text:
true University of North Florida education is grounded in a few core
will receive an incredibly well-rounded academic experience in a personal atmosphere. They will have access to the resources of a large university
while having unparalleled access to their professors and instructors. And their
health and wellness will be catered to and nurtured every step of the way.
The University has developed a
regional and statewide reputation for its focus on health — from its
community-engaged Brooks College of Health to its hardworking Department of
Health Promotion.
There are a number of inventive
new wellness initiatives students, faculty and staff can look forward to in the
fall semester. At the same time, the campus community will have access to a few
new physical additions to campus that will make living healthy far easier.
Intervention, prevention and wellness
The Department of Health Promotion, part of the Division of Student Affairs, has a simple mission — promote
the health and well-being of the University community.
The staff, however, has
put in a tremendous amount of work to make UNF one of the most health-savvy
campuses in Florida. They've worked on scores of initiatives to educate the University
on pro-health behaviors while providing quality health-enhancement services to
the entire campus population.
Purser, director of Health Promotion, said her department is supported by many
other departments and programs — Campus Recreation and the Brooks College of
Health, in particular — that share the same desire to help the campus community learn
how to live healthier.
"It's as simple as this,
we want the people who come onto our beautiful campus to be exposed to health
and wellness from every perspective — physically, spiritually and emotionally,"
she said. "Health and wellness is important to the life of the campus, and it's
even a part of student retention. Students who are healthier are better
equipped to attend classes and expend the energy to get the most out of their
University experiences."
The campaigns Purser and
the Health Promotion staff have pursued can be broken down into three separate
areas of focus — general wellness, prevention and intervention. Here's just a
taste of some of the initiatives that have already taken place and others that students,
faculty and staff can expect in the future.
Healthy Osprey Nutritional Campaigns
Fruits and Veggies More Matters Campaign — Implemented to increase awareness of
the importance of adding more fruits and vegetables in everyone's daily diet. Handed
out free fruits and vegetables accompanied with literature on the importance of
One-Stop Nutrition Clinic — Partnered with a master's student from the Nutrition and
Dietetics Program to offer student, faculty and staff a free one-on-one nutritional
counseling session. Also includes Lunch-and-Learn presentations and many
nutrition-related outreach services. Hired a part time Registered Dietician to
increase programs and services.
Healthy Choices Campaign — Partnered with
Chartwells in increasing awareness and educating the UNF community on the healthy
nutritional choices on campus. This fall will mark the launch of Balanced U, a
new program designed to provide the students with information and guidance so
they can make meal choices that are right for them. Chartwells will identify
foods that are healthier choices, as well as foods that are vegetarian, vegan
and contain sustainable ingredients. The program will also feature an online
tool allowing students to retrieve personalized nutritional information from
menus on campus. Students can also learn tips for the kitchen with a variety of
healthy cooking demonstrations and classes that will be available in the fall.
Throughout the year, Chartwells will highlight a different fun theme that
focuses on the benefits of healthy foods that help you study harder, feel more
energetic, stay well and look your best.
Osprey – Cruisin' to Health Passport Program — The Passport's mission is promoting
healthy lifestyle choices while giving students the opportunity to participate
in all our programs, services and events. Participants will earn points for
participation and receive incentives and prizes. The program promotes all the
wellness-related resources throughout campus and the Jacksonville community.
Osprey Living Learning Community — The Healthy Osprey (HO) Living Learning
Community (LLC) was designed to foster an environment that enhances the
development of a healthy body, mind and spirit. It's an opportunity for
students to connect with like-minded peers in the pursuit of healthy lifestyle
choices. Students will be able to live in a collaborative environment that blends academic coursework with holistic
health activities. The HO LLC also gives students the opportunity to
participate in activities and services in the areas of physical, emotional,
spiritual, occupational, social and intellectual health. Activities include
fitness testing, nutrition demos and fun in nature with our organic garden and
ropes course.
VERB Garden
— A small sliver of campus land has been transformed into an organic garden featuring more than 50 varieties of fruits and vegetables. The transformation from grass to garden is occurring near the Parking Services Building along UNF Drive. Everything from tomatoes and watermelons to basil and bell peppers are thriving under the care of dedicated staff and volunteers. The garden, however, will soon be relocated to Lot 18 behind the University recreation fields to allow more space for it to flourish.
Shirley Assessment Center
—The Dr. Paul Shirley Assessment Center in
the new Student Wellness Complex will provide the campus with state-of-the-art
fitness and nutrition assessment, including blood pressure and body composition
screening equipmentand a highly qualified staff to help implement exercise
prescription and various healthy lifestyle choices.
on-campus and in the community
Dr. Pam Chally, dean of the Brooks College
of Health, said the University has embraced a holistic approach to educating
the campus population about health. She said the collaboration between her
college and Health Promotion shows that the University's message about the
importance of health and wellness is being communicated through multiple
Additionally, the Brooks College of Health has
designated its own Living-Learning
Community (LLC) for the upcoming fall semester. A LLC allows students
with similar academic interests to take classes together and live on the same
floor in a residence hall, creating meaningful relationships with faculty,
staff and other students. The Brooks LLC unites second-year students
interested in pursuing health majors and ultimately a career in a health-related
field and develops their academic and professional skills so they can succeed
in the professional world.
UNF's wellness initiatives, however, aren't
tethered to just the campus. Chally said her college has worked diligently to
engage the Northeast Florida community in an ongoing dialogue about health and
Chally said UNF students from all of Brooks'
departments — nursing, public health, clinical and applied movement sciences
and nutrition and dietetics — are fixtures in the internship programs of nearly
every health-related business or organization in the region, including even
some on-campus health and wellness providers such as Student Health Services.
Some students have even helped design programs that engage
the community by utilizing the University's wealth of on-campus wellness
For instance, a group of exercise science, nutrition and
community health students teamed up with representatives from the Nemours
Children's Clinic in Jacksonville during the spring to implement a childhood
obesity program with close to a dozen children from Nemours. The children
were supervised by students as they walked UNF's nature trail, planted an herb
garden and learned about the environment. They met weekly for exercise
tips, nutrition lessons and behavioral evaluations all directed by health
students and supervised by health professionals. The children were also
introduced to the culinary world by Hollis Wilder, owner of Sweets by Holly in
the St. Johns Center and a frequent competitor on Food Network. She instructed
them in how to cook a healthy meal and let them eat dinner in the nutrition lab
with their families.
Melissa Hartman, an exercise science instructor and program
director, said the program — tentatively titled Weigh Cool Kids
— takes a multidisciplinary approach to teaching children about health. Program
participants have their cardiovascular ability, balance and flexibility measured
while having their minds expanded about health and nutrition.
"It's a group effort to help them lead healthier
lives," Hartman said. "Catching them earlier on is the key because
having a concept of wellness from an early age can help ensure long-term
health. It eliminates the need of prevention and intervention services later on
down the road when they have a solid basis in nutrition and exercise. And the
students from UNF get a tremendous amount of experience working with the
Building health
The University is also sporting a few new
physical additions to campus that will help students, faculty and staff in
their pursuits of healthier lifestyles.
The most
noticeable landmark to join the campus skyline is the long-awaited, 75,000-square-foot
Student Wellness Complex, which opens this summer. The $19.5 million dollar
facility is an all-in-one fitness and sports learning facility with everything
wellness advocates could desire.
Shortly after
stepping foot inside, visitors are greeted by a 32-foot tall climbing wall that
offers panoramic views of the three-level building. Three dedicated indoor
group fitness rooms and one outdoor multi-use balcony group fitness space gives
the staff of trained fitness instructors the opportunity to lead four different
classes simultaneously.
The Dottie
Dorion Fitness Center, which encompasses about 27,000-square-feet of floor
space on the second level, is more than quadruple the size of the University's
old gym and boasts an updated assortment of cardio and weight equipment. A
1/8-mile track on the third level level circumnavigates the perimeter of the
building and offers incredible views of the campus landscape. Health Promotion and
Campus Recreation will also have offices in the Complex.
Zak Ovadia, director of Campus Planning, Design and Construction, said
the Wellness Complex ties in aesthetically with some of the design flourishes present
in the Student Union. It's also sustainable and green, a campus
requirement for any new structure.
"This building will be one of the largest and best-equipped wellness
centers in Northeast Florida," Ovadia said. "It meets and exceeds the students'
needs for exercise and fitness equipment and gives the University a base for
wellness activities now and into the future."
On the other side of campus alongside Lake Oneida in the pristine Robert
W. Loftin Nature Trails, another wellness-oriented project recently finished
construction. Built primarily of wood and natural materials instead of metal
and glass, UNF's new ropes course will open to the campus community in the
AyoLane Halusky, chief ranger for UNF's Wildlife Sanctuary, said the
ropes course offers high and low-ropes activities for participants. A group of
about a dozen staffers trained for two weeks in late-May and early-June to
acquaint themselves with each part of the course. They'll be present for safety
purposes whenever participants strap themselves in and start climbing.
Halusky said the course, which has been in the works since 2007 and was
approved for construction by Student Government, offers individuals or groups a
physical and emotional release in a serene, natural environment.
"It's about pushing yourself and learning more about your limits,"
Halusky said. "This can be done in the context of team-building exercises or just
on a personal basis. But this kind of exercise allows you to go to a place that
isn't accessible in everyday life."
Healthy awards
University's dedication to health hasn't gone unnoticed by the outside
year marked UNF's third straight Gold Healthiest Company
from the First
Coast Worksite Wellness Council, a
regional wellness-focused consortium that awards businesses and organizations
for healthy work environment, and presented by the Jacksonville Business
The Gold award, the highest honor bestowed, is only given to recipients
that are at the top-of-their-class for organizational policies, healthy
behaviors, employee safety, physical activity, nutrition/weight management and prevention.
And the honors don't stop there. During the same award ceremony, Purser from Health Promotion came in second place in the Frank Barker Wellness Leader awards. The
accolades are also presented by the First Coast Worksite Wellness Council and recognize the efforts
of wellness leaders in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida.
"We've gotten to
the point where UNF is synonymous with health in the community," President Delaney said. "We have great academic offerings for health that are respected
throughout the state, our employees and students have access to a wealth of
wellness initiatives and health is at the top of the agenda for all of us at
UNF. This is a part of our campus
culture, and it will be for years to come."
The United Nations World Water Development Report had never
featured a case study on a United States river in any of its previous editions.
That is, until this year.
The 2012 report prominently highlights the St. Johns River
in a case study submitted by the Environmental Center at the University of
North Florida and co-authored by Dr. Radha Pyati, the Center's director.
"This is a truly a unique accomplishment," Pyati said. "We were able
to share the story of the St. Johns River as well provide some content area
knowledge and leadership in presenting the river to a national audience. These
case studies aren't just academic in nature; they provide examples to which the
developing world can use. And UNF is a major part of that."
The WWDR is a compilation of case studies of river basins
around the world, produced by the UN World Water Assessment Programme. A new
report is released once every three years and includes rivers from all over the
Inclusion of the St. Johns River case study came about
through a professional introduction between Pyati and Engin Koncagul of the
United Nations World Water Assessment Programme. Both were interested in
including this important American river in the triennial WWDR volume.
The United Nations World Water Assessment Progamme is hosted
by UNESCO and brings together the work of 28 UN Water members and partners in
the triennial WWDR, a comprehensive review that gives an overall picture of the
state of the world's freshwater resources. It analyzes pressures from decisions
that drive demand for water and affect its availability. The report offers
tools and response options to help leaders in government, the private sector
and civil society address current and future challenges.
The St. Johns River case study summarizes geographical,
economic and ecosystem-based features of the river basis and was written by an
academic team of researchers from UNF's Environmental Center and Jacksonville
University, the same team that publishes the annual State of the Lower St.
Johns River Basin Report.
said the inter-university partnership that produces the yearly report was
established in 2008. This year's report, which will be unveiled in late July,
includes a host of new data, such as the inclusion of a river toxicology
reports are presented to the public yearly and used as academic road markers to
help determine where the St. Johns River cleanup effort needs to go. The River
Accord, a group of five public entities bound together
in a 10-year, $700 million program, are responsible for implementing the plans
to begin restoring the health of the Lower St. Johns River Basin.
Accord is comprised of the City of Jacksonville, the St. Johns River Water
Management District, the JEA, the Water Sewer Expansion Authority and the
Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Pyati said the work of the UNF Environmental Center has been
vital in supporting the Accord and its ongoing mission.
The Center was founded in 2004. Its mission is to establish,
develop and support cross-disciplinary education and research related to the
environment. The Center fosters programs for students, faculty and staff to
pursue environmental activities through academics, research and extracurricular
activities. The Center conducts and supports campus infrastructural projects
involving sustainability and the campus's natural environment.
As the University of North Florida continues to grow
and develop, so to does the need for convenient routes to connect different
areas to the core of campus and facilitate faster and more varied shuttle
The latest addition to the campus' transit
infrastructure is a bypass road near Harmon Baseball Stadium leading to Lot 18.
Zak Ovadia, UNF's director of
Campus Planning, Design and Construction, said the road was integrated into the University Master Plan to serve two purposes
— to create another convenient connection to the core of campus from the north
end and to streamline the shuttle bus system so that the waiting time at any
stop is reduced.
