Category: Health Care

NSUCO Students win EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge

Three students from Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry (NSUCO) were crowned the EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge champions for 2023 at the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) Academy meeting in New Orleans.

The EssilorLuxottica Academic Challenge celebrated its sixth annual competition where student representatives from 25 schools and colleges of optometry answer rounds of eye health-related questions to win significant prizes.

Navroop Kaur, Dhruvi Patel, and Amanda Aker from NSUCO took home the first-place prizes of $1,000 from the AAO, a pair of Ray-Ban Stories from EssilorLuxottica, and Volk lenses. A celebration was held on Friday, Oct. 20, at the NSU Davie/Fort Lauderdale campus with NSUCO administrators, faculty, staff, and students.

This achievement showcases the commitment and dedication of NSUCO’s students, and we look forward to their continued success in the field of optometry.

Posted 11/26/23

Halmos Faculty Serves on Distinguished National Panel

From left, Dr. Stephen O’Brien, Ph.D., and Robert Gallo, M.D.

Stephen J. O’Brien, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS), was invited to serve on a distinguished symposium panel to discuss the science of human viruses at the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Institute of Human Virology (IHV).

The symposium was also an event to celebrate the scientific legacy of the eminent biomedical researcher, Robert Gallo, M.D., who co-discovered the HIV and proved it caused AIDS, as well as pioneered studies that discovered the first human RNA tumor viruses (retroviruses).

The focus of the IHV2023 Symposium was “Viruses of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow”. It was held on September 28-29, 2023, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. O’Brien, who led the research team that described the first human gene to influence HIV-1 infection and AIDS progression, served on the discussion panel addressing the virology of COVID-19 and HIV. His research interests include human genetics, comparative genomics, genetic epidemiology, molecular evolution, HIV, FIV, AIDS, Virology, forensic genetics, conservation, and bio-informatics.

The symposium featured research luminaries including Robert Gallo, MD, Director Emeritus and Co-Founder of the IHV, and Rochelle Walensky MD, MPH, and Robert Redfield Jr., MD, both recent Emeriti Directors of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Many other notable scientific and clinical researchers presented discoveries on new viruses and new insights into viral infections and pathogenesis.

Posted 11/26/23

NSU Faculty Honored for Receiving External Funding

The External Funding Recognition Reception is an annual event that provides recognition for the efforts of NSU faculty and staff who have received external grant funding in the previous fiscal year. Fiscal Year 2023 had exceptional activity in the area of external funding, with total cumulative active awards of about $167 million, of which $71 million supported research. This event recognized the extraordinary efforts of all faculty who contributed to this accomplishment and encourages the continued pursuit of all external funding.

There were 168 NSU Principal Investigators and Co-Principal Investigators from 14 colleges and eight units who were honored at the NSU External Funding Recognition Reception for their external funding successes in FY 2023.   Provost Chenail also announced this year’s Provost’s Research and Scholarship Award recipients during the event. This year the event took place on Monday, Nov. 13, at the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation in the Alvin Sherman Library. The event was hosted by Ronald Chenail, Ph.D., NSU Provost and Executive Vice-President for Academic Affairs; Kenneth Dawson-Scully, Ph.D., NSU Senior Vice President of the Division of Research and Economic Development; and Gary S. Margules, Sc.D., NSU Vice-President for Research.

Posted 11/29/23

Faculty, Students Win Awards at Microbiology Conference

There was a good contingent of NSU students and faculty attending the annual meeting of the Florida Branch of the American Society for Microbiology (FLASM) at the Guy Harvey Resort in St. Augustine, Florida, which was held Oct. 13-15.

Julie Torruellas Garcia, Ph.D., Department of Biological Sciences in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research  Center (HCAS) serves as a Regional Planning Coordinator for the American Society for Microbiology and was one of the organizers and moderators of the event. Other faculty in attendance included Jose V. Lopez, Ph.D. and Andrew Ozga, Ph.D., Department of Biological Sciences, and Robert Smith, Ph.D. and Bo-Young Hong, Ph.D., NSU MD faculty.

Trent Moulder, a student in the Masters in Biological Sciences program in HCAS mentored by Dr. Robert Smith from NSU MD, won 3rd place for “Outstanding Graduate Poster Presentation.” Ashley Janke, undergraduate biology major conducting research in Dr. Julie Torruellas Garcia’s lab, presented her honors thesis research and won 2nd place for “Outstanding Undergraduate Oral Presentation.” In addition, several students received travel awards from FLASM, PanSGA or the Biology Student Award to attend the conference.

