October 2009

Around Campus

UNF launches $110 million campaign
By Dan Dundon

UNF President John Delaney Friday night launched the public phase of an ambitious $110 million capital campaign designed to transform the University and the lives of students who attend it.

 

Called The Power of Transformation, the campaign has already raised more than $60 million during its quiet phase, including two $1 million gifts from the campaign co-chairs, W. Radford Lovett II and Russell B Newton III. Both lead gifts will be devoted to scholarships and Transformational Learning Opportunities, which are among the main goals of the campaign.

 

Delaney told the nearly 400 donors, including alumni, friends, community volunteers, faculty and staff who attended the campaign kickoff event at the UNF Arena, that the gifts by Lovett and Newton illustrate the level of community commitment to the campaign and to the University.

 

"Both Rad and Rusty are far more than generous donors. They have both been involved in the UNF Foundation for many years in positions of leadership," Delaney said. "Their willingness to step forward to lead this campaign epitomizes their selfless dedication to UNF and to the community. We know their actions will inspire the success of our campaign."

 

The Lovett family gift will enhance the previously established Katherine H. Lovett Endowed Scholarship Fund, created in honor of Lovett's mother. A special part of this scholarship will fund Transformational Learning Opportunities such as study abroad and undergraduate research.

 

Similarly, Newton and his wife, Kathy, are devoting 100 percent of their most recent gift to scholarships. Specifically, they are contributing to the First Generation Scholarship Program, The Jacksonville Commitment and the Ann C. Hicks Merit Scholarship.

 

Lovett and Newton are being joined by two prominent Jacksonville couples who have been stalwart supporters of UNF and who have agreed to be the honorary co-chairs of The Power of Transformation. Blanche and Luther Coggin along with Ann and David Hicks are lending their support to the campaign. Luther Coggin, who is a member of the UNF Board of Trustees, and his wife, Blanche, previously donated $5 million during the University's first campaign Access to Excellence. The University's Coggin College of Business was named in their honor. Ann and David Hicks were co-chairs of Access to Excellence and contributed more than $3 million to the campaign. Both couples utilized the state of Florida's Matching Gift Program, which doubled their gifts.

 

"These four individuals are outstanding examples of leaders who have served this community in so many ways. We are honored for the support they have provided to us in the past and look forward to their insight and wisdom in the future," Delaney said.

 

Other donors recognized during the evening were the Bernard Osher Foundation for its $1 million gift establishing the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in the Division of Continuing Education.

 

The Power of Transformation campaign will build on the success of Access to Excellence. That campaign from 1997 to 2003 set out to raise $65 million for the University. The campaign eventually raised more than $100 million from 11,000 donors including 25 gifts of $1 million or more. Among other accomplishments, the successful campaign created more than 180 new scholarships for UNF students.

 

Delaney said The Power of Transformation will provide significantly more scholarship assistance at a time of great need among students. "These scholarships are important in their own right because we are striving to increase the number of Florida residents who have a four-year degree. In a larger sense, however, these scholarships are critical if Florida is to take its place in a knowledge-based global economy."

 

The specific priorities/goals of The Power of Transformation campaign are as follows:

 

Student Scholarships - $29.5 million

To continue funding for The Jacksonville Commitment, First Generation Scholarships and other forms of financial assistance

 

Graduate Fellowships - $5.95 million

To encourage motivated professionals to pursue advanced studies in fields essential to the economy of our region

 

Faculty Support - $20.6 million

To enhance the ability to recruit and retain talented faculty providing individual attention and quality academics for our students

 

Academic Enhancements - $28.67 million

To enable departments throughout the University to fulfill UNF's mission of providing excellent undergraduate and graduate programs, centers and institutes with transformational experiences in this country and abroad

 

Capital Projects - $25.3

To assure new campus buildings and educational tools critical to maintaining a stimulating learning environment for an ever-growing student populationriorities

 

Delaney said being in a global economy means UNF must provide the educated workforce of tomorrow to stimulate innovation and capital creation and break the reliance on a primarily service-related economy.

 

"We can't afford to waste another year, another month, even another day while the rest of the world catches up or even bypasses us in technological leadership and entrepreneurship," Delaney said. "For our children and our children's children, we must harness The Power of Transformation."

For more information about the campaign, visit www.unf.edu/wetransform.

Around Campus

Starr, Senior win Gabor/UNF Foundation Awards for Employee Excellence
By Tom Cain

Mary Starr was having a tough day on her job as a hairdresser. Nothing seemed to go right. That all changed in a hurry when her boy Jim stopped by her shop on his way home from UNF with some news that turned the day from rotten to wonderful.

Mary's boy Jim is Jim Starr, this year's winner of the Gabor/UNF Foundation Award for Employee Excellence for University Support (USPS) employees.

Vivian Senior is the winner of the Gabor/UNF Foundation Award for Employee Excellence for Administrative and Professional (A&P) employees.

Mom was the first person Starr wanted to tell after winning the award Sept. 14. "She was ecstatic," Starr, 28, said of his mother's reaction. To make it even better for his mother, he brought the plaque he received for winning. His mother's co-workers thanked Starr for cheering her up.

"My parents always taught me to work hard," said Starr, the primary instructional designer for online training in the Center for Professional Development and Training. Starr also called his father, Jim, with the good news. His dad was excited, but after talking briefly about the award, father and son did what they often do - got into a discussion about the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. The Starrs came to Jacksonville from Philadelphia.

Starr, who has worked at the University for 10 years, is a training specialist at the Center for Professional Development and Training. He started at CPDT in 2004. Among his duties, which cover three pages top to bottom, include maintaining the center's Web pages to ensure the content is appealing, accurate and timely. Starr redesigns the Web page each year for the center's Professional Development Forum at the University Center.

