Tag: Halmos College of Arts and Sciences

Halmos Faculty Speaks at Experiential Education Conference

Instructional Technology and Design Specialist Judith Slapak-Barski, Ed.D., center, speaks at the 50th Annual Conference for the National Society for Experiential Education.

In September 2021, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences Instructional Technology and Design Specialist Judith Slapak-Barski, Ed.D. was given the opportunity to speak at the 50th Annual Conference for the National Society for Experiential Education.  As an adjunct instructor and course developer who specializes in faculty development, Judith works to improve instructional methods and technologies that enhance student-centric learning and provide students with real world, hands on educational opportunities.  She also collaborates with the Experiential Education and Learning (ExEL) initiative, which helps to grow programs and support experiences for courses that provide students with the chance to gain diverse, meaningful experiences.

Titled “Zoom Behaviors and Expectations: The Non-Obvious,” Judith’s presentation discussed the move to online engagement with students around the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic.  It was at first assumed students would know how to act appropriately during ZOOM meetings, but it quickly became obvious that set ground rules were needed. This led to the development and implementation of the “Zoom Etiquette and Expectations” course for students which included a content presentation, interactive simulations, and an assessment.  Successful completion awarded the student a badge to submit to their professors.

National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) is a nonprofit membership association of educators, businesses, and community leaders. Founded in 1971, NSEE also serves as a national resource center for the development and improvement of experiential education programs nationwide.

Posted 11/28/21

Halmos Legal Studies Major Receives National Recognition

Sommer Sandler

Sommer Sandler, a senior Legal Studies major in the Department of Humanities and Politics (DHP) in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center (HCAS), recently earned third place for the 2021 Frank McCown Outstanding Pre-Law Chapter President Award.  Sandler is president of the NSU undergraduate chapter of the national pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta (PAD).

With 368 PAD chapters nationwide, this represents a truly remarkable achievement for Sandler and the NSU undergraduate chapter.  PAD provides students interested in the law or planning to go to law school with numerous opportunities for legal exposure through courthouse visits, LSAT practice sessions, and visits from admissions counselors from various law schools, including the Shepard Broad College of Law at NSU.  PAD is a vital part of DHP and the broader Pre-Law Program.

Sandler credits the support of the department and her fellow Phi Alpha Delta members for much of her success as PAD president and added “I am incredibly grateful and honored to receive this recognition and excited to see how our chapter and pre-law community continues to flourish.”

Vicki Toscano, Ph.D., DHP’s pre-law coordinator and the faculty advisor of PAD, noted that under Sandler’s leadership PAD has developed “programming that educates, prepares, and inspires pre-law students as they chart their course through college. Sommer’s hard work in building our chapter of PAD has ensured that PAD and our pre-law program continues to flourish for years to come.”

Posted 11/28/21

Halmos Biology Major and Faculty Co-Author COVID Article

Stephanie Autore

Stephanie Autore, biology major in the Department of Biological Sciences in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS), wrote an article titled “Impacts of COVID-19 on Global Healthcare Management and Research” in the Advanced Journal of Graduate Research. Santanu De, M.Sc., Ph.D., faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences was Autore’s mentor and co-authored the article.

De’s research interests include, STEM education, pedagogy, reproductive physiology, developmental biology, cell biology, and protein biology.

Posted 11/28/21

Halmos Doctoral Student Lectures at Naval Postgrad School

Kevin Peters, M.A., M.B.A.

Kevin Peters, M.A., M.B.A., 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, gave a lecture at the Naval Postgraduate School in the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. Peters lectured in a Comparative Democracies class comparing how four other stable democracies (Botswana, Chile, Japan, and Norway) have confronted significant homeland security challenges (a public health event, an active shooter situation, and a natural disaster).  His lecture focused on getting senior homeland security practitioners (Command Staff and Senior Executive equivalents) to think about how to leverage a whole of government approach to confronting emerging homeland security threats.

