Category: Health Care

NSU MD Joins Gold Humanism Honor Society

NSU MD has been officially accepted as a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society, a renowned humanitarian organization dedicated to promoting humanistic values and behaviors in health care. This esteemed recognition highlights NSU MD’s dedication to fostering the highest standards of patient care, professionalism, and compassion among its students, faculty, and staff.

The Gold Humanism Honor Society, known for its commitment to patient-centered care, advocates for the integration of humanism into medical practice. With this membership, NSU MD joins an exclusive community of medical schools and health care institutions that share the common goal of delivering compassionate, empathetic, and ethical care to patients.

Rolando De Leon, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., Founding Chair and Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecologyexpressed his delight at the acceptance and of being named founding co-adviser for GHHS at NSU MD. “This is a great honor for our school, as humanism is at the core of the practice of medicine. This peer-driven recognition of our students’ inherent humanistic values is wonderful.”

NSU MD has long been a pioneer in promoting humanistic values in medical education. Through innovative curriculum enhancements, such as early patient experiences, ethics and humanism programs, and service-learning opportunities, the medical school prioritizes the development of compassionate and caring health care professionals.

The Gold Humanism Honor Society’s recognition affirms NSU MD’s dedication to shaping future physicians who prioritize a patient’s well-being, dignity, and autonomy. By incorporating humanistic values into their clinical practice, NSU MD graduates will positively impact the lives of countless patients and communities.

Posted 07/16/23

Honors Student Named a Barry Goldwater Scholar

Farquhar Honors College student Courtney White was named a 2023 Barry Goldwater Scholar — an honor recognizing her outstanding passion for research in the natural sciences. As a Barry Goldwater Scholar, she’ll receive a $7,500 scholarship to fund her senior-year tuition.

“I am truly honored to have been welcomed into the Goldwater community,” said White, a junior chemistry and marine biology major. “When I got the notification, I was speechless. To be awarded such a prestigious scholarship is a surreal experience. Being selected as a 2023 Barry Goldwater Scholar has reaffirmed my aspirations to pursue a career in research and given me the confidence to chase that dream.”

Courtney White

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is awarded to students who are passionate about pursuing a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering. White dreams of becoming a researcher at the intersection of chemistry and marine biology to make a difference in the world and is already taking steps to do just that.

Though an undergraduate student, White has already gained considerable research experience. She’s currently pursuing an honors thesis to develop a new technique to measure persistent organic pollutants in keratinous tissue like hair, feathers, and bones that may harm our health and environment. She also works alongside her thesis advisors Dimitrios Giarikos, Ph.D., and Amy Hirons, Ph.D., professors in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences (HCAS), as a full-time research technician.

“I am passionate about using my knowledge, curiosity, and love of learning to have a meaningful impact on the world around me,” said White. “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you. My goal is to be always exploring, ever evolving, and continuously growing; as a result, I’ve learned to seek out those challenging experiences, whether it be in research, class, leadership, or in my personal life.”

One of her proudest research achievements was being named an undergraduate scholar for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Educational Partnership with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI). Through this program, she’ll be spending her summer in Alaska to work on a National Science Foundation-funded project exploring the life histories of baleen whales.

Supplementing her research prowess, White is dedicated to helping others around her through leadership. She works as a tutor and lab assistant and holds numerous leadership positions on campus, including within the Honors Student Advisory Board, Chemistry Club, Marine Biology Club, and NSU’s chapter of the American Association of University Women.

As White prepares to step into her senior year as a Barry Goldwater Scholar, she reflects on the mentors and leaders within her own life that have helped her receive this honor, including Giarikos, Hirons, Andrea Nevins, Ph.D., dean of the Farquhar Honor College, and Marlisa Santos, Ph.D., professor in HCAS.

“The Honors College has made my undergraduate experience more valuable than I ever could have imagined,” said White. “I’ve made connections and established some of the most important relationships in my life through the Honors College . . . I’m excited to continue to grow, challenge myself, and curate positive change in my community.”

Learn more about the Barry Goldwater Scholarship.

Posted 07/16/23

Hispanic Dental Association Recognizes Faculty, Students

Congratulations to NSU College of Dental Medicine faculty and students for their recognition at the 2023 Hispanic Dental Association Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas June 9-10, 2023.

