Inside UNF — February 9, 2024
- UNF breaks ground on new Honors Residence Hall
- UNF ranked among the nation's top 2024 Best Online Programs
- Staff Spotlight: Julien Carter
- UNF alums recognized by Jacksonville Mayor
- UNF receives 2023 Greatness Award for Student Success
- Sculpture Exhibit at JIA
- Scenes from Homecoming Week 2024
- UNF leaders receive prestigious awards
- Faculty Feature: Dr. Tru Leverette Hall
- Osprey Profile: Victoria (Vic) Hayes
- Cutting-edge education
- Suggested readings and resources for Black History Month
- Inside News Roundup
- Faculty and Staff News
- Dateline
- Free Things to Do
- Swoop Summary
UNF ranked among the nation's top 2024 Best Online Programs
Staff Spotlight: Julien Carter
- Work with campus leadership and stakeholders to attract and retain university talent;
- Streamline HR business processes; and,
- Provide outstanding service to our university stakeholders.
UNF alums recognized by Jacksonville Mayor
UNF receives 2023 Greatness Award for Student Success
Sculpture Exhibit at JIA
Scenes from Homecoming Week 2024
Homecoming 2024 is here Ospreys! Take a look below at some of the fun events that have taken place on campus this week. View a list of upcoming events that you don't want to miss.
UNF leaders receive prestigious awards
UNF VP and CIO Brian Verkamp named CIO of the Year
Brian VerKamp, UNF’s vice president and chief information officer was named CIO of the Year in the education category at the 2024 Florida ORBIE Awards ceremony.
Teresa Nichols honored as a 2024 Woman of Influence
Teresa Nichols, vice president of University Development and Alumni Engagement for the University of North Florida, has been named a Woman of Influence by the Jacksonville Business Journal.
Faculty Feature: Dr. Tru Leverette Hall
Osprey Profile: Victoria (Vic) Hayes
Cutting-edge education
Suggested readings and resources for Black History Month
- The Bondwoman's Narrative by Hannah Crafts, Henry Louis Gates Jr. (2002)
- AfroFuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture by Ytasha Womack (2013)
- Black Boy (1945) and Native Son by Richard Wright (1940)
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982)
- March: Book One by John Lewis (2013)
- Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (1993)
- Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston (2018)
- Queen Bess: The Life of Bessie Coleman
- Fellowship & Community: African American Fraternal Organizations
- Selections from the Rodney L. Hurst, Sr. Papers
- The Eartha M.M. White VR Experience
- MLK: Now is the Time
- Time: The March 360
- Timesnap: The Fugitive Slave Law
- Traveling While Black
- The People’s House: Inside the White House with Barack and Michele Obama
Inside News Roundup
The University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab (PORL) has been named the 12th best pollster in America by 538, a prestigious pollster rating group owned by ABC News. The rating is based on empirical accuracy and methodological transparency. Accuracy is measured by the average error and average bias of a pollster's polls and transparency is quantified by how much information each pollster released about how every poll was conducted since 2016. Read more about this prestigious honor.
UNF President Limayem has designated two days off for budgeted employees during spring break 2024. All support, law enforcement, administrative, nine- and 12-month faculty and executive service employees will receive paid holiday leave for the last two days of spring break: Thursday, March 21, and Friday, March 22. Note from HR: The designated holidays can be recorded as “regular holiday” for employees completing timesheets. To be paid for any holiday, an eligible employee must be in a “paid status” the day before the holiday, and still an active employee the day after the holiday. “Paid status” means the employee is either at work or using accrued leave time.
Faculty and Staff News
Office of Experiential Learning
UNF Interpreting Program
Dateline
Congratulations to the following employees with a milestone anniversary in January 2024:
25 Years
Donald Barker, Associate Director, Institute of Police Technology and Management
Cheresa Boston, Assistant VP Research, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
20 Years
Frank Brown, Senior Floor Care Worker, Custodial Services
Olivia Daniels, Senior Custodial Supervisor, Custodial Services
15 Years
Paige Lilley, Director, Graduate School
10 Years
Nathaniel Swanson, Cloud Architect III, Systems Engineering
5 Years
Lamar Boyde, Academic Support Services Specialist, Interdisciplinary Studies
India Hamilton, Accessibility Services Specialist, Student Accessibility Services
Gary Sessoms, Senior Custodial Worker, Custodial Services
Welcome
The following employees were either hired by UNF or were promoted from OPS positions recently:
Elizabeth Aiken, Administrative, Education and Human Services
Nadine Amador, Student Financial Aid Coordinator, Financial Aid Office
Seff Ali, Coordinator IT Support, Service Management
Joseph Burton, Office Manager, Accounting and Finance
Julien Carter, Assistant VP, CHRO, Human Resources
Dyllan Cole, Instructor, College of Arts and Sciences
Magdalena Emary, Coordinator Facilities Management, Facilities and Grounds
Carolyn Floyd, Custodial Worker, Custodial Services
Enkelida Frasheri, Student Financial Services Specialist, Controller
Donald Gabrelcik, Assistant Men's Golf Coach, Athletics
Juliette Guido, Instructor, College of Arts and Sciences
Taylor Harrison, Lecturer, Biology
Kevin Hozey, Assistant Director Academic Advising Services, Undergraduate Studies Academic Advising
Trevor Hunsworth, Instructor, College of Arts and Sciences
Tracy Jones Jr., Custodial Worker, Custodial Services
Sokphally Ky, Instructor, College of Arts and Sciences
Yasmeen Merriweather, Coordinator Training, CIRT
Mihana Mitchell, Assistant Professor, College of Arts and Sciences
Camille Modesto, Instructor, College of Arts and Sciences
Emerson Murphy Jr., Instructional Designer, CIRT
Jillian Payne, Admissions Events Specialist, Admissions
Katie Penkala, Instructor, College of Arts and Sciences
Katie Peters, Lecturer, Biology
Aleksa Racunica, Coordinator IT Support, Service Management
Nancy Rigsby, Coordinator Employment, Human Resources
Jennifer Roberts, Instructor, College of Arts and Sciences
Ahsan Shareef, ERP Analyst I, Enterprise Systems
Terry Shurling, Maintenance Mechanic, MOCA-Po and M-Bldg Maintenance
Scott Solice, Data Warehouse Report Writer II, Enterprise Systems
Robert Talbert, Instructor, College of Arts and Sciences
Melissa Titus, Instructor, Nursing PIPELINE
Vladimir Tkach, Custodial Worker, Custodial Services
Oliver Uson, Custodial Worker, Custodial Services
Elizabeth Vazquez, Office Manager, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Sara Wenger, Instructional Designer, CIRT
Great Job
The following employees were recently promoted:
Wendy Baker, Director Clinical Practice, College of Education and Human Services
Armisha Bartley, Custodial Supervisor, Custodial Services
Delores Irvin, Coordinator Academic Support Services, Psychology
Robert Keyser, Manager IT Support, Project Management Office
Tiffany King, Assistant Director of Grant Management, Urban Internship
Jennifer Muller, Manager Project Portfolios, Project Management Office
Kyle Patterson, Director Housing Operations, University Housing
Robert Rose, Senior Instructional Designer, CIRT
Brandon Row, Assistant Volleyball Coach, Athletics
Jaycie Wegner, Assistant Director Development and Events, Athletics
Free Things to Do
A Retrospective: Mary Ann Bryan
Exhibit on view now through Feb. 23, UNF Gallery of Art
The Department of Art, Art History and Design and the College of Arts and Sciences invites the Osprey community to visit the UNF Gallery of Art to enjoy "A Retrospective: Mary Ann Bryan," an exhibition offering a retrospective of the impressive career of renowed artist and fifth generation Floridian Mary Ann Bryan, who passed away in 2023. Many of the works displayed have never been exhibited out of the family home.
A Walk on the Wild Side
Exhibit on view now through July 7, MOCA Jacksonville
Comprised of nearly 700 objects in all media, The Norman Fisher Collection is one of MOCA's most significant holdings. It was donated to the museum in 1979 by the family of Jacksonville native Norman E. Fisher. Learn more about this expansive exhibition. (RICHARD “DICKIE” LANDRY, Einstein on the beach, Knee II, 1976. Gelatin silver print. © Richard “Dickie” Landry. Used by permission.)
Homecoming Village
Saturday, Feb. 10, 11:30 a.m., Osprey Plaza (Outside UNF Arena)
Attend this family-friendly event that features this year's Homecoming shirts, along with yard games, food trucks and much more. Learn more about this fun event hosted by the UNF Alumni Association.
Robert Daly: "U.S. - China Relations"
Tuesday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m., Adam W. Herbert University Center
Robert Daly is the director of the Kissinger Institute on China and The United States at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars. He has interpreted for Chinese leaders including Jiang Zemin and American Leaders including Jimmy Carter and Henry Kissinger. Learn more and register online to attend this free event.
UNF Concert Band Outdoor Concert
Wednesday, Feb. 14, 5 p.m., The Green
Dr. Erin Bodnar, conductor
Valentine Wishes in Brass
Wednesday, Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m., Recital Hall of the Fine Arts Center
Dr. Randy Tinnin, Dr. Marc Dickman and Dr. Gary Smart perform romantic music for brass soloists.
Project Atrium: Frank Stella Opening Celebration
Thursday, Feb. 15, 7 - 9 p.m., MOCA Jacksonville
Join MOCA Jacksonville for an evening of community, art, live music and lite bites celebrating the opening of "Project Atrium: Frank Stella." Frank Stella returns to MOCA Jacksonville following his successful print exhibition in 2018," Frank Stella Unbound." This time, Stella returns for an installation in the Atrium to celebrate the museum’s 100th anniversary. Learn more about the artist and his work.
Jazz Combo Night
Monday, Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m., Recital Hall of the Fine Arts Center
Lynne Arriale, director
Here Comes Tomorrow: Cinema of the Last Century
Wednesday, Feb. 21, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., MOCA Jacksonville
As MOCA Jacksonville celebrates its 100th anniversary, they are looking back at the last century of artistic expression in film with a particular focus on films that imagined the future. This yearlong series explores decade-by-decade, the hopes, anxieties and dreams of filmmakers and audiences from the 1920s to the present day. Learn more about this ongoing celebratory event.
The Future of Academic Integrity
Friday, Feb. 23, 10 a.m., Thomas G. Carpenter Library (Room 2102A)
Emerging technologies and recent events have drawn attention to anxieties about the future of higher education. Faculty are invited to reflect on and discuss these issues, as well as their positive visions for research, scholarships and creative production in the future. Roundtable participants will give a short position statement, followed by a larger conversation among all attendees. Roundtable participants include Jenny Lee Convo, Kally Malcolm-Bjorklund, Amber Barnes, Stacey Hobbick, Sandeep Reddivari, Joshua Gellers, J. Adam McGalliard, Drew Thoeni and Greg Gutkowski. For more details, contact Lamar Boyde at l.boyde@unf.edu or (904) 620-2976.
Astronomy Nights: 3D Printing in Space and on the Moon
Friday, Feb. 23, 8 - 9:30 p.m., Sciences and Engineering Building
Alex Blanchard (NASA Huntsville) will present a short public talk about the possibilities enabled by 3D Printing in Space and on the Moon. The talk will be followed by an hour of stargazing with telescopes. Learn more about this event and other planned Astronomy Nights.