NSU faculty presenters included:

  • Andrew Ozga, Ph.D., Department of Biological Sciences, in collaborative work with the NSU College of Dental Medicine, gave an oral presentation on “Dental plaque microbiome diversity in healthy South Florida residents.”
  • Bo-Young Hong, Ph.D., NSU MD Faculty, presented a poster on “Chamomile tea decreases Porphyromonas gingivalis ”

NSU graduate student presenters included:

  • Jacqueline Chavez, MSBS student in Dr. Garcia’s lab, presented a poster on “The Search for a Phage that Targets the pCD1-Encoded Type Three Secretion System of Yersinia pestis.”
  • Trent Moulder, MSBS student in Dr. Smith’s lab presented a poster on “Carbon source preference alters inter-species interactions and modulates antibiotic efficacy in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.”
  • Ariane Kalifa, MSBS student in Dr. Smith’s lab, presented a poster on “Growth productivity modulates inoculum effect in β lactamase-producing bacteria.”
  • Estefania Marin Meneses. MSBS student in Dr. Smith’s lab presented a poster on “Growth Productivity affects the Severity of Inoculum Effect in Staphylococcus aureus.”
  • Daniella Hernandez, a research assistant in NSU MD, presented her work entitled “Reducing Inoculum Effect by Modulating Growth Productivity through the Superpathway of Purine, Pyrimidine and Histidine Synthesis in Escherichia coli”

NSU undergraduate student presenters included:

  • Jose C. Padron and Kunal Poddar, biology majors in Dr. Garcia’s lab, presented a poster on “Determining the Burst Size and Optimal Infection Temperature of Four Gordonia rubripertincta ”
  • Ashley Janke, a biology major in Dr. Garcia’s lab, gave an oral presentation on “MunkgeeRoachy: A Gordonia rubripertincta Bacteriophage Isolated from Soil.”
  • Varsha Chigurupati, Adam Sadik, and Paul Paronich, biology majors conducting research with DoBS Faculty Dr. Raja and Dr. Ozga and DoMES faculty Dr. Shivji and Dr. Burkholder gave an oral presentation entitled: “Unraveling the Elasmobranch: A Look at Shark Oral Microbiomes in South Florida.”
  • Shanay Patel, a biology major working with Dr. Ozga, presented a poster on the “Impacts of pre- and pro- biotic supplements on microbial composition related to colorectal cancers.”
  • Megha Kurian, Jewel Mousa, Lewis Reid and Ritika Vonguru, research students in Dr. Garcia’s Practicum in Biology I course, presented a poster on “Comparative Analysis of Yersinia pestis Bacteriophages Using Restriction Digest.”
  • David Giordano, a biology major in the labs of Dr. Ozga and Dr. Chris Blanar, presented a poster on “Exploring the gut microbiome of invasive iguanas: Implications for ecosystems conservation.”
  • Bianca A. Gonzalez, biology major in the Introduction to Biology Research I/II courses taught by Dr. Garcia and Dr. Katie Crump, presented a poster of her class research on “Decoding Phages: Complete Genome Sequence Analysis of Two Novel Bacteriophages, Alyssamiracle and Fribs8.”
  • Kaya Olszewski, a biology major in Dr. Garcia’s lab, attended the meeting with the intention to present a poster on, “Computer Model of Yersinia pestis Type III Secretion Needle Regulation.”, but had to withdraw her presentation due to unforeseen circumstances.

Posted 11/05/23

Sonography Department Faculty Awarded SDMS Fellow Status

Catherine Rienzo, Ed.D., RT(R) (ARRT), RDMS, FSDMS, SDMS and SDMS foundation immediate past president, congratulates Cathie Scholl after Kevin Evans, Ph.D., awards her the Fellow medal.

Cathie Scholl

Cathie Scholl, faculty member of the Bachelor of Science in Cardiovascular Sonography program, was awarded the title of Fellow of the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS) at their recent annual conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

The SDMS Fellow membership category recognizes the lifetime achievement of individual members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of sonography and to the SDMS.

This is a prestigious and much sought-after honor in the profession. SDMS has approximately 28,000 members and elevates only two members per year to Fellow, with only 80 SDMS Fellows in total.

