Category: SharkBytes

NSU Grad Enjoys 15 Years at the Government Accountability Office

Gerard Aflague

July 2021 will mark Gerard Aflague’s 15-year work anniversary at the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Aflague serves as a senior information technology analyst, where he primarily audits federal information technology (IT) systems and programs that generally benefit the American people by way of screening passengers boarding airplanes, delivering a variety of information to the American public via publicly accessible computers, and safeguarding criminal justice data for public safety use.

Through his congressional audit work, Aflague helps to answer questions Congress members seek to understand about federal IT programs by teaming up with other auditors to research, conduct interviews, report detailed findings and recommendations, and publish congressional reports to improve government operations and services to more than 300 million Americans.

In 2004, Aflague graduated from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) with a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from the College of Computing and Engineering. During that time, he also worked in Guam for the Customs and Quarantine Agency, where he was involved in international relations and capacity building for customs organizations in order to assist smaller island nations in utilizing IT to help better enforce laws, among other things.

When asked what one thing he could tell himself prior to attending NSU, Gerard replied, “Try to be as inquisitive as you can be with respect to the opportunities that IT can afford you. Realize that this field is not one size fits all, rather, there are thousands of careers and organizations offering employment. Keep your mind open; there’s not just one path you can take.”

Halmos Alumna Earns Doctoral Degree from University of Surrey, UK

Michelle Rushefsky

Michelle Rushefsky, Ph.D., 2012 graduate in International Studies and English in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center, was awarded a Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom.

Rushefsky’s thesis was titled “Horror Capriccios: (Re)imagining British Nineteenth-Century Fiction through the Veil of American Horror.”

She credits her undergraduate education at NSU for setting her on the path to this tremendous milestone in her academic career.

“NSU provided the initial freedom to explore different subjects which led me to the love of my life, literature,” she said. “Because of NSU, I continue to pursue academic achievement. The professors during my undergraduate years pledged support and fostered substantial academic rigor that inspired me not only as an early career researcher, but as an aspiring lecturer.”

Humanities Hosted 3rd Annual Crossroads Student Conference

On April 10, 2021, NSU’s Center for the Humanities hosted its 3rd Annual Crossroads Humanities Student Conference, under the direction of center director Aileen Farrar, Ph.D., faculty in the Department of Humanities and Politics in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences (HCAS) and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center. Preparations for the conference included a series of pre-conference events, including a Digital Humanities Workshop, led by Sarah Stanley, M.A., the Digital Humanities Librarian of Florida State University; a Style Us “Conference Conventions & Etiquette Workshop,” part of the Department of Humanities and Politics Style Us: Writing and Professionalization Series; and a “Humanities to a Career in Tech” talk with Iris Nevins and Jasmine Haugabrook of the email marketing company, Mailchimp. Each event served as additional opportunities to connect students with the academic and professional applications of the humanities in our increasingly digital cultures.

This year’s conference theme, “Networks,” invited participants to explore diverse and interdisciplinary issues of networks and networking, from the social, political, and cultural to the technological, environmental, and biological. More than 150 members joined panels and events during this one-day virtual conference, including presenters and attendees from Greece, Indonesia, India, the UK, and all over the U.S., including Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, and Michigan. Undergraduate and graduate presenters represented a distinguished range of disciplinary studies from medicine and law to English, History, Political Science, Philosophy, Sociology, and more. The Center for Humanities was especially pleased to welcome peers from the “Making Diversity Meaningful in the Humanities: MDC-FIU Pathway Partnership.”

Adding to the day, two special guest speakers—Jessica Harvey, Project Manager of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, and Nina Schick, a political commentator and broadcaster who specializes in disinformation and technology and the author of Deepfakes: The Coming Infocalypse —delighted audiences with expansive perspectives on the growing need for humanities scholarship and skills in areas of conservation and politics, especially in an age of rapid technological advancement. Nina Schick’s talk, titled “Deepfakes and the Age of Synthetic Media,” was sponsored by the Department of Humanities and Politics’ Stolzenberg Doan International Studies Lecture Series.

At the end of the day, conference members gathered for the closing ceremonies. Three lucky winners of the Virtual Mural Raffle were awarded special Crossroads Conference grab bags. The pictures posted by Rachel Northrop from the University of Miami, Kate Poppenhagen from the University of Colorado Denver, and Greter Camacho Melian from Nova Southeastern University along with conference pictures posted by many other participants throughout the day can be viewed in the conference gallery: https://nsudhp.wixsite.com/crossroadsconference/gallery

The Crossroads Conference is also proud to announce the winners of the 2021 Digital Humanities Contest:

  • 1st Place – “A Different Image, Another Sound: Resistant Rhetoric and Black Identity” by Nhadya Lawes (U of Miami)
  • 2nd place – “A Meta-Analytic Review: The Implications of Virtual Reality with Immersion on Secondary Language Acquisition” by Dylan Darling and Greter Camacho Melian (NSU)
  • 3rd Place – “Griot to DJ: Remixing and Blending Globalizing Culture” by Sarah Djos-Raph (U of Louisiana at Lafayette)

Each project represents exemplary studies of impactful issues in digital humanities and will be posted to the Humanities Center website over the summer: https://hcas.nova.edu/humanities/.