"Jim is a self-learner and enjoys expanding his knowledge and skills," said CDPT Director Ida Gropper in her letter recommending Starr for the award. "If there's a new graphic or Web application, he's among the first to want to learn it and see how it can benefit the department [center] and other constituents. Jim always looks for ways to cut costs while maintaining quality. His many skills include Web development and graphic design."

Starr has a bachelor's degree from UNF in communication. He has helped several departments at UNF with their Web pages and other computer-related issues. "I love to lend any help I can offer because of my technical skills," Starr said. "Winning the award was very humbling because there are so many people who also deserve it."

Like Starr, the first person Senior, associate director of Career Services, told about winning the Gabor/UNF Foundation Employee Excellence Award was her mother, Sharntrel McKever.

Mom acted calm, cool and collected about it: "I knew it," McKever said of her daughter's win. This despite the fact that Senior's mother in the weeks before the award ceremony constantly asked Senior questions about the status of the award process.

"There were so many deserving nominees, and I feel extremely blessed and honored to have been granted this award," Senior said. There are so many opportunities to contribute to UNF and student success, and I've been happy to do my part. One thing I always say to students is that I love my job, and I want them to love their jobs as well. It's very fulfilling and validating to know that my thoughts and ideas were translated into actions and accomplishments that others felt worthy of acknowledgement."

Senior started working as a student assistant at Career Services in 1988. She has worked her way up through the ranks to second in command to Rick Roberts, director of Career Services. "I have grown up here [UNF] personally and professionally. ... There's so much diversity to what I do here," Senior said.

Some of Senior's duties at Career Services include directing the career development component of Career Services and managing career counseling and career assessment programs and resources. She also works closely with faculty, administrators and University advisers to meet the career needs of students. The primary function of Career Services is to help students and alumni find jobs. Senior has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in counselor education, both from UNF.

"Vivian is a true team player and has an excellent rapport with not only her co-workers, but also with students, faculty, administrators and staff from a wide range of departments," Roberts said in a letter recommending Senior for the award. "She demonstrates a true interest in helping students to engage in their own career development process and be successful in terms of their careers. She is an excellent representative for the University, Career Services and the A&P Association."

Marianne Roberts, office manager in the Department of History, was runner-up for the Gabor/UNF Foundation Award for Employee Excellence for USPS employees. Anne Fugard, director of study abroad at the Coggin College of Business, was runner-up for A&P employees.

Since 1992, the Gabor/UNF Foundation Employee Excellence Awards have recognized employees for outstanding job performance, professionalism, participation in professional development, dependability, contributions to the campus community and going above and beyond the requirements of their jobs.

The University Support Personnel Association Staff Affairs Committee, which can include past Gabor/UNF Foundation Award winners, evaluates USPS employees nominated for the award to determine the winner and runner-up. The Gabor/UNF Foundation Award Committee, comprised of the Administrative and Professional Association executive officers and the two past award recipients, selected the award winner and runner-up for A&P employees.

The A&P Association tweaked its process a bit this year by using online forms instead of paper forms and asking all A&P Association members to endorse and provide feedback on nominees. This year 24 A&P employees, the most ever, were nominated.

Starr and Senior each received $600, a reserved parking place for a year, a plaque and a framed certificate. They also were photographed with UNF President John Delaney. Roberts and Fugard each received $300, a plaque, a framed certificate and a photograph with Delaney. The Gabor Agency, UNF's supplemental insurance provider, and the UNF Foundation fund the awards. The award ceremony took place for the first time in the auditorium of the new Student Union. 

Around Campus

Faculty, staff rewarded for internationalization efforts
By Tom Cain

Dr. J. Michael Francis, Dr. Mei Zhao and Greshka German were honored recently with prestigious Outstanding International Leadership awards for making substantial contributions to internationalize UNF. The University for several years now has made internationalization a priority issue.

Francis, an associate professor in the Department of History, received the award in the full/associate professor category. Zhao, an assistant professor in health administration programs in the Department of Public Health, won in the assistant professor/ lecturer category, and German, until recently an academic adviser in the College of Arts and Sciences, won an award in the service category, which is open exclusively to UNF staff members.

Francis, Zhao, and German will each receive $2,000, have their names placed on an annual plaque and receive individual plaques in recognition of their achievements.

"The Outstanding International Leadership and Service Awards recognize the efforts of individual faculty and staff in helping our students become international in both their academic and personal lives," said Dr. Tim Robinson, director of UNF's International Center. "Knowing that many of these efforts are unsung, these awards serve to highlight and acknowledge three outstanding international faculty and staff each year."

This is the sixth year the awards have been presented. There were 12 nominees for the Leadership Awards and five for the Service Award. A subcommittee of the University's International Council reviews the nomination materials. The International Council, which includes two representatives from each college at UNF, one representative each from the Honors Program and the International Studies Program and the director of the International Center, sends its recommendations to Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, vice president of Student and International Affairs, who makes the final decision on the winners. The International Council advises and recommends activities to promote the internationalization of the University, subject to the approval of Gonzales and UNF President John Delaney.

Among many other activities, Francis, who has taught at UNF since 1997, organized and led 14 study-abroad programs to Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Peru and Spain. Nearly 200 students have participated in the study-abroad programs. Francis has raised more than $75,000 in the last 10 years through private donations and grants for study-abroad trips. Francis said the trips have enhanced his teaching and scholarship as well as provided insights, detailed information and a heightened sense of enthusiasm for his teaching and research.

"I am delighted to receive the 2009 International Leadership Award, and I look forward to continuing my commitment to promote study-abroad opportunities for UNF students," Francis said. "I remain convinced that high-quality study-abroad programs are not only transformational experiences for our students, but they also improve the quality of education on our campus. I am honored to have been recognized for my contributions, and I am grateful to all the students who have shared in the many adventures of the past decade."

Zhao has been a professor at UNF since 2004. She designed four new exchange programs with prestigious universities in China; led three study-abroad programs; designed and implemented an international co-curricular lecture for UNF with one of China's premier health services researchers; supervised UNF's Chinese Culture Student Club; and designed and implemented the China Institute at UNF. The institute is comprised of faculty members who have an interest in creating connections with Chinese universities and organizations for teaching, research, student exchanges and other activities.

In May 2008 following a major earthquake in China, Zhao coordinated a UNF-Jacksonville Chinese Association earthquake relief charity event called "Filling the World with Love." The event to raise money for earthquake victims included a poster exhibition, silent auction and performance show.

"I am really honored to get this award," Zhao said. "It has been a great transformational experience working with the students and faculty members for the international exchange programs at UNF. It is truly teamwork."

German's contributions toward the internationalization of UNF included working with the International Center and the International Studies and World Language Departments on the procedures to transfer courses for international institutions. The College of Arts and Sciences recently developed a liaison program where each academic adviser has been assigned to several majors of their preference. German was the liaison for the International Studies Department, History Department and Criminal Justice Department.

She said she worked most closely with the International Studies Department and its chair, Dr. Pamela Zeiser, to ensure students complete the required international experience for their major. "One of my ultimate outcomes would be to have every student at UNF enjoy an international experience," German said. "My encounters in my international experiences have stuck with me and have become a part of my advising philosophy where every student should be exposed to other beliefs, traditions and views so that they can appreciate their own."

German left UNF the last week in July to prepare for an upcoming move to Hawaii, where her husband, who is in the Navy, was transferred. She is also finishing her master's degree in history.

The criteria for the Leadership Award include the internationalization of curriculum. Among the examples of this criterion are developing new courses with an international focus, adding international dimensions to existing courses and/or designing a new academic program with international content. The criteria also involve the creation of study-abroad programs or international-exchange activities.

Criteria for the Service Award include the extent to which the nominee has helped create an international ethos on campus through work or service activities and the extent to which the nominee's personal interactions with students, staff and faculty manifest an international awareness and respect. 

Around Campus

The sounds of music
By Ashley Earles-Bennett

At a time when arts programs all over the country are cutting back on series events, the Department of Music continues to flourish. With stellar visiting artists here to perform and teach, the 2009-10 season offers an array of exciting concerts.

Beginning this month, the department celebrates fall with custom-tailored events to commemorate the season. The 5th Annual Upbeat Pink: A Musical Tribute to Breast Cancer Survivorship, presented by the Department of Music and Mayo Clinic, features not only the critically acclaimed UNF Wind Symphony and UNF Chorale, but also special guests the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra with conductor Michael Butterman, as well as internationally recognized cancer specialist and researcher Dr. Edith Perez.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month offers support for education, awareness and empowerment of those who fight to find a cure for breast cancer. This endeavor by local musicians and organizations is an acknowledgement of support and encouragement. Additional events include the Octubafest for tuba enthusiasts of all ages and the annual Intercollegiate Choral Festival, featuring local choral ensembles from UNF, Jacksonville University, Florida State College at Jacksonville and the UNF Brass Ensemble performing brass masterworks in the beautiful sanctuary of a local church.

October also kicks off the 22nd anniversary of the Great American Jazz Series with a special UNF jazz faculty recording and broadcast for a radio show featuring WJCT's "This Is Jazz" host and producer Bob Bednar. This component of the UNF Jazz Studies Program regularly brings in jazz artists as residents and, along with other opportunities, has enabled UNF Jazz ensembles to perform in concert with more than 100 esteemed artists.

November features performances by renowned UNF faculty, talented music student works and a concert by Trio Florida, UNF's first faculty ensemble in residence. The trio is dedicated to performing piano masterpieces with an additional emphasis on playing works by great American composers. The month concludes with two large ensemble concerts featuring UNF's Concert Band and a collaborative effort by the UNF Wind Symphony and UNF Percussion Ensemble.

The December calendar highlights three major performances. During the holiday season, community members enjoy gathering to sing popular carols and hear holiday tunes that invoke the holiday spirit. To ring in the holiday season, the UNF Chorale and UNF Chamber Orchestra present Handel's "Messiah." The majesty and beauty of this work make it one of the most popular works in Western choral music.

In addition, another favorite local choral event, the 4th annual Feast of Carols, returns with performances by the UNF Chorale, the UNF Chamber Orchestra and the UNF Brass Ensemble along with community ensembles. To add a little spice to the season, the first guest performers of the Great American Jazz Series, The Carl Allen/Rodney Whitaker Project, heat up the stage accompanied by the award-winning UNF Jazz Ensemble 1.

More information about the 2009-10 concert calendar can be found at www.unf.edu/coas/music.  

Around Campus

Motherwell exhibit at MOCA Jacksonville
By Carl Holman

More than 1,000 people attended the Sept. 17 opening of the new exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, a cultural resource of UNF, and dozens took the opportunity to work with the UNF Printmaking Guild to create works in the style of one of the night's star artists, the late Robert Motherwell.

The exhibition, "Robert Motherwell: Lost in Form, Found in Line," runs through Jan. 3, 2010,at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville.

Lectures supporting the Motherwell exhibition will provide MOCA patrons with additional insight into Motherwell as an innovative artist and person, provide historical context of the artist's importance in contemporary art and enrich them about the past, present and future of the art of printmaking.

Dr. Elizabeth Heuer, UNF assistant professor of art history, will conduct a lecture at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, at the Cultural Center of Ponte Vedra about the literary influences, particularly those of poet Rafael Alberta, in Motherwell's work. Her second lecture at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at MOCA examines his career and contribution to printmaking history. A final lecture by P. Scott Brown at 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 11, at MOCA will explore Motherwell's historical predecessors.

