Tag: Diversity

Education Professor Gets Award From Haitian Studies Association

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice Professor Charlene Desir, Ed.D., has been selected to receive the 2022 Award for Service by the Haitian Studies Association (HSA).

Charlene Desir, Ed.D.

Desir was presented with the HSA Service Award at the Association’s 34th Annual Conference in Washington D.C.

The award honors a person or organization in recognition of years of dedication and service to the Haitian Studies Association, the field of Haitian Studies, or to the people of Haiti.

“The steadfast commitment you have shown to the academic, psycho-social and spiritual development of Haitian immigrants and other disenfranchised populations in both the U.S. and Haiti have earned you this special recognition,” the organization said.

Desir has been a part of the organization since she was a first year-student in college at Tufts University. She went on to serve as the HSA’s youngest president in 2012.

She said she first encountered them while walking on campus after a rather dejecting experience in class.

“And I saw a sign that said, ‘Haitian Studies Association, an Academic Conference on the Study of Haiti’ and I walked in. I just walked in; I wasn’t registering– nothing. I walked in and sat down. And that’s how it began. And I stayed there until this day.”

Desir said the association has been there for pivotal moments of her academic career, through the earning of her degrees and she even published her first paper in their journal.

The organization also witnessed the start of Desir’s Emerging Scholars program.

“It’s a mentoring program for undergrad and graduate students in the U.S. and Haiti that want to be an academic and study Haitian issues as part of their work,” she said.

The program is now in its 10th year, and some of the scholars even came out to watch Desir receive her honor.

Overall, Desir said the honor was incredibly special to her.

“As an academic, to be recognized for service was really important for me, because we’re expected to publish, we’re expected to research, we’re expected to teach and to give back and to be recognized as one of the people that gave back to the institution — this academic institution, and it was recognized that I created an academic legacy plan for the organization, I think was profound.”

Congratulations Charlene Desir and thank you for all your hard work!

Posted 10/23/22

College Brings Smiles to ‘Special Olympics Special Smile’

From left, Lieny Padron, PG AEGD resident; Anna Spiller D2 predoctoral student; Dr. Michelle Madera, AEGD faculty; Karen Zapata, PG AEGD resident; Cassandra Gubala, D2 predoctoral student; and Emily Washburn D2 predoctoral student.

Predoctoral students from Special Needs Club, AEGD residents and faculty from Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine provided free dental screening and oral hygiene instruction for special needs individuals at the Special Olympics Special Smile event on Saturday October 15, 2022, at Bamford Sports Complex in Davie.

The Healthy Athletes program launched in 1997, according to the Special Olympics website. It consists of seven areas where Special Olympic athletes can receive free health screenings: podiatry, physical therapy, better health and well-being, audiology, sports physical exams, vision, and dentistry.

Special Smiles is the dental health discipline of Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® that provides athletes and individuals with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to take charge of their oral health. Special Smiles provides comprehensive oral health care information, offers non-invasive dental screenings and instructions on correct brushing and flossing techniques to Special Olympics athletes. This also includes issuing preventative supplies, like toothpaste, toothbrushes, and fluoride varnish.

Posted 10/23/22

Education Alum Accepted Into Aspiring Assistant Principal Program

Coi Lazier

A Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice graduate has been accepted into a prestigious program thanks to a project she did during her studies.

Coi Lazier recently graduated in June with her M.S. in Educational Leadership. During one of her final courses, the Leadership Symposium, she was tasked with developing an initiative that could potentially be used in a future interview process.

Lazier chose a project that dealt with children’s exposure to culturally relevant text.

“We had to identify a problem using data, then determine how to monitor that data, and then come up with an action plan,” Lazier said.

Lazier began by visiting a school and evaluating its classroom libraries and curriculum. In doing so, she recognized that minority students weren’t represented in the texts being used.

“I tied that back into their academia, and that could have been one of the root causes why kids were not engaged in the lesson,” Lazier said.

Lazier then developed a plan, and after working with the school and teachers, she proposed alternative texts for use.

“In doing that, I was able to track and monitor data to see if students were making progress as a result of incorporating culturally relevant texts during the literacy and social studies blocks. And to my surprise, the students in grades 3-5 made over 15% growth in ELA after I analyzed their iReady Diagnostic, district (Florida Standards Quizzes), and Florida Standards Assessment data. I was genuinely stunned at how much culturally relevant texts had such a great impact on student growth and behavior in just one trimester.

Lazier then used the initiative she designed to help her during an interview for the Palm Beach Aspiring Assistant Principal program, a program she has since been accepted to.

“During my entrance interview into the Aspiring Assistant Principal Program I was able to use the experience that I gained from the project that I worked on during the Symposium class at Nova to answer a question about a time when I developed an initiative to support student learning and build teacher capacity,” she said.

