Category: Health Care

Dental Medicine Faculty Member Receives Advocate Award

Aryia Amini, D.M.D.

Aryia Amini, D.M.D., from NSU’s College of Dental Medicine was the recipient of the 2023 American Student Dental Association (ASDA) “Advocate Award.”

ASDA is a national student-run organization that protects and advances the rights, interests, and welfare of dental students. The organization strives to inform students about the issues impacting their profession and provides opportunities to advocate for their rights as future dentists.

Today, ASDA has more than 23,000 student members, located in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

The “Advocate award” recognizes faculty/school administrators who have shown a commitment to dental students and organized dentistry.

Amini currently serves as:

  • NSU College of Dental Medicine Belonging, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (BEDI), Director
  • NSU BEDI University Advisory Council, Executive Committee Member
  • NSU College of Dental Medicine, Predoctoral Clinical Lead
  • NSU College of Dental Medicine Humanism and Diversity Committee , Chair
  • NSU College of Dental Medicine Humanism and Diversity eNewsletter, Editor
  • NSU College of Dental Medicine BEDI Newsroom, Editor
  • NSU College of Dental medicine Introduction to Dental Profession, Course Director
  • NSU College of Dental Medicine Practice Management, Course Director

Posted 04/23/23

Kappa Delta Phi Chapter Recognized for Community Service

The Omega Theta Chapter at NSU’s Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice was recently awarded two awards from the national chapter for their efforts in Literacy Alive! Programming and Community Service Programming.

The awards acknowledge an extensive project that benefitted the people of Haiti, who are still recovering from a devastating earthquake in 2021.

Nearly two years after the earthquake, thousands of residents remain displaced and left without a home. Recognizing a need, the Omega Theta Chapter mobilized and organized a drive to collect books and other needed supplies to help ensure the students in the country can continue to learn.

“We all collaborated on this, and we were able to have a donation center at the Kendall campus and our donation center here,” said Chapter Counselor Sandra Trotman, Ed.D.

The group collected thousands of books, hygiene items, bookbags, blankets, and more.

“We gave them over $75,000 US dollars in gifts. We catered to pregnant mothers who had to come to the hospital with preeclampsia or eclampsia. So we provided gift bags, bags of love’ to these victims (babies, children, and their mothers) of the earthquake”.

The group did not complete the task alone, and they relied on the help of the local and NSU community.

“It took coordination, but it paid off because they received all these items. This highlights how the power of education can change children’s lives, one book at a time. Having children learn to read is an investment that lasts a lifetime,” said Chapter Co-Counselor María Grethel Méndez, Ed.D.

The group is no stranger to accolades for their philanthropic efforts – they have won dozens of awards over the years for various projects, including 12 literacy awards.

Posted 04/23/23

Students Receive American Association of University Women Research Award

From left: Christi Navarro, Ph.D.; Niral Praveen; Karen Jurado; and Shreya Madhudi

This year 11 student USS research posters were nominated for the NSU-AAUW Research Award. This recognition is awarded to the student research presentation that best supports our mission of promoting gender equity for women and girls through education, advocacy, and research.

The 2023 award goes to Karen Jurado-Lopez, Shreya Madhudi, and Niral Paveen. Their faculty sponsor was Christi Navarro, Ph.D.

Their work is titled Postpartum Depression: The Effects of Misdiagnosis on Maternal and Infant Health.  

Our judges had a difficult task to select just one, when all the posters nominated were outstanding. Special thanks to our judges: Tais Barreto, Sarah Divine, Julie Garcia, Sarena Hicks, Laura Macias, Katelynn Sell, Rita Shea, and Randi Sims. For more information about NSU’s Branch of AAUW visit https://nsu-fl.aauw.net/

Posted 04/23/23

Professor Rachel Panton Publishes Essay in Edited Collection

Rachel Panton, Ph.D.