The next Call-For-Papers for the Crossroads Humanities Student Conference (2022) will be released in Fall 2021. Ask to be added to our listserv for more updates by emailing humanities@nova.edu or follow us on Instagram @nsu_humanities.

Halmos Alumna Publishes on Everglades Marine Biology Research

From left, Kiersten Monahan, Dyane Oliva, and J. Matt Hoch

Kiersten Monahan

Kiersten Monahan, a 2019 alumna of the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences in marine biology, was published in the journal Florida Scientist this past winter for her research titled “Comparison of Phosphate Uptake by Epiphyton, Metaphyton, and eEpipelon in the Everglades.”

Monahan’s publication encompassed her Honors in Major thesis research with mentor and college faculty member J. Matthew Hoch, Ph.D. Her research took place in the Everglades, the largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the United States and the results of her research could aid understanding effects of phosphorus pollution in nutrient-polluted waters.

The Honors in Major program is a university-wide program administered by the Farquhar Honors College. It is a unique opportunity for high-performing NSU undergraduate students in their senior year.

Faculty Members Hold Discussion on Healthcare Management

Ben Mulvey, Ph.D.

Mark Jaffe, M.D.

With the COVID-19 pandemic showcasing disparities in our health care delivery system, a timely discussion titled “Who Should Manage Healthcare? A Conversation with
a Philosopher, a Clinician, and You” was presented on May 5, 2021 via Zoom to the members of the Lifelong Learning Institute by two Halmos College of Arts and Sciences Faculty.

Ben Mulvey, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Humanities and Politics who has been a member of the NSU faculty since 1988, and Mark Jaffe, M.D. associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, who has been a member of the NSU faculty since 2004, presented their respective viewpoints and members of the audience weighed in with their own perspectives as the pair tackled the cost, quality and access of health care in the U.S. today.

NSU’s Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) was founded in 1977 and serves lifelong learning passions of retired adults. The LLI, a center within the College of Osteopathic Medicine, is located on NSU’s Fort Lauderdale East Campus. older-adult learning.

Pregnant Shark Migration Tracked from Space

This spring, Forbes Magazine published an article on an amazing international collaboration.

For the first time, researchers have been able to record in near real-time the migration of a pregnant scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) from the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador to Isla del Coco in Costa Rica, located over 435 miles (700 kilometers) away.

This collaboration: the Charles Darwin Foundation’s shark ecology project, the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center, and Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University (USA) have teamed up to study the migrations and population genetics of the world’s largest scalloped hammerhead shark aggregation.

Scalloped hammerhead sharks are a globally endangered species. It inhabits different habitats throughout its life cycle, making information about their movement and use of habitat disjointed at best. Enter a special hammerhead shark: Cassiopeia. Measuring about 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) long, this pregnant female was tagged in February of this year during an expedition to Darwin Island.

Satellite tracking data revealed that after swimming north of Darwin Island for about 10 days, Cassiopeia started swimming eat until she reached Isla del Coco. The trek Cassiopeia made between the two islands means she covered around 390 nautical miles (700 km) in just under 14 days, travelling an approximate of 28 nm (50 km) per day. While previous studies have documented inter-island movements of hammerheads using passive acoustic tags, the tags weren’t able to capture the precise pathways the sharks would take. With satellite tags, scientists were able to see exactly the route she went.

HCAS biology faculty member Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D., director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute and Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center stated, “The data being collected in this study will be key for establishing a flexible management system that provides this protection at precisely the right places and times.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissacristinamarquez/2021/05/04/migration-of-a-pregnant-hammerhead-shark-documented-from-space/?sh=1b7e8fba5256

 

Families Dive Deep Into Germs at Alvin Sherman Library

This winter term, HCAS biology faculty member Julie Torruellas Garcia, Ph.D. gave a presentation for the Alvin Sherman Library entitled, “Germs: Good Guys or Bad Guys” as part of their Family Deep Dives series. She taught kids and their families about different types of germs, where they can be found, how to protect themselves from bad germs and the benefits of good germs.

The Deep Dive Series allows families learn and explore together. They can get the inside story and Q&A time with experts in science, history, community services, and more. Recommended for ages 6 and up.

Industry Partnership Provides Masks for NSU Dental Clinics

In October, NSU dental clinics faced a shortage of face masks at a time when normal supply chains were not available due to the ongoing pandemic. Fortunately, due to its vast network among the public and private sectors, NSU’s College of Dental Medicine (CDM) engaged NSU Fellows Society member Henry Schein, Inc., the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help make KN95 mask donations available to the school.

The donation of 142,000 masks from ADEA and FEMA was coordinated in partnership with, and delivered by, Henry Schein. As a result, CDM was able to conduct fit tests with all students, faculty, and staff to assure the masks fit and were sealed properly to provide protection against potentially contaminated air. Proper safety equipment was essential for the university’s dental clinics to maintain operations and provide much needed care to patients and the community.

