Dr. Jeff Chamberlain started July 31 in his new role as the inaugural dean of Hicks Honors College. Here are a few things you’ll want to know:

1. He’s the other Dr. J.
When Dr. Chamberlain taught history at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois, students asked, “What should we call you?” They said his full name was too long and formal. So they shortened it to Dr. Jeff, then to Dr. J. The nickname gained momentum, and people on campus who would meet him would say, “Oh, you’re the Dr. J.” Years later, Chamberlain now introduces himself as Dr. J. “I didn’t start it, but I do like it because it’s more relaxed, more personal and more friendly,” he said.

2. Why UNF?
UNF has the right combination of features that attracted the new dean. He said he is happy to be working at a regional University able to attract high-caliber students. He appreciates that the other UNF deans are willing to collaborate on projects, something very important to an honors program. And he can relate very well to the message he’s heard over and over at UNF: “What we do here is for the good of the students.”

3. Where was his last position?
Chamberlain worked for the past 10 years as director of the Frederick Meijer Honors College at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, near Grand Rapids. After building the Honors College program there, the dean is excited about a new challenge. And his family is quite happy to have relocated to Florida from western Michigan. “People talked about lake-effect snow, but I didn’t really know what that meant,” Chamberlain said. “Our first winter there, the snowfall totaled 104 inches.”

4. What aspect of his job has the most appeal?
To Chamberlain, a really important part of his job is making connections with students. Though he’s not teaching this year, he plans to teach in the future. “I find myself to be very student centered and enjoy working with students, so I never want to be that far away from them.”

5. What is the role of the Honors College?
Chamberlain believes that Honors should add value to an education, offering experiences the students wouldn’t get otherwise. “I’ve always felt that Honors is not a be-all, end-all in and of itself. It is a facilitator to help the whole University, so we want to work with every college on our campus and help them further their goals and at the same time bring in some of the best students to do it,” Chamberlain said.

And there’s more: Chamberlain earned his doctorate in history from the University of Chicago, two master’s degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois and a bachelor’s in history from Bryan College in Tennessee.

He has published a book called “Changes and Chances” that centers on an actual plot in the early 18th century to overthrow George I, an episode he uncovered when he found a series of coded letters in archives in England.

In his last Convocation speech, President John Delaney recalled notable university achievements from the past academic year, while laying out an “ambitious, but achievable agenda” for months ahead.

“Let me state clearly, we are not putting the ship in idle ...” said Delaney, who retires from the presidency in May 2018. “Quite the opposite — we’re preparing for the next president to walk onto an even better campus than we have today,” he said.

Delaney stated that, when comparing UNF to national peers, the University is ranked fourth among metropolitan, comprehensive, public universities — a standing he believes could continue to improve.

Reflecting on the past year, Delaney said that despite funding challenges, the University was able to stay true to some of its most basic commitments, like raises for faculty who were tenured or promoted to a higher academic rank, while also enhancing the quality of education. He pointed to increased advising and career services offerings, as well as supplemental instruction, which he said accounted for a 66 percent reduction in students withdrawing from or getting D’s or F’s in courses.

Delaney said it’s time to double down and multiply achievements, while also ensuring that students prosper in the right programs of study. “We should not be admitting students who can’t make it through graduation in a discipline that doesn’t match up with their individual strengths,” he said, commenting that more intense advising with a focus on guidance is needed to help students identify the right career paths.

Delaney pointed to improvements in UNF’s sixth-year graduation rates — preliminary numbers show that 56 percent of the cohort that began in 2011 graduated — up from 45 percent of the 2002 class.

He said UNF is also impacting the region and state by graduating students in high-needs areas identified by the Governor. According to Delaney, UNF leads state universities in several categories graduating students in high-demand fields like nursing, health administration, health science and computing. He pointed out that 90 percent of UNF’s nursing alumni stay in the state and region, as well as 81 percent of accounting grads. Delaney said internships have increased as well, which are often the “gateway to employment after graduation” — more than 50 percent of students enrolled in one or more internships last year compared to 41.5 percent six years ago.

Internships are just one example of UNF’s strong community engagement, which was recently inventoried for the first time last year as part of the application process for the Carnegie Foundation's Community Engagement Classification. “During the last academic year, 255 faculty and staff offered almost 700 different community-based courses or internships,” Delaney recalled, stating that students spent more than one million hours on community projects and endeavors. In addition, UNF faculty and staff contributed over 60,000 hours of service.

Noting their leadership and hard work every day, Delaney said UNF has “2,400 of the best faculty and staff imaginable — all focused on student success.” He closed with personal stories of UNF’s impact, expressing his gratitude to the campus community.

As a college freshman, Dr. Catherine Christie learned a lesson in a basic nutrition class that inspired her interest in the field: proper nutrition can save lives. The professor of the course, as part of a team, had learned that the diet in some areas of the South — emphasizing primarily cornmeal and grits — was lacking in niacin, which was causing the disease pellagra; untreated it was fatal, but by giving these patients doses of niacin, the team was saving lives.

Now years later, that freshman is the associate dean and a nutrition professor in the Brooks College of Health and was honored last week as UNF’s 2017 Distinguished Professor. As she graciously accepted the award, Christie enthusiastically shared her passion for nutrition and the remarkable things UNF graduates in the field are achieving.

“Nutrition is a relatively young science, and it is becoming increasingly obvious that food is an important part of both preventive medicine and treatment for the chronic diseases we face today including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer and others,” Christie said. “Diet and health are inextricably linked.”

As evidence of that connection, Christie told the Convocation audience the story of a UNF graduate, who developed a meal-delivery program for hospital patients with congestive heart disease. Often too weak to prepare nutritious meals at home, the patients had to be readmitted within 30 days of release, which resulted in unnecessary human suffering and extensive Medicare penalties imposed on the hospital. With the meal program, 60 patients improved their health and avoided a return for care. The hospital won financially as well, spending $144,000 for three months of meals, but saving $2.5 million in penalties.

Christie also talked about positive health outcomes of the Asian diet in China and Japan and the Mediterranean diet in Spain, Greece, and Italy. “Just as there is diversity in genetic markers for disease, there is also great diversity in food patterns throughout the world,” Christie said. “Exploring the food, customs and healthcare of other countries on study abroad gives our students further insight into the differences diets can make in health risks and outcomes.”

Dr. Corinne Labyak, a former student and now colleague, introduced the distinguished professor, describing her as an “incredible teacher, mentor, influence, inspiration and friend.” Christie began her talk by thanking a number of people who have helped her during her career. She ended by thanking the audience — her fellow faculty members and friends.

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share with you today some of the work I love,” Christie said. “I am extremely grateful to be part of the UNF family.”

The Department of Public Relations is asking, “Why Do You #LoveUNF?” Swooping at games, memorable students and classes, art, lectures, diversity, friendships, nature and giving back to the community — this is some of what makes us Ospreys. Tell us the reasons you love UNF during our fifth annual social media contest for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.

Here are the details:

• The contest will run Monday, Sept. 25, through Thursday, Sept. 28. More prizes than ever before will go to several daily winners, plus three grand prizes.
• It’s easy to enter. Follow the University on Twitter and/or Instagram @UofNorthFlorida. Post an Instagram photo or tweet on Twitter about why you love UNF. Include the hashtag #loveUNF.
• There are daily prize drawings. Contest participants are automatically eligible for daily random prize drawings featuring: Visa gift cards; Cinemark Tinseltown movie tickets; a Barnes & Nobel gift bag; Adventure Landing Shipwreck Island Waterpark passes; gift cards for Publix, California Pizza Kitchen, First Watch, Maple Street Biscuit Company, Zoe’s Kitchen and Sweet by Holly; as well as a President’s Guest Parking Space for your day of choice.
• There are also grand prizes. Three lucky winners will receive one of this year’s grand prizes — a pair of Italian-made Rudy Project sunglasses from College Optical Express at UNF, and — courtesy of the UNF Bookstore — either a Fitbit Charge HR or a UNF longboard skateboard.

Contest winners will be announced on the University’s Twitter and Instagram pages @UofNorthFlorida. Click here to view the official contest rules.

Despite rain and clouds, more than 1,000 people attended UNF’s solar eclipse party last month hosted by the Physics Department at the Coxwell Amphitheater.

With all 2,000 viewing glasses reserved in anticipation of the eclipse, students and visitors to campus gathered to observe the rare appearance of the moon blocking out the largest star in the Milky Way – the sun. Attendees waited anxiously under a gray sky, while faculty members from the Physics Department educated the crowd. Just as many were about to give up hope of seeing the once-in-a-lifetime event, the clouds rolled away providing the audience with a view of the eclipse as it reached its maximum obscuration around 2:47 p.m. The moon covered 91% of the sun’s surface, which allowed for the corona of the sun to be seen.

John Hale, assistant vice president of administration and finance, visited Athens, Tennessee, to witness the event and got some amazing photos using a solar filter on his camera. Check them out!

The application process is now open for UNF faculty looking for funding to kick-start their research projects. The Environmental Center, as it has done for the past 11 years, will award two $6,000 seed grants for multidisciplinary environmental research in Northeast Florida. New this year, the Center also will award two $5,000 grants for research focused on water issues in Northeast Florida.

Dr. David Lambert, associate professor of economics and director of the Environmental Center, explained the program:
• Donors make the seed grants possible. The two annual grants are funded by the River Branch Foundation endowment. Vulcan Materials Company Foundation is funding the new grants for research related to water issues in Northeast Florida.
• Proposals will be accepted through Oct. 30, 2017.
• As before, a committee of faculty, representing a cross-section of the campus, will make the selection.
• The intent of the program is to stimulate new research related to environmental issues and to help faculty be more competitive when applying for external research grants.

“Often, a researcher just needs enough funding to buy some materials, or a specific instrument, in order to conduct a pilot or ‘proof of concept’ study that can be used to justify a large external grant,” Lambert said. He encouraged any faculty member interested in how these grants can help them to contact him to discuss how they can submit a competitive proposal.

Dr. Quincy Gibson, assistant professor of biology, furthered her dolphin research with the help of a seed grant she won several years ago. “We needed camera equipment to get started, and the Environmental Center was instrumental with that,” Gibson said. “The professional grade camera equipment enabled us to collect data – which for us is mainly photographic. The data we’ve collected and analyzed, as a result, have led to publications and additional funding applications.”

Launched by those initial seed grants, Gibson and the graduate students working with her have continued the dolphin research to include a study of the dolphin’s social complexity, habitat noise and now a research project about the health of the dolphins and recent unexplained deaths.

For more details on the application process, click here.

Title, academic field and college: COAS, Curator of Galleries for UNF; Instructor Department of Art and Design

What brought you to UNF? My first experiences with UNF were as an adjunct instructor beginning in 1998. At that time, I was a full-time working artist in the area, and I supplemented my income by teaching drawing and painting classes at various colleges and universities.

What courses do you teach? Currently, I teach Drawing Studio. Past semesters, I have taught Curatorial Practices and various courses of drawing and painting.

What research are you doing? I am working on some long-term projects with a multitude of short-term streams. I call my overarching research project Radical Naturalism. It is an attempt to address a personal fascination with human beings and their relationship to their environment. I investigate everything from language to images found in historic documents to contemporary news in an attempt to put ideas into a context. Primarily my research focuses on the attitude of our species regarding nature, whether we are a part of it or dominative over it.

Do you have a favorite spot on campus? Of course the Preserve. The preserved lands of UNF make our University unique. Thanks to those who have worked so hard to keep the natural lands from being developed. My next favorite, of course, is the bamboo garden.

What’s the most rewarding academic experience you’ve had at UNF in or out of the classroom? Watching students grow and move on gives me joy daily. I remain in contact with students as far back as those adjunct days in the late ‘90s. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t get an email or phone call from former students who share their successes or ask for advice.

If you weren’t teaching, what else would you be doing and why? First, and foremost, I consider myself a working artist. I love teaching and consider it a part of my practice. In the practicing art world, those who do — always teach. If you are not teaching, sharing concepts and skills with those who are hungry to learn, you are not an artist. If there were no formal system or structure such as UNF, I would continue doing what I do, just without a regular paycheck.

What do you like most about UNF? Collegiality — it is the friendliest place imaginable. The support and friendship of colleagues at all levels makes work a joy.

Who has been the biggest role model in your life? My drawing and painting teacher from the early ‘70s at the University of Mississippi is a man named Jere Allen. Forty-five years later, I return to his studio in Oxford, Mississippi, as often as possible asking his advice and learning more about painting and art making. I want to be that.

What advice would you give a student who is about to graduate? For art students, go ahead and call yourself what you are. There is no need to wait. Say that you are an artist, a writer, a designer, a curator, whatever, and that you are seeking fundraising opportunities. Your career is now.

If you could witness any historical event, what would it be? The landing of Ponce de Leon so I could tell him to keep traveling. There is no Fountain of Youth. It would have saved us a lot of grief.

Where is the best place you’ve visited? I think that Horseshoe Canyon near Moab, Utah, is the best place I’ve ever been. I see evidence of thousands of years of humans who were trying to figure it out.

How do you recharge? I go as deep into the woods as I can possibly get.

What do you like most about Jacksonville? Where else have you lived? I’ve lived in Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina, always in the South. I like that from Jacksonville you can get to the springs and the glorious Suwannee River within a few hours, and the Okefenokee Swamp is an hour away. I can be on a relatively deserted beach within a half-hour and the mountains by midday. I do think that unchecked growth is killing the area. It’s fragile here.

What would you most regret not having done by the end of your life? As I move into the golden years, regrets bubble frequently. Most of them are that I haven’t worked hard enough to reach more people with my message. Hopefully, there’s a bit of time left.

Job title and department: Academic Program Coordinator, Environmental Center

What do you do at UNF? I am the coordinator for the Environmental Leadership Program (ELP). I work with undergraduate students who have been selected as project leaders in the ELP. We’re creating the next generation of environmental leaders!

What do you enjoy about working here? I love working with the students. They are passionate about creating real-world solutions to our environmental issues here in Northeast Florida – they truly give me hope for our future!

What one memory do you most treasure? The evening my son, Garrett, was born — 11:46 p.m. after being in labor for more than 24 hours. I was most happy that he was born healthy and had all 10 fingers and toes (and a head full of hair – which he never lost)!

If you could have a dinner party and invite any four people, from the past or present, who would be on your guest list? His Holiness The Dalai Lama; Thomas Jefferson; Elizabeth Warren; Sir Richard Branson. Definitely an eclectic group — Buddhist mentor; Renaissance man; political mentor; innovator.

If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be? I would love to be a Blue Angels pilot because it’s death-defying what they do. I think it would be the ultimate high (no pun intended) in life!

If you ruled the world, what would you change on Day 1? I’d give all the people at the bottom of the wage ladder 100 percent raises. They are the ones doing all the hard, labor-intensive work and getting paid the least — that seems very unfair to me.

What would be the title for the movie version of your life? “The Phoenix” because I’m always finding ways of reinventing myself.

What’s at the top of your bucket list? Not to have a bucket list; if you can do it now, then why wait!

What one food do you wish had zero calories? Is wine considered a food? It is made from grapes …

Tell us something that might surprise us about you. Last August, I had my first hole-in-one at San Jose Country Club. It surprised the heck out of me!

Tell us a few of your favorite things.
Band: The Eagles
Board game: Scrabble
Childhood memory: Playing the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz
Ice cream flavor: Rocky Road
Movie line: “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
Movie: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Quote: “Why reinvent the wheel — it can’t get any rounder.”

