Halmos Doctoral Student/Veteran Starts Consulting Firm

Baldo Bello, M.S.

Baldo Bello, M.S., doctoral student in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS) in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS), started Offset Consulting LLC, this year, which focuses on training public and private sector organizations on report narrative generation, leadership through adaptability and organizational conflict analysis

Bello is a 20-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps Reserves, during which he spent over 15 years in the infantry and retired as a Gunnery Sergeant. His last duty station was with Marine Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC) in the capacity of a Force Integration Operations Chief. He would advise on policy, and its implementation on a force of about 80,000 Marines and Sailors.  Currently Bello is a full-time Intelligence Police Detective, and has been in law enforcement for approximately 18 years.  A native of Chicago, he also holds a master’s degree from the University of Chicago in Critical Incident Response and Threat Management.  In his spare time, he listens to audiobooks on audible, and spends time with his beautiful family.

Posted 07/05/22

College of Computing and Engineering Feeds Successful Career of Veteran

When Leonard Pounds, Ph.D., first arrived at Nova Southeastern University, he found a college that provided the perfect home to develop his skills in information technology.

NSU’s College of Computing and Engineering was the perfect fit for Pounds, as he moved from his distinguished military service and began building his future dreams.

A photo of Leonard Pounds when he was serving in the Navy

Pounds came to NSU in 2007 and held various positions in the Office of Innovation and Information Technology, including Deputy Chief Information Officer, before being promoted to the university’s Vice President of NSU Health in 2018. Pounds received a Master’s in Information Systems and a Ph.D. in Information Systems from the college.

One of the fortunate similarities of Pounds’ time in the college and his time in service has been the camaraderie, he says. It’s the connections with people that many veterans miss most when they leave the military, he adds.

“This has also been the case within my academic journey; the program was geared toward my learning outcomes, making my educational journey very enjoyable alongside access to NSU’s Veterans Resource Center,” he said.

“I have built great relationships with my classmates, professors, and staff. The College of Computing and Engineering at NSU has been an amazing experience for me that has helped me grow personally and professionally.”

Pounds says that some of his military skills helped him make his transition to higher education a successful one.

“Being a veteran, I had already learned some of the most valuable lessons such as adaptability, perseverance, and time management,” he said.

The product of a military family, Pounds served in the U.S. Navy as an Information Systems Technician Second-Class Petty Officer (ESWS). His active-duty deployments included Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pounds received numerous awards of distinction including two Navy & Marine Corps Achievement medals, a Navy Unit Commendation medal, a Navy Good Conduct medal, a National Defense Service medal, a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary medal, a Global War on Terrorism Service medal, two Sea service ribbons and the designation of Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist.

“My father was the most significant influence in my service,” he said. “He served in the U.S. Navy during Vietnam.”

As the VP of NSU Health, Pounds is now able to take the vast knowledge he has gained from the College of Computing and Engineering and apply it over a broad spectrum. Pounds oversees all clinic operations at NSU.  To Pounds, his career development from military to higher education has been an exercise in seamlessness.

“There has been a relatively easy transition into my professional role. This was due to my military service and the knowledge and skills acquired at the College of Computing and Engineering,” he said. “In the military, we are taught to put the team’s well-being ahead of our personal well-being. … This is servant leadership at its finest and this is the same attention to detail that you can expect from the faculty at NSU.”

Posted 06/19/22

Graduate Spotlight: Dreams Come True for Aspiring M.D. Student

Samantha Marazita

Samantha Marazita possesses a personality fueled with honesty, vivacity, and a passion for helping others. In fact, her zeal for life is so powerful that it’s hard to imagine the hurdles she had to clear enroute to a promising path to be a doctor. Obstacles aside, this M.D. graduate now finds herself headed to clinicals in internal medicine at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio — the No. 2 hospital in the world.

Samantha’s journey was a bumpy one. She was raised in a mobile home park in Reno, Nevada, about 500 miles outside Las Vegas. Her parents, who didn’t finish high school, worked casino and service industry jobs to provide for Samantha and her older brother Anthony.

Samantha’s father incidentally gave her the first taste of the medicine. When he would complain of illnesses that he believed he had, Samantha would get on the family’s computer to do some research on his symptoms. She would bring her findings the next day to the dinner table. Her father continued to feed her medical curiosity routinely, she says.

Growing up, Samantha wasn’t much of a fan of academics, maintaining that she – as well as her parents – were more “street smart than book smart.” But that would all change when she went to high school. Initially though, she said, she struggled, and her grades reflected it.

“My first two years of high school, I was a terrible student,” she said. “It was C’s, D’s, and F’s. I told my teachers that I was just going to drop out.”

