Tag: Fischler College of Education & School of Criminal Justice

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice alumna Kisha Bellande-Francis, Ed.D., has opened a new private school in Palm Beach County.

DOTT Academy (Daily Opportunity to Thrive) opened its doors to the public on Sept. 3, 2025. Instead of using traditional grade levels, DOTT Academy uses a competency-based mastery learning model, something Bellande-Francis said allows students to progress based on their individual skill level and allows instructors to devote more time to students who need extra teaching or give advanced students more challenging instruction.

The academy currently supports students who traditionally fall between kindergarten to sixth grade, with plans to expand to eighth grade in the future. Bellande-Francis graduated from NSU with her Ed.D. in instructional leadership.

With over 20 years of experience in education, she developed the long-term goal of opening her own school. After initial plans to open a school fell through in 2021 due to the pandemic, she was finally able to achieve her goal. The experience has been an emotional rollercoaster for Bellande-Francis, but she said it has also been a fulfilling one. Congratulations Dr. Bellande-Francis!

To learn more about the DOTT Academy, visit the school’s website here.

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice doctoral student Sandy Rao published an article on estate planning and law enforcement officers. The article, “The Perils of Neglecting Estate Planning,” was published in Police Chief Magazine.

Rao, who has worked with the U.S. Marshals since 2001, was motivated to investigate estate planning and how it relates to fellow officers after the death of a close friend and mentor, his parents and grandmother. He was also motivated by the overall dangers that come with working in law enforcement.

Rao also created a Survey Monkey questionnaire and administered it in his own task force. The survey included questions on how often the officers themselves faced danger and traumatic experiences while on the job. Rao hoped to show his colleagues how dangerous the profession is, and the benefits of being prepared if something happened. Out of the total respondents, over 51% had been involved in a shooting 53 percent had been injured or hospitalized, and 49 percent had been exposed to a dead body on the job.

However, only 23% of respondents had a will. “Policing is a dangerous profession, making it a field in which estate planning is especially important,” Rao wrote. Rao is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Nova Southeastern University. Looking ahead, he said he hopes to do his dissertation on probable cause fugitive cases.

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice alumna Tia Mills, Ed.D., has been elected to the executive committee of the National Education Association (NEA). Mills graduated from NSU with her Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Organizational Leadership back in 2014.

Having served as an educator both in elementary schools and as an adjunct professor, Mills has two decades of experience. Now, she is using that experience to sit on the executive board of the largest labor union in the country.

She is only the second person from Louisiana to hold the position in about 30 years. The position is for a term of three years, and is one of nine committee members, including the president, vice president, secretary, and six executive committee members.

“It’s truly an honor to be able to serve in a capacity like this,” Mills said. “Nearly 7000 delegates got to elect me, and I am excited to represent the 3 million members of the association.”

As a part of the executive committee, Mills will work to carry out the mission and goals of the president as set by the association. Mills was elected to the role on July 4th at the NEA’s Representative Assembly in Portland, Oregon and said that she plans to work hard in the role.

A group of students from the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice is getting the special opportunity to take part in a police training program.

The group of five students signed up for the Plantation Police Department’s Community Police Academy. The academy lasts eight weeks and features a series of informative presentations on a variety of topics that will teach these students about the roles, responsibilities, and functions of the Plantation Police Department. Among the activities include riding along with a patrol officer, participating in police-related scenarios, and getting instruction in weapons safety.

Upon completion, the attendees will also get a certificate, apparel, and accessories. Dr. Grace Telesco, associate professor and Director of the School of Criminal Justice, feels the academy is a great way to bolster police and community relations. “Civilians come in with a notion of the police and what the police do, how the police should behave and how the police should interact with them. When they get immersed in the training that officers go through … they get to see the other side and it’s been very enlightening and very helpful to educate the community about what the police do.”

Telesco speaks from experience. She ran a similar program during her time with the New York Police Department, and she mentioned how it’s beneficial for police to also engage with members of the community. Telesco hopes to continue the collaboration with Plantation police and have other students join in the future.

This group of attendees is set to graduate from the academy on September 30th.

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice alum Michael Hageloh, Ed.D., is giving his strategic research project a real-world application.

Hageloh graduated from NSU with his MBA in 1992 and his Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership in 2023. During his doctoral studies, Hageloh took on the Strategic Research Project (SRP) and examined the relationship between housing developers and different sized higher education institutions and identified an opportunity for developers to create housing for smaller and mid-sized institutions.

Now, just two years after graduating with his Ed.D., Hageloh’s research is in the process of being implemented with a national developer. The specifics of the initiative have not yet been released and are still under development. Hageloh was motivated by the housing situation at his own employer, Indian River State College (IRSC), where he is the Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives.

