alvin Sherman Library both received community service awards at the Soref Jewish Community Center’s Annual Meeting on Monday, June 7.

Rosenbaum is a past president of the Soref JCC and Jill is the current secretary. Both have vast records of community service and remain active in leadership roles at the Soref JCC.

Also announced at the meeting was the exciting new community partnership between the Soref JCC and the NSU Alvin Sherman Library. The Soref JCC is a non-profit organization that contributes to the welfare of the entire community, children, adults and seniors, by providing a center for cultural, educational, recreational and social programs and services while contributing to preserve Jewish traditions and values.

All the programs are inclusionary for the special needs population, and open to all, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender or background. The organization offers significant assistance to those in need by providing children’s scholarships and food from their WECARE pantry. The Soref JCC is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation, United Way and Children’s Services Council all of Broward County.

This partnership will enable the two organizations to cross-promote each other’s programs and events and ultimately collaborate on joint initiatives. The Alvin Sherman Library is very excited to solidify another relationship with a new community partner.  This partnership with Soref JCC is sure to be a win-win for both organizations.

Students Deliver Center for Collaborative Research mural

Each year, the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences offers an opportunity to its ARTS 2100 students to collaborate with a campus department or office to design a potential mural for its walls. During the Winter 2020 semester, three students were chosen by the NSU Center for Collaborative Research (CCR) to paint their design for the new CCR lunchroom space. The selected design concept was created by Sara Kaldas, a studio arts minor, who collaborated with Samantha Rosenblum, a studio arts minor, and Gianna Allison, an art + design major with a concentration in studio arts.

Due to COVID-19, the mural painting was postponed to Winter 2021 and is now completed and on display in the CCR. Art + Design Associate Professor Kandy Lopez-Moreno, who supervised the project, said “The design is minimalistic and clean but at the same time, powerful! I’m very glad that this design was chosen.”

For more information about the B.A. in Art + Design program, including its concentrations and minors, click here.

Halmos Student Takes Her Research to Multiple Conferences

Emma Heineman, a political science student in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center, presented her research at several conferences. Her paper titled “Women in States Legislatures: The Effect of Female Representation of State Abortion Restrictions,” focuses on the ways that female legislators influence abortion policy.

Emma Heinemann

The first conference she presented at was the Pi Sigma Alpha National Student Research Conference. This was her first experience presenting outside of NSU.

“The conference not only gave me the opportunity to showcase my work, but also provided me with the chance to network with other students, faculty, and researchers from across the country,” she said.

She had the opportunity to present as an undergraduate researcher at the Florida Political Science Association Annual Meeting, as well as at both the Undergraduate Student Symposium and the Annual Crossroads Humanities Student Conference at NSU.

“Before this year, research wasn’t something I ever saw myself pursuing, but the experiences I have had conducting and presenting my own research have sparked a passion that I hope to continue in the future,” she said. “It has allowed me to expand on the incredible opportunities I have had at NSU and has truly been one of the highlights of my undergraduate experience. I want to thank both the Department of Humanities and Politics and Dr. Edwards for the support they have provided me and look forward to continuing my research in the future.”

Halmos Duo Present at International Virtual College and University Seminar

Ismael Muvingi

Ismael Muvingi, a faculty member in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies, and Crystal Chavis, a doctoral student in the program, presented at the 9th International Virtual College and University Seminar whose theme was Developing and Enhancing Peace and Conflict Studies Programs.

Because it was virtual, the seminar was held from March 22 to April 16 rather than the normal three-day intensive format. This enabled scheduling of presentations and workshops at times that were most feasible for participants in different time zones over a longer time period.

Muvingi and Chavis presented on the lessons learned from delivering conflict resolution programs through a hybrid of platforms: residential, online and experiential. The Department of Conflict Resolution Studies has the longest experience and expertise in online course delivery in conflict analysis and resolution and there was high interest from participants on how to do online given the imperative of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Muvingi is the faculty advisor to the African Working Group. His academic interests include human rights, African politics and transitional justice with a special focus on Africa.

Halmos Student Presents at the Pi Sigma Alpha Virtual Conference

Angel Vasquez

Angel Vasquez, a student in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Institute, presented his research at the Pi Sigma Alpha National Student Research Conference. Pi Sigma Alpha is the National Political Science Honor Society and this year’s conference was held virtually.

“Participating in the Pi Sigma Alpha virtual conference allowed me to present my research to a scholarly audience and to experience academia firsthand,” he said. “This experience has informed me about other career options and piqued my interest in other fields within the social sciences. The feedback that I obtained from the panelists reviewing my research project has significantly improved it and is already guiding my future research interest.

“I was also glad to interact with peers from other colleges and hearing their interesting perspectives. I am deeply thankful for the professors of the Department of Humanities and Politics for their enthusiastic support and guidance, and I can only be excited to participate in next year’s Pi Sigma Alpha conference!”

Speech Language Pathology Chapter Maintains Gold Standard

Brittany Fox, B.A., CHCS SLP graduate student and NSSLHA historian and philanthropy chair; and Tambi Braun, SLP.D, CCC/SLP, associate professor and NSSHLA chapter advisor, organize materials for a Pediatric Speech-Language NSSHLA event.

