Tag: Halmos College of Arts and Sciences

Faculty Members Hold Discussion on Healthcare Management

Ben Mulvey, Ph.D.

Mark Jaffe, M.D.

With the COVID-19 pandemic showcasing disparities in our health care delivery system, a timely discussion titled “Who Should Manage Healthcare? A Conversation with
a Philosopher, a Clinician, and You” was presented on May 5, 2021 via Zoom to the members of the Lifelong Learning Institute by two Halmos College of Arts and Sciences Faculty.

Ben Mulvey, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Humanities and Politics who has been a member of the NSU faculty since 1988, and Mark Jaffe, M.D. associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, who has been a member of the NSU faculty since 2004, presented their respective viewpoints and members of the audience weighed in with their own perspectives as the pair tackled the cost, quality and access of health care in the U.S. today.

NSU’s Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) was founded in 1977 and serves lifelong learning passions of retired adults. The LLI, a center within the College of Osteopathic Medicine, is located on NSU’s Fort Lauderdale East Campus. older-adult learning.

NSF Grant Funds Dental Research Project

Project CHOMPER principal investigators Cecil Lewis (top left) and Tanvi Honap (top right), with co-investigators (below from left) Cara Monroe, Marc Levine, Anne Stone, Brenda Baker, Andrew Ozga, and Keith Prufer.

Andrew Ozga, Ph.D., a Halmos College of Arts and Sciences faculty member, and project leading University of Oklahoma researchers Drs. Cecil Lewis and Tanvi Honap were awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant or their project “CHOMPER: Calculus and Hominid Oral Metagenomes for Pathogen Evolution Research.”

Oral diseases, such as dental caries and periodontitis, affect nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide, and are often referred to as the “silent epidemic.” These diseases are caused by bacteria found in the normal oral cavity and can cause disease in an opportunistic manner. The core aims of the CHOMPER project are to study how the genomes of these oral disease-causing bacteria differ depending on host species, geographic location, and dietary lifestyle, as well as how these genomes have evolved over time.

The CHOMPER team has collected dental calculus (calcified dental plaque) samples from nonhuman primates, such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, housed in museums in the U.S., and from archaeological human remains from archaeological sites in the Americas and Africa. These ancient human populations span a period of nearly 10,000 years and encompass the transition of humans from a forager to agricultural lifestyle. Using cutting-edge ancient DNA techniques, the team will reconstruct the genomes of oral pathogens from the dental calculus samples to answer questions regarding strain diversity, biogeography, genome structure, and the presence of genes associated with virulence and antibiotic resistance.

The CHOMPER team also includes researchers Drs. Cara Monroe and Marc Levine (University of Oklahoma), Drs. Anne Stone and Brenda Baker (Arizona State University), and Keith Prufer, Ph.D., (University of New Mexico). The CHOMPER project aims to encourage positive oral health outcomes through public presentations focused on the impact of oral disease and the role of the microbiome in oral health.

Student Wins NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship

This spring, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences marine biology major Nikolas Kuncis was awarded the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship. Given to only 120 undergraduates a year, Mr. Kuncis is conducting research with Halmos faculty member Joshua Feingold, Ph.D. This is NSU’s second winner of this prestigious award.

The Hollings Scholarship Program provides successful undergraduate applicants with awards that include academic assistance (up to $9,500 per year) for two years of full-time study and a 10-week, full-time paid ($700/week) internship at a NOAA facility during the summer. The internship between the first and second years of the award provides the scholars with hands-on, practical experience in NOAA-related science, research, technology, policy, management, and education activities. Awards also include travel funds to attend a mandatory NOAA Scholarship Program orientation and the annual Science & Education Symposium, scientific conferences where students present their research, and a housing subsidy for scholars who do not reside at home during the summer internship.

https://www.noaa.gov/office-education/hollings-scholarship

 

Pregnant Shark Migration Tracked from Space

This spring, Forbes Magazine published an article on an amazing international collaboration.

For the first time, researchers have been able to record in near real-time the migration of a pregnant scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) from the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador to Isla del Coco in Costa Rica, located over 435 miles (700 kilometers) away.

This collaboration: the Charles Darwin Foundation’s shark ecology project, the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD), Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center, and Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University (USA) have teamed up to study the migrations and population genetics of the world’s largest scalloped hammerhead shark aggregation.

Scalloped hammerhead sharks are a globally endangered species. It inhabits different habitats throughout its life cycle, making information about their movement and use of habitat disjointed at best. Enter a special hammerhead shark: Cassiopeia. Measuring about 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) long, this pregnant female was tagged in February of this year during an expedition to Darwin Island.

Satellite tracking data revealed that after swimming north of Darwin Island for about 10 days, Cassiopeia started swimming eat until she reached Isla del Coco. The trek Cassiopeia made between the two islands means she covered around 390 nautical miles (700 km) in just under 14 days, travelling an approximate of 28 nm (50 km) per day. While previous studies have documented inter-island movements of hammerheads using passive acoustic tags, the tags weren’t able to capture the precise pathways the sharks would take. With satellite tags, scientists were able to see exactly the route she went.

HCAS biology faculty member Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D., director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute and Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center stated, “The data being collected in this study will be key for establishing a flexible management system that provides this protection at precisely the right places and times.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissacristinamarquez/2021/05/04/migration-of-a-pregnant-hammerhead-shark-documented-from-space/?sh=1b7e8fba5256

 

Halmos College Student Wins Prestigious National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Fellowship

Rose Leeger

This spring, Halmos College Marine Biology, Environmental Science, and Biology Major Rose Leeger was awarded the NOAA Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions Undergraduate Scholarship. This prestigious scholarship is only awarded to eight undergraduates per year.

