Faculty & Staff News
Following All-Sunshine State Conference recognition, Nova Southeastern volleyball players Alex Boone and Ally Ford have been named to the AVCA All-South Region Team, as announced on Wednesday afternoon. FULL RELEASE
In the midst of leading the Nova Southeastern women’s soccer team on a deep NCAA Tournament run, midfielder Emma Heikkila has been lauded for her efforts off the field as well after securing a spot on the 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team on Wednesday. The honor marks the first of Heikkila’s notable career. FULL RELEASE
Over 175 first-year biology students visited the NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) for its first BIOL Night Against Procrastination (BNAP) on Sunday, October 27th, 2019, from 6 – 10 p.m. Students received assistance on writing their major enzyme lab reports from WCC Biology Fellows and BIOL 1500 Lab Assistants. The event was part of a collaboration between the WCC and the Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography Department of Biological Sciences that provides course-embedded writing assistance to all sections of BIOL 1500: Biology I/Lab.
Over the course of four weeks each semester (from the time the report is assigned to when it is due), the WCC offers BIOL 1500 students course-specific one-on-one consultations and a series of open studio hours, which are times when students can visit the WCC to write and get quick feedback from trained BIOL Writing Fellows. This semester, the WCC offered BNAP on the Sunday night before the week final reports were due in order to provide students with an additional opportunity to visit the center; collaborate with peers, fellows, and lab assistants; and get their final reports completed.
The event opened with over 100 students visiting during the first hour. Students were offered pizza, while a DJ from Radio X played downtempo /ambient music students could work to while completing their reports. “It was eye opening to see 177 students show up for an academic event focused on writing. It was not just a social or happy hour, it was a chance to better their writing, and they all showed up! It was very fulfilling,” said Melissa Vaz-Ayes, junior Biology major and an undergraduate student coordinator in the NSU WCC.
The overall project is based on collaborative efforts of Dr. Kevin Dvorak, Executive Director of the NSU WCC; Dr. Kelly Concannon, Associate Professor in the CAHSS Department of Writing and Communication and Faculty Coordinator at the WCC; Dr. Aarti Raja, Associate Professor in the Halmos College Department of Biological Sciences; and Melissa Vaz-Ayes.
The WCC anticipates running the program and BNAP event for the coming semesters. For more information about the NSU Writing and Communication Center, please visit www.nova.edu/wcc or call 954-262-8108.
NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale kicked off Miami Art Week with singer and producer Pharrell Williams and the artists collaborative FriendsWithYou, who talked to 200 Broward County middle school students about spreading kindness through art. The talk was presented on December 3, in conjunction with the museum’s exhibition Happy!, which explores the pursuit of happiness in contemporary art and features works by FriendsWithYou and 39 additional artists.
The students, from Sunrise Middle School in Sunrise and Saint Gregory School in Plantation, sang Williams’ hit song Happy, toured the Happy! exhibition and wrote wishes to hang on Wish Trees by artist Yoko Ono that are on view at the Museum. Their participation was made possible through Museum on the Move, NSU Art Museum’s free education outreach program that serves over 4,000 Broward students each year. NSU Art Museum is also a partner of Sunrise Middle School’s Wise Minds Project, an initiative that empowers youth and communities to realize potentials, mental well-being and happiness.
“Art and music are among our most powerful mediums for bringing people and communities together, and the positive messages shared by Pharrell Williams and FriendsWithYou carry special resonance as we approach this holiday season,” said Bonnie Clearwater, NSU Art Museum director and chief curator. “
Pharrell Williams is one of the most creative and influential figures in music, entertainment and design. He has redefined the role of the contemporary recording artist, blazing a trail for other musicians and prominent cultural figures. Williams has earned 10 Grammy Awards and his multimedia creative movement, I Am Other, includes innovative music, fashion, film, television and art endeavors that have global reach and impact.
FriendsWithYou is the artist collaborative comprised of Sam Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III. Influenced by the simple happiness found in everyday life, and with the purpose of spreading the positive message of Magic, Luck, and Friendship™. They work in mediums including painting, sculpture, large-scale experiential installations, live performances, and virtual reality and animation with a mission of cultivating moments of joyous interactions. Forging their own brand of post-pop visual language FriendsWithYou uses mediums like design and limited edition products from a fine art perspective. Their most important artistic tactic to foster interpersonal relationships is the use of play. Sculptures. paintings, inflatables, and objects are meant to trigger neglected yearnings, playfulness, laughter and inquisitiveness, with an end result of feeling connected.
