April 2010

Every day, hundreds of UNF students, faculty and staff walking through the doors of the Student Union are better informed about campus events because of a new digital signage system.

Six 46-inch screens in the lobby areas of all floors and in the Boathouse display a variety of information ranging from free HIV testing to the latest events sponsored by Osprey Productions.   

For now, only static images are used to convey information, but the digital signage system is a work in progress, according to Justin Camputaro, director of the Student Union. Each screen is capable of scrolling text-only emergency messages. However, that capability will be expanded, he said, to include video and audio messages. “Our IT staff is working with the software to make it more user-friendly and, hopefully, allow us to expand the capabilities of the system,” he said. The expanded system may be in place by this summer.

Campus groups and departments can submit information for display on the screens. A Web site at www.unf.edu/studentunion/signage/ has been established to accept information for the signs.

According to Camputaro, only on-campus groups and departments can post information, though off-campus organizations or businesses can post messages when hosting an event at the Student Union. No paid advertising is accepted. All events in the Student Union receive priority viewing.

The signage system can be programmed to appear on many of the new TVs in the Student Union, and the system also has the capability of broadcasting Comcast channels, so it is possible for the programmer to switch to a news channel or Osprey TV if a situation warrants it.

The screens operate 18 hours a day, showing an average of 20 different slides each day on 10-second intervals. More than 60 messages have been displayed since the system went live in February.

Camputaro is optimistic that once the system is fully programmed, the screens will become an important part of on-campus communications.

The Student Union screens are the latest in a series of tools available to the campus community to get the word out about events. Other tools include:

Online calendar of events: This the most important tool to get the information to internal and external audiences. Go to www.unf.edu/calendar and hit the submit button to add an event to the calendar.

Student Update: An e-mail reminder about this Web-based news source is sent out to students every Friday with the highlights and a link to the Web site. Submit items for Student Update at www.unf.edu/studentupdate after submitting them to the calendar of events.

Campus Update: This daily electronic newsletter is sent to faculty and staff each weekday morning. Submit items for Campus Update to campusupdate@unf.edu before 10 a.m. and after submitting them to the calendar of events.

UNF Update: This electronic monthly newsletter is sent to 2,000 community members and includes highlights about upcoming cultural, intellectual and athletic events. Send information to Julie Williams, assistant director of Marketing and Publications, at jkwillia@unf.edu to be considered after submitting it to the calendar of events.

Calendar Ad: The monthly calendar ad features a combination of 10 to 12 lectures, art exhibits, performances and athletic events on campus that can be found on the calendar of events. The ads are published in The Florida Times-Union and Folio Weekly. Contact Dave Roman, director of Marketing and Publications, at d.roman@unf.edu to suggest items for the ad.

Inside: This electronic monthly newsletter is sent to nearly 2,000 UNF employees. It features news and information relevant to the campus community. E-mail story ideas to Dave Roman at d.roman@unf.edu.

Electronic roadside signage: The three new electronic signs at UNF’s entrances feature brief messages promoting events on campus. To request having your event posted on the signs, contact Sarah Dufresne, assistant director of Special Events, at sdufresn@unf.edu after submitting the event to the calendar of events.

Telephone hold message: The hold message uses events selected because of their broad appeal to external and internal audiences. Contact Sarah Dufresne at sdufresn@unf.edu about including an event after submitting it to the calendar of events.

News releases and media pitches: For stories that would be interesting or relevant to the Jacksonville community, the University contacts local media outlets either through releases or pitches. Contact Joanna Norris, assistant director of Media Relations, at jnorris@unf.edu with story ideas.

Hot button on the myWings portal: Units can request a hot button on the myWings portal by sending an e-mail to Sharon Ashton, chair of the Internet Presence Committee, at sashton@unf.edu.

Osprey Connector shuttle bus advertisements: These ads targeting students can be purchased for the fall, spring and summer semesters for an average of about $1,000, depending on the semester. Watch Campus Update for information on when they are available and the cost.

 

Two gifts to The Power of Transformation campaign will eventually result in an infusion of more than $1 million to the First Generation Scholarship program.

The gifts of $250,000 from both EverBank and THE PLAYERS Championship were announced recently at the annual First Generation luncheon on campus. Eventually, they will generate an additional $500,000 in state matching funds resulting in a total of $1 million flowing into the program over the five-year commitment for both gifts. The money will fund scholarships for students who are the first in their families to go to college.

The First Generation Scholarship Program has provided assistance to more than 750 students to attend UNF.

The EverBank gift carries with it a preference to fund scholarships for students enrolled at The Bridge of Northeast Florida, a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of at-risk children.

“The First Generation Scholarship program perfectly aligns with EverBank’s community outreach philosophy,” said Blake Wilson, president and CFO of EverBank Financial Corp. “It addresses a critical concern in our community by providing much-needed assistance to motivate young people who otherwise might not have had an opportunity to attend college.”

Wilson sits on the boards of the UNF Foundation and The Bridge and was able to bring the two organizations together. “We see both programs as a natural fit for each other. As young people move through The Bridge, we want to give them the added incentive to get a higher education. This is a tremendous opportunity to help break the generations of poverty and develop new leadership within the community,” he said.

