Brooks College of Health
Nursing
Dr. Li Loriz, professor, co-authored with Dr. Rudelay Roque-Fernandez a feature article, “Effective Telehealth Visits: A practice checklist for Advanced Practice Nurses in Clinical Advisor.”
Nutrition and Dietetics
Dr. Casey Colin, associate professor, with co-authors from the University of Central Florida, published "Symptom-Heavy Nutritional Insecurity in Older Adults Initiating Chemotherapy" in Healthcare in September. Dr. Colin also presented within an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics national webinar entitled "Advancing the Precision of Nutrition Diagnosis to Improve Outcomes" on Sept. 16.
Physical Therapy
Dr. Beven Livingston, associate professor, Alex Knapp, UNF alum, Alexandra Schonning, professor, Dr. Stephen Stagon, Grant Bevill, associate professor, College of Engineering, had their paper "Comparative Analysis of Elastic and Viscoelastic Modeling Approaches for Transient Stresses in the Plantar Fascia" accepted for publication in Journal of Mechanics in Medicine and Biology, September 2026.
College of Arts and Sciences
Communication
Dr. Nataliya Roman, associate professor, with co-authors Berrin Beasley, Dr. John Parmelee and Kathryn Bonfield, presented the paper "You Have to Sell Them as Much as They're Trying to Sell You: U.S. Local TV News Directors' Perspectives on the Struggle to Hire Reporters and Producers" at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference in New Orleans on Aug. 5. The paper received a third-place award from the Broadcast and Mobile Journalism Division. They also published "You Have to Sell Them as Much as They're Trying to Sell You: U.S. Local Television News Directors' Perspectives on the Struggle to Hire Reporters and Producers" in Electronic News in August.
Dr. Chunsik Lee, professor, with co-authors Dr. Junga Kim, associate professor, and Joonsoo Lim, published "Motivational Factors and Psychological Correlates of AI Dependence Among College Students: Competitive Conformity, NoAIphobia, and AI Use Stigma" in Telematics and Informatics in August.
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Deborah Eichelberger, instructor and internship coordinator, was elected the 20th president of the Beta Alpha Zeta Graduate Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. and will serve a two-year term from July 2026 through June 2028.
English and World Languages
Dr. Jessica Stark, assistant professor of English, received the Teacher & Librarian Scholarship from the Key West Literary Seminar to attend the organization's January 2027 poetry conference.
Jacob Lupfer, visiting instructor, published "Norman Berg and the Literary Formation of Pat Conroy" in the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature.
Jacob Lupfer, visiting instructor, published "Norman Berg and the Literary Formation of Pat Conroy" in the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature.
Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Dr. Johana Barrero, associate instructor of Spanish, received the 2026 Educator Leadership Award at the City of Jacksonville’s Unidos Jax celebration. The award recognizes a Hispanic educator who demonstrates outstanding leadership and dedication to advancing education within the Hispanic community. Dr. Barrero was honored for her commitment to student learning, educational innovation and community engagement, both in the classroom and beyond. She was also featured in a News4JAX story highlighting innovative Spanish language instruction and the Language Lab at the University of North Florida.
Music
Dr. Scott Watkins, adjunct professor, was selected as a featured performer at the American Liszt Society Annual Conference, Sept. 28-Oct. 1, at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.
Dr. David Salkowski, assistant professor, received the Social Relevance of the Humanities Residential Fellowship from the Center for Advanced Study Sofia for the 2026-27 academic year.
Dr. Nick Curry, professor of cello, and the Lawson Ensemble, performed two concerts at the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival in Highlands, North Carolina, Sept. 19-20.
Dr. Erin Bennett, associate professor, served as co-chair of the 2026 National Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy Forum at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music during Summer 2026.
Physics
Dr. Jack Hewitt, professor and chair, hosted a public lunar eclipse watch party at UNF on Aug. 27 that drew approximately 250 attendees.
Psychology
Dr. Sara Davis, associate professor, with co-authors Daniel J. Peterson, Joshua L. Fiechter and Riley Filister, published "Off-Task Behavior Negatively Affects Performance" in Behavior Research Methods on Aug. 17.
Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Dr. Jennifer Wesely, professor, published the book chapter "Rehabilitating Emotion: Experiences of Formerly Incarcerated Men Who Participated in Prison Dog Programs" in The Routledge International Handbook of Criminology and Affect Theory.
Dr. Rosa De Jorio, professor, presented the paper “Whose Truth? Disjuncture Between State Narratives and Family Memories in Mali” at the joint conference of the Swiss Society for African Studies and the Association for African Studies in Germany in Basel, Switzerland, Aug. 26-28.
Dr. Rosa De Jorio, professor, with co-author Daniela Ricci, published the peer-reviewed article “The Afterlife of Io Capitano: Circulation and the Politics of a Single Story” in Africa West.
Dr. Mandi Barringer, associate professo, with co-authors B. Savage and Lucia Grattone, published “Campus Preachers as Gatekeepers of Eternity: A Religious Ingroup’s Condemnation of the Gender Expression, LGBTQ+ Identity, and/or Sexual Behavior of University Students” in Sociological Spectrum
Dr. Candra Skrzypek, assistant professor, with co-authors A. Ball and R. Bass, published the chapter “Parents and Families” in Implementation Guide: The National School Social Work Practice Model 2.0: Engaging with Key School Personnel and Collaborators, published by Oxford University Press.
The University of North Florida welcomed the 2026-27 academic year Friday during Convocation, celebrating record enrollment of more than 18,900 students, impactful research, and expanded business and community partnerships, while recognizing outstanding students, faculty and staff through scholarships, awards and special honors.
The University of North Florida Board of Trustees has selected Dr. Michael P. Shannon as the University’s eighth president, subject to confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors.
The University of North Florida is ranked among the best national universities in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 edition of “Best Colleges” for the eighth consecutive year.
Save the Date and join us for the 2026 Benefits Fair on Thursday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Adam W. Herbert University Center. Explore your benefits, meet with our vendors, get answers to your questions, and discover resources to help you make the most of your UNF benefits. Plus, take part in our Passport to Benefits scavenger hunt for a chance to win exciting prizes!
The University of North Florida has received a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to utilize AI to make the process for updating research software code faster and more reliable.
When University of North Florida student Alaina Anglin traveled to Bali, Indonesia this summer, she gained far more than an international travel experience. Through cultural immersion, public health education and hands-on service learning, Anglin deepened her understanding of global health while representing UNF as the University’s sole recipient of this year's prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
A team of University of North Florida students and faculty traveled to Burgos, Spain, last month to collect scientific data during the August 12 total solar eclipse as part of a NASA-supported research project that provided students with hands-on experience in engineering and high-altitude scientific research.
UNF Faculty Annual Exhibition
UNF Distinguished Voices Lecture Series: Ariel Ekblaw, Ph.D.
Astronomy Night: Sam Turley, NASA Solar System Ambassador
Women's Tennis Reveals 2026-27 Schedule