Author: iharrell

Honors Medical London Course Takes Classroom to London

From unforgettable adventures in a city teeming with history and culture to friendships forged in the heat of exploration, the Farquhar Honors College’s Medical London, Culture and Context course offers Honors students a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience in the heart of London. Tracing the history and cultural context of medicine in London, this Winter 2023 course brings the curriculum to life during a week-long trip to the city of Charles Darwin, Alexander Fleming, and other great medical pioneers.

The Medical London, Culture and Context course is offered every winter semester exclusively to Honors students. The course facilitates interdisciplinary and experiential learning, allowing students to travel to London to study the history and development of Western medicine through various lenses. During the trip, students accompany course instructors Jeffrey Matthew Hoch, Ph.D., and Aileen Farrar, Ph.D., associate professors in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences (HCAS), on excursions to the city’s many medical and cultural sites.

“Everywhere you go [in London] is related to history in some way,” said Hoch, whose favorite part of London is the Bloomsbury neighborhood where the class will be staying, home to many of London’s most famous museums and inhabitants. “Walking down any street, you will see English Heritage’s Blue Plaques marking locations where important events took place or where important people lived. Every neighborhood was built during different time periods, and the varying architecture is another way to experience the history of London.”

The class gets a taste of London through its food, museums, and landmarks like Alexander Fleming’s Lab, the Olde Operating Theatre, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace, to name a few. During this year’s trip, the class will also explore Oxford for a day, a prominent seat of academia in the western world.

“As a literature professor, or simply as someone who just likes to read, it is captivating to see a place with so much history,” said Farrar. “We think we have accurately built the worlds in our minds that authors and artists have painted for us, but being there has left me with indelible memories that have expanded my imagination.”

Apart from class expeditions, students also have the opportunity to embark on independent journeys in London, exploring the city on their own whims and conducting research for their individual projects that will conclude their course experience.

Students return home not only with greater knowledge and cherished keepsakes from their time abroad but also with fond memories that will last a lifetime. From tales of Dr. Hoch’s quick wits while navigating London to dressing up in Victorian costumes at Charles Darwin’s house, the trip is never short of laughs and inside jokes that cement the course as a highlight in many students’ undergraduate careers.

“Through this trip, I was able to expose myself to the rich cultural and medical history in London, and I could apply the concepts I learned in class to the sites I visited,” said alum Jessie Young. “In addition to having this amazing learning experience, my class became like a family away from home. Typically, in the classroom, there isn’t much of a chance to form deep connections due to studying and assignments, but trips like this have this great balance between hands-on learning and developing long-lasting friendships.”

Learn more about the upcoming Medical London course.

Posted 11/04/22

Explore Science in the Time of Conspiracies, Nov. 8

The Farquhar Honors College and the Alvin Sherman Library present “The Open Classroom: The Science of Science.”

Join us for an open discussion on conspiracies surrounding COVID and autism, and the distrust that people of the general public have about the way science progresses.

  • When: Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 12:30 p.m.
  • Where: Cotilla Gallery, Alvin Sherman Library, 2nd floor
  • Free and open to the public
  • Register here

The Open Classroom series features conversations with scholars from various disciplines who share their expertise on important issues and provide insightful perspectives rarely seen in the media.

Posted 11/06/22

Art of Duty Military Veterans’ Exhibit Through Jan. 8, 2023

Art of Duty showcases the talents of post-9/11 military veterans. Join us in celebrating their artwork and achievements. The exhibit is curated by the Nova Southeastern University Alvin Sherman Library, NSU Military Affairs, and the National Association of Women Artists – Florida Chapter. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

  • Opening Reception: Tuesday, November 1, 2022, 5-7 p.m.
  • Ask the Artist: Monday, November 7, 5:30-7 p.m.
  • Register at lib.nova.edu/gallery

Posted 10/06/22

Enrollment and Student Services to Host Virtual Summit Nov. 16-17

Enrollment and Student Services will host an ESS Summit in a virtual format on Wednesday, November 16, and Thursday, November 17, 2022. Session topics to be offered will include the following:

  • Leave of Absence Policy
  • Tuition Calculation/Student Fee Policy
  • Roster Reconciliation
  • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
  • Student Health Insurance

All sessions are open to NSU faculty and staff and will be offered on both days. Please stay tuned for more details coming soon. For more information on ESS, visit ESS CommunityNet at nova.edu/communitynet.

Posted 10/31/22

NSU Music Presents ‘Peace: A Musical Celebration,’ Dec. 2

NSU Music in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts presents the holiday concert “Peace: A Musical Celebration” featuring NSU ensembles and soloists.

“The music will appeal to a large variety of listeners,” said Professor of Music and Theatre Voice Bill Adams, D.M.A. “There will be ancient carols, classic holiday tunes, musical theatre and more.”