But then she met Dr. Sharon See, her sophomore English teacher. Samantha didn’t have a printer like the other students in the class so she would hand write her essays. Dr. See would sit down with her and go over them as she graded them.

“Having read many of my essays, she told me things could be different for me, that I could break the cycle and do whatever I want,” Samantha said. “She said that I could do well and go to college someday. Nobody ever said anything like that to me, and somehow it just stuck.”

Suddenly, Samantha says, she started turning her bad grades into A’s and did so well in school that she earned an in-state scholarship to go to college.

“Being in school was an escape for me once I opened myself up to learning,” she said.

Her quest for medical knowledge continued, and she would often offer unsolicited medical advice to people she knew.

Samantha studied film initially, having grown up often glued to the tube and her love for movies. She subsidized her income in the hospitality industry wearing such hats as a casino worker or concierge. For a moment, Samantha thought that hospitality might be the career for her, but something was missing, she said.

She was inspired by her husband, who she met after he had moved from the country of Georgia to Las Vegas get a graduate degree in medical physics. He told me to “Make my hobby my passion,” she said.

When the couple moved to Denver, Samantha headed back to school, getting degrees in chemistry and biology. Samantha then set her sights on Florida, because she loved the state and it had “plenty of medical schools.” She had heard about NSU and its reputation, she said, so she applied to the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Her application was denied, but she didn’t give up. She applied for the College of Allopathic Medicine and was accepted into its Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) program.

“I was so excited about being a part of the charter class of graduates of NSU,” she said.

With her latest degree and impending clinical experience, Samantha says she hopes to bring a positive impact to patients the field of internal medicine.

“Being in the hospital is one of the worst times in your life,” she said. “I just want to be a friendly face in the hospital for people and listen to their stories. I want to be the kind of hospitalist that spends time with patients and helps put the puzzle together for them.”

Posted 05/23/22

Health Care Science Grad Responds to Emergencies

John Saindon, D.H.Sc., Ph.D., NSU PCHCS Department of Health Science alumnus

John Saindon, D.H.Sc., Ph.D., graduated from Nova Southeastern University’s College of Health Care Science with dual degrees of Doctor of Health Science D.H.Sc. (2010), and Ph.D. of Health Science (2017).

Since graduating, Saindon has supported numerous emergency public health responses across the globe to include Ebola virus, Hepatitis, COVID-19, Operation Allies Welcome (vulnerable Afghan refugees), and most recently a Polio response in East Africa.

During March 2022, Saindon provided public health technical assistance to the Government of Tanzania as they prepared for and conducted a mass vaccination campaign of children under age 5 in designated high-risk regions. Over a four-day period, Tanzania vaccinated more than 1 million children in high-risk regions.

Posted 05/22/22

Law Alumnus Discusses COVID’s Affect On Hybrid Work Models

Ira Coleman, J.D.

Ira Coleman, J.D. (’86), a Shepard Broad College of Law graduate, is the chairman of McDermott Will & Emery. Since Ira took on this role in 2017, the firm has embraced a new strategic direction focused on being indispensable to clients, enhancing performance and nurturing a happy, fun culture.

He focuses his practice on all aspects of representing major private and publicly held corporations. In particular, he advises clients in navigating M&A and controversy matters that have “bet the company” implications. His other areas of focus include health, private equity and compliance.

The pandemic forced lawyers to leave the office and work from home. Now, as many of those offices open back up, leaders of big law firms are grappling with what tasks need to be done in person and what can be done remotely.

Leaders from some of the country’s biggest law firms share their return-to-office plans and whether hybrid work is here to stay. To watch video, click here.

To learn more about our alumnus, Ira J. Coleman, click here.

Posted 03/13/22

Halmos Students Present at Annual Microbiology Meeting

On February 25-27, the Florida Branch of the American Society for Microbiology held its 2022 annual meeting, giving Halmos students the opportunity to present their research.  The labs of Halmos faculty members Julie Torruellas Garcia, Ph.D.; Robert Smith, Ph.D.; and Jose V. Lopez, Ph.D. attended, presented, and won awards.

From the Garcia Lab:

  • Undergraduate biology students Ashley Janke, Sri Rishitha Nannapaneni & Alyssa Gershon won 2nd place award for Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Presentation for their work, “Isolation of bacteriophages in soil that infect Gordonia rubripertincta”.
  • Chloe Barreto-Massad, American Heritage Boca/Delray High School (a high school student mentored by Garcia) won 3rd place award for outstanding Undergraduate Oral Presentation for “An Investigation of the Effects of Aerobic and Anaerobic Environments on Antibiotics Produced by Soil Bacteria”

From the Smith Lab:

  • Camryn Pajon, an undergraduate biology major won 1st place award for outstanding undergraduate oral presentation for her research, “Carbon source driven metabolic buffering determines the co-existence of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa”.
  • Laura Garcia-Dieguez, Masters in Biological Sciences student gave an oral presentation,

“Changes in Frequency and Amplitude of Spatial Disturbances Modulate the Expression of Quorum Sensing-Mediated Virulence Effectors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa”

She also entered the Microbiology Art Contest with the theme “Florida Microbes” and won Honorable mention.