Pierre Allaire, vice president for Institutional Advancement, said EverBank’s commitment to the First Generation Scholarship program demonstrates how the public and private sectors can work together to benefit the community. “The corporate citizenship exhibited by EverBank is remarkable,” he said. “This commitment is a major step in The Power of Transformation campaign and ultimately in our ability to transform the lives of our students.”

EverBank Financial Corp., and its EverBank subsidiaries, is a privately held thrift holding company headquartered in Jacksonville offering banking, lending, leasing and investment products.

The gift by THE PLAYERS Championship is the latest in a series of philanthropic initiatives that have benefited UNF. “Over the years, THE PLAYERS Championship has demonstrated a commitment to education in general and UNF in particular which will pay dividends for generations of our students,” Allaire noted.

Jay Monahan, executive director of THE PLAYERS Championship, said the scholarship donation presents an opportunity to change lives. “The scholarship gives first generation students an opportunity for a world-class education while also giving us an opportunity to have a significant impact on the community since so many UNF graduates remain in the area to pursue careers.”

Monahan said the First Generation Scholarship program is a natural investment for THE PLAYERS because of the ever-growing relationship with UNF’s students and its graduates. “UNF is part of the bedrock of this community and its students and alumni are an important part of THE PLAYERS,” he said. “UNF graduates, today and in the future, comprise spectators who attend the annual tournament, leading business executives who are sponsors and the volunteers who make the event and our charitable outcome a reality each year.”

In addition to the First Generation Scholarship program, THE PLAYERS assisted in the establishment of the Osprey Hall of Fame, which entailed substantial renovations at the UNF Arena. The organization has also been involved in funding the First Tee program at the Hayt Golf Learning Center on campus. The donation to the First Generation Program means THE PLAYERS has donated more than $1 million to UNF, making it a member of the University’s elite Founders Society. With THE PLAYERS Championship most recent gift, UNF has named the organization as the title sponsor for the annual scholarship luncheon, beginning in 2011.

Proceeds from THE PLAYERS Championship benefit Northeast Florida charities. Since 1977, when THE PLAYERS Championship moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, more than $35 million has been contributed to Northeast Florida charities, including a record $4.15 million donation in 2009.

The Power of Transformation campaign is a multi-year endeavor to raise $110 million to enhance the quality of education at UNF with a primary focus on raising additional funds for scholarship assistance. To date, the campaign has raised $69 million.

 

The UNF Women’s Center presented the 2010 Susan B. Anthony Award to Dr. Dale Clifford, chair and associate professor of history, at the center’s annual Women’s History Month Luncheon March 2. The award is given annually by the Women’s Center to an individual in the campus community who actively promotes women’s growth at UNF, works to improve the position of women on campus through advocacy and education as well as exhibits qualities of leadership on campus.

Upon accepting the award, Clifford called the ceremony “a good occasion to remind ourselves that the real American Dream isn't home ownership. The real American Dream – the real human dream – is equality and justice for all.” She then called on those in attendance to continue to work for that dream.

Clifford received seven separate award nominations from members of the UNF community, all of whom wrote passionately about her leadership, scholarship and mentorship.

Dr. Berrin Beasley, a past recipient of the award, said that Clifford “embodies Susan B. Anthony’s spirit by providing the female faculty and students at UNF with countless leadership examples. She is a highly respected scholar in the male-dominated field of academia and her experiences as such have placed her in a unique position to mentor the young women around her, which she does gladly without any expectation of recognition or reward.”

One of just five women professors in the College of Arts and Sciences when UNF opened in 1972, Clifford is – in the words of one nomination letter – a “mighty female force with which to be reckoned.” She has served in numerous leadership positions at UNF, including Faculty Association president, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the University-wide Council of Chairs. She is currently chair of the Department of History, the first woman to hold that position.

Clifford is known particularly as a mentor, role model and advocate for women throughout the University. A number of faculty members from history and other departments cite Clifford’s counsel and mentorship as a factor in their own success at UNF. In addition to mentoring individuals, she is an advocate for improved recognition and benefits for staff and has served on countless search committees in an effort to ensure that women and minority candidates receive full consideration for open faculty positions.

Clifford also dedicates her talents to volunteer work outside of UNF, serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Women’s Center of Jacksonville and chair of the Grants Committee of the Women’s Giving Alliance, a giving circle that makes grants to improve the lives of women and girls in Northeast Florida.

If you are looking for great deals and a way to support local businesses and student groups on campus, head out to Market Days at UNF from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month. Vendors, UNF departments and student organizations gather in the open-air Osprey Plaza at the Student Union to offer local goods and information to the UNF community.

UNF hosted three Market Days during the Fall 2009 semester. Based on the popularity of those events, the University increased them to twice a month this spring. Stephanie Boni, senior program specialist in Student Government, coordinates the events and sees continued interest by student organizations, UNF departments and local vendors.

