Author: iharrell

Criminal Justice Alum Helps Previously Incarcerated People

Siena Benson

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice alum Siena Benson is using her degree to help people who were once incarcerated build a better life.

Benson recently graduated with her M.S. in Criminal Justice. Now, she is working as Community Navigator for the New York City-based nonprofit organization Housing Works. Benson works with the Justice Initiatives Department providing re-entry services for people who have been through the criminal justice system and helps connect them to mental health services, employment resources, housing and more.

“My position is really special because I’m the only one that actually gets to go inside Rikers Island and meet with people where they’re at,” Benson said. “I get to listen to what people need, and I get them set up to have services upon release.”

Benson said she feels lucky to work in such an impactful position.

“I get to work in one of the most historical prisons in the country,” she said. “Actually being there is, honestly — it’s outstanding. And outstanding in the sense that it’s an outlier, you know, not a lot of people get to go in, and not a lot of people get this experience.”

Working directly in the system, Benson gets to see the other side of incarceration and how those inside hope to improve their lives after getting out.

“I feel that the prison population is a population that is overlooked. People are serving their time, but they’re still people,” Benson said. “They’re struggling, they’re paying their dues … I think everybody can agree that once they’re released, nobody wants to go back to prison, and nobody wants to get in trouble again.”

Benson said she doesn’t know what’s in store for her in the future, but she hopes to continue working to give back.

“I see myself being successful and being a leader for people who need it the most — being that person who can guide people in the right direction and help people out.”

Posted 07/30/23

12-week Program Offers Tips for Space Industry Companies, Sept. 25-Dec. 20

Space Accelerate is a hybrid 12-week program to develop and increase your company’s funding, customers, and revenue streams in and into the space industry. During the program, you will build upon brand recognition and engage with a network of experts and stakeholders to support further innovation, make the right connections, and avoid a growth plateau.

Founders will meet Mondays, Wednesdays in-person and virtually on Fridays 4:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. from Sept. 25 to Dec. 20 with their facilitator to discuss a range of topics to support their growth. This is a FREE program. Applications are due Aug. 14.

Posted 07/31/23

Medical Sonography Board Exam Class Of 2023

Medical sonography students, class of 2023, who are completing their clinical externship have also spent several hours studying in preparation of their board examinations.

Six students passed their vascular board examination, and one student passed the abdomen board examination six weeks before graduation.

This is a great accomplishment!

Posted 07/30/23

Tiny Tots Transition to Home: A NICU Pilot Study

From left, Amanda Perry and Vanessa Lewinsky presenting their poster at FLASHA 2023 convention.

Speech-language pathology graduate students Amanda Perry and Vanessa Lewinsky presented their research at  the Florida Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (FLASHA) annual convention in Orlando on July 14, 2023.

Their poster presentation titled “Tiny Tots Transition to Home : A NICU Pilot Study” shared data collected from a parent and caregiver support group that provides peer to peer networking and education to medically fragile families in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU).

 Their research found that a parent and caregiver support group  supporting capacity building strategies, promoted peer to peer networking, increased parental confidence with the transition to home process as well as decreased stress, anxiety, and trauma. In collaboration with their research mentor, Raquel Garcia, SLP.D., CCC-SLP, CLC, CNT, BCS-S, assistant professor, Vanessa, and Amanda continue to collect data to determine tiny tots’ impact on infant development and parental health literacy.

This is an ongoing grant funded research study with many opportunities for interprofessional collaboration within the university and community. If you are interested in participating, please contact Raquel Garcia, rw602@nova.edu.

Posted 07/30/23

Honors Course Encourages Water Sustainability Advocacy

Water is one of the world’s most essential resources, and its shortage is on the rise—a global crisis that receives little attention. The Farquhar Honors College Water & Sustainability course is on a mission to change that. Last semester, students in this multidisciplinary course became advocates for safe and sustainable water for all.

Throughout the semester, students learned from guest faculty speakers and community leaders from various disciplines who offered unique perspectives on water-related issues identified by the UN Sustainable Development Goal #6, which aims to provide clean water and sanitation for all.

