Category: SharkBytes

NSU, Yale Faculty Collaborating on Research with Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse

For over 20 years, the online community MaleSurvivor has been a support outlet for male sexual and gender minority survivors of sexual abuse/assault. Now, members of that community are collaborating in grant-funded research with faculty from NSU’s College of Psychology and Yale University’s School of Medicine.

“I’m really passionate and interested in working with sexual and gender minorities and noticing that there’s a whole span of issues that are going on and we’re not seeing in therapy,” said Assistant Clinical Professor Amy Ellis, Ph.D., of NSU’s College of Psychology.

Societal stigmas and outdated stereotypes that men cannot be raped or that sexual assault changes sexual orientation create barriers for men seeking treatment. Ellis noted that on average, male survivors take 25 years to disclose sexual abuse.

“You have that stigmatization that leads to shame and guilt and even questioning the reality of your own experiences,” Ellis said. “If the entire world is telling you that something can’t be and wasn’t, then why would you step forward and say that it is?”

Now, peer online motivational interviewing for abuse survivors is the subject of a $1.3 million grant from the nonprofit Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, or PCORI. The principal investigator is Joan Cook, Ph.D., an associate professor at Yale, collaborating with Ellis and MaleSurvivor.

The groundwork for a partnership with MaleSurvivor was already laid due to the fact that the Trauma Resolution Integration Program (TRIP), a clinic at NSU’s Psychology Services Center, answers the help desk emails for MaleSurvivor. In contrast to traditional research, Ellis said the project is taking a community-based participatory approach, where focus groups and an advisory board have informed every aspect of the process. Ellis said this approach creates comfort and trust, compared to the stereotype of researchers in lab coats.

As part of the project, 20 peer leaders from within the MaleSurvivor community received training on leading motivational interview groups with other survivors. The project will recruit 344 survivors who will be divided into 42 groups and participate for three years. Participants will be involved in six session interventions for 90 minutes each.

Full story: https://psychology.nova.edu/news-events/2019/cop-survivors-pcori.html

 

Writing and Communication Center Faculty Facilitate Writing Workshop for Tweens

Janine Morris and Kelly Concannon, faculty coordinators from NSU’s Write from the Start Writing and Communication Center (WCC), and Assistant and Associate Professors (respectively) from the Department of Writing and Communication (College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences) facilitated a writing workshop for tweens on July 2, 2019. As part of Alvin Sherman Library’s “Tween and Young Teen Writing Workshop” Series, Morris and Concannon worked with the tweens to use their creative writing to work through challenging situations.

“It was great to see the range of writers in the room,” Morris said. “From aspiring graphic artists to adventure writers to more introspective writers coming from a personal position, I see strong futures for many of these writers,” she continued. The workshop included twenty-five participants. Concannon noted that “the workshop was a great way to set in motion the value of literacy practices in the lives of young students.” NSU’s WCC offers writing and communication assistance to all NSU students.

 

Alumni Spotlight: Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography – Nicholas W. Carris, Pharm.D.

Nicholas W. Carris, Pharm.D. (’08), is a pharmacist and an assistant professor at the University of South Florida (USF), where he conducts research and teaches at the College of Pharmacy and the Morsani College of Medicine.

Carris completed his B.S. in Biology at NSU, graduating with distinction in 2008. He graduated summa cum laude with a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Florida (UF) in 2012. He completed his pharmacy residency at Tri Star Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, followed by a two-year, postdoctoral fellowship in family medicine at UF. Concurrently, he was also serving as an instructor at both UF’s College of Pharmacy and College of Medicine physician assistant program.

A board-certified pharmacotherapy  specialist, Carris holds pharmacist licenses in Florida and Tennessee. He has established a clinical practical in an Accountable Care Organization-a group of health care providers who voluntarily coordinate quality care for their Medicare patients. He is also participating in an initiative to de-prescribe opioids and benzodiazepine.

Among other honors, Carris is the recipient of the 2017-2018 Best Researcher Award at USF’s College of Pharmacy and was recognized as the Top Reviewer by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in March 2018. He is the author of numerous articles, book chapters and publications and presents at national and regional conferences.

He is a member of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and the American College of Cardiology.

Halmos Researcher Part of Team Studying Blue-Green Algae in Florida

For months, Florida residents have followed stories about blue-green algae (scientifically known as cyanobacteria) blooms that are severely impacting local communities. Starting in July 2019, Halmos College faculty member Jose Lopez, Ph.D. will co-lead a project to study this ongoing issue by applying his genomics expertise.

Funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Caribbean Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit, Dr. Lopez will co-lead the project along with Barry Rosen, staff scientist for the USGS Southeastern Region. Halmos biological sciences faculty Robert Smith, Ph.D. will also contribute modeling skills. Halmos master’s student Eric Fortman will assist with the project. Other project researchers are from Florida Gulf Coast University and the USGS Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center.

Halmos College Oceanographic Campus will be the home base for this project. “The time has come for us to research what factors contribute to these blue-green algae blooms, what we can do to mitigate them when they happen and, more importantly, what can we do proactively to stop them from happening or lessen their impact,” said Dr. Lopez.

Dr. Lopez said the research could run up to three years with a focus on how water quality, nutrients and harmful algae blooms interact in Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee River, looking at the factors that come into play when these blooms occur.

“There are many species of cyanobacteria, so we need to characterize the diversity and better understand which ones contribute to the blooms and what their normal function is in the ecosystem when there is no harmful algae bloom. This project will have a strong molecular basis [reading DNA and RNA sequences]” said Dr. Lopez.

Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences – Adrian Kenneth Lane, B.S.

Adrian Kenneth Lane, B.S. (’00), is a physician assistant serving in Afghanistan. He has used his medical skills and training in a variety of health care and tactical environments, including Afghanistan and Iraq. He works for AEgis Technologies Group/ GardaWorld Federal Services. Operating under a contract with the U.S. Department of State, he provides medical services ranging from basic and preventive care to trauma care.

Working in Afghanistan for seven years, Lane was a PA for DynCorp International, where he was responsible for providing medical services to DynCorp personnel and others at camps in Kabul. Prior to deploying to Afghanistan, he was a battalion physician assistant at the Florida Army National Guard 3/20th Special Forces in Camp Blanding, Florida.

He served as a special forces adviser/medical officer for the L3 National Group in Iraq. Lane was embedded with the 5th Division Iraqi Army/Military Transition Team to provide special operations counter-insurgency techniques to the Iraqi Army.

Lane earned a B.S. in Physician Assistant Studies from NSU and a B.S. in International Affairs from Florida State University. The recipient of several medals and honors-including the Soldier’s Medal, Bronze Star, Joint Meritorious Unit Award Ribbon, and Joint Service Commendation Medal-Lane has retired from the military. His 37 years of service included active duty, Army Reserve, and the Florida National Guard.

Department of Family Therapy Faculty Publishes Book, Substance Abuse and the Family: Assessment and Treatment

Michael Reiter, Ph.D., faculty in the Department of Family Therapy (DFT) in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), published the second edition of his popular book, Substance Abuse and the Family: Assessment and Treatment, 2nd Edition (2019).

In this updated edition, Reiter examines addiction through a family systems lens, which considers a range of interconnected contexts, such as biology and genetics, family relationships, and larger systems. Chapters are organized around two sections: Assessment and Treatment. Examining how the family system organizes around substance use and abuse, the first section includes contributions on the neurobiology and genetics of addiction, as well as chapters on family diversity, issues in substance-using families, and working in a culturally sensitive way. The second half of the book explores various treatment options for individuals and families presenting with substance abuse issues, providing an overview of the major family therapy theories, and chapters on self-help groups and the process of family recovery.

This edition has many useful additions including a revision of the family diversity chapter to consider sexual and gender minorities, brand new chapters on behavioral addictions such as sex and gambling, and a chapter on ethical implications in substance abuse work with families. Additional sections include information on Multisystemic Therapy, Behavioral Couples Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Twelve-Step Facilitation. Each chapter now contains a case application to help demonstrate treatment strategies in practice. Contributors to the book include DFT faculty Christopher Burnett, Ph.D., who provided the cover photo, Jaime Tartar, Ph.D. faculty in NSU’s College of Psychology who co-authored two chapters, one with Christina Gobin and Julius Thomas, and one with Gobin, .and Myron Burns, Ph.D., faculty in COP who authored a chapter.

Intended for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as beginning practitioners, Substance Abuse and the Family, 2nd Ed. remains one of the most penetrating and in-depth examinations on the topic available. For more information: https://www.routledge.com/Substance-Abuse-and-the-Family-Assessment-and-Treatment/Reiter/p/book/9781138625976

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Alumna Publishes Article “Imprint of Racism: White Adult Males’ Transformational Experience from Racial Antipathy to Racial Reconciliation”

Wynona James, Ph.D.

