Category: SharkBytes

NSU Women’s Soccer Wins Regular Season Conference Championship

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nsu womens soccer ssc championship graphic

NSU women’s soccer team has won the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) regular season championship after a dominating 8-0 victory against Palm Beach Atlantic on Wednesday. With a record of 12-0-3, they are having one of the best seasons in program history.

nsu womens soccer ssc championship graphic

Photo Credit: NSU Athletics

This is the program’s third SSC regular season championship and their first since 2017.

NSU is in a good position to host a series of games throughout the SSC conference tournament. Below are potential dates from quarterfinals to the championship round:

  • Quarterfinal Matches – Monday, Nov. 10, 2025
  • Semifinal Matches – Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025
  • Championship Matches – Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025

Hurricane and Storm Relief Resources

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Generic Storm Image

For those affected by the following storms and hurricanes, find resources below, both locally and globally:

Hurricane Melissa

Public Safety and Emergency Management’s Caribbean Relief Drive

Caribbean Student Association’s Donation Drive in Aid of Hurricane Melissa
  • The Caribbean Student Association (CSA) is hosting a donation drive throughout the week of Nov. 3-7, 2025. These donations will be distributed to Jamaica Women of Florida who will then ship these items to Jamaica to help the citizens who have been impacted by this disaster.
  • Students can reach out to CSA via instagram to coordinate specific drop off locations or there will be a drop box in the WCC which is located on the 4th floor of the library.
  • Students can also reach out to our Secretary Kristin Taylor via email at kt1258@mynsu.nova.edu

Caribbean Student Association Drive

Caribbean Law Students Association’s Hurricane Melissa Relief Drive

  • Dates: Nov. 5-14
  • Location: People can donate at the Shepard Broad College of Law in the main lobby, where a large box will be upfront and items can be donated.
  • This relief drive will collect nonperishable food items, bottled water, hygiene products, baby supplies, and basic medical necessities.
  • Donations will be distributed through TheFoundationJA, an organization founded by our CLSA Secretary, Kimberely Thomas, which will ensure items are sent directly to affected families in Jamaica.
  • CLSA will coordinate donation bins in designated campus areas, promote the drive through social media and student communications, and manage logistics in partnership with TheFoundationJA.
  • This initiative reflects NSU Law’s ongoing commitment to community service, cultural connection, and collective action in times of need.
  • The Founder’s email address of the organization: info@thefoundationja.com
  • The law school is also having family day on Saturday, Nov. 8 from noon to 1:00 p.m., where donations will also be accepted.
Various Resources and Links

HCAS Biology Student Presents at Life Sciences Undergraduate Symposium

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Vinay Munlapudi

On Oct. 25, 2025, Vinay Munlapudi presented an oral talk at the Life Sciences South Florida (LSSF) Annual STEM Undergraduate Research Symposium held at Alan B. Levan NSU Broward Center of Innovation.

In collaboration with Munlapudi’s independent study mentor, Dr. Santanu De, associate professor at NSU’s Department of Biological Sciences, the interdisciplinary project was titled “Evaluating Global Efficacy of Artificial Intelligence for Active Learning and Assessment in Health Sciences and STEM”. Details about LSSF as an acclaimed, growing regional scholarly society can be found here. Additionally, as a presenter at LSSF, Vinay actively participated in the United Nations Institute for Training and Research’s International Training Center for Authorities and Leaders in Miami, hosted by Outreach Aid to the Americas in partnership with Florida International University.

Vinay Munlapudi

Munlapudi is a bachelor of science student with dual majors in pre-med/biology at NSU’s Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and Health Informatics within NSU’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is a part of the class of 2027.

NSU Professor Shares Research in Iceland and Denmark

Dr. Adithya Chandregowda, associate professor from the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at NSU’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, presented a research poster at the 21st Congress of the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS), held in Reykjavik, Iceland.

His poster was titled “Promoting Interaction Between Individuals with Severe Communication Impairments and their Loved Ones: Implications for End-of-life Care.” Dr. Chandregowda presented a one-hour lecture on primary progressive aphasia — also referred to as “language-led dementia” — and end-of-life communication to the faculty and speech pathology students at the Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Researchers and students from the speech pathology program at the University of Southern Denmark joined this lecture online. His lecture was well received, and he appreciated the warm hospitality. He remained thankful for these opportunities as they help him gain global perspectives about his professional areas of interest.

NSU MD Students Present at Gold Humanism Summit

On Sept. 20, 2025, six students from NSU’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine had the opportunity to present their work at the 2025 Gold Humanism Summit in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Gold Humanism Summit is hosted yearly by the Gold Foundation and Gold Humanism Honor Society, providing health care workers a space to share their efforts in the area of humanistic care. And NSU MD students Cristina Benites, Makenna Bowman, Jeams Richard-Costa, Iman Fakhoury and Matthew Houser did just that, with support from NSU MD graduate Samuel Angel — now an M1 at the University of Florida — and faculty advisor Vanessa Johnson, Ph.D.

