Category: SharkBytes

Doctoral Student at the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice Recognized for Project Based Learning in the Classroom

Simone T. Lewis

Simone T. Lewis, doctoral student at the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice was recently highlighted for her use of Project Based Learning (PBL) in the classroom by Broward County Public Schools. She is currently a 7th grade intensive reading teacher at Margate Middle School.

Her featured project revolved around the impact of harmful marine life such as jellyfish and red algae on the life of Floridians. The project began when a group of students asked what harm could come to them personally after reading a text about these invasive species. Instead of directly answering, Simone suggested to the class to do some research to find out together. Incorporating the hands on experience, while exploring science, art and history within the context of reading class has led to increased student and parent engagement.

In addition to her innovative classroom, Simone is an accomplished author. In 2016 she published her first children’s book in an anticipated series, “The Adventures of Seth and Shadow, Super- Duper Student of the Week.” Inspired by the daily routines of her then four-year-old son, Seth, who struggled with accepting the weekly defeat of not being selected as student of the week. Seth would often cry stating that he would never be good enough to be student of the week no matter how hard he tried. When he finally persevered, and became student of the week, Simone decided to document his adventures with Shadow, the classroom mascot by creating a book using pictures she had taken and the services of her local pharmacy’s photo development department. Little did she know that this would deliver Seth and Shadow Books.

Simone is a two time NSU alum. She graduated with a bachelor’s in Applied Studies with a concentration in Psychology and earned her Master’s in Reading. She is expected to graduate later this year with her doctorate of education. Her dissertation is titled, “Using PBL and Total Physical Response in the classroom”.

To order The Adventures of Seth and Shadow, Super- Duper Student of the Week”, please visit: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Seth-Shadow-Super-Student/dp/1524656437

NSU Collegiate DECA Students Attend 2019 National Competition

(L to R)- Monica Paneque, Vijay Patel, Rudresh Patel, Rea Ghodasra, Varun Raja, and Laura Cashman

NSU’s Collegiate DECA chapter sent five members to represent the University at the 2019 International Career Development Conference (ICDC) in Orlando, Florida.

More than 1,400 college students from around the nation participated in the five-day event. The (ICDC) competitive events program gave participants the opportunity to put their experience, skills and knowledge to the test in 24 difference categories. The Competitive Events Program has been recognized for helping to prepare students for their professional careers. Their work and presentations are judged by business and industry professionals in those fields.

Placing Top Ten in competition finals were NSU students Vijay Patel, who competed in Sales Management event and Varun Raja who competed in the Entrepreneurship Operations event. Varun also earned two Awards of Excellence in his category by earning top scores in both the testing and case study portions of the event.

Other NSU students who qualified to compete at the national level were:

  • Rea Ghodasra, Business-to-Business Marketing
  • Rudresh Patel, Business-to-Business Marketing
  • Laura Cashman, Fashion Merchandising & Marketing

Monica Paneque, Director of the Huizenga Business Innovation Academy, Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, currently serves as adviser to the NSU group.

While attending the conference, NSU students were able to network with representatives from corporate supporters like Walgreens, NAPA, and England Logistics as well as participate in professional development workshop sessions hosted by industry experts.

NSU Collegiate DECA would like to thank everyone who donated to their campaign to fund this memorable and unique experience. Without your support, this trip would not have been possible. If you would like to support future NSU DECA students and conferences, please click here.

To follow NSU DECA on social media, find them on Facebook – @NSUDECA or Instagram @nsu_deca

Medical Communications Director Wins AACOM Writing Award

Scott Colton, B.A., APR

Scott Colton, B.A., APR, director of medical communications and public relations for the Health Professions Division, received second-place honors in the 2019 American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) Excellence in Communications Awards Program. Colton earned his award in the Best Feature Story or Article category for his COM Outlook piece “Beating Addiction: 2006 Alumnus Shares Harrowing Story of Opioid Dependence.” AACOM represents the 35 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States, which are accredited to deliver instruction at 55 teaching locations in 32 states.

College of Education and School of Criminal Justice Graduate Authors Book on Mentoring

Daniel H. Shapiro, Ed.D., graduate of NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice (FCE&CJ) recently authored the book, The 5 Practices of the Caring Mentor: Strengthening the Mentoring Relationship from the Inside Out!. The book focuses on the five key practices all mentors must master to bring out the best in their mentees.

Shapiro has over twenty years of experience as a teacher, school counselor, mentor and district leader in Broward County Public Schools. He received the Florida Governor’s Shine Award for inspirational teaching and was named a Broward County Public Schools 2014 Caliber Award winner and the 2015 Florida School Counselor Association (FSCA) Elementary School Counselor of the Year. Shapiro is now a school counseling specialist and provides mentoring and professional development to school counselors within the Broward County School District.

He earned his doctorate of education with the FCE&CJ in 2012.

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Alumnus Publishes Book and Receives Thabo Mbeki Award for Public Service and Scholarship

Fonkem Achankeng I, Ph.D., graduate of the doctoral program in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS) in NSU’s College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS), has co-edited a book with Janet Hagen, Ph.D., entitled, Crime, Second Chances, and Human Services: Creating a Pathway to Ordinary Life for the Convicted. Rowman and Littlefield published the book. For more information, please go to: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498595889/Crime-Second-Chances-and-Human-Services-Creating-a-Pathway-to-Ordinary-Life-for-the-Convicted

In addition, Achankeng received the Thabo Mbeki Award for Public Service and Scholarship at the 19th Annual Africa Conference, University of Texas, Austin, in March. “Among other things, the Awards Committee in choosing him for this award noted his community services, his membership in organizations and societies that promote peace, his promotion of African culture, and his ability to merge practice with theories.”