Museum on the Move is an education initiative of NSU Art Museum that serves students throughout Broward County. The program promotes learning and increases engagement with the arts through interactive tours of exhibitions and hands-on art activities that engage students in analytical and independent thinking and incorporate principles of STEAM (science, technology, art, engineering, math) and 21st Century learning skills. Museum on the Move is made possible through the generosity of The Jerry Taylor & Nancy Bryant Foundation, The Amaturo Family Foundation, Inc., Lillian S. Wells Foundation Inc., David and Susan Samrick Foundation, Wege Foundation, Beaux Arts and Friends of NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale.
NSU University School Upper School students in the NSU Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-KPCOM) Fellowship have been participating in hands-on learning experiences under the guidance of NSU medical professionals. The Fellows recently participated in a suture demonstration led by Nicholas Lutfi, D.P.M anatomy department chair at the NSU Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine. Students received an overview of each surgical tool and learned proper suturing techniques. The Medical Fellows also had the opportunity to participate in a simulation lab led by Noel Alonso, MD and his medical students. Fellows learned how to take and monitor important vital signs, received a step-by-step intubation demonstration, and experienced a virtual reality childbirth simulation. These invaluable opportunities provide the knowledge and skills students will need as they continue to develop their passion for medicine and work toward a career in healthcare.
The Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (KPCOM) Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition program hosted site visitors from the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) on November 18 and 19. The program is seeking accreditation for a unique concentration that will offer students a professional outcome as registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs).
Following the completion of a robust self-study by the KPCOM’s Department of Nutrition in August 2019, ACEND reviewers came to NSU to validate the findings. The visit included personal meetings with faculty members, administration, and senior leaders. Members of the program’s advisory board and representatives from areas of academic support at NSU also contributed.
While the official ACEND report is forthcoming, the program expects to begin this new specialization in the fall of 2020. Along with the Future Education Model Graduate program for RDNs, this second successful accreditation effort in two years builds a strong foundation for future practice and highlights the KPCOM’s Department of Nutrition as a unique provider of quality education in this field.
For more information, please contact Ioana Scripa, Ph.D., RDN, LDN, program director, at iscripa@nova.edu.
Stefan Kautsch, Ph.D.
In November 2019, Halmos associate professor Stefan Kautsch, Ph.D. travelled to Tampa Bay, Florida to meet with other astronomers and astrophysicists from almost all universities and colleges across the state. The mission of the meeting was to create a professional network that would develop a strategy how to better connect the astronomy scientists and simultaneously engage the public community to learn more about the universe.
Kautch, the winner of the 2018 NSU’s President’s Distinguished Professor in Community Engagement, said “Our goal is to promote collaboration across the research and academic institutions in order to advance astronomy and space exploration in Florida, the gateway of the nation to the cosmos”. The proposed name of the group is AstroFlorida. The first research conference is planned for spring 2020.
JoAnne Negrin, Ed.D.
JoAnne Negrin, Ed.D., graduate of NSU’s Abraham S. Fischer College of Education and School of Criminal Justice was honored last month as Visionary Supervisor of the Year by the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association.
Negrin is Supervisor of English Language Learners (ELL), Bilingual Education, World Languages, and Performing Arts for Vineland Public Schools. Under her leadership, Vineland’s K-5 Bilingual Program has become a New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) Model Program for 2016-2018 and four other programs were designated NJDOE Model Programs for 2018-2020.
Additionally, she is also Immediate Past President of New Jersey Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/New Jersey Bilingual Educators and current Council Member and Chair of the English Language Learners Committee of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association.
Dr. Negrin earned her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice in 2014.
To view the video from the NJPSA awards ceremony, please click here.
Arthur Falcone
Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams through higher education, today announced that Arthur Falcone, CEO and chairman of the Falcone Group, and co-founder and managing principal of Encore Capital Management, has been selected for membership in this prestigious organization. Mr. Falcone joins 13 other exceptional business, civic and cultural leaders from across North America in receiving 2020 honors. For more than 70 years, the Horatio Alger Award has been annually bestowed upon esteemed individuals who have succeeded despite facing adversities, and who have remained committed to higher education and charitable efforts in their communities.
Mr. Falcone was born in Queens, New York. His parents were first-generation Italian immigrants and who worked long hours to support their three children. Although they didn’t have much, Mr. Falcone was taught the importance of giving back at a young age. His father, a police officer, who was one of the first appointed officers to run the Police Boy’s Club and began mentoring at-risk and disadvantaged youth in their neighborhood. Although he took a few classes at Nassau Community College, Mr. Falcone never graduated and instead decided to join the workforce. After completing the McDonald’s Management Training Program, he became the company’s youngest franchisee at just 22. Due to his success in this role, he met Dave Thomas, founder and CEO of Wendy’s, who offered him territorial rights for 40 Wendy’s restaurants in South Florida.