  • Masters in Biological Sciences students Gabriela Diaz-Tang & Estefania Marin Meneses gave an oral presentation on “The Influence of Growth Efficiency on the Inoculum Effect”

From the Lopez Lab:

  • Colleen McMaken, Masters in Biological Sciences gave an oral presentation regarding

“Microbial impacts on loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtle hatching success”

The Florida Branch of the American Society for Microbiology (FLASM) promotes microbiology education and research in Florida through meetings, discussions, and publications. Our members represent the many diverse areas of microbiology including virology, metagenomics, clinical, environmental, basic research, education, industrial, bioenergy, veterinary, and more.

Congratulations to all students presenting at this year’s meeting!

Posted 03/13/22

College Spotlights Education Graduate William Brothers

William Brothers, Ed.S.

William Brothers has been selected as the new Dean for the School of Education and Professional Studies at Greenville Technical College. He is responsible for oversight of an academic school that encompasses programs in cosmetology, criminal justice, early care & education, human services, and paralegal, along with the college’s Culinary Institute of the Carolinas.

Brothers earned an Ed.S. in Brain-Based Teaching from the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice in 2012. He holds a Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship from Western Carolina University, an M.B.A. from Western Carolina University, and Bachelor’s Degree from Southern Wesleyan University.

Brothers is an experienced higher education professional with more than a decade of teaching and administrative experience. Brothers said that he pursued a career in education because it is a career that helps to change lives. “You inspire your students to do their best when you do your best,” he said. “You encourage your colleagues to work hard when you work hard.”

Brothers said that the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice gave him the knowledge and skills to educate his students and effectively lead his faculty and staff. The program gave him the confidence to move into a career in education. Brothers was enrolled as a student at a distance, and he said the faculty and staff with the program were very supportive and accommodating.

Brothers currently lives in South Carolina with his wife and five children. The Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice wishes Brothers the best of luck as he steps into his new role as Dean for the School of Education and Professional Studies at Greenville Technical College!

Posted 02/14/22

Dental Medicine Graduate Devotes Life to Giving Back

Roxene Gascoigne, DDS

Roxene Gascoigne, DDS, completed her residency in Endodontics at Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine (NSU-Dental) and currently practices in New York. Not only does Gascoigne devote her life to health care and educating people on oral health’s vital role in overall wellness, but she also hones a passion for philanthropy.

Gascoigne grew up in Jamaica and was immersed in an environment of educators and philanthropists. Her grandparents were prominent principals in Jamaica. Her grandfather founded a credit union to provide educators with an opportunity to establish their livelihoods by assisting them in purchasing homes and building their careers. Gascoigne’s father, Rae Gascoigne, has been an exemplar in raising resources for their native Jamaica. Rae founded scholarships for educators in honor of his father, the distinguished Desmond Charles (“DC”) Gascoigne Award for Excellence, administered by the Jamaica Teachers’ Association Credit Union. Gascoigne’s compassion and strong work ethic can be attributed to her strong bond with her father, who continues to serve as her mentor. Since graduating from  NSU-Dental, Gascoigne is committed to following in her father’s philanthropic footsteps, providing a Changing Life Scholarship to NSU dental students seeking to pursue a career in dental medicine. She has named her scholarship in honor of her father, from whom she learned philanthropy. Gascoigne also volunteers her time at one of the largest hospital groups in New York, Northwell Health, working with recent dental graduates and serving as an attending at their GPR Program. Despite her hectic schedule, giving back to the community is a priority for Gascoigne. She finds it rewarding to work with the next generation of graduates and inspires them to reach their goals.

During her time at NSU-Dental, Gascoigne immersed herself in the curriculum and established herself as a hard worker amongst her peers. Her fondest memory is grand rounds, a monthly conference during which students from different specialties presented clinical cases. Partaking in grand rounds allowed her to collaborate with classmates and articulate on pressing matters within different specialties. When asked what advice she would give students, Gascoigne said, “Medicine is a very demanding field. Put passion into your work and love what you’re doing, then everything else will follow.”

To learn more about creating a Changing Lives Scholarship, contact Shari Meehan, Director of Development, smeehan@nova.edu.

Posted 02/13/22

Education Alumnus Appointed Middle School Principal

Presley Charles, Ed.D.

The Howell L. Watkins Middle School in Florida recently appointed Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice alumni Presley Charles, Ed.D., as their new principal. Before becoming a principal, Charles was a member of the Professional Growth Department as the Manager of Leadership Development in the School District of Palm Beach County. He also served as an assistant principal and has been in education for 16 years in four school districts in Florida and Georgia.

Charles, was born in Freeport, Bahamas, but raised in Pompano Beach, Florida, with his parents, who immigrated to Florida from Haiti. He received his associate degree from Tallahassee Community College, then proceeded to earn an undergraduate degree in sociology from Florida A&M University. Charles continued to pursue his education by earning a Masters of Educational Leadership at Florida A&M University. In 2012, he earned a doctorate degree in Human Service Administration from the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice.

Charles is the founder of Man I am Male Mentoring and Leadership Program, which helps young males develop a sense of self-respect and become productive young men of their community in which he mentored hundreds of young men. He received the Glenn-Howell Distinguished Minority Educator of the Year Award for 2009-10 and 2010-11, and he was also featured in Essence Magazine top 50 “Do Right Man” in 2006 for his work in the community.

Charles is proud of the doctorate degree he received from the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. His advice for future students pursuing a career as an educational leader is to follow a purpose and not a position, lead people to influence, and add value to them.

Charles lives in Florida with his wife Jacqueline and two children, Xavier and Pharaoh. Fins up to you, Presley and all of your incredible accomplishments. The Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice can’t wait to hear about all your success as you step into your new role as principal.

Posted 02/13/22

College Spotlights Doctor of Education Graduate

Marquita S. Blades Ed.D.

Marquita S. Blades, Ed.D, is an award-winning educator, international speaker, author, and education consultant with 16 years of experience as a high school science teacher and manager of national STEM programs for high-achieving high school students. Blades saves schools and school districts time and money by teaching them how to increase student engagement and collaboration through rigorous and meaningful learning experiences, using the resources they currently have on hand.

In 2018, Blades created the POWARRful Teaching Strategies® framework to help students build their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, based on recurring themes in her teaching practices. She found that she was constantly teaching the same six-core POWARR skills: Predict, Observe, Write, Analyze, Research, Report. Since releasing POWARRful Teaching Strategies®, she has shared the framework with thousands of educators across the US, giving them the tools and confidence, they need to put it into practice and build more student-centered classrooms immediately. Blades is also the founder of The Mediocre Teacher Project, which helps teachers avoid and battle through burnout by incorporating their unique gifts and talents into their daily practice.

Throughout her career, she has received numerous awards, including the Elizabeth Allen Alford Overcomer’s Award (2017), Teachers of Atlanta Honoree (2017), Eta Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Rising Star in Education (2017), National Celebrity Educators™-Georgia Celebrity Educator of the Year (2018), and Women of Strength Honoree (2018). Most recently, she was nominated for the 2019 Community Engagement R.I.C.E. Award and was selected to be included in the 2019 Edition of Who’s Who in Black Atlanta.

Blades earned a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Broad Field Science from Georgia State University, a Master of Science in Technical and Professional Communication from Southern Polytechnic State University, and a Doctor of Education in Instructional Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Blades said that earning her doctoral degree from Nova Southeastern University has been one of the best decisions in her professional career. Since earning her doctoral degree, her career as an educator has taken off. She’s doing what she intended to do: become an instructional leader! She has conducted hundreds of national presentations, held workshops and seminars all providing professional development to thousands of educators, sharing best practices she learned through classroom experience and doctoral research. In addition, she has become a published author, editor and publisher and gained the respect of colleagues who were once professors that she held in high esteem. Her degree has opened doors she could not have imagined walking through and earned her seats at tables where she could not imagine sitting. She is very grateful for her NSU education.

Recently, Blades established the “The Dr. Marquita S. Blades POWARRful Changing Lives Scholarship” at Nova Southeastern University to help provide scholarships to NSU students pursuing a graduate degree at the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. The Changing Lives scholarship, first-hand, touches student’s lives. We are beyond grateful for Blades’ generosity. Because of her newly established scholarship, the college will support students fulfill their dreams by continuing their education.

When she is not teaching or public speaking, Blades works as a Realtor alongside her husband Virgil Blades. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and exploring life in Panama, where she and her husband reside part-time.

For any questions regarding POWARRful Teaching Strategies® please contact Marquita at drblades@drmarquitablades.com and follow her on social media at @powarrfulteaching.

Posted 01/30/22

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