During his project, Hageloh had an assessment completed that revealed a need for an additional 1,700 beds at IRSC. Now, he is using his SRP as a roadmap to help meet the need. While Hageloh is pleased that his project is seeing real world use, he said his job is not done and he will continue to work to solve the problem of student housing. Hageloh also made sure to thank faculty member, Gina Peyton, Ed.D. for her guidance, which was instrumental in shaping both the strategic and scholarly foundation of the project.

Congratulations, Dr. Hageloh. Fins up to you!

Fischler College of Education alum Nathaniel “Nate” Francis has been named as the new Executive Director of Secondary Schools for Sarasota County Schools. Dr. Francis graduated from NSU, receiving a dual doctoral degree in organizational leadership and Higher Education Leadership, in addition to earning a master’s degree in educational leadership.

In his new role, Francis will work with the Chief of Secondary Schools to support high schools and middle schools in Sarasota including the oversight of curriculum development, ensuring school safety and security, post-secondary initiatives and more. Francis said he is extremely excited to take on this new position and that supporting and developing leaders is one of his true passions.

He added that his degrees from NSU have definitely helped prepare him for this role, both in boosting his credentials and in the information he learned. “The things that I have learned throughout that doctoral process have helped me grow as a leader, cultivating my abilities and confidence to the point where I feel comfortable leading, developing and supporting other leaders.”

Francis will step into the role in July. Congratulations, Dr. Francis!

The Quarterly Review of Distance Education (QRDE), a prominent scholarly journal dedicated to the field of distance education, has been acquired by the Emerald Publishing Group, based in the United Kingdom.

Established in 1999 by faculty member Michael Simonson, Ph.D., and former professor Charles Schlosser, with NSU’s Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice, QRDE has a rich history of contributing to the academic discourse with over 600 published research papers, editorials, book reviews, and professional commentaries. The journal is currently co-sponsored by the United States Distance Learning Association.

As a rigorously referred publication, The Quarterly Review of Distance Education is committed to publishing high-quality articles, research briefs, reviews, and editorials that delve into the theories, research, and practical applications of distance education. The journal specifically seeks articles that employ diverse methodologies, yielding generalizable results that can inform and guide distance education practices across both public and private sectors.

Submissions include full-length manuscripts, research briefs, editorials, reviews of programs and scholarly works, and dedicated columns. QRDE defines distance education as institutionally based formal education where the learning group is separated, and interactive technologies are employed to connect them. Drs. Anymir Orellana and Michael Simonson serve as the current Co-Editors in Chief, joined by Dr. Vanaja Nethi as Associate Editor. All three are professors with the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice at Nova Southeastern University.

Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice alumna Shelley Cooper, Ed.D., has recently been inducted into the Education Hall of Fame for Kansas City Kansas Community College. Cooper was inducted as a part of the 2025 class and was honored during a celebration on April 25.

According to the college’s website, the award is meant to recognize “individuals, organizations and corporate supporters in the community who have made notable contributions to education.” Cooper was nominated in part for her role as the founder of Diversity Telehealth, a service that aims to educate about healthcare and increase access to healthcare from a distance. “A dedicated advocate for health literacy, she educates marginalized people about healthcare choices, equipping them to make informed choices,” KCKCC said in her nomination.

Cooper graduated from NSU with her doctorate in Instructional Technology and Distance Education. Before launching her organization in 2016, she served as a teacher for 25 years. Today, she continues to educate through her organization, her church and even here at NSU. The honor was immensely special for Cooper, both as a Kansas resident, and as a lifelong educator. “I think, because a lot of times in education, teachers are overlooked so much, and we give a lot,” she said.

Congratulations Dr. Cooper!

Over 60 community members recently gathered in the Huizenga Sales Institute at Nova Southeastern University for the child protection conference “Ensuring Safety: It Starts with YOU!” hosted by the Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. The overall event was dedicated to exploring how social media platforms, videos, and more can lead to child trafficking, and how to prosecute and prevent these crimes.

Among those who spoke at the event include Prosecutor Frank M. Williams, Esq., survivor and advocate Savannah Parvu, Supervisory Special Agent Renaldo Franklin with Homeland Security, members of NSU Faculty, and more. The NSU Sociodrama Ensemble Stage for Change also held an interactive performance titled “Behind the Mask,” which presented a dramatized child trafficking situation.

The event ended with an in-depth panel discussion with professionals in the field of law enforcement, clinical social work, academia, and community-based organizations, all addressing the multifaceted approaches needed to combat child trafficking.