Author: iharrell

Qualitative Report Conference Registration is Open

The Qualitative Report 15th Annual Conference Registration is Now Open! To Learn more about the conference theme “Qualitative Inquiry; Access Denied?” please visit our conference webpage.

The conference is taking place IN-PERSON at Nova Southeastern University and will be a 2-day event. The two days will be filled with presentations, workshops, keynote speakers, and a reception for everyone to attend. We have worked with a local hotel for discounted rates that registered attendees can take advantage of. To learn more about the conference venue and hotel, please visit the conference venue/hotel page. We are also excited to announce that we have added a pre-conference workshop by Johnny Saldaña on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 from 10am-5pm at Nova Southeastern University. To learn more about the workshop and registration, please visit the pre-conference workshop page.

Please stay tuned to the conference website, as we will be continually updating it with news about different events, sponsors, keynotes, and presentations.

Posted 11/29/23

Law College Grad Competes in Latest ‘Squid Game’

Fort Lauderdale-based bankruptcy attorney Chad Van Horn, founding partner of Van Horn Law Group, P.A., and a graduate of Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law, is one of the participants in the Netflix reality show “Squid Game: The Challenge,” which recently dropped on the streaming platform. Out of hundreds of thousands of applicants worldwide, Van Horn, known as player 286, secured a coveted spot among the 456 contestants competing for a staggering $4.56 million prize.

What sets Van Horn apart from other players is his commitment to making a difference. If he emerges as the winner of “Squid Game: The Challenge,” he has pledged to donate the entire prize money to Big Brothers Big Sisters to establish a nationwide financial literacy program for the underprivileged youth in their program.

The highly intense and physically demanding challenges of “Squid Game: The Challenge” puts players’ strategies, alliances, and character to the ultimate test. While enduring the grueling competition, Van Horn, the founding partner attorney of Van Horn Law Group, remained resolute in upholding his principles, even in the face of adversity.

“The taping of ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ was an incredibly fierce and demanding experience, both physically and emotionally,” he said. “Every day I participated, I was pushed to my limits, but I remained focused on maintaining my integrity. Even in the most challenging circumstances, I steadfastly held onto my ethics and values.”

With its extensive cast and unprecedented cash prize, “Squid Game: The Challenge” is expected to captivate a massive global audience, much like its predecessor. The original “Squid Game” drama currently holds the record as Netflix’s most popular series of all time, with more than 1.65 billion viewing hours in the first 28 days following its September 2021 premiere. Van Horn, a dedicated viewer himself, was drawn to the show due to its exploration of financial insecurity.

“The ‘Squid Game’ drama intrigued me because it shed light on the desperation faced by individuals in severe financial predicaments,” he said. “As a bankruptcy attorney, I witness people every day who are overwhelmed by debt, feeling hopeless and panicked. While ‘Squid Game’ showcases extreme circumstances and consequences, the underlying emotions resonate—overwhelming stress and fear.”

Van Horn continues his connections with NSU since graduating and establishing his practice, which is one of top five bankruptcy firms in the state based on cases filed. NSU’s Public Interest Program coordinates with Chad’s namesake Van Horn Law Group Pro Bono Honor Program, developing a variety of programs and opportunities for students to fulfill pro bono hours, while maintaining the records of students’ pro bono work. The Van Horn Law Group Pro Bono Honor Program at the Shepard Broad College of Law recognizes students who are committed to serving the community and engages in the belief that the overall improvement of our community starts with giving citizens – people who make up the foundation of the community – equal access to the legal system.

Posted 11/27/23

USchool Students Meet Public Defender of Broward County

Gordon Weekes, the head Public Defender for Broward County, speaks to University School students.

Upper School students participating in the Legal Education Seminar had the privilege of engaging in a conversation with Gordon Weekes, who holds the position of head Public Defender for Broward County.

Weekes is a distinguished graduate of the Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University and is responsible for overseeing a team of more than 100 public defenders in the second-largest public defense office in Florida. During his interaction with the students, he shared his lifelong commitment to advancing equitable justice for marginalized communities within our region.