Ms. Leeger is a member of the Farquhar Honors College and is currently conducting research with HCAS faculty member J. Matthew Hoch, Ph.D. on mosquitofish population dynamics in the everglades.

The EPP MSI Scholarship Program provides successful undergraduate applicants with awards that include academic assistance (up to $9,500 per year) for two years of full-time study and students complete an 11 week paid ($700/week) summer internship and training at NOAA in Silver Spring, MD, between May and July of the first summer. During the second summer, students complete a 10 week paid internships at NOAA facilities across the country. The internships provide the scholars with hands-on, practical experience in NOAA-related science, research, technology, policy, management, and education activities. Students are paid a stipend and receive a housing allowance during summer internships. Student scholarship recipients attend a two-week orientation at NOAA in Silver Spring, MD, and begin their first summer internship in early June. At the end of both summer internships, students present the results of their projects at the annual Education and Science Symposium, scientific conferences where students present their research, in Silver Spring, MD (travel expenses paid).

EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship Program | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (noaa.gov)

 

Families Dive Deep Into Germs at Alvin Sherman Library

This winter term, HCAS biology faculty member Julie Torruellas Garcia, Ph.D. gave a presentation for the Alvin Sherman Library entitled, “Germs: Good Guys or Bad Guys” as part of their Family Deep Dives series. She taught kids and their families about different types of germs, where they can be found, how to protect themselves from bad germs and the benefits of good germs.

The Deep Dive Series allows families learn and explore together. They can get the inside story and Q&A time with experts in science, history, community services, and more. Recommended for ages 6 and up.

University School Alumni shares Danny Lewin Best Student Paper Award 2021

Danny Lewin

This year, University School alumni won the Danny Lewin Best Student Paper Award 2021 from SIGACT (Special Interest Group on Algorithms and Computation Theory). SIGACT is an international organization which promotes the discovery and dissemination of high quality research in theoretical computer science.

While he was a student at the University School that took a number of mathematics courses with us as a high school student.  Afterwards he went to Cal Tech.  Zachary is now a D. Phil. student in Mathematics at Oxford working in the area of additive combinatorics where he has been quite productive.

Two of the department’s faculty were especially remembered by Zachary.  “Having the opportunity to take NSU courses while a U-School student was crucial to my development as a mathematician. Beyond elementary number theory and differential equations increasing my passion for mathematics, I was introduced to proof writing, which made the transition to undergraduate courses significantly easier. The encouragement of Professors Ricardo Carrera and Evan Haskell was especially helpful to my career.”

 

 

Halmos Faculty Reappointed as Federal Fisheries Advisor

In January 2021, Halmos faculty member David Kerstetter, Ph.D. was reappointed as Technical Advisor to the U.S. ICCAT Advisory Committee (IAC). The IAC meets twice per year, usually in the Washington, D.C. region. Kerstetter has been serving on the committee as a Member or Technical Advisor since 2007.

This is a federally appointed position that helps set U.S. international management and

David Kerstetter, Ph.D.

policy positions in the Atlantic. ICCAT is the international fishery management organization for all Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS), including tunas, billfish, swordfish, and open-ocean sharks like our mascot’s shortfin mako.  The U.S. ICCAT Advisory Committee is charged with helping formulate our international policy towards the management of these species, and only 20 member appointments are made over two-year terms to represent the various U.S. HMS commercial, recreational, environmental, and scientific constituencies.  As you know, my lab works primarily with HMS fishes and the commercial HMS fisheries, including being one of the founding members of the Pelagic Ecosystem Research Consortium funded by NOAA Sea Grant.

HCAS Marine Science Faculty Receive NSF Support to Create an International Coral Reef Learning Experience in Australia

Two of the newest members of the NSU Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences faculty have just received funding from the National Science Foundation. Assistant Professors Lauren Nadler, Ph.D. and Tyler Cyronak, Ph.D. received funding to create an international research experience for graduate students in Australia.

These Advanced Studies Institutes (ASI) are funded by the NSF International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program and will entail annual international trips between 2022-2025, with a cohort of 10 diverse coral reef graduate students each year. The ASIs will foster a holistic, transdisciplinary understanding of coral reef research and the future impacts of local and global anthropogenic change. The 3-week field portion of the course will take place in Far North Queensland at iconic field stations in the Atherton Tablelands and on the Great Barrier Reef. This unique setting where the ‘rainforest meets the reef’ is the only place where two world UNESCO World Heritage sites meet: the Wet Tropics of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef. Potential students should look forward to more information about how to apply for a competitive spot in the near future.

HCAS Students Research Recognized at Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting

Last month, HCAS marine science graduate students Brittany Savercool and Sean Wilms were honored with the “Best Student Poster-Runner Up” and the annual meeting of the Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. The poster was entitled, “Preliminary Trials to Assess Bycatch Reduction Potential for Deep-Set Pelagic Longline Gear in the U.S. Atlantic Fishery”. Their advisor is Marine and Environmental Science faculty member David Kerstetter, Ph.D.

The Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society was established in 1980 as the result of a number of dedicated Florida fisheries scientists, who were active members of the parent society, deciding that networking with each other would strengthen fisheries management and research in the sunshine state.

Most Chapter members come from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, various universities (including UF, FSU, UM, UCF, USF, UNF, FIT, FAU, and NSU among others), and the Federal Government (for example, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Forest Service). However, we welcome individuals from commercial aquaculture, commercial fisheries, fishing guides, tournament fishermen, outdoor writers, manufacturers/retailers of fisheries products and anyone else interested in enhancing and sustaining Florida fisheries.

Chapter Meeting

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