Achankeng, is an associate professor  in the Department of Human Services Leadership in the College of Education & Human Services at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. He has authored numerous articles and was a Fulbright scholar in 1995-1996 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs, University of Minnesota. Previously he was in the diplomatic service in the Foreign Ministry of Cameroon. His teaching and research interests include refugees, migration and human services; social issues and solutions; and conflict analysis and resolution. Achankeng is an Executive Council Member of The Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies.

 

CAHSS Faculty Publishes Article with Alumna in Journal of Ecological Anthropology

Eileen Smith-Cavros, Ph.D., faculty in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) published an article in the Journal of Ecological Anthropology with NSU alumna Arianna Sunyak. Smith-Cavros teaches sociology and anthropology courses. Sunyak received her undergraduate degree from NSU in Environmental Science and also her master’s degree in education from NSU in Education.

The article is entitled, “Off-the-Grid in an On-the-Grid Nation: Household Energy Choices, Intra-Community Effects, and Attitudes in a Rural Neighborhood in Utah, “Volume 20, Number 1 (2019). The qualitative study involved surveys with closed and open-ended questions to explore the local effects off-grid living had on individuals and households and daily intra-community life. Based on the data, it appears that living off-grid, particularly the use of solar energy, seemed to enhance the sense of intra-community neighborliness. The article may be accessed at https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jea/vol20/iss1/5/

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Faculty Presents at National Association of Music Merchants Conference in CA

Jessica Muñiz-Collado, M.F.A., faculty in the Department of Performing and Visual Arts in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), was selected to present at the National Association of Music Merchants (The NAMM Show) winter conference in Anaheim, California. Her presentation entitled “Reel Music and Beyond,” provided resourceful information for music composition and production students regarding finding work as a media composer/music producer. The NAMM show is described as the largest four-day music-tech industry conference.

Muñiz-Collado has performed and recorded with numerous musicians and artists including Grammy-nominated saxophonist Steve Elson, jazz vibraphonist Arthur Lipner, Cookie “Conga” Lopez, Anders Astrand, Jean Geoffroy, Ney Rosauro, and trumpet all-star John Walsh. She has also performed throughout North and South America, toured with the FROST Percussion Sextet in Japan, and was a guest lecturer and performer at the international music conference LeRock & L’Amour held at the Universite Paul-Valery in Montpellier, France. At NSU, she teaches courses in composition, music production, and percussion. In addition, she directed the Mako Band, NSU Pep Band, and managed NSU Mako Records.

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Student Receives Endorsement Deal from Ernie Ball Guitars

Jessica Elalouf, music minor in the Department of Performing and Visual Arts in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) and bass guitar player for the NSU Mako Band, has recently gained an endorsement deal with Ernie Ball Guitars, the world’s leading manufacturer of guitar strings. World-class players such as Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, and Eric Clapton have all played Ernie Ball strings to create their unique sound. Elalouf, with her band Exigent, can be heard throughout various South Florida venues. Exigent also performed at the TTM Guitars showcase this past January during the NAMM Show. Follow Jessica and Exigent on Instagram: @exigent.band.

 

Conflict Analysis and Resolution Alumna Promoted to Associate Professor at Huaiyin Normal University in China

Jenny Chang, Ph.D., graduate of the doctoral program in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, was promoted to associate professor in the Department of Social Work, School of History, Culture, and Tourism at Huaiyin Normal University in China. She teaches courses in counseling, conflict and crisis invention. Chang recently gave a talk entitled, “Cross-Cultural Interaction: Insight from the Experience of Studying Abroad,” as part of the campus-wide cultural series talks. Her proposal to present at the international conference held by the Asian Association for Social Psychology in Taipei in the summer has been accepted.

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Alumna Works with Refugees in Spain

Virginia Fernandez Gonzalez, M.S., 2013 graduate of the master’s program in the Department of Family Therapy in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), is a family therapist working in Spain to address the European refugee crisis. Upon graduation, she started working for Gulf Coast Community Services. Her heart was touched by the plight of the immigrants and refugee families she worked with and she decided she needed to do more. Subsequently she relocated to NYC and then to Spain.

She indicated that, “Regarding my work with the NGO, I am part of a multidisciplinary team which helps international protection seekers adapt and integrate to Spain. Although many applicants come alone to Spain, we have been receiving mainly families, not only because our facilities are family friendly, but also because as a team, we orient our work to prioritize and foster family attachment and relationships. I work collaboratively with a lawyer, social workers, and skills training team and job /educational advisor to guide families throughout their integration process. More specifically, I provide assessment, intervention (individual, group and family format), follow-up and referral to all the individuals and families we receive.”

“Our program runs for 18 months, split in two phases: a first 6-month phase during which we provide housing for families, and a second 12-month phase during which they live independently but still receive financial assistance until they find a job and can sustain themselves. The multidisciplinary team works with the beneficiaries transversally throughout the two phases. In terms of the issues I addressed, certainly grief and trauma work is part of my everyday work. Trauma that comes not only from the reason for their seeking international protection, but also past (sometimes chronic) trauma, that they carry with them and which are exacerbate in these stressful conditions.”

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