Dr. Alexander Bendayan, Chair, Department of Prosthodontics at NSU College of Dental Medicine and President of Florida Chapter for Hispanic Dental Association Dr Elias Moron started the Hispanic Dental Association Leadership Program.

Also Dr. Elias Moron was recognized for his contributions to the research community and the Hispanic Dental Association. He Presented with a group of researchers the whitepaper labeled: “Oral Health Status, utilization of dental services and workforce of US Hispanics” . He also served as a judge for the student poster competition during the annual meeting.

Dr. Moron,  additionally, received an award for speaking at the Hispanic Dental Association “Sirviendo Nuestras Sonrisas Hispanas” as one of the most valued contributors to the Hispanic Dental Association.

Moreover, NSU College of Dental Medicine Students presented a poster titled “The New Face of Hispanic Leadership: The role of dental students in serving the South Florida underserved population.”

Posted 06/18/23

Local Shark Attack Victim’s Story Inspires NSU to Action

Earlier this year while getting ready for work, Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) media relations/public information officer Joe Donzelli had NBC’s Today Show on in the background when something caught his attention.

It was the story about Ella Reed, a Florida teenager who had been bitten by a shark while wading in the surf near her home.

“Working at NSU all these years, my ears prick up when I hear someone talking about sharks,” Donzelli said. “When I focused in on the story, I said to myself, ‘Oh, we’ve gotta get her to come shark tagging with our research scientists. That can’t be the only encounter she has with a shark.’”

Donzelli was impressed with her poise and courage – not everyone would be so blasé having been bitten by a shark. And something else in the story caught his attention.

“I heard that Ella was interested in being a marine biologist, and given NSU’s preeminence in the field, I knew this was a perfect match,” he said.

So, when he got to work, Donzelli reached out to the reporter who did the story for the Today Show. Almost immediately the reporter was intrigued and said he would reach out to the family to see if they were interested, after all, he already had a relationship with them. And, sure enough, they jumped at the chance.

“When I got the invitation to go shark tagging, I was super excited,” Ella said.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and researchers from NSU’s Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) welcomed a crew from NBC’s The Today Show, along with Ella, her friend Kloe (who was with Ella and helped her when she was bitten), her brother and parents, who joined Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D., director of NSU’s GHRI and the Save our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center, and Derek Burkholder, Ph.D., an NSU research scientist and their crew for a day on the Atlantic Ocean to catch, tag, and release sharks off the Florida Coast.

You can see The Today Show story HERE

“Understanding sharks is vitally important for restoring and maintaining the overall health of our oceans,” Shivji said. “As high-level and apex predators, they play a major part in balancing the marine ecosystem, and if there are no sharks, the oceans and by extension, the Earth, will suffer.”

Shivji said that some estimates show that annually 100 million sharks are removed from the oceans.

“Clearly that is not a sustainable number, and many shark species have declined by 70-90 percent,” he said. “By learning as much about sharks as we can, that information can be used by ocean management authorities to properly conserve sharks for generations to come.”

When the day finally came to head out on the ocean, Donzelli said that the one thing everyone was nervous about was would they be able to catch a shark during the trip. He had been on trips in the past where they spent the entire day on the water and didn’t catch a thing.

“There’s an old saying – it’s called fishing, not catching,” he said with a laugh.

But nothing was going to dampen this day for Ella – after pulling up a few empty bait lines, bingo, they had a shark. And not just any shark, a nine and a half foot long, 500+ pound female tiger shark.

And true to form, Ella, fearless as ever, jumped right in and worked side by side with our marine biologists to gather tissue samples from the shark and even put the tag on its dorsal fin.

The group managed to catch two additional sharks – nurse sharks – during the trip, and each time Ella and her group was right there working with NSU researchers, enjoying every minute. In fact, with one of the nurse sharks, Ella, fearless as ever, jumped in the water and got up close and personal with the large fish.

When the group returned to shore, there was one more surprise for Ella and her family.

“We talked with our admissions folks, and they agreed that we needed to nurture her love of the ocean and marine biology,” Donzelli said. “So, we are reserving a spot for Ella when she graduates from high school and will work to provide her with as many scholarship opportunities as we can. We’d be lucky to have her become an NSU Shark.”