Market Days offer “a unique shopping opportunity and a way for the local community to interact with the UNF campus,” she said.

And it is unique. At the March 10 Market Day, performer Les B. Fine set up his guitar and entertained shoppers with upbeat music in an effort to raise donations for the children of Guatemala. Vendors offered a variety of beaded jewelry, and their prices ranged from as little as $5 for bracelets or earrings to $50 for a well-crafted three-piece set. One vendor offered local honey at great prices, including two varieties made in Jacksonville. There also were booths offering candles, henna tattoos, Mary Kay beauty products, wallets and handmade African art.

Your Way Designs vendor Tressa Troiano sells handmade shoe bags and jewelry pouches that are perfect for those who go to the gym or do a lot of traveling. She also makes standard tote bags as well. She sells her wares in a variety of colors and patterns. They’re machine washable and, best of all, reusable

Market Days are well situated for lunchtime shopping. Located near the Boathouse and other Student Union restaurants, vendors and information booths are convenient for shoppers who want to grab a quick lunch and spend the rest of the hour browsing the booths in the plaza.

“I have come to two or three Market Days now and enjoy the music and variety of vendors. I would love to see more student wares here at the Market,” said Susan Gregg, educational programming coordinator for the Disability Resource Center. “Before Christmas, students offered beautiful pottery that made wonderful gifts.”

At the March 10 market, there were several student organizations represented. Sigma Alpha Epsilon pitched its philanthropy week benefiting Children’s Miracle Network, and staffers at a “Swoop-the-Vote” table offered voter registration forms. Invisible Children United sold baked goods and T-shirts to raise funds for Awere Secondary School in Uganda. Other booths offered information, such as Census 2010, the Center for Student Media and OfficeMax Impress, which recently extended contract pricing to students.

Young Vessels of God (YVOG) sold cupcake-filled ice cream cones topped with frosting to fund upcoming campus events. The group participates in every Market Day. “It is a great way to raise money for our group and gives us an opportunity to speak one-on-one with others to answer questions and provide information. Through Market Days we have also gotten to know other clubs on campus better and have even collaborated on events with them” said Ashanti Wright, YVOG Leader.

Market Days will continue on the second and fourth Wednesday during fall and spring semesters. Past special-event Market Days included a Red Cross Donation Day, where vendors donated a portion of their proceeds for Haiti Relief, a Valentine’s Celebration Market Day, which focused on products to prepare for the special holiday, and a Society Red live music performance sponsored by UNF Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). Boni said she is open to new ideas to make each event special. This month, Market Days will be held on April 14 and 28, which will conclude the events for this academic year.

For information about how to participate in Market Days, visit http://www.unf.edu/studentunion/marketday.html.

 

The JTA covered bus stop outside the Osprey Village residence hall recently received a creative facelift and now displays a decorative weaving inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” courtesy of a team of art and design students enrolled in Jenny Hager-Vickery’s Enlivened Spaces course.

The project might be best described as a decorative weaving/stitch-work of one of Van Gogh’s most recognizable paintings. The students spent more than 200 hours on the project, which involved weaving and stitching colored yarns through the perforated steel wall of the bus stop enclosure, creating an impressive likeness of “Starry Night” on the backside of the bus stop.

In the class, students create projects that transform spaces. Hager-Vickery said rather than building an object (a more traditional sculpture model), the students create work that changes an environment or creates an experience. The Van Gogh Bus Stop is just one project from the class.

“This project adds a new, interesting and inviting colorful element to campus,” Hager-Vickery said. “What's great about this type of art is that it’s a surprise to see something that is mundane transformed into something that is interesting and beautiful. Your outlook on the day might change because you see it and it makes you smile. That's what art can do.”

Hager-Vickery said the students chose to create “Starry Night” because most people recognize it. “They instantly connect to it. It’s an image people grow up knowing. Many people came out to talk to the students while they were working on it,” she said.

According to Hager-Vickery, the primary objective of the class is to inspire artwork that transforms and enhances an existing space. Other objectives include generating ideas, drawing up proposals, creating models and obtaining appropriate permission for installing and displaying the piece. In addition, other objectives include scaling up the work for the specific space for which it is designed, designing and agreeing upon a budget for the project, getting quotes, purchasing materials, building, installing and removing the project.

“One of the great things about the class is the collaborative energy. Students learn from the collective skills that everyone brings,” she said. “It’s also possible to create large-scale work because the students pool resources, money for supplies, time and ideas. Maybe you have a great idea that involves sound sampling, welding and sewing but you only know how to weld. Someone else knows how to sew and so on. By being part of a team, you naturally pick up skills from the process and you also gain confidence teaching your skills to the rest of the group.”

Hager-Vickery said she tries to encourage big ideas and help guide the students in producing them. "The students do all of the work necessary to create a project of this scale,” she said. “My role is to create a schedule and mini-deadlines, to make sure the class is moving forward as planned, to generate discussions on budget, aesthetic, safety and structural decisions, and to make sure the group dynamic stays positive, productive and enthusiastic."

