Faculty & Staff News
Rathinavelu
Dr. Appu Rathinavelu of Nova Southeastern University’s Rumbaugh Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research Center recently received the 2022 award for research from the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Rathinavelu and his team were given a $25,000 grant toward their research titled “Pre-clinical testing of NSU’s patented F16 drug molecule for treating neuroblastoma.”
Posted 07/31/22
McKay
Judith McKay, J.D., Ph.D., director of the doctoral program, and faculty 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 Women United Leadership Committee of the United Way of Broward County on June 21, 2022. Her topic was “Women, Conflict, and Mental Health.”
McKay is the faculty adviser to the Social Justice Roundtable and works with students in the community through Community Resolution Services (CRS), a practicum and volunteer site for DCRS. CRS hosts Story Café, We Love our Families series, The Women’s Roundtable, and is involved in offering workshops for the county’s Crisis Intervention Teams, and other events for community groups and organizations. She is also the co-director of the NSU Council for Dialogue and Democracy housed in HCAS. For more information, please contact her at mckayj@nova.edu.
Posted 07/17/22
Professor Hui Fang “Angie” Su, Ed.D.
Hui Fang “Angie” Su, Ed.D., professor at Nova Southeastern University’s Abraham Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice has been elected to the Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics Board of Directors.
Su has been elected to serve as the Vice President of Higher Education.
Su will have a number of duties, including coordinating activities of the council at the high education level; serving as a member of the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, the Curriculum/Best Practices Committee, the Grants and Awards Committee and the Treasurer’s Audit Committee; and more.
The Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a state chapter of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The goal of the organization is to promote the improvement of Florida’s mathematics instruction programs.
The council currently has more 1,100 members across 14 regions.
Congratulations on your new role Angie!
Posted 07/17/22
Breanna Vanderplow
The American Meteorological Society (AMS) held its 35th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology in New Orleans, Louisiana in May 2022. This year Nova Southeastern University Ph.D. student Breanna Vanderplow from the Physical Oceanography Laboratory at the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences/Halmos College of Arts and Sciences was chosen for the Outstanding Student Oral Presentation Award.
Vanderplow presented her work on the new research that may help predict hurricane intensification in the presence of natural (biological) or anthropogenic (oil spill, dispersants) surfactants. Vanderplow is the first author of the paper titled “Increased Sea Spray Generation Due to Surfactants: An Insight Into Tropical Cyclone Intensity?” a result of collaboration with scientists from the University of Hawaii, University of Miami, and University of Rhode Island.
The research involved laboratory experiments at the UM Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science SUSTAIN facility, a numerical model developed at NSU using the state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics software ANSYS Fluent, and NSU’s supercomputer.
The laboratory lead and the paper co-author Professor Alexander Soloviev, Ph.D., said that hurricane track forecasting has seen continuous improvement during the last half century.
“At the same time, prediction of hurricane intensity, especially rapid intensification, has seen only a little or no improvement,” he said. “Furthermore, hurricane researchers are still debating why rapid intensification happens. One hypothesis is that hurricane intensity can depend on the microphysics of the air-sea interface that has not yet been implemented in operational hurricane forecasting models.“
The Physical Oceanography Laboratory is currently working on a pioneering approach to implement microphysics of the air-sea interface in hurricane forecasting models. Vanderplow has made an important contribution in this direction.
Vanderplow graduated from the NSU Honors College and was a recipient of the NSU President’s Scholarship. She received her MS Degree from the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and is now a Ph.D. student at the Physical Oceanography Laboratory. She considers it a great privilege to be able to present her work at this conference and any conferences where she can represent NSU.
Posted 07/17/22
Elías M. Morón
Elías M. Morón, D.D.S., M.P.H., M.H.L., M.H.S.M., clinical assistant professor at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Dental Medicine, was selected for the 2022-2023 American Dental Association’s Institute for Diversity in Leadership Program.
The American Dental Association’s Institute for Diversity in Leadership provides a diverse group of dental professionals with education and experience to develop their leadership skills, strengthen professional networks, and set leadership paths in dentistry and their communities. Dentists are selected by the ADA Board of Trustees and will have the opportunity to interact with ADA leadership, dental industry executives and staff from other non-profit organizations. Alumni from the institute fill leadership roles in organized dentistry and community organizations across the nation.
A loggerhead sea turtle hatchling
You might say that when Sierra Ciciarelli was a little girl she was as determined as the sea turtles that she works to protect.
“My dream was to be a marine biologist and work with them,” she said. “But from a young age, I was quickly told that I wouldn’t get a job in the marine biology field, let alone with sea turtles.”
Sierra Ciciarelli
Ciciarelli used those words as fuel for her future, inevitably graduating in 2020 with a Master of Professional Science in Marine Conservation from the University of Miami. While finishing up her master’s, the 24-year-old came to Nova Southeastern University where she has been realizing her dream as outreach manager and assistant field manager with the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program.