“Water is a vital and exhaustible resource; it is also an inexhaustible theme for discovery,” said Eben Gering, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences. “Taking an interdisciplinary approach to water studies lets us (the instructors) learn in parallel with our students while spotlighting urgent sustainability issues at both local and global scales.”

Gering is co-facilitator of the course alongside Martha “Marti” Snyder, Ph.D., professor in the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice and director of faculty professional development in the Learning and Educational Center.

Along with engaging in class discussions, students took an active role in water sustainability efforts by participating in a beach clean-up; visiting water sites across South Florida, including the Everglades, to learn about different ecosystems and the importance of citizen action; and interviewing innovative business leaders dedicated to conserving and using water sustainably.

“This course has allowed me to become more conscious of my actions and how they could potentially contribute to large-scale environmental concerns,” said Smrithi Mukund, a behavioral neuroscience major. “I have gained a lot of valuable information and insight concerning the lasting impact of sustainability efforts, and I will definitely take more initiative in my day-to-day life to participate in these efforts.”

Posted 07/30/23

Be Extra Cautious to Avoid Leaving Children in Hot Vehicles

It’s that dreaded time of the year, when excessive heat and adult distractions prove fatal ingredients when young children are left in the backseat of a vehicle. When it comes to the safety of children, you can never be TOO careful.

In a recent incident in north Florida, a 10-month-old baby was found dead after being left in a SUV parked inside a garage for five hours by a babysitter. Even though the vehicle was in a garage, law enforcement officials said the temperature inside the SUV was 133 degrees when the child was found.

With the current spikes in our temperatures in the 90s each day, the time it takes to die in an unattended vehicle gets shorter and shorter. Consider this: If the temperature is 88 degrees, in a little more than 20 minutes the temperature inside a vehicle can reach a deadly 120 degrees Fahrenheit. And studies have shown that leaving windows cracked does not significantly slow the heating process or decrease the maximum temperature inside the vehicle.

The sad thing about these deaths is that they are 100 percent preventable. But it all depends on adults to stem this tide of tragedies.

According to Kids and Car Safety, more than 1,000 children have died in hot cars nationwide since 1990. The organization is dedicated to outreach and education concerning this crisis. Among Kids and Car Safety tips:

  • Make a habit of opening the back door every time you park to ensure no one is left behind.
  • To enforce this habit, put an item in your back seat that you can’t start your day without. (phone, purse, briefcase, laptop, employee badge)
  • Clearly announce and confirm who is getting each child out of the vehicle. Miscommunication can lead to everyone thinking someone else removed the child.
  • Ask your childcare worker to call you right away if your child hasn’t arrived as scheduled.

Remember: In this increasingly busy world, you can never be too busy to ensure the safety of those you love.

Posted 07/30/23

Halmos Student Presents Workshop on Developing Business Strategies

James Oyetunji, M.P.A.

James Oyetunji, M.P.A., doctoral student 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 a workshop titled “Developing Business Strategies with the Approach of Interpersonal and Organizational Conflict.” The workshop was hosted by Community Resolution Services (CRS) housed in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS) in HCAS.

CRS is a practicum and volunteer site providing workshops, training, and other events to the NSU and local community. For more information about CRS, please contact Judith McKay, J.D., Ph.D., faculty in DCRS at mckayj@nova.edu.

Posted 07/30/23

Honors Student Fast Tracks Into Ph.D. Program

Rose Leeger

For most students, getting into a Ph.D. program requires a master’s degree, but for Farquhar Honors College student Rose Leeger, all it took was an extraordinary dedication to research as an undergraduate student. Entering a Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) this fall, Leeger will begin her graduate research journey with financial support from the National Science Foundation.

Leeger was able to jumpstart her Ph.D. career thanks to two years of research experience working on an honors thesis and being a scholar of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI).

‘[The] honors thesis [gave] me the opportunity to conduct my own novel research,” said Leeger, who received bachelor’s degrees in biology, marine biology, and environmental science this spring. “This opportunity. . . distinguished me from other applicants when I applied to graduate school as my thesis work was used as my justification. . . to bypass a master’s degree and go straight to a Ph.D. program.”