Lazier said she is incredibly thankful to both Nova and Drs. Maria Grethel Mendez and Gabriela Mendez for their assistance in helping her achieve her goals.

Lazier said she doesn’t plan to stop with the end of the program. She hopes to serve as an assistant principal, then principal, and one day become an Instructional Superintendent. In between, she said she also plans to start her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at NSU.

Congratulations Coi! Fins up to you!

Posted 10/23/22

Sports Science Master’s Student Interns at INTER MIAMI CF

Sigourney Kame at the INTER MIAMI FC Training facility.

Sigourney Kame, who is a sports science master’s student of the Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP) in the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences, recently completed a valuable internship as a sports performance coach at INTER MIAMI CF, which is a Major League Soccer (MLS) professional soccer team located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  This opportunity was facilitated by Tobin Silver, Ph.D., internship coordinator, professor of Health and Human Performance program.

Sigourney Kame with David Beckam, co-owner of INTER MIAMI FC.

Sigourney’s primary role as a sports performance intern consisted of leading the activation exercises before the team’s practice, perform the team’s dynamic warm-up and cooldown, assist the head coach with the sport-specific on-field warm-up and lead the team’s upper-body, lower-body, and full-body strength training. She was also responsible for tracking the GPS–STAT-Sports of the players and create a report displaying various sports science data such as the running speeds, metabolic loads, accelerations, decelerations, and distance traveled.

Sigourney had an amazing experience at INTER MIAMI FC and learned a lot from the sports performance coaches and was able to use here scientific knowledge in a practical manner. She was also very privileged to meet one of the team owners, David Beckam. She said, “It was a true honor to have met David Beckam and have a brief conversation with him. He treats everyone with the utmost respect and kindness and is an amazing professional I definitely look up to.”

Sigourney, who started her master’s here at Nova Southeastern University within the sport science department in Fall 2021 is set to graduate this Fall 2022 semester with her Master of Science in Sports Science degree and is super excited to what the future holds.

She further said, “My experience within the Sports Science department was fantastic. The sports science department consists of very knowledgeable professors who are all active and respected within the Sports Science field, always open to guide students with any career advice needed and help open doors for them. The faculty who prepared me for this opportunity include Dr. Corey Peacock, Dr. Tobin Silver, Dr. Monique Mokha, Dr. Jose Antonio and Dr. Anthony Ricci.  They were very influential to my personal and professional growth.”

Posted 10/23/22

NSU Dance Presents Dance Awareness Day

Jimmy Arguello

The NSU Dance Program in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts presents a series of free dance classes in a variety of styles led by Dance faculty, guest teachers, Dance alumni and majors on Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at various locations across campus. Movement classes in hip-hop, ballet, modern, contemporary, funk, improvisation, tap and more are open to all levels and filled on a first come, first served basis.

Special guest Jimmy Arguello, a faculty member at Miami City Ballet School, will teach a contemporary class in the Performance Theatre from 11a.m. to 12 p.m. NSU Dance alumni Angelina Granitz, Maria Pusateri and Alonzo Williams will also lead workshops.

A performance by the NSU Dance Ensemble and a Q&A session with Elana Lanczi, associate professor of dance in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts, will take place from 1 to 2 p.m.

More than 100 people are expected to participate in Dance Awareness Day including students from Broward College, Miami Studio Dance Team, NSU, NSU University School, West Boca Raton High School and West Hialeah High School.

View the full schedule here.

Date: Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022

Time(s): 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location(s): Various locations on NSU’s Davie-Fort Lauderdale campus

Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. in the first-floor lobby of the Performance Theater.

For more information about Dance Awareness Day, contact Elana Lanczi at lanczi@nova.edu

Posted 10/14/22

Honors College Alum Uses Law for Innovation

For Farquhar Honors College alum Veronika Balbuzanova, Esq., practicing law isn’t just a job but her life’s passion. As an associate attorney at the Johnson Dalal Firm, she practices intellectual property law, working with innovators from all fields to protect their creative labors and interests and navigate the intangible side of creating.

Though a rigorous and challenging profession, Balbuzanova thrives in the ever-changing legal landscape. She enjoys helping clients with patents, copyrights, trademarks, and more.

Veronika Balbuzanova, Esq.

“The legal profession requires you to be a self-motivated and lifelong learner,” said Balbuzanova, who has been practicing law for three years. “This is one of the most challenging parts of this profession but also one of the most fulfilling because you never remain stagnant. You are constantly evolving and growing professionally and, in turn, personally.”

Despite her field changing with new statutes and rulings every day, her love for the law never does—a quality that allows her to excel at what she does. As an avid writer, she has published in reputable legal journals, including the American Bar Association’s Litigation Journal and the Journal of Law and Cyber Warfare. She has also worked on appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal and Eleventh Circuit and even before the United States Supreme Court.

