Florida was named the top state in the country for higher education by U.S. News & World Report. It has held the ranking for seven years.
The University of North Florida is proud to be one of the state's 12 public universities.
For the rankings, U.S. News & World Report considered metrics including four-year graduation rates, cost of in-state tuition and fees, and the level of debt students carry at graduation.
Florida continues to rank No. 1 for having the lowest tuition and fees.
Read more on the Florida State University System website.
The University of North Florida is ranked among the nation’s Best Graduate Schools by U.S. News & World Report for 2023-24. UNF is highly recognized for excellence in healthcare management (No. 60) and nursing (No. 101).
Other UNF distinctions on the list include:
Best Schools:
Learn more about UNF's latest ranking by U.S. News & World Report for 2023-24.
Bennett, who received a UNF master’s degree in music education on Friday, was also honored in January with the 2023 Florida Music Education Association’s (FMEA) Exemplary Music Program Award for his work with the steel band at Otis A. Mason Elementary School in St. Augustine. The achievement marked a prestigious milestone for Bennett and the steel band community, as it’s the first time a steel band program was honored by the FMEA in a major category.
“That was an incredible experience for me because I had never received an award from a state music organization,” said Bennett. “It’s a huge honor for my career.”
Bennett expressed that his instrument of choice, the steel pan (commonly referred to as a steel drum), is often viewed as a novelty in some academic and professional circles.
His musical journey began at an early age in his hometown of St. Augustine, Fla., when he started taking piano lessons from a neighbor who was a concert pianist. Bennett eventually moved on to playing the saxophone before picking up the French horn, which he continued playing during his undergraduate studies at Jacksonville University and abroad at the New Zealand School of Music.
After graduating from JU with a bachelor’s degree in music composition, Bennett began teaching music in 2013 at Ortega Elementary School. During his second year of teaching, he started a steel band program after a recommendation from a colleague. He immediately became the only steel band director in Northeast Florida — which he remains today.
He earned a professional development scholarship in 2017 from the Florida Elementary Music Association, which afforded him the opportunity to meet Ellie Mannette, the father of steel pan music. at the Ellie Mannette Festival of Steel. The encounter remains a highlight of Bennett’s life and career as he recalls Mannette, encouraging him to keep the art form of the steel pan alive.
“When the man who invented the first steel pan out of an oil barrel tells you to keep the steel pan alive in Florida, you do it,” Bennett said.
In 2019, Bennett began teaching at Otis A. Mason Elementary and now teaches at Callahan Intermediate School. He hopes to one day teach steel band at the collegiate level. For now, he enjoys introducing children to this one-of-a-kind instrument.
“In a world of technology and instant gratification, I enjoy teaching elementary students how to work hard and play live music together,” he said.
Bennett’s capstone project was writing a method book on the steel pan. He also performs his music on Friday nights at the Jacksonville Zoo.
More about Shaun:I wanted to continue my education so that someday I may be able to teach steel pan on the college level. I researched the music education master's program and really liked the structure of the program.
What have you enjoyed most about the University?
The people. I've enjoyed my professors and the graduate music education cohort. I've met some really great musicians in this program.
What professional or campus clubs/organizations/activities are you involved in?
I am a member of the National Society of Steel Band Educators, FMEA and I also serve as an advisor to the Paul and Linda Kahn Foundation.
What’s the best advice you received?
Find something you love, find a way to make money doing it and you'll never work a day in your life. - Advice from Mom
What is a fun fact about you many people may not know?
Even though I'm not from the Caribbean, I did grow up on an island. I grew up on Anastasia Island in St. Augustine where my family goes back several generations.
One of UNF's most cherished assets just got an upgrade.
The University's Nature Trails, part of the Department of Recreation and Wellness, are open sunrise to sunset daily and available for public use — and certainly for students, faculty and staff to enjoy!
Named for past UNF professor Dr. Robert W. Loftin, the trails continue to foster his vision of natural preservation and protection of UNF’s natural habitat. Loftin, along with the Sawmill Slough Conservation Club, faculty, staff and community members, established UNF’s original 12-mile nature trail system on campus in early 1973.