Learn more about NSU University School’s college preparatory program for students in Preschool – Grade 12 at www.uschool.nova.edu.

Posted 11/27/23

Student Presents Research on Rapid Intensification of Hurricanes

Rapid intensification of hurricanes is a big challenge for forecasting – models cannot reliably predict rapid intensification even within 24 hours. The recent well-publicized cases include Hurricane Maria 2017 and Dora 2023 wreaked havoc in Puerto Rico and caused catastrophic fires in Maui. Nearly 75% of major hurricanes go through the phase of rapid intensification.

Kerry Emanuel (MIT) and Roger Lukas (UH) were among the first to emphasize the importance of studying the two-phase environment and microphysics at the air-sea interface under hurricanes. More recently NSU’s Physical Oceanography Laboratory (Halmos College of Arts and Sciences) in collaboration with the University of Miami, the University of Rhode Island, and the University of Hawaii linked the microphysics of the air-sea interface to the phenomenon of rapid intensification of hurricanes. This research has been published in several peer-reviewed journals. NSU’s Halmos College of Arts and Sciences Ph.D. student Breanna Vanderplow continues research in this new direction.

Breanna’s research focuses on the impact of surface-active materials (surfactants) on hurricane intensity and rapid intensification. She implemented a state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics model on an NSU supercomputer that allows simulation of microphysics down to scales of tens of micrometers. This model includes the effect of sea surface tension on sea spray and bubbles in up to Category 5 hurricanes.

Breanna presented her work at meetings in South Korea (organized by Korean Typhoon Center), at Heidelberg University, and at Princeton University. She received an award for the Outstanding Student Oral Presentation at the 35th American Meteorological Society Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology.

Breanna is planning to defend her dissertation work on this subject in early December 2023.

“I believe Breanna’s dissertation is on the level of the best U.S. and international oceanographic organizations. This work provides an important step toward better understanding of rapid intensification and development of a new generation of hurricane forecasting models. Breanna is a role model for the next generation of NSU students,” said Professor Alexander Soloviev, Ph.D., the physical oceanography laboratory lead and Breanna’s adviser.

Posted 11/26/23

Difficult Route to Med School No Match for Future Doctor

Melissa Jomsky

For Melissa Jomsky, life always required extra resilience. Growing up in Fort Lauderdale, her parents struggled, with little money and even fewer resources. Family support and encouragement – especially toward education – was in short supply.

“Our thought process was ‘survival mode’ all the time,” she said.

Yet, she credits growing up in a low socioeconomic environment for shaping the person she is today … and providing the motivation needed in her education journey.

“No doubt, what has gotten me this far is my determination,” she said.

Melissa earned an education degree from the University of Central Florida, and after working two years as a fourth-grade teacher in Orlando – a great career but personally not a good fit, she said – Melissa moved back home. Not wanting to teach, she took a job as a receptionist at a doctor’s office to pay the bills. That’s where she found a mentor, something she never had. It’s also where she started thinking about medical school, a dream she never imagined.

“It was nice hearing someone who was educated tell me that I was smart. It was very motivating to know he really believed that I could be a physician,” she said. “But I knew people like me don’t just become doctors. But then I thought, ‘How do I really know that?’”

Being from Fort Lauderdale, Melissa knew of NSU and its M.D. program. She also knew many of her UCF classes wouldn’t transfer. With no help or support from others, she spent seven years saving money, working full-time, and taking one to two classes a semester at Broward College to get the prerequisites done.

Her challenges continued with the MCAT, the standardized admissions test for medical schools. Melissa had never taken a test like that before, and studying for it and saving money for it would take more time. She also took the test more than once to improve her score – and did – but it still wasn’t competitive. That’s when she learned about NSU’s Master of Biomedical Sciences – a program designed to enhance students’ academic background and make them more competitive for professional health care programs.

“With NSU’s allopathic medical school having only 50 spots, I knew I needed to stand out in the crowd,” she said. “This master’s program did that for me. It gave me the confidence I needed. I did well with my MBS; I knew I would do well with an M.D.”

