Category: Academics

Fischler College Participates in the Great American Teach-In

Lillian Ibanez Greico

Lillian Ibanez Greico, Assistant Director & Educator, NSU Teaching Academy at Tampa Bay, participated in Pinellas County Schools Great American Teach-In.

Greico used Mursion, a simulation software, and developed a presentation on Mako Sharks (the NSU mascot) to showcase how the technology is being used at NSU’s Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice to sharpen lesson presentation and classroom management skills of teacher candidates. After the demonstration, Greico encouraged students not to be “another fish in another school, but to be an NSU Shark,” and concluded the presentation with allowing student volunteers to interact with the avatars to encourage participation in their club or sport (students spoke about the eSports Gamers Club, Wrestling Team, Chorus etc.).

The Great American Teach-In is an annual, nationwide event during which guests from various trades and expertise visit classrooms to challenge students to begin thinking about future career paths.  What a great way to encourage the importance of a college education and inspire a career in teacher education! Fins Up!

Posted 11/28/21

FY2023 PFRDG/QOL Grant Cycles Now Open!

The FY2023 President’s Faculty Research and Development Grant (PFRDG) and Quality of Life (QOL) grant cycles are now open. This year’s deadline is January 24, 2022, 5 p.m. Through these programs, eligible faculty may apply for internal grants of up to $15,000 in support of a variety of research and scholarly activities.

Please visit https://www.nova.edu/academic-affairs/faculty-research-grant/index.html for more information regarding FY 2023’s PFRDG competition guidelines and program requirements, and contact pfrdg@nova.edu with any questions. Proposals must be submitted via the PFRDG application portal by the January 24 deadline.

For information regarding the Quality of Life program, please visit https://www.nova.edu/qol/index.html or contact npascucci@nova.edu.

Posted 11/19/21

Halmos Doctoral Student Lectures at Naval Postgrad School

Kevin Peters, M.A., M.B.A.

Kevin Peters, M.A., M.B.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, gave a lecture at the Naval Postgraduate School in the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. Peters lectured in a Comparative Democracies class comparing how four other stable democracies (Botswana, Chile, Japan, and Norway) have confronted significant homeland security challenges (a public health event, an active shooter situation, and a natural disaster).  His lecture focused on getting senior homeland security practitioners (Command Staff and Senior Executive equivalents) to think about how to leverage a whole of government approach to confronting emerging homeland security threats.

Peters has an extensive background in intelligence and policy analysis with over 26 years working for the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. Currently he is the Associate Director for Policy and Research in the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) at the Department of Homeland Security headquarters. Among his previous positions, he served as the Chief of the National Threat Evaluation and Reporting Programs, and as Deputy Director in the Current and Emerging Threats Center.

Peters has an M.A. in Securities Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, an M.B.A. from Pennsylvania State University, and a B.A. from the University of Maryland University College.

Posted 11/17/21

Halmos Alumnae, Faculty, Students Publish Research on Virulence

Rebecca Quinn

In September 2021, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences master’s graduate Rebecca Quinn and a team of graduate and undergraduate students from the Department of Biological Sciences were published in the American Society for Microbiology Journal.  Under the guidance of Halmos Department of Biological Sciences faculty member Robert Smith, Ph.D., Rebecca Quinn led work on virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Quinn graduated from the NSU Master’s in Biological Sciences program in the summer of 2020 and is now a vaccine R&D associate scientist with Pfizer.

Research involved using the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 bacterium, which is of increasing concern in clinical healthcare, to study environmental factors that affect virulence.  Pyoverdine, a virulence factor produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is essential for infection in humans.  The study found that disturbing spatial arrangements in some P. aeruginosa strains can reduce the amount of pyoverdine produced, thus reducing their ability to infect people.  Results of this research could lead to new treatments and reduced infection rates.

The American Society for Microbiology is an organization of professional scientists that explores the complete spectrum of microbiology including bacteria, viruses, algae, protozoa, and fungi.   With over 30,000 members, including researchers, educators and health professionals, ASM is one of the largest life science societies in the world.

Posted 11/14/21

Honors Student Publishes Research to Combat Heart Disease

Joshua Bennett defends his thesis.

Last September, Farquhar Honors College student Joshua Bennett published an article in the Global Journal of Medical Research that suggests engineering principles could be used to help fight heart disease. The research was completed as part of his honors thesis titled “Mathematical Analysis of Blood Flow in Human Coronary Arteries Plagued by Atherosclerosis” and was also presented virtually at the American Society of Thermal and Fluid Engineers Annual Meeting and the Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Fall Meeting.

“It feels crazy to know that the research I performed in my first three years of undergrad could potentially impact lots of people, and knowing that my fellow coauthors and I are being recognized for it is truly an amazing feeling,” said Bennett, a senior general engineering major.

Completed in pursuit of his Research Citation in Honors, Bennett’s thesis uses engineering principles to study the implications of blood flow mechanics in the onset of heart problems for those with atherosclerosis.

“Joshua is a stellar student with solid engineering principles,” said Manuel Salinas, Ph.D., professor in the College of Computing and Engineering who served as Bennett’s thesis adviser. “He focuses on industrial and systems engineering and through this project, he got a taste of biomedical engineering. My contribution was mainly helping him convert a disease into an engineering system and applying engineering principles to study and potentially solve the disease.”

View Bennett’s article in the Global Journal of Medical Research.

Posted 11/14/21

Researchers Published in Smithsonian Marine Station Newsletter

This fall, HCAS research scientists Brian Walker, Ph.D. and Karen Neely, Ph.D. had their work published in the Smithsonian Marine Station Newsletter. Titled “Using 3D Modeling to Understand Coral Disease,” it discusses how computer programming can aid in monitoring stony coral treatments.

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has spread throughout Florida’s Coral Reef causing extensive mortalities in more than 21 species of reef-building corals and resulting in the local extinction of some species. Not only has SCTLD caused great devastation along Florida’s Coral Reef, but it has recently been found in 17 other countries or territories throughout the Caribbean.

Walker and Neely have been collaborating with the Smithsonian’s The Coral Health and Marine Probiotics (CHAMP) lab. They have been working have been working to treat infected corals along the reef with beneficial bacteria, probiotics. One of the biggest hurdles of the project is to be able to compare tissue loss progression on each coral over time to better understand if the probiotic treatments are successful at slowing or stopping the disease. Numerous photographs are taken of each coral each time the researchers are able to visit them on the reef. Using a software program, Agisoft Metashape, the CHAMP lab compiles these photos into 3D models of each coral. By comparing the surface area of healthy tissue on each model over time, the CHAMP lab can compare effectiveness between treatments.

Posted 11/14/21

Grad Assistant Coordinators Present at Conference

Adara Cox and ‘Aolani Robinson, current and former Graduate Assistant Coordinators at the NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC), presented at the 3rd Annual NSU Crossroads Humanities Student Conference on April 9, 2021. Cox and Robinson are current and former graduate students in the Composition, Rhetoric and Digital Media (CRDM) master’s program in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences (HCAS).

Cox’s presentation, “Teaching Agency, Advocacy, and Authentic Voice: A Thematic Course Using the Netflix Series Dear White People,” provided a foundation for educators committed to advocacy to have brave conversations regarding social justice in their classrooms. Robinson’s presentation, “Seen Through the Screen: Creating Queer Community Through Twine” analyzed sexuality in Twine games.

“The 3rd Annual Crossroads Humanities conference allowed me to network with others who have similar research interests as well as share resources,” Cox said. “I had an amazing experience presenting my work, and I learned so much about what others are researching in their fields!”

Learn more about the Crossroads Humanities Conference.

Learn more about the NSU Writing & Communication Center.

Posted 10/31/21

Undergrad Consultants Receive Distinguished Delegation Awards

Genesis Alvarez, above, and Janay Joseph, below.

Genesis Alvarez and Janay Joseph, NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) undergraduate consultants, competed in the Southern Regional Model United Nations (SRMUN) competition, hosted virtually March 26-29, 2021. Both won Distinguished Delegation awards at SRMUN 2021. Alvarez is a History and International Studies major in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences (HCAS) and Farquhar Honors College, and Joseph is a History and International Studies major in HCAS.

NSU’s Model United Nations team, sponsored by HCAS, participated in the conference under the Nova International Relations Association (NIRA). Alvarez and Joseph were delegates for the nation of Columbia and served on three committees: the General Assembly Plenary, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). Topics discussed during the conference included mental health, illicit drug use by at-risk youth, and disaster response measures.

Joseph and Alvarez, among other team members Luke Dombroski, Jacqueline Chavez, and Angelica (Alu) Lopez Uscamaita, represented NSU as an entire delegation for the Republic of Colombia at SRMUN. The NIRA team was awarded Distinguished Delegation awards for SRMUN 2021 and scored 95/100 for their position papers submitted to the conference. Additionally, their team received a Distinguished Delegation award in the WHO committee for admirable participation and praiseworthy cooperation.

Both Alvarez and Joseph credit the WCC for building essential writing and communication skills that helped their participation in the conference.

“Working at the WCC has sharpened both my writing and conversation skills,” Joseph said. “Not only was I able to communicate my ideas effectively during the formal session, but I was able to contribute policy language for each of the working papers.”

Alvarez had a similar experience, saying that her writing skills “are essential to developing the comprehensive and well-written resolutions we draft during the committee sessions.”

Learn more about the NSU Model United Nations Team.

Learn more about the NSU Writing & Communication Center.

Posted 10/31/21

Halmos Faculty, Students Present on ADR Higher Education

Neil Katz, Ph.D.

Neil Katz, Ph.D., professor 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 at the 2021 Association for Conflict Resolution Annual Conference held virtually in September. His co-presenters were DCRS doctoral candidates and students, Eileen Petzold‐Bradley, Peter Kent, and Brad Palmore. The conference theme was “Reflective Engagement,” and the presentation was titled “Beyond Brick & Mortar: Addressing the Challenges in ADR Higher Education, Theory, and Practice.”

Petzold-Bradley is a doctoral candidate and holds a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia. Kent is a doctoral candidate and holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Communication from California State University, Los Angeles. Palmore is a doctoral student and holds a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution from Abilene Christian University.

Katz’ areas of teaching and research interests include negotiation theory and practice, group dynamics, and organizational conflict.

Students Chosen as National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

NSU University School is incredibly proud to congratulate four of our academically talented seniors — Madison Draizin, Zachary Hardgrave, Nikki Steinberg, and Brian Zhi — on being selected as 2022 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists! They are among 16,000 of the highest-scoring program entrants, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, who qualified as semifinalists for their exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

Semifinalists will have an opportunity to continue in the competition to attain finalist standing and qualify for winner recognition as well as National Merit Scholarships that will be awarded in spring 2022.

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