The boardwalks and bridge needed numerous repairs, and in 2021-22, under the leadership of then Student Body President Selma Besirevic and Vice President John Grosso (now UNF's current SG President), Student Government gave their support for repairs as a Capital Improvement Trust Fund project. The $1 million project included the demolition and replacement of several boardwalk sections across the trail system, renovation of the bridge over Lake Oneida, and a conceptual drawing for a future Eco Adventure facility.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Attention Faculty and Staff!
You're invited to help celebrate the success of the Workday implementation thus far and discuss plans moving forward with the OspreyRising project team members and UNF President Moez Limayem. Light breakfast snacks and coffee will be served.
Date: Wednesday, May 24
Time: 9:30 - 11 a.m.
Location: Osprey Commons (Talon Room)
Dr. Chung-Ping (Albert) Loh is the associate dean of faculty, administration and research in the Coggin College of Business. He previously served as chairperson of the Department of Economics and Geography from 2016-2021. As a professor of economics, he has taught courses in econometrics, business and economics statistics, managerial economics and more. His early research focused on the economic modeling of health behaviors and labor market decisions before extending to program evaluation, medical tourism, demography and environmental topics. In addition to his role as an associate dean, he is also the director of the Local Economic Indicators Project (LEIP).
Congrats to Dr. Adel ElSafty, professor of civil engineering at UNF, who recently received the 2023 Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institution (PCI) Distinguished Educator Award at the 2023 PCI Convention!
Print+: Sameness and Otherness in Contemporary PrintMedia
Exhibition on view through Aug. 27; MOCA Jacksonville
Free admission for UNF employees and one guest. UNF Associate Professor, artist and curator Sheila Goloborotko continues her exploration of how artists of today are expanding the printmaking process. Learn more about the exhibition. (© Sara Carter, Protective Hairstyle, 2016. Screenprint and Kanekalon. Courtesy of the artist.)
Contemporary Cartographies
Exhibition on view now through Oct. 15; MOCA Jacksonville
Free admission for UNF employees and one guest.
This exhibition includes works from MOCA Jacksonville's permanent collection, complemented by loans from local and national artists, charting their surrounding landscape both literally and figuratively. Learn more about the exhibition.
Othello Auditions
Auditions are held throughout the month of May
Attention faculty, staff and alums, professor Will Pewitt is hosting auditions for a multilingual production of Othello occurring in November. Sign up online, or if unable to audition in person, upload an audition video to the submission form. For more information, including setting up an audition date and time, contact professor Pewitt at will.pewitt@unf.edu.
Botanical Garden Tour
Saturday, May 13, 10 - 11:30 a.m., Thomas G. Carpenter Library
Take a relaxing stroll with a garden guide through the botanical gardens. The tour will start on the east side of the Thomas G. Carpenter Library. Discover the beauty and diversity of our cultivated plant collections, visit the Peace, Bamboo and Healing Gardens, and more. Each tour will be a unique experience as we observe the gardens’ progression throughout the growing season.
CIRT Event: Refworks Integrated with Word365
Monday, May 15, noon - 1 p.m., Virtual
Whether you have a UNF RefWorks account or are new to the Refworks citation manager tool, Dan Feinberg, online learning librarian, invites you to learn about how Refworks’ functions and its features to help keep you organized and collaborating throughout the research and publishing processes. Learn more about Refworks and register online.
CIRT Event: Accessibility in Canvas
Monday, May 22, 1 - 2 p.m., 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 accessibility in Canvas and register online.
The class learned about adaptive feeding equipment for people with different abilities. Dr. Colin says that introducing students to various equipment available for people with different abilities allows them to gain an understanding of what it's like for those with different abilities to cook and maneuver in the kitchen. "It helps students to be able to think of how they will tailor their nutrition interventions to the individual and treat their patients and clients with care and respect," she said.
The 2023 Scholars Transforming Academic Research Symposium (STARS) Faculty Research Poster Competition, in April featured 22 entries throughout the University. Two categories were featured including Tenured Faculty and Junior Tenure-Track Faculty. Winners received a Faculty and Staff Choice Award that included $3500. This year's winners were Dr. Andrea Gaytan Cuesta (Junior Tenure-Track Faculty) and Dr. Chau Kelly (Tenured Faculty).
The following faculty participated in this year's competition.
College of Arts and Sciences
Art, Art History and Design
Jenny Hager, professor of sculpture, exhibited her work, “Rust and Satin,” at the Invitational International Exhibition, “Fe,” Neon Gallery, The Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design, in Wroclaw, Poland. Curators: Susanne Kähler, Albrecht Pyritz, Susanne Roewer, Jonas Togler, special thanks to Elisabeth Bartel. February 2023.
Jason John, associate professor of painting, contributed to the Spring Invitational in March at the Union Street Gallery, March, in Chicago Heights, Illinois. His work was on the promotional poster in February 2023.
Dr. Stephen Heywood, professor of ceramics, presented, “Earth and Fire,” at the National Juried Exhibition at the Stifel Fine Arts Center, in Wheeling, West Virginia, in February.
Criminology
Dr. Jennifer Wesely, professor of criminology and criminal justice, was selected as one of two finalists for the Campus Compact’s Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award. The award, presented in partnership with Brown University’s Swearer Center, recognizes senior faculty who practice exemplary engaged scholarship through teaching and research. Recipients are selected on the basis of their collaboration with communities, institutional impact and high-quality academic work.
English
Dr. James Beasley, associate professor of English, presented the paper, "Counterstory, Social Circulation, and Transfer for Social Action," as part of the panel, "HBCU's and Historically Black Community Activisms” at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, in Chicago, Illinois, in February.
Dr. Nicholas de Villiers, professor of English and film, gave an invited talk, "Melancholy Ruins, 'Ruin Porn,' and Queer Kinship in Tsai Ming-liang’s Stray Dogs and Afternoon" at the Boston Cinema/Media Seminar (online) in February.
Dr. Nicholas de Villiers also gave an invited talk, "Sleep as Worlding: Tsai Ming-liang" at the Sociability of Sleep research project Sleep Salon (McGill University, online) in February, as well as the another invited talk, "Tsai Ming-liang’s Days: Sex Work as Care Work, Bounded Authenticity, and Slow Cinema," at the Wolf Conference 2023 Temporal Mediations in Digital Capitalism at the University of Pennsylvania in February.
Dr. Maureen McCluskey, English instructor, directed “Mayo Clinic Valentine’s Day XOXO Show,” performed at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville campus and streamed live to Mayo Clinic’s Arizona and Minnesota campuses, February 2023.
Marcus Pactor, associate English instructor, published "I Cherish the Act of Sentencing: Marcus Pactor Interviews Lance Olsen" in Heavy Feather Review, February.
Music
Dr. Michael Bovenzi, associate professor of music, performed at the International Conference for Saxophone Pedagogy and Performance, hosted by the University of Florida on February 24-25, 2023. Dr. Bovenzi premiered a new work for the saxophone quartet he commissioned by colleague Dr. Joshua Tomlinson. This marked the inaugural performance of Dr. Bovenzi’s chamber group, The Extremity Quartet, which also performed at a recital at UNF on April 24. Conference presenters consisted of professionals and music faculty from France, Argentina, China, Thailand, Canada, England, Scotland, Spain and Italy, among others.
Dr. Joshua Tomlinson, instructor and area coordinator of music technology and production, contributed to the Flute septet "Name a Shrub after Me" (commissioned by Dr. Sarah Jane Young), which was performed by Ensemble 126 at UNF's first-ever Flute Choir Day conference in February.
Political Science & Public Administration
Dr. Joshua C. Gellers, associate professor of political science, gave a talk entitled “The Case for Robot Rights” at the North Florida Philosophy Slams at Sahara Café and Bar in Jacksonville. Dr. Gellers also delivered a presentation on “Rights-Based Approaches to Environmental Protection” to students in Dr. Dale Casamatta’s Introduction to Environmental Studies course in February.