So, at age 32, Melissa applied and was accepted to the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, where she is the second-oldest classmate in her cohort.

“It definitely feels homey, and there’s a sense that we are all together in this,” she said, while admitting that being older creates a disconnect with students 10 years her junior. “But I know they will always have a place in my heart, and I can see certain people who will definitely be with me through my career.”

Helping students bond comes easier when class sizes are small, which is a strength of NSU, according to Melissa. “It’s one of the reasons I wanted to go to med school here. It’s individualized, nobody goes under the radar, and we aren’t pitted against each other.”

Another plus for Melissa? The thought that goes into the curriculum.

“NSU is a newer med school and honestly, I think it’s the best characteristic. Everything is so fresh – it’s not built on ‘Oh, this is what’s worked for years so let’s just do it that way.’ Here, they genuinely listen to and make changes based off students’ feedback. I love that.”

As a first-year medical student, Melissa remains open to the type of doctor she wants to be. But growing up in a low socioeconomic environment will play a role.

“I think it’s something that’s super important and shaped the type of person I am,” she said. “When I hear about health disparities, or about a patient who needs a certain treatment, I ask if they will be able to afford that or if it is covered by Medicaid. It’s something I am very passionate about – bringing health care to those from low socioeconomic backgrounds.”

And she has advice for those who might be contemplating medical school: Don’t give up.

“Applying and getting in is probably the hardest part. It took me seven years and there were a lot of people who doubted I could do it,” she said. “Just don’t give up. You must stay committed.”

Posted 11/26/23

Professor Collaborates With Mediterranean School of Business

I am Selima Ben Mrad, Ph.D., a marketing professor at Nova Southeastern University’s H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship. I am Chair of Assurance of Learning (AOL) at HCBE and work as an AACSB Assurance of Learning facilitator. I have also been designated as a Fullbright specialist in assurance of learning and have been actively collaborating with the Mediterranean School of Business (MSB) to help them achieve AACSB accreditation.

I visited MSB twice as a Fullbright Specialist and AOL expert. Each visit was rewarding. I am very excited to continue collaborating with them in the future. I am incredibly grateful to MSB for providing me with a fulfilling experience as a Fullbright specialist. During my time there, I worked closely with Dean Dr. Leila Triki, Dr. Mediha Ferjani (Accreditation Manager), and Dr. Mehdi Zahaf (Academic Planning Unit Director) on a range of projects, including AACSB report writing, MSB governance, AOL timelines, AOL course mapping, documentation development for task forces, and the AOL process. I must express my appreciation to the MSB faculty for their exceptional quality and collegiality, which is genuinely on par with the standards of American universities. Their dedication and active involvement in student improvement are truly commendable.

During my initial visit in April, I conducted two workshops with the faculty to help them understand AACSB standard 5 and the complex language used in accreditation. These workshops covered creating rubrics, explaining course mapping, and discussing the differences between direct and indirect measures. We also explored competencies, Bloom’s taxonomy, and the importance of engagement in the learning process.

During our second visit from Oct. 15-31, we focused on refining AOL competencies by adopting a more faculty-driven approach. We meticulously reviewed and enhanced the competencies and conducted workshops with faculty members to finalize rubrics for one undergraduate program (UPM) and two graduate programs (MBM and EMBA). The faculty members transitioned from using holistic rubrics to analytic rubrics, which made the competencies more precise and measurable. I also emphasized the importance of distinguishing between direct and indirect measures, as emphasized in the AACSB 2020 standards.

Moreover, I worked with the administration to improve AOL governance by creating AOL and curriculum committees, stressing the importance of integrating both entities and considering AOL’s significant role in the curriculum. We also revised the AACSB report, its narrative, and the process changes, highlighting the changing culture at MSB with a greater emphasis on faculty participation.

My main goal is to establish a more mature and systematic process that involves all faculty members. I am pleased to report that MSB has completed one loop and is closing another one. Faculty members have fully owned the process, with 80% actively participating in workshops, contributing to rubric development, and engaging in task forces. They now understand the terminology comprehensively and are actively invested in the AOL process.