Each year according to the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA), chapters participate in NSSLHA Chapter Honors—vying for gold, silver, and bronze status. Despite the pandemic, stay-at-home orders, and virtual academic programs this past year, NSSLHA chapters persevered, demonstrating just how important community strength is. The NSU Speech Language Pathology (SLP) chapter maintained its Gold Chapter Honors and it was re-awarded in May 2021.

The NSU chapter fundraised for Voices of Hope for Aphasia, Red Nose Day, and the ASHFoundation. The chapter also helped with delivery of needed goods to seniors and helped animal rescues get urgent supplies during the pandemic. The chapter enjoyed hosting many virtual educational opportunities and events to support the College of Health Care Sciences SLP students, faculty, and alumni during the pandemic.

Help Us Make Fall 2021 Look More Like Fall 2019

If you’ve been vaccinated, click here to voluntarily report your vaccination status to NSU and support our effort to create a better, safer on-campus experience this fall. If we hit our 80% goal of vaccinations for on-campus students at each of our campuses by August 1, we will be able to have more events on campus without the need for face coverings or social distancing.

Reporting your vaccination status is as simple as logging in with your NSU ID and answering a few quick questions.

If you are regularly in contact with students, please encourage them to voluntarily report their vaccination status to help us achieve this goal on time.

Also to note:

  • As announced in an email by the president, BlendFlex will not continue in the fall and all classes will be in-person again. If we don’t reach the 80% goal of on-campus students at each campus reporting they’ve been fully vaccinated, we will be back in the classroom but with safety measures still in place.
  • The 80% goal is not cumulative – each campus must individually have 80% of on-campus students reporting that they’ve been fully vaccinated so that we can end the safety protocols and have no masks.

Do your part and click today to help us make Fall 2021 look more like Fall 2019. As NSU Sharks, we can all work together to make this vision a reality.

NSU Writing Center Coordinators Co-host Annual Conference

Janine Morris, Ph.D., and Eric Mason, Ph.D., NSU Writing and Communication Center (WWC) faculty coordinators, co-hosted the 2021 Southeastern Writing Center Association (SWCA) annual conference along with members of the 2020-2021 SWCA board. Morris is an assistant professor and Mason is an associate professor in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences. The conference was held virtually February 11-13, 2021.

The 2021 SWCA conference theme was “Trauma and Transformation,” and highlighted transformations writing center professionals and the field undertake during times of crisis and change. NSU WCC leadership and consultants presented on numerous panels and the conference had more than 400 participants from 50 institutions across the United States.

“It was a pleasure to plan and co-host the 2021 SWCA conference with my writing center colleagues from across the southeast region,” Morris said. “The conference was truly a collaborative endeavor, and I was thankful that so many people attended and had the opportunity to connect when meeting in person wouldn’t be possible.”

To learn more about SWCA, visit its website.

Learn more about the WCC here.

Halmos Music Masterclass Series Featured Industry Pros

During the Winter 2021 semester, the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts (DCMA) in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences hosted a Music Masterclass Series featuring an array of workshops and guest lectures hosted by industry professionals.

Mihoko Watanabe

“The Music Masterclass Series was not only designed to enhance the learning experience of NSU’s music students, but rather expose the entire NSU community to a plethora of music topics and careers that exist within the music industry,” said DCMA Assistant Professor of Music Jessica Muñiz-Collado. “It was great having each of these guest artists meet with our students.”

Featured artists and industry professionals included:

  • Miguel Pilgram, an entrepreneur and owner of the NYSW Jazz Lounge, who discussed the business of music and the live music industry sector;
  • Miguel Merino, a drummer, linguist and educator, who discussed the culture of music in the Middle East and, specifically, Egyptian music;
  • Mihoko Watanabe, a flutist, professor of flute at Ball State University (where she received her doctorate degree), who discussed the vibrant music culture of Japan;
  • Andrew Maguire, a percussionist and a drummer for the traveling Hamilton Broadway production in Los Angeles, who discussed the musical theatre industry and good practicing methods;
  • And Pablo Mieglo, the artistic director and conductor for the Symphony of the Americas, who spotlighted the classical music industry.

During the Fall 2020 semester, the department also hosted game composers Ravi Krishnaswami and Jason Menkes, who gave a masterclass on composing music for video games.

For more information about NSU’s B.A. in Music program, click here.

NSU Grad Enjoys 15 Years at the Government Accountability Office

Gerard Aflague

July 2021 will mark Gerard Aflague’s 15-year work anniversary at the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Aflague serves as a senior information technology analyst, where he primarily audits federal information technology (IT) systems and programs that generally benefit the American people by way of screening passengers boarding airplanes, delivering a variety of information to the American public via publicly accessible computers, and safeguarding criminal justice data for public safety use.

Through his congressional audit work, Aflague helps to answer questions Congress members seek to understand about federal IT programs by teaming up with other auditors to research, conduct interviews, report detailed findings and recommendations, and publish congressional reports to improve government operations and services to more than 300 million Americans.

In 2004, Aflague graduated from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) with a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from the College of Computing and Engineering. During that time, he also worked in Guam for the Customs and Quarantine Agency, where he was involved in international relations and capacity building for customs organizations in order to assist smaller island nations in utilizing IT to help better enforce laws, among other things.

When asked what one thing he could tell himself prior to attending NSU, Gerard replied, “Try to be as inquisitive as you can be with respect to the opportunities that IT can afford you. Realize that this field is not one size fits all, rather, there are thousands of careers and organizations offering employment. Keep your mind open; there’s not just one path you can take.”

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