So far this semester, students enrolled in Enlivened Spaces have created two projects: the bus stop and another project currently displayed in the Carpenter Library called "Office Space," which is created entirely from Scotch 3M packaging tape. The students are working on three other projects: a large-scale camera obscura, which is a Renaissance tool for drawing; a project using encouraging words (like “successful” and “beautiful”) to be printed in parking spaces in Lots 14 and 18; and an installation work for the Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra.

Eight students taking the upper-level sculpture class this term (John Bell, Amanda Campbell, Amanda Ellis, Laura Etherton, Kourntey Gabik, Anna Helsin, Scott Mihalik and Anthony Rooney) participated in the Starry Night  project, guided by Hager-Vickery, a UNF assistant professor of art and design. Scott Mihalik served as the student leader of the team.

The students started the Van Gogh Bus Stop project in mid-February and completed it in March. The artwork was originally scheduled to be removed March 25, but Hager-Vickery said since the artwork is holding up well, she hopes it will remain in place through the end of the semester.

"Tradition Redefined: The Larry and Brenda Thompson Collection of African-American Art” will be on view Friday, April 23, through

Sunday, August 29, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, a cultural resource of UNF.

“Tradition Redefined” features 72 works by 67 artists at the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora at the University of Maryland, College Park. Larry and Brenda Thompson have amassed a remarkable collection of art by African-Americans from around the nation. The strength of the Thompson’s collecting process lies in their considered attention to artists who have typically not been recognized in the traditional narratives of African-American art.

“The Thompsons have collected works by celebrated artists as well as artists who have been considered emerging, regional or lesser known artists,” said Deborah Broder, director of MOCA Jacksonville. “The result is a collection that redefines the landscape of American art, offering a more in-depth, inclusive understanding of African-American artists and their aesthetic and social concerns.”

Curated by the Driskell Center’s Curator-in-Residence, Dr. Adrienne L. Childs, “Tradition Redefined” presents the breadth of the Thompsons’ art collection that spans from the 1890s to 2007. The exhibition features works by artists Amiri Baraka, Romare Bearden, Camille Billops, Joseph Delaney, Norman Lewis, Charles E. Porter, William T. Williams and Hale A. Woodruff, among others. Some artists from the Washington, D.C. area are among the exhibit, including David C. Driskell, Sam Gilliam, Evangeline J. Montgomery, Preston Sampson and Bill Taylor.

For more information about this exhibit, contact MOCA Jacksonville at (904) 366-6911 or visit mocajacksonville.unf.edu.

The Intercultural Center for PEACE will celebrate cultures from around the globe at WorldFest 2010 from 11a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 8, at the UNF Amphitheater.

WorldFest provides an opportunity for individuals to celebrate the world’s diverse range of cultures with entertainment from Africa, India, Spain, Colombia, Panama and the Caribbean. The festival will include food-tasting from ethnic restaurants in the community, as well as displays of arts and crafts from around the world by students in the UNF English Language Program and various cultural clubs.

The event is free and open to the campus community. For more information, contact Chris Bender at ext. 2842.

UNF will present the documentary film “Under Our Skin: There’s No Medicine for Someone Like You” at 5 p.m. Friday, April 9, at the University Center. The film tells a gripping tale of microbes, medicine and money as well as exposes the hidden story of Lyme disease, one of the most controversial and fastest growing epidemics of our time.

An open question-and-answer session will follow the film, with Mandy Hughes, one of the film’s featured subjects, and Dr. Kerry Clark, a public health research professor in the Brooks College of Health.

Each year thousands go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed and are told that their symptoms are “all in their head.” The documentary follows the stories of patients and physicians fighting for their lives and livelihoods and brings into focus a haunting picture of the health care system and a medical establishment all too willing to put profits ahead of patients.

This event is presented jointly by the Brooks College of Health Department of Public Health; The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Center for Ethics, Public Policy and the Professions; Northeast Florida Lyme Association; Academic Affairs Inquiry & Insight Lecture Series; and the American Democracy Project.

To reserve a free ticket for this event, go to www.unf.edu/lectures. For more information, contact Jennifer Urbano at ext. 1623 or jurbano@unf.edu.

Hall of Fame head coach Dusty Rhodes and the Ospreys take on in-state power and nationally ranked Florida State at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

Last year was the first time in the 22-year history of the UNF program that the Ospreys defeated Florida State, Florida and Miami in the same season.  

Tickets for the FSU game at the Baseball Grounds are $10 for adults and $5 for youths 17 and under and UNF and FSU students. Tickets can be purchased by calling ext. 2473 or e-mailing ospreytickets@unf.edu.

April features home SunTrust River City Rumble match-ups with crosstown rival Jacksonville University in softball and men's and women's tennis.

The men's tennis team takes on the Dolphins at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, at the UNF Tennis Complex and the softball squad faces JU at 5 p.m. at the UNF softball complex. The women's tennis team will battle JU at 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, at the Tennis Complex. The events are free.

The SunTrust River City Rumble is a season-long series between UNF and JU that began in fall 2005. The Ospreys and Dolphins battle annually for the "SunTrust Old Wooden Barrel," which is awarded to the school with the most victories over the other during a school year. Jacksonville and North Florida both field teams in 16 sports (men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's and women's tennis, men’s and women's indoor and outdoor track and men's golf). Each time the Dolphins and Ospreys face each other, the game counts toward the River City Rumble standings. The exception is individual sports (i.e. cross country, track and golf), where the team that finishes higher at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship will earn one win for its school. So get out and cheer on your Ospreys as they battle for the "SunTrust Old Wooden Barrel."

The track and field team will host the UNF Osprey Challenge Saturday, April 17, at Hodges Stadium.  

The Ospreys will take on the likes of JU, Florida International and the Citadel, with more teams to be added. Come out and watch UNF compete at one of the best track and field facilities in the country, Hodges Stadium on the campus of UNF.

Tickets for the all-day event are $5 for adults, $3 for youths 17 and under and seniors 55 or older and free for children under 2 and UNF students with ID. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or by calling ext. 2473 or e-mailing ospreytickets@unf.edu.

Brooks College of Health

Clinical and Applied Movement Sciences: Dr. Chitra L. K. Balasubramanian, along with R.R. Neptune and S.A. Kautz, published “Foot Placement in a Body Reference Frame During Walking and its Relationship to Hemiparetic Walking Performance” in Clinical Biomechanics (2010).

In February, Drs. Peter Magyari and James Churilla presented research titled “Association Between Metabolic Syndrome and Resistance Training among U.S. Adults: 1999-2004, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey” at the American College of Sports Medicine Southeast Regional Annual Meeting in Greenville, S.C. Magyari also mentored undergraduate exercise science student Jacqueline Squire, who was chosen as one of 10 finalists for the SEACSM Student Research Award for her research presentation of “Riding the Shuttle as Opposed to Walking on Campus May Contribute to Weight Gain in College Students.”

Public Health: Dr. Valerie Johnston recently became a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the nation's leading professional society for health-care leaders. Fellow status represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development. To obtain fellow status, candidates must fulfill multiple requirements, including passing a comprehensive examination, meeting academic and experiential criteria, earning continuing education credits and demonstrating professional/community involvement. Johnston was formally recognized at ACHE's annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership in March.

 

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Coggin College of Business

Economics and Geography: Dr. Chris W. Baynard presented a paper titled “Onshore Oil Production in Florida: Current and Potential E&P Patterns” at the 2010 ESRI Petroleum User Group Conference in Houston in February. ESRI was founded as the Environmental Systems Research Institute.

Marketing and Logistics: Dr. A. Coskun “Josh” Samli was honored as the first recipient of the James M. Parrish Outstanding Faculty Award. The award was presented at the Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honorary Banquet in March.

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College of Arts and Sciences

Criminology and Criminal Justice: Dr. Michael Hallett has been named to the Editorial Board of Contemporary Justice Review, a peer-reviewed journal of the Justice Studies Association.

Communication: Dr. Berrin Beasley published a chapter titled “Weight Watching: The Ethics of Commodifying Appearance for Profit” in “Ethics and Entertainment: Essays on Media Culture and Media Morality,” edited by Howard Good and Sandra L. Borden.

History: Dr. Elizabeth Lane Furdell gave the annual Reynolds Lecture at the University of Alabama Birmingham in February on “Renaissance Magic, Alchemy and Medicine” in conjunction with a “Harry Potter” exhibit from the National Library of Medicine. A podcast of the lecture is available online at http://www.blip.tv/file/3221090 .

Dr. Philip Kaplan’s article titled “The Function of the Early Periploi” appeared in The Classical Bulletin, Vol. 84, No. 2 (2008/2009). He also delivered a paper titled “Ne Plus Ultra: The Greco-Punic Struggle for Exploration and Control of the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic” at the American Philological Association Annual Meeting, in Anaheim, Calif., in January.

Dr. Aaron Sheehan-Dean was recently appointed an associate editor for a new journal, the Journal of the Civil War Era, to be published by the University of North Carolina Press.

Physics: Dr. Jay Huebner co-authored four poster presentations presented at the analytical chemistry conference known as Pittcon 2010, held in Orlando in February. The presentations were from members of the Sensors Group at UNF, including students, faculty and grant employees of the Departments of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. They were: “Real-time Detection of High Explosives Using Photo-electric Chemical Sensors,” co-authored by Jarrod Mousa; “Melamine Detection in Dairy Matrices Using Photo-electric Chemical Sensors,” co-authored by Angela Migues and Brett Younginger; “The Detection of Pollutant Metals Using Photo-electric Chemical Sensors,” co-authored by Younginger, Migues and Mousa; and “Photo-electric Sensors for Real-time Detection of Aqeous Bacterial Pathogens,” co-authored by Erica N. Mejia, Christy L. Hyun and Dr. Doria F. Bowers.

Political Science and Public Administration: Dr. Pamela A. Zeiser participated in a roundtable discussion titled “Delivering International Studies Online: How to Create an Effective Online Learning Environment” at the annual meeting of the International Studies Association in New Orleans in February.

Psychology: Dr. Christopher Leone and Louanne Hawkins of the Honors Department, presented “When Traditional Mentoring Won’t Work: An Alternative Model for Mentoring Undergraduates” at the annual conference the Florida Undergraduate Research Symposium in Orlando in November.

Dr. Tes Tuason published a chapter titled, "All I Really Need to Know, I Learned Doing Play Therapy" in the book “The Magic of Play: Children Heal Through Play Therapy” by Anvil Publishing, edited by Maria Lourdes Carandang.

 

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College of Computing, Engineering and Construction

Construction Management: Dr. Mag Malek was elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE). The ACCE is the accrediting agency for construction academic programs in America.

School of Computing: Dr. Bob Roggio serves as the international president of Upsilon Pi Epsilon, the international computing sciences honor society. In this role, Roggio recently participated in the 2010 ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest World Championship. ACM is the Association for Computing Machinery.

Dr. Karthikeyan Umapathy presented his paper “Requirements to Support Collaborative Sensemaking” at the International Workshop on Collaborative Information Seeking in February.

School of Engineering: Dr. Adel El Safty gave an invited presentation, “Concrete Engineering at UNF – An Update of Current Research Projects,” on behalf of the local chapter of the American Concrete Institute. The meeting was held at The Haskell Company in February.

Jean Fryman, community outreach coordinator, and Dr. Jerry Merckel presented engineering opportunities to approximately 50 Joe Berg High School science students. Other outreach activities by Fryman in February include participation in the School of Engineering annual National JETS TEAMS competition; a “What is an Engineer Anyway?” presentation to 50 Sandalwood Air Force ROTC students; the School of Engineering’s annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day event and presentation of “What is an Engineer Anyway?” to girls ages 5-18; UNF School of Engineering at the Army Corp of Engineers Engineering Career Day; and the School of Engineering’s annual Spring Open House.  

Dr. Mike Jackson presented his paper titled "FDOT Testing and Evaluation of a Beneficial Re-Use Base Course Material" at the American Society of Civil Engineeers (ASCE) GeoInstitute, GeoFlorida 2010 Conference in February.

Dr. Dean J. Krusienski, Dr. Dan Cox and J. Shih presented their paper titled “Control of a Robotic Manipulator using EEG and ECoG Signals” at the 2010 Tools for Brain-Computer Interfaces (TOBI) Workshop.

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College of Education and Human Services

Childhood Education: The St. Johns Town Center Barnes and Noble invited Dr. Katie Monnin to facilitate a book discussion and signing of her book “Teaching Graphic Novels” from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 14.

Drs. Katrina Hall and Susan Syverud presented a poster session titled “Onsite Pre-service Literacy Methods: Making an Impact on Struggling First Grade Readers” at the Eastern Educational Research Association’s annual conference in February.  

Dr. Gigi Morales David and Pam Bell, director of the UNF Child Development Resource Center, will present “An Annual Collaborative Outdoor Family Literacy Event: Partnering with Departments, UNF Students and Community Agencies to Promote Family Involvement and Literacy Skills Through Arts-infused Activities” at the National Coalition for Campus Children's Centers annual conference in April.

Drs. Wanda Hedrick and Katrina Hall were invited to be members of the Florida Department of Education’s Next Generation Reading Endorsement writing team in March, where they assisted with writing the draft version of the new FDOE state reading competencies required for reading endorsement.

Dr. Nile Stanley performed a show titled "I Learned the Truth from Dr. Seuss - Reading is Fun" for the UNF Child Development Resource Center and West Jacksonville Elementary School for the National Education Association's Read Across America campaign.

Exceptional Student and Deaf Education: The department was well represented at the Association of College Educators of the Deaf And Hard of Hearing 2010 National Conference in Lexington, Ky., in February. Under the mentorship of Dr. Caroline Guardino, graduate student Amber Moore gave a poster presentation titled “Reading Programs for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: A Cross-Comparison Analysis Across Three Educational Settings.” Undergraduate researchers Amy Joyner, Heather Nicols and Sarah Maurer discussed their journey as undergraduate researchers during a poster presentation titled “Undergraduate Researchers: Reflections of a Rewarding Experience.” Dr. Susan Syverud, Guardino, Joyner, Nicols and Maurer gave a presentation titled “Further Evidence of the Effectiveness of Phonological Instruction with Oral-deaf Readers.”

At the 2010 Association of Teachers Educators Conference in Chicago, in February, Dr. Susan Syverud, Fred Nelson, Dr. Donna Keenan, Dr. Larry Daniel, Dr. Katrina Hall, Dr. Cathy O’Farrell and Kathleen Witsell presented their urban professional development school partnership in a presentation titled “Owning the Future Through Action and Commitment: The Story of an Evolving School-University Collaboration.”

Dr. Donald Moores is acting as a consultant to the Scientific Committee of the 21st International Congress on Education of the Deaf, to be held in Vancouver, B.C., in July. First held in 1878, the congress convenes every five years, with approximately 400 presentations planned from delegates from around the world. Moores will edit the congress proceedings and deliver a keynote address on education of diverse learners.

Foundations and Secondary Education: Dr. Marianne Barnes presented a session titled “Implicit Social Cognition Variables in Science and Mathematics Teaching and Learning: Relationships to Gender Issues” at the Eastern Educational Research Association annual conference in Savannah in February.

Drs. Wanda Lastrapes, Meiko Negishi, Madalina Tanase and Professor Fred Nelson attended the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) annual conference in Chicago in February. Lastrapes and Negishi presented a paper on “Using a Journal Blog in Initial Field Experiences:  Linking Theory with Reality.” Lastrapes also presented a framework for engaging educators in critical dialogue focusing on multicultural education in “Accepting the Challenge: Acknowledging and Affirming the Value and Strengths in Diversity” and co-presented in a special session with ATE’s Commission on Quality Leaders for Novice Teachers. Nelson presented his study about “Using Student Reflections to Reveal a Novice Teacher Educator’s Personal Practical Theories.”  Tanase presented a study on the challenges and support for beginning teacher educators undergoing tenure, “On Becoming Teacher Educators.”

Leadership, Counseling and Instructional Technology: A paper that Dr. Marcia Lamkin co-authored with Dr. Amany Saleh of Arkansas State University titled “Combating Plagiarism in Higher Education” has been accepted for presentation at American Institute of Higher Education's Fourth International Conference in Williamsburg, Va., March 17-19.  

Department: Political Science and Public Administration

Job title:  Associate professor

Years at UNF:  27

What is the best thing you ever won?
I suppose it would be the Masonic scholarship that enabled me to attend George Washington University after I left the Army in 1970.

Tell us about your family.
I have a wife named Laura and a son named Jonathan, who will be attending UNF this fall.

What was the best money you ever spent?
Probably the investment in the Florida prepaid college program

What is your favorite thing about working at UNF?
Opportunities have constantly expanded at UNF because the institution has, for the most part, managed to sustain growth for the last three decades.

If you were not working at UNF, what would you be doing?
I probably would be retired from the family business, which was A1 Gasket & Industrial Supply in Odessa, Texas.

If you could choose any other career, what would it be?
Some form of entertainment or media production

What is your favorite way to blow an hour?
Playing my banjo or guitar

What is the proudest/happiest moment of your life?
Two contenders here: when my son Jonathan was born and when I received my doctorate.

Tell us something that would surprise people to know about you.
I am a fool for sentiment.

What person had the greatest impact on your life?
For better or worse, I would have to say my father.

What are you most passionate about?
My personal involvement in music (which does not necessarily mean going to concerts).

Who is the most famous person you ever met?
Jimmy Carter

Tell us something about you that even your friends don’t know.
If there is something my friends don’t know, I am certainly not going to tell everyone else.

What do you hope to accomplish that you have not done yet?
I hope that I will be up to the task of being an effective Faculty Association president for the next two years, after which it will be time to retire.

What would you like to do when you retire?
Move to someplace where there are hills and I don’t have to worry about hurricanes all summer

What’s the last book you read?
I usually read several at once. The last three completed are Martin van Creveld’s “The Culture of War,” Christopher Hutchins’ “God is not Great” and David Halberstam’s “The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War.”

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

10 Years:
Cristina Yadao, Associate Director of Foundation Accounting, Training and Services Institute

Five Years:
Linda Goudy, Associate Professor, Florida Institute of Education
Mary Stumph, Legal Secretary, General Counsel’s Office
                   
Welcome
The following employees were either hired by UNF or accepted new positions at UNF from mid-February to mid-March:

Katrina Camaj, Administrative Secretary, College of Education and Human Services         
Adrian Delaney, Coordinator, Admissions
James George, IT Support Manager, Networking Services                
Ilhami Horuz, Professor, Mechanical Engineering             
Larry Madison, Groundskeeper, Physical Facilities                
Michael McGuire, Accounting Associate, Student Government                 
Julianne Neumann, Financial Aid Specialist, Enrollment Services Processing
Summer Sullivan, Executive Secretary, Academic Affairs                   

In a perfect world, the success of your career would be based on your basic competence in doing your job. Dr. Paul Fadil, UNF management professor, explains how your career success may directly depend on your boss and how you manage your boss.

Why is managing your boss critical for your career?
Raises, promotions and evaluations in a perfect world would be rewarded strictly on job performance, and important assignments would be given only to those who perform at a high level. In theory, this is what we would all like to believe. In practice, many of these things directly depend on your boss and how you manage your boss. If he or she does not like you as a person or believe in you as a colleague, you will never land those critical assignments or get those excellent evaluations that it takes to get ahead.

What is the difference between managing your boss and brown-nosing?
Any kind of professional social interaction is usually a form of purposeful behavior, not luck or chance. There is an entire field of study that explores these interactions called impression management. When you interview for a job, you seek to manage the interviewer’s impression of you by putting yourself in only the best light. The manager-subordinate relationship is very similar to this, and you should spend some time cultivating this very important relationship. When you were brought into the firm, an informal obligation fell upon you to get along with the person in charge of directing your activities, your boss. The key to developing this successful relationship will be the quality of the alliance you build with him or her. Think of the work and sacrifice it takes to make a marriage or any important relationship succeed. Your relationship with your boss, and the effort you put in to it to be successful, should be no different.

