Tag: Halmos College of Arts and Sciences

Halmos Faculty Brings Marine Genomics to the Public

This fall, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation have initiated a large-scale international Aquatic Symbiosis Genomics project, which includes funding four research “hubs” to organize 50 symbiotic species each for whole genome sequencing at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Hixton England.

One hub will be led by HCAS faculty member Jose V. Lopez, Ph.D. in collaboration with local and international researcher, this hub will focus on studying and sequencing “photosymbiotic” organisms. These partnerships include aquatic animal hosts such as corals, sea slugs or giant clams which depend on microbial symbiotic partners that photosynthesize (the capture of sunlight energy to produce sugars). Dr. Lopez states “indeed most plants and animals harbor microbial symbionts, including humans and bovids, so symbiosis is the rule in nature not the exception. Photosynthesis and symbiosis may represent two of the most fundamental processes that define life on this planet.”

Many aquatic photosymbionts may totally depend on the microbe for existence. For example, reef building corals cannot build their own calcium carbonate skeletons without their dinoflagellate algal symbionts. Corals will eventually perish after bleaching (loss of their photosynthetic algae) for prolonged periods of time. Saccoglossan sea slugs eat photosynthetic algae, but do not fully digest them. The “leftover” chloroplasts become temporarily incorporated into the animal tissue making them essentially solar powered.

Dr. Lopez is the current president of the non-profit Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance (or GIGA) and teaches a graduate level genomics course.

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Halmos Faculty Contributes to Mammalian Reproduction Study

This fall, Halmos College faculty member Santanu De, Ph.D. contributed to an article on mammalian reproduction. The paper, “The14-3-3 (YWHA) Proteins in Mammalian Reproduction”, was published in International Annals of Science journal, Advanced International Journals of Research (AIJR).

The study, encapsulating these key cell cycle-regulatory proteins conserved in most species including humans, will assist a better understanding of the molecular bases of male as well as female infertility, and could also help future development of novel contraceptives.

HCAS Faculty Presents on the Importance of Critical Thinking during a Verbal De-escalation Encounter

Judith McKay, J.D., Ph.D.

 

Judith McKay, J.D., Ph.D., faculty in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS) in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Institute (HCAS)

was a presenter at the Broward Crime Commission’s Webinar on July 30, 2020. This was a part of the Building Bridges Mental Health Conference Series. McKay co-presented with Laurence Miller, Ph.D., on “The Importance of Critical Thinking during a Verbal De-escalation Encounter.”

McKay is the faculty advisor to the Social Justice Roundtable and works with students in the community through Community Resolution Services, a practicum and volunteer site for DCRS. CRS hosts Story Café, We Love our Families series, and is involved in offering workshops for community groups and organizations.

HCAS Alumna Joins the Faculty at University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley

Sharon McIntyre, Ph.D.

Sharon McIntyre, Ph.D., graduate of the doctoral program in Conflict Analysis and Resolution in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Institute (HCAS) has joined the faculty at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. McIntyre teaches in the Department of Public Affairs and Security Studies. Currently she is teaching courses in Global Security, Open Source Research, Practicum in Global Security, and Intergovernmental Relations.

While at NSU, McIntyre was named NSU’s 2015 Student of the Year Overall. She was also the President of the Graduate Student Government Association (SGA) at the former College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

HCAS Student Presents at Pi Sigma Alpha National Student Research Conference

Lucas Dombroski, student in the Department of Humanities and Politics in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS), presented his research at the Pi Sigma Alpha National Student Research Conference hosted by George Washington University. His paper was titled, “Capital Punishment and College Educated Individuals: How Do the College Educated View the Ultimate Punishment?”

According to Dombroski, “Essentially, my research involved analyzing National Election Studies (NES) data concerning how college-educated respondents felt about Capital Punishment.  I ran logistic regression models and cross-tabulations on these feelings toward capital punishment using the demographic information provided by the respondents, and I was able to see the relationships between feelings towards the death penalty and variables such as sex, political party affiliation, region, and ethnicity. My findings suggested that political party affiliation is the best indicator of how one feels about capital punishment whereas sex was the worst indicator; however, none of the relationships that were chosen to be tested in my research had a very strong significance.”

Ransford Edwards, Ph.D., faculty in DHP and NSU chapter advisor accompanied Dombroski. Dombroski was a recipient of the department Student Scholar Fund and used that financial support to take care of airfare, lodging, and food.

