October 2012

Around Campus

President Delaney delivers State of the University address
By Matt Coleman

To University of North Florida President John A. Delaney, his annual State of the University address is a time to reflect on the identity of the University and discuss the topic of institutional growth.

 

He delivered this year’s speech Sept. 28 in the Lazzara Performance Hall, just four days before the University celebrated its 40th anniversary. Considering the timing, Delaney drew heavily from the University’s rich history to laud the faculty and staff who have helped UNF develop from a small, commuter school to a distinguished, regional University with a growing national reputation.

 

The numbers speak for themselves. UNF’s first graduating class consisted of 35 students. Forty years later, more than 74,000 women and men have received a UNF degree. Additionally, the academic profile of incoming UNF freshman has steadily grown to the point that it eclipses many other schools in the State University System.

 

“The freshmen who entered this fall, once again, raised the profile of our student body with an average score of 1212 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the SAT and a 3.9 high school GPA, making us one of the most competitive universities in this state,” Delaney said.

 

During the course of the past 40 years, UNF has maintained its commitment to institutional best practices, fostered on-campus diversity, respected the natural ecology of the campus and the region and continually supported the individual student’s educational journey — all key facets of the University’s mission.

 

“These were the foundations of UNF in October 1972, and they remain our foundations going into October 2012,” Delaney said.

 

National higher education rating services have observed UNF’s continued commitment to institutional excellence. The Princeton Review, Kiplinger’s and Forbes have all acknowledged UNF’s academic merits and dedication to providing an affordable education to every student.

 

The national press has also taken note of UNF’s excellence, with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer extolling the University’s virtues during a live, nationally televised broadcast from the UNF Green during the CNN Republican candidate debates.

 

“With UNF in the news a total of 11,308 times last year — that’s more than 30 times a day, every day a newspaper is quoting one of our professors or a TV station is covering the work of one of our student organizations — Jacksonville knows we are here,” he said.

 

The next stage in the University’s growth was instituted this fall term, with more than 3,000 students living in campus residence halls and the introduction of mandatory housing for first-year students. The University is moving past the outmoded commuter campus image to that of a full-time, residential University.

 

The goal, Delaney said, is to improve the rate of return on student and Florida taxpayer investments by providing UNF students with an enhanced connection to campus life. Studies have shown living on or near campus and engaging in campus activities contribute to higher retention and graduation rates for students.  

 

“Our decision to move toward mandatory housing is heralded by some as a bold move on UNF’s part,” Delaney said. “By others, it’s seen as a risky experiment.  For me, it’s an important step in changing our culture.”

 

Delaney also discussed the University’s financial status, an important topic for faculty, staff and students alike. He said the news out of Tallahassee is promising for next year but cautioned that the economic climate could change during the course the next several months. The hope is that after a tight 2012-2013 year, there will be relief in the 2013-2014 fiscal year. 

 

Delaney concluded his speech with a casual reference to his recent nomination as a candidate for the University of Florida’s presidency. He reaffirmed his dedication to UNF, starting with year 41 and moving on into the future.

 

“There are too many good people, doing important work right here,” he said. “And I am hoping to be a part of that work for several years to come.” 
 

 

2012 Distinguished Professor  

 

Dr. Mina Baliamoune-Lutz from the Department of Economics and Geography in the Coggin College of Business was honored during Fall Convocation as the University’s 2012 Distinguished Professor.

 

Baliamoune-Lutz partly attributed her successes at UNF to a strong support system of administrative staffers exhibiting an outstanding commitment to excellence within the Coggin College of Business. Additionally, she shared memories of her parents, who she said acted as passionate supporters of her academic career.

 

That career started at Northeastern University in Boston, where she received her M.B.A. and doctorate in economics. She has traveled to more than 20 different foreign countries where she has taught courses, delivered keynotes, presented papers, participated in workshops or worked as a research fellow.

Throughout the years, she has published more than 40 articles in peer-reviewed journals and co-edited a book, “Women in African Development: The Challenge of Globalization and Liberalization in the 21st Century,” published in 2005. She is currently the associate editor of three different publications: the Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences; Information Technology for Development; and the Journal of African Development. 

 

Her extensive international background has become a common trait amongst a large portion of the UNF faculty, which has boosted the level of classroom discourse across campus, she said. Through a wide array of grants and professorships, the University has placed an increased emphasis on expanding the breadth of international educational opportunities available to faculty.

 

“Without the efforts to internationalize the curriculum, we wouldn’t be as strong of a University,” she said.

Baliamoune-Lutz closed her speech with an African proverb that ably summed up her work ethic and belief in staying ahead of the latest advancements in higher education.

 

“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle — when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.”