HELPWISE Communities (Healthcare Educators Leading Prevention, Wellness and Intervention while Supporting and Empowering Communities) is a student-founded community health education initiative. It is funded by the “Quality of Life” grant with the goal of reducing health inequities by providing our communities with access to health education. This initiative provides an opportunity for medical students to do what they do best: teach each other and the community, while providing the community with access to free information and resources through programs like STOP THE BLEED, 2 Step CPR, Women’s Health Education and Health Screening information.

The students of HELPWISE Communities shared this initiative and preliminary data on the effectiveness of this program at the Gold Humanism Summit in hopes that students around the country may replicate the program in their area and improve the lives of communities across the country.

Photo1: NSU MD HELPWISE Team Pictured Left to Right- Matthew Houser (M2), Iman Fakhoury (M3), Cristina Benites (M4), Makenna Bowman (M4), Jeams Richard-Costa (M3) Photo2: Cristina Benites, M4, Founder of HELPWISE Communities – with poster presented at the 2025 GHHS Summit

KPCOM Student Presents During Virtual Conference

On Tuesday, October 14, Ms. Yumna Indorewala, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine candidate at Nova Southeastern University’s Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, presented a poster at the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS) 2025 Virtual Conference.

In collaboration with her research independent study mentor Dr. Santanu De, associate professor at NSU’s Department of Biological Sciences, the interdisciplinary project was titled “Case Studies on Education and Research in Global Healthcare and STEM Adapted to COVID-19: A Comprehensive Evaluation.”

The mission of this prestigious, scholarly society is to promote teaching excellence in the critical health science disciplines of anatomy and physiology around the world.

Education Alumna Opens Private School in Palm Beach

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice alumna Kisha Bellande-Francis, Ed.D., has opened a new private school in Palm Beach County.

DOTT Academy (Daily Opportunity to Thrive) opened its doors to the public on Sept. 3, 2025. Instead of using traditional grade levels, DOTT Academy uses a competency-based mastery learning model, something Bellande-Francis said allows students to progress based on their individual skill level and allows instructors to devote more time to students who need extra teaching or give advanced students more challenging instruction.

The academy currently supports students who traditionally fall between kindergarten to sixth grade, with plans to expand to eighth grade in the future. Bellande-Francis graduated from NSU with her Ed.D. in instructional leadership.

With over 20 years of experience in education, she developed the long-term goal of opening her own school. After initial plans to open a school fell through in 2021 due to the pandemic, she was finally able to achieve her goal. The experience has been an emotional rollercoaster for Bellande-Francis, but she said it has also been a fulfilling one. Congratulations Dr. Bellande-Francis!

To learn more about the DOTT Academy, visit the school’s website here.

Criminal Justice Student Publishes Article on Estate Planning

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice doctoral student Sandy Rao published an article on estate planning and law enforcement officers. The article, “The Perils of Neglecting Estate Planning,” was published in Police Chief Magazine.

Rao, who has worked with the U.S. Marshals since 2001, was motivated to investigate estate planning and how it relates to fellow officers after the death of a close friend and mentor, his parents and grandmother. He was also motivated by the overall dangers that come with working in law enforcement.

Rao also created a Survey Monkey questionnaire and administered it in his own task force. The survey included questions on how often the officers themselves faced danger and traumatic experiences while on the job. Rao hoped to show his colleagues how dangerous the profession is, and the benefits of being prepared if something happened. Out of the total respondents, over 51% had been involved in a shooting 53 percent had been injured or hospitalized, and 49 percent had been exposed to a dead body on the job.

However, only 23% of respondents had a will. “Policing is a dangerous profession, making it a field in which estate planning is especially important,” Rao wrote. Rao is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Nova Southeastern University. Looking ahead, he said he hopes to do his dissertation on probable cause fugitive cases.

NSU College of Dental Medicine Named an Apple Distinguished School

College of Dental Medicine Apple Designation

Nova Southeastern University’s College of Dental Medicine has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2025–2028, one of only four dental schools nationwide to receive this honor.

College of Dental Medicine Apple Designation

The designation highlights the college’s leadership in innovation and education, with a fully digital curriculum, immersive virtual and haptic simulation training, and creative teaching models that prepare students for success in today’s technology-driven healthcare environment. The integration of iPads enhances collaboration, expands access to resources, and transforms how students learn and engage.

“This recognition reflects our commitment to transforming dental education,” said Dr. Steven Kaltman, dean of the College of Dental Medicine. “We’re empowering students with the tools and experiences they need to excel and this is what excellence looks like.”

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