  • Date: Friday, Dec. 2, 2022
  • Time: 7:30 p.m.
  • Location: Performance Theatre, first floor of the Don Taft University Center
  • Free and open to the general public
  • Tickets are first come, first served.

For more information, contact Adams at wadams@nova.edu

Posted 10/31/22

Halmos Faculty Publishes Papers in International Journal, GigaScience

Stephen J. O’Brien, Ph.D., National Academy of Sciences USA member and faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS), recently published two papers in the international journal GigaScience. This journal publishes ‘big data’, including ‘omics’, studies from across the entire spectrum of life and biomedical sciences.

Stephen J. O’Brien, Ph.D.

The two papers deal with different disciplines in the genomic sciences, both of which O’Brien has a distinguished research record in.

One was a Review paper published in June 2022, titled “A decade of GigaScience: A perspective on conservation genetics” (citation below). This paper provides O’Brien’s perspective on the history and new developments in the currently burgeoning field of wildlife conservation genetics and genomics – a discipline he was one of the pioneers of and remains active in. This area of research provides key knowledge to inform successful conservation intervention in an era experiencing a rapid pace of wildlife extinctions resulting from anthropogenic activities.

The second paper, published in September 2022, is human biology focused, and titled “The Pioneer Advantage: Filling the blank spots on the map of genome diversity in Europe” (citation below). This paper provides a review of the gaps remaining in human genome sequencing data, which although spurring a revolution in biomedical research, still has major geographic genome deserts regarding genome biodiversity of humans.

O’Brien, S.J. A decade of GigaScience: A Perspective on Conservation Genetics. GigaScience, Volume 11, 2022, giac055, https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giac055

T.K. Oleksyk, W.W. Wolfsberger, K. Schubelka, S. Mangul, and S.J. O’Brien. The Pioneer Advantage: Filling the blank spots on the map of genome diversity in Europe. GigaScience, Volume 11, 2022, giac081, https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giac081

Posted 10/23/22

Halmos Doctoral Alum Named Executive Dean at Sullivan University

LaVena Wilkin, Ph.D., graduate of the doctoral program in conflict analysis and resolution in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS) in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS), was named the Executive Dean of the College of Business and Technology at Sullivan University.  Prior to this latest position, Wilkin served as the Dean of Ph.D. Programs.

LaVena Wilkin, Ph.D.

Wilkin has facilitated workshops on communication, conflict, emotional intelligence, forgiveness, P.E.A.C.E. from Conflict, and workplace bullying for a variety of organizations, These organizations include the Center for Non-Profit Excellence, The Archdiocese of Louisville, Integrating Women Leaders, FireKing, Governor’s Equal Employment Opportunity Annual Conference, the Academic Leadership Academy, the Society for Strategic Human Resources Managers, Unity of East Louisville, Duke Energy, and several other organizations. She also created a basic conflict management course for the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI).

She co-edited a book, entitled “From Discord to Harmony: Making the Workplace Hum”, which was published in March 2020.  Her latest project, The Handbook of Organizational Conflict Management, was published in 2022.  She is the Editor for the Journal of Conflict Management, a scholarly journal that publishes research in many of the multidisciplinary areas of managing conflicts.

Wilkin is the Vice-President emeritus for the Board of Directors at Unity of East Louisville.  Additionally, she previously served on the Board of Directors for the Society for the Prevention and Aggression Among Adolescence (SPAVA).   Before joining Sullivan, she spent twenty-six years in the construction industry, and three of those years she co-owned a masonry sub-contracting company.

Posted 10/23/22

Education Professor Gets Award From Haitian Studies Association

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice Professor Charlene Desir, Ed.D., has been selected to receive the 2022 Award for Service by the Haitian Studies Association (HSA).

Charlene Desir, Ed.D.

Desir was presented with the HSA Service Award at the Association’s 34th Annual Conference in Washington D.C.

The award honors a person or organization in recognition of years of dedication and service to the Haitian Studies Association, the field of Haitian Studies, or to the people of Haiti.

“The steadfast commitment you have shown to the academic, psycho-social and spiritual development of Haitian immigrants and other disenfranchised populations in both the U.S. and Haiti have earned you this special recognition,” the organization said.

Desir has been a part of the organization since she was a first year-student in college at Tufts University. She went on to serve as the HSA’s youngest president in 2012.

She said she first encountered them while walking on campus after a rather dejecting experience in class.

“And I saw a sign that said, ‘Haitian Studies Association, an Academic Conference on the Study of Haiti’ and I walked in. I just walked in; I wasn’t registering– nothing. I walked in and sat down. And that’s how it began. And I stayed there until this day.”

Desir said the association has been there for pivotal moments of her academic career, through the earning of her degrees and she even published her first paper in their journal.

The organization also witnessed the start of Desir’s Emerging Scholars program.

“It’s a mentoring program for undergrad and graduate students in the U.S. and Haiti that want to be an academic and study Haitian issues as part of their work,” she said.

The program is now in its 10th year, and some of the scholars even came out to watch Desir receive her honor.