Ovadia said students
should expect the road to positively impact their day-to-day experiences with
busses arriving far more frequently.
The road doesn't have a set name, but Ovadia
referred to it as the northern bypass road. It starts on UNF Drive just east of
the Arena and connects directly to the traffic circle at Lot 18 at the north.
Work on the project started six months ago
and encompassed the repaving and improving of the gravel parking lot behind the
Arena. All of the paving and striping work has been completed, but the road can't
be opened just yet because of a few drainage issues. A contractor has been
consulted to handle them, and the road could be used as early as the end of
July when the new shuttle routes are in place.
As for the new shuttle
routes, there won't be a "North Route" or "South Route"
this year, said Vince Smyth, director of
Auxiliary Services. The new routes are far more direct thanks to the new access
road. Also, Smyth said three new shelters have been purchased to ensure every
shuttle pull-off area is covered. Some shuttle stops will now have two
The new Campus Route
will start at UNF Hall/Lot 53 before making three stops at locations in the
campus core and two stops at Lot 18. The shuttle will then travel back to the
campus core for four additional stops before returning to UNF Hall/ Lot 53. The
busses will run during the fall and spring 7 a.m. — 3 a.m., Monday through
Friday with arrival about every five minutes during regular hours and
approximately every 15 minutes during the late night hours.
During summer terms, the
busses will run 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
on Fridays.
The Sunday Residence
Hall Route starts at UNF Hall/Lot 53 and stops at the Fountains, then proceeds
to stops at the Village and the Crossing before returning to UNF Hall/ Lot 53.
This Route is active during fall and spring terms from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. Sundays.
Additionally, a new St. Johns Town Center Route
will start for the Fall 2012 semester on campus at the Library and stop once at
the Town Center before returning to the Library stop. Smyth said the new Town Center stop was a commonly referenced topic among
student representatives on the University's Transportation Access Fee Committee
and in Student Government. They broached the topic of a Town Center stop for
more than a year and were content with it being funded through student
transportation fees, he said.
This route will be
active 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday
through Sunday. Arrival is about every 20 minutes.
Li Loriz, director of the Brooks College of
Health School of Nursing, likes to simulate real-life situations as closely as
possible when educating nurses. The latest in-kind gift to The Power of Transformation campaign by a Jacksonville company
brings her one step closer to that goal.
Intego Systems Inc. recently donated a fully
functional nurse call system and integrated software valued at about $40,000 to
the School of Nursing. Loriz said the system fits perfectly with the school's
nursing lab, which simulates a hospital ward right down to the mannequins who
serve as patients.
"We want to create an environment as close as
possible to what our nurses will encounter in the real world. The nurse call
system is an important component to assure timely communication between the
patient and the health care provider," she said.
Loriz said the equipment will not only become
part of the skill-based curriculum but will also be an element in leadership
training for nurses. "Our nurses are actually directing a team of health care
providers. It's not only important for them to become familiar with the
technology but to be able to use it to exercise their leadership in a hospital
setting," she noted.
The new system is not only present in the
nursing lab but also has been wired in hallways and student lounges on the 3rd
floor of the School of Nursing. This will allow students to respond to calls
outside he lab setting.
Another important element of the system is
the ability to differentiate types of calls. Health care providers summoned to
the patient's room will be able to assess the situation and quickly summon
additional assistance if needed.
The system is actually the brainchild of Charles
E. Bell Sr., who founded Intego Systems Inc. in 1983. Earlier this year he
negotiated the sale of the Jacksonville company to Critical Alert Systems LLC.
He became an equity partner in the firm where he was appointed to the role of
chief strategy and business development officer.
Bell, who has more than 35 years of
experience in the hardware and software design, manufacturing and branding of
health care products, is also a member of the Brooks College of Health's Dean's
Although he praised nursing education, he
said in some cases emphasis has been placed on clinical training while
technological training is sometimes lacking. "We are building all this new
technology to increase patient satisfaction and caregiver retention. I'm very
happy our new nurses are getting the needed training in this area," he said.
Although there are several different configurations
of call systems in hospitals across the country, they are all critical to
nursing success, Bell said. "We estimate about 40 percent of the calls are
non-nursing related. Without an effectively organized call system a nurse can easily
be overwhelmed."
Bell said the Intego system, when centralized
with all calls handled by a dedicated call attendant, aims to provide a
response within 10 seconds and deliver service to the room in five to seven minutes.
That type of response may be drastically
different from what many patients have experienced in the real world. However,
Loriz is optimistic it can be achieved with the proper combination of highly
trained nurses and state-of-the art technology.
