Category: Communities

NSU to Screen Award-Winning Original Documentary Film

NSU will screen the award-winning documentary “State of Rodeo” on Jan. 31 at the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center. The film showing will start at 7 p.m. and will be followed by a panel discussion.

“State of Rodeo” is an hourlong television documentary focusing on the rich tradition of Rodeo and Ranching in the State that started it all. Rodeos began as celebrations of Cowboy life within rural farming communities, whereby local Cowboys and Cowgirls could gather with friends and family to highlight the unique skills learned on the farm. 2021 marks five hundred years of cattle and horse farming within the State of Florida when Ponce De Leon brought the first herds from Spain to the new world and the territory of La Florida.

This is a history that presents a rich multicultural fabric of cultures and influences that ultimately blends into a tapestry of American pride. Rodeo comes from the Spanish rodear meaning to go around and that is where this story begins, over and through the various backwaters and by ways where the sport is still thriving, from Ocala to Okeechobee to Davie. It is a special bond that connects one and all to the Rodeo family.

“State of Rodeo” is produced by the Emmy-winning production team of Scott Barnett and Johanna Vega, who have combined their talents to produce hundreds of broadcast commercials, documentaries and digital content including the nationally syndicated, award winning TV show Kid Stew produced with South Florida PBS and bestselling author James Patterson. Their company Fuxion has also produced advertising content for clients including Winn Dixie, the Pork Board, Take Me Fishing and VISITFLORIDA.

Posted 01/14/24

Honors College Launches Campaign to Prioritize Mental Health

Last semester, the Farquhar Honors College raised more than $1,500 to help honors students achieve mental wellness. The campaign, titled “Honor Your Mental Health,” funded various de-stress initiatives, activities, and care packages throughout the semester.

Among the activities in the campaign were a series of mental health and wellness workshops ranging from meditation and journaling to bas-relief clay sculpture and yoga. These workshops, led by NSU faculty and alumni, allowed students to take a break from their stressful schedules.

The campaign was conceived by the Honors Student Advisory Board (HSAB), a group of select honors students who meet with the dean to enhance the honors experience, who wanted to address the rising mental health crises among college students.

“A goal of this project [was] to get college students more comfortable with talking about their stress and better ways to cope,” said Pranav Madadi, an HSAB member. “The fact that a majority of students are not able to seek help is a crucial issue that we can get addressed.”

Along with the workshops, the college provided students with self-care items like stress toys, journals, and mental health app subscriptions. The campaign extended to social media, providing resources, tips, and giveaways to get the conversation about mental health started online.

Posted 01/14/24

Symposium to Examine Challenges in Voting Access

Registration is now open for the 2024 NSU Law Voting Rights symposium on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law on NSU’s Davie Campus. We invite you to join us for this community event. The symposium theme is “From Barriers to Ballots.” The one-day symposium will examine the numerous voting-access challenges and explore reform efforts.

With the 2024 election upon us, Florida will once again be the center of much national attention. Given the state’s pivotal role in election results – and its long history of voter suppression efforts – the symposium will feature thought-leaders, attorneys, and activists committed to extending the franchise. The symposium will especially examine strategies that can be implemented to extend voting rights for disenfranchised communities.

“We continue to see new requirements that make it more difficult for Florida voters to participate in our democracy,” said NSU Law Dean José Roberto (Beto) Juárez, Jr. “I believe it is incumbent for the law school to assume a leadership role in educating the community about the challenges facing voters, and in exploring proposals for reform.”

The symposium will feature national leaders who will share their expertise with our community. Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, will serve as our keynote speaker.  Other confirmed speakers include ACLU President Deborah Archer, MALDEF Vice President Nina Perales, Nobel Peace Prize-nominee Desmond Meade of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, national voting rights experts from law schools around the country and experts from the NSU College of Law and community.

In addition to Dean Chemerinsky’s keynote, the program will also feature five panels:

  • The Electoral College
  • Vulnerable Populations
  • Florida Suppression Efforts
  • Election Integrity
  • Reform Efforts

In conjunction with the symposium, NSU Law and the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition are proud to host a pro bono project to offer invaluable assistance to people with convictions who have lost their voting rights due to prior convictions (often referred to as returning citizens). The pro bono project will allow law students and pro bono attorneys to work together on filing modification motions on behalf of returning citizens to restore their right to vote. This “pop-up” clinic will be held on Monday, January 15, 2024 (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday) and Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024. The Voting Rights Symposium and the affiliated Pro Bono Project are free events. CLE credits will be available for attorneys.

We welcome the community to both the symposium and the Pro Bono Project.

We invite you to register now to reserve your seat for this critically important community event.  

