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Inside UNF — July 18, 2023

UNF volleyball's Mahalia White wins prestigious award

UNF's Mahalia White was named the Class of 2023 Honda Inspiration Award winner at The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda in June. This marks the first time in history an Osprey has won the award. White, an outside hitter for UNF volleyball, completed a stellar 2022-23 season after overcoming off the court challenges. Learn more about Mahalia's story.
 
Mahalia White holding an award Mahalia White and other 2023 Collegiate Women Sports Awards finalists Mahalia White sitting for an interview

President Limayem receives award from the National Academy of Inventors

UNF President Moez Limayem accepting an awardUNF President Moez Limayem was awarded the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Sentinel Award in late June at the NAI 12th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. for his support of innovation and invention. He previously served as a principal investigator for the organization.
 
The award acknowledges individuals whose actions and support help fulfill the NAI's mission to continually recognize inventors with U.S. patents and enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation.
 
Learn more about the honor.

Teresa Nichols named vice president of UDAE

Teresa NicholsThe University of North Florida has named Teresa Nichols vice president of University Development and Alumni Engagement and executive director of the UNF Foundation, Inc. Nichols has served as UDAE’s interim vice president since January 2022.
 
Nichols, a proud UNF alumna, oversees fundraising operations and alumni engagement efforts for the University. She leads a team of more than 45 dedicated staff members including fundraisers in all six colleges, Athletics, MOCA and Academic and Students Affairs, foundation and corporate relations, planned giving, as well as the donor engagement and stewardship, alumni engagement, annual giving and advancement operations teams.
 
Under Nichols’ leadership, the University exceeded its FY23 fundraising goals closing out the fiscal year with a year-end total of almost $27 million. Learn more about UNF's newest VP.

Former medical activist and trailblazer audits art classes

By Byron E. Jones
 
Each day students of all ages ascend upon the University of North Florida to complete the necessary coursework required to earn a degree. While UNF is a well-rounded and diverse campus, there is one lifelong learner that stands out among the rest. Her name is Chiang-Ling Han Levine, a 90-year-old ceramics student learning the ancient art form under the instruction of Professor Stephen Heywood.
 
Dr Han sitting in the UNF Ceramics LabAffectionately called Dr. Han by fellow students and faculty, she began auditing art classes at UNF almost two decades ago at the age of 73. She initially started coming to UNF to swim at the campus pool with the intentions of remaining active in her retirement years. A pool staff member suggested she consider taking some courses to learn other skills. Excited about the prospect of new opportunities, Han decided to take a drawing class as a new hobby. After taking her first class, she was instantly hooked.
 
“I started taking drawing classes, then I began taking painting classes and I never stopped,” Han said.
 
Long before Han discovered her love of creating art, she dedicated her life to practicing traditional Chinese medicine — a tradition that’s been in her family for four generations. Born in mainland China, Han says her family moved to Taiwan when she was very young to escape communist rule. She learned the techniques of traditional Chinese medicine from her father, a Chinese herbal doctor.
 
Han furthered her knowledge of medicine through her collegiate studies. At the recommendation of a friend, she moved to Jacksonville in her early 30s and soon discovered that it was illegal for doctors of traditional Chinese medicine to practice acupuncture in Florida. Undeterred, she partnered with Jacksonville native and former legislator Dr. Arnett Girardeau, to push for acupuncture legislation in Florida. “We went to Tallahassee for meetings many times, and finally a law was passed making acupuncture legal,” Han said.
 
In 1976, the proud mother of four opened the Jacksonville Acupuncture Treatment Center. Today, her son Larry (Lowei) Han runs the clinic. Her younger son is a musician, and her two daughters are nurses. Han is also a proud grandmother and great grandmother — her great grandson currently attends UNF and her granddaughter arrives on campus in the fall. When she’s not painting or creating pottery in the ceramics lab, Han enjoys cooking for her family and loved ones. She occasionally brings traditional Chinese fried rice to campus as a treat to share with classmates and faculty.
 
While she admits to being very good at painting, she is currently enjoying the process of learning ceramics. So far this summer, she has created a diverse collection of kimchi jars, soup bowls and more. She credits Professor Heywood’s patience and hands-on instruction for her progress. According to Heywood, it’s a pleasure working with Han as she is a dedicated student and talented artist. “We love having Dr. Han in our classes,” he said. “She is a kind, respectful and thoughtful student who is an inspiration to us all.”
 
Reflecting on her years at UNF, Han says the faculty and students have been great and she’s grateful for the opportunity to learn. “It’s in my personality,” said Han. “I always want to learn.”

Recent UNF grads continue VR research on campus

By Byron E. Jones
 
AVRGlove, a project by recent UNF graduates Ethan Coco and Maxwell Twardowski that won first place at the Spring 2023 School of Computing Symposium, features an easily adaptable virtual reality (VR) glove controller allowing users to interact with virtual environments naturally. The project began during the spring semester as an assignment in Professor Kevin Pfeil’s “Special Topics: Virtual Reality” course.
 
Man wearing a virtual reality headset holding his hand in a glove against a screenCoco and Twardowski, who both graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in computer science, first met as roommates during their freshman year. Throughout their college journeys, they have collaborated on projects.
 
The aim of this project, according to Coco, is to offer an affordable and more adaptable alternative to traditional VR controllers and other VR gloves. “I was doing research and saw there are communities of people trying to make different virtual reality gloves, but they’re really expensive now,” says Coco. “The idea came to make a glove at a cheaper cost and make it easier for other people to make their own gloves.”
 
As virtual reality simulation continues to be a focal point of immersive learning opportunities in academic settings, both gentlemen are continuing their research over the summer with the help of Professor Pfeil to enhance the user experience.
 
While their research during the spring focused on working with the hardware to ensure it could properly read data, they are dedicating their research over the summer to developing software that can be used as a framework for others looking to develop VR glove controllers.
 
According to Coco and Twardowski, their goal is to create a plug-and-play VR glove controller that connects with multiple systems by inserting it into a USB port. Twardowski says the advantage of a VR glove controller over a traditional point-and-click controller is that participants can use their hands and curl their fingers to pick up objects, just as you would in real life. “We’d like to implement interaction with the virtual environment through gestures instead of buttons,” says Twardowski. “We’re trying to keep it as natural and immersive as possible.”

UNF professor witnesses the power of nutrition in Ghana

Dr. Lauri Wright working with colleagues in GhanaDr. Lauri Wright was welcomed with open arms as she arrived in Ghana to provide her expertise on the power of nutrition.
 
In her five months abroad, Dr. Wright said she witnessed the compassion and innovative methods presented by her new colleagues as they provided care for their patients despite being in a location with limited resources.
 
In Ghana, she participated as a visiting professor and dietitian at Korle Bu Hospital, precepting interns and working on many different projects with the staff. Simultaneously, she continued to teach and advise the Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition and MS online program at UNF.
 
 
Information provided by UNF Media Relations

Campus buildings to undergo renovations

view of Coggin College of Business from the lake

Coggin College of Business (Bldg. 42)

The expansion of Building 42 housing the UNF Coggin College of Business will begin later this year. The project will impact much more than just the Coggin College of Business. It will also include a merger with Building 10 next door to Building 42 — making the two buildings one cohesive structure. Phase one of the architectural design work for this project began in March 2022 and involves a complete renovation of Building 10's first floor. Demolition for the project started last week. Phase two, made possible through funding from the Florida Legislature, involves continued work to Building 10 including renovations to the second floor and a connecting addition between Building 42 and Building 10. 

The commissioning of this project means more room for faculty, staff and students including additional instructional space for initiatives in analytics and the Crowley Center for Transportation & Logistics.

 
J. Brooks Brown Hall on UNF campus

Brooks College of Health (Bldg. 39)

Brooks Brown Hall, which houses the Brooks College of Health, will also begin renovations soon to accommodate new students and new nursing faculty and staff as well as other growing demands.  

The project, also funded by the Florida Legislature, includes remodeling of the Nutrition Lab, addition of Research Labs on 3rd floor and remodel of classrooms on 1st floor.  The project also includes renovation of common areas on all four floors.

UNF professor and team discover ancient marine reptile fossil

Marine reptilian creatures swimming in the oceanUNF faculty member Dr. Barry Albright, associate lecturer of physics, is part of a research team led by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) who have unlocked new evolutionary information following the discovery of a 94-million-year-old mosasaur in the gray shale badlands of the National Park Service Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Utah. Mosasaurs are fully marine-adapted reptiles that swam the seas while dinosaurs ruled the land. The groundbreaking research was recently published in Cretaceous Research.
 
