Author: iharrell

Students Learn from Virtual Interprofessional Education Event

Rebecca Simon, B.S., a graduate assistant at the NSU clinic for the Department of Speech-Language Pathology, preparing materials for the IPE event.

EXSC 4100 Adapted Physical Activity students from NSU’s Exercise and Sport Science major enjoyed a virtual interprofessional practice education (IPE) event on April 13, 2023.

The speech-language pathology students in SLP 6015, Clinical Processes worked with their instructor Jillian Yaw Ching, M.S., CCC-SLP, and associate professor, Tambi Braun, SLP.D., CCC-SLP, to review a clinical case and different diagnoses that SLPs treat.

The students worked in teams, and they also were able to share how they would create an intervention plan for functional activities for the hypothetical patient. Georgia Monique Mokha, Ph.D., LAT, ATC, CPSS, CSCS, professor, emphasized to all students the value of working as a team for future patients and clients.

Posted 05/07/23

Speech Language Pathology Clinic Introduces Listen & Talk Lab

The Nova Southeastern University Speech Language Pathology Clinic’s Listen & Talk Lab is currently accepting patients.

The clinic’s hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The lab offers services in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language (ASL). Among the services being offered are hearing screenings, speech and language evaluations, speech and language therapy, and family support.

Daniela Berrios, MA CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVEd, is an experienced bilingual speech language pathologist who specializes in working with individuals with hearing loss to achieve functional communication outcomes.

Posted 05/07/23

NSU Faculty Members Receive Grant for Alzheimer’s Research

Benedict C. Albensi, Ph.D.

Nova Southeastern University researchers Benedict C. Albensi, Ph.D., BCMAS, CRQM; and Lisa Robison, Ph.D.; recently received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant for their research on Alzheimer’s disease.

They will receive $616,000 over a period of four years for their project titled “Sex-based differences of a high fat diet in Alzheimer’s disease (AD): Can nilotinib reverse bioenergetic and neuropathological deficits?” The grant was given under the NIH Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Professor Albensi – the principal investigator of the project – is the chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences with the Barry and Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy. Robison – the co-investigator – is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at NSU’s College of Psychology.

“This grant specifically looks at a couple key features of Alzheimer’s disease that I have been studying for several years,” Albensi said.

  1. Sex differences: About two thirds of women get AD and we do not exactly know why that is the case. Longevity alone does not explain why. This study will look at sex differences with an emphasis on brain metabolism.
  2. Diet and exercise have a tremendous effect on our health and specifically on brain metabolism. Some scientists estimate we can reduce both AD and cancer by 40-50% with better nutrition and optimal exercise. This study will look at the effects of high fat diets, especially fats that are not healthy for us.
  3. In this study we will look at ways to reverse the negative effects of a high fat diet.

“So overall I have been studying and publishing on sex differences, memory dysfunction, brain metabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction, nutritional interventions, in AD,” Albensi said. “My co-investigator, Lisa Robison, has also been studying sex differences in AD and memory changes in AD.”

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R16NS134540. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Posted 05/07/23

University School Students Participate In Code Sharks

HPCC Systems presented an inaugural event called Code Sharks that introduced Middle and Upper School students in our Computer Science internship and robotics programs to the HPCC Systems Big Data platform and the supporting Big Data Language, ECL (Enterprise Control Language). Students were introduced to three public music datasets, and a series of challenge questions were posed for each one. In a seven-hour workshop session, students split into teams and answered as many questions as possible using ECL.

Teams were mentored by LexisNexis Risk Solutions staff and undergraduate students from the NSU College of Computing and Engineering. At the end, teams submitted their work to the judges, and trophies were awarded with prizes to the top three teams.

Congratulations to the winning teams!

  • 1st Place: Team 2 IQ: Ethan G. and Nazar A.
  • 2nd Place: Team Ctrl Alt Delete: Max B. and Enzo J.
  • 3rd Place: Team 405 Found: Maddie G., Noah R., and Dante M.

Posted 05/07/23

Education Alum Appointed to 2 Roles at a Chicago University

A doctoral graduate from the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice has been appointed to two different leadership roles at a Chicago university.

Steven Gerner, Ed.D., was recently named the Assistant Dean for the College of Education and the Director of the Center for Christian Education at Concordia University Chicago.

Steven Gerner, Ed.D.

“With 28 years of urban education experience, [Gerner] continues to propel forward innovative and engaging educational strategy with the goal of success for all students,” the university said in a press release.