Psychology
Dr. Elizabeth R. Brown, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. Curtis E. Phills, assistant professor of psychology, along with their student Sadana Mukundan, presented a poster entitled "Are Diversity-Related Events Enough? The Role of Representation and Leadership in Perceptions that Universities Value Diversity and their Faculty, Staff, and Students Belong" at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Elizabeth R. Brown and Jessica A. McKay (graduate student) presented a poster entitled "A New Mindset: The Effects of a Strategic Mindset on Women Under Stereotype Threat" at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Elizabeth R. Brown and Roshonda Bissainthe (graduate student) presented a poster entitled "Eye of the Tiger: Does Cultural Mismatch Affect Evaluation of Graduate Program Brochure?" at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Elizabeth R. Brown and Ziena Baker (undergraduate student), Sadana Mukundan (undergraduate student), Mallory Wood (recent graduate of UNF) presented a poster entitled "Diversity is differences and equity is equality: Publicly perceived definitions of diversity, equity, and identity from a DEI museum exhibit" at the annual Florida Undergraduate Research Conference in Miami, Florida.
Elizabeth R. Brown and Sadana Mukundan (undergraduate student), Jessica McKay (graduate student), and Xylie Miller (recent graduate of UNF) presented another poster at theFlorida Undergraduate Research Conference in Miami entitled "The role of institutional commitment in fulfilling communal goals."
Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work
Dr. Jackie Meier, assistant professor of anthropology, published "'Well' off in animals: A taphonomic history of faunal resources and refuses from a well feature at Petsas House, Mycenae (Greece)," with her co-authors in the journal PLoS One.
Dr. Jackie Meier along with her co-authors published “Distinguishing Palatial from Autonomous Subsistence Provisioning With Zooarchaeological and Isotopic Analyses at Petsas House, Mycenae (Late Helladic IIIA2), in Food Provisioning in Complex Societies.” Proceedings of the 12th Meeting of the International Council of Archaeozoology, Sept. 22-27, 2014.
College of Education and Human Services
Dr. Amanda Pascale, chair and associate professor in Leadership, School Counseling and Sport Management, has been awarded the 2022-2023 Katherine M. Kasten Doctoral Advising and Mentoring Award. This award seeks to acknowledge Dr. Katherine M. Kasten’s legacy and highlights her innovative, excellent and effective advising and mentoring over the years. Dr. Katherine Kasten, fondly known as Kathe, joined UNF in 1988, and later served as dean of the College of Education and Human Services at UNF from 1995 to August 2004.
Link: UNF: Katherine M. Kasten Doctoral Advising and Mentoring Award
Dr. Diane Yendol-Hoppey, professor in the College of Education and Human Services, was awarded the prestigious Hans C. Olsen Distinguished Teacher Educator Award at this year’s Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Conference. The Hans C. Olsen Award for the Distinguished Teacher Educator was established by ATE to honor those individuals who embody the ATE teacher educator standards and those whose contributions to the preparation of teachers are worthy of special recognition.
Link: UNF: COEHS professor honored with ATE’s distinguished teacher educator award
Dr. Elizabeth Hale Rozas, assistant professor of literacy, was awarded the Exemplary PK20 Boundary Spanner at the NAPDS Conference in Jacksonville. This NAPDS award recognizes an individual who is exemplary in meeting Essential 8 where the individual moves beyond the responsibilities of one’s job to impact a third space. Boundary spanners are situated in a “third space” between university and PK12 settings and are not bound solely by the traditions or responsibilities of any one institution. An exemplary PK20 boundary spanner innovates the systems or practices to enhance the learning of all of those involved in the partnership.
Dr. Daniel Dinsmore, professor and associate dean in the College of Education and Human Services, recently published an article with co-author Luke Fryer from the University of Hong Kong entitled, “Critical Thinking and Its Relation to Strategic Processing,” in a special issue on critical thinking in Educational Psychology Review (IF 8.7), March 2023.
Dr. Rakesh K. Maurya, assistant professor in the Department of Leadership, School Counseling and Sport Management, with co-author Amanda C. DeDiego, assistant professor of counselling at the University of Wyoming, published “Exploring the relationship between secondary traumatic stress, professional identity and career factors for counsellors” in Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, March 2023.
Dr. Matthew Ohlson, associate professor of leadership and director of the Taylor Leadership Institute, presented “Impact of Leadership Development of Women Coaches' Mentoring Efficacy” with Drs. Amanda Pascale and Elizabeth Gregg and doctoral student Ana-Roman Dominguez at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) National Conference. Boston, MA. Dr. Matthew Ohlson also presented “University Student-Athlete Mentoring Program in a Title 1 Professional Development School” with Dr. Gibbs from Tiger Academy at the National Association of Professional Development Schools National Conference in Jacksonville.
Dr. Matthew Ohlson also established a multi-level career readiness and certification/collaboration with the Taylor Leadership Institute, the Ritz Carlton and Franklin Covey Higher Education. This program will create a hiring pipeline for some of the top students throughout the University.
Dr. Tara Rowe, associate director of THRIVE and SAS, hosted the annual Florida Division on Career Development and Transition state conference in Jacksonville in April bringing more than 350 educators together to collaborate and share best practices in transition and special education.
Dr. Jamey Burns, director of Partnerships and Clinical Studies in the College of Education and Health Services, presented “Critical Curation: Curation as an Instructional Design Tool in a Scripted Curricula Era” at the 2023 Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Rebecca Burns, director of Clinical Practice and Educational Partnerships in the College of Education and Human Services, presented “How to Publish Your Work from the Clinical Fellows Symposium” and “Using the Continuum for ATE’s Clinical Experience Standards to Improve Your Clinical Experience Program” at the 2023 Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Kim Cheeks, associate professor and program director in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, gave an oral presentation titled “What Beginning Teacher Candidates Think They Need to Know to Engage in Culturally Responsive Teaching” at the 2023 Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting in March in Jacksonville.
Rachelle Curcio, assistant professor of teacher education, presented “A Transformational Coaching Academy: Who’s Coaching the Coach?”, as well as “Navigating the complexities of partnership research: Insight from the evolution of partnering”; and “The Virtual Summer Reading Retreat: A Space for Teacher Educator Learning” at the NAPDS 2023 National conference in Jacksonville. Additionally, Curcio presented “Looking Back to Imagine Moving Forward: Preparing for the Next Decade of Clinical Fellows” at the 2023 Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Luke Cornelius, associate professor in the Department of Leadership, School Counseling and Sport Management, attended the National Education Finance Academy annual conference in April along with five current HEA graduate students and two HEA alumni. Dr. Cornelius and HEA student Beth Strogoff presented “Governance, Funding and Academic Policy in Florida: Becoming Un-Woke, concerning recent legislative enactments affecting higher education in Florida and the litigation surrounding them.”
Dr. Shaqwana Freeman-Green, associate professor in the Department of Exceptional, Deaf and Interpreter Education, presented “Addressing Systemic Inequities: A Collaborative Approach” at the 2023 Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Jeania Jones, instructor and faculty-in-residence in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, presented “Teaching Black Elementary Students: The Impact of Lived Experiences and Teacher Practices for PWI and HBCU Interns on their Understanding and Self-Efficacy of Culturally Responsive Teaching” at the 2023 Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Megan Lynch, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, presented “Recruitment and Retention within a PDS: Where have we been? Where are we headed?” at the NAPDS 2023 National Conference.
Shaundricka Medlock, adjunct in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, presented “Teacher Efficacy: ‘Who’s Driving the Bus?” at the NAPDS 2023 National Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Paul Parkison, associate professor and chair in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, presented “Recognizing the Diverse Expertise of Teacher Educators: A Leadership Challenge” at the NAPDS 2023 National Conference in Jacksonville. Additionally, Parkison presented “Cognitive Liberation: A Space for Eccentric Teacher Preparation” and "12-years a Chair: Lessons Learned” at the 2023 Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Deborah Reed, associate instructor in the Department of Exceptional, Deaf and Interpreter Education, presented “The Clinical Center for our Teacher Education Efforts: Implications of the Pandemic for School-University Partnerships” at the NAPDS 2023 Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Haley Reinheimer, COEHS accreditation coordinator, and graduate assistant Samantha Feaster, presented “Florida accreditation: A case study for the legal, policy, and financial ramifications of changing accreditors” at the 13th Annual National Conference for the National Education Finance Academy in April.
Dr. Nile Stanley, associate professor of literacy and arts education, and founding board member of Hope at Hand, Inc., Steffani Fletcher and Jamie Rosseland, presented a workshop “Adapting to Meet the Needs of Youth During a Pandemic Through Poetry & Art" at the National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 67, at Georgia Southern University, Savannah, GA.