Posted 11/05/23

Faculty Elected State President of Athletic Trainers Association

Pradeep R. Vanguri, Ph.D.

Pradeep R. Vanguri, Ph.D., LAT, ATC, professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP) in the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences, was elected president of the Athletic Trainers’ Association of Florida (ATAF). Having previously served as the education committee chair, secretary, and vice-president, Vanguri is currently serving a one-year term as president-elect before officially entering the role of President in January 2024.

ATAF is the fourth-largest state association, by membership, in the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) and the largest state association within the Southeast Athletic Trainers’ Association (SEATA). The president of ATAF serves as the leader of the state association and a member of the district (SEATA) board of directors. Through these leadership roles, the ATAF president directly supports the practice of over 2000 athletic trainers in Florida and influences policy at the district level.

Pattie Tripp, Ph.D., LAT, ATC, current ATAF president, states, “I started serving within ATAF as a member of the Education Committee, chaired at the time by Dr. Vanguri. During the past 15 years our organization has expanded membership support, recruited diverse individuals, and provided evidence-based information through our symposium educational sessions and committee resources.”  During his time on the ATAF Board, Vanguri also contributed to the revision and update of the rules and regulations for the Florida Board of Athletic Training which affected the practice for athletic trainers working with lobbyists, lawyers, and state government officials.

NATA Hall of Fame member Frank Walters, Ph.D., LAT, ATC states, “The role of the incoming ATAF president carries great significance, and Dr. Vanguri past service, leadership, and experience serves as a testament to his commitment and dedication to advancing our profession. He is an individual with a strong track-record of clinical, administrative, and professional organization knowledge.” As president, Vanguri can pave the way for innovation, professional growth, and improved professional standards in Florida for athletic trainers.

Posted 11/05/23

Fischler Alum Named Teacher of Year for S.C. School District

Haley Taylor

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice graduate Haley Taylor has recently been named Teacher of the Year for the Florence One School District in South Carolina.

Taylor graduated from NSU with her Ed.S. in Instructional Leadership and has been teaching in South Carolina for 12 years. In Florence, she was selected among 26 other schools in the district and named Teacher of the Year. The principal for her school was also named Principal of the Year.

“It was pretty fun leading up to it, just the excitement, just the energy of it, because it’s a long process. And it’s a pretty prestigious process here in Florence 1, and so it was it was a great experience,” she said.

Taylor is no stranger to accolades for her hard work. She has been named Teacher of the Year on the school level three times. However, this is her first time earning the title on the district level. The next step is the Teacher of the Year contest on the state level. For that process, she has met with the winners of other South Carolina school districts to discuss issues impacting education in their respective districts.

In addition to working as a teacher, Taylor works as a mentor/coach. One of the issues she said she’s noticed in her time was that teacher retention within the first five years was low. She is now considering ways to help teachers feel supported.

“Everybody probably agrees that you deserve more pay, but we thought about how we can better support these teachers, what do they need outside of financial sources to get them to stay to make them feel good and make them feel supported.”

Taylor said the degree she got from NSU helped prepare her to be a coach for other teachers.

“[The degree] was a perfect segue for being an in-class leader to now being able to step in and mentor and help younger teachers coming in.”

Congratulations Haley! Fins up to you!

Posted 11/05/23

Miniaci Sets the Stage for an NSU Eclectic Extravaganza

Shannon Hall, the general manager of the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center

Theatre. Numbers. People.

These are the three ingredients in life that bring joy to Shannon Hall, the general manager of the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center. Hall has been with the Broward Center of the Performing Arts for more than 15 years and GM for the Miniaci PAC for five of those years.

The Miniaci PAC, a venue affiliated with the Broward Center of Performing Arts, is a 498-seat seat theatre that is part of the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center on Nova Southeastern University’s main Davie Campus. This gem is in its 22nd season and supports many NSU academic engagements as well as promoting and contributing to the cultural life of the NSU community and of the community at large.

The Miniaci family, led by the late matriarch Rose and her late husband Alfred, inspired their family to generously support NSU and the South Florida community, helping create the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center.

The world has been a stage for Hall since she was a young girl, getting cast in shows in elementary school and capturing the lead role in a Girl Scout production as “Daisy,” the affectionate nickname of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts. From there, Hall took part in numerous high school production and received a theatre scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Theatre.