According to Rachel Panton, Ph.D., in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts, the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped our lives, and especially, the ways we approach writing education with care. Panton’s recently published essay for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) titled “You Good, Fam’?: Mindful Journaling and Africana Digital Dialogic Compassionate Rhetorical Response Pedagogy during a Pandemic,” brings together her background in Africana womanism with practices of journaling and self-reflection to document the importance of mindfulness in facilitating writing instruction in uncertain times. The essay details Panton’s experiences connecting with her students in new ways during the pandemic by focusing even more on their wellbeing and writing process rather than on the products of their writing alone.

“This article brings to mind all of the emotions that were present during the initial journaling experience, as well as thoughts of how times have changed and yet remain the same. I still get misty-eyed when I think about my Spring semester 2020 students. I still think of them often and fondly, and I wonder if they pulled through mentally, physically, and spiritually whole. What we experienced together changed me personally and professionally, and the opportunity to reflect on that journey as a Documentarian for 4Cs allowed me to deepen my Africana womanist pedagogical practices for future students. For this, I am forever grateful,” said Panton.

Read Panton’s essay in the edited collection, Recollections from an Uncommon Time, to learn more about teaching writing with compassionate instruction practices.

Posted 04/23/23

Halmos Mathematician Publishes Research Monograph

Halmos College of Arts and Sciences mathematician Edmond W. H. Lee, Ph.D., D.Sc., has recently published his research monograph “Advances in the Theory of Varieties of Semigroups” in the book series Frontiers in Mathematics by Birkhäuser (Springer).

The monograph explores the development of the theory of varieties of semigroups, a topic that lies in the intersection of universal algebra and semigroup theory. New results with detailed proofs are presented that solve previously open fundamental problems. Featuring a comprehensive overview of the relevant literature in addition to highlighting Lee’s own discoveries, the monograph is suitable for specialist researchers in the area.

Lee is a professor in the Department of Mathematics with over 20 years of experience in the research of varieties of semigroups and of other related algebraic structures. He is the world’s leading expert on equational theories of small semigroups and has co-supervised two Ph.D. students from external institutions. Lee currently serves on the editorial boards of Algebra Universalis and Semigroup Forum, two eminent specialist journals in his research area, and has to date published more than 40 single-authored peer-reviewed articles.

Posted 04/23/23

Writing & Communication Center Celebrates 50,000 Consultations

The NSU Writing & Communication Center (WCC) celebrated its 50,000th consultation on March 14, 2023. WCC undergraduate consultants, Melissa G. and Melissa A. both worked with undergraduate students Olivia Blaszczynski and Rosa Amador who were finalizing BIOL 1500 Lab Reports.

WCC consultants are embedded into Biology 1500 to assist students with their lab reports each semester. Michael McCall, an HCAS graduate student in Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media and WCC graduate assistant coordinator, said, “Our 50,000th consultation is a testament to the WCC’s commitment to student collaborative learning. Our commitment is made possible by our consultants of past, present, and future!”

Kevin Dvorak, executive director of the Writing and Communication Center, stated, “This is an exciting moment for the WCC and the university. I think it shows how hard everyone here has worked to support our students and faculty for the last five years. We are truly grateful for the support we receive from university leadership, too. I look forward to the next 50,000 consultations.”

NSU’s Writing and Communication Center offers one-on-one consultations to all NSU undergraduate, graduate, and professional students across all NSU campuses and disciplines. Students meet with consultants in person on the 4th floor of Alvin Sherman library and online via Zoom. NSU undergraduate, graduate, and professional students can make one-on-one consultations by visiting https://nova.mywconline.com/.

To learn more about the WCC, visit https://www.nova.edu/wcc/ or follow the WCC on Instagram (@nsuwcc) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/nsuwcc).

Posted 04/09/23

Interprofessional Project Aids Underserved in Immokalee

Fort Myers Physician Assistant (PA) program students hosted Project SEED in Immokalee for its 13th year. This event is completely organized and run by the PA students with support from the nursing students as an interprofessional project. Project SEED (Serving Everyone, Embracing Diversity) provides health screening and education to the underserved people of Immokalee.

