Category: SharkBytes

Experts Share Knowledge about Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

In early August, experts from around the Caribbean region met at the Eco-Discovery Centre in Key West to share information on an emerging and unprecedented threat to Caribbean coral reefs posed by a coral disease first documented in Florida and now being reported at sites across the region.

Since 2014, the Florida Reef Tract has been severely impacted by a newly documented coral disease which scientists are calling “Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease” (SCTLD) because it affects only hard stony corals and is characterized by the rapid loss of live coral tissue. The disease has rapidly spread across coral reefs from Palm Beach to the lower Florida Keys and in the last year has been reported elsewhere in the Caribbean, including in Mexico, Jamaica, Sint Maarten, the Dominican Republic, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands and Belize. Scientists from NOAA and the state of Florida, sanctuary managers and academic partners, including Halmos College researchers Brian Walker, Ph.D. and Karen Neely, Ph.D, have been working to document the outbreak, identify causes and contributing factors, and develop treatments and interventions

The meeting is an initiative of the MPAConnect Network which comprises marine protected area managers in 10 Caribbean countries and territories, working in partnership with the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, with funding from NOAA CRCP and the NFWF Coral Reef Conservation Fund.

CAHSS Faculty was the Plenary Speaker at United Kingdom Association for Solution Focused Practice

Anne Rambo, Ph.D., faculty in the Department of Family Therapy (DFT) in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) was the plenary speaker at the United Kingdom Association for Solution Focused Practice held in Bath. Rambo’s presentation addressed social justice and solution focused therapy. She also presented a workshop on working with anger. While in the UK, Rambo presented a one-day workshop entitled, “Solution Focused Therapy and Family Therapy- Looking both ways,” for the Cornwall and Plymouth Family Therapy Branch.

Rambo also directs DFT’s master’s and graduate certificate programs and has extensive experience working with at-risk children and families. She has written three books for professionals, and one for parents, as well as numerous book chapters and articles and presents internationally on social justice and family therapy.

Alumni Spotlight: College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences – Michelle Cromwell, M.S.

Michelle Cromwell, M.S. (’01), Ph.D. (’08), is an associate vice president for inclusive excellence and the chief diversity officer at Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts. As a member of the college’s President’s Cabinet, Cromwell counsels the president and administrative council on matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Previously at Regis College, Cromwell was an associate professor of politics and social justice, as well as director of the Honors Program from 2010 to 2016. She has also served as the chief diversity officer at The School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont. Describing herself as a pracademic, Cromwell says she is a scholar-practitioner who has “one foot in the academe and the other in the community, as a practitioner.”

She was the cofounding executive director at the Massachusetts Peacemaking and Talking Circle Initiative, a nonprofit organization designed to foster conversations about discrimination and racism in schools, nonprofits, and organizations. In addition, Cromwell serves as an independent consultant working with nonprofits, higher-education institutions, corporations, and government entities with an emphasis on conflict resolution, crisis management, and diversity and inclusion.

At Nova Southeastern University, Cromwell earned an M.S. in Dispute Resolution and a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution specializing in ethnic conflicts. She earned a B.S. degree in social work at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago in 1998.

Alpha Lambda Rho Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha housed in CAHSS Receives a Best Chapter Award for 2018-2019

Pi Sigma Alpha

The Alpha Lambda Rho chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, housed in the Department of History and Political Science in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) received a Best Chapter Award for 2018-2019 by the national office of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. It was one of only six chapters nationwide to receive this award.  NSU’s chapter focuses on recognizing and cultivating creative student leaders through both scholarship and service. In addition to being recognized for academic excellence and obtaining the right to wear honor regalia, the chapter received a 2018 Chapter Activity Grant of $675.

Outgoing chapter president Tal Lubarsky stated, “This truly would not have been possible without the department’s help. A special thank you goes to Dr. Edwards, who worked tirelessly to ensure that we were a successful chapter. His enthusiasm and innovative ideas were largely a reason that we were so successful. I can’t wait to see this chapter develop and grow!”

Chapter advisor and DHPS faculty member Ransford F. Edwards Jr., Ph.D., applauded Lubarsky. “Tal has been instrumental in not only founding our chapter, but also in managing its growth and reflects in our chapter. And it reflects well on our University.”  He added the award honors the “enthusiastic, creative, and tireless work of all the student members.”  The incoming chapter president is Daniel Ordaz.

Every summer, Sean Twombly, the Executive Director of Pi Sigma Alpha, spends hours reading Annual Reports from chapters across the country. Twombly states that, “While time consuming, it is always rewarding to see the amazing work chapters are engaged in through the course of the year. I am delighted…that the Alpha Lambda Rho Chapter has been chosen to receive one of Pi Sigma Alpha’s Best Chapter Awards for 2018-2019. These awards are intended to recognize local chapters that are particularly active in their departments and universities and exhibit high levels of energy and creativity in furthering the goals of the honor society.”

For more information, please contact Edwards at 954-262-8205, or via email at redwards@nova.edu

Impressions Honored with Award

NSU College of Dental Medicine’s Impressions magazine will receive the Silver Scroll Division 2 Award for Most Improved Publications for the Spring and Fall 2018 editions in the Dental Journalism Awards. The International College of Dentists (ICD), USA Section, sponsors the awards.

The award will be presented during the meeting of the American Association for Dental Editors & Journalists (AADEJ) to be held in September in San Francisco. The award presentations will be held the day before the annual conference of the American Dental Association (ADA).