NSU’s Halmos College of Arts and Sciences manages the program through a partnership with the county and a network of multiple community volunteer organizations. The challenge: to monitor all sea turtle nesting activities along more than 24 miles of Broward County beaches and effectively contribute to sea turtle conservation by providing thorough and relevant data to local, state, and federal conservation agencies, and active engagement with the community through outreach and education.
Ciciarelli has been with the program since 2020. This is her third Broward County nesting season, which starts each year on March 1 and ends October 31. There are three species of sea turtles on beaches she patrols: loggerhead, leatherback, and green sea turtles. Loggerheads make up about 95 percent of the nesting in Broward County. All told, there are about 140,000 hatchlings each season, Ciciarelli said.
Protecting sea turtles is a tireless, yet important, task, she said, adding that “many species take upwards of 25 years to become sexually mature. Only then can they breed and supplement their populations.”
Sea turtle nesting area
The sea turtle program relies on two crews who work seven days a week during nesting season.
“Our most visible crew is our Morning Crew. We begin our surveys a half hour before sunrise and follow the high tide line on the beach with the help of our ATVs,” she said. “If we spot a sea turtle crawl, we will follow her up the beach to determine whether she nested. Sea turtles nest about 50 percent of the time.”
If a sea turtle chooses not to nest, it’s likely the turtle didn’t like something about the spot. If that happens, the turtle eventually will return to find a more suitable nest.
Once a sea turtle nests, though, Ciciarelli and her crew kick into action.
“We collect data and establish a perimeter around the nest to protect to the eggs, we monitor the nest throughout the season, and document when the turtles hatch,” she said. “We allow the hatchlings to get out on their own and after three days, we will excavate or dig up the nest contents. During this process, we collect more data and get an idea of the hatching success of the nest.”
And if the crew find any stragglers in the nest, they release those turtles later in the evening.
Survival for the typical sea turtle is a difficult journey, fraught with a variety of predators, Ciciarelli explained.
Abby Nease, project manager for the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program, uncovers a sea turtle nest.
“First, the sea turtle mamas must find an adequate spot to nest and not be spooked by people or deterred by beach furniture and lighting. Once the nest is laid, the nest must withstand tides and storm events such as thunderstorms, tropical storms, and hurricanes,” she said. “Foxes are common land predators, digging up nests to feast on eggs, and raccoons are also common predators of eggs and hatchlings. Additionally, ghost crabs also can get the hatchlings as they try to make their way to the water.”
But the predators don’t end there.
As baby sea turtles make their way to the surf, sea birds – such as gulls, terns, and frigate birds – will can eat them. If they escape the birds, they must contend with reef fish, including snappers, groupers, and mahi mahi.
“Here in Broward, we have three reef tracts that the hatchlings must successfully navigate,” Ciciarelli said. “As sea turtles grow, their list of predators diminishes. As larger juveniles and adults, sharks are their primary predator.”
The largest threat, however, comes from human-related sources, including coastal development and beach erosion, beach furniture, by-catch and entanglement in fishing gear, marine debris and trash, light pollution, climate change, illegal poaching, boat strikes, and chemical pollution and oil spills.
Sierra Ciciarelli explains to onlookers sea turtle conservation efforts.
The Evening Crew is responsible for monitoring restraining cages that have been installed in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale nest areas, which have heavy light pollution. These cages safely hold hatchlings until surveyors can collect them and release them to the water, Ciciarelli says.
Without the cages, hatchlings can get disoriented, and head away from the ocean into unsafe places such as pools, storm drains, and roads. The Lighting Crew also works with the Evening Crew, counting and documenting the different light fixtures present on each property. This data is then reported to local code enforcement in an effort to make lights on properties sea turtle friendly.
When they are not physically rescuing sea turtles, crews working with the conservation program spend a considerable amount of time educating people on how their behavior can positively or negatively affect South Florida’s sea turtles.
Ciciarelli has some tips for vacationers and residents unfamiliar with sea turtle nesting habitat:
“Small actions matter,” Ciciarelli said. “Those actions help to make people active stewards of the environment.”
The 24/7 Sea Turtle Emergency Line is 954-328-0508 and for more information, explore the Sea Turtle Conservation Program website.
Posted 07/03/22
The Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice (FCE&SCJ) received a new honor. The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) named the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice as its 2022 Hall of Fame Award winner.
“The Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice was honored for its pioneering and current efforts to promote and legitimize the field of distance education,” the organization said in an announcement. “The Association also recognized the college’s thousands of graduates who have made a positive impact on the evolution of the field of education.”
Also honored was the late Dr. Abraham Fischler, the college’s namesake and a former president and president emeritus of NSU.
The nomination was made possible by the efforts of adjunct faculty member and alumna Erika Weiss, Ph.D., along with the support of other faculty, alumni, and FCE&SCJ community members.
“I am so very proud of our college and our colleagues, who supported our nomination with a collective voice that advocated for FCE&SCJ. It was with alumni-pride that I say that this work was just a way to pay gratitude forward,” Weiss said.
Some of the accomplishments eiss highlighted about the college include delivering the first distance education doctoral program in the United States, the development of the Fischler Academy, and the contribution to the scholarly foundations for the field of distance education.
The Hall of Fame Award is set to be presented at the USDLA’s annual convention in Nashville in July. Faculty member, Michael Simonson, Ph.D., will be in attendance to accept it on behalf of the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice.
For more information on the United States Distance Learning Association please visit: https://usdla.org/about//
Posted 07/03/22
Mallica D. Reynolds, M.S., LMFT, CEFP
NSU employee Mallica D. Reynolds has been appointed to the APPA and SRAPPA governing boards. He serves as the Chair of Member Engagement to APPA. This includes Colleges and Universities located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Mexican states of Campeche, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, and Yucatan. APPA represents more than 17,000 educational facilities professionals from more than 1,200 learning institutions worldwide. APPA’s community represents the broadest coalition of educational facilities professionals possible, ensuring a diversity of experiences and situations, and availability of best practices. Members also include nonprofits, libraries, museums, and industry partners. Browse www.app.org for more information.
From left, Wes Powell, long-range planner for the Tennessee APPA, Mallica Reynolds, and Tom Hutchens, president of Tennessee APPA.
In addition, Reynolds has also published an article in the National Facilities Management Magazine. This is been distributed to the 1,200+ member schools, and corporate partners. This is the first time a NSU employee has published an article of this scale concerning Facilities Management practice. Here is the article link: https://www.appa.org/facilities-manager/the-five-ts-of-building-and-maintaining-productive-remote-relationships/ This articles makes several references to Nova Southeastern University especially highlighting regional operations and how NSU successfully operates simultaneously in several locations.
Reynolds is the Assistant Director of Regional Facilities with the Office of Facilities Management. He is a two-time NSU alumni, he holds a psychotherapy license with the State of Florida with supervisor designation, and he is the first NSU CEFP (Certified Educational Facilities Professional). Reynolds has been with NSU for almost 20 years and is working feverously to assist the Office of Facilities Management attain the APPA Award of Excellence, this is a Vision 2025 goal to preeminence. Reynolds can be reached at mallica@nova.edu or 954-262-3165 for further collaboration in reference to APPA. Facilities Management is led by V.P. Daniel Alfonso, Executive Director Randy Seneff, and Director Seth Mangasarian.
Posted 07/03/22
Adara Cox
Adara Cox, NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) Graduate Assistant Coordinator, co-published “Black Tutor Perspectives on Trauma and Transformation: An Edited Transcript of the 2021 SWCA Keynote Panel” in the Fall 2021 issue of Southern Discourse in the Center. Cox is a Halmos College of Arts and Sciences MA student in the Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media program.
The article was co-authored with other Southeastern Writing Center Association 2021 Conference Keynote panelists: Talisha Haltiwanger Morrison, Ph.D.; LaKela Atkinson, Ph.D.; Chanara Andrews-Bickers; Micah Williams; and Genny Kennedy. The keynote panel elevated the experiences of Black writing center tutors. “Black Tutor Perspectives…” includes the edited transcript from the keynote with an introduction from Haltiwanger Morrison and Atkinson.
According to Cox, “Writing this article provided me with the opportunity to reflect upon the conversation we had while on the panel, discussing our experiences working in predominantly white spaces such as writing centers. Because this was my first time working on a transcript, I learned about what processes are involved with editing and revising a transcript from a recorded audio. This transcript shares our thoughts and suggestions of how to equip writing centers to support POC tutors and faculty; and what can be integrated into writing center praxis, so that centers are more proactive rather than reactive regarding diversity.”
To access the full issue of Southern Discourse in the Center, click here!
To access “Black Tutor Perspectives on Trauma and Transformation: An Edited Transcript of the 2021 SWCA Keynote Panel,” click here!
To learn more about the NSU Writing and Communication Center, visit https://www.nova.edu/wcc/.
Posted 07/03/22
Jacqueline Ennis, M.S.
Jacqueline Ennis, M.S., Ph.D. candidate 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 the featured speaker on June 7, 2022, for the Conflict Analysis and Resolution Lecture Series. Ennis spoke on “Expanding the ‘Lens’ of Research on Adverse Childhood Experiences.”
Ennis has had a variety of senior level research and research administration positions during her career. She was an Assistant Commissioner for Research and Evaluation for the state mental health departments in Oklahoma and Virginia. She also established and chaired the Outcomes Research program at MedStar Health Research Institute. Prior to entering the doctoral program, Ennis received a master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from NSU. She is passionate about research and social justice and is a strong proponent of the Scholarship of Engagement.
Posted 07/05/22