Posted 10/26/23

Halmos Faculty, Student Participate in International Conference

What is “cold, clammy and wet all over?” Answer: most marine invertebrates.  Apart from corals, which build reefs, many marine invertebrates are often overlooked because they are not so “warm and fuzzy” like their charismatic, terrestrial counterparts.  As a group, invertebrates number in the thousands.  Although generally classified by not having backbones (vertebrate spines), most invertebrates still have complex body parts, including neurons and sensory systems. Indeed, several invertebrate species appear to be highly intelligent – e.g.  octopus and cuttlefish show the capacity to learn and appear to have sophisticated neural structures.

To illuminate more about the life and hereditary material (genomes) of these vital marine animals, the non-profit organization GIGA (for the Global invertebrate Genomics Alliance) was formed in 2013.  HCAS professor Jose V. Lopez, Ph.D., along with many academic colleagues from around world, co-founded the organization.  Lopez said, “a primary goal of GIGA is to promote invertebrate research and also expand training and education in the complex fields of bioinformatics and genomics.” Lopez served as a panel chair and gave a presentation titled, “Characterizing Whole Genomes from Photosymbiotic Organisms and Sponges: Updates from the Aquatic Symbiosis Genome (ASG) Project.”

In this context, the fifth GIGA conference was held in Cartagena, Colombia Oct 31 – Nov 3, 2023, held true to many of the core goals of the society.  The conference was held at the scenic oceanside Intercontinental Hotel along with an optional dive excursion to the nearby Rosario Islands, possessing extensive coral reefs.  By obtaining sponsorships from various quarters such as the Moore Foundation, the American Genetics Association, the UK’s Sanger Institute, and PacBio Inc, GIGA provided travel sponsorships to at least a dozen Global South students from Colombia, Brazil, Chile, and Peru. Students and early career researchers had several opportunities to present their research through lightning talks and a poster session. For example, NSU Department of Biological Sciences MS student Rachel Bacaner working in Dr. Lopez’s laboratory presented a poster on Caribbean octocoral Antillogorgia americana cell cultures.  Major themes of the sessions included marine symbiosis (coral and algae) and characterizing biodiversity at the molecular level and professional development.

Over 65 students, faculty and researchers composed the GIGA V attendees representing eight different countries. The list of talks spanned detailed descriptions of individual species genomes from giant clams to golden mussels, technical talks on how to best analyze volumes of Big Sequence Data and the effects of climate change.  Attendees also heard unique talks describing JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) within the genomics sciences and the future of scientific publishing in the era of open access and artificial intelligence by Laurie Goodman (Giga Science).  Determining the whole genome sequences of non-model organisms, such as many invertebrates, contributes to their conservation and a better understanding of their evolution and ecosystem health.

For more information please see: http://www.gigacos.org/index.php/meetings/giga_v/

Posted 12/10/23

Title IX Team Holds Presentations on Fort Myers Campus

Nova Southeastern University’s Title IX team visited the Fort Myers campus on Nov. 10, 2023, where they spent the day with our Nursing and Physician Assistants programs, both students and faculty. The turnout for the event was 193 faculty and students.

The presentations included information about prevention and response to sexual harassment, how NSU protects students from sexual harassment in their clinical rotations, and how health care providers can do their part to give the best care possible to their patients who may have experienced sexual assault or intimate partner violence.

The Title IX team also provided training for NSU’s Public Safety dispatchers to assist them in providing caring and respectful responses to members of the NSU community who call Public Safety for assistance after experiencing sexual violence or dating/domestic violence.

Learn more about other Title IX programs.

Posted 12/10/23

Business Professor Among Panelists at Economic Summit

From the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, from left, Dean Andrew Rosman, Professor Albert Williams, Tanya Pawlowski, Amanda Conde, and Jose Poza.

Albert Williams, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of finance and economics at NSU’s H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, was one of three panelists at the Economic Summit and Expo Wakeup Breakfast for the Coral Springs Coconut Creek Regional Chamber of Commerce, held Nov. 14, 2023.

Williams entertains the summit attendees with some music.

Williams discussed inflation, past and present, and provided a forecast for 2024. He stated that, in 2024, the U.S. economy will grow at a similar, or slightly higher, rate than in 2023.

Williams addressed questions regarding the difficulty of finding skilled and unskilled workers in Florida. With a low unemployment rate of 2.6 percent in South Florida, most people are already working. Also, due to a recently signed state bill, many farm, construction, and service workers are leaving the state. He discussed how employers can help their employees with the burden of inflation.

This includes giving employees annual salary increments that reflect the inflation increase and providing financial literacy training for them. Williams also recommended that employees have a candid self-reflection on their lifestyle and either increase their income and/or cut costs, such as reducing the number of meals away from home and reducing transportation costs by doing “batch” trips (buying groceries, buying gas, getting your prescription, and getting pizza in one trip).

Because of the shortage of workers, Williams strongly recommended that the employers attending the session come to NSU to find students who have the potential to be excellent workers. In addition to sharing his economic and finance knowledge, Williams also shared his guitar talent and entertained the 80 participants with his smooth guitar music, which is a fusion of rock, reggae, calypso, and Latin.