As a two-time NSU graduate, receiving her bachelor’s degree in legal studies in 2016 and her Juris Doctorate in 2019, Balbuzanova is similarly committed to her alma mater as she is to her career. Eager to remain involved with NSU, she returned to campus over the summer to cohost the “Invention Experts” workshop presented by the Alan B. Levan NSU Broward Center of Innovation. At this workshop, Balbuzanova imparted her legal expertise and advice to up-and-coming inventors, entrepreneurs, or anyone with an innovative idea they want to transform into reality.

“As an entrepreneur or inventor, it is imperative that you be proactive and think ahead so you can set up your product, service, brand, and/or business for success in the future,” said Balbuzanova, who discussed the legal aspects of creating.

Along with supporting the local and NSU community with her legal knowledge, she is committed to helping the Honors College as an active member of the Honors Alumni Advisory Board. The board is a group of Honors alumni who meet with the dean periodically to gain insight and provide feedback on the college’s endeavors.

“Honors was an incredible resource that solidified my love for the law because it exposed me to such unique law-related classes like Biomedical Ethics with Professor Toscano and the Warner Court with Professor Garcia-Brown that you are unlikely to find even in law school,” said Balbuzanova, who wants to use her positive experience to create lasting change in the college for current and future students. “Thanks to Honors, I was able to forge lifelong mentorships and friendships with not just my peers but my instructors, as well.”

Moving forward, Balbuzanova hopes to continue to support others in the NSU community and beyond. In two years, when she’s eligible, she will apply to become a Florida Board Certified Expert in Intellectual Property Law to further help others invent and innovate.

Posted 10/09/22

Students Recognized By College Board’s National Programs

Join us in congratulating the following 23 Upper School students who earned prestigious academic honors from College Board’s National Recognition Programs including the National Hispanic and African American recognition awards!

College Board grants this recognition to high-achieving African American and Hispanic students who scored in the top 10% on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 within program by state, earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP exams, and have a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Students can include this academic honor on college and scholarship applications to help them connect with colleges and universities across the nation and stand out in the admissions process.

Sharks, we are so proud of your academic achievements and hard work in preparing for success in college and beyond. You have a bright future ahead of you!

Learn more about NSU University School’s college preparatory program for students in Preschool – Grade 12 at www.uschool.nova.edu.

Posted 10/09/22

Students’ Documentary to Premiere at International Film Festival

A big congratulations to Janay Joseph, Graciel Quezada, and Bianca Vucetich on the upcoming premiere of of their documentary film “The Halls of Power” as part of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival this November!  This is a great example how you can take your films from the NSU Undergraduate Film Festival and prepare them for entry into professional festivals.  Well done!

“The Halls of Power “ will premiere on Saturday, November 5, at 5 p.m. at the Savor Cinema, 503 SE 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale.

See the trailer for the film!

Purchase your tickets today!

Posted 10/05/22

NSUCO Names New Director of Community Outreach

Mariana Ferraz, O.D., FAAO

NSUCO is pleased to announce that Mariana Ferraz, O.D., FAAO is the new Director of Community Outreach. In this role she will develop, implement, and participate in outreach programs for college designed to enhance our presence in the community as well as provide eye care services to various populations.Dr. Mariana Ferraz earned her undergraduate degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2015. While earning her bachelor’s degree, Dr. Ferraz became involved in Retinitis Pigmentosa research at NSU’s College of Optometry with Dr. Ava Bittner. Following graduation, she attended the Illinois College of Optometry. While pursuing her optometric career, Dr. Ferraz and Dr. Bittner continued to work together and presented various posters and paper presentations on their current Retinitis Pigmentosa Research. Her work with Dr. Bittner was finally published in 2019. Dr. Ferraz completed her Primary Care and Ocular Disease residency at Nova Southeastern University in 2020. She currently holds the rank of assistant professor.

Posted 09/25/22

NSUCO Names New Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging

Crystal Victor. O.D.

NSUCO is pleased to announce that, Crystal Victor. O.D., is the new Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. In this role, she will provide strategic leadership and oversight for the college’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives to strengthen our approach to a culture that creates a working and learning environment where people feel comfortable working, teaching, and learning together collaboratively and effectively.

Dr. Crystal Victor received her Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology and Microbiology at the University of Central Florida in 2015. She graduated with her Doctor of Optometry degree with honors at Nova Southeastern University in 2020 and completed her residency in Primary Care with emphasis in Cornea and Contact Lens in 2021. She currently holds the faculty rank of Instructor. On her free time, Dr. Victor enjoys cycling and spending time with friends and family.

Posted 09/25/22

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