 

Other award winners from the 2012 Fall Convocation:

 

Distinguished professor Runner-Up Award  

William “Chip” Klostermeyer, School of Computing

 

Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Awards 

Dr. Erin Bennett, Department of Music 

Dr. Michelle Boling, Department of Clinical and Applied Movement Sciences

Dr. Christopher Brown, School of Engineering

Dr. Alison Bruey, Department of History

Dr. Sharon Cobb, Department of Economics and Geography
Dr. B. Jay Coleman, Department of Management

Dr. Christopher Johnson, Department of Economics and Geography

Dr. Judith Ochrietor, Department of Biology

Dr. Otilia Salmon, Department of Foundations and Secondary Education

Dr. John White, Department of Foundations and Secondary Education

 

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award 

Christopher Janson, Department of Leadership, School Counseling& and Sport Management

Jennifer Wesely, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice

 

Outstanding Scholarship Awards 

Dr. David Courtwright, Department of History

Dr. Paul Fadil, Department of Management

Dr. Ma. Teresa Tuason, Department of Public Health

 

Outstanding Service Awards 

Dr. Gordon Rakita, Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Dr. Barbara Olinzock, School of Nursing

 

Outstanding Undergraduate Advising Award 

Terry DeRubeis, Coggin College of Business Student Services

 

Outstanding International Leadership Award 

Dr. Paul Fadil, Department of Management

Leslie Kaplan, Interim Director, Honors Program

 

Outstanding International Service Award 

Robert Boyle, Interim Director, University Housing and Residence Life

 

Presidential Diversity and Inclusion Award 

Individual Winner — Melissa Hirschman, Department of Psychology

Organizational Winner — Disability Resource Center

 

Presidential Diversity and Inclusion Research Award 

JeffriAnne Wilder, Department of Sociology

Richmond Wynn, Department of Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Sharon Tamargo Wilburn, Department of Public Health (joint award)
 

Around Campus

Herbert lends name and vision to University Center
By Dan Dundon

"This University has been built upon a very strong foundation of core values, which continue to shape our dreams and plans for the future. Two of those — teaching and community service — are reinforced through this building we will begin constructing today on this site.” 

 

Those words, delivered by UNF President Dr. Adam W. Herbert April 18, 1997, marked the groundbreaking for the University Center. The $11 million facility was a focal point in his efforts to build bridges between the community and the relatively young university that was at the time marking its 25th anniversary.

 

Fifteen years later, as the University celebrates its40th anniversary, that Center was officially named for the man whose persistent vision became enduring reality. The building was renamed the Adam W. Herbert University Center following the annual Founders Day luncheon.

 

The University Center, which opened in 1999, has compiled some impressive numbers, exceeding even Herbert’s projections when the groundbreaking occurred.

 

According to figures from University Center Director George Androuin, the Center has hosted more than 54,000 activities that attracted 2.2 million participants. In the process, it has also generated nearly $20 million in revenue. For many of these 2.2 million participants, the University Center became their first exposure to the UNF campus.

 

At the time of the groundbreaking, Herbert noted that, “we must open our doors to the citizens, companies and organizations in our city so they understand the important role a university campus environment can play in the community.”

 

The attendance figures support that assertion. The figures include separate operations by the Division of Continuing Education, the Florida Small Business Development Center (FSBDC) and the Institute of Police Technology and Management (ITPM) , all of which bring thousands of individuals to the facility each year.

 

Continuing Education offers scores of classes for residents and businesses in the Northeast Florida region.  In the last fiscal year, Continuing Education registrations topped 17,000.

 

At the Small Business Development Center, Director Janice Donaldson estimated more than 770 workshops have been conducted since 1999, attracting more than 26,000 participants to campus.

 

And at IPTM, Director Bob Jacob said more than 46,000 police officers from across the globe have undergone training at the University Center.

 

The numbers vindicate Herbert’s visionary construction philosophy. During his presidency, he said it was clear there were few alternatives to the downtown convention center for smaller conferences, meetings and lectures.

 

Although the numbers indicate the Center has far exceeded projections, it was not an easy sell for Herbert. Although the Florida Legislature approved funding for the project, it was vetoed by then Gov. Lawton Chiles. Herbert was able to secure funding the following year with assistance from State Sen. Betty Holzendorf, for whom the access road to the center was eventually named.  

 

“We didn’t have adequate space on our campus to accommodate the Small Business Development Center or Continuing Education,” Herbert said. “It was imperative we obtain the funding for the Center to serve the educational needs of the community.

 

With the money secured, construction of the 95,000-square-foot facility proceeded rapidly. By Feb. 1999, it was ready for its grand opening under then- President Anne Hopkins.

 

Although Herbert had become chancellor of the State University System by the time the Center opened, he had many opportunities to see its operations in subsequent years. He returned to UNF in 2000 to become the founding executive director of The Florida Center for Public Policy and Leadership.

 

Herbert and his wife, Karen, retired in Jacksonville, and they’re frequent Center visitors for lectures and special events. From now on, each time he walks across the threshold of the University Center, he will be reminded of how his dreams became a reality for Jacksonville and the University of North Florida. 