Her thesis studies the range expansion and hybridization of Mangrove Mosquitofish in South Florida due to climate change and human interference and includes a land acknowledgment recognizing and respecting Indigenous Peoples as stewards of the land she conducted research on. She completed her research under the guidance of her thesis advisor J. Matthew Hoch, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, who introduced her to the topic.

While at CU Boulder, Leeger’s research will focus on interdisciplinary methods to better understand how to protect species in Antarctica. She was inspired to pursue this research path after working with NOAA’s Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division to study penguin colonies last summer.

“I have always been passionate about polar ecosystems,” said Leeger. “I’m excited to combine my research interests in conservation and ecology [and apply them] to an ecosystem that is constantly threatened due to human impacts [and] meet new people in my field.”

After completing her education, she hopes to become a professor to engage the next generation of scientists in polar exploration and conservation.

Learn more about the honors thesis.

Posted 07/30/23

Summer Camp Delivers Cutting-Edge Health Care Experience

Students work with Lucina, NSU’s Birth Simulator.

Nova Southeastern University’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine opened its doors to high-schoolers through its AIM-High program – a five-day medical school immersive summer camp held from July 17 to July 21 on NSU’s Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus.

Achieve in Medicine (AIM) – High is designed for academically strong freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior high school students who are interested in pursuing a career in the health professions. AIM-High will provide students with hands-on medical experiences, which include the role of technology in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.

Camp participants were able to get seven-plus hours of instruction each day and will learn alongside NSU medical students and faculty.

Among the student experiences this summer were the:

  • SIMTIC Simulator, where students practiced intubation skills, obtained vital signs from the medical student volunteers, and listened to heart and lung sounds on our high-fidelity manikins.
  • Sports Medicine-Splinting Skills Lab, where students learned about using a splint for fractures and other injuries.
  • Labor, delivery, and newborn infant care, where students were exposed to the Lucina Birth Simulator.
  • Immersive Learning Technology in Medical Education, where students received interactive immersive hands-on experience with Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) 3D Anatomy and Mixed Reality (MR).

Posted 07/30/23

Fischler Alum Named to VP Role at Westfield State University

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice alum Kevin Hearn, Ed.D. was recently named the vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at Westfield State University in Westfield, Massachusetts.

The position is a new one and combines the enrollment and student affairs functions into single role that helps build a positive student experience from the beginning of the application process all the way through graduation.

Kevin Hearn, Ed.D.

Hearn is the perfect candidate for the role, having previously served as both a vice president for enrollment management and a vice president of student affairs.

“Throughout my career, I have worked to create systems and practices to improve the lives of students, focusing on making their experience as seamless as possible. And now we get the opportunity to really do it at a high level at Westfield State. I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” Hearn said.

In the role, Hearn said he hopes to build a flagship student program that other institutions can model their programs after.

“I’m looking at this as a tremendous opportunity to be innovative in our approach to serving students and their families.  Students and families need more assistance, and higher education must focus on how to serve their interests best while preparing them for the academic rigor and psycho-social development that takes place during this time.  Higher education leaders are making great strides in this area of student support and I believe Westfield State can be a leader in these efforts.”

Hearn earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from NSU. He said that the design of Nova’s program and being exposed to so many different classmates from different fields and backgrounds really helped prepare him for his leadership role.

In his cohort alone, he had fellow educators, teachers, and administrators, but also  veterans, an administrator for LaGuardia Airport, th CFO for a large accounting firm in NYC and more.

“That diversity among the students lent itself to stimulating and exciting conversations, it lent itself to different perspectives, led to a sense that higher education needed to evolve, to be creative.  Simply, as students change, the industry is compelled to change as well.”

As for his next steps, Hearn said he is focused on the challenges and opportunities at Westfield State,, and that maybe one day, he may pursue a presidential position at a college or university..

Congratulations Dr. Hearn!

Posted 07/30/23

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