Gerner himself said getting the position was exciting and he appreciated being recognized as a good fit for the role.

“They valued the education experiences I had, and it was a good challenge to look forward and be somewhere where they supported this idea of continually getting better really focusing on becoming a premier university to all students,” Gerner said.

In his role as the Director for the Center for Christian Education, Gerner will work to serve as a catalyst and find opportunities for faith-fueled education in the community.

But in addition to these two roles, Gerner is also the CEO for the Center for Urban Education Ministries. Despite three intensive roles, Gerner said he is ready to take them on.

“It’s three distinct roles, but as much as we can, we can meld them together to really line up the arrows in the same direction,” he said. “I feel it’s part of what Nova prepared me for, to keep moving forward with all the different various workloads.”

Gerner earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from NSU in 2010. He said his ultimate goal is make sure all students are successful academically.

“Whether it’s leveling the playing field, whether it’s giving opportunities, the end goal to be seen across our country is making sure all students can be successful.”

Congratulations and Fins Up to you!

Posted 05/07/23

Partnership Creates Opportunity for Hearing/Vision Screenings

For the first time, the physician assistant students are joined by the anesthesiologist assistant students in partnering with St. Johns County School District to assist with Hearing and Vision Screenings for elementary school students.

Since 2010, Hugh Rappa, M.D., associate program director and professor, and the Jacksonville Regional Campus Physician Assistant (PA) program, has been a partnership with the St. Johns County School District to assistant the school district with hearing and vision screening exams for elementary school students.

Liberty Pines Academy combined total, 739 students screened. The PA class of 2024, back row, left to right, Philip Chanfrau, Daly Hong, Kasandra Hager, Stephanie Grose, Ashleigh Maya, Danielle Tomoser, Madison MacDougall, Natalie Najmy, Lauren Omdahl. Front Row, left to right, Anthony Abate, Javier Gonzalez, Michelle Lenahan, Natalie Lipman, Radha Patel, Bethany Jones, Heather Homrighouse, Payal Patel.

Rappa first met Mrs. Leslie Shugart, the districts representative in 2009, and who currently works in student services for St. John County School District and discussed the possibility of bringing his PA students to assist with screenings. In 2010, Rappa was accompanied by 8 PA students and assisted in screenings at Ponte Vedra Palm Valley-Rawlings Elementary School. Since 2011, Rappa with the commitment of Charlene Bolton, Ed.D., PA program director, has been involving all first year PA students in this community service.

In Fall 2022, Rappa asked, anesthesiologist assistant (AA) program director, Gregg Mastropolo, M.M.Sc., if he would like his students to participate in these screenings. They both agreed, and for the first time, the Jacksonville Regional Campus AA students and the PA students joined together in screening close to 5,000 elementary students at 9 different county schools.

In addition to hearing and vision screenings, height and weight and scoliosis screenings were also performed. Actual screenings depend on the academic grade of the students. Dates have already been scheduled for both programs to participate in Fall 2023.

 

Posted 05/07/23

Business Alum Writes Book on Organizational Leadership

Michael G. Frino, who received his MBA from the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship in 2005, recently co-wrote a book about organizational leadership.

In “The Beekeeper”—co-written with Katie P. Desiderio – a team of renowned management and leadership professionals deliver an insightful and engaging exploration of what it means to place oneself at the core of learning and growth for the members of your organization.

The story is told through the eyes of Catherine, the founder and owner of a rapidly growing business. You’ll follow her as she transforms the way she leads and inspires others, revolutionizing the culture at her company by learning from the people around her. The authors lead you through practical strategies and techniques you can implement immediately to achieve extraordinary results in your life and in your business. You’ll learn about:

  • Taking a central and active role in the growth and maturation of your employees and leadership team members
  • The author’s “Art of Learning to Be Proximal,” a strategy for placing yourself at the core of your company’s growth
  • Methods for ensuring your team is putting people first and living your company’s mission and values

In addition to writing, Michael has more than 20 years of professional experience working for Fortune 500 companies in sales, leadership, and organizational development across the payroll/human resources, pharmaceutical, and med-tech industries.

Psychology Alum Spins the Wheel, Wins Cash, Prizes

Matthew Jalazo, Psy.D.

“I’d like to buy a vowel.”