As Mr. Falcone continued to build his franchise portfolio, he realized that he would much rather build his own restaurants than pay a construction company and then pay them rent. This sparked his interest in real estate and in 1988, he founded Transeastern Properties, which later become the largest homebuilder in Florida and the one of the top 25 homebuilders in the United States. Mr. Falcone sold Transeastern Properties for $1.6 billion. Since 2004, he has served as CEO and chairman of Falcone Group, a real estate company specializing in residential, retail and apartment assets. He is also the co-founder and managing principal of Encore Capital Management, which encompasses two private equity funds, a private multifamily REIT, and numerous other investments valued at $2 billion in capital and $10 billion in portfolio development value.
“For decades, Art Falcone has been living out the Horatio Alger mission in his own life,” said Terrence J. Giroux, executive director, Horatio Alger Association. “He embodies the values of hard work and integrity. His corporate achievements are to be admired and his charitable giving has impacted the lives of thousands – particularly those who need it most in his own community in South Florida. We are honored to present Art with the Horatio Alger Award in 2020.”
Mr. Falcone has harnessed his entrepreneurial spirit to empower young people to improve their lives through the free-enterprise system. Inspired by the late H. Wayne Huizenga, past president of the Horatio Alger Association, he became involved in Junior Achievement of South Florida. Mr. Falcone funded Junior Achievement BizTown, an engaging, hands-on program that introduces fifth graders to business, finance and economics. Mr. Falcone serves on the board of trustees for Nova Southeastern University, where, in 2006, he was inducted into the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.
“Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have been inspired by those who are both great entrepreneurs and outstanding philanthropists, like Wayne Huizenga, who have shaped me into the person I am today,” said Mr. Falcone. “Wayne’s civic-minded approach to life and his belief that we must use our good fortune to help others set an incredible example for me and so many others.”
Thanks to the generosity of its Members, the Association awards need-based scholarships to outstanding high school students who are committed to pursuing higher education and giving back to their communities. The Association also educates young people about the limitless opportunities afforded to them by the free-enterprise system through hard work, honesty and determination. Like Association Members, Horatio Alger Scholars have faced significant adversities, but have also displayed unmatched resilience in overcoming their challenges. Since the scholarship program was established in 1984, the Horatio Alger Association has provided more than $180 million to 27,000 students in need, all of which has been funded solely through the generosity of Association Members and friends.
Mr. Falcone and the Member Class of 2020 will be formally inducted into the Association on April 2-4, 2020, during the Association’s 73rd Horatio Alger Award Induction Ceremonies in Washington, D.C. The annual three-day event honors the achievements of both Members and National Scholars, affording both groups the opportunity to meet and interact as well as exchange stories of hardships and triumphs.
Faculty from two NSU colleges created a conference that attracted researchers from around the world in the fields of neuroscience and exercise/sport science.
The Society for NeuroSports was founded by Professor Jaime Tartar, Ph.D., of the College of Psychology and Associate Professors Jose Antonio and Corey Peacock, both Ph.D., of the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences. The society and the conference grew out of multiple research projects that Tartar, Antonio, and Peacock have collaborated on in recent years. The society’s goal is to provide an outlet for research in the increasingly integrated fields of neuroscience and exercise/sport science.
The conference, which took place November 15-16 in Deerfield Beach, attracted over 140 visitors, which was about double what was initially expected, Tartar said. Attendees came from across the country, but also Canada, England and Belgium.
“People liked talking to other people outside of their area who are doing similar research,” Tartar said about the conference’s multidisciplinary nature.
That sentiment was echoed by Antonio. “The most interesting part of the conference was the fact that you had two completely different fields merging as one.”
The conference included presentations on topics like “Sleep Science and Swoleness,” a keynote on “Cognitive Contributions to Motor Learning,” poster presentations and a data blitz, where participants had exactly one minute to present findings on their research.
Following the inaugural conference, the society will debut a journal in January, with the debut issue featuring the abstracts from the conference. The Journal of the Society for NeuroSports will be edited by Assistant Professor William Kochen, Ph.D., of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience.
“I’m a brain injury and stress researcher, so it fits perfectly with neurosports,” Kochen said. “It’s marrying the concepts and putting them together.”
The second annual conference will take place November 13-14, 2020.
“We were proud to bring 150 participants together with leading scholars across the country to advance science and practice as it relates to sports,” said College of Psychology Dean Karen Grosby, Ed.D. “Such a venture set a unique stage for future research and practice collaborations.”
For more information, visit https://www.neurosports.net/.