Dr. Michael Stultz, associate instructor in the Department of Exceptional, Deaf, and Interpreter Education, presented “Science in ASL Facebook Page” at the STEM Sign Language Lexicon Founders and Leaders Workshop in Washington D.C. in March.
Dr. Madalina Tanase, associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, presented “The Challenges and Benefits of Online Instruction: Navigating the Rough Waters of Teaching College Classes During the COVID-19 Pandemic” at the ATE Annual Meeting in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Diane Yendol-Hoppey, professor in the College of Education and Human Services, presented “Our Journey Through 30 Years of PDS Dissertations: What We Know, What We Want to Know and Why it Matters” at the NAPDS Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Carolyne Ali-Khan, associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, and Dr. John White, professor of English education and adolescent literacy, presented "Doing Harm to Students and Teachers via State-Censorship and the Self-Silencing of Discussions About the Body" in a Multiple Paper Session at the ATE Annual Meeting in March in Jacksonville.
Wendy Baker, clinical program manager in the Department of Exceptional, Deaf and Interpreter Education, Alexandra Capobianco, Roshanda Jones, Shaundricka Medlock, adjunct professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, and Wildalynn Thomas, adjunct professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, presented “Clinical Practice Meetings: Reimagining Meetings as Collaborative Professional Learning Spaces in PDSs” at the NAPDS 2023 National Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Wendy Baker, clinical program manager in the Department of Exceptional, Deaf, and Interpreter Education, Dr. Katrina Hall, associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, and Dr. Megan Lynch, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Teaching, Learning & Curriculum, presented “Concept Maps as a Method of Understanding: Teacher Educators’ Perceptions of Opportunity Gaps in Clinical Practice” at the ATE Annual Meeting in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Kim Cheek, associate professor and program director in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, and Jeania Jones, instructor and faculty-in-residence in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, presented “What Beginning Teacher Candidates Think They Need to Know to Engage in Culturally Responsive Teaching: Implications for Teacher Educators” at the ATE Annual Meeting in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Rebecca West Burns, professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, along with Adrien Malek-Lasater, Dr. Paul Parkison, associate professor and chair in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, Dr. Nile Stanley, associate professor of literacy and arts education, and Dr. Raven-Robinson-Wilson, assistant professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, presented “Challenging the Status Quo: Implementing Faculty Instructional Teams for Teacher Candidate Success” at the NAPDS 2023 National Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Inger McGee, director of assessment research in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, presented “Give a Little Whistle! And Always Let Your Data be Your Guide in Continuous Improvement” at the ATE Annual Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Adrien Malek-Lasater, assistant professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, Dr. Natalie Badgett, assistant professor in the Department of Exceptional, Deaf and Interpreter Education, Gigi David and Maria Beattie, lead child development teacher at the UNF Preschool, presented “Escaping Philosophical Silos: Collaborations Between Constructivist and Behaviorist Principles to Support Teacher’s Addressing Challenging Behaviors” at the ATE Annual Meeting in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Raven Robinson-Wilson, assistant professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, Dari’onna May, MacKenzie Paternostro and Asher Verdi presented “Strengthening the Teacher Pipeline: Cultivating Self-Regulatory Practices through a Collaborative Inquiry” at the NAPDS 2023 National Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Rebecca West Burns, professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, and Megan Lynch, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, presented “Being Troublemakers: Learning and Leading the Mentor Teacher Book Club” at the NAPDS 2023 National Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Katrina Hall, associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, along with Katherine Herndon, student assistant in the Department of Psychology, and Roberta Thomas presented “A Shared Inquiry into the Pandemic’s Effects on Montessori Early Classrooms in the US and Italy: Forging Relationships in the Third Space” at the NAPDS 2023 National Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Katrina Hall, associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, along with Jordyn Iannone and Lydia Lee presented “Constructing Third Spaces: School Leaders, Mentor Teachers, University faculty and Preservice Teachers Partnering to Support Students' Learning and their Own” at the NAPDS Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. David