Contestants on Wheel of Fortune excitedly utter these words to host Pat Sajak and then hope Vanna White uncovers the letters they have chosen. NSU College of Psychology alumnus Matthew Jalazo, Psy.D., recently became one of those contestants. He spun the wheel and solved the puzzle—several puzzles, in fact.

Jalazo’s turn on the popular game show earned him $26,000 in cash and prizes, including a trip to Costa Rica.

His 15-minutes of fame—technically 22 minutes without commercial interruption—was the culmination of a journey that began when he was eight years old and first saw the colors of the wheel on his grandmother’s kitchen countertop television. He was in his 20s when his cousin got to meet Bob Barker on The Price is Right. She got to hear her name called with the phrase, “Come on down. You’re the next contestant on The Price is Right,” but unfortunately lost the game. Jalazo joked to her that it was now his singular life mission to get on The Price is Right to fix that disgrace to the family.

He did eventually audition for a spot on The Price is Right, and then tried using his celebrity impression of wrestler Hulk Hogan at a casting call for Deal or No Deal. Unfortunately, he didn’t make the cut for either show.

In November of 2022, Jalazo happened to see an advertisement inviting super fans of wrestling to try out for Wheel of Fortune, so he made a video and sent in the application. He was invited to a zoom audition, solved sample puzzles, and even dressed up as Hulk Hogan to entertain the casting committee and show his passion for wrestling. He remembered them laughing hysterically at his impersonation. Two hours later, he got the call to be a contestant, albeit not for WWE Week.

“They liked my energy and my enthusiasm, but not my wrestler impressions,” Jalazo said.

Jalazo traveled to California to be on Wheel of Fortune and put his psychology background to use when prepping for his appearance. Banking on his knowledge that it’s impossible to feel two emotions at once, he made sure he went into the taping feeling completely relaxed so it would be difficult to feel nervous. His goal was to be relatable—striking the balance between being entertaining and being ruthless in playing to win.

“I wanted to be a likeable, fun contestant, but I also wanted to play in a way that showed people I was taking the game seriously, because I understood I was very fortunate to get selected,” Jalazo said.

An army veteran and father of a 16-year-old son, Jalazo is a forensic psychologist and serves on the faculty of Albizu University. He has also participated in open mic nights for stand-up comedy.

“I tend to enjoy creative, spontaneous things where I get to show my personality,” he said. “It’s a nice balance with the serious work that I do.”

And while Wheel of Fortune is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Jalazo’s dream of competing on game shows isn’t done. His next goal is to appear on Let’s Make a Deal. He still wants to dress up as a professional wrestler and show off his Hulk Hogan impersonation to a televised audience.

“If you have a dream – whether trying to be a national game show, or something else that you think is not within reach – go, get it,” Jalazo said. “Appearing on Wheel of Fortune was an amazing experience—one I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. But had I not been looking at my computer for five minutes on that Wednesday morning, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“The message is to be open to life experiences each and every day. No dream is too big.”

Posted 05/10/23

Nova Singers to Present ‘Music of the Night’ Concerts May 19, 21, 23

Nova Singers will present the concert “Music of the Night” May 19 in Hollywood, May 21 in Delray Beach and May 23 in Weston. The concert, directed by Chuck Stanley, will feature music from “The Phantom of the Opera,” plus other Broadway songs, patriotic favorites and spirituals. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. https://tinyurl.com/NovaMayConcerts

Nova Singers, directed by Chuck Stanley, is a 100-voice community chorus that performs throughout South Florida. The singers will be joined by piano accompanist Anthony Ciotti.

The concert will be performed three times, in three cities:

  • Friday, May 19, at 8 p.m. at Taft Street Baptist Church, 7241 Taft St, Hollywood, FL 33024.
  • Sunday, May 21, at 4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 33 Gleason St, Delray Beach, FL 33483
  • Tuesday, May 23, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 580 Indian Trace, Weston, FL 33326

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Children 12 and younger, plus students with ID, are admitted free. You can buy advance tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/NovaMayConcerts

Posted 05/03/23

Levan Center’s Program Focused on Emerging Entrepreneurs

The Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation is holding a special program in May to aid entrepreneurs. IDEATE is a four-week program that assists with development of an idea that is tech-enabled or a new innovation. This is done through design thinking and prototyping. The program starts May 9, and entrepreneurs meet in-person Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

After each of the masterclass sessions, there will be time for cohort participants to take advantage of resources at the Levan Center for open innovation through one of our labs via a discounted membership level for product prototyping.

Applications are due April 10, 2023.

Posted 03/29/23

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