Overall, Desir said the honor was incredibly special to her.

“As an academic, to be recognized for service was really important for me, because we’re expected to publish, we’re expected to research, we’re expected to teach and to give back and to be recognized as one of the people that gave back to the institution — this academic institution, and it was recognized that I created an academic legacy plan for the organization, I think was profound.”

Congratulations Charlene Desir and thank you for all your hard work!

Posted 10/23/22

Scholarship Is Game-Changer for Ukrainian Business Student

Maria Minenko sits with the statue of H. Wayne Huizenga.

As Russian forces assaulted her home country of Ukraine earlier this year, Maria Minenko’s dreams of an education at Nova Southeastern University were under fire as well.

With her father’s business struggling, Maria emailed the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship to alert administrators of her financial battle to stay enrolled.

“I was supposed to actually end my studies and take a gap year until further notice,” she said. “Because of the war and since my dad wasn’t able to pay for school now, I told the school that I was leaving.”

But the college would have other plans for the 20-year-old business management major.

A few weeks later, Maria would receive an email that would put her life back on course. She was notified that she had received the college’s Hall of Fame Scholarship and would no longer have to worry about her studies being interrupted.

“I was in shock,” she said. “I had to ask my mom, my sister, and my friends to read the email back to me because I couldn’t believe it was real. I felt like it was a dream or a joke of some sort. Everything turned around when I received the scholarship.”

###

When Maria was a little girl, things were different in Ukraine. Quite different. She was born in Odessa, the third most populous city in the country – a city known as the “pearl of the Black Sea.” Before the war, Odessa was also known for its majesty, relaxing environment, and safety.

Maria and her father

Her family fared well in those times. Her mother, Illona, looked after Maria and her four sisters, while her father, Vitaliy, ran a family business in the hotel and shipping industry. Often Maria tagged along with her father, learning the ins and outs of various sectors of his operations. When not with her father, she turned her attention to the beach, spending time with family, school, studying languages, and acrobatics.

In the summer of 2015, Maria, her mother, and her sister Vilena moved to Miami. There she attended middle school and high school at NSU University School. Hooked on South Florida, Maria applied to college at NSU.

“The experience has been beautiful,” she said. “I love it – everyone is helpful, and I have learned a lot about multiculturalism and business as well as the world of writing.”

Maria and her mother

Maria credits her mother and father for what she sees as a foundation for her future success.

“I have been inspired by my mom to be strong, patient, and intelligent, and inspired by my dad to work hard in business and never give up no matter what obstacles come my way,” she said.

Overcoming obstacles is now a day-to-day mission for Maria’s father. His shipping and hotel businesses have ground to a halt, leaving him with saddled with high costs and no profits. Meanwhile, drones have been raining on the city around him.

Following in her father’s foot steps, Maria has focused her studies on management and entrepreneurship and says she feels that NSU is the right place to unlock her aspirations.

“I would like to focus on business,” she said. “I’m thinking of working in the hospitality industry and doing something similar to what my dad does with hotels and construction, but I’d also like to have a restaurant of my own. That’s the plan for now.”

While counting her blessings, Maria says the war continues to test her family. The last time she visited Ukraine was January, just before the invasion.

Maria and “Granny”

“It’s been a bit crazy because some of our family fled Ukraine when the war started, and thankfully we had some family in nearby countries that helped them escape like my siblings,” she said. “My dad and his business have been affected tremendously, since he’s basically using what money he has to maintain what he has left, and we don’t know what’s coming next.”

In addition to her father, Maria’s grandmother also has chosen to stay behind. Like many of the older Ukrainian residents, her grandmother has defiantly held her ground despite the unrest.

“She insists on staying, but I talk to her every day,” Maria said. “She’s my best friend.”

Despite her grandmother’s stubbornness, Maria says she still has one way to get her to South Florida.

“She’s promised to be my maid of honor at my wedding,” she said with a smile.

Posted 10/23/22

Halmos College Professor Publishes Article in Africana Religions

Amanda Furiasse, Ph.D.

Amanda Furiasse, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Humanities & Politics published “Madagascar’s Green Gold: Nature Religion, Biotechnology, and the Global Race against Covid-19,” in the Journal of Africana Religions Fall 2022 Issue.

The article explores the historical significance of Africana religions for pharmaceutical and biotechnology research and offers unique insight into the varying ways in which we can harness technology to develop environmentally sustainable healthcare systems.

According to Professor Furiasse, “Writing the article provided me with the opportunity to meet with Malagasy leaders and researchers who are working to build a pluralistic healthcare system that restores the island’s biodiversity. While Madagascar often conjures images of lush forests and ring-tailed lemurs, much of this biodiversity has been lost or is severely threatened. This article explores how Malagasy communities are reimagining healthcare as a mechanism for redressing biodiversity loss and healthcare’s global role in ecological sustainability.”

Posted 10/23/22

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