Tag: Fischler College of Education & School of Criminal Justice

By: Johari Canty

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice alumna Tameka Hamilton received the Outstanding Assistant Principal of the Year award by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the Florida Association of School Administrators.

Hamilton currently works at Three Points Elementary School in Orlando and is part of the organization’s 2025 Class of National Outstanding Assistant Principal. She will be recognized at the Florida Association of School Administrators Conference in June and the NAESP National Association of Elementary School Principals Conference in July. When she got the call from Tallahassee, Hamilton said she was shocked and overjoyed.

She also said it felt good to be recognized, though she said it would be impossible to do her job without the support of other teachers, faculty and staff. “I am just one person, and together we make this thing work, and I am nobody without the people who support me each and every day.” Hamilton graduated from NSU with M.S. in Exceptional Student Education and Ed.S. in Educational Leadership and said her degrees have helped her assisting students with additional needs, as well as assisting teachers in curriculum and instruction and as an administrator.

Congratulations, Mrs. Hamilton! For more information, visit here.

By: Johari Canty

Students with the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice are getting first-hand experience in the realm of law enforcement thanks to the Special Topics Field Experiences. The course gives students the opportunity to bridge theory with practice and get an up close and behind the scenes view of actual law enforcement practices and agencies.

This term, students have gotten the opportunity to participate in several activities, including a forensics science boot camp, a tour of the 17th Judicial Court, an exposition with Davie Police, and a behind the scenes look at how the U.S. Coast Guard and Homeland Security operate. Students enrolled in the special topics course must attend three out of five offered field excursions in criminal justice.

Grace Telesco, Ph.D., Director of the School of Criminal Justice, noted that students have raved about the events, describing them as not only enjoyable but also incredibly valuable for building professional connections. “Overall, this tour exceeded all of my expectations, it allowed me to get some inside information on opportunities along with learning each area section within homeland security. This brings everything we learn at the undergraduate course level to life,” one student said. The course will culminate with a tour of the Broward Sheriff’s Office Main Jail.

By: Johari Canty

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice undergraduate student Eliana Plummer has received special recognition from Broward County Public Schools for a lesson plan she developed during her teaching internship at Seminole Middle School in Plantation, Florida.

The plan focused on law studies and worked to help eighth-grade students learn more about the criminal justice system. Students were given a fictional crime situation, supplementary evidence, and were tasked identifying the crime, the Florida statutes the crime violated, and how the crimes would be prosecuted. Plummer developed the plan by placing herself in the shoes of her students and thinking about how she would want to learn if she were their age.

That proved to be successful as not only did she get positive feedback from her students, but she also got great feedback from Broward County Schools, who plans to incorporate her lesson into the Social Sciences department. Plummer is set to graduate this May with her B.S. in Secondary Social Studies Education.

After graduation, she plans to return to New York and begin working before entering a master’s program focusing on curriculum and instruction. Congratulations, Eliana, on a job well done!

By: Johari Canty

The students of NSU’s Fischler Academy program recently got the opportunity to travel to France to learn about their education system firsthand. The group of 32 students visited Les Mureaux, a suburb about 30 minutes outside of Paris’ city center.

During the nine-day trip, students immersed themselves through participation in field-based learning in local schools and learned more about the education system in France. The group received a warm welcome from the community and had the opportunity to meet with city officials as well as the mayor of Les Mureaux, Francois Garay.

Fischler Academy Director Luke Williams, Ph.D., noted that students appreciated the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of the similarities and differences between the teaching practices they have seen in the US and the methods they observed in France. During the trip the Fischler Academy students also got the chance to visit the city hall for a presentation from city officials on how funds and resources are allocated to support local families.

By: Johari Canty

A Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice student recently got the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Drug Enforcement Administration. Undergraduate Criminal Justice major Jasmine Johnson recently traveled to Washington, D.C. where she received first hand insight into the world of federal drug enforcement.

During her trip, Johnson visited the DEA Training Facility in Quantico and the DEA Chemistry Lab, where she learned about the training agents go through, and how substances are analyzed, respectively. Johnson also learned more about the One Pill Can Kill campaign, which is focused on raising awareness of the danger of counterfeit pills that are laced with fentanyl.

In addition to the tour of DEA facilities, Johnson also visited the White House where she was able to speak with Secret Service agents, and she also visited D.C.’s museums and landmarks. The trip was also made possible thanks to the help of the DEA Miami team who shared the opportunity with Dr. Grace Telesco, Director of the School of Criminal Justice.

The third annual Teachers for Tomorrow Conference was a remarkable success. This year’s event celebrated the theme “Educational Passion, Purpose, and Entrepreneurship.” It brought together a passionate community of more than 190 attendees, including aspiring educators, faculty, NSU students, NSU alumni, and education leaders from across the country.

As a fully student-run conference, the event showcased the dedication and leadership of the Pre-Professional Strategic Team students, who worked tirelessly to organize and execute every detail. Their efforts were supported and guided by Lucas Williams, director of the Fischler Academy; Assistant Professor Jennifer Berne; and Sean Stanton, admissions coordinator and founder of the conference.

The conference featured dynamic keynote speakers, engaging breakout sessions, and hands-on workshops designed to spark innovation and creativity in education. Highlights included a panel discussion on entrepreneurial approaches in teaching, collaborative sessions co-led by Fischler Academy students and NSU’s Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice faculty, and opportunities to network with peers dedicated to transforming education.

Attendees left inspired, equipped with actionable strategies, and energized to make a meaningful impact in their future classrooms. This annual event continues to grow as a cornerstone for empowering and celebrating the next generation of educators.

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice graduate Adrienne Fuller, Ed.D., is taking on a new role at Florida Memorial University.

Fuller has been named as the director of online education and educational technology. Using Blackboard, Fuller will oversee the enhancement of online courses and programs.

Fuller graduated from NSU with her master’s degree and doctorate in Instructional Technology and Distance Education.

Fuller said she didn’t expect this opportunity at first. She previously worked as a teacher with the Broward County School District and did instructional design on the side. However, she stopped to finish her doctorate and hoped to continue afterward.

“I thought that I would find myself doing some additional part time work in instructional design to kind of get back into the field because I had stopped for a short period of time to finish the doctoral program,” she said. “That was the route that I was preparing to head into until this opportunity opened, and I applied, and the rest is history.”

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice alumnus Erick Hueck, Ed.D., has been inducted into the National Teacher’s Hall of Fame.

Hueck, who has served as an educator for more than 36 years, is the 152^nd inductee to the Hall of Fame. There are currently 160 inductees.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame was founded in Emporia, Kansas, in 1989 to honor teachers and the teaching profession through a recognition program and museum. Nominees must be certified public or non-public schoolteachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades pre-K through 12^th grade.

Hueck was part of the class of 2023, along with four other inductees. He currently teaches chemistry and advanced placement chemistry at Miami Senior High School, where he has worked since 1988.

Hueck was previously named Miami Dade Teacher of the Year in 2003. He also received the 2011 Florida Governor’s Excellence in Education Award, was named as an Outstanding Science Educator in 2013 by the Florida Association of Science Teachers, and in 2022, he received the Yale Educator Award and the NEA California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence.