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The recently formed Supporting Our Students (SOS) Team is asking all faculty, staff and students to assist in reporting disruptive or disturbing student behavior that could ultimately lead to a tragedy for an individual student or the University. "In the aftermath of last year's shootings at Virginia Tech, many universities have recognized the need to have a centralized reporting structure to avert potential problems," said Dr. Terry DiNuzzo, director of the Counseling Center and chair of the SOS Team. The SOS Team was established to provide a formal way to address health and safety issues and serve to avert a tragic event, she said. "We are asking every member of our campus community to be responsible for identifying students who may be at risk of causing harm to themselves or others and to report these situations to the SOS Team," DiNuzzo said. "If we can be made aware, we can get them [students] the help they need or steer them to the resources they need," said SOS Team member Everett Malcolm, associate vice president for Student Affairs and a strong proponent of the SOS Team. "We want to provide a safety net before it becomes an issue for them or the campus as a whole." "If we can help one student from committing a crime or being academically suspended, we were successful," Malcolm said. DiNuzzo indicated that the core SOS Team is comprised of several individuals who are involved in crisis response to student situations. In addition to DiNuzzo and Malcolm, the Team members include: Mark Foxworth, chief, University Police Department; Dr. Michael Hallett, professor and chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice; Lynn Hendricks, director of Residence Life; and Marc Snow, UNF's associate general counsel. The team was established by Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, vice president for Student and International Affairs. The SOS Team reviews each situation to determine the best course of action. In some cases, it could be a referral for psychological assessment or a medical withdrawal from the University. Behavior that causes concern due to its disruptive or threatening nature should be brought to the attention of the SOS Team, including threats to harm oneself or others, intimidation, physical or verbal abuse, harassment or mistreatment of others, inflammatory or threatening statements (verbal or written), angry outbursts, stalking, obsession or paranoia. The SOS Team should also be notified about signs that a student is experiencing persistent emotional distress, including: changes in mood or behavior, withdrawal from friends or activities, increased absence from school or work, poor personal hygiene, increased irritability and abuse of alcohol or other drugs. "The goal of the team is to ensure the safety and security of the campus community, while at the same time maintaining the dignity, welfare and privacy of our students," DiNuzzo said. She added that confidentiality also applies to anyone reporting a situation to the SOS Team. During campus safety and security sessions being presented to all members of the campus community, information is provided about the SOS Team. The goal, according to DiNuzzo, is to make everyone aware of signs that a student may be in distress or causing problems for others. "The University is committed to the health, safety and welfare of its students," DiNuzzo said. "We have in place a process to address situations in a timely way to protect them from potential harm."
With Election Day just weeks away, the flurry of intense political activity from both the left and the right is bound to grow to epic proportions. Could there be any better time to throw in a bit of political comedy and side-splitting humor to lighten the mood? UNF's Fine Arts Center is going to do just that, opening this year's season Sept. 25 with The Capitol Steps, offering some much-needed political punditry designed to be "more ridiculous than whatever's in the news." Many current members of The Capitol Steps are former Capitol Hill staffers, having worked in a total of 18 Congressional offices and representing 62 years of collective House and Senate staff experience. Since the group's inception, The Capitol Steps has recorded 28 albums, including their latest, "Campaign and Suffering," which features songs like "Huckabee," "McCain's Campaign," "Hillary's Way" and "Obama Meets Osama," all poking fun at America's most prominent politicians. According to Fine Arts Center Director Sharon Papian, it was a no-brainer to bring the show to campus this fall. "I've known about The Capitol Steps for many years, but it just seemed very apropos in this election year," she said. "We're going to offer a patriotic jamboree before the performance that night, inviting a number of the political organizations to be here to provide information and we also contacted the Board of Elections to see if we couldn't include a table for voter registration. So in addition to providing this wonderful entertainment and the pre-show festivities, we're going to have this fabulous service right here on campus to encourage people to register to vote." The sixth season for the Fine Arts Center also features country music "maverick" Tracy Byrd (Oct. 10), the Warsaw Philharmonic with pianist Valentina Lisitsa (Nov. 2), the frisky, fast-paced musical "The Pajama Game" (Nov. 22), a presentation of "Cinderella" performed by the St. Petersburg State Ice Ballet (Dec. 11), the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with jazz musician Wynton Marsalis (Jan. 24), Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors" presented by the Aquila Theatre Company (Feb. 6), an electrifying dance performance by Dance Brazil (March 7), a high-flying spectacle, "The Birdhouse Factory" by Cirque Mechanics (March 27), and last but not least, some seductive, spicy salsa with Tiempe Libre (April 17), which will perform with the UNF Wind Ensemble and the UNF String Orchestra. In addition, the Fine Arts Center this season is collaborating with UNF's Irish Studies Program to present a Samuel Beckett trilogy including a lecture by Dr. Herbert Blau (Oct. 30), a musical performance by composer Morton Feldman (Nov. 3) and a performance of the play "Krapp's Last Tape" starring Rick Cluchey (Nov. 6). Papian said this collaboration will be similar to last year's University-wide collaborative Peace Awareness Week, which included some impressive artwork in the Fine Arts Center's lobby, as well as theatrical performances and musical events to complement the symposium and seminars that took place in the University Center. Putting together a season of programs to suit various constituencies of the Fine Arts Center is no easy task considering the thousands of available shows from which to choose and the logistics involved with making everything fall into place, but Papian and newly hired Fine Arts Center Assistant Director Carl Holman are as pleased as punch with this year's offerings. They're both confident that the diverse selections will draw the audiences they need to allow the center to continue to grow and thrive. In addition to extending the center's reach to the external community through a revamped marketing plan, Holman hopes to see additional support from faculty, staff and students this year. "A major focus of mine is to increase the faculty and staff's awareness of the center's mission, our diverse programming and the value of our shows," Holman said. "As a University, it makes a great deal of sense to have the academic community interested, involved in and, hopefully, attending what we do." One of the incentives for faculty and staff involves a 10 percent discount on ticket prices for their entire party. Employees with children can also take advantage of the $10 and $15 student rate as well, making for some very affordable family entertainment. Papian will retire this month after having directed the Fine Arts Center through its first seven years and her sixth year of curating the programming, working to build a reputation and a following for the center. With the introduction of her successor this year, she's hopeful and confident the center will continue to thrive and achieve new benchmarks. She said the center, not unlike the University, is still very young, but has endless potential. "With the close of the fifth-anniversary season in fiscal year '08, essentially we're closing the chapter on the start-up phase for the Fine Arts Center," Papian said. "While we've had to take baby steps early on, the last three to four years we've seen very steady growth. We now have an energy and a focus and a stability that positions the center very well for the future, so our goal right now is to begin a new cycle of growth."
Spirit Advisory Board members have some novel ideas for changing the perception of those who think of UNF as a commuter school lacking in tradition and school spirit. Josh Baker is the student chair of the 18-member Spirit Advisory Board. Baker is fired up about plans the board has for building spirit and creating traditions, plans which include everything from Spirit Spotters to talon prints on sidewalks all over campus. The board members' primary function is to come up with ideas to promote school spirit and pride, which in turn could develop into UNF traditions. "I believe the Spirit Advisory Board is a group of involved students, faculty and staff who really do care about the future of the University and how important school spirit is to the bigger picture of success," said Baker, a senior majoring in sports management. He is the team manager for the UNF basketball team and director of athletic affairs for Student Government. "I believe the board has some great plans for the future of students at UNF." One of those plans, Blue and Gray Fridays, has already begun. Each Friday, students and their families, faculty, staff and alumni are supposed to wear the UNF colors as a show of support for the University. Spirit Spotters, members of the University's Presidential Envoys, will stop and verbally acknowledge the people for the display of school spirit. Although the details haven't been worked out yet, small gifts may be presented to the people wearing blue and gray. "As we are bucking the image of a commuter school and becoming more a traditional state university, it is crucial that as a campus community we stay connected," said Elliot Darkatsh, director of marketing for UNF Athletics and an advisor for the Spirit Advisory Board. "Traditions and school pride are what a student will remember upon graduation. This Advisory Board is challenging the apathy bug and providing avenues for traditions to develop." Last year, about 30 Osprey talon prints were painted on the sidewalk next to the parking garage across from the Arena. Darkatsh said the talon prints are fashioned after the paw prints the Jacksonville Jaguars have on Bay Street leading to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Darkatsh said another idea, still in the early planning stages, is to have clubs and organizations use the fence adjacent to Parking Lot 18 as an Osprey Spirit Wall by decorating it with banners and posters exhorting UNF athletic teams to victory. Kim Diamon, board advisor and associate director of Alumni Services, suggested perhaps the most unique project for the Spirit Advisory Board. It's a deck of 54 playing cards with things you need to do before you graduate from UNF on the face of the cards. The cards also feature the UNF Osprey logo on the front and back of each playing card. The words Go Ospreys are also on the front of each card. Spirit Advisory Board members helped come up with the things you need to do. Some of them are: "Throw a Frisbee and relax on the Green between classes;" "Read a Spinnaker cover to cover; "Wear osprey gear on Fridays;" and "Take a dean or professor to lunch." Two bonus cards list important campus phone numbers and the words to UNF's alma mater. The cards, 3,000 decks, should be printed within the next three weeks, according to Diamon. "I am passionate about engaging student pride on campus in the hopes that it will continue beyond graduation and into an active alumni community," Diamon said. "I am excited to be part of such a dynamic and creative group of people [Spirit Advisory Board members] and look forward to watching the Osprey pride continue to soar." The idea for a Spirit Advisory Board came from the 2006/07 LeadershipUNF class. Darkatsh said faculty, staff, students and alumni are welcome to join the Spirit Advisory Board. The board's next meeting is at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, in Alumni Hall.
Alison Cruess of ITS/Network and User Services and Delores Irvin of the School of Nursing are the winners of the summer Soaring to Excellence Awards for their outstanding contributions to the University. Cruess contributes much to the University that is above and beyond her job requirements. She served previously as president of the A&P Association and her leadership resulted in her re-election this year. She is also the past chair of the Recognition and Rewards Committee, where she provided leadership and direction to this newly formed committee. She serves on a number of additional committees and attends University programs on a regular basis. Cruess is a strong team player and is always looking for ways to partner with other groups. She strives for excellence and leads by example with her honesty and integrity. Cruess is known on campus as someone who raises the bar. She not only brings innovative ideas to the table but also takes the time to make them happen. Irvin has demonstrated notable contributions that reflect positively for UNF, the Brooks College of Health and the School of Nursing. Her work with students, faculty and the institution has been consistently above and beyond her job assignment and performance expectations. She has an "I can do" and "I will help" attitude. The students always come to Irvin when they have problems, and she always is able to help them find a solution. Irving exemplifies excellence in every sense of the word and truly models the University's values of relevance, accountability, focus and excellence. Recipients of the Soaring to Excellence Awards receive $2,000, a personalized plaque, as well as lunch and a photo with President John Delaney. Outstanding Achievement Awards
Jean Loos of the School of Engineering and Linda Walton of Human Resources are winners of the summer Outstanding Achievement Award. Loos used her dedication, strong work ethic and enthusiasm for her job to turn the undergraduate civil engineering program into a much stronger program. This was all done with Loos doing everything that has ever been asked of her and then going beyond the call of duty. Colleagues at other undergraduate teaching institutions have asked many times how our laboratories and laboratory experiences developed to such a high level so quickly. The answer is always the same - a highly skilled and dedicated teaching lab specialist named Jean Loos. The contributions of Walton to the University cannot be overstated. As a primary point of contact for pay and leave issues, she regularly provides advice and counsel to all departments and units across the University in a timely and effective manner. Walton serves as a Human Resources representative on the Personnel, Payroll and Budget Committee and her thoughtful and creative approach to problem-solving the issues that arise in that forum has resulted in improved processes and procedures. It is also important to point out that Walton always has her door open to whomever needs advice and counsel. Outstanding Achievement Award winners receive $800. Quality Customer Service Award The Center for Professional Development and Training is the winner of the Quality Customer Service Award for going the extra mile by demonstrating exceptional customer service and communication, consistently providing quality professional development programs and expanding course offerings to meet the needs of customers. CPDT implemented several new initiatives during the past six months, including establishing partnerships with several departments to co-present as subject-matter experts, attracting highly effective consultants and working with departments on new initiatives such as retreat-facilitation and team-building efforts. They continue to provide exceptional professional development and training opportunities for faculty and staff. Quality Customer Service Award winners receive $500 to be used for a departmental event – and a departmental plaque. Spot Award Recipients The following award recipients were "spotted" providing quality service, internal or external to their departments, which will have a lasting positive effect on students, faculty, staff or visitors: Sandra Bernreuter - Chemistry and Physics Nancy Boerem - Institutional Advancement
Decato Burke - Information Technology Services
Pete Dunmyer - Physical Facilities
Samantha Bryand - Physical Facilities
Paul Gambon - OFE/CIRT
Gerald Garner - Physical Facilities
Glenda Kelsey - Thomas G. Carpenter Library
Tyran Lance - The Graduate School
Rick McAuslin - Physical Facilities
Robert McCracken - Physical Facilities
Ronda Mitchell - Center for Professional Development & Training
Lee Murray - Physical Facilities
Thuan Phan - Human Resources Nick Sartor - Information Technology
Owen Wilson - Physical Facilities Spot award winners receive a $100 cash reward.
UNF's International Council recently selected two faculty and one staff member for International Awards, which recognize faculty who develop and lead study abroad coursework and staff who smooth the way for international students attending UNF and for UNF students studying abroad. Dr. Marsha Lupi, associate professor of special education, Dr. Teresa G. Tuason, assistant professor of psychology, and University Controller Floyd Hurst are the 2007-08 winners. The winners will be recognized at the upcoming UNF Fall Convocation Sept. 19. In addition, they will receive a cash honorarium and plaque for their dedication to advancing the internationalization of the campus and its curriculum. Lupi will receive the Outstanding International Leadership Award, which is awarded to full or associate professors for making a significant and lasting contribution to the international education of our students. Since she began serving as associate dean for the College of Education and Human Services in 2005, Lupi has created and spearheaded a number of opportunities for undergraduate education majors to participate in international internships or to study teacher education abroad. As a result of all her accomplishments in the international arena, COEHS Dean Larry Daniel selected her two years ago to coordinate these efforts. She saw a need for these types of experiences not long after coming to UNF when she realized teacher certification requirements were preventing education majors from pursuing this type of transformational learning in spite of the fact that their classroom effectiveness could be enhanced by exposure to global diversity. "A good program of teacher preparation should strive to provide its teacher candidates with opportunities to learn more about other cultures through guided and meaningful travel and study abroad opportunities," Lupi said. She has received three UNF Transformation Learning Opportunity grants to develop study abroad courses. Tuason will receive the Outstanding International Leadership Award, which is awarded to assistant professors or lecturers. As the College of Arts and Sciences representative to the International Council since 2005, Tuason has emphasized a global perspective through her teaching, research and co-curricular activities on campus. She has served for three years as a faculty adviser for UNF's Filipino Student Association, and mentored eight graduate students with whom she has collaboratively conducted research on psychological issues of an international nature. She has been instrumental in ensuring several students had opportunities to present their research at international conferences. Tuason was co-recipient of a TLO grant for a study abroad trip this summer to Austria and Germany involving 18 undergraduate students. "Culture and Psychology in Europe" included a visit to Sigmund Freud's home. She plans to utilize an International Center faculty development grant to travel to India and Dubai to develop a study abroad course called "Intercultural Health Encounters: Folk Wisdom for Psychological and Physical Well-being." Hurst, an A&P employee, will receive the Outstanding International Service Award for enhancing student, faculty, and staff awareness and support of international activities and creating a campus climate conducive to an international ethos. Hurst is consulted when international students or domestic students going abroad experience a hurdle in their plans. He is credited with consistently and proactively finding ways to assist students with financial dilemmas created by delays in international currency exchange as well UNF and state requirements and deadlines. "Our controller has shown time and time again that he supports our students' academic goals, for both individuals and groups of students," said Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, vice president of Student and International Affairs. "He consistently thinks 'outside the box' and enthusiastically comes up with ways to resolve problems that sometimes occur because of differences in international currency or conflicting deadlines at partner institutions around the world." Hurst set up a system to monitor payment for international students' required health insurance, alerting other offices to issues that arise and helping to find solutions. He also is credited with attempting to remove operational and financial obstacles domestic students encounter when planning to travel abroad. Hurst points to his own travel experiences abroad and his appreciation for the sacrifices made by international students to attend UNF as motivation for his extra efforts. "I am a strong believer in the University's focus on individual attention to the student. Each group comes with their own needs, and thus we have to work with them in a way that addresses those needs," he said. A sub-committee of the UNF International Council reviews award nominees and the recommended names are submitted to Gonzalez for final determination.
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Faculty and staff giving to UNF reached a record high of 24.5 percent in fiscal year 2008. Lyndse Costabile, assistant director of Annual Giving, said the record is a result of faculty and staff's vested interest in the success of UNF. The rate of faculty and staff philanthropic support is often used as a barometer by foundations and corporations considering whether to contribute to the University. Costabile said the goal is to raise that giving level to 34.5 percent in fiscal year 2009.
The Coastal Biology Program will host the Sol and Leslie Brotman public lecture series this fall, beginning with the inaugural lecture at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at the University Center. All lectures are oriented to the general public and are free. Dr. Nancy Rabalais, executive director and professor at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, will kick off the series with her lecture on the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico, an area she discovered in the northern Gulf of Mexico where the bottom waters are devoid of life. Other scheduled lectures in the series include the husband-and-wife team Dr. Chuck Amsler and Maggie Amsler from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. They spend each winter in and under the ice in the Antarctic Ocean. The duo will discuss the fantastic world under Antarctic ice at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, at the University Center. Marine mammals are the passion of Dr. Ann Pabst, assistant chair in the Department of Biology and Marine Science at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She will discuss how these huge mammals, which descended from ancestors that lived on land, managed to survive in the marine environment. Her lecture will be held at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20 at the University Center. For more information about the Sol and Leslie Brotman public lecture series, contact Christy Crace, UNF Coastal Biology Program, at ext. 2830.
Photo: Mike Middlebrook (above back), a UNF senior majoring in biology, helps Dr. Matthew Gilg, an assistant professor of biology, with a sampling device on the Tolomato River near St. Augustine. The researchers examine their samples for the presence of invasive green mussels and pink barnacles (photo by Bob Self of the Florida Times-Union).
The Center for Economic and Workforce Development is launching several new programs this fall to provide training for first responders as well as regulation and compliance training. The new training will include information regarding hazardous waste, HAZMAT transportation and environmental, health and safety regulations. UNF's Center for Economic and Workforce Development has established an Environmental and Safety Training Institute, which offers certifications from entry-level to advanced-training programs to help implement local companies' compliance policies for local, state or federal regulations. The Environmental and Safety Institute is divided into two sections: First Responders and Regulation and Compliance Training.
Effective communication between patients and their physicians increasingly is being recognized as essential to good medical care. Doctors have begun to pay attention to what patients instinctively have known for years – if the patient and the physician don't understand each other, doctors may miss important clues to the patient's illness, the patient is not able to follow the physician's directions and both doctor and patient feel dissatisfied with the visit. Here's what Dr. Judith Sayre, assistant communications professor, has to say about improving communication with your physician. What's the most important thing a doctor can learn to do when talking to their patients?In a word – listen. Research shows that when a doctor lets a patient describe his or her problem, patients will provide valuable information in their own words and in less than a minute. However, research also shows that many doctors interrupt their patients at an average of 18 seconds into the patient's narrative. Doctors who are attentive listeners tend to be far better at diagnosing an illness, may need to order fewer expensive tests and have patients who report greater satisfaction with their physicians. What can patients do to better communicate with their physician? Patients need to prepare for their medical appointments. A written list of questions to ask the doctor can help organize thoughts and prioritize problems. With most office visits today averaging 15 minutes, you need to address one or two things that are most urgent and leave other problems for a later appointment. While it may be helpful to use the Internet to research your symptoms, taking a stack of printouts to discuss with your doctor uses up valuable office time. Should patients bring in all of their medications to their doctor, so they can see what you're taking? Absolutely! This is especially important for patients who have several chronic conditions, who see different doctors for different symptoms or who take a combination of prescription and over-the-counter medications. This describes many senior adults who also may be most susceptible to interactions among different medications. Is there an effective way to get your doctor to speak in lay terms about your health condition? Every patient has a right to receive clear and understandable medical care and advice. The American Medical Association recently developed a program called "Ask Me 3," a simple way to encourage patients to ask questions when they don't understand the doctor. These questions are: What is my main problem? What do I need to do? Why is it important for me to do this? Today, physicians are trained and motivated more than ever to work with their patients in creating a therapeutic communication environment. Every month, the column "Ask UNF" runs in Inside and The Florida Times-Union, promoting the expertise of UNF faculty and staff.
Athletic Training and Physical Therapy: Dr. Rose Marie Rine was a lead speaker at the June BAPA (British Association of Pediatricians in Audiology) conference at Clare College in Cambridge, England. Three sessions were provided: Impact of Vestibular Function on Development, Evaluation for Vestibular Deficits and Related Impairments in Children and Intervention to Address Vestibular Related Impairments in Children. Rine was also awarded National Institute of Health Toolbox Extension for development of dynamic visual acuity testing for children and clinical test of sensory integration for balance for children. She collaborated with faculty from Johns Hopkins and University of Pittsburgh Medical Schools. Public Health: Dr. Elissa Barr presented "Effective Sexuality Education: Putting to Work What Works" at the Florida Public Health Association Annual Education Conference in Champions Gate, Fla., in July. Barr also co-presented (with Dr. Darrel Lang) "Meeting the Needs of Special Education Students in Human Sexuality Education" at the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Summer Institute in Greenville, S.C., in June. Dr. Lei-Shih Chen (with O. Kwok and P. Goodson) published "U.S. Health Educators' Likelihood of Adopting Genomic Competencies into Health Promotion" in the American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 98, No. 9. Nutrition and Dietetics: Dr. Judy E. Perkin received a President's Award at the 2008 Florida Public Health Association Annual Education Conference held in Champions Gate, Fla. Drs. Pam Chally, Catherine Christie and Julia Watkins published "Relationship Between Body Image and Body Mass Index in College Males" in the Journal of American College Health, Vol. 57.
