July 2015

Finding a piece of pottery from A.D. 1000 or a stone spear point that’s more than 5,000 years old is all in a day’s work for students from Dr. Keith Ashley’s annual summer Archaeological Field Methods class.

 

While many associate archaeology with places like Egypt, Rome or Greece, UNF’s Archaeology Lab is showing students that there are lots of exciting artifacts to discover right here in Jacksonville — literally in people’s backyards. This year, students spent much of the Summer A class digging in the Ft. Caroline area — specifically the Mill Cove Complex where Native Americans lived from the years 900 to about 1250.

 

UNF students have participated in summer digs for more than 25 years. The excavations were started by Dr. Buzz Thunen in the late ’80s, resumed in the late ’90s and have been scheduled every summer since. All of the UNF Archaeology Lab’s field projects take place in the Jacksonville area. Past projects include excavations on archaeological sites on National Park Service lands, in state parks and on private properties.

 

Research in the Mill Cove Complex is ongoing because artifacts continue to be excavated — lots of them. These items lend great insight in to the lives of these early Floridians. While excavation of burial mounds is prohibited, the class focuses heavily on ritual areas and trash mounds where villagers tossed food scraps and broken pottery.  

 

“The goal is to try to understand the Native American history and the Native American life better,” said Ashley, who believes that the Mill Cove Complex was one of the most important Native American villages in Florida 1,000 years ago.

 

The culture studied is referred to as St. Johns II, which was part of the greater Mississippian period in Southeastern prehistory. Those living here at the time are the likely ancestors of the Florida Indians known to the Spanish as the Timucua.  

 

Data from the excavations have led to some fascinating revelations.  Ashley and his students discovered that, much like them, the St. Johns natives appreciated and revered items from the past. His excavations have unearthed ancient artifacts from much earlier times showing that the Native Americans used items from the deep past. He cited 5,000-year-old projectile points and other items of stone that were found among the 1,000-year-old artifacts, suggesting that the Native Americans were actually using the ancient artifacts — likely in their rituals.

 

Jonathan Gibson, an intern on the summer dig who is finishing up his senior year in anthropology, is considering making a career out of studying the past.

 

“I’m from Jacksonville, so I like to learn about the people who were here before we all got here, how they lived and what they were making,” Gibson said.

 

For students like Gibson, each archaeological discovery either helps answer longstanding questions or presents new subjects to be explored. Finding exotic stones or copper on the site is a good example.

 

“There is no source of stone in Jacksonville so you know it’s not local,” said Gibson. “They were bringing it in through trade or some other means.”

 

Ashley believes that while the Mill Cove villagers did trade, their actions were much more deliberate and advanced than just trading with nearby groups. From residue of rituals and feasting, Ashley said certain discoveries indicate that the Native Americans were building relationships and alliances with faraway communities located in the interior Southeastern United States.

 

He points to the mega center of Cahokia spread along both sides of the Mississippi River near St. Louis, Mo. around the years 1000 to 1200. Ashley said that exotic materials such as stone arrowheads and copper ornaments crafted at Cahokia and found here in Jacksonville are direct evidence of exchange between the two distant communities.

 

While most of the students involved in the summer class are anthropology majors, some just want to explore the past. This summer’s cohort includes business students and a social work major, as well as a diehard history buff who audits the course each summer. Most would agree it’s as much fun as it is hard work. The class is offered for three or six credit hours. Students taking the six-hour class spend 30 hours, five days a week, digging in the field. Ashley said the areas excavated this summer are in the back yards of local residents who have been incredibly supportive.

 

“They’ve been great over the past ten years,” he said. “The homeowners are stewards of the past, and they really care about what is out there.”

 

The last week of this year’s Field Methods class was combined with the first week of an archaeological field school on Black Hammock Island that Ashley opened to the public. Students assisted the participants for a week showing them proper excavation techniques and methods. Artifacts from some of Ashley’s digs were on display last year at the Museum of Science and History in an exhibit titled “Uncovering the Past: New Archaeological Discoveries of Northeast Florida.” Ashley and the UNF Archaeology Lab received a 2015 Preservation Award in May from the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission for the display.

 

Keep up with what’s happening in the field or get information on future excavations on the UNF Archaeology Lab’s Facebook page . 

The new dean of the Coggin College of Business at the University of North Florida is looking forward to getting back to his roots and, at the same time, boosting the profile of his hometown university.