Around Campus

UNF student reporters cover RNC for national media
By Matt Coleman

Nearly every major news agency in the nation had some representatives in the stands of the Tampa Bay Times Forum covering the Republican National Convention in August.

 

The Washington Post sent out scores of reporters to cover the political show, but when they needed backup, they turned to a team of skilled University of North Florida communication students.

 

The students varied in terms of academic discipline — journalism, electronic media, public relations and political science were all represented — but they were all members of a dynamic UNF class led by Dr. Paula Horvath-Neimyer.

 

The framework for the class was established in January when UNF hosted the CNN Republican National Debate on campus. Students from one of Neimeyer’s classes contributed tweets and live coverage of the event to the Post, thoroughly impressing the staff of the famed newspaper. Based on the quality of the work produced by the UNF communication students, the Post once again turned to one of Neimeyer’s classes with a proposition.

 

They would provide reporting assistance during the August Republican National Convention in Tampa, mostly from a live social media perspective. There are other universities with journalism programs located closer to Tampa — namely the University of Central of Florida and University of South Florida — but the Washington Post specifically chose UNF for the task, which involved months of advance blogging and about a week of intense, shoe-leather reporting.

 

To prepare for the work ahead, Neimeyer created a summer class focused on digital and social media — necessary skills for a hard-charging political reporter in the thick of the Convention commotion. She reached out to almost a dozen students who expressed interest in the course and began immersing them in the world of new media. That included weekly news meeting comprised of video chats with editorial producers from the Washington Post and in-person conversations with Florida Times-Union editors, who also utilized the students’ tweets in a live sidebar on Jacksonville.com’s political coverage page.

 

The initial work consisted primarily of blogging for the Post’s “The 12” blog, a student-driven Tumblr page that tracked voter sentiment in the 12 most crucial swing states for the upcoming election. The big draw for the students was the opportunity to report on a national political event, but it was unclear how their transportation and lodging would be funded. That’s when the Office of Undergraduate Studies stepped up and offered a Transformational Learning Opportunity (TLO) grant.

 

TLOs are awarded to faculty and students who present unique and engaging educational opportunities that broaden and deepen students’ intellectual and worldviews. The grant allowed the students and Neimeyer to rent a four-bedroom house in Ybor City in Tampa for more than a week.

 

They managed to cover the full scope of the event — from the build-up, which included raucous parades and loud protests, to Romney’s final acceptance speech.

 

“We wanted to be there until the last streamer fell from the ceiling,” said Paula Senn, a senior journalism major.

 

She called the trip a once-in-a-lifetime, hands-on learning experience.

 

“Unless one of us [fellow journalism students] end up working for CNN, we probably won't get a shot to do that again,” Senn said. “I never considered myself a political junkie, but the theater of the event is a sight to behold.”

 

Senn, a nontraditional student who retired from the Navy after 20 years and started taking classes at UNF, said it was a rush being in the thick of the political machine. It was even better when she saw a picture she took and posted to Twitter pop up on the Post’s website.

 

“I snapped a picture of this guy dressed like Wyatt Earp,” she said. “He was a delegate from Kansas. Well, that picture made its way out to thousands of people because the Post picked it up from my Twitter. They were monitoring our Twitter handles during the Convention for live coverage. That was an amazing feeling because I’ve never used Twitter up until I got to this class, and now my tweets are ending up on the Post’s website.”

 

Henna Bakshi, a junior electronic media major and the group’s unofficial broadcast representative, spent a lot of her time at the Convention shooting video and doing video spots from in and around the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

 

She said the classroom experience helped prepare her for the hectic nature of live reporting from inside a hugely crowded political event.

 

Before they left for Tampa, the students interacted with some professional journalists, including Natalie Jennings from the Post, and received advice on staying calm in the midst of their coverage. Those talks helped reassure Bakshi once she waded into the media fray.

 

“We only had two passes, so we had to take turns going into the Convention,” Bakshi said. “When it was my turn, I just had this huge smile on my face the entire time I walked in. I took a moment to take it all in, and then I started tweeting and posting updates about the delegation votes while I was right next to all these professional reporters from publications from across the country.”

 

Bakshi said there’s no way to replicate the on-the-job training she received while covering the Convention. It’s a résumé topper for her until she lands a professional position in front of the camera. But she said her time in the field has prepared her for the rigors of day-to-day life in the broadcast field.

 

“I was assigned to cover the main event — the Marco Rubio and Mitt Romney speeches,” she said. “I had to do a standup after the event, but the spot where we were located was too dark. I had to borrow a light from a national news organization and give it back to them as quickly as possible because they were packing up. With all the adrenaline flowing through me, I got that standup done in one take.”

Briefs

Renowned historian discusses former U.S. presidents at UNF

World-renowned historian and author Doris Kearns Goodwin will discuss “Former U.S. Presidents and Their Mark on the World” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the University of North Florida Arena. This Presidential Lecture is free and open to the public. 

 

Her most recent work, a monumental history of Abraham Lincoln entitled “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” and published in 2005, joined the best-seller lists in its first week of publication and soon reached No. 1 on The New York Times Best-Seller List.

 

A feature film based on “Team of Rivals,” directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln, will be released in November. Goodwin’s latest book won the 2006 Lincoln Prize for an outstanding work about the president and/or the Civil War, the New York Historical Society Book Prize, the Richard Nelson Current Award and the New York State Archives History Makers Award.  

 

Goodwin received her doctorate in government from Harvard University, where she taught government, including a course on the American presidency. Following her tenure at Harvard, Goodwin served as an assistant to Lyndon Johnson in his last year in the White House, later assisting Johnson in the preparation of his memoirs. In 1976, she authored “Lyndon Johnson & The American Dream,” which became a New York Times best-seller. 

  

This event, sponsored by the UNF Foundation and Stein Mart, is part of the UNF Distinguished Voices Lecture Series. Tickets are required and can be reserved online or by phone at (904) 620-2117. 

Briefs

Outstanding Undergraduate and Graduate Teaching Awards nominations

  

Nominations are now being accepted for two awards — the 2012-2013 Outstanding Undergraduate and Outstanding Graduate Teaching Awards. Guidelines for the awards are located on the UNF Faculty Association Web site here.

 

Nominations can be sent via-email to facassn1@unf.edu or delivered to the Faculty Association Office in the Honors Hall, Building 10, Room 1120.  The nomination deadline is 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12.

 

Get to Know

Jim Baur
 


Department: Recreation 
 


 

Job title: Assistant Director of Recreation

 

What do you do? 

Primarily, I manage the fitness components of the Student Wellness Complex and direct the operation of the Student Wellness Complex facility. Additionally, I am an adjunct instructor for health and fitness classes for the College of Education and Human Services. 

 

Years at UNF: I moved here 20 years ago as a freshman. I began working as a fitness trainer 19 years ago. Then, I became manager of the Dottie Dorion Fitness Center 16 years ago.

 

Tell us something about you that even your friends don’t know: I ran with the torch for the ’96 Summer Olympics.

 

What is your favorite thing about working at UNF? 

I have two answers for this: 

 

1) I’ve been in a true position of influence.  It seems I have guided dozens of student-staff over the years in helping them discover their abilities and interests

 

2.) I’ve been entrusted by my superiors over the last 3.5 years to develop the most unique, innovative and progressive fitness center that I know of.

 

If you were not working at UNF, what would you be doing? Either being a stay-at-home dad, if my wife didn’t mind going back to full-time work, pursuing patents on inventions or writing children’s books.

 

Describe your favorite UNF-related memory? 

Walking away from having finished my final project for grad school.

 

If you could choose any other career, what would it be and why? 

I would work for myself more than I already do. My wife and I own and operate rental properties at the beach. I would purchase more old beach properties, rehab them and rent them. If I had enough of these properties with sufficient positive cash flow, it could be a career that would give me more time to spend with my family.

 

What would you like to do when you retire?  

Not sit still. I would still manage properties, but I would pursue patents on several inventions. I would spend quality time with my kids and make memories.  
 


 

Tell us about your family.  

I have a beautiful wife of almost 12 years and three wonderful kids. Jimi is a strong-willed, bright 7-year-old boy. He is home schooled, which is a wonderful thing in that we can spend time feeding his insatiable appetite for science and other subjects of interest. Raina is four years old and “sugar and spice and everything nice.” Luna, who is 1.5 years old, is developing a personality. She seems like she will be a happy medium between her older siblings’ polar personalities. My mother, sister and her family, and brother and his family all live in the Jacksonville area.  

 

What is the best thing you ever won?  

My wife’s hand in marriage

 

What was the best money you ever spent? 

Emptying my bank account for the full commitment to purchase my wife’s engagement ring.

 

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

Bill Conti. He composed the soundtracks for the “Rocky” movies. The common thread to these songs is tenacity and the ‘never give up’ theme.

 

Who is your favorite fictional character? What makes them your favorite? 

Rocky Balboa. He was just an average guy who was given a chance of a lifetime. He proved to the whole world that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if you try hard enough, and he remained humble all-the-while.

 


If you won the lottery, what would do with the money? 

I would give 10 percent to the new Church of 11:22, a non-denominational church. After that, I would be sure my family and friends’ financial needs are taken care of. I would then start up several businesses that my children could run one day.  

 

What is your favorite way to blow an hour?  

Building something or playing in my back yard or garage with my kids.

 

If you were asked to paint a picture about anything you wanted, what would you paint?  

The sunset sky a few days after my father passed away. Jimi was 6 at the time and said, “look, Grandpa painted the sky for us.”

 

Is there a piece of technology that you just couldn’t live without?  

The MP3 player I use when I run.

 


What is the proudest/happiest moment of your life?
 


The births of each of my children.

 

Tell us something that would surprise people to know about you: I have submitted a manuscript to a children’s book publisher.  

 

What was the first concert you ever attended, and what was the most recent concert you attended? 

First was Green Day here at UNF in the fall of ’93. Last was “Donna the Buffalo” at Magnolia Fest last fall.

   


What person had the greatest impact on your life? 

My dad. If I can be half the person he was, I will have lived a very fulfilling life.

 


What are you most passionate about?  

Riding either my four-wheeler, my dirt bike or my mountain bike through the woods.

 

Who is the most famous person you ever met?  

Either Russell Crowe or Ted Kennedy. 

 

What do you hope to accomplish that you have not done yet? Make sure all of my children have memories that I tried to be a living example that my purpose is to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Last book read: The last one I finished was “Why We Run.”  I am reading “The Paleo Diet for Athletes” now.

 

Faculty & Staff

Brooks College of Health 

  

Clinical and Applied Movement Sciences:Dr. Shana Harrington was invited to speak at the rehabilitation medicine grand rounds at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. She also spoke with the rehabilitation staff about how to publish case studies.  Dr. Harrington’s presentation was titled “Upper Extremity Impairments Resulting from Cancer Treatment – How Rehabilitation Can Help.” She will also speak at the American Society of Shoulder and Elbow Therapists annual meeting about “Acute Effects of Breast Cancer Surgery on Shoulder Function, Quality of Life, Range of Motion and Strength.”

 

Nursing: Congratulations to Dr. Irma Ancheta for receiving her election to Fellowship in the American Heart Association. She will be recognized at the Annual CVN Council Dinner in November in Los Angeles for this achievement and will be presented her F.A.H.A. Certificate. 

 

Cynthia Cummings gave a presentation entitled “Pharmacology Management” at Brooks Hospital in September. She is also presenting in October at the Jacksonville Association of Nurse Educators on “Utilization of Simulation.”

 

Nutrition and Dietetics: Dr. Judy Perkin and Dr. Claudia-Sealey Potts, gave a presentation entitled “Many Plates and Dietary Advice for the U.S. Public” at the 2012 Florida Public Health Association Annual Education Conference in August in Orlando.

 

Public Health: Dr. Erin Largo Wright had her article “Multiple health behaviors and psychological well-being of Chinese female undergraduate students” published in the International Electronic Journal of Health Education. Another article, “An empirical test of an expanded version of Theory of Planned Behavior in predicting recycling behavior on campus,” was published in the American Journal of Health Education. Additionally, she gave a peer-reviewed national presentation on the effectiveness of stress reduction at the American Academy of Health Behavior in Austin.

 

Dr. Ma Teresa Tuason had her article “Experiences of Adult Children of Transnational Workers” in the Philippine Journal of Psychology. Another article, “The disaster continues: A qualitative study on the experiences of displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors,” was published in Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. Additionally, she gave a presentation “The Peace Within: Transformation of Conflict for counseling competence” during a panel on nonviolence, conflict transformation, and forgiveness at 25th annual conference of the German Peace Psychology Association in Konstanz, Germany. 

  

  

Coggin College of Business 

  

Accounting and Finance: Dr. Lynn Comer Jones was appointed as Trustee to the American Tax Association at the annual American Accounting Association meeting. Jones co-authored, with Susan Anderson and Tracy Reed, an article, “Insurance Fraud: Losses, Liabilities and September 11,” that was accepted for publication at Issues in Accounting Education.

 

Shannon Italia, director of the Career Management Center, was awarded her UNF M.B.A. degree Aug. 3.
 

College of Arts & Sciences 

  

Biology: Dr.Dale Casamatta was approved for a second term as the program director for the Psychological Society of America. His paper, “Characterization of Roseonema reptotaenium (Oscillatoriales, Cyanobacteria) gen. et sp. nov. isolated from Caribbean black band disease,” was also accepted in Phycologia. Additionally, his paper, “Response of phytoplankton communities of six reservoirs of the middle Missouri River (USA) to drought and a major flood event: Importance of water residence time” was published in Hydrobiologia.

 

Dr. Matt Gilg had accepted for publication, with E.G. Johnson, J. Gobin, B.M. Bright and A. Ortolaza, “Population genetics of introduced and native populations of the green mussel, Perna viridis: Determining patterns of introduction” in Biological Invasion.

 

Drs. Matt Gilg and Tony Rossi, with K.Stokes and P. Stiling, had accepted “The gall midge, Asphondylia borrichiae, (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae): An indigenous example of host–associated genetic divergence in sympatry” in Environmental Entomology.

 

Dr. Mike Lentz and student Eric Luman published an article “The Accuracy of Pitching Yeast by Mass in a Small Microbrewery” in the Master Brewers Association of the Americas Technical Quarterly.

 

Dr. Dan Moon and Jamie Moon published “Examining the factors influencing keystone interactions” in Trends in Ecology.

 

Drs. Dan Moon and Tony Rossi, with R. C. Meyer and K. Stokes, published “Restoration and plant composition in former pine tree farms restoration and plant composition in former pine tree farms” in Southeastern Naturalist.

 

Dr. Terri Ellis and her students presented a poster entitled “The Impact of Antibiotic Exposure on the Protein Profile of Outer Membrane Vesicles Produced by Resistant Strains of Klebsiella pneumonia” at the American Society for Microbiology Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

 

Dr. Kelly Smith and her student, Patrick Goodwin, presented a poster at the Florida Lake Management Society Meeting titled "Developing a long term monitoring program on campus: Student monitoring of lake water quality at University of North Florida."

  

Criminology and Criminal Justice: Dr. Michael Hallett published “Commerce with Criminals” in Review of Policy Research.

  

History: Dr. Aaron Sheehan-Dean published “The View from the Ground: Experiences of Civil War Soldiers.” He edited the volume and wrote one chapter, “The Blue and the Gray in Black and White: Assessing the Scholarship on Civil War Soldiers.”

  

Dr. Alan Bliss gave a paper, “Tampa’s Postwar Seaport Ambitions: The Wartime Origins of the Tampa Port Authority,” at the annual meeting of the Florida Historical Society in Tampa in May. He also moderated a panel on Florida’s experience of automobilization in the early 20th century.

 

Dr. James Broomall published two book reviews, one for the Journal of Southern History and one for Civil War History. 

 

Dr. N. Harry Rothschild published “Sovereignty, Virtue, and Disaster Management: Chief Minister Yao Chong's Proactive Handling of the Locust Plague of 715-16” in the Journal of Environmental History.

 

Languages, Literatures and Cultures: Dr. Nuria Ibáñez published a chapter, “Diana de Paco, Lucía: a la sombra de Electra,” in Estreno.

  

Music: Barry Greene published an interactive iBook, “Playing Jazz Guitar.” 

  

Philosophy and Religion: Dr. Andrew Buchwalter presented “The Dialectic of Human Rights and Democracy under Conditions of Globality” at the Conference on Interpretive Policy Analysis at the University of Tilburg, Netherlands in July. He also presented “Human Rights, Political Membership, and Historicity: Hegel and the ‘Right to Have Rights’” at the World Congress of the International Political Science Association in Madrid, Spain the same month.

  

Physics: Dr. L. Gasparov, with Z. Shirshikova, T. M. Pekarek, J. Blackburn, V. Struzhkin, A. Gavriliuk, R. Rueckamp, and H. Berger, published “Raman study of the Verwey transition in Magnetite at high-pressure and low-temperature; effect of Al doping” in the Journal of Applied Physics.

 

Political Science and Public Administration: Dr. George Candler, with co-author Dr. Georgette Dumont, published “Gestão Pública para Sustentabilidade.” He also presented a paper, “Civic responsibility as a foundation of societal sustainability and how government might contribute to this.”

  

Psychology: Dr. Heather Truelove, was awarded a grant of $3.7 million from the NSF Water Sustainability Climate Program for a five-year project, “Climate, Drought, and Agricultural Adaptations: An Investigation of Vulnerabilities and Responses to Water Stress Among Paddy Farmers in Sri Lanka.”   

  

Sociology and Anthropology: Dr. Gordon Rakita published “Bias and Science: The Gould-Morton Controversy” in the Society for Archaeological Sciences Bulletin.

 

Dr. David Jaffee presented the paper, “‘A Deeper Channel Floats All Boats’: The Port Economy As Urban Growth Machine,” at the annual meetings of the American Sociological Association.

 

Dr. Keith Ashley co-edited “Late Prehistoric Florida: Archaeology at the Edge of the Mississippian World.”

 

Dr. Jenny Stuber presented a paper, “Social Class and the Gendered Body,” at the Annual Meetings of the American Sociological Association in Denver.

 

 

College of Education & Human Services 

  

Childhood Education, Literacy and TESOL: Drs. Katrina Hall, Lunetta Williams, Wanda Hedrick andgraduate student, Danielle Boller, will present “Earth Matters Book Club: Engaging students in reading nonfiction texts” at the Florida Reading Association Annual Conference in Orlando this fall.

 

 

Leadership, School Counseling and Sport Management: Dr. Jennifer Kane had two articles published in August. The first was in the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance and was an invited Viewpoint article titled “Can Strong Really Be the New Skinny?,” and the other was a peer-reviewed journal article titled “Utilizing the Bicycle for Non-Traditional Activities,” which was published in Strategies. 

 

Exceptional, Deaf and Interpreter Education: Dr. Caroline Guardino was selected amongst a large pool of national applicants to attend the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Summer Research Training Institute on Single-Case Intervention Design and Analysis. The Institute was in Madison, Wisc. Guardino is prepared to assist colleagues who are conducting or are interested in conducting single-case design research.

 

 

Dateline

Milestone anniversaries 
Congratulations to the following employees who will celebrate a milestone anniversary at UNF in October:

20 years  

Gerald Smith, Irrigation Technician, Physical Facilities

15 years  

John Kemppainen, Director of Academic Advising Services, Education and Human Services

David McClenahan, Instructional Specialist, Training and Services Institute
James Owen, Director Academic Support Services, Enrollment Services

John Yancey, Director, Admissions

10 years  

Lilli Copp, Director of Research Program Services, Florida Institute of Education

Kevin Monahan, Research Program Services Coordinator, Small Business Development Center

Dirk Small, Applications Programmer, Enterprise Systems

Five years 
Gregory Catron, Associate Director of Employee Labor Relations, Human Resources

Gustav Carlson, Law Enforcement Officer, University Police Department

Kyle Clark, Program Specialist, Training and Services Institute

Corrine Connally, Program Assistant, Office of Academic Testing 

Julia Figura, Student Financial Aid Coordinator, Enrollment Services Processing Office

Ernest Gamble, Groundskeeper, Physical Facilities

Olga Gedroit, Data Architect, Enterprise Systems

Cynthia Hoffer, Office Manager, Library

Angela Johnson, Purchasing Associate, Purchasing

Robert Keyser, Senior IT Support Tech, User Services

Rachel Martin, Career Development Services Coordinator, Career Services 

Brandon McCray, Assistant Vice President of Development, Major Gifts

Betty Monk, Coordinator, Coggin College of Business

William Parker, Production Specialist, Student Government

Ouida Powe, Director of the Jacksonville Commitment, Enrollment Services 

Michael Stathas, Maintenance Mechanic, Physical Facilities

Welcome 
The following employees were either hired by UNF or were promoted from OPS positions from mid-August to early-September:

Amie Berry, Mental Health Counselor, Counseling Center

Barbara Jean Douglass, Director, LGBT Resource Center

Frankie Dupree, Custodial Worker, Custodial Services

Jeremy Hall, Virtual Services Librarian, Library 

Kylan Knight, Maintenance Mechanic, Maintenance and Energy Management

Stefanie Levine, Human Resources Associate, Human Resources

Rachel McNeal, Student Affairs Coordinator, Campus Ministry 

Melissa Mirone, Police Communications Operator, University Police Department

Sharon Newell, Police Communications Operator, University Police Department 

Lynn Pinner, Executive Secretary, Environmental Health and Safety

Noelle Pomeroy, Mental Health Counselor, Counseling Center

Latoya Robertson, Custodial Worker, Custodial Services

Tara Sunquist, Records and Registration Coordinator, Enrollment Services Processing Office 

Byron Taylor, Assistant Athletic Coach, Basketball 

Tara Taylor, Coordinator, Records and Registration, Enrollment Services Processing Office 

Sarvajna Trivedi, Executive Secretary, Library

Ryan Walker, Admissions Coordinator, Admissions Courtney Warner, Student Affairs Coordinator, Student Affairs

Richard Young, Maintenance Mechanic, Maintenance and Energy Management

Don Zavesky, Assistant Director of Research Program Services, Small Business Development Center

 

Great job 
The following employees were promoted from mid-August to mid-September.

Heather Celetti, Events and Reservations Coordinator, Student Union

Robert Kennen, Associate Athletic Coach, Basketball

William Moon, Assistant Athletic Coach, Basketball

Tiffany Ohlson, Coordinator of Education Training Program, Florida Institute of Education 

Stacey Roussel, Assistant Director, Small Business Development Center

Colleen Sharp, Assistant Director, Fine Arts Center

Judy Suleiman, Senior Custodial Worker, Physical Facilities

  

Goodbye 
Heartfelt well wishes in their new endeavors for the following employees, who left UNF in August: 

 

Bruce Evans, Assistant Athletic Coach, Basketball

Leah Grace, Office Assistant, Training and Services Institute

Jill Jackson, Director of Development, Major Gifts

Lisa Jamba, Senior Instructor, School of Computing 

Robin McCracken, Custodial Worker, Physical Facilities 

Eva Mills, Custodial Worker, Physical Facilities

Hassaun Pollard, Groundskeeper, Physical Facilities Randall Russac, Associate Professor, Psychology 

Laterrah Slater, Custodial Worker, Custodial Services Patrick Snowden, Groundskeeper, Grounds 

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

Kelle Vaughn, Groundskeeper, Physical Facilities

Tamar Wiley, Custodial Worker, Custodial Services Cristina Yadao, Assistant Director, Training and Services Institute

 

Special Congratulations 

 

Congratulations to Adrian Delaney Milford of Admissions, who gave birth to identical twins on September 27. Owen weighed in at 6 lbs. 2 oz. and John “Jack” weighed in at 5 lbs. 11 oz. Mom is doing well, and President Delaney is thrilled to be a grandfather.
 