This is the second time Impressions has been honored by the ICD. The magazine received the Honorable Mention for Outstanding Cover for the Summer 2016 edition in the Dental Journalism Awards.

The Dental Journalism Awards is one of the ICD’s longest ongoing projects and is in its 48th year of competition. The awards are open to any English language dental publication throughout the world.

 

 

Alumni Spotlight: Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing – Deborah A. Tedder, M.B.A.

Deborah A. Tedder, M.B.A. (’00), M.S.N. (’09), is the chief nursing officer at Northwest Medical Center in Margate, Florida.

With 42 years of experience, Tedder has held nursing leadership positions at major health care systems, including Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida, where she served as chief nursing officer. She also worked at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, before moving to Northwest Medical Center in 2016.

“Achieving an M.B.A. at NSU provided me with the financial and business knowledge to fiscally manage and oversee nursing,” said Tedder, whose early nursing career focused on medical-surgical intensive care. “Obtaining an M.S.N. degree-also at NSU-allowed me to combine nursing leadership knowledge with the business skills needed to successfully lead the nursing division of these major health care systems.”

In 2016, Tedder was elected to the Board of Nursing Consortium of South Florida. She serves on the boards at Mercy Hospital and Mercy Care Hospice and the advisory board at Florida Atlantic University. She belongs to the Florida Nurses Association, National League for Nursing, and South Florida Organization of Nurse Executives. Tedder is the 2017 recipient of the American Hospital Association (AHA) Patient Leaders Fellowship and the 2011 recipient of AHA McKesson Quest for Quality Prize award.

Department of Performing and Visual Arts Alumna Designs Murals for Westfield Broward Mall

Aina Rivas, B.A., 2019 graduate of the Department of Performing and Visual Arts (DPVA) in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), designed an ”interactive Instagramable mural” to mount on an empty mall barricade at Westfield Broward Mall. Rivas created the pieces digitally and the mall used her vectorized design to print the vinyl for the wall. Patrons can take pictures of themselves in front of the mural and then send them to their Instagram accounts.

Rivas indicated that, “Getting to see my artwork mounted at Westfield Broward Mall was so cool and seeing the work I put into it come to reality was really awesome! I would like to thank Professor Lopez for sending them my way and facilitating this contact.” Kandy Lopez-Moreno is a faculty member in DPVA. This fall Rivas will be starting a graduate program in Art Therapy in Illinois.

CAHSS in Collaboration with Alvin Sherman Library Hosted “We Love our Families”

 

NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) in collaboration with the Alvin Sherman Library hosted the workshop “We Love our Family: Fun tips for Resolving Conflict and Getting Along!” on July 7, 2019. Community Resolution Services/Peace Place in CAHSS hosted the event in collaboration with the Alvin Sherman Library. The lead facilitator was Shannon Maurice, M.B.A., doctoral student in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS) in CAHSS.

This was the third year for “We Love our Family,” featuring new information and activities. Peace Place, a part of Community Resolution Services (CRS) in CAHSS is a practicum and volunteer site for students to collaborate and engage the community. For more information, please contact Judith McKay, J.D., Ph.D., faculty in DCRS at mckayj@nova.edu.

 

CAHSS Sociology Alum Awarded a Bloomberg Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University

Christopher Carita BS

Christopher Carita, B.S., 2019 graduate of the sociology program in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) received a prestigious Bloomberg Fellowship. Carita was one of the names announced by The Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, as a member of the 2019 cohort of Bloomberg Fellows. Fellows are drawn from an organization working on one of five health challenges facing the nation: addiction and overdose, environmental challenges, obesity and the food system, risks to adolescent health, and violence.

The 2019 Bloomberg Fellows Cohort is the third and the largest to date and includes fellows and organizations spanning twenty-four states and the District of Columbia. Fellows receive full scholarships to pursue a Master of Public Health or Doctor of Public Health. Carita starts the MPH program this fall.

Carita, a Dean’s List student, brought his wide array of skills and experiences to the table throughout his years of study at NSU.  “I found that the writing-centered curriculum in the Sociology program at Nova helped me tremendously in understanding the importance of clear communication in messaging.  That focus is essential in implementing effective change in our society.”

Carita joined the Fort Lauderdale Police Department in 2009, where he has earned 14 Department Commendations and 6 Public Commendations for exemplary police work. He has served in various roles, from patrol, to street narcotics, to burglary/robbery investigations, and currently serves as a Detective with the Special Investigations Threat Response Unit. Carita investigates mass casualty threats (schools, churches, workplace, etc.), political violence, and extremist groups. He has initiated numerous investigations, identifying pattern offenders and threats to public safety, compiling strong criminal cases in cooperation with the State Attorney’s Office.

For more information about the Bloomberg Fellows, see https://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2019/bloomberg-school-announces-2019-bloomberg-fellows-cohort.html

DPVA Faculty was Adjudicator for NANBPWC Vocal Arts Competition

Bill J. Adams, D.M.A., associate professor in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), served as adjudicator for the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs (NANBPWC) vocal arts competition at the organization’s 82nd national convention on July17, at the Urban League of Ft. Lauderdale.  The Mary E. Singleton Vocal Arts Competition for Emerging Artists provides a competitive arena for talented young African American musicians to demonstrate their artistic abilities in classical vocal performance. NANBPWC is the first African American civic organization to award monetary scholarships for performance in classical vocal arts.

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