Peters has an extensive background in intelligence and policy analysis with over 26 years working for the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. Currently he is the Associate Director for Policy and Research in the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) at the Department of Homeland Security headquarters. Among his previous positions, he served as the Chief of the National Threat Evaluation and Reporting Programs, and as Deputy Director in the Current and Emerging Threats Center.

Peters has an M.A. in Securities Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, an M.B.A. from Pennsylvania State University, and a B.A. from the University of Maryland University College.

Posted 11/17/21

Halmos Professor Wins Provost Research/Scholarship Award

Alexander V. Soloviev, Ph.D.

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Executive Vice President and Provost Ronald J. Chenail, Ph.D., recently presented Alexander Soloviev, Ph.D., professor in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, with the 11th Annual Provost’s Research and Scholarship Award.

The purpose of the award is to recognize a faculty member who has demonstrated significant achievement in support of NSU’s mission to foster scholarship, intellectual inquiry, and academic excellence. Research and scholarship are two of NSU’s eight core values, and excellence in these areas enhances education, patient care, and public service, and develops superior scholarship.

‘We are proud of Dr. Soloviev for exemplifying NSU’s Core Values through his groundbreaking research on the physics of the near-surface layer of the ocean, air-sea and bio-physical interactions, uptake of CO2 by the ocean, and hurricane physics,” said Chenail.

The award is recognized on the Provost’s website in a special video presentation.

Soloviev had a strong nomination submitted by his colleague Bernhard Reigl, Ph.D. The nomination describes Soloviev as a pioneer in studying the near-surface layer of the ocean microstructure and turbulence. These results are important for the ocean surveillance from space, the uptake of the anthropogenic CO2 by the oceans, and oil spill mitigation.

Soloviev oversees NSU’s Physical Oceanography Laboratory, and shares his knowledge, experience, and love of the ocean with students of all ages.  He has brought more than $11 million dollars in external grant funding to NSU. He has also developed a number of several model components for simulating environmental conditions and applying these models to problems that had no previous known solution.

Posted 11/14/21

Halmos Faculty Member Honored as Grammy Voting Member

Jessica Muñiz-Collado, M.F.A.

Jessica Muñiz-Collado, M.F.A., faculty in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, has been accepted as a Grammy voting member for the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (The Recording Academy). Muñiz-Collado joins the ranks of other voting members including Aerosmith, John Legend, Lil Nas X, Queen, BTS, and Beyonce. She indicated that she is humbled to receive this honorable recognition from such a prestigious music academy.

Muñiz-Collado is a published and commissioned composer. Her compositions have been reviewed by Percussive Arts Society: Percussive Notes Magazine and have been performed throughout the United States, Canada, Afghanistan and Argentina. Notable performers include members of the Diane Moser Big Band, legendary jazz tubist Howard Johnson, the Callithumpian Consort percussion trio, members of Bang On A Can and Asphalt Orchestra, the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra (Alberta), and the Spokane New Music Ensemble.

In addition, she has worked as a media composer for large-scale media projects, including several Fortune 500 companies and a Super Bowl commercial. Muñiz-Collado composed music for MundoFox’s television series Los Golden Boys (produced by Oscar De La Hoya and Mario Lopez), award-winning COPILOT Music, Killer Tracks Production Music, Odyssey Earth Films, award-winning N.N. Media Productions, Open Door Film Productions, award-winning INC24 iMagination productions, and award-winning director Luis Argueta.

At NSU, she taught courses in composition, music production, and percussion. In addition, she directed the Mako Band, NSU Pep Band, and managed NSU Mako Records. Muñiz-Collado is the NSU’s faculty advisor for Grammy U, which is designed help the next generation of collegiate musicians get connected with music industry professionals.

Posted 11/17/21 

Halmos Alumnae, Faculty, Students Publish Research on Virulence

Rebecca Quinn

In September 2021, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences master’s graduate Rebecca Quinn and a team of graduate and undergraduate students from the Department of Biological Sciences were published in the American Society for Microbiology Journal.  Under the guidance of Halmos Department of Biological Sciences faculty member Robert Smith, Ph.D., Rebecca Quinn led work on virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Quinn graduated from the NSU Master’s in Biological Sciences program in the summer of 2020 and is now a vaccine R&D associate scientist with Pfizer.