Posted 11/26/23

NSUCO Students win EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge

Three students from Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry (NSUCO) were crowned the EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge champions for 2023 at the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) Academy meeting in New Orleans.

The EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge celebrated its sixth annual competition where student representatives from 25 schools and colleges of optometry answer rounds of eye health-related questions to win significant prizes.

Navroop Kaur, Dhruvi Patel, and Amanda Aker from NSUCO took home the first-place prizes of $1,000 from the AAO, a pair of Ray-Ban Stories from EssilorLuxottica, and Volk lenses. A celebration was held on Friday, Oct. 20, at the NSU Davie/Fort Lauderdale campus with NSUCO administrators, faculty, staff, and students.

This achievement showcases the commitment and dedication of NSUCO’s students, and we look forward to their continued success in the field of optometry.

Posted 11/26/23

Sherrol Reynolds Named Optometry Professor of the Year

Sherrol Reynolds

Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry (NSUCO) is proud to announce that Dr. Sherrol Reynolds, O.D., has been recognized as the Optometry Professor of the Year and is nominated for the President’s Distinguished Professor Award of Excellence for 2023.

Reynolds is a professor and an alum of NSUCO in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and a graduate of the University of Florida. She serves as chief of the Davie Primary Care Clinic and director of the Retina Clinic.

“Dr. Sherrol Reynolds wears many hats within our optometry department,” said some of Reynolds’ students. “In these positions, she has helped mold the minds of my classmates and myself into exceptional future optometric physicians.”

She has received several awards such as the National Optometric Association (NOA) NOA Optometrist of the Year in 2013, the Women in Optometry Leadership Award in 2021, the American Optometric Association (AOA) 2021 President’s Award, and the inaugural 2022 American Academy of Optometry Foundation Excellence in Diversity Awareness and Education Award.

Currently, she is a planning group member for the National Eye Institute National Eye Health Education Board (NEHEP) and co-chair of the Eye Health, My Health: Eye Health for African Americans.

Posted 11/26/23

Provost’s Research and Scholarship Award Winners

It has been 13 years since the Provost’s Research and Scholarship Award program first launched. This program expanded last year and now offers awards across two career stages and two disciplinary categories. There were many outstanding nominations this year, and from that pool of distinguished nominees, five NSU faculty were recognized on Monday, November 13 in the Levan Center. This year, an added recognition for each winner was provided by NSU Business Services; each winner received a one-year membership to the NSU Faculty Club, valued at $300.

Arts, Business, Humanities, Law, and Social Sciences

For the Assistant Professor Award, two faculty members are honored in this category.

Furiasse

Assistant Professor Award – Amanda Furiasse, Halmos College of Arts & Sciences is an Assistant Professor of Digital and Medical Humanities in the Department of Humanities and Politics. Her scholarly work is at the intersection of religion, artificial intelligence, and cybernetic medicine, with recent publications in journals of religion, social issues, and culture. Her scholarly efforts extend beyond academia in her role as senior producer and podcast director for the Political Theology Network’s Podcast and as Co-Director for the Contagion, Religion, and Cities Project at the Center for the Study of Religion and the City. A recent grant award from Florida Humanities features her podcast work again, this time to launch a futurist podcast called Florida 2100: Tales of Tomorrow.

Ellis

Assistant Professor Award – Amy Ellis, College of Psychology, is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Trauma Resolution and Integration Program. She seeks to understand the impact of trauma on underserved populations in regard to health disparities, such as affectional and gender minorities, as well as Latine individuals, and male survivors of sexual abuse. Her work in collaboration with external colleagues has been funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and National Institute of Justice. In addition to academic publications, she disseminates her work through various news sources for broader audiences such as The New York Times, Psychiatric Times, Medium, and The Conversation. Her service to the NSU community includes training for campus units like the public safety department and Psychological Services Center as well as supervising students who see clients with various psychological difficulties.

Mujtaba

Professor Award – Bahaudin Mujtaba, H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, is a Professor of Human Resources and International Management. He is the author and coauthor of books dealing with diversity, ethics, and business management, and his contributions to his field are significant. During the past thirty years, he has worked with managers and human resource professionals in almost 20 countries, and this diverse exposure has provided him with many insights in cross-cultural management from the perspectives of different firms, people groups, and cultures.  With an extensive publication record and thousands of citations covering topics such as business, change, culture, ethics, diversity, and others, his work is highly collaborative with over 50 different coauthors drawn from NSU, the United States, and abroad. His books and guidance are sought and frequently used by companies, professors, and the media.  He served as a cultural consultant for the movie Kite Runner and in 2018 did pro bono training and development work in Afghanistan on topics of adult learning, leadership, and ethics.

STEM and Health/Medicine

Robison

Assistant Professor Award – Lisa Robison, College of Psychology, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and in her short time at the university already has funded collaborations with researchers in NSU’s Colleges of Pharmacy and Osteopathic Medicine. Her multidisciplinary work spans many topics, such as determining how lifestyle factors like exercise, diet, stress influence brain health and risk for mood disorders, addiction, and dementia. Since 2020, she has published 12 papers in journals with an average impact factor of 7.56. This widespread recognition can be further quantified with more than 1,000 citations of her publications and an impressive h-index of 21. Her work has garnered media attention, being featured on Newsweek and other news outlets.

Smith

Professor Award – Robert Smith, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, is an Associate Professor in the department of Medical Education and researcher in the NSU Cell Therapy Institute. His work on antibiotic resistance contributes to our understanding of how bacteria resist antibiotics as populations. He has received funding as a PI or Co-PI on projects from the Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health totaling over $2 million. One of these grants funded research equipment that has been used by over 4,000 NSU students and faculty. He has supervised over 65 undergraduate and graduate students, engaging many in his lab’s research projects and publishing with several of these students. As editor for the journal PLoS One and chair of NSU’s Faculty Research Advisory Council he helps to shape and support the research and scholarship in his field and others.

Congratulations to all the winners on their impressive achievements.

Posted 11/26/23

Super League Women’s Soccer Team Finds NSU Home

The United Soccer League (USL) Super League, governed by Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), announced the awarding of a new Super League woman’s soccer franchise to be located on the Nova Southeastern University (NSU) campus in the greater Fort Lauderdale area of Davie, Florida.

The new Super League Fort Lauderdale franchise, founded by Tommy Smith, will be developing a team name and identity later this spring. The club has plans for a modernized stadium and on-site training facilities in partnership with NSU at the former practice facility of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. Additional details will be announced in the coming months.

Set to kick off in August 2024, the USL Super League intends to launch as a first division league, reflecting its commitment to the highest standards in American soccer and a collective vision to be a global leader in women’s soccer on and off the field.

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of the first professional women’s soccer team in South Florida, marking a historic milestone for our community,” Super League Fort Lauderdale owner, Tommy Smith said. “Our mission is to deliver the highest standard of play by recruiting world class global talent while also empowering young women in South Florida. Super League Fort Lauderdale aims to create a direct pathway to Division 1 professional soccer, offering local players the opportunity to shine on the national stage and providing a platform for growth beyond the game.”

Fort Lauderdale will join the previously announced markets for the inaugural Super League season: Charlotte; Dallas/Fort Worth; Lexington; Phoenix; Spokane; Tampa Bay; Tucson; and Washington, D.C. Also announced in May were Chattanooga, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Madison and Oakland – all of which will compete in subsequent seasons pending completion of stadium projects.

“South Florida is ready for professional women’s soccer, USL Super League President Amanda Vandervort said. “Fort Lauderdale is a great addition to an already strong contingent of Super League markets, and we’re looking forward to kicking off next fall.”

“I am both honored and humbled that the Super League Fort Lauderdale chose Nova Southeastern University to be the home of one of its newest franchises,” said Dr. George Hanbury, NSU President and CEO. “The doors this will open for our students are tremendous; not only for NSU’s student athletes, but other NSU students as well, as they can see, first-hand, their chosen field of study – whether business, sports medicine, physical therapy, psychology, or more – in a real-world, professional sports league setting.”

Posted 11/26/23

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