This area Southwest Florida has many migrant workers and homeless people without access to care. In addition to screening for hypertension, diabetes and vision changes, the students provide education on nutrition, STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) prevention, sun safety, and dental hygiene.

They give away protective eye wear, sunscreen, work gloves, clothing, and hygiene products. Participants who complete the screenings are entered into a raffle for a free bike, computers, and household items. This year the event attracted over 150 participants at its new venue with St. Matthew’s House.

To donate to Project SEED for next year, visit our GiveCampus page at https://www.givecampus.com/schools/NovaSoutheasternUniversity.

Posted 04/09/23

WCC Assistant Director Elected to Writing Center Association Executive Board

Nikki Chasteen, M.A.

Nikki Chasteen, M.A., NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) Assistant Director, was elected to the Online Writing Center Association (OWCA) Executive Board as the Assistant Secretary in November of 2022 for her two-year term beginning in January 2023.

The mission of the Online Writing Center Association (OWCA) is to promote excellence in online writing center pedagogy and administration by providing resources, mentorship opportunities, and advocacy for online writing centers. Their goal is to foster a community of collaboration wherein writers can reach their full potential while advancing equity and inclusion in writing center work through anti-racist efforts.

Of her new position, Chasteen stated “I am excited to join the Online Writing Center Association’s executive board. In my role, I hope to help mentor other writing center administrators and bring back helpful resources to help our WCC continue to serve our students in the best ways possible.”

At NSU, Chasteen serves as the WCC Assistant Director, which involves overseeing 70+ undergraduate, graduate, and professional consultants. She works alongside faculty coordinators to support writing and communication efforts across the university. Chasteen also teaches undergraduate courses in Communication for the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, along with UNIV 1000: First Year Experience.

To learn more about the WCC, visit www.nova.edu/wcc

To learn more about the Online Writing Center Association, visit https://www.onlinewritingcenters.org/

Posted 04/09/23

Halmos Faculty Serves as Resource Expert in Tunisia

At the approach of the US State Department, Terry Savage, Ph.D., faculty and chair 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 invited to serve as Resource Expert at a major international conference on Transitional Justice in Tunisia (Cradle of the Arab Spring).

Coordinated by Avocats Sans Frontières and two other Tunisian organizations, the event convened experts from Chile, The Gambia, Mali, Belgium, and the African Union to examine the Tunisia’s troubled process through the lens of comparable processes elsewhere.

Savage’s areas of teaching and research interests include restorative and transitional justice, human rights, and peace-building.

Posted 04/09/23

Honors Students Place First at Neurosports Conference

From left, Zachary Lawrence and Shalet James at the 4th Annual Neurosports Conference.

Farquhar Honors College students Zachary Lawrence and Shalet James won first place at the 4th Annual Neurosports Conference’s poster competition. Their research, titled “Sex differences in the physiological and cognitive-behavioral effects of high fat and ketogenic diets in mice,” indicates that a ketogenic, high-fat diet may improve adulthood cognition.

As aspiring physicians, Lawrence and James are interested in how diets and holistic approaches can improve the health and lifestyle of their future patients. They’re further investigating this relationship through an honors thesis, which Lawrence recently completed and defended.

“There is well-founded evidence that the ketogenic diet can be used to manage certain disorders such as epilepsy, but I want to explore how it may influence other disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease,” said Lawrence, a senior biology and behavioral neuroscience major.

They conducted this study under the guidance of their thesis adviser Lisa Robison, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the College of Psychology, whose lab focuses on how lifestyle affects brain health.

“Winning first place for this research makes me not only proud of myself but especially proud of the Robison Lab team,” said James, a senior behavioral neuroscience major. “Dr. Robison and our team deserve this recognition!“

Posted 04/09/23

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