 

The Board of Trustees at the University of North Florida in June affirmed the appointment of Dr. Mark Dawkins, a decorated higher education administrator and business academic who most recently served as associate dean of Academic Programs and professor of accounting in the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. He will be the seventh dean in Coggin history.

 

Dawkins spent 21 years at UGA, becoming a distinguished business faculty member specializing in academic research related to earnings assessments, bankruptcy, market effects of information asymmetry and market reactions to information disclosures. He ascended to the role of associate dean seven years ago and said his experience as a university administrator inspired him to pursue a higher post. Returning to Jacksonville, where he grew up and later worked at Barnett Bank, seemed like an ideal fit.

 

“My wife and I love Jacksonville,” he said. “We met here while she was working at BellSouth and I was at Barnett Bank. She was the one who actually sent me the job listing for the UNF position.”

 

Dawkins said he has big plans for a university and a business college on the rise. He plans to be visible in the regional business community, establishing new partnerships and building bridges between Coggin and Northeast Florida corporations.

 

“It’s important for me to be an external dean,” he said. “Jacksonville has a big industrial base. There is a large financial and insurance sector, a big healthcare presence and a strong transportation and logistics market. My job is to get the word out about how UNF and Coggin can work with these businesses and become even more active in those communities.”

 

Proposals for academic programs from faculty have already started hitting his desk, but Dawkins said he has a few ideas of his own that could foster growth within Coggin. He hopes to build out Coggin’s online academic offerings and promote additional university experiences for non-traditional students, such as offering an undergraduate general business degree online and partnering with local military bases to establish satellite campuses for service members. These ideas spring from his goal to identify underserved parts of the market that Coggin could effectively fill.

 

“We have a real opportunity to channel Coggin’s resources toward better filling the needs of the market,” he said.

 

Dawkins succeeds Dr. Ajay Samant, who served as dean of the Coggin College for five years. Samant is now a professor in the Department of Accounting and Finance.

 

“I am delighted that Dr. Dawkins will be joining UNF,” said Dr. Earle Traynham, UNF provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. “He brings a wealth of academic and administrative experience to his new position as dean of the Coggin College of Business. I am confident that he will utilize this experience to advance the mission of the College as a center of global teaching and learning, nationally-recognized logistics education, entrepreneurial activity, interdisciplinary collaboration and scholarly research.”

Two of the world’s most respected humanitarians are stationed in Peace Plaza at the University of North Florida, inspiring passersby with their legacies of positive progress. The latest addition to that hallowed courtyard is a table dedicated to Henry David Thoreau, who served as something of a philosophical guide to both Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.

 

Thoreau’s Table was installed in Peace Plaza in May between the MLK and Gandhi statues. The two-and-a-half ton granite structure was dreamt up by Dr. Jason Mauro, an associate professor of English who said Thoreau’s work served as a perfect parallel between the humanitarian journeys of King and Gandhi.

 

The idea sprang to mind during a walk about campus.

 

“I saw King on one side, Gandhi on the other,” Mauro said. “I looked at the book the Gandhi statue had in his hand and thought it could very well be ‘Civil Disobedience’ [a seminal text by Thoreau that inspired both great thinkers]. I was in between these two statues of men who toppled empires. I thought we needed a way to celebrate a man who they both took cues from and who helped revolutionize global movements.”

 

After discussing the concept of a Thoreau memorial with other members of the English department, he settled on the idea of a table. Mauro said he enjoys taking his graduate courses out to Peace Plaza to gather and discuss coursework, and a conference table would serve as a place to generate positive discussions.

 

“I hope to start a conversation about our own institution,” he said. “What ‘Civil Disobedience’ suggests is that every great institution needs to question its own virtue. The table could be a gathering point where people could meet to discuss those questions and talk about Thoreau and his legacy.”

 

Excerpts from Thoreau’s work are etched into the stone table, along with a QR code that links to a UNF website describing the project’s intent. The UNF Campus Committee on Public Art approved the table’s design, and the President’s Office approved the funding. A stonecutter based in Naples, Fla. completed the design, and the table was delivered by truck and installed by Physical Facilities in Peace Plaza.  

Home improvement enthusiasts and loyal followers of HGTV’s “Flipping the Block” series were thrilled last month with the introduction of a new pilot program “Florida Flippers” featuring University of North Florida student John Spinks.

 

Spinks, a senior construction management major, and his wife, Whitney, were contestants on “Flipping the Block” last summer. The duo was a fan favorite, leading them to be featured in the new show that was filmed in Jacksonville. The pilot, which aired Sunday, June 21, featured the couple rehabbing a property in San Marco to sell and chronicled all the challenges that went along with it.

 

In April 2014, Spinks and his wife also started their own business in Jacksonville called 27 South Design Group, which offers everything from real estate services to room makeovers and home staging. Whitney Spinks is a realtor with a passion for design, so her expertise and John’s background allow them to help clients in all aspects of residential real estate.

 

With the HGTV project and new business endeavors, Spinks has had a busy year, and he said UNF’s Construction Management program has helped prepare him for the real world. The strong industry relationships nurtured by the department and internship opportunities give students exposure to everything from code and safety issues to finances and contract development.

 

"Having that experience has helped me develop more accurate estimates and let customers know what they are getting into up front,” Spinks said.

 

For the Spinkses, it’s all about the end result and the impact a redo has on their clients.

 

"Our goal is to make someone's house a place that they love coming home to."

While the new floor hasn’t been installed just yet, construction on the Field House at the University of North Florida is coming to a close, promising more gym time for students soon.

Slated to be ready in early September, the new multi-functional facility located in the former Aquatic Center will provide a variety of opportunities for academic and recreational use.

The Field House will include two fully equipped classrooms, as well as three recreational basketball courts that can convert into volleyball, badminton and even indoor soccer courts, said Rich Elmore, assistant director for campus planning, design and construction. Elmore said the floor also provides a full-sized NCAA basketball court.

“The Ospreys will have another venue should they not be able to practice in the Arena,” Elmore said.

Physical education classes will be held in the facility in the mornings, said Becky Purser, director of Recreation. Students and campus groups can use the Field House for open recreational uses after noon until about 6 p.m., then after 6 p.m., intramurals will host a variety of league games, she said. Providing high-quality indoor courts for several sports — the first on campus for some — along with adequate seating areas, the Field House is a welcomed addition for the intramural teams.

Using the facility will be easy. “Students simply swipe their Osprey 1Cards to enter as well as check out basketballs and volleyballs,” said Purser, who noted that the Field House is also open to all faculty and staff.

While the top priorities for the new facility were to provide students with quality academic and recreational space, the Field House is also an ideal venue for events, she said. Campus groups will likely pay no rent — only footing the bill for direct costs such as staffing. There will be seating for 450 in bleachers with a total building capacity for about 1,200 people, Purser said. Requests have already been made to use it for a large reception, as well as a dinner dance.

Installation of the floor will bring the construction process to a close, ultimately defining the space. Jeff Rolland, a principal from the project’s design firm, Rolland, DelValle & Bradley, Inc., describes the new floor as being made of cushioned maple of a quality that you would typically find in a varsity collegiate gymnasium.

Additionally, efforts are being made to ensure the building is energy efficient, enabling LEED certification, a University focus for new buildings on campus.

In order to create a healthier campus environment for all of our students, faculty, staff and visitors, the University of North Florida will become a designated smoke-free campus starting Saturday, Aug. 1.

 

UNF is joining a national movement in creating a smoke-free environment on college campuses. The Breathe Fresh at UNF, Smoke-Free Campus initiative builds on a 2011 survey by the Department of Health Promotion that determined the campus community overwhelmingly supports adopting a smoke-free campus environment. That survey reflects the University’s ongoing support of an environmentally beautiful campus, one free from second-hand smoke and cigarette butts littering the grounds. A full list of policies and regulations about the Smoke-Free Campus Initiative is available online. 

 

The Breathe Fresh at UNF Smoke-Free Campus Initiative focuses on voluntary compliance, so every member of the campus community can play a part in keeping UNF smoke-free by reminding smokers that smoking isn’t allowed on campus. UNF is committed to providing students, faculty and staff with access to tobacco cessation support and nicotine replacement therapies. One-on-one, free counseling sessions are also available through the Department of Health Promotion for any member of the campus community seeking help with overcoming their cigarette use.

 

Anyone interested in learning more about the regulation or joining the Breathe Fresh at UNF stakeholder team can visit the Smoke-Free Campus initiative’s website. 

Welcome to the Swoop Summary. Every issue of Inside, we’ll be bringing you a recap of all the UNF Athletics accomplishments you need to know from the past month. Read on for more Osprey Athletics news:

 

• Dewees selected in second round of MLB Draft — University of North Florida outfielder Donnie Dewees was selected No. 47 overall by the Chicago Cubs last month in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft. Dewees is  the highest selected Osprey player in Division I history. He signed a contract for $1.7 million.

