Category: SharkBytes

Education Alum Appointed Dominican Republic Minister of Education

Roberto Fulcar, Ed.D.

Roberto Fulcar, Ed.D., graduate of NSU’s Abraham S. Fischer College of Education and School of Criminal Justice (FCE&SCJ) was appointed Minister of Education of the Dominican Republic on July 10, 2020, by the newly elected President, Luis Abinader.

Fulcar has a long teaching career at all levels and modalities of education in the Dominican Republic and in other countries. His social and political work led him to the foundation of the Institute for the Promotion of Education, Democracy and Development.  Dr. Fulcar is a consultant in areas such as education, strategic planning, policy, evaluation, institutional development, research, and leadership.

He earned his Doctor of Education with the FCE&SCJ in 2004.

 

 

NSU Writing and Communication Center Executive Director Publishes article in National Teaching and Learning Forum

Kevin Dvorak, Ph.D.

 

Kevin Dvorak, Ph.D., Professor and Executive Director of the NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC), published “Effectively Integrating Course‐Embedded Consultants Using the Students as Partners Model” in National Teaching and Learning Forum, vol. 28 no. 6.

The article was co-authored with Julia Bleakney and Paula Rosinki from Elon University and Russell Carpenter from Eastern Kentucky University. Adapting the “Students as Partners” (SaP) model of active student participation in curriculum design, a pedagogical approach to teaching and learning, the article discusses the use of Course-Embedded Consultants (CEC) programs, “focused on enriching writing-focused student experiences and practices,” (7). They focus on how SaP initiatives can enhance the teaching and learning dynamic, as well as offer valuable experiences that encourage meaningful relationships for CEC program participants.

“Using the SaP model as a foundation for CEC initiatives can allow programs to reach broader goals of enhancing both writing and writers, as well as learning and learners” (8-9). By following these practices, faculty can effectively integrate CECs into their courses.

To access the full issue

To learn more about the NSU Writing and Communication Center, visit https://www.nova.edu/wcc/.

 

NSU College of Pharmacy Student Creates “Humans of PharmD” Instagram Account

Inspired by the “Humans of New York” photography project, Jeremy Espeut, a doctoral candidate in NSU’s College of Pharmacy, created a “Humans of PharmD” Instagram account. Just as Humans of New York aims to capture the images and stories of random people in New York, Humans of PharmD is a space where students in the College of Pharmacy can learn more about their peers. Students are asked to submit a photo and a bit of information about themselves. 

“There are a lot of people in my program that I say hi to, without really knowing them or their story. This Instagram page will help bring our class together. It’s fun to discover interesting facets about people that you wouldn’t have known before,” said Espeut. 

Humans of PharmD is currently run by Espeut, alongside Nourhan Nashed, Kathleen Jackson, and Bailey Bruns who are the class historians for the Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Puerto Rico campuses, respectively. Their goal is to highlight every student in their program. The account is updated every other day. “Everyone is important and everyone has a story. We’re going to uncover all of those stories,” said Espeut.

 Click here to view the Humans of PharmD. Instagram account

Fischler Alum Authors Book on Educational Leadership

 

Lee Westberry, Ed.D

Lee Westberry, Ed.D., graduate of NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice (FCE&SCJ) authored the book Putting the Pieces Together: A Systems Approach to School Leadership. The book is intended to assist aspiring school leaders or sitting leaders in understanding the “how to” in developing the 4 major systems in schools and the need to understand how to develop the systems to support the critical work of schools to prevent the “putting out fires” mode of operation.

Westberry has over 20 years of experience as a school administrator. She has served as a middle school principal, a high school principal, and a district supervisor in more than one capacity.  Prior to serving as an administrator, she was an English teacher in more than one school system.

Currently, Westberry serves as the Director of Program Development and Enhancement, Educational Leadership Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership in the Zucker Family School of Education at The Citadel in Charleston, SC. In addition to teaching classes in the master’s program and Educational Specialist program, she also supports principal leaders in the form of Principal Service where she travels across the state to provide professional learning experiences for sitting principals.

Additionally, Westberry is the C.E.O. of the F.L.I.P. Educational Group, LLC (Focused Leadership in Practice) which serves to consult with districts and schools, providing training for teaching staff, instructional coaches, and principals where needed.

Westberry earned her Doctor of Education with FCE&SCJ in 2006.

HCAS Faculty Interviewed for Discover Magazine on Jellyfish

J. Matthew Hoch, Ph.D., faculty in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS), was featured in an article in Discover Magazine titled, “Congrats, Jellyfish, the Seas Are Yours! (Now, What Are You Going to Do with Them?).” Author Eliot Schrefer interviewed Hoch regarding the possibility of a future “Jelly Age,” and the diversity of these amazing creatures.