Posted 11/26/23

Great American SmokeOut is Thursday, November 16

This November 16 is the Great American SmokeOut where many people will begin their journey to stop smoking. We at the NSU Area Health Education Center (AHEC) encourage you to QUIT Smoking not for a day but for a LIFETIME.

Let us help you on your journey with FREE support, patches, gum, and lozenges through one of our highly rated group classes.  Call us today at (954) 262-1580 for more information and Smoke Out those things in your life causing harm to your health.

Posted 11/13/23

International Education Week Full of Activities, Nov. 13-17

NSU’s Office of International Affairs invites you to join us next week for International Education Week 2023, happening November 13th – 17th!

International Education Week is a longstanding NSU tradition – we have been hosting this campus-wide celebration for almost a decade! We invite you to join in this week of peaceful cultural celebrations and global learning opportunities!

See below a selection of events, however, we invite you to check out our full week of 15+ events.

Monday, November 13th

IEW Opening Ceremony: The Parade of Flags

12:00p – 1:00p Horvitz Building Gold Circle Lake Entrance

Immigration Law Informational: Pro Bono Advice

4:00p – 6:00p DeSantis 1047

Tuesday, November 14th

Native American Heritage Month Celebration

12:00p – 2:00p Flight Deck Backyard

Multicultural Dance Lessons: Vernacular Jazz, Afro Fusion, & NGRY

5:00p – 7:00p Flight Deck Multipurpose Room

Wednesday, November 15th

International Student Mental Health: We Are Here to Help!

3:00p – 4:30p DeSantis 1048

Cultural Fashion Show

7:00p – 9:00p Flight Deck Backyard

Thursday, November 16th

Global Equal Access to Education Info Session

12:30p – 1:30p Flight Deck

Yoga History & Practice

1:00p – 2:00p RecPlex Multipurpose Room 3

Friday, November 17th

Global Village

12:00p – 1:00p University Center Spine

Global Opioid Epidemic: Awareness & Prevention

3:33p DeSantis 2081

SharkDining International Food Takeover in Razor’s Reef

Visit Razor’s Reef for international foods during IEW! A different region will be highlighted each day.

We wanted to give a special thank you to our campus and community partners who are hosting events during this week! THANK YOU to: Athletics, Barner Legal PA, Department of Humanities & Politics,  Diversity Student Council with Campus Life & Student Engagement,  Entheoplex, E.X.O.T.I.C. XI Zeta Chapter of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, INC.,  Fragomen Law Firm, International Student Union, Military Affairs, NSU’s Counseling Department, NSU Drumline, Office of Recreation & Wellness, Office of Service Learning and Civic Engagement, Razor’s Edge Global Premier Scholarship Program, SharkDining, and Title IX Office.

Tune in to our instagram for additional IEW online initiatives, and live coverage of our events! @nsu_international

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of International Affairs at intl@nova.edu.

Nova Southeastern University and the Office of International Affairs are thrilled to celebrate our diverse campus population, and continue to learn from all of the cultures we have represented in our university community!

Posted 11/09/23

KPCOM Alumni Reception: A Night of Magic

On Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, NSU-KPCOM held its first alumni reception after a long hiatus. Thankfully, being in a post-COVID world, the 70 or so KPCOM alumni, faculty, D.O. medical students, and family members joined together for a lovely evening at Walt Disney World’s Epcot. Equipped with their choice of comfortable walking shoes, the reception’s guests were led by Disney Event Guides from the park’s entrances to an intimate dining experience at Italy Isola. The handpicked area for the reception is an amazing vantage point on the promenade encircling the World Showcase Lagoon.

The event’s mixed crowd provided a chance for genuine and informative interactions about current KPCOM program updates, Medical Outreach opportunities, as well as personal life updates and changes that have occurred over the years. Many of the event’s guests were excited to have an event after many years, and hopeful for what the future holds.

“I am so fortunate to not only be trusted with this job, but to also facilitate such an amazing affair to celebrate our alumni. Seeing their faces light up with joy revealed an inner youthfulness within them. They didn’t have to be physicians or educators for anyone; they could just ‘be’ … at Disney World! That was beautiful to witness, and I’m glad I received the support from my supervisor and college dean to make this happen. The first of many, I hope!”  said Sasha Saunders, M.B.A, NSU alumna and current Director of KPCOM Alumni Affairs.

As the evening progressed over hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and lots of selfies, everyone soon settled in with one last drink to enjoy the spectacular fireworks show.

Posted 11/05/23

Community Resolution Services Hosts Panel on Africa

Community Resolution Services (CRS), housed in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS) in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS), hosted a panel via Zoom entitled, Africa: Current Challenges.  The panelists included: Abdulkarim Musa, Jassim Al-Sharshani, and Murad Abuzekri, all pursuing a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution in DCRS. The moderator was Leneiya Boose, who subsequently graduated with her M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution.

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 11/05/23

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