April 2012

Around Campus

UNF mourns loss of Controller Floyd Hurst
By Matt Coleman

The University of North Florida community was dealt a crushing loss in February when University Controller Floyd Hurst passed away.

 

Hurst, 66, had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. It’s a devastating condition that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and stymies muscle movement. Hurst passed away with his family at his side at his home in Ormond Beach.

 

A dedicated University staff member who worked tirelessly for the good of his staff and the students they serve, Hurst started at UNF in 2004 and established a larger-than-life legacy on campus.

 

His coworkers spoke fondly of Hurst’s penchant for giving staffers — and even some students who passed through the Controller’s Office’s doors — nicknames.

 

“He could be a jokester — he definitely enjoyed himself when he was in the office,” said Valerie Stevenson, who served as associate controller under Hurst and has since been named the new Controller. “And he made the work environment fun for all of us. But he never slipped when it came to his duties. He was a hard worker who truly improved this campus for the staff and for the students.”

 

Assistant Controller Wilson Navarro said family came first for Hurst. He would gently chide employees who worked late to go home and be with the people they love, Navarro said.

 

“Floyd always asked about family — spouses or children,” he said. “This is a big office, but Floyd always kept up with our families. He even kept up with birthdays and made us all feel like a part of his family.”

 

Hurst received numerous awards during the course of his UNF career, many of which came from Student Affairs for his conscientious service to the campus’ more than 16,000 students.

 

He also dedicated himself to helping the University’s international student population by regularly coordinating work efforts with the International Center.

 

And while many UNF staff members will remember Hurst for his unyielding devotion to the campus community, many of his staffers talked up his adventurous side. He loved riding his motorcycle and even earned a scuba diving certification.

 

He took some sartorial risks as well. Controller’s Office employees gleefully recalled his multi-colored, and sometimes themed, tie collection. His Christmas ties were always a hit when he broke them out around the holidays.

 

Mike Kennedy, assistant director of Health Promotions, kindled a strong friendship with Floyd thanks in part to their shared affinity for Harley Davidsons. The pair would often go on extended motorcycle trips around the state. Kennedy said they had planned to go on a days-long ride to North Carolina and Tennessee this past October, but Hurst bowed out because of his declining health.

 

“He didn’t want to be a burden or an imposition on the trip,” Kennedy said. “I never thought of it like that. I just wanted to spend some time with my friend and wanted him to be there. But he didn’t want to bring the trip down. That’s the kind of guy he was. He would always put others first in front of himself. Selfless, is how I’d describe him. He made an incredible impact in my life, and I’m lucky to count him as a friend.”

 

In honor of Hurst’s dynamic pursuit of life, staff members from the Controller’s Office have registered a team for the March 31 Walk to Defeat ALS, which is sponsored by the ALS Association.

 

The group, Floyd’s Ospreys, is taking donations. You can support them by clicking here. Select the “Donate” tab and search for the team name and donate to someone registered for the walk. 

 

There was also an on-campus memorial service March 10.

 

“His legacy will live here with us,” Stevenson said. “‘We are here to serve’ was one of his favorite statements. So, we’ll honor his memory by carrying this in our hearts —  ‘We are here to serve.’”

Around Campus

Tough odds don’t scare new women’s golf coach
By Matt Coleman

Building a strong foundation for a women’s golf team at a university that’s never had one is no easy feat.

 

The challenge doesn’t intimidate new University of North Florida head coach Joanne Steele. She’s fought tougher battles.

 

“It puts things in perspective when you have doctors telling you that you only have a month left to live,” Steele said. “It makes other challenges seem a little less tough. And it prepares you for anything. I’m prepared for what comes next in my life, and in the upcoming season.”

 

Steele has already recruited her first class of six student-athletes who she’ll lead into the 2012-2013 inaugural season of the UNF women’s golf team. It’s the start of a new athletic program for UNF, and Steele said it’s been a welcome change for her to start fresh after many years in which her future seemed hazy.

 

Warning signs 

 

Steele grew up in Helena, Mont., and was indoctrinated into the sporting life early. Her six brothers played sports year-round, and Steele always pushed herself to keep up. She found a niche in track but later turned to golf when she found herself getting winded before many of the other runners.

 

That was her first sign that everything wasn’t all right. But like any motivated competitor, she tried to simply power through the pain.

 

“I just thought everyone was winded and didn’t want to complain about it,” Steele said. “I didn’t suspect it was anything worse than that.”

 

Her transition to golf proved to be a smart call. Steele excelled in high school and landed a scholarship to play at Jacksonville University. She played all four years there and gained an appreciation for Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, worlds — and climates — away from her small Montana hometown.

 

She stuck around the region for a year after graduation and worked as an assistant golf pro at Amelia Island Plantation Resort before moving back home. That’s when she got her first coaching opportunity. She was hired at the University of Montana as an assistant and promoted to head coach after only a year. She led the squad for 16 years and never missed a beat, even when she was fighting for her life.

 

Starting fresh 

 

Steele was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 1999 after the birth of her second daughter. The condition worsened over the years — more shortness of breath and irregular heart rhythms — to the point that a heart transplant was a necessity.

 

The transplant was received right at the wire — Steele said her doctors told her she would’ve died if she had to wait another month for a donor. After the 2006 procedure and months of recovery, Steele was back on track and started contemplating the next phase of her life.

 

She said she’d wanted to move back to Jacksonville, the setting of her college glory days, for years. The opportunity, however, had yet to present itself.

 

That changed last year. Steele saw an article on the UNF Athletics website advertising the formation of a women’s golf team and reached out to Athletics Director Lee Moon.

 

Moon said he noticed in Steele the motivation and grit needed to help guide the Ospreys through any first-year growing pains.

 

“Joanne has the knowledge, experience and competitive drive to build a highly successful program at UNF,” he said.

 

And Steele thinks the team she spent hundreds of hours recruiting is ready to blaze out of the gates and challenge the rest of the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2012-2013.

 

“I believe the team we are assembling puts us in a place to compete for Atlantic Sun Championships immediately,” Steele said. “We're very excited for the upcoming season.”

 

One key factor in the coming year will be the team’s mental and physical toughness, Steele said. She wanted her inaugural recruiting class to be able to weather any potential difficulties tied to the first year of a program.   

 

“We’re going to be the underdogs coming out — we know that,” she said. “And I like that. We have a young team. But they’re good. I want to set a high standard right from the start. Top three in the conference is possible. I’m a competitor, and they are too. They’re tough. With that motivation and the support from the University, we can really thrive.”

 

That kind of toughness can take you far. Steele knows that better than anyone.

Around Campus

Professor sets example for students
By Matt Coleman

She normally spends her time at the front of the classroom, teaching eager communication scholars about the world of media.

But lately, University of North Florida communication instructor Dr. Paula Horvath-Neimeyer has become the student.

She started an unpaid internship with WJCT, Jacksonville’s NPR-member public radio station, in January.

“I’ve been reporting and writing for radio, editing audio and everything else radio journalists do on a daily basis,” she said. “I really hit the ground running once we established the framework for an internship. It’s a learning experience, and I’m gaining valuable perspective that I can take back to my students.”

An experienced print journalist, Horvath-Neimeyer said she’s using her free time to boost her radio experience. It’s a way of mimicking the real-world job requirements for budding journalists who hope to catch on with a media company.

“It’s called multimedia for a reason,” she said. “It’s not like back in the day when you were trained to do one thing. Media professionals need to be versed in multiple areas — broadcast, radio, online, print — to keep up. As professors, we need to have this training as well so our students are as prepared as possible when they go out into the field.”

Horvath-Neimeyer has worked closely with Scott Kim, WJCT's news director, in putting together radio packages for air. She’s covered on-campus assignments, such as the dedication of UNF’s new Martin Luther King, Jr. statue in late February. She’s also tracked down sources for in-depth pieces, such as her interview with William Dillon, a Florida man who was wrongfully convicted of murder but still served 27 years in prison.

Kim said the internship has been mutually beneficial for Horvath-Neimeyer and WJCT.

“We’re happy to have her on board,” he said. “We’ll never decline the services of a trained media professional. And she’s learning some valuable radio tricks-of-the-trade to bring back to her students. Everybody wins.”

Horvath-Neimeyer said the internship is a natural progression of her efforts to integrate other broadcast tools into her converged communication classroom. She’s had her students record voiceovers and edit audio for sound slides and podcasts for the past few years. Cutting audio for radio seemed like a logical extension, she said.

And Horvath-Neimeyer said she believes her partnership with WJCT will open the door for more UNF interns behind the mic.

“This is a relationship that will help UNF students,” she said. “I’ve placed students at WJCT many times over the years, but I’d like to see that number continue to grow. I don’t mind occasionally working on Sundays to catch up with my work. This is about bringing a well-rounded perspective to the classroom and to my students. The experience will be invaluable.”

Around Campus

Moores honored for lifetime commitment to deaf ed
By Matt Coleman

He literally wrote the book on deaf education.
 

Now, Dr. Donald Moores is getting the kind of credit for his work that few people reach in their professional careers.
 

Moores, program director and professor in the Department of Exceptional Student and Deaf Education at the University of North Florida, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of College Educators-Deaf and Hard of Hearing Feb. 18 during a conference in Atlantic Beach.

 

"Don is truly a lifetime achiever, and this award recognizes the extensive contribution he has made to the field of deaf education during his distinguished career," said Dr. Larry Daniel, dean of the College of Education and Human Services at UNF. “We are indeed fortunate to count him among our colleagues at UNF and the COEHS.”
 

During his career, Moores has been at the forefront of deaf education. His first textbook, “Educating the Deaf,” was released in 1978 and is still in use today after five different editions. Many academics have matriculated through deaf education programs across the country using his textbook.

“It’s an honor to have impacted future generations of deaf educators,” Moores said. “I’ve had the pleasure of advising doctoral students at four different universities as well. It’s a reward in itself to have the opportunity to have worked with so many outstanding young people.”

 

Moores’ has also been published in about 250 different publications and given numerous presentations in 15 countries.
 

Nothing, however, could have prepared him for his most recent honor — the Association of College Educators-Deaf and Hard of Hearing lifetime achievement award. The association gives out annual awards, but the lifetime achievement honor — a special acknowledgement from committee officers — is seldom presented.

That’s why Moores was blown away when his name was called.

“I was at the award ceremony listening to the presenter, and the descriptions started to sound like my career all of a sudden,” he said.

While he might have received a lifetime achievement award, Moores said he doesn’t plan to stop adding to his academic legacy any time soon. He said UNF — an up-and-coming institution with a thriving deaf education program — is the perfect place for him to be.

When Moores came into the program, it was already in existence and was being led by Dr. Len Roberson, now the dean of UNF’s Graduate School. There were only a handful of students, he said. Now there are about 60 students with 20 graduate candidates.

Most of the students who graduate from the UNF program go on to teach in state. That’s a constant reward for Moores, who takes a strong sense of contentment from each graduate who goes on to work in the field.

“At UNF, we have some of the best student’s I’ve ever worked with,” he said. “I feel really good about the quality of our students as they enter the workforce and teach others. It’s the best part of my job to see them go on and do well for themselves.”
 

Around Campus

Taylor makes unique gift to UNF
By Dan Dundon

He doesn’t consider himself to be a photographer, although he has shared more than 8,000 photos on a photo website.

He doesn’t consider himself to be an architect, although he has documented some of the most interesting architecture in Florida, Georgia and several other states.

He doesn’t consider himself to be an historian, although he has visited more historical markers in the past few years than most people will see in a lifetime.

He is Lance Taylor, associate vice president and chief information officer at UNF who has made one of the most unusual donations to The Power of Transformation campaign.

His treasure trove of photographs, including images of about 1,000 Duval County structures, has been accepted as an in-kind gift to the Special Collections of the Thomas G. Carpenter Library.

Taylor’s obsession with photographing historical buildings started innocently enough on a vacation to Maine with his wife, Mary. He spotted a picturesque post office on the coast.

“I didn’t act on it right away but began thinking about all the interesting post offices around the country,” he said.

By 2003, that seed of a thought had incubated into an avocation and resulted in Taylor beginning the first of what he refers to as his “post office runs,” special trips where he would photograph iconic buildings.

But post offices alone didn’t satisfy Taylor’s urge to capture historical images. He soon expanded his horizon to include photos of courthouses, fire stations, libraries, schools, banks, movie theaters, cemeteries, lighthouses and interesting historical houses he spotted along the way.

He didn’t use any fancy photo equipment. He instead relied on a simple point-and-shoot Canon given to him by a UNF colleague. He also established a rule to always carry a spare camera with him. That rule has proven to be helpful on at least one occasion, he said.

In many cases, buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places were among his primary targets. However, when he got to a town, he usually found all kinds of other interesting buildings to photograph.

With four historic districts, Jacksonville buildings were frequently the subjects of his photography. He literally took hundreds of photos in Ortega, Springfield, Avondale and Riverside. Epping Forest and San Marco Square. The Prime Osborn Convention Center and the St. James Building (now Jacksonville City Hall) also found their way into his rapidly growing collection.

He began showcasing his photos on the popular photo sharing website Flickr. Taylor would see what other contributors were posting, and this in turn would inspire him into new areas. Using an idea he gleaned from Flickr, he decided to photograph historic buildings along Route 66, the famed U.S. road that stretches nearly 2,500 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles.

Taylor quickly found himself taking photos of “anything and everything old.” He also admits he enjoys the “thrill of the hunt” for buildings on the National Register database. He actually has planned some of his vacations based on that database.

Taking the photos was only part of the challenge. Finding information about the structures proved to be the more daunting part of the obsession. He discovered that even structures on the historic register did not contain a lot of information. He used the Thomas G. Carpenter Library and its interlibrary loan program to research information about the buildings he photographed. His photos also include longitude and latitude information for many structures so they can be geotagged for easy future reference.

“I realized through my research that there was a lack of documented images of historic architecture both in Jacksonville and around the country,” Taylor said. “I wanted future historians, researchers and others to benefit from the photos I’ve taken.”

Taylor discussed his photo collection with Eileen Brady, who maintains the Carpenter Library Special Collections. She urged him to consider an in-kind donation. During the last few months, she and Taylor have worked together to assemble an exhibit that combines some of his most noteworthy Jacksonville photos with historical materials from the collection including postcards, memorabilia, souvenirs and tourism brochures.

Brady said the photographs are an important addition to Special Collections.
“The substantial quantity, diversity and excellent quality of the images provide extensive visual documentation of historically significant buildings and sites in Florida and neighboring states,” she said.

Brady pointed out many of the photos are the only known images of less prominent buildings such as businesses and churches.

“Some of these buildings are likely to be demolished or destroyed in the not-too-distant future, and these images may well be the last visual record available to researchers and scholars,” she said.

Individuals interested in viewing all of Taylor’s photos can go here.

A selection of Taylor’s photos is also available in UNF Digital Commons online here.

Taylor said there are about 80,000 places on the National Register of Historic Places, and he has only captured about 5,000 of them. That means when he retires in a few years from UNF, his family can look forward to many new adventures to cities and towns across America as he satisfies his continuing obsession with historical buildings.

Briefs

2012 United Way campaign shatters University records

The University of North Florida community will remember this year’s United Way campaign for the unprecedented outpouring of support shown by our compassionate campus.

More people donated and more money was raised during this year’s campaign period in February than any United Way campaign in University history. A record-breaking $58,353 will be donated to the United Way to help support the local community and non-profit programs that target serious issues in Northeast Florida.

The 2012 United Way committee started planning in January and set an impressive goal — 350 individual employee donors through the month of February. That was more than double the previous year’s final tally.

387 staffers and faculty donated this year — about 22 percent of the total employee population.

“Our campus cares, and this record-shattering campaign is an amazing validation of that fact,” said Philip Green, committee chairman and program director for UNF’s Banner Center for Creative Industries. “We knew right from the start that if we got the message out, the campus would respond. It’s a tremendous honor to have worked on a campaign that helps our community.”

The United Way donates millions in Northeast Florida and across the country to affiliated local non-profit organizations and agencies. Donors are able to choose any agency they prefer, and the United Way allocates the funds accordingly.

There are about 85 United Way-funded programs in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties.

Committee Members

Philip Green
Chair
Continuing Education

Katie Chenard
Co-chair
University Center

Laura Berthiaume
Institutional Advancement

Matt Coleman
Institutional Advancement

Julie Fagan
Continuing Education

Laura Fox
Fraternity and Sorority Life

Timothy Giles
Continuing Education

Kristin Kristen
Continuing Education

Ervin Lewis
Intercollegiate Athletics

Jennifer Neidhardt
Human Resources

Vivian Nordgren
Continuing Education

Sponsors

Chick-fil-A

Blue Bell Ice Cream

Sticky Fingers

The UNF bookstore

Ponte Vedra Plastic Surgery

World Golf Village Hall of Fame

Museum of Science and History MOSH

UNF Division of Continuing Education

UNF Lazarra Theatre

UNF President’s office

P.F. Changs

Briefs

FDOT funds UNF civil engineering scholarship

The Florida Department of Transportation presented a $10,000 civil engineering scholarship check to the University of North Florida in early February.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials gave the check to FDOT for completing the Interstate 10 and Interstate 95 interchange under budget and on schedule. The FDOT project was one of two grand-prize winners recognized nationally in the AASHTO competition. A condition of the prize was that the FDOT could either donate the check to charity or use it to fund a scholarship.

The FDOT elected to fund a scholarship, and the $10,000 will be used to sponsor a fellowship for two civil engineering students, said Dr. Mark Tumeo, dean of the College of Computing, Engineering and Construction.

Tumeo said the University’s close proximity to the interchange, paired with the large number of UNF students who have passed through FDOT for jobs and internships, helped facilitate the donation. 

Faculty & Staff

Coggin College of Business           

 

Management: Drs. Lakshmi Goel, Pingying Zhang and Marjory Templeton co-authored an article titled “Transactional distance revisited: Bridging face and empirical validity” which was accepted for publication in Computers in Human Behavior.

  

Drs. Oliver Schnusenberg, Lakshmi Goel and Pieter De Jong co-authored an article, which was accepted for publication in the Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education,titled “Predicting Study Abroad Intentions Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior.” 

  

Dr. Lakshmi Goel, with two other non-UNF co-authors, wrote an article accepted for publication in the Journal of Computer Mediated Communication.The article is titled “Coram Populo — In the Presence of People: The Effect of Others in Virtual Worlds.”

  

Dr. Dong-Young Kim, with non-UNF co-authors, wrote a paper accepted for publication by the Journal of Operations Management, titled“The Relationship between Quality Management Practices and Innovation.” 

  

Dr.Paul Paulraj, co-authored a paper with two other non-UNF co-authors, which was accepted for publication in the Journal of Business Logistics, titled “An Empirical Taxonomy of Supply Chain Management Practices.”

 

Dr. Cheryl Van Deusen contributed to the following publication: “A Twenty-First Century Assessment of Values Across the Global Workforce” in the Journal of Business Ethics.

 

  

College of Arts & Sciences 

 

Art and Design: Dr. Louise Freshman Brown presented a lecture and workshop on “Mixed Medium Processes with a Focus on Color” at Packer Collegiate in Brooklyn, NY in February.

 

Dr. Alexander Diaz exhibited “Snap: A National Juried Photography Exhibition” at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek, Calif. He exhibited “Transmission”at Southwest University of Visual Arts’ Florence Quarter Gallery in Tucson, Ariz. and in the Norton Museum in West Palm Beach, Fla.

 

Jenny Hager had an exhibition “One Person Exhibition:  Flight Lab” featured at the Brossman Gallery at York College in Pennsylvania.  Hager also exhibited “Two Person Exhibition:  Intimate Duet” at the Cora Miller Gallery and “Two Person Exhibition:  Integral” and the Florida State College at Jacksonville Kent Campus.

 

Dr. Maria Elena Versari published “Enlisting and Updating: Ruggero Vasari and the Shifting Coordinates of Futurism in Eastern and Central Europe,” in the International Yearbook of Futurist Studies.

 

Chemistry: Dr. José  Jiménez and colleagues published an article entitled “Revealing oxidation kinetics of dielectric-embedded Ag nanoparticles via in situ optical microspectroscopy” in Chemical Physics Letters. 

 

Dr. Christos Lampropoulos was awarded the 2012 Hellenic Association of Chemists Lectureship Award and was invited to present a series of lectures to the Hellenic Association of Chemists’ General Assembly meeting to take place in Patras, Greece. He gave a presentation“The Journey between Chemistry and Materials Science. Intermediate stops: Inorganic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Physics and Nanotechnology” at the Florida Inorganic and Materials Symposium (in Gainesville in October).

 

Criminology and Criminal Justice: Dr. Jeremy Carter presented “Evidence-Based Intelligence Practices: Examining the Role of Fusion Centers as a Critical Source of Information” at the American Society of Criminology in Washington, D.C. in November.

 

English: Dr. Chris Gabbard’s talk on how the academic spectrum can be enriched through the addition of disability studies was featured on the NPR program, “The Academic Minute” Feb. 10.

 

History: Dr. Alison J. Bruey presented “All Forms of Struggle: The Left, Armed Resistance, and the Catholic Church in Pinochet’s Chile, 1973-1986” at the Conference on Latin American History and American Historical Association annual meetings in Chicago in January.

  

Dr. David Courtwright contributed to a forum on the work of the late Daniel Bell. His essay, “The Cultural Harmonies of Capitalism,” appeared in the fall 2011 issue of The Hedgehog Review. He examined the perceived conservative shift in U.S. politics in the January episode of Academic Minute on NPR, which is available online here.

   

Dr. John Hunt presented a paper — “City and Court: Citizens and Subjects during Papal Coronation Processions in Late Renaissance Rome” — at the Taiwanese Association of Classical, Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Sun Yat-Sen University in Koahsiung, Taiwan. 

  

Languages, Literatures and Cultures: Dr. Renee Scott gave the keynote address “Curb Your Appetite: Consumption and the Body in Latin American Women's Fiction" at the 7th Interdisciplinary and Multicultural Conference on Food Representation in Literature, Film, and Other Arts in San Antonio, Texas in February.

 

Mathematics and Statistics: TheDepartment hosted the Florida Chapter of the American Statistical Association Annual Meeting in early February. Later that month, UNF hostedthe 2012 Joint Meetings of the Florida Section of the Mathematical Association of America and the Florida Two-Year College Mathematics Association.

  

Music: Dr. Nick Curry was a featured soloist with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in the Jacksonville Veteran’s Memorial Arena in December.  He presented “Practicing Intonation on a String Instrument” at the College Music Society’s regional conference in February. 

 

Dr. Gary Smart's “Violin Sonata in Three Movement” was premiered by Romanian violinist Ruxandra Marquardt with Smart at the piano at the UNF Fine Arts Center in February.

 

Philosophy and Religion: Dr. Andrew Buchwalter in November published “Dialectics, Politics and the Contemporary Value of Hegel's Practical Philosophy.”

  

Dr. Julie Ingersoll was on a panel discussion “America as a ‘Christian Nation’ — A conversation with experts on religion, history, law and the Constitution” sponsored by People for the American Way. It’s online here. She also served as an expert witness on fundamentalism and homeschooling on the capital murder case Komisrajevsky v. Connecticut.

 

Dr. William Koch published “Discourses of Excess and the Excess of Discourse: On Georges Bataille's Lasting Influence Upon Foucault” in the journal Existentia in November.

 

Dr. Bert Koegler published “Hermeneutic Cosmopolitanism — or, Toward a Cosmopolitan Public Sphere” and “Agency and the Other: On the Intersubjective Roots of Self-Identity.” 

 

Dr. Sarah Mattice published “Drinking to Get Drunk: Pleasure, Creativity and Social Harmony in Ancient Greece and China” in the Comparative and Continental Philosophy Journal. She also published  “Confucian Ethics in the 21st Century: A Comment on Roger Ames' Confucian Role Ethics” in Frontiers of Philosophy in China.

 

Physics: Dr. Daniel Arenas published the article “Characterization of near-terahertz complementary metal-oxide semiconductor circuits using a Fourier-transform interferometer” in the Journal Review of Scientific Instruments. He was invited to present his work at the Institute of Molecular Sciences in Okazaki, Japan and at the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Center of Osaka University.

 

Political Science and Public Administration: Dr. Michael Binder presented “Campaigns and the Mitigation of Framing Effects on Voting Behavior” at the Southern Political Science Association in January. 

  

Sociology and Anthropology: Dr. Ross McDonough and eight Social Welfare students advocated in Tallahassee for social justice issues including legislation to protect abused children and early screening for Alzheimer’s Disease at Social Work Lobby Day 2012 in February.

 

Dr. Melissa Hargrove became a member of the Steering Committee for MOSH’s Spring 2013 exhibit, “RACE: Are We So Different?” a Project of the American Anthropological Association.

  

College of Computing, Engineering & Construction 

  

Computing: Dr. Ching-Hua Chuan attended the Florida Campus Compact/UNF Institute, Bridging Community-Based Learning and STEM — Integrated Course Redesign for Effective Learning in late February.

 

Dr. Karthikeyan Umapathy gave an invited talk on Web technologies titled “Web of Web Things” at the Joe Berg Seminar held at the Museum of Science and History in late February. Umapathy also participated in the Bridging Community-Based Learning and STEM Institute held on February 24 and 25 at UNF. He participated as a facilitator to guide Florida Campus Compact’s STEM Service-Learning Fellows to redesign course incorporating community-based learning components.

  

The second annual Expanding Your Horizons North Florida (EYH NF) conference took place at the University Center, Feb. 12. The day-long event was designed to encourage girls in 6th to 8th grades to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The day included hands-on activities for students in areas such as computing, chemistry, engineering, and optics as well as opportunities to interact with STEM role models and learn more about careers in the STEM fields pproximately 130 girls and 35 adults from Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties participated.

 

This event was sponsored by Vistakon, South Asian Professional Network Association (SAPNA), the UNF School of Computing, UNF School of Engineering, the UNF Department of Chemistry, the American Chemical Society (ACS) and The American Association of University Women (AAUW).

 

Lisa Jamba served as the event co-chair, Webmaster and workshop leader. KathieCarswell was responsible for publicity. CCEC students Margarita Hernandez, Miranda Johanning, Cecilia McKeon, Stefka Petkova and Jason Baber participated as workshop leaders.

  

Construction Management: Dr. Roberto Soares has been selected to be a UNF Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Fellow.   

 

Engineering: M. Fagan, Dr. Chris Brown and B. Chabot published their paper “Sustainable Water Management — A Case Study at the Jacksonville Zoo” in the S.E. Jorgenson, C. A. Brebbia, & V. Popov, Water and Society — Wit Transactions in Ecology and The Environment.

  

Dr. Chris Brown spoke at Creekside High School and Fathers Harbor Academy on engineering careers and the UNF-SAME Model Scale Concrete Canoe Competition for this year. KathieCarswell also participated in the Creekside High School visit.

 

Dr. Paul Eason and Dr. Karthik Umapathy are featured in a UNF Center for Community-Based Learning video to promote community-based learning within UNF. The video highlights are senior student projects. It’s online here.

 

Dr. Don Resio received a $109,338 grant from the Office of Naval Research for research in “Improved Source Term Formulation for Improved Evolutionary Characteristics of Directional Spectra.”  

 

Dr. Susan Vasana arranged for a seminar by Dr. Edgar H. Callaway, Jr. on “The Entrepreneurship of IC Design Company: Sunrise Micro Devices.” Callaway is an eminent researcher in wireless networks and holds 42 patents. The presentation was well received by the senior Electrical Engineering students.

 

 

College of Education & Human Services 

  

Childhood Education, Literacy and TESOL: Dr. Lunetta Williams will be honored with the Albert J. Harris Award in April. Lunetta’s article, “Addressing Summer Reading Setback Among Economically Disadvantaged Elementary Students,” published in Reading Psychology was selected as the winner for the 2012 International Reading Association Albert J. Harris Research Award.  The Albert J. Harris Award is given for a recently published journal article or monograph that makes an outstanding contribution to our understanding of prevention or assessment of reading or learning disabilities. The award will be presented Monday, April 30 at the McCormick Place Convention Center during the Research Address and Award session at IRA’s annual convention in Chicago, Ill. 

 

Dr. Nile Stanley has received a gift of $30,000 from the Cummer Family Foundation for support of the Poetry Stars project, now in its sixth year. The initiative promotes the study of science with performance literacy at two Guardian Catholic schools of Jacksonville.  Additionally, Nile was a featured speaker for the Nebraska Reading Conference at Kearney. He presented sessions on teaching social studies and science through the performing arts.  Also, he was the banquet speaker and performed a program of storytelling, poetry and music.

 

Leadership, School Counseling & Sport Management: Drs. Jennifer Kane, Jason Lee and Danielle Mincey-White presented “Using a Common Reading Program to Promote Cross Disciplinary Concepts in Sport Management.” Drs. Kane and Lee also presented “A Tale of Two Universities.” At the same conference, Dr. E. Newton Jackson, Jr. also presented a poster entitled “Factors of HBCU Student Athlete University Selection,” and served on a roundtable discussing “Preparing for Graduate School.” Lee also had an article published entitled “Click Clack: An Examination of the Strategic and Entrepreneurial Brand Vision of Under Armour” in the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing. 

 

Foundations and Secondary Education: The Department of Foundations and Secondary Education hosted three COEHS Research and Practice Colloquia. Dr. Madalina Tanase presented her work on “Pre-service Teachers’ Awareness about the Relationship between Mathematics, Literacy and Social Justice Issues,” and Dr. Daniel Dinsmore presented his work on “Scaffolding Students’ Reading of Course Texts.”

  

Office of the Dean: Congratulations to Dean Larry Daniel, who received the FACTE Leadership Award at the January conference of the Florida Association of Colleges in Teacher Education. Daniel was given this prestigious award for his distinguished service, inspirational leadership and advocacy for Quality Teacher Education in Florida and the Nation. At the same conference, Dr. Marsha Lupi, Kelly Turner and Amy Warren (graduate research assistants), presented the results of a state-wide survey on clinical field experiences in Florida colleges and universities. The results indicated that state-wide, four year traditional undergraduate programs provide pre-service teachers with extensive field experiences among other information. If you are interested in the results of the survey or would like a copy of the powerpoint, contact Amy Warren at a.k.warren@unf.edu.

 

Dr. Marsha Lupi, Dr. Jacque Batey and Kelly Turner recently learned of the acceptance of a third article written on the transformational learning and knowledge of the students who have participated in the Plymouth, England short-term student teaching internships since 2007. The article entitled, “Crossing Cultures: U.S. Students Teacher Observations of Pedagogy, Learning and Practice in Plymouth, U.K. schools” will be published in the Journal of Education and Training in November.

 

Thomas G. Carpenter Library: Susan A. Massey, head of Discovery Enhancement at the Thomas G. Carpenter Library, presented “Envisioning and Integrating New Cataloging Workflows” to the Cataloging Norms Interest Group at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, Texas in January. She also presented “Mining Batch Data for Quality Control” for the OCLC Creating Cataloging Efficiencies That Make a Difference workshop at the same conference.

 

Dateline

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

 

25 years 
Doreen Perez, Director of Health Administration, Student Health Services

Barry Wynns, Coordinator of IT Support, University Housing

15 years 
Fong Chuen Lai-Chin, Executive Secretary, Faculty Association

Helen Smith, Office Manager, University Housing

10 years 
Robert Mailey, Maintenance Supervisor, Physical Facilities

Carolyn Gavin, Office Manager, Marketing & Logistics

Heather Kite, Assistant Director of Recreation, Swimming Pool

Gerald Garner, Assistant Recycle Refuse Support, Physical Facilities

Karen Haltiwanger, Budget Associate, Enrollment Services

Five years 
Linda Hamilton, Head Coach, Women’s Soccer

William Carbaugh, Landscape Specialist, Physical Facilities

Cornet Ellison, Maintenance Mechanic, Physical Facilities

Rebecca Johnson, Coordinator of Career Development Services, Career Services

Ginette Osse, Custodial Worker, Physical Facilities

Felicia George, Assistant Director of Classification Computing, Human Resources

Dawn O’Connor, Assistant Director of Research Integrity, Office of Research and Special Programs


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

Robyn Carter, Grants Specialist, Department of Exceptional, Deaf, & Interpreter Education

Maria Harmon, Custodial Worker, Custodial Services

Migdalia Hernandez, Custodial Worker, University Housing

Martine Kone, Coordinator of Student Financial, Enrollment Services Processing Office

Carolyn Smith, Office Assistant, Enrollment Services

Kathleen Gram, Coordinator of Programs Services, OneJax

Deidre Lane, Coordinator of Administrative Services, OneJax

Felicia Rivera, Coordinator, University Parking

James Williams, Office Assistant, University Parking

Samantha Dabbs, Head Coach, Sand Volleyball

Heather McGrath, Coordinator of Admissions Processing, Enrollment Services Processing Office

John Pickett, Control Systems Technician, Maintenance and Energy Management 

  

Great job 
The following employees were promoted in mid-February or early-March.

Laura Berthiaume, Coordinator, Advancement Services

Angela Davis, Coordinator, Student Government

Jeremy Duckworth, Help Desk Manager, User Services

John Simms, Associate Director, Student Union

Valerie Stevenson, Controller, Controller’s Office
  
Goodbye 
Heartfelt well wishes in their new endeavors for the following employees, who left UNF from mid- to late February: 
  
Zechariah Brock, Senior IT Support Tech, User Services

Laurie Gaughan, Senior Accountant, Training & Services Institute

Erica Mack, Assistant Director of Academic Support Services, One Stop Center

Allan Sander, Professor, Foundations & Secondary Education

Kimberly Valdes, Police Communications Operator, University Police Department

  

Congratulations 

Dr. Deborah Williams-Watson BS, MS, PHD (graduating class of 2004) and Rev. Jarvis Watson had their first child, Malachi Nehemiah Watson, on January 25 at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Jacksonville Florida. Williams-Watson is an advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Get to Know

Vernon Payne

Name: Vernon Payne

Department: Marketing Publications

Job title: Graphic Designer

What do you do? I help promote the University

Years at UNF: 27

Tell us about your family.
I’ve been fortunate to marry the ideal person. Originally from Pennsylvania, I have five sisters so I was raised with all women, which turns out to be a really good thing. I also have plenty of nieces and nephews.

If you could choose any other career, what would it be and why?
If given the opportunity I wouldn’t change my career.

What would you like to do when you retire?
I don’t believe I will retire. I’ve recently started back seriously studying drawing and painting again, so I would just transition over to that and do more mentoring.

What is your favorite thing about working at UNF?
My favorite thing about working at UNF is the people.

What is the best thing you ever won?
The best thing I’ve ever won is my wife’s heart.

What band(s)/musician(s) would perform the soundtrack to your life?
Parliament-Funkadelic, AC DC, Muddy Waters, John Coltrane

Who is your favorite fictional character? Why?
My favorite fictional character is Bugs Bunny, of course, because of the stress-free way he looks at life. Bugs hits a few bumps, or in cartoon land, a few blasts from Elmer Fudd and he just brushes it off and manages to move on.

If you won the lottery, what would do with the money?
If I won the lottery, I would take care of my family and give the rest away.

If you were not working at UNF, what would you be doing?
If I were not working at UNF, I’d be teaching drawing and painting.

Describe your favorite UNF-related memory.
I have a few but one of the best was something we called “Steaming Weenie Day.” Essentially, this was a hotdog lunch day that involved packing two crockpots with hot dogs, and using as many condiments as the hotdog could stand. Some of us would try to consume as many as we could without getting sick (John Morrell, Ron Hanson and myself.) It became an annual event in Building 3. That was a long, long time ago.

What is your favorite way to blow an hour?
I never thought about it, but probably read.

If you were asked to paint a picture about anything you wanted, what would you paint?
I would paint scenes from my childhood.

What was the best money you ever spent?
Buying an engagement ring.

Is there a piece of technology that you just couldn’t live without?
iPod. Gotta have my music.

Tell us something that would surprise people to know about you.
I am an excellent cook, or at least I think I am, and have given consideration to attending culinary school.

What person had the greatest impact on your life?
The person that had the greatest impact on my life was my grandmother. She was the wisest person I have ever known. She helped me become the person I am today.

What are you most passionate about?
I am passionate about living life and trying to do the right thing. Everyday.

Who is the most famous person you ever met?
Jazz singer Nancy Wilson

Tell us something about you that even your friends don’t know.
I COULD tell you but then I’d have to …… well, you know the rest.

What do you hope to accomplish that you have not done yet?
I HOPE to be able to find more time to draw and paint with no interruptions, except those of my choosing.

Last book read
The last book I read was “Brainwashed” by Tom Burrell

The Goods

The Goods on Portobello Mushrooms

The Portobello mushroom is an edible basidiomycete mushroom native to grasslands in Europe and North America. It’s cultivated in more than 70 countries and is one of the most commonly and widely consumed mushrooms in the world. Dr. Shahla Khan, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Flagship Program, discusses myths and facts about this big brown mushroom. To help you include more Portobello mushrooms in your diet, a recipe is provided.

  

Myth: Mushrooms are vegetables. 

 

Fact: Although often found in the vegetable section in grocery stores, Portobello and other mushrooms belong to the kingdom of Fungi, which consists of organisms without chlorophyll or vascular tissue and includes things as diverse as yeasts and molds.

 

Myth: Portebello, Portabello, Portobello and Portobella mushrooms are all different.

 

Fact: They are actually all the same. The Portobello is sometimes known as an overgrown crimini (brown or tan colored) mushroom. They are identified by their large size, brownish color and deep musty smell.

 

Myth: Portobello mushrooms taste best when fried.

 

Fact: Portobello mushrooms are mostly eaten broiled and grilled, but they can also be fried, baked or sautéed. They have a characteristic meaty flavor and texture that gets better the longer the mushrooms are cooked, so grilling them is the best way to bring out their flavor.

 

Myth: Portobello mushrooms have no nutritional benefit.

 

Fact: One cup of grilled Portobello slices contains:

Calories: 42 kcal

Fat: 0.9 g

Carbohydrates: 5.9g

Protein: 5 g

Fiber: 2.7 g

 

They are also rich in potassium, essential amino acids and B vitamins, as well as being low in calories, fat-free and low in sodium.

 

Myth: Portobello mushrooms can be stored at room temperature.

  

Fact: They are sensitive to air oxidation. They should be stored in the refrigerator inside a loosely-closed paper bag or wrapped inside a damp cloth and consumed within five days of purchasing.

 

Recipe for Spinach-stuffed Portobello mushrooms 

4 large Portobello mushrooms

One-fourth cup chopped onion

Two eggs lightly beaten

One-half cup reduced fat sour cream

One cup crushed seasoned stuffing

One-half cup crumbled feta cheese

One-half teaspoon garlic salt

Three tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

One package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1. Line baking sheet with foil, and coat the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Remove stems from mushrooms: set caps aside and chop stems. Combine the chopped mushrooms and onion. Cover and microwave at 50 percent power for one to two minutes or until tender, stirring every 30 seconds.

2. In a small bowl, combine the eggs and sour cream. Stir in the spinach, stuffing, feta cheese and garlic salt and onion mixture. Spoon into mushroom caps. Place on baking sheet.

3.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake five to10 minutes longer or until mushrooms are tender and cheese is melted.

  

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 Portobello mushrooms? Contact Khan at skhan@unf.edu.

Briefs

Healthy Osprey: Hoop it up for your health

Whether you are shooting hoops, playing a competitive game or just horsing around, basketball is a fun and social way to burn more than 600 calories an hour (for a 180-pound person).

 

Basketball gives a full body workout, here’s how:

• Sprinting down the court — cardiovascular.

• Fighting for a position — works on upper-body strength.

• Taking a shot — You stretch your body from your toes to your fingertips.

• Changing directions — exercises your joints and muscles.

 

To get the most out of your basketball workout:

1. Stretch before you play.

2. Stay hydrated.

3. Keep moving when you are on the court.

4. Eat protein after the game to help build lean muscle.

 

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 Promotions, and Mike Kennedy, assistant director of Health Promotions, 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.