Posted 06/18/23

PCHCS Director Appointed to Editorial Board

Moya L. Alfonso, Ph.D., M.S.P.H.

Moya L. Alfonso, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., director of the Health Sciences Ph.D. and D.H.S. programs and associate professor, was recently appointed to the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Public Health at https://www.apha.org/Publications/American-Journal-of-Public-Health.

As an editorial board member, Alfonso will help to determine policy for the journal and address publishing issues as they emerge. The journal is a top tier journal in the public health field and has been published for more than 100 years. She is proud to serve in this professional capacity in addition to her role as director.

Posted 06/18/23

Journal Publishes STEM Project Headed by NSU Professors

From left, Jia Borror, Parin Somani, Hui Fang Huang “Angie” Su, and Mayor of Southwark Sunil Chopra at the 2023 Global Research Conference at King’s College, Cambridge in England

A project led by professors from NSU has garnered significant acclaim, being recognized and published in three renowned global journals. Spearheaded by Hui Fang “Angie” Su, Ed.D., a professor from the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice, the project aimed to cultivate and foster the interest of a group of minority 9th-grade girls in the STEM fields.

The project took place in a school with a substantial population of minority students, who often require additional resources and support, through the collaborative efforts of NSU professors Teri Williams, Ph.D.; Jia Borror, Ed.D.; Julie Torruellas Garcia, Ph.D.; Arthur Sikora, Ph.D.; Yueting Wan, Ph.D.; Su; and the dedicated research team, the project successfully ignited the girls’ passion for STEM disciplines.

Su emphasized the significance of exposing the students to various STEM fields and integrating the arts to make the subject matter engaging and exciting. By employing hands-on activities, the project enabled the girls to establish connections and realize their potential to pursue careers in STEM. Williams noted that many girls were interested in environmental sciences, prompting the team to prioritize these topics and foster their curiosity.

The project aimed to shed new light on the STEM fields, highlighting their inherent beauty, intrigue, and hands-on nature. By encouraging the girls to envision themselves as future scientists or educators, the project aimed to expand their horizons and aspirations.

The outcomes of this groundbreaking study were published in esteemed journals, namely the Global Journal of HUMAN-SOCIAL SCIENCE: G Linguistics & Education, the Journal of Advanced Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Global Research Journal. Su presented this noteworthy work during the prestigious 2023 Global Research Conference held at the University of Cambridge in the UK, where she also delivered the keynote address. Borror provided invaluable assistance during the presentation, contributing to the team’s success.

Su, Williams, Borror, and Ventakesh Shanbhag, Ph.D., were awarded NSU’s President’s Faculty Research and Development Grant for the upcoming 2023-2024 academic year as a testament to their exceptional achievements. This grant will enable them to continue their impactful work with young female students in higher grades, with the hope that these students may consider NSU as their educational destination of choice.

Ultimately, the project profoundly impacted the participating girls, who thoroughly enjoyed their involvement and expressed their gratitude for the invaluable knowledge imparted by the NSU professors.

Posted 06/18/23

USchool’s Middle School Yearbook Inducted Into Gallery

We are proud to announce that our 2022-23 Middle School yearbook was inducted into the Walsworth Yearbooks Gallery of Excellence, a prestigious honor reserved for the highest caliber yearbooks printed by the publishing company.

We commend the Middle School yearbook staff for achieving this remarkable distinction and producing a high-quality journalistic book that not only captured the essence of the past school year, but also taught students valuable life and career skills along the way. The team’s hard work and creativity certainly paid off!

In addition to earning a rank into the gallery, the yearbook will be showcased at workshops, on the Walsworth website, and at regional, state, and national conventions as an example of a book yearbook staff should aspire to produce.

Learn more about NSU University School’s college preparatory program for students in Preschool – Grade 12 at www.uschool.nova.edu.

Posted 06/18/23

Associate Professor Makes 40 Under 40 MBA Professor List

Fabienne Cadet, Ph. D.

Fabienne Cadet, Ph.D., an associate professor of marketing for the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, is among this year’s Poets & Quants’ 40 Under 40 MBA professors list.

