Category: Health Care

Education Professor Re-elected Vice President of the Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Angie” Su, Ed.D

Hui Fang Huang “Angie” Su, Ed.D., Professor at NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice (FCE&SCJ) was re-elected Vice-President of College by the members of the Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics (FCTM) on October 2, 2020, during its annual conference.  The mission of the Board is

  • To promote the improvement of Florida’s mathematics instructional programs
  • To promote cooperation and communication among the teachers of mathematics in Florida
  • To provide direction and feedback to policymakers regarding mathematics issues and initiatives
  • To affiliate with national organizations when such affiliation seems beneficial to teaching mathematics

Dr. Su is a Professor of Mathematics Education at FCE&SCJ.  She is the creator of Project MIND, a K-12, mathematics enhancement project that is implemented in classrooms throughout the United States.

Please visit https://fctm.net/ to learn more about the Florida council of Teachers of Mathematics (FCTM).

 

 

Marine Environmental Education Center to Receive Living Florida Coral Reef Exhibit

NSU Marine Environmental Education Center (MEEC) is getting a new addition!

To help educate the public about the wonders, beauty and threats to Florida’s coastal water ecosystems, a new coral reef exhibit is being installed at the MEEC that features live native corals, fish, and invertebrates. This first tank is more than 300 gallons and should be up and running by early 2021. Two additional exhibit tanks are planned to focus on the critical importance of mangroves and sea grasses. This exhibit is joining “Captain,” the green sea turtle who is the permanent resident – and environmental ambassador – at NSU’s MEEC.

“This project fits right in with the mission of the MEEC,” said Derek Burkholder, Ph.D., research scientists and director of the center. “Educating the public about our marine environments is vital and by brining attention to the plight of our coral reefs, we’re adding a new dimension to our outreach efforts.”

Initial funding was spearheaded by the regional nonprofit organization, Friends of Our Florida Reefs (FOFR). Generous donors have already committed $7,500 to kick start a ‘challenge match’ campaign for the exhibit. By the end of 2020, FOFR hopes to contribute at least $15,000 depending upon additional public donations towards the budget for the living coral reef tank and detailed informational signage.

Gifts of any size may be donated directly to FOFR (via the website, Facebook page, or mail) for the match challenge. Donors contributing $100 or more for the MEEC reef tank match will be invited to submit names for established coral colonies living along the southeast Florida reefs, and donors contributing $250 or more will have the opportunity to submit names for a limited number of corals to be placed in the MEEC tank.

NSU’s MEEC will provide additional funding and expert maintenance, while also fundraising for the remaining two tanks to highlight local mangrove and seagrass communities.

“As with coral reefs around the Earth, Florida’s long-lived corals have come under considerable stress over the last 30 years,” said FOFR Co-founder Scott Sheckman. “It’s critical that we do all we can to increase public awareness and appreciation of these living treasures, and reduce many man-made stressors on what remains healthy and restorable.”

FOFR is the dedicated Citizen Support Organization for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Coral Reef Conservation Program, which manages the northern section of Florida’s Coral Reef from the St. Lucie Inlet to the northern border of Biscayne National Park.

“Florida’s Coral Reef has been decimated by stony coral tissue loss disease, a serious outbreak that started in 2014,” said Melissa Sathe, FOFR’s President. “We are excited to partner with NSU which is on the forefront of disease research and reef restoration to bring awareness to our beautiful reefs.”

DEP also co-manages the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary with NOAA. DEP is working alongside NSU/MEEC to create the new displays for the first exhibit tank.

NSU University School Students Named Academic All Americans by the National Speech & Debate Association

NSU University School is proud to congratulate the Speech and Debate students who were named Academic All Americans by the National Speech & Debate Association. From more than 141,000 student members, only two percent of students earn this award, which recognizes academic rigor, speech and debate success, and personal excellence. Award recipients must have earned the degree of Superior Distinction in NSDA’s Honor Society; completed at least five semesters of high school; earned a high GPA; and demonstrated outstanding character and leadership.

Academic All American Award Recipients:

  • Ariel A.
  • Veronica B.
  • Daniel G.
  • Ella M.
  • Emma P.
  • Peyton R.

 

NSU Undergraduate Online Journal MAKO Publishes Fall Issue

The NSU-wide Undergraduate Student Journal, MAKO has just released a new issue. NSU Librarian Keri Baker assisted Halmos College faculty members Aarti Raja, Ph.D. (Editor-in-Chief) and Santanu De, Ph.D. (Associate Editor) with the publication process.  Two of the articles were by Halmos College students, co-authored and mentored by Emily Schmitt Lavin, Ph.D. and Dr. De.

This university-wide, online, open-access, peer-reviewed, free and interdisciplinary journal is housed by NSU Works. It aims to provide an opportunity of publication experience for students at the undergraduate level. All Faculty and faculty-led undergraduate student researchers of all fields are encouraged to connect with MAKO. The next issue will be published in January 2021.

The editorial staff encourages all undergraduate submissions.

Halmos College Instructional Technology & Design Specialist Presents on BlendFlex Learning

On September 22, Halmos College Instructional Technology & Design Specialist Judith Slapak-Barksi, Ph.D. presented her talk, “A Hybrid First-Year-Experience Course with A Twist: Exploring Uncharted Territory”, at the National Society for Experiential Education’s (NSEE) 49th Annual Conference. The theme of the conference was “Hindsight is 20/20: Using Reflection for Assessment, Program Excellence, and Student Success”

The focus of  Slapak-Barski’s talk was on Blended Learning for a First-Year Experience course. First-Year-Experience courses are designed to support freshman students during their first semester in college. These students typically need a lot of support, so universities usually offer First Year-Experience courses in face-to-face modalities. Last winter, NSU piloted a hybrid First Year-Experience course with the requirement that students attended one face-to-face and one synchronous online session weekly, plus online learning activities. This session reported on the pilot project, discussing recommendations and feedback from the pilot instructors, students, and faculty coordinator.

