July 2012

Around Campus

Healthy living is a primary focus for UNF
By Matt Coleman

A true University of North Florida education is grounded in a few core principles.

 

Students 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 initiatives 

 

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.

  

Shelly 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 each.

   

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.

 

Healthy 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.

 

Health 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.
 

Paul 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.

   

Wellness 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 channels.

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 wellness.

 

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 resources.

 

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 children."

 

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 fall.

 

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 

  

The University’s dedication to health hasn’t gone unnoticed by the outside community.

 

This year marked UNF’s third straight Gold Healthiest Company Award 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 Journal.

 

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.”

Around Campus

Environmental Center sets international example for river research
By Matt Coleman

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 world.

 

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. 

 

Pyati 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 section.

 

The 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.

 

The 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.

Around Campus

New road, shuttle routes highlight on-campus transportation improvements
By Matt Coleman

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 routes.

 

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 shelters.

 

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.

Around Campus

Fulbright Summer Institute accepts UNF student
By Matt Coleman

The United States-United Kingdom Fulbright Commission is the kind of higher-education scholarship program that typically recognizes students from academic powerhouses such as Harvard and Cornell.

You can add the University of North Florida to that list.

University of North Florida sophomore Kaitlin Devi Ramirez was selected as a Fulbright Summer Institute participant at Newcastle University in England for this summer. A UNF Honors Program student and economics major, Ramirez will study international politics and contemporary global change during the five-week summer program from July 8 to Aug. 23.

More than 40 undergraduate students from across the United States were chosen out of hundreds of applicants. Ramirez said her UNF experience and support helped make her stand out from the rest.

“When I was putting together my application, one of my professors reviewed my materials, and another professor filled out a reference for me,” she said. “I couldn’t have done this and been considered without the help of my professors and the opportunities I’ve had at UNF.”

An aspiring law school student, Ramirez plans to graduate from UNF in 2015. She has been a senator in Student Government, a vice president of the Osprey South Asian Association and a member of the Young Democrats.

Ramirez said she pursued the Fulbright program at Newcastle University specifically because of her interest in the coursework. Other Fulbright programs at other universities dealt with archaeology, theater and topics that didn’t quite entice her. The Newcastle program, on the other hand, stood out because of her interest in the international political economy. She said she hopes the experience will leave an indelible imprint in her life grounded in the rich culture and history of the U.K.

While the five-week program is intellectually rigorous and classes are scheduled every weekday, Ramirez said the experience is worth a summer of study.

“Opportunities like this are rare,” she said. “Most students would never have a chance to study in England in a Fulbright program. I’m incredibly grateful for the chance, and I’m very lucky to have had support from UNF to help me along this path.”


The U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission is the only bi-lateral, transatlantic scholarship program, offering awards and summer programs for study or research in any field, at any accredited U.S. or U.K. university. The Commission is part of the Fulbright program conceived by Sen. William Fulbright in the aftermath of World War II to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange.

Each year, the Commission supports around 50 undergraduate students to undertake a demanding academic and cultural summer program at leading institutions in the U.S. and U.K. Nearly 300,000 men and women from all over the world have had their lives changed as participants in the global Fulbright Program. And now we can add one from Jacksonville, Florida.

Around Campus

Technology gifts helps nursing students stay on cutting edge
By Dan Dundon

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 Council.

 

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. 
 

Get to Know

Mary Tappmeyer

  

Name: Mary Tappmeyer

 

Department: Athletics

 

Job title: Head Women’s Basketball Coach

 

What do you do?  

Recruit and coach student/athletes

 

Years at UNF: 21

 

What is the best thing you ever won?   

NCAA South Region Basketball Championship

 

Describe your favorite UNF-related memory?  Returning to campus on the bus to a pep rally after we won the championship with a police escort.

 

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 ocean.

 

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 attended? 

Doobies Brothers was the first. The most recent was Tran Siberian Orchestra.

 

What band(s)/musician(s) would perform the soundtrack to your life?  

Sugarland

 

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”

Faculty & Staff

  

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 & Sciences 

  

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 Spectroscopists.”

 

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.”

 

In 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.

 

Music: 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.

 

Physics: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 & Construction 

  

Construction 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.

 

Engineering: 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.

  

Computing: Dr. Charles Winton served as head judge for the 2012 Northern California Botball Robotics Competition in San Jose, Calif. in May.

 

Dean’s 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: Dr. 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.

 

Exceptional, 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 Kasten. 

  

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.

Dateline

  

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

Michael Pinkney, Senior Groundskeeper Crew Lead, Physical Facilities

Richard Roberts, Director of Career Development Services, Career Services

10 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

Melissa 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

Edmond Robinson, Custodial Worker, Physical Facilities

Richard 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

Renita Thompson, Coordinator of Academic Support Services, One Stop Center

Kaleema Webb, Refuse Recycle Moving Supervisor, Physical Facilities

Welcome 
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.

 

Kathleen Delaney, Senior Student Government Advisor, SG Business & Accounting Office

April Jefferson, Senior Custodial Worker, Physical Facilities

Angela Simmons, Financial Systems Analyst, Financial Systems

Mindy Galster, Executive Secretary, Library

Visnovsky Betteanne, Senior Registered Nurse, Student Health Services

Nancy Youngberg, Senior Registered Nurse, Student Health Services

Scott Latasha, Financial Systems Analyst, Financial Systems

Goodbye 
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 Education

Jennifer Iovanovici, Financial Aid Specialist, Enrollment Services Processing Office

Allison Pontal, Police Communications Operator, University Police Department

Laura Tetzel, Office Manager, Criminology and Criminal Justice

Susan Yates, Office Assistant, University Center

The Goods

Wheat Berries

Wheat 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 liquid.

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 j.ross@unf.edu.