"We are grateful to Mr. Bell for this
technology. I know our nurses will be grateful on their first day on the job
when they assume responsibilities in a real hospital setting," Loriz said.
Name: Mary
Department: Athletics
Job title: Head
Women's Basketball Coach
What do you
Recruit and coach student/athletes
Years at
What is the
best thing you ever won?
NCAA South Region Basketball Championship
your favorite UNF-related memory? Returning to
campus on the bus to a pep rally after we won the championship with a police
What is the
proudest/happiest moment of your life?
Marrying my husband
What is your
favorite thing about working at UNF? The people
If you won
the lottery, what would do with the money?
First, I would buy a Mercedes Benz 600 SL
convertible (I would look great in it!). Next, I would buy a house on the
ocean, donate to the Athletics Department and invest the rest.
If you were
not working at UNF, what would you be doing?
Remodeling houses
If you could
choose any other career, what would it be and why?
FBI agent. I'd want to solve crimes and figure
things out.
What would
you like to do when you retire?
Travel and play golf, ski and scuba dive
What is your
favorite way to blow an hour? Walking while listening to a book
on tape.
If you were
asked to paint a picture about anything you wanted, what would you paint? The beach looking out at a sunset across the
What was the
best money you ever spent?
The money to buy and renovate our house
Is there a
piece of technology that you just couldn't live without?
A radio
What person
had the greatest impact on your life?
My mother
Tell us
about your family.
My husband, Bruce, is a mechanical engineer, and
we have two psychotic cats — Divot and Barkley
Tell us
something that would surprise people to know about you.
I am shy
What was the
first concert you ever attended, and what was the most recent concert you
Doobies Brothers was the first. The most recent
was Tran Siberian Orchestra.
band(s)/musician(s) would perform the soundtrack to your life?
Who is your
favorite fictional character? What makes them your favorite?
Kay Scarpetta [the protagonist in a series of
novels by Patricia Cornwell]. She is a medical examiner who solves crimes.
What are you
most passionate about?
My team
Who is the
most famous person you ever met?
Pat Summitt
Tell us
something about you that even your friends don't know.
I hate to take baths — but I do shower!
What do you
hope to accomplish that you have not done yet?
Win a conference championship
Last book
read: "360
Degree Leader"
Brooks College of Health
Nutrition & Dietetics: The Department of
Nutrition & Dietetics has been selected to receive the 2012 FDA
Business and Industry Award. This award recognizes outstanding continuous
support of the Florida Dietetic Association.
Coggin College of Business
Management: Drs. Jay Coleman, Robb Frankel and Yemisi Bolumole's paper titled
"Benchmarking Individual Publication Productivity in Logistics" was published
in Transportation Journal.
Dr. Jay Coleman's paper titled
"Identifying the 'Players' in Sports Analytics Research," was published in Sports Analytics Research.
International Business: Drs. Jeff Michelman, Bobby Waldrup and Melanie
Gillman published "Internal Control and Accounting Systems Documentation: A
Case Study" in the May/June issue of The
Journal of Business Case Studies.
College of Arts &
Chemisty: Dr. Christos Lampropoulos and his student, Christopher Haun, presented a poster at
the Florida ACS Meeting and Exposition in May in Tampa. The poster was titled:
"Single-Molecule Magnets: A Playground for Magnetochemists, Physicists and
Dr. Christos Lampropoulos and his student, Chad McDaniel, presented a poster at
the Florida ACS Meeting and Exposition in May in Tampa. The poster was titled "Single-Molecule
Magnets: An investigation of the dimensionality-structure relationship."
English: Dr. James Beasley published "The Journal of General Education and an
Institutional Return to Rhetoric" in JGE: The Journal of General Education.
Dr. Nicholas de Villiers gave a presentation, "International Perspectives
on the Sixth/Urban Generation of Chinese Filmmakers and Contemporary Chinese
Documentary," at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature for Beijing
Normal University in Beijing, China.
Drs. Tim Donovan, A. Samuel Kimball and Jillian Smith
published "TYSON: The Film, the Image, the Man, the Word, the Force" in Studies
in Documentary Film.
Dr. Clark Lunberry published "Antonin Artaud's Unending Death Rattle"
in Rattle: A Journal at the Convergence of Art and Writing.
History: Dr. Alison J. Bruey presented
the paper "Protesta Poblacional: Non-Violent Resistance and All Forms of
Struggle at the Grassroots, Chile 1978-1986" at the XXX International Congress
of the Latin American Studies Association in San Francisco, Calif. in May.
Dr. David Courtwright published "Addiction and the Science of History." His rebuttal
to the responses appeared as "Addiction Neuroscience, the Progressive
Implosion of Pathology and Historical Explanation."
May, three UNF history graduate students, Travis Bates, Christian
Lazenby and Jay Smith,
accompanied Courtwright for a week's research at the LBJ
Library. It was their first opportunity to carry out extended
research in a presidential archive.
Dr. Theo Prousis published an article, "British Embassy Reports on
the Greek Uprising in 1821-1822: War of Independence or War of Religion," in Archivum Ottomanicum 28.
Mathematics & Statistics: Dr. Denis Bell presented a
seminar, "Divergence Theorems in Path Space," to the Mathematics and Statistics
Department faculty.
: Dr. Clarence Hines appeared
on Jazz at Birch Creek, a PBS special that aired throughout
the Midwest and New York and was streamed worldwide this spring. Two of Dr.
Hines' original compositions, "The
Quest" and "After All
This Time" and an arrangement of "Silent Night,"were published with Really Good Music.
Dr. Randy Tinnin performed Hendrik
Hofmeyr's "Of Innocence and
Experience" with Serafini
Brillanti (also featuring Rhonda
Nus Tinnin and Dr. Erin Bennett)
at the 37th Annual Conference of the International Trumpet Guild, at Columbus
State University in Columbus, Ga. in May. Tinnin and Brillanti were one of seven ensembles selected by peer review
from a pool of more than 40 applicants.
Philosophy/Religion: Dr. Andrew Buchwalter had published, in print and electronic
format, the edited collected Hegel and Global Justice.
Dr. Bert Koegler presented "The Cosmopolitan Transformation of the
Public Sphere: Dialogue, Power and Religion" at the International Social Theory
Consortium at Flagler College in May. He also presented "Cosmopolitanism and
the Public Sphere" as keynote lecturer at the Doctoral School for Education at
the University of Pecs in Hungary in May.
Dr. Jane H. MacGibbon gave
an invited talk on solar astrophysics and its influence on Earth's
atmosphere, "The Sun – Earth Connection," to the Jacksonville chapter of
the Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association.
Sociology & Anthropology: Dr. David Jaffee presented the paper "The Global Financial Crisis
and the Goods-Moving Economy" at the annual meetings of the Southern
Sociological Society, New Orleans, March 2012; he published the commentary
piece "Stop Telling Students to Study for Exams" in The Chronicle of Higher Education in April.
College of Computing, Engineering &
Management: Drs. Pat Welsh and J. David Lambert received a $7,050
grant from the Timucuan Trails Parks Foundation. The mini-grant
is in support of the National Park Service's objective to "Evaluate
Nutrient Enrichment Effects from Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition Impacts on
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve." An Internet-enabled weather station
has been designed and installed at the Fort Caroline historic site dock, and a
location-based learning application for GPS-enabled smartphones and tablets are
being developed to support the park's STEM education objectives.
The new Osprey Dining Facility is being built by
one of UNF's own. Will Schat, a 1994
Construction Management graduate, serves as the Barton Malow Projector
Director. Two other graduates of Construction Management are also involved in
the Osprey Dining Facility project, Denny
Bucy, Miller Electric Company Project Manager, and Ryan Schmitt, President of Petticoat Schmitt Contracting, Inc.
Dr. Adel El-Safty served as the focal
point for the UNF Mid-East Council tour of Morocco, Egypt and Turkey. Locations
visited included the American University in Egypt, Al-Akhwain University in
Morocco and Yeditepe University in Turkey. The 10 UNF faculty members became
familiar with Middle East universities and look toward to the possibility of
future student and faculty collaboration with UNF.
At the 2012 School of Engineering Senior Dinner,
Dr. Nick Hudyma was voted Civil
Engineering Professor of the Year, Dr.
James Fletcher was voted Mechanical Engineering Professor of the Year, Dr. Alan Harris was voted Electrical
Engineering Professor of the year and Dr.
John Nuzskowski was voted New Professor of the Year.
Dr. Pat
Welsh has been appointed to the North
Florida Regional Water Supply Partnership'sStakeholder
Committee, an advisory body for the St. Johns River and Suwannee River Water
Management Districts and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Welsh will represent Environmental Groups.
Dr. Charles Winton served as head judge
for the 2012 Northern California Botball Robotics Competition in San Jose,
Calif. in May.
Office: Dr. Jerry Merckel, at the invitation of
the Polish government, participated in the first Vail Europe Conference 2012 at
the Wroclaw Research Center EIT+ in May. The conference focused on how to go
about the formation of high tech companies in Poland.
College of Education
& Human Services
Childhood Education, Literacy and TESOL:
Katie Monnin was recently
interviewed about whether or not texting and new technology languages are
making kids less intelligent. The video is online here.
Additionally, Monnin will be featured in an upcoming documentary conducted by
an MSN media outlet aimed at parents. The documentary will feature her work on
the graphic novel camp she is conducting at Discovery Montessori School later
this month. Also in June, Katie's Korner focused on using the language
experience approach to help kids not only enjoy their summer off from school,
but also keep up with their reading and writing skills. The video is online here.
Dr. Nile Stanley taught a
graduate educational psychology class as a visiting scholar for Shaanxie Normal
University in Xi'an, China. He is the first education faculty to teach in China
as part of a new cultural exchange program initiated by the Childhood Education,
Literacy and TESOL Department. Seven Chinese students will be attending UNF in
the fall as part of the exchange.
Drs. Katrina Hall and Lunetta Williams presented "ABC Literacy: Art, Books and
Community," at the Duval County Reading Council's May 2012 meeting where more
than 180 people attended.
Deaf and Interpreter Education: Dr. Kristine Webb was named the recipient of the Education EVE Award
at a ceremony in downtown Jacksonville Friday, June 1. She joins former EVE
winners among our COEHS faculty; Drs. Lynne
Raiser, Cheryl Fountain, Carolyn Stone, Donna Keenan and Kathe
Dr. Susan Syverud was
invited to present at the Fourth Annual Florida Literacy Coaches Association
Symposium at the Morgridge International Reading Center at the University of
Central Florida in May. Her presentation was titled "RTI Intervention for 1st
and 2nd Grade Readers."
Department of
Foundations and Secondary Education: Drs. Brian Zoellner and Richard Chant presented their paper, "It's Not Smelly, Dirty or
Expensive [diesel, that is]: Cross-Disciplinary Instructional Development in
Chemistry and Social Studies," to the Athens Institute for Education and
Research Annual International Education Conference in May in Greece. This
project was developed with the help of Kelly Wood, a high school science
teacher, and demonstrated the unique collaboration between the University of
North Florida's College of Education and Human Services and Sandalwood High
School in Duval County. Working together, Zoellner, Chant and Wood developed
and taught curriculum designed to enhance student understanding about the
limited use of diesel-fueled cars in the United States when compared to the
countries of Europe. Through this instruction, high school chemistry students
examined the costs and benefits of using diesel vehicles and used this analysis
to explain the differences between countries. The paper illustrated the
relational developments necessary to support the high school/university
collaboration, conceptual planning processes used in developing the teaching
experiences, the actual instructional design co-implemented within the high
school chemistry classroom and participant reflections regarding the curriculum
development process.
Center for Instruction and Research Technology:
David Wilson, Coordinator of Educational Media with
the Center for Instruction and Research Technology, presented his
poster "Recording Narrated Screencasts from the iPad 2 & iPhone 4S" at The
New Media Consortium Conference in Boston, Mass.
Milestone anniversaries
Congratulations to the following employees who will celebrate a milestone
anniversary at UNF in July:
20 years
LeshellHartney, Senior Information Specialist, Continuing Education
15 years
Terri Cook, Budget Coordinator,
Florida Institute Of Education
Norma Gainers, Senior Applications Programmer, Enterprise Systems
Pinkney, Senior Groundskeeper Crew
Lead, Physical Facilities
Roberts, Director of Career
Development Services, Career Services10 years Brigitte Woodruff, Office Assistant,
President's Office
Five years
Diane Joyce, Nurse Practitioner, Student
Health Services
Diana McLeland,
Assistant University Librarian, Library
Jocelynn Heck, Coordinator of Events Planning, Career Services
Daniel Nutt, Senior Grants Specialist, Mechanical Engineering
Michael Sams, Law Enforcement Sergeant, University Police Department
Blankenship, Assistant
Director of Admissions, Admissions
Jean Leone, Office Assistant, Education & Human Services
Angelo Addari, Maintenance Mechanic, Physical Facilities
Justin Begle, IT Support Manager, User Services
Robinson, Custodial Worker, Physical
Stanford, Assistant Director of the
Fine Arts Center, Fine Arts Center
Anamarie Lelis, Office Manager, Career Services
Devin Narine, Law Enforcement Officer, University Police Department
Thompson, Coordinator of Academic
Support Services, One-Stop Center
Kaleema Webb, Refuse Recycle Moving Supervisor, Physical FacilitiesWelcome
The following employees were either hired by UNF or were promoted from OPS
positions since late-May:Sanghyun Chun, Research Assistant
Professor, Civil Engineering
Tarik Merkhi, Maintenance Mechanic, Maintenance and Energy Management
Erica White, Assistant Head Coach, Women's Basketball
Eric Fontaine, Accounting Associate, Advancement Services
Robert Truglia, Maintenance Mechanic, Physical Facilites
Brandie Thomas, Senior Library Services Associate, Library
Great job
The following employees were promoted in June.