Hoch’s research interests include freshwater ecology, wetlands, aquatic ecology, and freshwater biology. His current work concerns ecological effects of the restoration of the Everglades.

To access the article, please go to: https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/congrats-jellyfish-the-seas-are-yours-now-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-them

Tracking Hammerhead Sharks Reveals Conservation Targets to Protect a Nearly Endangered Species

NSU Researchers Lead Team Studying Smooth Hammerhead Sharks

They are some of the most iconic and unique-looking creatures in our oceans. While some may think they look a bit “odd,” one thing researchers agree on is that little is known about hammerhead sharks. Many of the 10 hammerhead shark species are severely overfished worldwide for their fins and in need of urgent protection to prevent their extinction.

To learn more about a declining hammerhead species that is data poor but in need of conservation efforts,  a team of researchers from Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center (SOSF SRC) and Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI), Fisher Finder Adventures, the University of Rhode Island and University of Oxford (UK), embarked on a study to determine the migration patterns of smooth hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna zygaena) in the western Atlantic Ocean. This shark, which can grow up to 14-feet (400 cm), remains one of the least understood of the large hammerhead species because of the difficulty in reliably finding smooth hammerheads to allow scientific study.

The teams research has recently been published by Frontiers in Marine Science – you can find the complete research paper ONLINE.

To learn about smooth hammerhead behavior, the research team satellite tagged juvenile hammerhead sharks off the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast and then tracked the sharks for up to 15 months. The sharks were fitted with fin-mounted satellite tags that reported the sharks’ movements in near real time via a satellite link to the researchers.

Check Out Cool Video of a Smooth Hammerhead

To read more, click here.

Halmos Biology Faculty Appointed as Academic Editor for Medicine Journal

Santanu De, M.Sc., Ph.D.

This fall, Halmos College faculty member Santanu De, M.Sc., Ph.D. was selected as an Academic Editor for articles submitted for publication in the journal, Medicine®. Dr. De was selected for this position based on his record of original research accomplishments in his field.

Medicine® is a fully open access journal, providing authors with a distinctive new service offering continuous publication of original research across a broad spectrum of medical scientific disciplines and sub-specialties.

As an open access title, Medicine® will continue to provide authors with an established, trusted ​platform for the publication of their work. To ensure the ongoing quality of Medicine®’s content, the peer-review process will only accept content that is scientifically, technically and ethically sound, and in compliance with standard reporting guidelines.

Writing & Communication Center Faculty Coordinator Named SWCA President

Janine Morris, Ph.D., Halmos College of Arts & Sciences Assistant Professor and NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) Faculty Coordinator, was elected 2020-2022 President of the Southeastern Writing Center Association (SWCA). The SWCA’s mission is to “advance literacy; to further the theoretical, practical, and political concerns of writing center professionals; and to serve as a forum for the writing concerns of students, faculty, staff, and writing professionals from both academic and nonacademic communities in the southeastern region of the United States.” Morris served as the SWCA Florida State Representative from 2018-2019 and SWCA Vice President from 2019-2020.

In the WCC, Morris oversees graduate student writing support and initiatives, including professional development and writing workshops for students across the disciplines and a weekly writing group for graduate and professional students. Morris has worked with graduate and professional students across the Halmos College of Arts & Sciences; College of Pharmacy; Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine; Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences; Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice; and the College of Psychology. Along with supporting graduate and professional students, she is also the faculty advisor for the WCC’s social media (@nsuwcc).

To learn more about the Southeastern Writing Center Association, visit https://southeasternwritingcenter.wildapricot.org/

 

 

NSU Distinguished Alumnus from College of Computing and Engineering wins Global Award for his Pioneering Career in Cybersecurity


Dr. John “Jack” Freund ‘12 was recently honored by (ISC)², the world’s largest nonprofit association of certified cybersecurity professionals, at their 2020 (ISC)² Global Achievement Awards. This award recognizes and celebrates the most outstanding achievements by cybersecurity professionals around the world and recognizing only one honoree per region. Freund is the honoree chosen from North America in the (ISC)² Senior Professional Award category.

Freund is recognized “for his work with the NIST Applied Cybersecurity Division on behalf of the nonprofit FAIR Institute to map together the NIST CSF Risk Assessment and the Risk Management Strategy domains to the OpenGroup’s FAIR risk taxonomy and risk analysis standards.”

The cybersecurity pioneer, and martial artist, was an engineer for a tech company when the 9/11 attacks happened. “This [9/11] made me dive into the field of cyber security and risk management,” he said.