Hoppey, associate professor of Education in the Department of Exceptional, Deaf and Interpreter Education, and Dr. Megan McMillian, postdoctoral associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, presented “Enhancing Program Coherence within a Special Education Teacher Preparation Program: Glows and Grows” at the NAPDS 2023 National Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. David Hoppey, associate professor of Education in the Department of Exceptional, Deaf and Interpreter Education, and Dr. Katrina Hall, associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, presented “School-University Partnerships Journal Information Session” at the NAPDS 2023 National Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Eric Jackson, urban scholar program assistant in the College of Education and Human Services, Dr. Megan Lynch, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, and Mariann Ocamp presented “Teacher Candidates’ Perspectives of Learning to Teach in an Urban Education Program" at the NAPDS 2023 National Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Megan McMillan, postdoctoral associate in the College of Education and Human Services, and Isabella Birtolo presented “Laying the Foundation for a PDS Partnership Centering Special Education: Sharing Multiple Perspectives” at the NAPDS 2023 National Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Deborah Reed, associate instructor in the Department of Exceptional, Deaf and Interpreter Education, along with Jorge Castillo, Casey Chalk, Leah Guertin, Arien Peppers-Harrison and Marlena Jenkins, graduate assistant in the College of Education and Human Services, presented “Using the PDS framework to develop a clinical practice model for preparing Disability Service providers” at the NAPDS 2023 National Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Dr. Elizabeth Hale Rozas, assistant professor of literacy, and Kelly Harrell, reading interventionist at Tiger Academy, presented “Iready or not? An Examination of Reading Level Differences between computer based reading assessments and running records” at the 2023 National Association for Professional Development Schools in Jacksonville.
Dr. Elizabeth Hale Rozas and Alex Capobianco, RCF at Tiger Academy, presented “Improving Classroom Libraries and Independent Reading: Differentiated Coaching in a PDS School” at the 2023 National Association for Professional Development Schools in Jacksonville.
Dr. Elizabeth Hale Rozas with colleagues Xavier Rozas, director of professional learning and STEP lab director, Dr. Kim Cheek, associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, and Dr. Hongyang Zhao, postdoctoral associate professor in the College of Education and Human Services, presented “Solve, Tinker, Explore, Play: Enriching College of Education and District Partnerships through the Evolution of a Cross-Curricular University STEM Lab” at the 2023 National Association for Professional Development Schools in Jacksonville.
Wanda Lastrapes, faculty administrator in the College of Education and Human Services, and Dr. Hope (Bess) Wilson, professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, presented “Utilizing a Teacher Residency Service-Learning Model to Impact Student Achievement in High-Needs Schools” at the ATE Annual Conference in March in Jacksonville.
Jade Yuen, manager of outreach, recruitment and retention in the College of Education and Human Services, and Dr. Terence Cavanaugh, professor in the Department of Leadership, School Counseling and Sport Management, presented “Analysis of Effectiveness of Recruiting Online vs. In-Person” at the ATE Annual Meeting in March in Jacksonville.
Center for Community-Based Learning
Dr. Justin Sipes, director of the Center for Community-Based Learning, co-facilitated a pre-conference session, "Certification for Student Affairs Educators Core Boot Camp", at the NASPA Annual Conference in Boston, MA. He also presented a concurrent session, "Carnegie Elective Community Engagement Classification: A Tool to Bridge the Divide". In addition, Sipes was part of the SA Series committee and coordinated the SA Stories special session, where seven practitioners told personal stories of their experiences in higher education.
Dr. Justin Sipes is also a member of the executive committee for the Gulf-South Summit, where he oversees the conference assessment process. As part of the 2023 Gulf-South Summit, Sipes was a panelist for the pre-conference session, "Service-Learning Administration 101."
Rachel Paul, Osprey community ambassador, was recognized as a Newman Civic Fellow for 2023-2024 through national Campus Compact. Newman Civic Fellowship is a year-long program that recognizes and supports student public problem solvers at Campus Compact member institutions. Fellows are nominated by their university president based on their potential for public leadership and their work with communities. Throughout the fellowship year, students have opportunities to nurture their assets and create a network of connected and engaged student leaders who can support one another.
Milestones
North Florida Athletics is excited to welcome Erika Lambert as the new head coach of UNF women's basketball. Lambert has over a decade of coaching experience at the collegiate level. Learn more about Coach Lambert.Here's a few upcoming events:
