Tag: Halmos College of Arts and Sciences

Provost’s Research and Scholarship Award Winners

It has been 13 years since the Provost’s Research and Scholarship Award program first launched. This program expanded last year and now offers awards across two career stages and two disciplinary categories. There were many outstanding nominations this year, and from that pool of distinguished nominees, five NSU faculty were recognized on Monday, November 13 in the Levan Center. This year, an added recognition for each winner was provided by NSU Business Services; each winner received a one-year membership to the NSU Faculty Club, valued at $300.

Arts, Business, Humanities, Law, and Social Sciences

For the Assistant Professor Award, two faculty members are honored in this category.

Furiasse

Assistant Professor Award – Amanda Furiasse, Halmos College of Arts & Sciences is an Assistant Professor of Digital and Medical Humanities in the Department of Humanities and Politics. Her scholarly work is at the intersection of religion, artificial intelligence, and cybernetic medicine, with recent publications in journals of religion, social issues, and culture. Her scholarly efforts extend beyond academia in her role as senior producer and podcast director for the Political Theology Network’s Podcast and as Co-Director for the Contagion, Religion, and Cities Project at the Center for the Study of Religion and the City. A recent grant award from Florida Humanities features her podcast work again, this time to launch a futurist podcast called Florida 2100: Tales of Tomorrow.

Ellis

Assistant Professor Award – Amy Ellis, College of Psychology, is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Trauma Resolution and Integration Program. She seeks to understand the impact of trauma on underserved populations in regard to health disparities, such as affectional and gender minorities, as well as Latine individuals, and male survivors of sexual abuse. Her work in collaboration with external colleagues has been funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and National Institute of Justice. In addition to academic publications, she disseminates her work through various news sources for broader audiences such as The New York Times, Psychiatric Times, Medium, and The Conversation. Her service to the NSU community includes training for campus units like the public safety department and Psychological Services Center as well as supervising students who see clients with various psychological difficulties.

Mujtaba

Professor Award – Bahaudin Mujtaba, H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, is a Professor of Human Resources and International Management. He is the author and coauthor of books dealing with diversity, ethics, and business management, and his contributions to his field are significant. During the past thirty years, he has worked with managers and human resource professionals in almost 20 countries, and this diverse exposure has provided him with many insights in cross-cultural management from the perspectives of different firms, people groups, and cultures.  With an extensive publication record and thousands of citations covering topics such as business, change, culture, ethics, diversity, and others, his work is highly collaborative with over 50 different coauthors drawn from NSU, the United States, and abroad. His books and guidance are sought and frequently used by companies, professors, and the media.  He served as a cultural consultant for the movie Kite Runner and in 2018 did pro bono training and development work in Afghanistan on topics of adult learning, leadership, and ethics.

STEM and Health/Medicine

Robison

Assistant Professor Award – Lisa Robison, College of Psychology, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and in her short time at the university already has funded collaborations with researchers in NSU’s Colleges of Pharmacy and Osteopathic Medicine. Her multidisciplinary work spans many topics, such as determining how lifestyle factors like exercise, diet, stress influence brain health and risk for mood disorders, addiction, and dementia. Since 2020, she has published 12 papers in journals with an average impact factor of 7.56. This widespread recognition can be further quantified with more than 1,000 citations of her publications and an impressive h-index of 21. Her work has garnered media attention, being featured on Newsweek and other news outlets.

Smith

Professor Award – Robert Smith, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, is an Associate Professor in the department of Medical Education and researcher in the NSU Cell Therapy Institute. His work on antibiotic resistance contributes to our understanding of how bacteria resist antibiotics as populations. He has received funding as a PI or Co-PI on projects from the Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health totaling over $2 million. One of these grants funded research equipment that has been used by over 4,000 NSU students and faculty. He has supervised over 65 undergraduate and graduate students, engaging many in his lab’s research projects and publishing with several of these students. As editor for the journal PLoS One and chair of NSU’s Faculty Research Advisory Council he helps to shape and support the research and scholarship in his field and others.

Congratulations to all the winners on their impressive achievements.

Posted 11/26/23

Halmos Faculty Serves on Distinguished National Panel

From left, Dr. Stephen O’Brien, Ph.D., and Robert Gallo, M.D.

Stephen J. O’Brien, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS), was invited to serve on a distinguished symposium panel to discuss the science of human viruses at the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Institute of Human Virology (IHV).

The symposium was also an event to celebrate the scientific legacy of the eminent biomedical researcher, Robert Gallo, M.D., who co-discovered the HIV and proved it caused AIDS, as well as pioneered studies that discovered the first human RNA tumor viruses (retroviruses).

The focus of the IHV2023 Symposium was “Viruses of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow”. It was held on September 28-29, 2023, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. O’Brien, who led the research team that described the first human gene to influence HIV-1 infection and AIDS progression, served on the discussion panel addressing the virology of COVID-19 and HIV. His research interests include human genetics, comparative genomics, genetic epidemiology, molecular evolution, HIV, FIV, AIDS, Virology, forensic genetics, conservation, and bio-informatics.

The symposium featured research luminaries including Robert Gallo, MD, Director Emeritus and Co-Founder of the IHV, and Rochelle Walensky MD, MPH, and Robert Redfield Jr., MD, both recent Emeriti Directors of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Many other notable scientific and clinical researchers presented discoveries on new viruses and new insights into viral infections and pathogenesis.

Posted 11/26/23

Faculty, Students Win Awards at Microbiology Conference

There was a good contingent of NSU students and faculty attending the annual meeting of the Florida Branch of the American Society for Microbiology (FLASM) at the Guy Harvey Resort in St. Augustine, Florida, which was held Oct. 13-15.

Julie Torruellas Garcia, Ph.D., Department of Biological Sciences in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research  Center (HCAS) serves as a Regional Planning Coordinator for the American Society for Microbiology and was one of the organizers and moderators of the event. Other faculty in attendance included Jose V. Lopez, Ph.D. and Andrew Ozga, Ph.D., Department of Biological Sciences, and Robert Smith, Ph.D. and Bo-Young Hong, Ph.D., NSU MD faculty.

Trent Moulder, a student in the Masters in Biological Sciences program in HCAS mentored by Dr. Robert Smith from NSU MD, won 3rd place for “Outstanding Graduate Poster Presentation.” Ashley Janke, undergraduate biology major conducting research in Dr. Julie Torruellas Garcia’s lab, presented her honors thesis research and won 2nd place for “Outstanding Undergraduate Oral Presentation.” In addition, several students received travel awards from FLASM, PanSGA or the Biology Student Award to attend the conference.

NSU faculty presenters included:

  • Andrew Ozga, Ph.D., Department of Biological Sciences, in collaborative work with the NSU College of Dental Medicine, gave an oral presentation on “Dental plaque microbiome diversity in healthy South Florida residents.”
  • Bo-Young Hong, Ph.D., NSU MD Faculty, presented a poster on “Chamomile tea decreases Porphyromonas gingivalis ”

NSU graduate student presenters included:

  • Jacqueline Chavez, MSBS student in Dr. Garcia’s lab, presented a poster on “The Search for a Phage that Targets the pCD1-Encoded Type Three Secretion System of Yersinia pestis.”
  • Trent Moulder, MSBS student in Dr. Smith’s lab presented a poster on “Carbon source preference alters inter-species interactions and modulates antibiotic efficacy in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.”
  • Ariane Kalifa, MSBS student in Dr. Smith’s lab, presented a poster on “Growth productivity modulates inoculum effect in β lactamase-producing bacteria.”
  • Estefania Marin Meneses. MSBS student in Dr. Smith’s lab presented a poster on “Growth Productivity affects the Severity of Inoculum Effect in Staphylococcus aureus.”
  • Daniella Hernandez, a research assistant in NSU MD, presented her work entitled “Reducing Inoculum Effect by Modulating Growth Productivity through the Superpathway of Purine, Pyrimidine and Histidine Synthesis in Escherichia coli”

NSU undergraduate student presenters included:

  • Jose C. Padron and Kunal Poddar, biology majors in Dr. Garcia’s lab, presented a poster on “Determining the Burst Size and Optimal Infection Temperature of Four Gordonia rubripertincta ”
  • Ashley Janke, a biology major in Dr. Garcia’s lab, gave an oral presentation on “MunkgeeRoachy: A Gordonia rubripertincta Bacteriophage Isolated from Soil.”
  • Varsha Chigurupati, Adam Sadik, and Paul Paronich, biology majors conducting research with DoBS Faculty Dr. Raja and Dr. Ozga and DoMES faculty Dr. Shivji and Dr. Burkholder gave an oral presentation entitled: “Unraveling the Elasmobranch: A Look at Shark Oral Microbiomes in South Florida.”
  • Shanay Patel, a biology major working with Dr. Ozga, presented a poster on the “Impacts of pre- and pro- biotic supplements on microbial composition related to colorectal cancers.”
  • Megha Kurian, Jewel Mousa, Lewis Reid and Ritika Vonguru, research students in Dr. Garcia’s Practicum in Biology I course, presented a poster on “Comparative Analysis of Yersinia pestis Bacteriophages Using Restriction Digest.”
  • David Giordano, a biology major in the labs of Dr. Ozga and Dr. Chris Blanar, presented a poster on “Exploring the gut microbiome of invasive iguanas: Implications for ecosystems conservation.”
  • Bianca A. Gonzalez, biology major in the Introduction to Biology Research I/II courses taught by Dr. Garcia and Dr. Katie Crump, presented a poster of her class research on “Decoding Phages: Complete Genome Sequence Analysis of Two Novel Bacteriophages, Alyssamiracle and Fribs8.”
  • Kaya Olszewski, a biology major in Dr. Garcia’s lab, attended the meeting with the intention to present a poster on, “Computer Model of Yersinia pestis Type III Secretion Needle Regulation.”, but had to withdraw her presentation due to unforeseen circumstances.

Posted 11/05/23

WCC Faculty Coordinator Presents at International Conference

Janine Morris, Ph.D.

Janine Morris, Ph.D., NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) Faculty Coordinator, presented at the 2023 Global Society of Online Literature Educators (GSOLE) conference on February 3, 2023. Morris is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts (DCMA) in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences.

Morris’s presentation, “Listening to Graduate Student Consultants: Fostering Community through Online Writing Center Training,” focused on the different ways the WCC trains and engages graduate consultants working asynchronously. The presentation emphasized how a multi-layered approach to training can promote engagement and foster a stronger sense of community.

GSOLE is an organization that supports educators, faculty, and writing center practitioners who teach writing, reading, and digital literacy in online settings. To learn more about GSOLE’s annual conference, visit https://gsole.org/GSOLE-annual-conference.

To learn more about the NSU Writing and Communication Center, visit, nova.edu/wcc

Posted 11/05/23

WCC Faculty Coordinator Conducts Open Classroom Talk

Kelly Concannon, Ph.D.

Kelly Concannon, Ph.D., NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) Faculty Coordinator, conducted an Open Classroom talk titled “Mirror Reflections: Examining the Rhetoric of Language and Inclusivity,” on May 31, 2022. Concannon is a professor in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts (DCMA) in the Halmos College of Arts & Sciences (HCAS).

Concannon’s talk discussed how language functions as a tool to create reality and reflects societal values. Concannon focused on the evolution of language inclusivity and explored approaches to integrating more inclusive uses of language (i.e., gender-neutral pronouns).

The Open Classroom series is a collaboration between the Farquhar Honors College and the Alvin Sherman Library.

To learn more about the Farquhar Honors College, visit https://honors.nova.edu/.

Posted 11/05/23

Community Resolution Services Hosts Panel on Africa

Community Resolution Services (CRS), housed in the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS) in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS), hosted a panel via Zoom entitled, Africa: Current Challenges.  The panelists included: Abdulkarim Musa, Jassim Al-Sharshani, and Murad Abuzekri, all pursuing a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution in DCRS. The moderator was Leneiya Boose, who subsequently graduated with her M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution.

CRS is a practicum and volunteer site providing workshops, training, and other events to the NSU and local community. For more information about CRS, please contact Judith McKay, J.D., Ph.D., faculty in DCRS at mckayj@nova.edu.