Wynona James, Ph.D., doctoral graduate of the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS) in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), has published an article entitled, “Imprint of Racism: White Adult Males’ Transformational Experience from Racial Antipathy to Racial Reconciliation” in the June 2019 edition of the American Journal of Qualitative Research. See   https://www.ajqr.org/article/imprint-of-racismnbsp-white-adult-males-transformational-experience-from-racial-antipathy-to-racial-5813

James has over 39 years with the federal government and currently serves as the Negotiation and Dispute Resolution Manager and Senior Mediator with the Department of the Air Force at Peterson Air Force Base (Colorado Springs) Colorado, where she serves over 10,500 Department of Defense civilian, military personnel and dependents in conflict management skills and resolution. She has been an invited speaker at a number of venues – presenting training sessions on conflict resolution and race relations – as well as mediating workplace disputes at a number of military, federal, and state agencies. James has been a guest contributor to the Secretary Air Force General Counsel Newsletter and the Peterson Air Force Space Observer newspaper with published articles on conflict resolution in the workplace, conflict management, crisis management, and equal opportunity.

She is the recipient of the 2010 United States Secretary of the Air Force General Counsel Mediator of the Year Agency Award and the 2019 Air Force Blacks in Government Meritorious Service Award for Civil Rights and representing Air Force Space Command as the nominee for the 2019 national competition. 

James is also a part-time adjunct instructor for online studies with the Graduate Department of Conflict Management with Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

NSU Researchers Part of Team on Ambitious Expedition to Explore the Deep Sea

Left to right Nathan Robinson, Sonke Johnsen, Tracey Sutton, Captain of the Pt Sur- Nick Allen, Edie Widder & Megan McCall gather around to watch squid

Researchers from Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography joined with colleagues from other research institutions to explore the water column in some of the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico.

The project – Journey Into Midnight: Light and Life Below the Twilight Zone is ran from June 8 – 22, 2019 and featured Tracey Sutton Ed.D, Tamara Frank, Ph.D. and graduate assistant Ruchao Quian from NSU – they were three of the 10 explorers on this voyage.

The team made some remarkable findings which were featured in multiple media outlets across the country. You can read those stories below:

Giant Squid

Giant Shrimp

Giant Acanthephyra caught between 1,200 and 1,500 meters (3,937 and 4,921 feet) with the Tucker Trawl

You can learn more about Journey Into Midnight: Light and Life Below the Twilight Zone ONLINE.

This site, created by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, contains a wealth of information about the research expedition, including biographical info on the explorers, a photo gallery of the strange and wonderful sea life found deep in the Gulf of Mexico and more.

Department of Conflict Resolution Faculty Joins the Board of the Alliance for International Education

Cheryl Duckworth, Ph.D.

Cheryl Duckworth, Ph.D., faculty in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), joined the Board of the Alliance for International Education (AIE) as a trustee. According to their website, AIE’s purpose is “The Alliance for International Education brings together those who are committed to advancing international education and intercultural understanding to develop ideas and practices through sharing and exploring their similarities and differences.” For more information about AIE, please see http://www.intedalliance.org/ Duckworth was inducted at a meeting in Geneva.

Duckworth is the faculty facilitator for the Peace and Conflict Education Working Group at CAHSS. The group seeks to equip and empower schools worldwide to be examples and builders of peace, and to promote activities and curriculum that can help extend peace into the local communities. She teaches qualitative research methods, foundations of conflict resolution, History, Memory and Conflict Resolution, and peace education.

CAHSS Faculty Publishes book chapter, “Heating Up to Cool Down: An Encountering Approach to Ericksonian Hypnotherapy and Brief Therapy.”

Douglas Flemons, Ph.D.

Douglas Flemons, Ph.D., faculty in the Department of Family Therapy in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), has authored a chapter in the book, Creative Therapy in Challenging Situations: Unusual Interventions to Help Clients, edited by Michael Hoyt, Ph.D. and Monte Bobele, Ph.D., and published by Routledge. Flemons authored the chapter entitled, “Heating Up to Cool Down: An Encountering Approach to Ericksonian Hypnotherapy and Brief Therapy.”

Flemons is the Co-Director of the NSU Office of Suicide and Violence Prevention. He is the author of books on writing Writing Between the Lines, hypnosis and therapy, Of One Mind, psychotherapy and Eastern philosophy, Completing Distinctions, and suicide assessment, Relational Suicide Assessment, co-authored with Len Gralnik, MD. He is also co-editor, with his wife and colleague, Shelley Green, Ph.D. of a book on brief sex therapy, Quickies. Flemons maintains a private practice in Fort Lauderdale and presents widely on hypnosis, psychotherapy, sexuality, suicide, writing, and other topics.

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