“There were not many options at the doctoral level in an adaptive non-traditional format for students like me,” he said. “NSU was a pioneer, had its own pedigree of success, in delivering quality doctoral degrees online even before the now popular online format was used by other schools,” he continued.

Being a mostly online doctoral student at NSU, Freund confirmed that “success comes from the way that you commit to a goal and push yourself to achieve it,” reflecting on taking a non-traditional approach to his education and profession at the time.

Freund leveraged the foundational projects that he worked on at NSU to better understand what businesses need from a security program, rationalize the tradeoff between security and practicality, and eventually co-authoring a book on quantifying cyber risk so that business leaders can understand their exposure.

“I gained a discipline for writing during my Ph.D. that I did not have before. I would not have this skill if it weren’t for my experience at NSU,” said Freund referring to his time as a doctoral student in the NSU College of Computing and Engineering. “I learned to not be so emotionally attached to my work and take criticism as a tool to make it better,” he continued.

And while Freund is a true pioneer in the field of quantitative methods for cyber risk management, he is very candid in reminding current students and recent graduates that “so much of success hides so much of the failures that led up to it.”

“In ways that people may not recognize, current and potential students really look at what alumni have done after graduating from NSU. They view our trajectory as a reflection of what their paths could look like,” he said.

Freud, who earned his Ph.D. in Information Systems, was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Achievement award in 2018. He continues to be involved with his alma mater and shares his pride of being a Shark.

As for advice to current students and young professionals?

“Stay connected to make an impact,” he concludes.

 

NSU Psychology Double Alumnus Shares Suicide Prevention Tips in Coalition with September’s National Suicide Awareness Campaign

 

Mark DeSantis, M.S., Psy.D. has garnered the reputation of being known as a “double shark” through his education at NSU. He earned his master’s degree in counseling and clinical psychology and graduated in 2001 with a Psy.D. in the Clinical Psychology program. During DeSantis’ Psy.D. program, he studied neuropsychology and behavioral medicine with adults and pediatrics specialty.

DeSantis recently retired from the office of Veterans Affairs as a Suicide Prevention Coordinator after being a part of the program for 12 years. Now he works as an independent consultant for suicide prevention and assists with local law enforcement. During his time with the VA, DeSantis was awarded the Secretary of Health Award for Outstanding Community Outreach in 2017. This award is given yearly and only three applicants are chosen out of the VA for their unique impact within the community. Alongside receiving his award, DeSantis’ suicide prevention outreach program in the VA was also selected to be distributed nationally by the Secretary of Health.

“It’s important to be educated, even at the classroom level on all aspects related to suicide. Your job is to help the individuals who work with you and people in the community. Guidance overall is part of an administrator’s position,” said Dr. DeSantis.

In addition to his time with the VA,  DeSantis has presented at many conferences such as the Department of Defense/Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention Conference, the U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress, and many more. Likewise, he was a faculty member at multiple universities and taught as an adjunct professor at NSU’s College of Psychology.  

“NSU had wonderful professors, and they’re all very personable and some became my mentors throughout the program. It prepared you because there so much diversification,” he said. “Specializing in areas is where I thought the program really excelled. Plus, teaching at the university opened up doors at different schools.”

From being in the mental health field since his start at NSU, DeSantis created his legacy on dealing with situations pertaining to suicide. It is important to be cognizant of tell-tale signs for individuals who are suicidal. One tip that DeSantis always advises to do is to ask about suicide.

“Look for the warning signs – initially someone may deny it, but if they’re going through difficult times, those are the kind of things you want to look out for. Meanwhile with children, they won’t always show the same signs normally, instead they will appear as irritable,” expressed DeSantis.

He also recommended talking with a loved one because relationship building is key when conversing with someone who may be suicidal. Whether it’s asking someone what’s on their mind or asking how much sleep they’ve been getting, it’s key to negate away from statements that may inhibit them from being honest with you. DeSantis advocated for people to ask questions and wants them to have conversation, not an interrogation.

“CDC reports death rates annually and since the 1920s, suicides have been continually increasing. These rates matter because populations are always increasing. Suicides are the 10th leading cause of death in this country and with 18-30-year-olds, it’s the second leading cause of death,” he said.

According to DeSantis, mental health is important no matter the time, and with September being Suicide Awareness month, knowing the signs and aiding those around you can make an even bigger impact. Furthermore, DeSantis’ biggest takeaway from his time at NSU and his career in suicide prevention was understanding that everything is a learning experience.

The final words of advice he shared were, “Keep your mind and heart open, observe everything and never stop learning. You continue to learn and never stop learning to help others in your life.”

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