Born in Aberdeen, Wash., in 1915, Motherwell was the youngest and most prolific of the group of artists called the New York School of Abstract Expressionists. Included in this group were Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko and Franz Kline. Their interest was in exploring the deeper sense of reality beyond the recognizable image. They sought to create essential images that revealed emotional truth and authenticity of feeling.

Motherwell's philosophy was that abstraction was the process of peeling away the inessential and presenting the necessary. Throughout his career, Motherwell made daring experiments in painting and in intellectual investigations surrounding it. He experimented in a range of media from painting to collage to printmaking. Valued for its energetic imagery, his work attempted a pure emotional response made real in paint.

Beyond his individual efforts as an artist, Motherwell played a major role in the intellectual and artistic development of the New York art world of the time. It was this revolutionary sensibility that determined both his life and his art.

Like the great masters, Motherwell's importance can be seen in his attempts at expressing something monumental. Motherwell's large abstract paintings achieve majesty in the public eye while his politics and spirituality were welcomed reminders of a time when one could make art that did not engage the cynicism of a post-modern era.

Motherwell committed himself to producing highly experimental work of emotional depth throughout his life. On July 16, 1991, at the age of 76, he died: the last of the great Abstract Expressionists.

Admission is free for museum members and UNF students with a valid I.D.  

Briefs

UNF History professor awarded prestigious Kislak Fellowship

Dr. J. Michael Francis, an associate professor of history at UNF, was awarded the prestigious Jay I. Kislak Fellowship at the Library of Congress. Only one fellowship is awarded annually in the international competition.

 

Francis will spend the 2010-2011 academic year in Washington, D.C., where he will continue his research on the history of early colonial Spanish Florida. The Kislak Fellows Program supports scholarly research that contributes significantly to a greater understanding of the cultures and history of the Americas. It provides an opportunity for a period of up to eight months of concentrated use of materials from the Kislak Collection and other collections of the Library of Congress through full-time residency at the Library of Congress.

Francis has taught at UNF since 1997. He is the author of "Invading Colombia: Spanish Accounts of the Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada Expedition of Conquest" and is currently completing his second book titled "Politics, Murder and Martyrdom in Spanish Florida: Don Juan and the Guale Uprising of 1597," which will be published in 2010. His next book project, "The Martyrs of Florida," is under contract with the University Press of Florida.

In 2007, he received a four-year appointment as research associate at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and has received numerous awards, including a 2009 Cushwa Center Research Grant from the University of Notre Dame and the 2009 Outstanding International Leadership Award from UNF.

Francis earned his Ph.D. in 1998 from the University of Cambridge, where he specialized in colonial Latin American history.

He serves as book review editor for the journal Ethnohistory, series editor for "Fighting Words: Competing Voices from ... " and series associate editor for "Latin American Originals." He also represents UNF on the University Press of Florida's advisory board.

The Kislak Collection is a major collection of rare books, manuscripts, historic documents, maps and art of the Americas donated to the Library of Congress by the Jay I. Kislak Foundation, located in Miami Lakes, Fla. The collection contains some of the earliest records of indigenous peoples in North America and superb objects from the discovery, contact and colonial periods, especially for Florida, the Caribbean and Mesoamerica.

For more information about the Kislak Fellowship, go to http://www.loc.gov/loc/kluge/fellowships/kislak.html 

Briefs

Nominations available soon for Outstanding Teaching Awards

Nominations for the 2009-2010 Outstanding Undergraduate and Graduate Teaching Awards will be accepted beginning Monday, Oct. 5. The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16.

Guidelines for the awards can be found on the UNF Faculty Association Web site at www.unf.edu/groups/unffaa  by clicking on "Faculty Awards." Nomination forms may be downloaded from the same site. Completed nomination forms can be sent by e-mail to facassn1@unf.edu or delivered to the Faculty Association Office in Honors Hall, Building 10, Room 1120.

Faculty who perform meritoriously in undergraduate teaching during the previous two academic years are eligible to receive an Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award. UNF allocated funds for this fiscal year for nine Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Awards of $2,000 each.

UNF also will award a $2,000 stipend to the winner of the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award. This award is to be given annually in recognition of excellence in graduate teaching during the previous two academic years. 

Briefs

Lufrano Intercultural Gallery Grand Opening

The Lufrano Intercultural Gallery held its grand opening in the Student Union in September with the exhibition "Tribute and Remembrance Vanitas and the Holocaust in the Works of Helene Baker."

The Lufrano Intercultural Gallery's mission is to addresses social issues meant to enlighten and tell a people's story.

Baker, a Jacksonville-based artist, was born and educated in Boston. An accomplished painter of flowers and fruit, Baker is drawn to organic imagery because of its symbolism. The beauty of flowers and fruit can also remind the viewer of the brevity and ultimate fragility of our existence, according to the artist.

 

During a yearlong hospitalization as a child, Baker formed a vivid memory of the death of two children on her ward. Her early consciousness of death was heightened later by an increasing awareness of the Holocaust brought on as her parents realized that most of their family in France and Poland had perished.

Baker's paintings and drawings, in tribute to the Holocaust victims, combine beautiful still life with subtle imagery of boxcars, confiscated cutlery, eyeglasses and prayer shawls. Baker says her intent is that viewers will make a spiritual connection with these lost items and be reminded to halt the genocide still present in the world. Baker graduated magna cum laude from UNF in 1983 with a B.F.A. in painting and drawing.

A gift from Drs. Anne and Robert Lufrano made the gallery possible. It is on the second floor of the Student Union, Building 58E, Room 2400. Department of Art and Design Chair Dr. Debra Murphy curated the show, which runs until Friday, Oct. 30.

The gallery's hours are: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Wednesday; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. For more information, call the Intercultural Center for PEACE at ext. 2475.