 

• Accolades continue to roll in for Osprey baseball stars — Outfielder Donnie Dewees and two-way player Corbin Olmstead garnered All-America honors from Baseball America, D1Baseball.com and The National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA). In addition, the duo was also recognized by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Rawlings as All Region honorees. Dewees was a First Team South-ABCA/Rawlings All-Region selection and a First Team All-America pick by the NCBWA, Baseball America and D1Baseball.com. The honors add to a growing list that includes the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year Award and All-America accolades from Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger. Olmstead, who earned First Team All-Atlantic Sun Conference nods as a designated hitter and a relief pitcher, was a First Team South-ABCA/Rawlings All-Region selection and a Second Team selection as a utility player on the Baseball America, NCBWA and the D1Baseball.com All-America Teams. The ABCA honored him as a relief pitcher. It marks the third straight season the Ospreys had an ABCA All-South Region selection and the first time in the D-1 era that two players were recognized in the same year.

 

• UNF slated to host a pair of Atlantic Sun Championship events in 2015-16 — UNF will host two Atlantic Sun Championships during the 2015-16 academic year in Jacksonville, including Cross Country on Oct. 30 and Outdoor Track and Field on May 13-14. The Cross Country championship will mark the first time in program history that UNF has hosted the conference meet. This will be the eighth consecutive season for the Ospreys' Hodges Stadium to serve as the home for the league's Outdoor Track and Field championship.

 

• New Jersey Institute of Technology to join the Atlantic Sun Conference — The Atlantic Sun Conference Presidents Council announced in June that the New Jersey Institute of Technology will join the Atlantic Sun Conference for the 2015-16 academic year. The addition of NJIT will bring A-Sun membership to eight institutions for 2015-16. The Highlanders field 14 Division I teams.

Department: Small Business Development Center 

 

Job title: Community outreach director 

 

What do you do? I assist with overseeing program development of special projects, marketing, social media and public relations, as well as serving as a liaison to our partners in the small business community. I do a little bit of everything for my department. 

 

Years at UNF: 11 

 

Tell us about your family. I have a husband of 15 years who is also a UNF alumnus. I have two children and two dogs. My daughter is a junior at Florida State University, and my son is starting his first year of high school at Stanton College Preparatory in the fall. I have three sisters — two of whom are UNF alumni. My parents are retired and live part-time in the U.S. and part-time out of the country. 

 

If you could choose any other career, what would it be and why? It would probably be an attorney with a focus on immigration law. If I could help people realize their dreams of succeeding in this country, then I’d really feel like I was making a positive difference in people’s lives. 

 

What would you like to do when you retire? Travel, travel, travel and spend time with my children. 

 

What is your favorite thing about working at UNF? My coworkers — hands down. With the support of UNF and the Coggin College of Business, we serve small businesses in the Northeast Florida area. We cover 18 counties. This is not an easy job to do without the professional, hard-working, committed and dedicated staff that I work with. 

 

What is the best thing you ever won? In the time that I’ve worked at the Small Business Development Center, I’ve won Regional Employee of the Year twice. 

 

Describe your favorite UNF-related memory? I was part of the first student produced campus news show, “Bird’s Eye View,” almost 20 years ago. It was only shown to students who lived in the dorms. I was an anchor and reporter and thought that, for sure, one day I was going to be the next Katie Couric. 

 

What is your favorite way to blow an hour? You can find me at the UNF Student Wellness Complex at a spin class. 

 

If you were asked to paint a picture about anything you wanted, what would you paint? It would be a family portrait. My family is very important to me. 

 

Is there a piece of technology that you just couldn’t live without? For years my kids begged me to finally upgrade to the iPhone because they said it would change my life. Unfortunately they — not I — have regretted that suggestion ever since. 

 

What is the proudest/happiest moment of your life? It took me a little longer to finish my master’s degree at UNF with working full-time, a husband who travels for his job and two kids, but what a great feeling of accomplishment once I received that diploma. 

 

Tell us something that would surprise people to know about you: I’ve been in a couple of television commercials. 

 

What was the first concert you ever attended, and what was the most recent concert you attended? The first was Pearl Jam, and the most recent was Taylor Swift. Hey, I have a college-aged daughter! 

 

What person had the greatest impact on your life? My parents emigrated from another country to the United States in their early 20s without knowing the language, knowing anybody or having hardly any money. It was all to try and make a better life for their children. It motivates me every time there is something I think I can’t do. 

Last book read: “Written in My Own Heart’s Blood” by Diana Gabaldon

Coggin College of Business

  

Marketing and Logistics: Dr. Reham Eltantawy’s paper, “Strategic Sourcing Management's Mindset: Strategic Sourcing Orientation and its Implications,” was published in the International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management. It was selected by the Journal’s editorial team as the Outstanding Paper in the 2015 Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence.

 

Dr. Gregory T. Gundlach, along with Diana Moss, published “The Role of Efficiencies in Antitrust Law: Introduction and Overview of the Special Issue.”

 

 

College of Arts and Sciences

Biology: Dr. Quincy Gibson and colleagues gave three oral presentations at the meeting of the Animal Behavior Society in Anchorage, Alaska): (i) with J. Ermak and K. Karle, “Seasonal Patterns of Multi-level Alliance Formation in Estuarine Bottlenose Dolphins”; (ii) with K. Karle, “Social Structure of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Indian River Lagoon, FL”; and (iii) with C. King, “Seasonality in Female Bottlenose Dolphin Association Patterns in the St. Johns River, FL.” 

 

History: Dr. David Courtwright’s book “Forces of Habit: Drugs and the Making of the Modern World,” received a Chinese language edition from China CITIC Press.  Courtwright also co-authored “The Prescription Opioid Crisis and Heroin Crisis: A Public Health Approach to an Epidemic of Addiction” in the Annual Review of Public Health. Additionally, Courtwright co-authored “Conservatives and Conservatism” in American Political Culture: An Encyclopedia. He also presented “Lessons from the 100-Year War on Drugs” at the Conference on the Drug War at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University in January.

 

Mathematics and Statistics: Dr. J. A. Franco published “Globalization of the Actions of the Lie Symmetries of the Nonlinear Wave Equations with Dissipation” in the European Journal of Mathematics. With his colleague M. Sepanski, he also published “Global Representations of the Conformal Group and Eigenspaces of the Yamabe Operator” in the Pacific Journal of Mathematics.

 

Dr. Peter Wludyka published “Using ANOM Slicing for Multi-way Models with Significant Interaction” in Journal of Quality Technology. In addition, with colleagues C. K. Balasubramanian and A. Boyette, he published “The Ability of Functional Assessments of Mobility and Balance to Discriminate Fallers and Recurrent Fallers from Non-fallers in Ambulatory Community-dwelling Older Adults: A Retrospective Study” in Physiotherapy. Finally, with his colleagues E. Largo-Wight, C. Guardino, K. Hall, C. Ottenstein, and E. Thomas, he presented “Kindergarteners’ Behavior, Attention and Wellbeing in an Outdoor Classroom Versus the Indoor Classroom” at the 28^th annual Research and Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Behavioral Health in March.

 

Music: Dr. Timothy Groulx presented his research on the effects of segregation and integration on the bands at historically black high schools in Northeast Florida at the Research in Music Education Conference in Exeter, England in April), and at the International Symposium on the Sociology of Music Education in New Orleans, La. in June. 

 

Philosophy and Religious Studies:  Dr.  Andrew Buchwalter presented “Normative Reconstruction in Honneth and Hegel” at the annual meeting of the International Social Theory Consortium at the University of Cambridge, England.

 

College of Computing, Engineering and Construction

 

Computing: Dr. William Klostermeyer published the paper  “Eternal Graph Coloring,'' in the Bulletin of the Institute for Combinatorics and its Applications.

 

Engineering: The Telerobotics Club fielded an “Osprey Miners” team that built a mining robot for a NASA competition at Kennedy Space Center in May. The team ranked sixth out of 47 universities in the competition.

 

 

College of Education and Human Services

Exceptional, Deaf and Interpreter Education: Drs. Janice Seabrooks-Blackmore and Kristine Webb were invited to serve as facilitators for the ninth annual Capacity Building Institute sponsored by the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center. The week-long event took place in Charlotte, N.C.

Milestone anniversaries

Congratulations to the following employees who will celebrate a milestone anniversary at UNF in July:

 

15 years

Pamela Bell, Director, Child Development Resource Center

Heather Burk, Assistant Director of Academic Support Services, Center for Community-Based Learning 

Faye Parker, Program Assistant, Training and Services Institute

Mohini Rohatgi, Senior Library Services Associate, Library 

James Warnick, Senior Library Services Associate, Library

 

10 years

Susan Boyette, Academic Support Services Coordinator, Writing Center

Annabel Brooks, Director, Taylor Leadership Institute 

Bethany Dibble, Assistant Director, Nursing 

Joel Graham, Senior Library Services Associate, Library 

Daryel Gullett, Camp Director, Youth Sports and Fitness Camp 

Joy Magnon, Office Manager, Women's Center

John McAllister, Professor, Accounting and Finance 

John McDonough, Professor, Nurse Anesthesia

Wanda Scarbrough, Program Assistant, Student Health Services

 

Five years

Kathleen Delaney, Coordinator, Student Affairs 

Oleg Fortun, Coordinator, IT Support User Services 

Kent Grandy, Facilities and Operations Coordinator, Facilities and Grounds 

Jennifer Herman, Athletic Academic Advisor, Intercollegiate Athletics

Brian Morgan, Director of Sports Media Relations, Intercollegiate Athletics 

Michael Orlito, Research Program Services Coordinator, Small Business Development Center

Daniel Pitts, Facilities Management Coordinator, Facilities and Grounds 

Jacqueline Pruett, Program Assistant, Career Services 

James Robinson, Applications Systems Analyst, IT Security 

Laura Shellaberger, Assistant Athletic Trainer, Intercollegiate Athletics 

Murat Tiryakioglu, Professor, Mechanical Engineering

 

Welcome

The following employees were either hired by UNF or were promoted from OPS positions recently:

 

Mark Dawkins, Dean, Coggin College of Business 

Jaime DeSimone, Assistant Curator, MOCA

Kira Galang, Parking Attendant, Parking and Transportation Services 

Vanitti Gilley, Human Resource Associate, Human Resources

Joyce Gresham, Program Assistant, Continuing Education 

Robin Jones, Office Manager, Criminology and Criminal Justice 

Alyssa Kyff, Academic Support Services Coordinator, Coggin College of Business 

Aaron Luther, Technical Support Specialist, Enrollment Services Communication Systems 

Darren McNeely, Law Enforcement Officer, University Police Department 

Kaila Miller, Police Communications Operator, University Police Department 

Talitha Mitchner, Senior Accountant, MOCA

Mae Parlette, Instructional Design Coordinator, Center for Instruction and Research Technology

Kimberly Pelzer, Student Financial Services Coordinator, Controller

Kristen Pickrell, Office Manager, English 

Kim Sharp, Office Assistant, Parking and Transportation Services 

Jarred Thaxton, Administrative Secretary, Computing, Engineering and Construction

James Tynan, Coordinator, Admissions 

David Washington, Program Assistant, University Center

 

Great job

The following employees were promoted recently:

 

Curtis Brown, Senior Recycle Refuse Worker, Recycling

Terri Cook, Assistant Director, Residential Program Services, Florida Institute of Education 

Linda Deland, Executive Secretary, Academic Affairs 

Nicholas Geake, Pest Control Technician, Physical Facilities 

William Klostermeyer, Associate Dean, School of Computing

Ashley Parnell, Senior Accountant, Controller 

Raymond Perry, Senior Recycle Refuse Worker, Recycling

Brianna Pollock, Child Development Teacher, Child Development Resource Center 

Lynette Qadeer, Senior Custodial Supervisor, Physical Facilities 

Lauren Tallier, Assistant Director of Student Financial Aid, Financial Aid Office 

Jacey Willbach, Assistant Director of Academic Support Services, One-Stop Student Center

 

Goodbye

Heartfelt well wishes in their new endeavors for the following employees, who left UNF recently:

 

Ken Arsenault, Business Manager, Hayt Golf Learning Center 

Jared Bailey, Research Program Services Coordinator, Small Business Development Center

Jeffrey Coker, Dean, Undergraduate Studies 

Victoria Coyle Ogden, Assistant Director, Advancement Services 

Christopher Danielek, Maintenance Mechanic, Maintenance and Energy Management 

Carole Giannone, Associate Director, Florida Institute of Education 

Terrance Hunter, Outreach Coordinator, MOCA

Caitlin Jaeger, Academic Support Coordinator, Undergraduate and International Program

Christine Kane, Academic Support Services Coordinator, Distance Learning 

David King, Library Services Specialist, Library 

Jenni Kowsh, Academic Support Services Coordinator, One-Stop Student Center 

Laura Reid, Office Manager, School of Computing

Andrew Salem, Program Assistant, Administration and Finance

Jessica Scott, Public Relations Specialist, Public Relations 

Sherry Swisher, Office Assistant, Parking and Transportation Services 

George “Lance” Taylor, Associate Vice President, Office of the CIO

Katherine Wohlhuter, Director, Major Gifts

Fish and seafood, a generic term for edibles from the sea, are excellent sources of high-quality protein and healthy fats. The availability of a wide variety of fish provides many options for appetizers, sides and main dishes. Dr. Judith Rodriguez, chair of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, discusses some of  myths associated with seafood and presents tips for including it in a healthy diet. A recipe is provided.

Myth: Eat mollusks only during months containing the letter “r.”

 

Fact: The basis for the myth is that marine bacteria, such as Vibrio, are more prevalent during the warm weather months — May through August. The best advice to follow when consuming  mollusks is to eat only those that are legally harvested from clean waters, shucked — removed from shells — and cooked. If susceptible to infection, abstain from eating raw or partially cooked shellfish.

 

Myth: Fish is toxic and needs to be avoided.

 

Fact: Fish is an excellent, healthy food source, recommended in the two “best overall” rated DASH and TLC diets. The American Heart Association’s “The Simple 7: Eat Better” campaign recommends eating fish at least twice a week. Two 3.5-ounce servings of oily fish, such as salmon, per week may help lower the risk of death from coronary artery disease. Research indicates that seafood’s abundant Omega-3 fatty acids, such as EPA and DHA, may play a role in the prevention or treatment of diseases where inflammation is a factor. If concerned about mercury consumption, avoid eating large predatory fish, such as king mackerel, marlin, shark and swordfish.

 

Myth: Dolphin tuna shouldn’t be consumed.

 

Fact: It’s a misconception that dolphin tuna is related to the marine mammal dolphin. The term dolphin tuna refers to mahi-mahi, a fish with a white, firm flesh especially good for grilling, baking or broiling and delicious when sautéed. There was a concern several decades ago that, in some parts of the world where dolphins and tuna swim together, tuna-catching methods were harming marine mammals. However, modern methods have eliminated that problem.

 

Myth: Pregnant women shouldn’t eat tuna. 

 

Fact: Pregnant women and infants benefit nutritionally from EPA and DHA, the good, fatty acids in fish. It’s recommended that pregnant women eat at least 8 ounces of a variety of fish or seafood, per week, which can include up to 6 ounces of albacore/white tuna weekly. The recommendation is the same for children under 12 years of age. Both groups should avoid consuming shark, swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel and raw or partially cooked seafood.

 

The Goods is a monthly column about food myths and facts by faculty members in the Nutrition and Dietetics Flagship Program and runs monthly in The Florida Times-Union’s “Taste” section. Have questions about fish and seafood? Contact at Judith Rodriguez  at jrodrigu@unf.edu .

 

Asian-Style Steamed Salmon

 

Start to finish: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Serving size: 3 ounces salmon, ¼ cup broth

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

½ cup shiitake mushroom caps, rinsed and sliced (may substitute dried shiitake mushrooms)

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced or 2 teaspoons ground ginger

¼ cup scallions/green onions, rinsed and chopped

1 tablespoon lite soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil, optional

12-ounce salmon filet, cut into four 3-ounce portions

 

Directions:

In a large, shallow sauté pan, combine chicken broth, mushroom caps, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, and sesame oil (optional). Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.

Add salmon fillets. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook gently over low heat 4 to 5 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork in the thickest part (minimum internal temperature of 145 F.)

Serve each piece of salmon with ¼ cup of broth.

Nutrition information per serving: 175 calories; 9 g fat (2 g saturated); 49 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrate; 19 g protein; 1 g fiber; 208 mg sodium.

 

Recipe source: NIH NHLBI Deliciously Healthy Dinners.

Dr. Kerry Clark, a UNF Public Health professor, is breaking new ground in the research of Lyme disease. He’s identified a number of different species of ticks that can infect humans with the debilitating disease, a discovery that has flipped conventional wisdom about the spread of Lyme on its head.

 

Bright Birds Know is a monthly feature highlighting interesting facts, figures and stories about the University of North Florida. Do you have a thought-provoking entry that you want to share with the campus community? Get involved by submitting your own Bright Birds Know item to Matt Coleman at matthew.coleman@unf.edu .