Delaney, Senior Student Government
Advisor, SG Business & Accounting Office
Jefferson, Senior Custodial Worker,
Physical Facilities
Angela Simmons, Financial Systems Analyst, Financial Systems
Mindy Galster, Executive Secretary, Library
Betteanne, Senior Registered Nurse, Student
Health Services
Youngberg, Senior Registered Nurse, Student
Health Services
Scott Latasha, Financial Systems Analyst, Financial Systems
Heartfelt well wishes in their new endeavors for the following employees, who
left UNF in June:
Sara Boyle, Admissions Coordinator, Admissions
Laurel Kendall, Director of Student Government, Student Life
Robyn Carter, Grants Specialist, Exceptional, Deaf, & Interpreter
Iovanovici, Financial Aid Specialist,
Enrollment Services Processing Office
Allison Pontal, Police Communications Operator, University Police
Laura Tetzel, Office Manager, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Susan Yates, Office Assistant, University Center
Berries are often referred to as the mother grain of wheat flour. Contrary to
their name, wheat berries are not berries, they are whole wheat kernels that
only have the inedible outer hull removed and can be used to add crunch to
salads, texture to bread and can even be a hot breakfast cereal. Jen Ross,
registered dietitian and instructor in the Department of Nutrition and
Dietetics Flagship Program, discusses wheat berries, a whole grain that is a
good source of fiber, low in fat and cholesterol free. To help you use wheat berries in your diet, a recipe is provided.
Myth: Wheat berries require an overnight
soak before cooking.
Fact: Wheat berries don't need to be soaked
overnight before cooking; however, it takes about 60 to 90 minutes for the
grains to soften. Most recipes use one cup of wheat berries to three cups of
Myth: Wheat berries can only be used in
their whole form.
Fact: Whole wheat berries are versatile
and can be used in a variety of dishes, including casseroles and salads. Hard-wheat
kernels can be ground into flour and used for pastas and breads, while soft-wheat
kernels can be milled into pastry flour. Additionally, the kernels can also be
sprouted and used in salads as well as breads.
Myth: Wheat berries are a whole grain so
they can't be stored for long periods of time.
Fact: Uncooked wheat berries can be
stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for several months. Cooked
wheat berries can be stored in the refrigerator for a week. Wheat berries can
be cooked and frozen for easy access. Simply cook the kernels and spread a thin
layer on a cookie sheet. Partially freeze and then place in freezer-safe
containers or bags.
Myth: All fibers are created equal.
Fact: Soluble fiber, found in oat bran,
apples and legumes, has been shown to lower low density lipoprotein (LDL)
cholesterol and help maintain blood glucose levels. Insoluble fiber, found in
wheat bran, fruits and vegetables, provides bulk to promote regularity and a
feeling of fullness. Cooked whole wheat berries provide approximately 6 grams
of total fiber in one half-cup serving.
Myth: Wheat berries offer the same
nutrition as brown rice.
Fact: In addition to fiber, whole wheat
berries contain protein, phytochemicals and minerals such as manganese,
selenium and magnesium.
Black Bean, Edamame and Wheat Berry Salad
3 cups water
1 cup dry wheat berries
1 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen, shelled edamame, thawed
1 cup chopped tomato
½ cup red onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine water and wheat berries in a medium saucepan
and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 55 minutes or until
wheat berries are tender. Place in a fine mesh strainer, run under cold water
to cool quickly, then drain. Combine the wheat berries with the remaining
ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate up to eight hours in advance. (Recipe adapted from http://www.pompeian.com.)
The Goods is a
monthly column about food myths and facts by faculty members in the Department
of Nutrition and Dietetics Flagship Program and runs in The Florida
Times-Union's "Taste" section. Have a question about wheat berries? Contact
Ross at firstname.lastname@example.com.