The journey began nearly 11 years ago as Scott Richardson, a trained volunteer working under Dr. Albright, searched for fossilized remains of creatures that once swam in a vast seaway that covered most of the middle of North America during the Late Cretaceous Period, between 84 and 95 million years ago.
 
 
Information provided by UNF Media Relations

NASA selects UNF team to participate in scientific research

UNF students preparing for NASA research projectA UNF student team was selected to participate in NASA’s upcoming Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project (NEBP) and High-Altitude Student Payload (HASP) project.
 
Students will gain real-world STEM experience by participating in an innovative NASA-mission-like adventure in data acquisition and analysis through scientific ballooning during the annular eclipse on Oct. 14 and a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
 
The team has already completed the fabrication of a ground station for tracking the balloon.
 
 
Information provided by UNF Media Relations

Quick and easy recipes for the summer

Chicken skewers on the grillGrilled Summer Chicken Skewers:
These grilled summer chicken skewers are great served with a side of basmati or jasmine rice and topped with mango or pineapple salsa!
 
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs C=cut into 1-inch cubes 
• 1 cup fresh pineapple - large chunks (1 inch)
• 1-2 red, orange or yellow bell pepper into 1-inch pieces
• In a bowl make a marinade with about 2T lime juice, 2T vegetable oil, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp ground black pepper and ½ tsp salt (may omit). Add cut raw chicken to the marinade and let it sit for 20 minutes.
• Make skewers, alternating the chicken, bell pepper and pineapple onto skewers. Grill on medium high heat for about five minutes, turn them over and grill for another five minutes or until chicken is cooked through (165F in the center).
 
Pineapple or Mango Salsa:
Combine the ingredients in a bowl and serve with your summer chicken skewers!
 
• 1 cup finely diced fresh pineapple or mango
• ½ cup finely diced red, orange or yellow bell pepper
• 2T finely diced red onion
• 2 T finely chopped fresh cilantrol
• 1T lime juice
• Optional: add ½ - 1 finely diced seeded fresh jalapeno
• Optional: Salt to taste
 
Submitted by Melissa Baron, DCN, RDN/LDN, instructor of nutrition and dietetics

Faculty Forum: Adrienne Lerner

Dr. Adrienne LernerAdrienne Lerner, associate instructor of political science and public administration, and director of the UNF Pre-Law Program, teaches a variety of courses at UNF on constitutional and administrative law, the courts, judicial behavior and judicial politics. She is passionate about mentoring students and sharing her legal expertise through community-engaged research and collaboration. In 2022, she was appointed Faculty Fellow for Intellectual Diversity and Academic Freedom for her broad knowledge of the First Amendment.

What research do you specialize in?
Most of my previous work focused on state standing, science policy and free expression issues. I still do a significant amount of policy and practical work on free expression. However, since coming to UNF as NTT faculty, I traded a more traditional research agenda for involvement in various community-engaged research and practicum opportunities with students. Those projects have challenged me to learn new areas of the law — state court civil trial jury selection practices, community mediation, Title IX protections for pregnant and parenting students, youth court diversion programs and immigration law. It's exciting to leverage my interdisciplinary and quantitative training in a way that is rare in traditional academic legal research.
 
How long have you worked at UNF?
Since July 2016
 
What do you enjoy most about working here?
As an introvert, I'm tempted to say the plants but the people make UNF special. I'm fortunate to have colleagues that are friends. I have a small cohort of highly engaged students who thrive on challenging work and meaningful collaboration. UNF also gives me the chance to pay forward the mentorship that I received from my professors and advocate for working, nontraditional and first-generation students.
 
How do you like to spend your time when you aren’t working?
I love to travel. I have a data/law nerd hobby of finding the most overbooked flight routes to collect airline vouchers. I like to have a project (or three) going most of the time — working on my 1905 house, gardening, volunteering for a legal clinic or community project or picking up a new skill. I possess no talent for any of my nontravel hobbies, which often humble me but keep me resilient.
 
Where did you grow up?
Several places from big cities to remote naval air stations in Texas, Colorado and the Gulf Coast of Alabama.
 
Where did you go to school?
I sometimes joke that liberal arts school at Oglethorpe University nurtured my interdisciplinary interests while graduate and law school tried their best to shoehorn me into a single discipline. That's not fair to either Vanderbilt University or the University of Tennessee College of Law, both of whom helped me forge different career paths that eventually merged when I moved into legal academia.
 
What’s the greatest bit of advice you’ve ever been given?
I cannot identify a single greatest bit of advice received. However, my parents' refrains of "always keep learning" and "do hard things" remain evergreen.
 
Who inspires you and why?
My colleagues. Coming to work every day and sharing friendships with brilliant people who are outstanding in their respective fields is incredible. It constantly challenges and inspires me, but mostly I have fun reading, seeing and hearing their work.
 
What is a fun fact about you many people may not know?
I'm funny! I'm serious about serious things, but I try to keep a sense of humor, especially about myself.

Faculty and Staff News

Osprey FountainCoggin College of Business
Dr. Dong-Young Kim, professor of operations management and quantitative methods, and his co-authors at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, recently published the paper “Identification and Assessment of Risks Related to Digitalization in Indian Construction: A Quantitative Approach” in the Business Process Management Journal (Impact Factor: 3.715), June 2023.
 
Dr. Nilufer Ozdemir, associate professor of economics, was awarded the first ever UNF Excellence in Online Teaching Award for 2023.
 
Dr. Chris Baynard, associate professor of economics, was awarded a Summer Professional Development grant from the UNF Digital Humanities Institute for his project, “Mapping the Continent: DHI/Geospatial Field Methods in Spain and Portugal.”
 
College of Arts and Sciences
Communications
Dr. Rachel E. Riggs, assistant professor of communication, Dr. Debbie Davis, Professor Lisa DuBois Low and Dr. Jeffrey Ranta presented a roundtable discussion titled “Engaging public relations students in a post-COVID environment: How to increase participation in professional student organizations and rebuild student leadership” at the Southern States Communication Association in St. Petersburg, Florida. April 2023.
 
English 
Mark Ari, assistant professor of creative writing, presented “The Bridge Project” at the conference “The Fragment and its Rhythms: Writing Practices, Sites of Thought, Acts of Resistance.” This project is a series of immersive installations (image, sound, scent and text), created with collaborators Ginger Andro and Chuck Glicksman and deliverable in a postcard-sized envelope. April 2023.
 
Dr. Nicholas de Villiers, professor of English and film, gave a presentation “A Long Days/Journey to the West: Buddhism and Sex Work as Care Work in Tsai Ming-liang’s Post-retirement DV,” on a panel he organized and co-chaired with Beth Tsai (UCSB), “And afterward?’ The Post-Retirement Work of Tsai Ming-liang,” at Society for Cinema and Media Studies. April 2023. 
 
Dr. Clark Lunberry, professor of English, presented the paper, “Marcel Proust, Annie Ernaux, and the Poetics of Fragmentation,” at the conference “The Fragment and its Rhythms: Writing Practices, Sites of Thought, Acts of Resistance.” April 2023. 
 
Dr. Jason Mauro, associate professor of English, hosted a webinar and spoke to the Ernest Becker Foundation about his in-progress book "Inventing Death" for the 50th Anniversary of Becker's "Denial of Death." April 2023.
 
History
Dr. David Courtwright, presidential professor emeritus, presented a paper titled "The Pain Mafia: Key Opinion Leaders and the Origins of the Prescription Opioid Crisis" at the American Association for the History of Medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan. May 2023. He also published the article "Drug Wars, Drug Violence, and Drug Addiction in the Americas" in Criminal Justice Ethics, Vol 42, Issue 1, February 2023.
 
Philosophy and Religion Study
Dr. George Rainbolt, professor of philosophy, has secured a contract with Palgrave-Macmillan for his book "Freedom as Non-Constraint: Beyond Non-Interference and Non-Domination."
 
Dr. Hans-Herbert Koegler, professor of philosophy, published the journal article “Abolishing truth, achieving democracy? Rorty’s pragmatist critique of power” in Pragmatism Today, May 2023.
 
Political Science & Public Administration
On April 27, Mary Avery, Senior Diplomatic Fellow and State Department Representative, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, facilitated a video presentation and Q&A on the U.S.-China relationship for the Jacksonville Public Library’s Great Decisions adult learning curriculum for 20-30 attendees. 
 
Psychology
Dr. Paul Fuglestad, associate professor of psychology, with co-authors Alexander Rothman and Jennifer Linde, published the article "Applying Regulatory Focus Theory to Encourage Weight Loss in a Self-directed Intervention" in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, April 2023.
 
College of Education and Human Services
Dr. Daniel Dinsmore, professor and associate dean in the College of Education & Human Services, along with co-authors Luke Fryer (University of Hong Kong) and Denis Dumas (University of Georgia) recently published an article titled "A Theoretical and Metatheoretical Reframing of the Development of Cognitive Processing and Learning" in Educational Psychology Review (Impact Factor 8.24), June 2023.
 
Dr. Rachelle Curcio, assistant professor for teacher education, with co-authors Stephanie Schroeder and Lisa Lundgren, published the article “Affordances and Constraints of the Teacher-to-Teacher Online Marketplace of Ideas: Understanding Early Career Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions” in the Journal of Research on Technology in Education, January 2023. Additionally, Dr. Curcio published with co-authors Stephanie Schroeder and Catharyn Shelton, “Crafting the Consumer Teacher: Education Influencers and the Figured World of K-12 Teaching” in Learning, Media, and Technology, April 2023.
 
Dr. Terrie M. Galanti, assistant professor of secondary mathematics and STEM integration/computational thinking, with co-authors Dr. Brian Lane, co-director of NEFSTEM and instructor of physics and Mr. Xavier Rozas, coordinator of professional learning for NEFSTEM, published an article titled "Teacher Re-novicing on the Path to Integrating Computational Thinking in High School Physics Instruction" in the Journal for STEM Education Research, June 2023.
 
Jade Yuen, manager outreach recruitment and retention for COEHS, is spearheading the UNF Summer Bridge program scheduled to take place from July 17 to July 21. This program is specifically designed for juniors and seniors from Clay County high schools who are interested in pursuing a career in teaching. 
 
Dr. Raven Robinson-Wilson, assistant professor of teacher education, was recently elected to serve a two-year term as Secretary/Treasurer of the AERA Teaching Educational Psychology SIG (SIG #128).

Dr. Terence Cavanaugh, associate professor of instructional technology and Fulbright Specialist, recently concluded a two-month specialist project for the island nation of Tuvalu, the least visited country in the world, at the request of the Ministry of Education. This project involved an evaluation of assessment data, curriculum and teaching skills of science teachers. Based on the findings, he will submit suggestions for improving the situation for faculty and students.

Dr. Mark Halley, assistant professor of ASL/English interpreting, was interviewed for a recent piece in the Jacksonville Business Journal on the impacts of new state policy and laws on higher education in Florida.
 
Digital Learning
Andy Rush, course media developer in the Center for Instruction and Research Technology, presented “Fast, Cheap, and Under Control - 2023” at the Reclaim Open: Rediscovering the Open Web 2023 Conference in Fredericksburg, Virginia, June 2023.
 
Hicks Honors College
Dr. Leslie Kaplan, director of the Hicks Honors College, graduated from the Leadership Jacksonville program.
 
Dr. Denise Monti, instructor and assistant director of the Hicks Honors College, received a $35,445 Foundation Faculty Grant for her project "Swooping into the SEA of Phages: Viral Discovery at UNF," which is for a new Honors class being offered in the fall and spring.

Free Things to Do

Bo Bartlett: Earthly Matters
Exhibition on view now through Sept. 10; MOCA Jacksonville
Free admission for UNF employees and one guest.
Bo Bartlett is acclaimed for his large-scale paintings that explore American life and cultural heritage. Earthly Matters presents a selection of Bartlett's recent works that explore human impact on and interaction with the natural world. Learn more about the exhibition.

Forms of Knowing Part II: We Remember
Exhibition on view now through Nov. 11, Lufrano Intercultural Gallery
This exhibition, featuring sculptural installations by Lorrie Fredette and photographic works by Kija Lucas, is an interdisciplinary collaboration inspired by the PACT Alzheimer’s research project at UNF, led by Dr. Jody Nicholson, associate professor of psychology, and supported by the UNF HARP Grant and STARS Research Award. Learn more about the PACT study.

Kwaidan (1965) movie posterMOCA Movie Night: Kwaidan (1965)
Wednesday, July 19, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., MOCA Jacksonville
This version of Kwaidan is the original three-hour cut, never before released in the U.S. This film by the great Japanese director Masaki Kobayashi, features colorfully surreal sets and luminous cinematography depicted in a stylized quartet of ghost stories. Learn more about the film and get free tickets!

CIRT Event: Accessibility in Canvas
Thursday, July 20, 11 a.m. - noon, Virtual
Canvas content can easily be made accessible. This workshop provides hands-on instruction for making course content accessible in the Rich Content Editor and using the built-in accessibility checker. No prior knowledge is needed. Learn more about this opportunity and register today!

Mixed Level Yoga
Wednesday, July 26, 6 - 6:55 p.m., Student Wellness Complex, Large Group Fitness Studio
This creative yoga practice is built for restoring the body and increasing flexibility through slower paced poses, along with stretching and breathing exercises. Learn more about this yoga class.

ARISE (Achievements in Research, Inquiry and Scholarship Exhibition)
Friday, July 28, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Skinner-Jones Hall, Room 1705
Attend the first-ever summer student research symposium sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research. Learn more about the event.

Dateline

UNF balloons for datelineMilestones
Congratulations to the following employees with a milestone anniversary in July:
 
35 Years
Katherine Kasten, Professor, Florida Institute of Education
 
30 Years
Ralph Glover, Maintenance Superintendent, Physical Facilities
 
20 Years
Shane Borden, Coordinator Business Services, Business Services Administrative
Elizabeth Noriega, Office Manager, SG Business and Accounting Office
Vince Smyth, Associate VP, Administration and Finance, Business Services 
 
15 Years
Gaea Holt, Senior Buyer, Procurement Services
Marian Watters, Web Developer III, Enterprise Systems
 
10 Years
Tod McVey, Assistant Director, Environmental Health and Safety
Susie O'Dell, Coordinator, Library Administrative Services
Clarence Phelps, Law Enforcement Officer, University Police Department
Jill Snyder, Instructor, Nutrition and Dietetics
Marielle Veve, University Librarian, Library
 
5 Years
Brock Borgeson, Assistant Athletic Director, Communications
Payton Cantrell, Coordinator, International Student Affairs, Center for International Education
Brigid Fitzpatrick, Coordinator, International Student Affairs, ELP
Osama Jadaan, Professor, Electrical Engineering
Jennifer Krechowski, Assistant Director, Student Union
Kyle Musser, Associate Director of Development, College of Education and Human Services
 
Welcome
The following employees were either hired by UNF or were promoted from OPS positions recently:
Petra Barba, Academic Advisor, COAS 
John Buckley, Academic Advisor, COAS
Diana Burke, Coordinator, One-Stop 
Diana Cappadoro, Student Affairs Specialist, Student Union
Sydney Chatani, Evaluation Coordinator, Florida Institute of Education
Eric Clarke, Full Stack Developer III, Enterprise Systems
Candace Dickens, FAC Production Specialist, Fine Arts Center
Sara Farris, Assistant Athletic Trainer, Trainer
I'Liyah Green, Basketball Operations Director, Women's Basketball
Amber Griggs, Stores Receivables Supervisor, IPTM 
Kenneth Harmon, Instructional Specialist,  IPTM
Rebecca Harrington, University Librarian
Brittany Heimer, Academic Support Services Coordinator, Brooks College of Health
Anthony Howell, Telecom Systems Specialist, Cyberinfrastructure, ITS
Joanna Lynn, Coordinator, International Student Affairs, Center For International Education
Benjamin Mastandrea, Assistant Athletic Coach, Women's Basketball
Daniela Mazuera, Project Manager, Engineering
Sydnei McCaskill, Assistant Athletic Coach, Women's Basketball
Kyaa McClennon, Care Services Specialist, Office of the Dean of Students
Ashley McFadden, Custodial Worker, Physical Facilities
Robin McNeil, Library Systems Specialist, Library
Jennifer Mendoza, Coordinator Tech Support, Service Management, ITS
Chandler Merkerson, Assistant Athletic Coach, Women's Basketball
Jason Jose Miciano, Integrated Solutions Engineer I, ITS
Tori Miller, Manager, Military Engagement Compliance, Military and Veterans Resource Center
Vincenzo Mineo, Events Planning Associate, University Center
Dawn Moore, Staff Interpreter DHH, Student Accessibility Services
Sue Phillips, Office Manager, Student Accessibility Services
Hannah Quire, Academic Advisor, First-Year Advising
Olivia Rearick, Executive Secretary, Alumni Engagement
Jessica Swint, Coordinator Residence Life, University Housing
Denys Sydorenko, Web Developer I, Enterprise Systems, ITS
Tara Torres, Assistant Director, Student Financial Aid
Xenia Vieira da Silva Quirino, Executive Secretary, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Shelby Wagers, Financial Aid Specialist, Financial Aid Office
Christopher Wainwright, Director, University Facilities Planning
Deborah Williams, University Librarian, Library
Nicholas Wollschlager, Law Enforcement Liaison, IPTM 
 
Great Job
The following employees were promoted recently:
Maria Beattie, Assistant Director, UNF Preschool
Justin Brosonski, Desktop Support Engineer, Service Management
Thomas Gehret, Senior IT Project Manager, ITS
Jennifer Hunter, Assistant Director, Academic Tech Support, Service Management, ITS
Megan Kuehner, Director, Project Management Office, ITS
Lori Kuhn-Hancock, Coordinator, Administrative Services, College of Education and Human Services
Vernon Miller, Assistant Maintenance Superintendant, Maintenance and Energy Management
Michele Moore, Professor/Dean, The Graduate School
Sharon Murchison, Associate Director, IPTM 
Jodi Newton, Research Tech Engineer, Service Management, ITS
Wendy Poag, Instructional Designer, CIRT
Rosemary Ponce Ferguson, Director, Employee Labor Relations, Human Resources
Dirk Small, Assistant Director, Enterprise Systems, ITS
Katherine Tavuzhnyanskiy, Associate Director Care Services, Office of the Dean of Students
Ally Tween, Junior IT Security Engineer, Information Security
Joshua Urbizu, Stores Receivable Supervisor, University Housing
Kendall Wheeler, Assistant Director, Enterprise Applications, Enterprise Systems, ITS
 
Goodbye
The following employees have left UNF recently:
Hether Celetti, Coordinator, Board Relations
Charlsea Clark, Coordinator, Administrative Services, NCAA Compliance
Jerry Letterman, Custodial Supervisor, Physical Facilities
Danny Lopez, Development Associate, Major Gifts
Dwan Love-Dinkens, Coordinator, LGBTQ Center
Jennifer Miranda, Associate Director, Student Affairs, Fraternity and Sorority Life
Sushilkumar Sreekumar, Instructor, Physics
Paul Stewart, Director, Facilities Planning
Tiffany Sukys, Academic Advisor, Brooks College of Health
Janice Wood, Faculty Administrator, Florida Institute of Education

Swoop Summary

Hendricksen Signs with Czarni in Poland
After putting together one of the best careers in North Florida men's basketball history, Carter Hendricksen inks his first professional contract after signing to play with Czarni Slupsk in Poland. Learn more about Hendricksen's UNF career.
 
Harrison, McCarty Named to AVCA Beach Volleyball 30 Under 30 List
UNF beach volleyball has two coaches tabbed to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Beach Volleyball 30 Under 30 List. North Florida's Antonia Harrison and Madilyn McCarty both made the list, as the alums helped North Florida to its fourth-straight 20-plus win season. Learn more about their backgrounds.
 
Joe Mercadante, Head Coach, UNF BaseballMercadante Named Fourth Head Coach in UNF Baseball History
The fourth head coach in UNF baseball's 36-year history is Joe Mercadante. A native of Gainesville, Mercadante has extensive Florida roots having spent 17 years in coaching within the Sunshine State across five different collegiate programs at the Division I, high school and travel ball levels. Learn more about Mercadante's coaching background.
 
UNF Paces ASUN With Six Teams Achieving Perfect Honor Roll Status
Coming off a record semester in the classroom with a department-high GPA of 3.57, North Florida Athletics added the distinction as the only ASUN school with six programs touting all student-athletes on the honor roll. Learn more about the UNF Athletics ASUN honor roll achievements.
 
Volleyball Announces 30-Match Schedule
North Florida volleyball releases its full 2023 schedule, featuring 30 matches, 14 at home and two non-conference tournaments at the UNF Arena as the Ospreys get ready for the 33rd year of team competition. Learn more about the upcoming volleyball season.
 
Lodise Named Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American
After finishing in or around the top ten among freshmen nationwide in a number of statistical categories, Alex Lodise was named to the Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American Team for his performance with UNF baseball in 2023. Learn more about Lodise's groundbreaking freshman season.