Halmos Faculty Brings Marine Genomics to the Public

This fall, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation have initiated a large-scale international Aquatic Symbiosis Genomics project, which includes funding four research “hubs” to organize 50 symbiotic species each for whole genome sequencing at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Hixton England.

One hub will be led by HCAS faculty member Jose V. Lopez, Ph.D. in collaboration with local and international researcher, this hub will focus on studying and sequencing “photosymbiotic” organisms. These partnerships include aquatic animal hosts such as corals, sea slugs or giant clams which depend on microbial symbiotic partners that photosynthesize (the capture of sunlight energy to produce sugars). Dr. Lopez states “indeed most plants and animals harbor microbial symbionts, including humans and bovids, so symbiosis is the rule in nature not the exception. Photosynthesis and symbiosis may represent two of the most fundamental processes that define life on this planet.”

Many aquatic photosymbionts may totally depend on the microbe for existence. For example, reef building corals cannot build their own calcium carbonate skeletons without their dinoflagellate algal symbionts. Corals will eventually perish after bleaching (loss of their photosynthetic algae) for prolonged periods of time. Saccoglossan sea slugs eat photosynthetic algae, but do not fully digest them. The “leftover” chloroplasts become temporarily incorporated into the animal tissue making them essentially solar powered.

Dr. Lopez is the current president of the non-profit Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance (or GIGA) and teaches a graduate level genomics course.

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Education Alumnus Appointed to the Governing Council of the International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC)

Maria Altagracia López Ferreiras, Ed.D., graduate of NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice was appointed a member of the Governing Council of the International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC), for a period of four years, on May 5, 2020. The IESALC is the only specialized institute of the United Nations (UNESCO) that aims to contribute to the improvement of higher education in the Member Countries.  Lopez is past President of the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC) and currently, she coordinates the Center for Innovation in Higher Education of INTEC. Lopez remains very active in alumni activities of the FCS&SCJ including as a presenter at the FCESCJ Education Summer Institute. She earned her Doctor of Education with the FCE&SCJ in 2004.

NSU College of Pharmacy Student Creates “Humans of PharmD” Instagram Account

Inspired by the “Humans of New York” photography project, Jeremy Espeut, a doctoral candidate in NSU’s College of Pharmacy, created a “Humans of PharmD” Instagram account. Just as Humans of New York aims to capture the images and stories of random people in New York, Humans of PharmD is a space where students in the College of Pharmacy can learn more about their peers. Students are asked to submit a photo and a bit of information about themselves. 

“There are a lot of people in my program that I say hi to, without really knowing them or their story. This Instagram page will help bring our class together. It’s fun to discover interesting facets about people that you wouldn’t have known before,” said Espeut. 

Humans of PharmD is currently run by Espeut, alongside Nourhan Nashed, Kathleen Jackson, and Bailey Bruns who are the class historians for the Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Puerto Rico campuses, respectively. Their goal is to highlight every student in their program. The account is updated every other day. “Everyone is important and everyone has a story. We’re going to uncover all of those stories,” said Espeut.

 Click here to view the Humans of PharmD. Instagram account

NSU University School Preschool Students Engage in Hands-On Learning Experiences

 

NSU University School’s smallest Sharks are back in the classroom and have been busy with many different hands-on learning activities. As part of a sensory activity, PK2 students were given a bin with sand and a paintbrush to explore. Teachers then placed a letter card in each of their bins to further provoke their inquiring minds. Some students used the brush to trace the letter on the card while others began making lines and circles in the sand. The final part of the activity involved students using a small cup and spoon to practice scooping, filling, and pouring the sand – all important skills to enhance their fine motor strength. PK4 students have been learning about the impact of soap on germs and why healthy habits like proper hand-washing are so important to help prevent the spread of harmful germs. They read the story “Germs, Yuk!” by Sky Davis and then used pepper, water and dish soap to make predictions and test their theories on how the germs (the pepper) would react to the soap. Keep up the great work Sharks!

NSU University School’s Preschool is currently enrolling new students. For more information about this program and the COVID precautions and recommendations being followed, please call 954-262-4506.

Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine Student Creates Mask Initiative for Overtown Community

With Miami, Florida being a hot spot for COVID-19, areas with large populations of BIPOC in the city lack the funds to keep up with sanitation and protective equipment for its residents. This was witnessed by second-year student Yara Khalifa as she assessed the historic Overtown community while working on a project in her NSU Master of Public Health degree program.

“What I found was that the government, on all levels, conspired to destroy this vibrant community,” Khalifa explained. “Due to prevailing racism, the government systematically persecuted and ruined Overtown by running a bunch of highways through it. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had purposely done that to African American homes and businesses in an attempt to disenfranchise and resegregate.”

As Khalifa learned more about the community along with her grocery drive volunteering at the Masjid Al-Ansar’s mosque—a pillar in the African American Muslim community in Overtown—she learned about the mask shortage and wanted to help. Resistance was met with many of the South Florida mosques due to colorism, which led Khalifa to follow her own life mantra of, “Well, I’m just going to do it myself.”

Through raising awareness in various channels, Khalifa surpassed her initial goal of 1,000 masks, and the mosque’s request of 200, by purchasing around 1,200 masks through monetary and shipped efforts. The masks are to be distributed on the second and fourth Saturday of each month at Masjid Al-Ansar’s grocery food drive in Overtown, with a second mask initiative to follow when the community runs out.

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