Research involved using the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 bacterium, which is of increasing concern in clinical healthcare, to study environmental factors that affect virulence.  Pyoverdine, a virulence factor produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is essential for infection in humans.  The study found that disturbing spatial arrangements in some P. aeruginosa strains can reduce the amount of pyoverdine produced, thus reducing their ability to infect people.  Results of this research could lead to new treatments and reduced infection rates.

The American Society for Microbiology is an organization of professional scientists that explores the complete spectrum of microbiology including bacteria, viruses, algae, protozoa, and fungi.   With over 30,000 members, including researchers, educators and health professionals, ASM is one of the largest life science societies in the world.

Posted 11/14/21

Mathematics Club Buzzing with Spooky Integration Bee

Contestants working on the bee.

The NSU Mathematics Club and the Department of Mathematics in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences hosted the first annual “Spooky Integration Bee” on Wednesday, October 27. This event combined the annual student Integration Bee Competition with a Halloween Costume Contest.

Radleigh Santos, Ph.D., dressed up as “Abelian Grape.”

The Integration Bee featured students using their calculus knowledge to answer integration questions by buzzing in with their answers in front of a lively audience. The champion of the Bee was freshman mathematics major Triet Do. Prizes were awarded to the top three winners of the bee.

The Costume Contest winner was Math Club Faculty Advisor Assistant Professor of Mathematics Radleigh Santos, Ph.D. who dressed up as an “Abelian Grape,” which is a pun rooted in Abstract Algebra. Contestants and audience members enjoyed the food, costumes, and competition.

This event was the first of many events during this year which will include Math Jeopardy, Colloquium Speakers, and Pi Day. For more information about the NSU Mathematics Club and its activities, please contact club president sophomore mathematics major Diana Dancea at dd1868@mynsu.nova.edu.

Posted 11/14/21

Researchers Published in Smithsonian Marine Station Newsletter

This fall, HCAS research scientists Brian Walker, Ph.D. and Karen Neely, Ph.D. had their work published in the Smithsonian Marine Station Newsletter. Titled “Using 3D Modeling to Understand Coral Disease,” it discusses how computer programming can aid in monitoring stony coral treatments.

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has spread throughout Florida’s Coral Reef causing extensive mortalities in more than 21 species of reef-building corals and resulting in the local extinction of some species. Not only has SCTLD caused great devastation along Florida’s Coral Reef, but it has recently been found in 17 other countries or territories throughout the Caribbean.

Walker and Neely have been collaborating with the Smithsonian’s The Coral Health and Marine Probiotics (CHAMP) lab. They have been working have been working to treat infected corals along the reef with beneficial bacteria, probiotics. One of the biggest hurdles of the project is to be able to compare tissue loss progression on each coral over time to better understand if the probiotic treatments are successful at slowing or stopping the disease. Numerous photographs are taken of each coral each time the researchers are able to visit them on the reef. Using a software program, Agisoft Metashape, the CHAMP lab compiles these photos into 3D models of each coral. By comparing the surface area of healthy tissue on each model over time, the CHAMP lab can compare effectiveness between treatments.

Posted 11/14/21

Ecology Journal Appoints HCAS Faculty to Editorial Board

J. Matthew Hoch, Ph.D.

In October 2021, HCAS environmental faculty member J. Matthew Hoch, Ph.D. was officially added to the editorial board of Oecologia. Hoch is a marine and wetland ecologist and evolutionary biologist. His current work concerns ecological effects of the restoration of the Everglades. In the past he has worked on sex allocation and reproductive dynamics of barnacles, including the functional morphology of their penises. Other projects have included soft-sediment community ecology in salt marshes, the effects of the restoration of Cadmium pollution in Foundry Cove and the dynamics of sex change in slipper snails.

Oecologia is a prestigious, upper-tier journal that publishes innovative research from across the entire field of ecology.  Distributed by Springer, this journal is one of the most highly cited journals in ecology.

Posted 11/14/21

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