This is the 11th edition of the annual recognition, which identifies and celebrates the most talented young professors currently teaching in MBA programs around the world. To date, Poets & Quants has highlighted 440 exceptional MBA professors.Professors on this year’s list come from 36 different business schools — the most of any year prior — including 11 schools outside of the United States. Overall, the publication received more than 1,500 nominations from students, colleagues, administrators, and professors themselves. P&Q’s editorial staff evaluated each nominee on teaching (given a 70% weight) and research (given the remaining 30% weight).For teaching, P&Q considered the nominations received — both quality and quantity. For example, if P&Q received 100 or more nominations for a professor but there was little substance to the nominations, they weren’t as likely to score as highly as a professor who received a dozen in-depth and thoughtful nominations. We also considered any teaching-related awards.For research, P&Q looked at the volume and impact of the professor’s scholarly work. To do this, it examined Google Scholar citations as well as major media attention received by the professor and his or her research. Lastly, akin to teaching, P&Qconsidered research awards and grants.Poets & Quants congratulates each winner in this year’s crop of 40-Under-40 MBA professors. No matter what they study, the courses they teach, or where they work, all are among the most promising young professors tasked with transferring their knowledge and experience to promising young professionals embarking on their careers.

See the full announcement here.

Posted 06/05/23

Business Professor Visits South Mediterranean University

Professor Selima Ben Mrad at the Tunis Business School with Tunisian ambassador Joey Hood, the school’s Dean and faculty as well as members from the embassy and faculty from Mediterranean School of Business.

Nova Southeastern University Professor Selima Ben Mrad, Ph.D. – a Fulbright Specialist at the Mediterranean School of Business at South Mediterranean University – spent April 26 through May 13 in Tunisia.

Professor Selima Ben Mrad with Tunisian Ambassador Joey Hood

Ben Mrad, with the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, was invited by the American Embassy in Tunisia to attend a presentation with Joey Hood, the ambassador to Tunisia at the Tunis Business School at the University of Tunis in Tunisia. The Tunis Business School is a public institution that teaches American business.

“I had the opportunity to attend a presentation about the business school’s curriculum and accreditation, which was both informative and enlightening,” she said.

During her stay, Ben Mrad was able to work closely with Dr. Leila Triki, the dean of the Mediterranean School of Business, as well as the administration and department chairs.

“One of the highlights of my time there was conducting workshops at the school of business with the dedicated faculty members,” she said.

The workshops focused on various aspects of the assurance of learning process, including the development of rubrics, streamlining the process, and collaborative efforts in evaluating assessments to identify areas for improvement.

Posted 06/04/23

NSU Alums Honored at First Black School Psych Summit

From left, NSU College of Psychology student Kethaki Karunathilake; Aline Milfort, Psy.D.; Tiara Bland, Ed.D.; and NSU College of Psychology student Asia Flagg.

On April 27 and 28, 2023, NSU alums Tiara Bland, Ed.D., and Aline Milfort, Psy.D. organized the inaugural Black School Psych Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. Per the organizers, the summit’s aim was “to support, elevate, and advance the work of Black school psychologists”.

From left, NSU Alumnae Aline Milfort, Psy.D. and Tiara Bland, Ed.D., both NSU Distinguished Alumni recipients.

Both Bland and Milfort founded the Black School Psychologists Network (BSPN) and created the summit to have a safe space where practitioners could feel a sense of belonging and support while accessing resources that would help them in their profession. Milfort completed her doctorate degree in School Psychology in 2022 while Bland completed her specialist in School Psychology in 2017.

The summit welcomed more than 475 registered attendees and included a legends panel, featured sessions, breakout sessions, live podcasts, and interviews from a wide range of Black school psychologists. There was also an exhibit hall, poster sessions, panel discussions, and an awards ceremony celebrating Black excellence.

As part of the award ceremony, Bland and Milfort received NSU’s Distinguished Alumni Award for their pivotal efforts with BSPN and the summit.

NSU College of Psychology’s doctoral program in School Psychology is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. Its School Psychology Specialist degree is Florida Department of Education approved and holds the designation of National Recognition by the National Association of School Psychologists.

Posted 05/21/23

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