 

Get to Know

Megan R. Kuehner

Department: Enrollment Services Processing
Job: Registrar
Years at UNF: Five

What person had the greatest impact on your life?
My mother has had the greatest impact on my life. My mom is one of those rare people who act with integrity. When I say that, I mean that she walks her walk and talks her talk. I value that quality in a person more than I can say. It takes courage to be your authentic self and stick by your principles. My mom shows me that it can be done and done well.

What are you most passionate about?
I am passionate about the need to constantly grow as a person. I had a supervisor who told me that a person should always be thinking about the next goal, the next accomplishment. I try to always be working on improving in some area of life.

If you won the lottery, what would do with the money?
I know the right answer is to pay bills or save for the future, but I would make travel plans immediately. There are so many places that I want to see and experience. I would jump on a plane ASAP.

What was the best money you ever spent?
Buying a house was the best decision for me. Home ownership is a great feeling of accomplishment, and it is also a great lesson in priorities.

What is the proudest/happiest moment of your life?
I have had a couple of great moments. I was happy to obtain my master's degree. I was very happy to marry my husband, and I was proud to become a mom. I think there are many more minor moments that stand out as opposed to the big ones. Just crossing off all the items on your "to do" list can make you feel proud.

Tell us about your family.
I have been married to my husband, Gary, for seven years. We have one daughter, Lily, who is 3. Gary is a captain on the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. Lily attends UNF's Child Development and Research Center. She's in the Bears' classroom.

What is your favorite thing about working at UNF?
I like the excitement and energy that comes from working at an educational institution. Our students will go on to lead the community and make a difference in society. There is a lot of promise and optimism in that knowledge. I see some of the students' achievements, and I feel a great deal of hope for all of us.

If you were not working at UNF, what would you be doing?
I worked in social services before coming to UNF. I would probably be in that field.

If you could choose any other career, what would it be and why?
I would love to be a museum curator. Art is a combination of beauty and history. I think it would be exciting to introduce that to the community.

What would you like to do when you retire?
Seems very far away so it is hard to say. I would definitely like to travel and volunteer.

What is the best thing you ever won?
A race - only my age group, though.

What is your favorite way to blow an hour?
Reading - anything from US Weekly to a novel.

What was the first concert you ever attended, and what was the most recent concert you attended?
This is going to lead to lots of teasing, but it was Debbie Gibson in Metro Park. Most recent? The Eagles - worth every penny!

What's the last book you read?
"The Help" by K. Stocket 

Dateline

Milestone Anniversaries
Congratulations to the following employees, who will celebrate a milestone anniversary at UNF in October.

25 Years:
Janice Ishii, Executive Secretary, Alumni Services

20 Years:
Alisa Craddock, Library Services Specialist, Thomas G. Carpenter Library
Charles Haynes, Maintenance Supervisor, Physical Facilities

15 Years:
Lois King, Office Manager, College of Education and Human Services

10 Years:
Ruth Harrold, Director of the English Language Program, Student Affairs
Mary Smith, Office Manager, College of Arts and Sciences
Valerie Stevenson, Associate Controller, Controller's Office
Patricia Watson, Executive Secretary, Enrollment Services Processing Office

Five years:
Wilson Navarro, Accounting Coordinator, Controller's Office
Zak Ovadia, Director, Facilities Planning and Construction
Heather Strange, Senior Accounts Payable Receiving Representative, Controller's Office
Osvaldo Vazquez, Coordinator of Academic Support Services, Brooks College of Health

Welcome
The following employees were either hired by UNF or accepted new positions at UNF from mid-August to mid-September:

Elizabeth Andrews, Office Manager, Sociology and Anthropology
Patricia Booker, Adjunct, Communication
Nicole Bowser, Adjunct, English
Jo Carlisle, College Adviser, Enrollment Services
James Caudill, Information Booth Attendant, Parking Services
Tracy Collins, Adjunct, Communication
Patricia Connolly, Adjunct, Childhood Education
Elizabeth Couch, Adjunct, English
Steven Crews, Assistant Director of Facilities Management, University Housing
Jeffrey Cumber, Adjunct, Mechanical Engineering
Bill Dickenson, Parking Services Technician, Parking Services
Barbara Drummond-Huth, Adjunct, Brooks College of Health
Marie Farren, Adjunct, Sociology and Anthropology
Michael Finnie, Adjunct, Brooks College of Health
Jennifer Fortune, Mental Health Counselor, Counseling Center
Sandra Fuller, Adjunct, Childhood Education
Charles Grey, Adjunct, English
Sara Grillo, Admissions Coordinator, Admissions
Joni Hannigan, Adjunct, Communication
Robert Hansell, Admissions Coordinator, Admissions
John Harrington, Groundskeeper, Physical Facilities
James Heisner, Coordinator of Athletic Compliance, University Compliance
Christine Holechek, Adjunct, Art and Design
Lonnie Keepers, Adjunct, Mathematics and Statistics
Jeremy Kespohl, Adjunct, Honors Program
Ervin Lewis, Associate Athletics Director, Intercollegiate Athletics
Betty Lustig, Director of Development, Brooks College of Health
Ross McDonough, Adjunct, Sociology and Anthropology
Mark Mize, Adjunct, Building Construction Management
Patricia Moore, Mental Health Counselor, Counseling Center
Tayve Neese, Adjunct, English
Janet Ostler Walker, Adjunct, Brooks College of Health
Jill Parrott, Adjunct, English
Michael Pruitt, Adjunct, Psychology
Ramaprasad Rajaram, Instructor, Economics
Marjorie Ray, Adjunct, College of Education and Human Services
Donald Rhoads, Adjunct, Marketing and Logistics
Hari Rizal, Custodial Worker, Physical Facilities
Jennifer Santos, Adjunct, Psychology
Shannon Shoultz, Coordinator of Research and Program Services, Small Business Development Center
Le'Titia Silas, Assistant Coach for Track and Field, Athletics
Alvin Tolliver, Custodial Worker, Physical Facilities
Rose Marie Turner, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Counseling Center
Jonathan Wadley, Adjunct, Political Science and Public Administration
Tracey Woodard, Adjunct, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Lynn Young, Adjunct, Sociology and Anthropology

Congratulations

Dr. Marsha Lupi (COEHS Dean's Office) announces the birth of her first grandchild, Jordana Brooke Bugge, who was born Aug. 24 to proud parents Alexis and Alex Bugge. She weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.

Kate Mattingly (International Business) and Chad Learch (Admissions) will be married Oct. 10 in Jacksonville Beach. 

Faculty & Staff

Brooks College of Health

Nursing: Dr. Barbara Olinzock received the SCI Nursing's Best Article of the Year Award for 2008 for her article titled "Enhancing the Learning Needs of Patients with SCI: A Patient Education Tool." SCI Nursing is a journal published by the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professions. The award was presented in September at the Association of Spinal Cord Injury Nurses Annual Conference in Dallas.

Debra Wagner, Jane Sander and Mary Bear published "Turning Simulation into Reality: Increasing Student Competence and Confidence" in the Journal of Nursing Education, Vol. 38, No. 8, August 2009.

The Florida Nurse Association selected 100 nurses to receive the recognition of Great 100 as part of its celebration of 100 years of service. This statewide recognition included awards to 10 School of Nursing nurse/faculty members. They are Drs. William Ahrens, Kathleen Bloom, Pam Chally, Barbara Drummond-Huth, Kay Fullwood, Barbara Kruger, Lillia Loriz, John McDonough, Doreen Perez (Student Affairs) and Lucy Trice.

Dr. Jan Meires and alumna Laura Boudreaux published "Grand Rounds: Man, 29, With Apparent Throat Obstruction" in the August 2009 issue of Clinician Reviews: A peer reviewed journal, Vol. 19, No. 8. Meires and Dr. Katherine Robinson co-authored two chapters in Lippincott's Online Course for Porths' Pathophysiology, a peer-reviewed online course published in May 2009.

Coggin College of Business

Career Management Center: Shannon Italia was awarded the summer 2009 Soaring to Excellence Award, which is given to an individual for notable contributions to the University that are significantly above and beyond the range of the job assignment and performance expectations.

Marketing and Logistics: Dr. A. Coskun "Josh" Samli delivered a paper titled "Coping with International Poverty through Globalization" at the American Marketing Association Annual Educators' Conference, which is the largest conference of its kind in the world. It was held in Chicago.

College of Arts and Sciences

 

Art and Design: Vanessa Cruz presented a paper titled "Brave New World: Where Does Experimental Animation Belong?" at the 4th International Conference on Design Principles and Practices in Chicago.

Jenny Hager received the second-place award at the Pensacola Museum of Art Juried Members' Exhibition at the Pensacola Museum of Art.

Stephen Heywood's ceramic works were accepted into in the National Juried "Friendly Fire CERAMICS" at the Foundry Arts Centre in St. Charles, Mo., the Wichita National All Media Craft Exhibition 2009 at the Wichita Center for the Arts in Wichita and the Westmoreland Art Nationals in Latrobe, Pa., in which he won the Best in Craft award.

Alexander Diaz's photography works called "Humor and Happiness in Contemporary Art" was exhibited at Space 301 in Mobile, Ala.

Biology: Dr. Daniel Moon published "Interactive Effects of Mycorrhizal Fungi, Salt Stress and Exploitative Competition on the Herbivores of Baccharis Halimifolia" in Ecological Entomology. Moon, Drs. Peter Stiling, Anthony Rossi and Bert Drake published "Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Long Term Exposure to Elevated CO2 May Increase Herbivore Densities" in Global Change Biology. Moon, Rossi, Dr. Dale Casamatta and Dr. Kelly Smith presented "Experimentally Enhanced Native Riparian Buffer Zones of the Lower St. Johns River Reduce Nutrient Loading and Increase Plant and Invertebrate Diversity" at the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting in Albuquerque. At the same meeting Moon and Jamie C. Moon presented "Interactive Effects of Fungi, Salt Stress and Exploitative Competition on the Herbivores of Baccharis Halimifolia." Moon and Moon also presented this research at the Royal Entomological Society Meeting at the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England.

Dr. Doria Bowers and Erica Mejia presented "Temporal and Biochemical Aspects of Sindbis Virus Dissemination in the Mosquito Host" to the American Society for Virology in July. At the same conference, Bowers, Mejia and Dr. Jay Huebner presented "Detection of Influenza-A Virus Using Photo-electric Sensors."

Dr. Michael Lentz presented a poster co-authored by Casamatta titled "Molecular, Morphologic and Biological Characterization of Cyanophages from Eutrophic Lakes in Northeast Florida" at the Molecular Genetics of Bacteria and Phages Meeting in Madison, Wis. 

 

Dr. Cliff Ross presented "The Use of Cellular Biomarker System for Assessing the Health of Aquatic Plants" to the St. Johns River Water Management District in Palatka. He was funded by the Smithsonian Marine Science Network to study coral spawning and the impacts of environmental stressors on coral larvae biology in Belize. Ross also received a Florida Institute of Oceanography Award to study "Seagrass Pathogens of the Florida Keys."

Criminology and Criminal Justice: Dr. Jennifer Wesely and co-author Jim Wright published "From the Inside Out: Efforts by Homeless Women to Disrupt Cycles of Crime and Violence" in the journal Women and Criminal Justice, Vol. 19, No. 3.

Math and Statistics: Dr. Scott Hochwald presented "The Amazing, Astounding Phantasmagorical Central Binomial Coefficient" at the Mathematical Association of America's MathFest 2009 in Portland, Ore.

Philosophy: Dr. Bert Koegler published "Consciousness as Symbolic Construction: A Semiotics of Thought after Cassirer" in Constructivist Foundations, Vol. 4, No. 3, Vienna, Austria. In June, he also presented "Interpretation as Prima Philosophia: Rorty and the Normative Roots of Dialogue" at the Pragmatic Hermeneutics Conference at the Interdisciplinary Center for Research, University of Bielefeld and at the Department of Philosophy at Frankfurt University.

Psychology: Dr. Lynne Carroll and Andy Gauler presented a workshop titled "Assisted Living: Are Gender and Sexual Minority Aged Welcome?" at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Toronto in August.

Sociology and Anthropology: Dr. Melissa Hargrove reviewed "Lorenzo Dow Turner: Father of Gullah Studies" (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2007) by Margaret Wade-Lewis for the Journal of Southern History.

Dr. Krista Paulsen published "Ethnography of the Ephemeral: Studying Temporary Scenes Through Individual and Collective Approaches" in the journal Social Identities.

Dr. Adam Shapiro presented a paper titled "Marital Transitions and Trajectories of Subjective Health" at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association in San Francisco.

College of Computing, Engineering and Construction

School of Engineering: Dr. Chris Brown met with staff from St. Johns County Environmental and Urban Planning Academy (grades 9-12) to discuss collaboration opportunities on co-credit classes and joint projects such as designing and building a "Green Neighborhood."

Dr. Chiu Choi presented and published "Computational Method for Medium Scale Stiff Lyapunov Differential Equations," at the 7th Asian Control Conference in August.

Dr. Dean Krusienski published "A Method for Visualizing the Independent Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Brain Activity" in the EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing (Special Issue on Statistical Signal Processing in Neuroscience), article ID 948961, 2009.

Dr. Adel ElSafty hosted an August seminar by Tarmac America for engineers, architects, design builders, general contractors and sub-contractors on the benefits of concrete paving versus asphalt beyond just the initial construction costs.

Dr. Stephan J. Nix received the Engineer of the Year Award from the Florida Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers in August.

Dr. Pat Welsh gave a presentation in August titled "St Johns River Water Quality" at the city of Jacksonville's Environmental Protection Board Symposium on Sustainability for Jacksonville's Future.

School of Computing: Dr. Karthikeyan Umapathy presented his paper "From Service Conversation Models to WS-CDL" at the Americas Conference on Information Systems in August (http://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2009/542/).

College of Education and Human Services

Department of Childhood Education: In September, Dr. Nile Stanley and Ben Brenner, undergraduate psychology major and musician, were featured speakers at the Florida Reading Association's 47th Annual Conference in Orlando. They presented "Performance Literacy through Storytelling." Also, Stanley and Steffani Gilligan, a teacher at J. Allen Axon Montessouri School, presented a workshop, "Family Literacy Project Rockets You to Writing." These projects were supported by gifts from the Cummer Family Foundation. Additionally, Stanley has been invited to develop and conduct national seminars on his performance literacy research and pedagogy for Staff Development Resources, Torrance, Calif., a leader in professional development since 1974.

Department of Exceptional Student and Deaf Education: Drs. Donald Moores and Len Roberson have just published an article on deafness in "The Child: An Encyclopedic Companion," published by the University of Chicago Press in August. The Companion is a one-volume encyclopedia that brings together contemporary scholarship on children and childhood from a variety of disciplines. It consists of more than 500 articles covering all areas of child-related study, from pediatrics, child development and psychology to law, public policy, education, history, religion, sociology and anthropology.

 

Good Question

Q - From Deirdre Meehan (COEHS Dean's Office): Why isn't there premium parking for staff anywhere between the Library and Building 57? It seems unfair to the employees who can't afford a designated parking pass to have to walk so far to their vehicles. Shouldn't premium spaces be in every single lot? It makes more sense to put some designated spots next to the buildings and the premium spaces right behind them in each lot.

A - From Vince Smyth (Parking Services): Lot 3 has only 56 non-disability spaces. Small lots like this do not work well for multi-category parking. If Lot 3 had some premium spaces, all premium permit holders (including students) would look to this lot as a potential for parking, with very few spaces available.


Q - From Diane Welch Kazlauskas (Thomas G. Carpenter Library): How will the staff of MOCA [Jacksonville, a cultural resource of UNF], be integrated into UNF staff and faculty? Will they have Osprey1 cards? Will they be on UNF payroll? Will they be faculty, USPS or some combination thereof? What is the timeline?

A - From Shari Shuman (Administration and Finance): At this time, MOCA employees are not considered University employees. Therefore, they are not on the UNF payroll nor are they considered faculty, A&P or USPS. Next year, the University will re-evaluate the feasibility of having MOCA employees become UNF employees. For now, MOCA employees have a UNF e-mail address and receive the daily campus updates and all University correspondence. They currently do not have Osprey1 cards, but we may provide them in the near future. 

Ask UNF

Preventing falls by the elderly
By Dr. Chitra Balasubramanian

Each year, thousands of older Americans fall at home. Many of them are seriously injured or disabled. Here are some tips to prevent falls by the elderly.

What should I know about falls?
One in three adults age 65 and older fall each year, therefore falls are very common in this age group. While not all falls lead to injuries, some falls can result in life-changing and devastating consequences. A major fall can also increase your direct and indirect medical costs.

What are the consequences if I fall?
Falls can result in loss of your independence, can limit your societal participation and can substantially affect your quality of life. Major medical consequences of a fall include fractures of the hip and spine, traumatic brain injuries, brain hemorrhage and death. Minor medical consequences of a fall include lacerations and soft-tissue injuries. Major and minor falls result in a period of immobility that can lead to muscle weakness and de-conditioning. Falls can also lower your confidence and result in developing a fear of falling, which can by itself increase your future risk for falling.