“The CDM is honored to have Henry Schein as a loyal partner and appreciates the tremendous sponsorship through the years supporting the academic mission and our students at the college,” said CDM Dean Steven I. Kaltman, D.M.D., M.D., FACS. “Henry Schein’s continued commitment to excellence and social responsibility is applauded by NSU-CDM.”

“We are pleased to help leverage our key industry partners to help mitigate CDM’s supply shortage, and protect the health, safety, and well-being of students, faculty, and patients,” said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and CEO of Henry Schein, Inc. “The donation would not have been possible without ADEA, FEMA, and other organizations that help us throughout the year to ensure we, together, ‘help health happen.’”

In total, close to three million masks were donated to dental schools and allied dental education programs across the country through the efforts of Henry Schein, ADEA, and FEMA.

Alumna Thanks NSU for Helping Her Find the Right Career Path

Safiyah Muhammad

This May, Safiyah Muhammad graduated with her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Graduating from NSU’s Halmos Colleges of Arts and Sciences in 2016 with a chemistry major, Muhammad’s Ph.D. thesis was entitled, “Cobalt Catalyst for Parahydrogen Induced Hyperpolarization of Olefins.” She has accepted a job at Dow.

Safiyah says her time here at NSU was foundational.

“I am truly grateful that I had the opportunity to attend Nova Southeastern University; the Trustee Scholarship that I received allowed me to complete my coursework without any financial stress. It was during my time at NSU that I attended my first chemistry course and fell in love with it. The structure of the classes at NSU really allowed me to fully immerse myself in the material I was studying and to get to know the faculty,” she said. “Without the amazing mentoring of the faculty members, I never would have switched my major from marine biology to chemistry, nor would I have known about the opportunities that are available to chemists after completion of their degree. I owe a great deal of my success to my time at NSU and will forever be proud to call NSU my Alma Mater. Fins up!”

NSU Student and University School Teacher Named 2021 STUEY Alumnus of the Year

 

On April 13, 2021, the Student Life Association at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) hosted its 23rd annual Student Life Achievement Awards, otherwise known as the STUEY’s. This event intertwines the accolades of students, staff and alumni at NSU who are best known for their academic excellence, research, diversity, innovation, service and opportunities.

This year, the 2021 STUEY Alumnus of the Year was awarded to Wilford Miranda, a 2019 alumnus of NSU. Wilford is currently an NSU University School teacher and Master of Science Education student at NSU. He is extremely dedicated to education and making a difference in the lives of his students – a feature he believes set him apart from other nominees.

Miranda has notably started several new initiatives at University School with guidance from his mentor, Luke Williams, and continues to launch new ways to engage students, such as kickstarting NSU’s first-ever HOSA – Future Health Professionals (HOSA) chapter and creating a new curriculum called “Tiny Earth,” alongside NSU professor Dr. Aarti Raja.

Miranda led the creation of the HOSA at University School to support the career development of students interested in health studies.

“I have been participating non-stop in HOSA conferences since middle school and used this experience to bring HOSA to University School. As a first year HOSA chapter at NSU University School, we aimed to uphold our reputation to dominate in competitions. Along with my outstanding student officers, we mentored and coached our members to have a competitive edge at the regional, state, and international levels. After taking up the scoreboards in regionals, we went to compete at States where we went against 150 other high school HOSA chapters and we got the most international qualifiers (top three winners).”

To further the collaboration of education amongst students and educators, Miranda launched the “Tiny Earth” curriculum.

“Tiny Earth is a network of instructors and students who focus on identifying antibiotics from soil bacteria. This year, we successfully carried out the Tiny Earth curriculum with three class periods and currently, we are working to expand to five class periods. Our research together has earned us a few awards such as winning first place at the regional science fair competition and winning first place at the state HOSA research poster competition,” said Miranda.

Miranda utilized his experience as a student and teacher to showcase his skills as a nominee for alumnus of the year. Through his notable work as a teacher and researcher, Miranda made his mark by emphasizing a “One NSU” motto and combining his strengths from NSU and the NSU University School.

“The professors at NSU have undoubtedly amplified my teaching expertise through their wisdom and advice,” added Miranda, “By working collaboratively with Dr. Raja, NSU Undergraduates, and NSU University School students, we were able to advance our mission statements while providing top-of-the-line experiential learning experiences for our students.”

Miranda will be entering his second year as a master’s student this fall and is planning on graduating with his degree in Science Education by May 2022. Following his master’s degree, he also looks forward to enrolling in one of NSU’s Ed.D. programs.

Miranda intends to follow his “One NSU” mission in the future by collaborating with NSU and the NSU University School through his work, research and studies.

Visit Twitter for updates on HOSA/Tiny Earth at U-School at https://twitter.com/WilfordMiranda4. For more information about NSU’s University school go to https://www.facebook.com/UniversitySchoolofNSU.

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