Posted 11/05/23

Halmos Hosts Waterbird Society Meeting Workshop

On October 11, the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center (HCAS) hosted a special participant workshop on bird necropsy techniques as part of the annual meeting of the Waterbird Society, an international scientific organization for seabird and waterbird research and conservation.  The 2023 annual meeting was held in Fort Lauderdale and chaired by Ricardo Zambrano, a Regional Biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The workshop was organized by Assistant Professor Kate Sheehan, Ph.D., from Frostburg State University in Maryland and wildlife veterinarian Renata Schneider, D.V.M., from the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station in North Miami.  More than 25 participants from local to international locations were taught hands-on techniques, including general bird dissections and specific procedures for parasite recovery.  Halmos Associate Professor David Kerstetter, Ph.D., Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, coordinated the NSU logistical arrangements and assisted with participant dissections.  Additional assistance was provided by Halmos College associate professor Christopher Blanar, Ph.D., Department of Biological Sciences, and former Halmos College undergraduate students Alexia Hilber and Briana Zaffiro.

Posted 11/05/23

Halmos Professor Coauthors Study with Canadian Scientists

Louis Nemzer, Ph.D.

NSU Professor Louis R. Nemzer, Ph.D., of the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences recently coauthored a research study with scientists from the University of Ottawa about the effect of network connectivity on the probability that a novel trait will evolve in a spatially separated population.

This collaboration started when Prof. Nemzer was visiting Canada as a Fulbright distinguished research chair on a Sabbatical during the 2019-2020 academic year. Evolutionary graph theory (EGT) is a field of study that attempts to describe organisms that live on separate patches connected by possible migration paths. The researchers felt that the previously used EGT models did not capture the nuances of real life, so Nemzer wrote a new agent-based model that kept track of each simulated bacterium individually.

The in silico results were compared with in vitro experiments with real bacteria, which helped support the conclusion that network connectivity can, in some situations, increase the chance a favorable mutation will eventually become widespread in a population. This work can help explain the ways antibiotic resistance can emerge, especially in settings that contain disparate locations, such as a hospital or neighborhood.

“I want to thank my amazing colleagues at the University of Ottawa, as well as the Fulbright program for promoting international cooperation on projects that impact all of humanity, such as the challenge of antibiotic resistance,” Prof. Nemzer said.

The research was just published in Evolution Letters, which is ranked among the top 15 journals in the field of Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics.

Posted 10/22/23

Halmos Department of Humanities & Politics Awarded Grant

From left, Jeremy Weissman, Kathleen Doll, Amanda Furiasse, Teng Li, Yair Solan, and Yvette Fuentes.

Florida Humanities, the statewide, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded the Department of Humanities & Politics with a Broadcasting Hope Media Grant to support Florida 2100: Tales of Tomorrow, a public podcast series.

Florida 2100 uses the power of storytelling to shed light on the challenges and opportunities the state of Florida faces in the 21st century. This podcast series aims to bring together scholarly experts, community voices, and artists to examine topics such as environmental sustainability, linguistic diversity, technological innovation, and cultural resilience, all while envisioning Florida’s potential in the year 2100.

According to Professor Furiasse “The grant offers a unique opportunity to develop innovative, humanities programming that can reach a broad audience and foster a more informed and proactive citizenry invested in Florida’s long-term well-being and sustainability, ultimately contributing to a brighter, more resilient future.”

Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Posted 10/22/23

Former Dean and Professor Emeritus Co-edits Book

Honggang Yang, Ph.D., Dean and Professor Emeritus from the former NSU College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), is co-editor of the upcoming book, “The Rise of Chinese American Leaders in U.S. Higher Education: Stories and Roadmaps.” The other co-editor is Wenying Xu, Ph.D., professor of English and former Provost at Jacksonville University.

The book presents the roads traveled by Chinese American university leaders using stories and reflections. The book will be published later this fall. For more information, please see https://link.springer.com/book/9783031423789.

Yang designed and implemented the Residential Institute (RI) in 1999, still used by the Department of Conflict Resolution Studies (DCRS) in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS).  RI brings distance learning students to campus to engage in on-campus learning, attend keynote lectures, and participate in working groups and social activities. DCRS recently held the 48th RI on September 29-October 2. In addition, he implemented other programs such as the Campus Diversity Dialogues.

Posted 10/08/23

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