When should I seek help?
If you fall more than twice in a six-month period, an evaluation for causes should be undertaken. If you are a senior citizen, any fall should be considered serious whether it leads to injury or not.

Who is at risk for falling?
Most falls are multi-factorial, implying more than one underlying cause. You may be at risk for falling if one or more of the following categories applies to you: 75 years of age or older; balance and walking problems; reduced muscle strength; poor vision (cataracts, glaucoma, wearing wrong glasses); medication intake (sedatives, antihypertensives, antidepressants); musculoskeletal problems (osteoporosis, arthritis, muscle stiffness); neurological problems (stroke, Parkinson's disease); cardiovascular problems (postural hypotension, drop attacks, fainting, arrhythmias); depression; dementia; and risk-taking behaviors. Environmental hazards leading to falls include slippery floors, poor lighting, rugs and stairs.

Whom should I consult to have a risk assessment?
You can consult your physician who will perform a physical exam to diagnose any underlying causes leading to falls. You can also consult a physical therapist or an occupational therapist. Physical therapists are professionals who can quantitatively assess your risk for falling. They can also design individualized exercises to improve your balance and coordination. Occupational therapists can assess your safety by identifying environmental risk factors. They can recommend appropriate actions to improve safety and modify your daily activities to prevent falls.

Can I do anything to prevent falls?
You can remember the pneumonic "Elder EMS" for the four things that you can do to prevent falls:

E (in Elder) - Exercise regularly. Strengthening, balance and coordination exercises can prevent your risk for falls. Tai Chi, brisk walks, swimming and dance are great forms of exercise, among others.

 

E (in EMS) - Eyes. Have your vision checked regularly. You may be wearing the wrong glasses or have cataracts or glaucoma, leading to poor vision that can increase your chances of falling.

M (in EMS) - Medications. Have your medications reviewed by your pharmacist or physician. Most medications have side effects like drowsiness and light-headedness that increase your chances of falling.

S (in EMS) - Safety. Make sure your environment is safe. At home, you can do some basic modifications to make your living environment safer. For example, you can improve your home lighting; install grab bars in showers; use non-skid shower mats; keep your doorway, hallway and entry free from clutter; avoid wearing slippers; and remove any loose throw rugs or secure them with double-sided tape.

Dr. Chitra Balasubramanian is a physical therapy professor at UNF. For questions regarding this topic, you can e-mail Balasubramanian at c.k-balasubramanian@unf.edu . The column "Ask UNF" regularly runs in Inside and The Florida Times-Union, promoting the expertise of UNF faculty and staff.

 

Sponsored Research

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs announces the following grants and contracts:

 

Pamela Bell (Child Development Research Center), "Family Fall Literacy Festival 2009," Target Stores, $2,500

Dr. Joseph Butler (Biology), "12-Month Finding on a Petition to List the Gopher Tortoise as Threatened or Endangered Throughout Its Range," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, $10,001

Dr. Kerry Clark (Public Health), "Investigation of Human Lyme Borreliosis in the Southern U.S.A.," Lyme Disease Association Inc., $10,000

Drs. Lucy Croft and Annabel Brooks (Student Affairs), "Student Summit," Florida State University/U.S. Department of Education, $8,500

Dr. James Fletcher (Engineering), "Preliminary Implementation Plan for the FDOT Mobile Retroreflectivity Unit (MRU)," Florida Department of Transportation, $208,589

Dr. Cheryl Fountain (Florida Institute of Education), "CROP (College Reach-Out Program): Jacksonville Precollegiate Connections, 2008-2009," Florida Department of Education, $47,673; and "CROP (College Reach-Out Program): Jacksonville Precollegiate Connections, 2008-2009," Florida Department of Education supplement, $2,210; "CROP-ARRA (College Reach-Out Program/American Recovery and Reinvestment Act): Jacksonville Precollegiate Connections, 2008-2009," Florida Department of Education/U.S. Department of Education, $10,386; "Florida's Collaboration for Young Children and Their Families 2009-2010," Administration for Children and Families/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, $225,000; and "Product Development and Distribution Project for the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) Education Program, 2008-2009," Florida Department of Education, $10,000

Dr. Paul Harwood (Public Opinion Research Laboratory), "IPTM/FDOT Driving While Impaired (DUI) Survey, 2009," Institute of Police Technology and Management/Florida Department of Transportation, $46,405

Michael Kennedy and Shelly Purser (Health Promotion), "Smoking Cessation: Smokeless Tobacco Cessation Year 2," North Florida Area Health Education Centers, $35,000

Dr. Dean Krusienski (Engineering), "General Purpose Brain-Computer Interface System," Health Research Inc./National Institutes of Health, $84,433

Dr. David Lambert (Building Construction Management), "Motorcycle Traffic Crash Mapping and Analysis," Institute of Police Technology and Management/Florida Department of Transportation, $30,046

Dr. John McDonough (Nursing), "Advanced Education Nursing Program," Health Resources and Services Administration, $481,549

Dr. Nirmalkumar Patel (Physics), "Nanocrystalline Gas Sensors Arrays for Detecting Gases in Stratosphere and Mesosphere," Florida Space Grant Consortium/National Aeronautics and Space Administration, $14,396

Dr. Robert Thunen (Sociology and Anthropology), "Preserving the Past: Promoting and Exploring Northeast Florida's Archaeology," Preservation North Florida, $100,000

Dr. Jeffry Will (Center for Community Initiatives), "Healthy Start/Magnolia Infant Mortality Reduction Project 2009-2010," Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition Inc./Health Resources and Services Administration, $92,370; "Racial Disparities in Employment in Jacksonville," Jacksonville Human Rights Commission, $8,000