 

 

HCAS Faculty Interviewed for Discover Magazine on Jellyfish

J. Matthew Hoch, Ph.D., faculty in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS), was featured in an article in Discover Magazine titled, “Congrats, Jellyfish, the Seas Are Yours! (Now, What Are You Going to Do with Them?).” Author Eliot Schrefer interviewed Hoch regarding the possibility of a future “Jelly Age,” and the diversity of these amazing creatures.

Hoch’s research interests include freshwater ecology, wetlands, aquatic ecology, and freshwater biology. His current work concerns ecological effects of the restoration of the Everglades.

To access the article, please go to: https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/congrats-jellyfish-the-seas-are-yours-now-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-them

Halmos College Researcher and Alumni Work to Create Probiotic for Diseased Corals

In early September, researchers at the Smithsonian Marine Station (SMS) partnered with Halmos College Research Scientist Brian Walker, Ph.D. and his GIS and Spatial Ecology laboratory to test two new probiotic application treatments for wild corals infected with stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD).  These treatments, a bag for covering whole colonies and a paste for individual disease lesions, were developed by researchers at SMS, including Halmos College MS alumna Kelly Pitts.

The bag method entailed covering whole Montastraea cavernosa coral colonies with a weighted enclosure, injecting probiotics inside, and waiting two hours before removing the enclosure to allow colonization of the coral with probiotic bacteria. Video of this method can be seen here: https://youtu.be/MnJaA7-SVYA

Additionally, scientists experimented with a probiotic-loaded paste, developed by SMS, to apply treatments directly to individual disease lesions. The paste hardens on contact with seawater to prevent it from floating away, and adheres to the coral tissue, which allows probiotics to colonize the coral.

The research team will revisit treated colonies regularly to assess the probiotics treatment success and retreat the corals if necessary. These two innovative strategies have enabled the first coral probiotic treatments of SCTLD diseased corals on the reef.

Halmos Biology Faculty Appointed as Academic Editor for Medicine Journal

Santanu De, M.Sc., Ph.D.

This fall, Halmos College faculty member Santanu De, M.Sc., Ph.D. was selected as an Academic Editor for articles submitted for publication in the journal, Medicine®. Dr. De was selected for this position based on his record of original research accomplishments in his field.

Medicine® is a fully open access journal, providing authors with a distinctive new service offering continuous publication of original research across a broad spectrum of medical scientific disciplines and sub-specialties.

As an open access title, Medicine® will continue to provide authors with an established, trusted ​platform for the publication of their work. To ensure the ongoing quality of Medicine®’s content, the peer-review process will only accept content that is scientifically, technically and ethically sound, and in compliance with standard reporting guidelines.

Halmos College Faculty Discusses A Bee’s View on Food      

This fall, Halmos College faculty member Lauren Nadler, Ph.D. published a new popular science article in the Outside JEB section of the Journal of Experimental Biology (JEB), entitled, “Making a bee-line for food with octopamine”. In this article, Dr. Nadler describes a recent scientific study in the journal Biology Letters (by Tianfei Peng and two of his colleagues from the University of Mainz in Germany) that examined how bees find food and perceive its value. The researchers found that the brain compound octopamine (equivalent to the fight or flight hormone noradrenaline in vertebrates like humans) was involved, with bees increasing foraging by almost 75% following an octopamine-laced treat. This publication highlights the important role of the brain in driving the behavior of animals both big and small.

The Outside JEB section reports on the most exciting developments in experimental biology. The articles are written by a team of active research scientists highlighting the papers that JEB readers can’t afford to miss. Dr. Nadler has been contributing to Outside JEB since October 2018.

Halmos Biology Faculty Helps Lifelong Learners Protect Their Feet

As the heat of summer continues into September, Life-Long Learning members learned about how to protect their feet from the summer heat last month. Halmos faculty member Mark Jaffe, DPM, MHSA presented a Zoom seminar entitled, “All Toes on Deck: Tips for Protecting Feet from the Summer Heat”. In this seminar, Dr. Jaffe talked about how your feet are vulnerable in the summer sun. It included useful tips and a check list that would keep feet safe.

When on vacation it is important to remember that your feet need as much sunscreen as your neck and arms! It is important to have an on the go foot gear check list that includes the right foot gear for the right environment, a first aid kit for feet, and to keep you and your feet well hydrated.

The Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) is longstanding at Nova Southeastern University (NSU). Founded in 1977, the LLI serves lifelong learning passions of retired adults. The LLI, which is a center within the College of Osteopathic Medicine, is located on NSU’s Fort Lauderdale East Campus. The LLI was founded to complete the NSU dream of education spanning a whole lifetime, from preschool to older-adult learning.

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