What are some tips for managing your boss?
You have to make sure that your boss is aware of what you are doing right. Build a personal as well as professional rapport. Figure out your boss’ style and then react: For example, if your boss is a micro-manager, develop a detailed plan with many checkpoints where you can report back for feedback. Creatively and subtly show how your work links directly to your boss’ success. Be a part of the solution, not the problem. Bosses like workers who solve their own problems. If you consistently add to your boss’ workload, you won’t be there long. Keep your problems off your boss’ desk and you will become a “star” employee.

What does a boss expect from his/her “star” employees?
Accountability—You must be able to follow through on assignments and actually do what you say you are going to do.  

Trust—It’s very important for the sustainability of any relationship, but especially with a manager. The trust also goes both ways here.

Professionalism—Bosses value people who deeply care about what they do. Remember, your performance directly reflects on your boss and may move your boss up the ladder or may get him/her fired.

Knowledge—Be good at what you do. You don’t have to be good at everything, just focus on being the best at what you were hired to do.

Are there people out there who could advance their careers without managing their bosses?
Yes. But this truly takes a “Perfect Storm” of factors. Determining whether or not you have to manage your boss can be boiled down to three major variables: your achievement level; the objectivity of your performance outcomes; and a job that is directly attributable to your ability and effort. If you’re one of the very best in your department, the outcome of your job is numbers-based or quantifiable, and there are no extenuating circumstances other than your ability and work ethic that contributes to your overall performance, then you are one of the lucky few who can advance without this type of activity. Unfortunately, most of us work in competitive fields and have jobs with subjective outcomes. In these types of environments, you would be amazed at how much the manager/subordinate relationship will affect your overall career.

Every month, the column “Ask UNF” runs in Inside and The Florida Times-Union, promoting the expertise of UNF faculty and staff. If you have questions about this topic, contact Fadil at pfadil@unf.edu.

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

Dr. Michele Moore (Public Health), “Multiple Behavior SBIRT Model for Drug Abuse among Emerging Adults in Primary Care,” University of Florida/National Institutes of Health, $17,018

Dr. Chris Brown (Engineering), “Composting Secondary Municipal Biosolids Using Chlorine Dioxide for Disinfection and Seeding for Competitive Exclusion of Pathogen Regrowth,” BCR Environmental, $2,500; “Nexrad vs. Rain Gauge Data Comparison for JEA,” Camp Dresser & McKee Inc./JEA, $9,876; and Water Use and Conservation Study Update for Jacksonville Zoo,” Jacksonville Zoological Gardens, $4,500

Drs. Adel ElSafty and N. Mike Jackson (Engineering), “Sealing of Cracks on Florida Bridge Decks with Steel Girders,” Florida Department of Transportation, $120,000

Dr. Thobias Sando (Engineering), “Conserve by Transit II – Footprints for Florida Transit Agencies,” University of South Florida/Florida Department of Transportation, $38,370

Dr. Jeffrey Steagall (Economics and Geography), “Consortium for Small and Medium-size Enterprises and Entrepreneurship Education [supplement],” Clemson University/U.S. Department of Education, $1,848

Dr. Kenneth Laali (Chemistry), “Synthesis of Novel Room Temperature Ionic Liquids Bearing Fluorine, Trifluoromethyl, and Trifyl Groups; Increasing Lewis Acidity of the Cationic Core – Application as Dual Solvent/Catalyst for Organic Synthesis,” American Chemical Society, $3,500

Dr. John Francis (History), “Murder and Martyrdom in the Spanish Florida Borderlands, 1565-1617,” Library of Congress, $33,600

Dr. Lev Gasparov (Physics), “MRI-R2: Acquisition of the Optical Cryostat for Research and Teaching (ARRA),” National Science Foundation, $104,047

Dr. Rebecca Marcon (Psychology), “School Readiness Evaluation for the Clay/Nassau/Baker/Bradford School Readiness Coalition and Episcopal Children’s Services,” Episcopal Children’s Services, $7,794

Dr. Paul Harwood (Public Opinion Research Laboratory): “’Rapid Response’ Surveys START/FEMA,” University of Maryland Center of Excellence: National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism/Federal Emergency Management Agency, $35,352; “Motorcycle Safety Surveys Spring 2009,” Institute of Police Technology and Management/U.S. Department of Transportation, $6,818; “Program Evaluation and Data Collection,” Florida Department of Transportation/U.S. Department of Transportation, $150,000

Dr. Jeffry Will (Sociology and Anthropology), “Homeless Census and Survey Project Winter 2009,” Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition/U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, $23,671

Dr. Len Roberson (Exceptional Student and Deaf Education), “Project SCIPP (Severe Cognitive Impairment Personnel Preparation) – A Multi-university Consortium,” University of Florida/U.S. Department of Education, $20,000