Brooks College of Health
Dr. Jonathan D. Moore, assistant professor, had his paper “Herpes Simplex Virus 2 and Dementia Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” accepted for publication in the journal Frontiers in Dementia. In addition, Dr. Moore had an abstract accepted for presentation in April for
All of Us Science Day.
Dr. Nishi Dsouza, assistant professor along with co-authors, Mingway Chang, ClaraGrace Pavelka, Rebecca Asoulin, Elwin Wu, Nabila El-Bassel, Dawn Goddard-Eckrich and Louisa Gilbert, published "Investigating the moderating role of food security on group session attendance of an HIV/STI intervention for Black women under community supervision” in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved in February.
Coggin College of Business
Dr. Leah Muriel, assistant professor of accounting, with co-authors,
Adrienne Rhodes and
Dan Russomanno published “Delegation and Chief Financial Officer Retention: Evidence from Chief Accounting Officers on the Executive Team” in Management Science in January.
Valeria Diaz and Maddox Ray, financial planning students, advanced to the semi-finals in the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants (IARFC) student financial planning challenge. This is the fourth time UNF has advanced in this competition. Valeria and Maddox now await notification on whether they will advance to the finals.
Jorge Garcia Hernandez, an international business major, received the honor as top presentation in the Business and Finance category at U-Glide 2025. His poster, “ From Insight to Launch: A Study of Spanish Consumer Preferences for Healthy Cereal Products,” was also presented at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC) 2026 on March 6-7. Dr. Maryam Afshar, visiting instructor of marketing, who teaches Marketing Research Information (MAR4613), provided guidance and coaching.
College of Arts and Sciences
Art, Art History and Design
Stephen Heywood, professor, participated in the following exhibitions: Afternoon Tea Party - National Juried Exhibition. Brockway Center for Art & Technology, Brockway, Pennsylvania; Earth and Fire - National Juried Exhibition at the Stifel Fine Arts Center, along with a Pop-up Mug Shop at the National Invitational Exhibition in Wheeling, West Virginia, February.
Communication
Dr. Roy Christopher, instructor, is slated for an author talk in the UNF Library, Tuesday, April 14 at 5 p.m. in the Special Collections Reading Room located on the first floor.
Language, Literature and Cultures
Dr. María Ángeles Fernández Cifuentes, associate professor of Spanish, was selected as a 2026 EDSAFE AI Alliance Women in AI Fellow, a global fellowship focused on advancing equity, accountability and learner well-being in AI-enabled education systems.
Mathematics and Statistics
Dr. Michelle DeDeo, professor, along with coauthors M. Assis, D. Sabsevitz, et al., published "Implications of Cranial Pinning During Awake Craniotomy on Anesthetic Requirements: A Retrospective Cohort Study” in Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery in February.
School of Music
Michael Taylor, adjunct, composed and published "A Shared Path" for Saxophone duet in February. This work was commissioned by Megan Dillon and Lucas Barry and will be performed at the 2026 North American Saxophone Alliance Conference on March 14.
Dr. Andrea Venet, associate professor, was the guest artist, judge, and clinician with her duo, Escape Ten, at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Percussive Arts Society Day of Percussion & Ensemble Competition. In addition, Dr. Venet completed a guest artist's residency at Northern Illinois University with Escape Ten. Also, she performed in concert and masterclasses, presented a lecture for the Graduate School Kennedy Entrepreneurial Speakers Series in February.
The Lawson Ensemble, UNF's resident chamber music ensemble, recently featured performers at the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival at a concert called "Florida's Finest." The Amelia Island Chamber Music Series features numerous Grammy award winning artists. The group has invitations to perform on the Highlands Chamber Music Festival in North Carolina and the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta in Georgia during the 2026-2027 academic year. The Lawson Ensemble consists of UNF cello professor Nick Curry and Jacksonville Symphony musicians Aurica Duca and Clinton Dewing.
College of Computing, Engineering and Construction
School of Computing
Scott Piersall, visiting instructor, had his research paper “Improving MPI Error Detection and Repair with Large Language Models and Bug References” accepted for publication in the Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing.
School of Engineering
Dr. Norelys Aguila Camacho, assistant professor, published a research article, “Observer Switching Strategy for Enhanced State Estimation in CSTR Networks” in the Journal of Process Control, February.
Digital Learning and Innovation
Dr. Sarah Moukhliss, STEM online learning librarian, presented a poster, “LGAS: A Librarian’s Tool for Instructional Sustainability,” at Virginia Tech’s Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy, about a quality assurance peer review tool she developed to evaluate and design library guides. February.
Erica Anga, director of UNF Online, and Mandy Lesseig, coordinator, online student services, will present “In-house Innovation” Designing Your Own Online Orientation” at the NAGAP GEM Summit in April.
Hicks Honors College
Will Pewitt, assistant director, presented "AI as Instrument for Tracing Prepositional Authority in Shakespeare’s Political Lifeworlds" at the British Shakespeare Association, February.
Office of Experiential Learning/Student Success
Dr. Justin Sipes, director, was an invited panelist for the webinar, From Self-Study to Strategy: Advancing Community Engagement Through the Carnegie Elective Classification on Feb. 24, along with colleagues from John Carroll University and Spelman College.
Silverfield College of Education and Human Services
Dr. Laura Boilini, clinical associate professor and program director, along with
Dr. Marjorie Ringler, professor-in-residence, presented “Zen Leadership in Art” at the Florida Association of Professors of Educational Leadership spring conference on March 2.
Dr. Tara Frazier, associate director, THRIVE, was a contributing author for “Implementing Inclusive Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities.” She published a book chapter titled “Peer Mentoring Students with Intellectual Disability: Unlocking Hidden Opportunities.”
Dr. Caroline Guardino, professor, and Dr. Brian Kwon, from the University of British Columbia, presented with two of undergraduate research assistants, Mikalya Waters (Deaf Education) and Avery Descheneaux (ASL/English Interpreting major and Communications), preliminary findings from their project at the Association of College Educators of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, in Denver, Colorado.
Dr. Elizabeth Hale Rozas, associate professor and program director, presented “Igniting Engagement: Strategies to Motivate Readers” reflected content developed in collaboration with Dr. Lunetta Williams, professor, at the Florida Literacy Association on Jan. 24, in Orlando.
Dr. David Hoppey, associate professor and program director, was named this year’s recipient of the Katherine M. Kasten Doctoral Advising and Mentoring Award, presented annually by the UNF Silverfield College of Education and Human Services. The award recognizes faculty who demonstrate a commitment to innovative, effective and compassionate doctoral advising and mentoring.
Dr. Han Soo Kim, assistant professor, and Dr. Minjung Kim, from Texas A&M University, published "How Fans Stay Connected Without Games: Development of an Instrument to Measure Off-season Fan Engagement.”
Student Union
Jennifer Nutt, director, and Amber-Jul Camaya, assistant director of operations, gave three presentations, “You're Hired: Standardizing Your Student Staff Hiring and Onboarding Experiences,” “Discord for Union Communication and Resource Management,” and “Collaborative Programming in Action: Lessons from UNF's Market Day,” in early March at the Association of College Unions International in Pittsburgh.
The University of North Florida community on Friday celebrated the grand opening of the state-of-the-art UNF Flight Deck Esports & Innovation Arena in the John A. Delaney Student Union.
After getting to work early, grabbing a fresh cup of coffee and logging into the system, Alex Ramudo’s dashboard lights up with alerts.
The University of North Florida’s Silverfield College of Education and Human Services recently hosted its inaugural Silverfield Coaching Symposium, focusing on the evolving landscape of high school coaching and athletic leadership.
JAX Hub hosted a pitch competition at the University of North Florida that will help bolster Northeast Florida’s global innovation future. 
The University of North Florida and Petticoat-Schmitt Civil Contractors are working together to develop AI‑powered tools that can help construction firms manage time‑consuming, inefficient or error‑prone tasks.
When University of North Florida graphic design major Matt Ducusin entered the Adobe x UNF Esports Fan T‑Shirt Design Competition last fall, he didn’t expect his design to draw much attention — if any at all.
The University of North Florida's Silverfield College of Education and Human Services and Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) are offering a specialized teacher training program, Project IDEAS. The primary goal of the project is to improve the academic and behavioral outcomes of students with disabilities. The project is in its final year of enrollment. Each year, the grant supports a cohort of 240 teachers.
UNF nursing students recently stepped beyond the classroom to participate in United Way of Northeast Florida’s ALICE simulation, an immersive experience designed to highlight the financial challenges faced by ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families.
OspreyPro is a four-tier certification program that equips students with essential career competencies aligned with the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) framework. The platform provides interactive modules, skill building activities, and milestone achievements that help students articulate their strengths, prepare for internships, and enhance their competitiveness in the job market.
Women’s Voices & Global Storytelling
Spring Break Faculty-led 2027 Proposal Deadline
Project Atrium: Nari Ward - Great Greetings
Final Set: Marc Dickman and Gary Smart
Beach Volleyball Closes Out Undefeated Slate At DUUUVAL Duals