The Goods

Arugula

Known as the “rocket salad,” arugula is widely used in Italian cuisine. From sweet to spicy, these green leaves are good for every taste. Arugula is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and fiber. Dr. Nancy Correa-Matos, registered dietitian and faculty member in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Flagship Program, discusses arugula, a heart-healthy, cancer-fighting source of vitamins and minerals that is low in calories, fat and cholesterol-free. To help you add arugula to your diet, a recipe is provided.

 

Myth: Arugula is unknown in the United States. 

  

Fact: Although arugula is widely used in Italian food, it has been in the United States since the ’90s and has been added to beds of green salads and many Italian dishes we consume. Most people will recognize the use of arugula by its other names — rocket, rucola or roquette. It’s sold all year in any grocery store.

 

Myth: Arugula leaves aren’t nutritious. 

 

Fact: Arugula leaves contain high amounts of fiber, zinc, copper, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, iron, potassium and magnesium. Arugula leaves are also good sources of several phytochemicals that provide health benefits, such as immune and cancer protection. Its fiber content and anti-inflammatory properties can reduce cardiovascular diseases and promote weight control. Because of its high content of folate, it’s recommended for women in their child-bearing ages to prevent infant neural-tube defects. They are also low in calories — four cups of arugula contains 20 calories and less than 1 gram of fat.

 

Myth: Arugula leaves are spicy. 

  

Fact: Only the mature long greens leaves are spicy. The young tender leaves are sweet and have a nutty taste, preferable for salads. A combination of both the young and mature leaves provides a tasty flavor to salads. The seeds are also used in flavoring oils.

  

Myth: There is no evidence of arugula’s health benefits. 

  

Fact: Arugula, also known as Eruca sativa, belongs to the Brassica family of plants, which includes broccoli and cauliflower. Research has shown that some sulfur compounds in arugula play an important role in the prevention and treatment of certain cancers, such as prostate, colon, cervical and breast cancer. Some of the compounds in arugula may also help to reduce melanoma tumors. Due to the high content of vitamin K, it must be used with caution in patients taking blood thinners.

 

Myth:Arugula can cause osteoporosis. 

 

Fact: Arugula is a good source of calcium, helping to prevent osteoporosis and is more readily absorbed than the calcium in spinach.      

  

Quinoa Risotto with Arugula  

  

Recipe from: The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook, published by Mayo Clinic Health Information. Check out the recipe online here.

 

Servings: 6 

 

Ingredients: 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup quinoa, well rinsed

2 1/4 cups vegetable stock or broth

2 cups chopped, stemmed arugula (rocket)

1 small carrot, peeled and finely shredded

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

Procedure: 

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and quinoa, cook for about one minute, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, simmering until the quinoa is almost tender to the bite but slightly hard in the center, about 12 minutes. Stir in the arugula, carrot and mushrooms. Simmer until the quinoa grains have turned from white to translucent, about 2 minutes longer. Stir in the cheese and season with the salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

 

Nutritional Content (per serving): 

Calories 147

Total fat 3 grams

Carbohydrate 23 grams

Protein 8 grams

Cholesterol 3 milligrams

Dietary fiber 2 grams

 

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 arugula? Contact Dr.  Correa-Matos at ncorrea@unf.edu.  

Briefs

Healthy Osprey: Getting fit faster with interval training

If you set a weight loss goal for yourself and want faster results, try burning more calories. Interval training is a type of exercise that can cause a chain reaction in your body to burn more calories in the same amount of time as standard exercises.

 

Research is proving that short bursts of intensive effort mixed with low or moderately intense exercise is most effective. This can mean alternating brief periods of jogging with moderately paced walking. This type of interval training will burn more calories than a normal steady paced cardio routine.

 

Anyone can benefit from interval training. It can be a great way to avoid plateaus, super charge weight loss and make your workouts more efficient.

 

“There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream.” – Unknown

 

To read more about how to stay healthy on campus, click here. 

 

Healthy Osprey is designed to provide solid advice on how to become more healthy at work and at home. Shelly Purser, director of Health Promotion, and Mike Kennedy, assistant director of Health Promotion, will write a different article each month that will focus on some aspect of health and wellness. Healthy Osprey is a collaboration of students, faculty and staff working together to foster a University community that embraces the development of a healthy body, mind and spirit. The purpose of the Healthy Osprey initiative is to assess and respond to the needs of the UNF community to create and maintain a healthy environment, which will enhance the holistic student experience. For more information, contact Shelly Purser at spurser@unf.edu.