“Fresh out of college, I was fortunate enough to get a job with Broadway Across America, the largest Broadway company of touring shows in Fort Lauderdale as an assistant bookkeeper,” she says. “From there I worked for Live Nation Concerts and eventually found my way back to my first love, theatre, and then took a job as the settlement accountant working with numbers, my second love.”

Now Hall calls herself “lucky” to be the GM of the Miniaci PAC, where she enjoys working on a “beautiful campus and building some exciting programming and partnerships.”

Hall beams when asked about the joys of her job.

“You know what’s great?  Being surrounded by young adults just beginning their life journey,” she says. “I feel like we are in a new beginning here too at the Miniaci PAC, especially post-COVID. The passion that each collaboration affords me feels refreshing, fun, and energetic.”

Over the years, the Miniaci PAC has been home to some top acts. In collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs, the center held an NSU Life 101 Speaking Series with artists such as John Legend, Jason Taylor, Vanessa Williams, Anthony Bourdain and Dwayne Johnson also known as “The Rock.”  It also has held sellout concerts such as the Peruvian superstar Eva Ayllon and Matisyahu, as well as a mix of iconic groups such as the doo wop group The Coasters, popular Irish folk group The High Kings, and Ken Block and Drew Copeland of Sister Hazel.

And the future continues to be bright, when it comes to upcoming acts, Hall says.

The dance company Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami returned with two ballets this season, the first “Falling for Dance” and a soon-to-be announced Mother’s Day brunch and ballet event. Miniaci PAC also is introduced its first-ever comedy series featuring HBO and BET’s Shang, Greek American LGBTQ+ stand-up comedian Gus Constantellis, Netflix’s Abby Hatcher, and the jaw-dropping Samantha Ramsdell, known for earning the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest mouth.”

“With a new team and outlook here, we are looking forward to recreating what we do at the Miniaci PAC,” Hall says. “It’s so heartwarming to see patrons moved by the performing arts when they watch or learn from an event – with every spectrum of emotion.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MINIACI PAC AND ITS UPCOMING PERFORMANCES.

Posted 10/22/23

Honors College Student Publishes Poetry Book

Lakshmi Srikari Ravulaparthi and the front cover of her poetry book.

Farquhar Honors College student Lakshmi Srikari Ravulaparthi published a self-written poetry book on BookLeaf Publishing titled “Intricate Simplicity.” Ravulaparthi’s book is a collection of short poems that focuses on embracing life’s myriad emotions through escapism while remaining in the truth of reality.

Ravulaparthi’s inspiration for her poetry book sprouted at a young age when she discovered her fascination with art, nature, beauty, and the world around her. From traveling and living in numerous places to being trained as an Indian classical dancer, photographer, and music experimenter, that fascination cultivated into a passion as Ravulaparthi grew to express herself through poetry to convey her inner thoughts.

“I always hoped to publish an original work, and Intricate Simplicity is only the beginning of this personal journey towards self-discovery,” said Ravulaparthi, a senior behavioral neuroscience major. “Storytelling has always been a part of my life in distinctive ways, be it dance or reading books to my younger sister during childhood. I derive fun and happiness from creating and communicating scenarios.”

While being a full-time undergraduate student and a self-published writer, Ravulaparthi has no upcoming writing projects but has already envisioned potentially publishing a children’s fantasy book in the future.

After graduation, she plans to attend medical school to become a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician and a social worker for her community. Ravulaparthi is dedicated to helping others around her. She hopes to someday combine her passions for the arts and community service by establishing her own non-profit organization to help underserved children who can’t pursue an interest due to financial issues.

“Being an honors student helped me grow in ways I wouldn’t have otherwise,” said Ravulaparthi. “From the Carreyrou Reading Seminar my sophomore year to the Microorganisms Open Classroom my junior year… each experience either offered new insight into significant topics or became an unforgettable experience as part of my undergrad journey. I will forever be grateful for all my connections through this honors family.”

Learn more about the book.

Posted 10/22/23

Psychology Associate Professor Publishes Manual on Grief

Christopher Layne, Ph.D., Associate Professor in NSU’s College of Psychology and colleagues recently published a manual on grief. This new manual, which was released on Sept, 14, 2023, is based on Multidimensional Grief Theory, and “provides counselors, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists (as well as students in these fields) with a flexible program for assessing and supporting children and adolescents who have experienced bereavement.”

The manual is the result of more than 20 years of work in the field and is available on Amazon. Read more about this manual HERE.

Posted 10/22/23

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