Accounting and Finance: Dr. Charles Calhoun attended the American Accounting Association Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif., in August and was an invited panelist participating in three sessions: "International Accounting Education Standards: The IFRS of the Academic World," "Current Trends in Ethics Education: International and Practitioner Perspectives" and "Assessing Learning Outcomes: Best Practices." Dr. Lynn Comer Jones published "The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007" and "The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008" in The Tax Adviser's May and July issues. Drs. John B. MacArthur and Harriet A. Stranahan (with Dr. Robert E. Houmes of JU) published "A Study of the Relationship between Strategic Cost Structure Choice and Stock Return Behavior in the Transportation Industry: Preliminary Results" in American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences E-Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2008. Management: Drs. Reza Vaghefi and Louis Woods' research article titled "Keiretsu: The Ubiquitous Power of Supply Chain and its Global Implications" has been accepted for publication in the Business and Economics Review, fall 2008 issue. Marketing and Logistics: Dr. Ronald Adams presented "Will History Repeat Itself? A Look at the New 'Business Friendly' U.S. Supreme Court's Posture on the issue of Retail Price Setting" at the annual conference of the European Institute for Retailing and Consumer Studies (EIRACS) in Zagreb, Croatia, in July.
Biology: Dr. Greg Ahearn attended a scientific conference in Kenya and organized a symposium at the conference on heavy metal biology. Graduate student Anna Mullins also attended and presented a poster of her research. Ahearn and Mullins will publish a chapter in a book as a result of this conference. Dr. Dale Casamatta and graduate student Ralph Perkerson presented two papers at the Phycological Society of America conference in New Orleans: "Untangling Cyanobacterial Systematics: Erection of Emicolyngbya Gen. Nov. from a Polyphyletic Clade of Leptolyngbya (Cyanobacteria)" and "How Ecologically Permissive are Pseudanabaenalean (Cyanobacteria) Genera? A Plethora of New Clades When Different Habitats are Contemplated." Dr. Mike Lentz presented a poster at the American Society for Virology in Ithaca, N.Y., titled "Molecular and Morphologic Characterization of Cyanophages from Eutrophic Lakes in Northeast Florida." Co-authors included UNF affiliates Dale Casamatta, Justin Bacon, Alex Gauhkman, Cynthia Pennington and Jennifer Wilson. Chemistry and Physics: Dr. Lev Gasparov had an abstract accepted for the Magnetism and Magnetic Materials Conference in Austin, Texas, in November 2008: "Raman Studies of Doped Magnetite Above and Below the Verwey Transition Presentation Format," in the Oral Proceedings Journal JAP. A paper titled "Odor Sensing With Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films on Quartz Crystal Microbalance" by Drs. Jay Huebner and Nirmal Patel and students Jason Saredy and Brian Stadelmaier was ranked 13th by the journal Sensors and Transducers for the number of times the paper was downloaded in May (114). To download the article, go to http://www.sensorsportal.com/HTML/DIGEST/P_266.htm. Dr. Jane Macgibbon had two research papers accepted for publication in Physical Review D, September 2008. Criminology and Criminal Justice: Dr. Daniel Pontzer published articles in the Forensic Science Encyclopedia titled "Amphetamines," "Bombings," "Drug Paraphernalia" and "Innocence Projects," edited by Ayn Embar-Seddon and Allan D. Pass of Salem Press in Pasadena, Calif. This encyclopedia is due out next month. Dr. Jennifer Wesely presented a paper titled "From the Inside Out: Efforts by Homeless Women to Disrupt Cycles of Crime and Violence" at the Annual Meeting for the Society for the Study of Social Problems in Boston. English: Dr. Pam Monteleone presented a paper titled "Performance at Jena" at the annual national conference of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education in Denver in July. Dr. Clark Lunberry had a selection of photographs from his "Water On Water" UNF Library Installation (2007) published in Andrei Codrescu's online journal, Exquisite Corpse, at www.corpse.org, in the poetry section. Dr. Mike Wiley's novel "The Last Striptease" has been nominated for a Shamus Award for Best First Novel. History: Dr. Alison J. Bruey presented a paper titled "Lost in Transition: The Armed Left in Working-Class Santiago de Chile, c. 1978-1985" at the Tepoztlan Institute for the Transnational History of the Americas in Mexico, in July. Dr. Charles E. Closmann published a chapter titled "Holding the Line: Pollution, Power and Rivers in Yorkshire and the Ruhr, 1850-1990" in the book "Rivers in History: Perspectives on Waterways in Europe and North America," published by University of Pittsburgh Press, July 2008. Dr. David Courtwright was named incoming president of the Alcohol and Drugs History Society, which publishes The Social History of Alcohol and Drugs: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Dr. Theophilus C. Prousis published a book titled "British Consular Reports from the Ottoman Levant in an Age of Upheaval, 1815-1830," by Istanbul: Isis Press, 2008. Dr. N. Harry Rothschild published an article, "The Koguryan Connection: The Quan (Yon) Family in the Establishment of Wu Zhao's Political Authority," in China Yongu (Institute of Chinese Studies in Pusan National University) Vol. 4, 2008. Rothschild also published a chapter in "Story of a Stone: Wu Zhao and the Mother of Qi," in Wu Zetian yu shendu Luoyang [Wu Zetian and Divine Capital Luoyang] (Beijing: Zhongguo wenshi chubanshe, 2008). Dr. David Sheffler published his book "Schools and Schooling in Late Medieval Germany: Regensburg 1250-1500" by Leiden: Brill, 2008. Mathematics and Statistics: Dr. Adel Boules presented a paper titled "A Variable Step Scheme for Solving Ordinary Differential Equations" at the 2008 International Conference on Scientific Computing in Las Vegas. Dr. Dan Dreibelbis attended the 10th International Workshop on Real and Complex Singularities in Sao Carlos, Brazil, and presented the communication "Singularities of the Tangential Gauss Map." Dr. Scott Hochwald participated as a member of the Board of Governors at the annual summer Mathematical Association of America Mathfest meeting in Madison, Wis., and gave a presentation titled "The Harmonic Series: Used, Abused and Confused." Music: Michael Bovenzi recently completed his doctorate in performance and literature from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Marc Dickman was awarded a $45,000 grant to fund a project titled "The Southeast United States Jazz Masterworks Project: Basie, Ellington and the Beboppers." The grant will fund outreach concerts and clinics for the fall and spring semesters. Dr. Clarence Hines had two original compositions and an arrangement published by UNC Jazz Press. The arrangement of "A Weaver of Dreams" was performed at the 2008 International Tuba Euphonium Conference in Cincinnati and the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" Tuba-Euphonium Conference in Washington, D.C. Political Science and Public Administration: Dr. Choi, Hyunsun presented "U-City for Utopia City?" at the July 2008 Joint Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning-Association of European Schools of Planning Conference in Chicago. At the same conference, Choi, along with Drs. Simon Choi and Woosuh Park, presented "Affordable Housing and Local Governance in South Korea: a Fair Share Approach." Psychology: Dr. Adam C. Carle (with Drs. Kurt Bauman and Kathleen Short from the U.S. Census Bureau) published "Assessing the Measurement and Structure of Material Hardship in the United States" in the journal Social Indicators Research. Carle, along with Dr. David Jaffee (Academic Affairs) and Deborah Miller (Center for Instruction and Research Technology), presented "Engaging Students and Changing Academic Achievement with Technology: A Quasi-experimental Preliminary Investigation" at the 15th International Conference on Learning in Chicago. In addition, Carle (with Stephen J. Blumberg of the National Center for Health Statistics) presented "State-by-state Changes in the Health, Health Care, and Well-being of Children with Special Health Care Needs: 2001 to 2005-2006" and "Measuring the Well-being of Children with Special Health Care Needs" at the 2008 Child Health Services Research Meeting in Washington, D.C. Drs. C. Dominik Güss and M. Teresa Tuason published an article titled "Jeepneys: Values in the Streets" in Culture and Psychology, Vol. 14, No. 2. Dr. Rebecca Marcon presented the keynote address at the One Goal Summer Conference research luncheon in July in Tampa. Dr. Jacob M. Vigil (with D.C. Geary, D.A. Granger and M.V. Flinn) had the article "Sex Differences in Salivary Cortisol, Alpha-amylase and Psychological Functioning Following Hurricane Katrina" accepted for publication in the journal Child Development. Vigil's article titled "A Socio-relational Framework of Sex Differences in the Expression of Emotion" was also accepted for publication in Behavioral and Brain Sciences. Sociology and Anthropology: Dr. Rosa De Jorio presented "Gender, Islam, and the Challenges of a Malian Public Sphere" at the Seventh International Conference on Mande Studies in Lisbon, Portugal, in June. Dr. Ronald Kephart presented his paper "How Do You Spell That? Thoughts on Writing Creoles" at the joint meetings of the Society for Caribbean Linguistics and the Society for Pidgin and Creole Linguistics held in Cayenne, French Guiana, in July. Dr. Adam Shapiro and UNF sociology alumnus Raijah Hayes published "Retirement and Older Men's Health" in the Spring 2008 issue of Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging. Shapiro also presented a paper titled "Parental Marital Transitions and Financial Transfers to Adult Children Within Families" at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association in Boston. World Languages: Dr. Renée Scott published "Feminine Literature and Eating Disorders" in El cuerpo y sus espejos: estudios antropológico-culturales [The Body and Its Mirrors: Anthropological-Cultural Studies] published by Montevideo: Planeta, 2008.
Construction Management: Dr. Mag Malek attended the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) in July. ACCE is the accrediting body for construction academic programs. At the meeting, the UNF Construction Management program was noted as having no concerns or weaknesses from the last accreditation review. School of Engineering: Dr. Chiu Choi presented and published his paper, "A Microcontroller Applications Course and the FREESCALE Microcontroller Student Learning Kit" at the 2008 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition in June. Choi also published a paper on the UNF Web site describing his visit to the Taiyuan University of Science and Technology in China: "Journey of Thousands of Miles Is the First Step." Go to http://unfofe.blogspot.com/2008/06/journey-of-thousands-of-miles-is-first.html to read the article. Dr. Daniel Cox presented and published his paper, "Project-Centered Modules as a Platform for International Cooperation in Precision Automation," at the International Conference on Engineering Education in July. Dr. Susan Vasana published her paper, "Modeling and Simulation of the Conversion of Correlated and Unbalanced Antenna Diversity Systems," in the International Journal of Modeling and Simulation, Vol. 28, No.1, 2008. Dr. Pat Welsh presented a talk, "Real-time Data for the St. Johns River and Coast," at the Second Taking the Pulse of Our Coastal Ocean (TPOCO) at Jacksonville University, in July. School of Computing: Drs. Ken Martin and Judy Solano participated in the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) meeting in July. Martin and Solano both serve as team chairs for CAC accreditation visits to computer science programs. Dr. Charles Winton presented "Robotics Programming Using Graphical Simulation" and "Drawing Robot to Record Paths Formed from Arc and Line Segments" at the Global Workshop on Educational Robotics in July. As chairman of the board of directors for the KISS Institute for Practical Robotics (KIPR), Winton presided over a KIPR board meeting in Norman, Okla., in July. Dean's Office: Dr. Jerry Merckel attended the ABET Computing Accreditation Commission meeting in July. Merckel serves as a team chair for CAC accreditation visits to computer science programs.
Childhood Education: Dr. Georgina David's picture book "Just Mollie and Me" was selected as the September 2008 book of the month by Twin Lakes Academy. Twin Lakes also invited David as the guest author for their Million Word kickoff event. David also developed the conceptual design and created arts-integrated lessons for a K-5 supplemental curriculum linking artwork in the Art in Public Places collection to scientific concepts for the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville. The kindergarten and first grade units were presented by the Cultural Council educators at The Florida Kennedy Center Partners in Education - Arts for Learning: Tools for Teaching workshop held at UNF in June. Foundations and Secondary Education: Dr. Richard Chant, by invitation of U.S. Senator Bob Graham and U.S. Representative Lou Frey, attended a meeting in August in Orlando sponsored by the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship. The meeting focused on exploring current efforts and future initiatives to strengthen civic education in Florida. Exceptional Student and Deaf Education: Dr. Donald Moores and seven graduate students in the Deaf Education program published an article, "Issues and Trends in American Annals of the Deaf Publications: 2001 to 2007" in the 2008 reference issue of the American Annals of the Deaf. The article categorized and reviewed all of the nearly 200 articles published in the journal over a seven-year period. Student authors were Kelly Anderson, Kyla Ayers, Katelyn Krantz, Melanie Lafferty, Amy Locke, Anne-Michael Huntley Smith and Ryan Vander Weide. Drs. Len Roberson and Sherry Shaw have been selected to present at the upcoming Conference of Interpreter Trainers (CIT) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in October. Their presentation, "Service-Learning: Re-Centering the Deaf Community in Interpreter Education," will highlight UNF's incorporation of service-learning courses as a means of focusing curriculum development on the community that will eventually be served by program graduates. Shaw and Šárka Timarová, co-researcher from Lessius University College in Belgium, will present on their parallel research projects in: Measurement of Cognitive and Personality Traits in Determining Aptitude of Spoken and Signed Language Interpreting Students. Also during the CIT conference, UNF's faculty representatives will meet with international partners from Belgium and the Netherlands to further discuss a joint, trans-Atlantic grant proposal to be co-developed in spring 2009. Dean's Office: Drs. Marsha Lupi and Suzanne Martin (University of Central Florida) had an article published in the national newsletter, Women in Higher Education, Vol. 17, No. 6, July edition. The article, "Special Ed Teaches Leadership Skills Useful to Deans," highlights skills and dispositions related to teaching and preparation as a special education that a national study found to correlate to women in the deanship and their perception of their leadership styles and skills. Drs. Lupi, Al Sander, Jennifer Kane and Jason Lee collaborated with Dr. Keith Jones from the University College in Plymouth, England, on the article "UNF and UCP Marjon: A Transformational Learning Opportunity," which was published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Human Development, summer 2008 (2). The article focuses on the partnership between the two colleges in providing internships in Plymouth for sport management, pre-K-primary and childhood education.
Erin Soles presented "Extreme Makeover: Blackboard Edition" in July at the 2008 Bb World conference in Las Vegas. Deb Miller and Albert Whittenberg of Middle Tennessee State University presented "Hearing Every Voice: Clickers from Selection to Classroom Use" in June at the 2008 EDUCAUSE Southeast Regional Conference in Jacksonville.
Department: School of Engineering Job: Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Years at UNF: 6 years
Tell us something that would surprise people to know about you:
I attended college at the age of 14, and became an assistant professor in China at the age of 21. Those things were the accomplishments of my mother who was an inspiring high school teacher. Tell us something about you that even your friends don't know: "Susan" was the name of my English tutor. She was a Canadian student at Queen's University who volunteered to tutor me English when I first went to Canada 20 years ago. Many times she walked to my home during the snow and went straight to bake sweets instead of taking care of her wet feet first. I learned much more than just English language from her. I adopted the name "Susan" to remember her and to honor her. What person had the greatest impact on your life?It was my grandmother. She was the one who raised me. She dreamt of world peace when she saw more people coming to visit China in the 80s. She passed to me the belief that the world would be a better place when people had genuine interests to get to know and understand more of each other. I left China to see the world at the time of her passing. Tell us about your family. I am married to my husband, Will Vasana, who quit his job so that I could move to join UNF when I was pregnant with my second child. I have two daughters, Danica and Anna. Danica is a sophomore student at U.C. Berkeley in electrical engineering. Anna, who is 5, is the joy of my life. What are you most passionate about? I have a few passions in my life: technology innovation and invention in wireless communications; quality instructional practice and assessment in science and engineering education; bridging the culture difference between the East and the West. What is your favorite way to blow an hour? Meditation and reading. What do you hope to accomplish that you have not done yet? To have full consciousness about my thoughts and feelings at present. If you could choose any other career, what would it be and why? The same one that I have now – being a professor and an educator in science and engineering. I have worked in industry and universities. I know that this is my dream career. What is your favorite thing about working at UNF? I taught at universities in China, in Canada, at FAU and worked for Motorola before I joined UNF. When I first drove to UNF, the green woods along the entrance road gave me a feel of soothing welcome. Over the years, it is the students, the supportive staff, the beautiful campus and the overall friendly environment that makes working at UNF enjoyable. What would you like to do when you retire? Teaching part-time and traveling. Last book read: Power vs. Force – The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D.
The following employees were either hired or assumed new positions at UNF from mid-July to mid-August: Renee Anderson, secretary in the One-Stop Center Maldine Bailey, assistant professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice Chris Baynard, assistant professor in Economics and Geography James Beasley, assistant professor in English Kimberly Bilsky, instructor in Nursing Michelle Boling, assistant professor in Athletic Training and Physical Therapy Jennifer Bryant, lecturer in Chemistry and Physics Peter Casella, assistant professor in Communication Felecita Colon, associate director in Enrollment Services' Processing Office Sylvia Dancy, recycler in Physical Facilities Pieter de Jong, assistant professor in Accounting and Finance George de Tarnowsky, associate professor in Political Science and Public Administration Nicholas de Villiers, assistant professor in English David Deeley, instructor in communication Gregory Domber, assistant professor in History Sheryl Elias, program assistant in Student Medical Services Rufus Elliott, assistant professor in Foundations and Secondary Education Joy Feria, instructor in Criminology and Criminal Justice Maria Fernandez Cifuentes, assistant professor in World Languages Barbara Fletcher, adjunct in the Brooks College of Health Elizabeth Fullerton, assistant professor in Childhood Education James Gelsleichter, assistant professor in Biology Lakshmi Goel, assistant professor in Management Philip Green, coordinator of continuing education in Continuing Education's Non-Credit Program Caroline Guardino, assistant professor in Exceptional Student and Deaf Education Glenn Guzzo, assistant professor in Exceptional Student and Deaf Education Carl Holman, assistant director in the Fine Arts Center Gaea Holt, coordinator of purchasing in Purchasing John Hutcheson, instructor in Art and Design Nuria Ibanez, assistant professor in World Languages Aivin Jiang, assistant professor in Building Construction Management Chitra Lakshmi Balasubramanian, assistant professor in Athletic Training and Physical Therapy Kathryn Larsen, instructor in Nursing Betty Littleton, custodial worker in Physical Facilities Beven Livingston, assistant professor in Athletic Training and Physical Therapy Samuel Mathies, instructor in Communication Traci Mathies, instructor in Communication Marta Morzynska, accounting associate in Auxiliary Services Katie Myers, instructor in English Thien Nguyen, custodial worker in Physical Facilities La Tara Osborne-Lampkin, assistant professor in Leadership and Counseling Sejal Parikh, assistant professor in Leadership and Counseling Robert Parrish, assistant professor in Leadership and Counseling Brandon Perkins, IT support technician in Information Technology Services Daniel Pontzer, assistant professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice Radha Pyati, associate professor in Chemistry and Physics Randall Robinson, assistant director in Student Government. Dung Ronemous, custodial worker in Physical Facilities Alicia Sitren, assistant professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice Robert Slater, assistant professor in Accounting & Finance Samatha Sneed, program assistant in the Office of Academic Testing Roberto Soares, assistant professor in Building Construction Management Madalina Tanase, assistant professor in Foundations and Secondary Education Chloe Taylor, assistant professor in Philosophy and Religious Studies Michael Toglia, professor in Psychology Brenda Vose, assistant professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice Grazyna Walczak, assistant professor in World Languages JeffriAnne Wilder, assistant professor in Sociology and Anthropology Yongan Wu, Lecturer in World Languages Byron Wynn, custodial worker in Physical Facilities Pingying Zhang, assistant professor in Management Milestone Anniversaries Congratulations to the following employees, who will celebrate a milestone anniversary at UNF in September: 30 years: Barbara Lanz, office assistant in Mathematics and Statistics John Venn, chair of Leadership and Counseling 20 years: Joan Farrell, professor in Public Health Candice Leek, assistant director of educational training programs for the Training and Services Institute 15 years: Linda Walton, assistant director in Human Resources Mark Workman, provost in Academic Affairs 10 years: George Androuin, director of the University Center Dorothy Brasher, personnel representative in Human Resources Nancy Miller, assistant women's basketball coach for Athletics Mary Oleszek, office assistant in the Training and Services Institute Five years: Pete Dunmyer, maintenance supervisor in Physical Facilities Lisa Laporte, career coordinator in Career Services Charles Learch, assistant director of Admissions Debra Legros, administrative assistant in Administration and Finance Henry Osmundsen, custodial worker in Physical Facilities Mark Power, athletic trainer in Intercollegiate Athletics Congratulations: Katherine "Kat" Clark, who started as the recruiting assistant in the Career Management Center in July, is a 2007 graduate of UNF and was the 2007 Presidential Envoy of the Year. Kim Diamon (Alumni Services) was recently promoted to associate director of her department. Philip Green (Continuing Education) recently accepted a position to serve as the Northeast Florida chairman of Leadership Florida. Andrea McLeod was recently promoted to assistant registrar in Enrollment Services Processing. McLeod also has assumed leadership responsibilities for the Records staff and processes while the department continues the search for a new registrar. Congratulations to first-time grandmother Patti Robbins, whose daughter Kelly gave birth to Mackenzie Marie Robbins-Doire July 30. A sad farewell: Tabitha Houston (Academic Center for Excellence) passed away Aug. 22 after a valiant fight against brain cancer. She had been working as an academic advisor when she became ill earlier this year. In July, Houston went home to be with her family in New Mexico. She was 41.


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subset: commoncrawl