Category: Health Care

NSU University School Students Selected as Candidates for Students of the Year in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 2021 Campaign

NSU University School is proud to congratulate two of our Upper School students, Sinan K. and Jacob N., who were selected as candidates in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 2021 Students of the Year Campaign for their outstanding leadership, passion to find a cure for blood cancers, and involvement in the community. The Students of the Year campaign is a philanthropic leadership development program through which highly motivated high school leaders embark on a journey of professional growth, ensuring they stand out when preparing for college and beyond.

Beginning February 5, Sinan and Jacob will be among an elite group of candidates embarking on a national seven-week challenge to raise funds and awareness for the fight against blood cancers. The title of Student(s) of the Year is awarded to the candidate or co-candidate team in each community that raises the most funds. Congratulations, Sharks!

Halmos College Faculty Member Awarded Patent in Korea

Abdelkrim Bourouihiya, Ph.D.

This fall, Halmos College associate professor of mathematics Abdelkrim Bourouihiya, Ph.D. received a patent in Korea for his invention entitled, “Data Adaptive Compression and Data Encryption using Kronecker Products”. It was granted two US Patents in 2018 and 2019, a Japanese Patent in 2019, and a North Korean Patent in 2020.

Currently, there are two main methods for compressing digital data files to minimize storage, handling and transmission speed. In lossy compression, certain (especially redundant) information is permanently deleted to reduce the file; upon decompression, only the retained information remains. Lossy compression is often used for audio/video/image files (e.g., JPEG files) where some loss of the original information is not detected by most users. In contrast, in lossless compression, all data in the file is retained after compression and subsequent decompression. This approach is often used for text or spreadsheet files where losing any data may be problematic, however, transmission velocity is hindered due to the large files sizes.

Bourouihiya developed a novel method of encoding data that can be used with either approach to enhance compression/decompression, thereby reducing size of digital files and increasing transmission speed without sacrificing the amount of data stored. Some digital files processed by this method had a compression ratio approximately two to four times higher than JPEG files but with minimal loss of data. The method also allows for parallel processing which greatly reduces compression/decompression time. By using this approach, data is stored using less memory, processed in a shorter time, and complete recovery is achieved. Further, the data can be encrypted and subsequently decrypted at the decompression stage, ensuring data security.

Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine Charter Class 100% Pass Rate Step 1 Exam

The results are in! The Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine’s (NSU MD) Charter Class had a 100% pass rate on their United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 on their first attempt, exceeding national average scores. The college is led by Dean Johannes Vieweg who had a special message for the students, “You work so hard to make a good income and build a great career, but you do it for yourself. That’s not life. You go out and seek those people who need your help and make their lives better. You become THE leader who can absorb all that negativity surrounding us. You become THAT person who inspires, equips, and encourages those around you to collectively pursue something bigger than yourself. And when you realize that you have changed someone’s life and because of you, this person becomes a different, better human being, THAT is the day when you live.”

The mission and vision of the college aligns with the seven core values the faculty, staff, and students integrate through innovation in education. Executive Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Paula S. Wales, Ed.D. had a openhearted message to the college and charter class, “I am so proud of our charter class, the faculty who designed the curriculum and taught them, the staff who helped support the charter class every step of the way, the university for supporting our growing college, and the Dean for leading us through another milestone”. NSU MD is proud to congratulate the charter class students.

For more information about the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine please visit their website at md.nova.edu.

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.

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