Chris Davenport Signs with Pro Team in Italy
Former North Florida basketball standout Chris Davenport became the third Osprey this summer to sign his first professional playing contract as he inked a deal with NPC Rieti. Learn more

Colubiale Lifts Women's Soccer Past Eagles
Junior Krista Colubiale scored just five minutes into the game as North Florida women's soccer went on to shutout Winthrop, 1-0, on Aug. 27 at Eagle Field. The Ospreys move to 3-1 on the year for their best Division I start to a season. Learn more 

Ospreys Use Balanced Attack In Three Set Win
North Florida volleyball dominated in a three set sweep of visiting Savannah State as the Ospreys hit .435 for the match while holding the visitors to negative hitting. Learn more

Athletics Adding Nevco Video Scoreboards for Baseball and Softball
University of North Florida Athletics has again partnered with Nevco to bring state-of-the-art videoboards and LED scoreboards to the playing diamonds of Dusty Rhodes Field at Harmon Stadium and the UNF Softball Complex. Learn more

Brooks College of Health

Department of Public Health
Dr. Robert Zeglin presented “A Survey of Counseling Students’ Human Sexuality Counseling Competency” at the 2017 American Mental Health Counselors Association in Washington, D.C. in July.

Dr. M.T. Tuason presented “Transforming Conflict within for Counseling Competence” and "Macro, Exo, Meso, Micro Conflicts in Culture and How They Can Be Transformed" at the 9th European International Association of Cross Cultural Psychology (IACCP) Conference in Warsaw, Poland, in July. Tuason also presented “Using Stories to Re-shape Our Lives: Narrative Therapy in Action” at a workshop given to supervisors and clinicians in training at the CIP Bamberg Ausbildung in Psychotherapie in Bamberg, Germany, in July.

Clinical and Applied Movement Sciences
Dr. Peter Magyari was the Senior Editor for the book “ACSM’s Resources for the Exercise Physiologist: A Practical Guide for the Health Fitness Professional,” 2nd edition, published by Wolters Kluwer, 2017. Additionally, three exercise science program faculty authored/co-authored chapters in this text.
• Nicole Nelson authored “Functional Movement Assessments and Exercise Programming for Apparently Healthy Participants.”
• Dr. Ben Gordon co-authored “Exercise for Individuals with Controlled Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, and Metabolic Disease.”
• Dr. Peter Magyari co-authored “Preparticipation Physical Activity Screening Guidelines.”

School of Nursing
Dr. Helene Vossos published “Collaborative Interprofessional Practice to Prevent College Suicide” in the Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice, in July. Vossos also presented “De-escalation, Patient Anxiety and The Calmer Program” at the Hurley Hospital for the chief nursing officer and administrators in Flint, Michigan, in June and presented “Calm, Cool, Collect: Team Building” at the Vince Carter Sanctuary for dual diagnosed mental health professionals in Flagler County, Florida, in July.


Coggin College of Business
Dr. David Swanson, associate professor of marketing and logistics, with recent MBA graduates Amanda Atwood and Daniel Calais, published “Global Supply Chain Ecosystems: Strategies for Competitive Advantage in a Complex, Connected World: A Review,” in the Journal of Marketing Channels in July. With Dawn Russell and Magnus Blinge, a colleague in Sweden, Swanson published “Sustainable logistics and supply chain management: A holistic view through the lens of the wicked problem,” in World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research in July.

Dr. Dong-Young Kim, associate professor of operations management was recognized as a finalist for the 2017 Jack Meredith Best Paper Award given by the Journal of Operations Management (JOM). JOM is the top-tier journal in the Operations Management field with the 2016 impact factor of 5.207. The award was designed to recognize papers published in JOM with high impacts over the previous five years (2012-16). His paper, “Relationship between Quality Management Practices and Innovation,” which is available on the website of the journal, has been selected as the second most cited article published in JOM since 2012. Kim was also selected as a finalist for the 2017 Chan Hahn Best Paper Award for his work “Does Customer Network Centrality Matter in Enhancing Supplier Performance?” The award has been given annually at the Academy of Management (AOM) annual meeting.

College of Arts and Sciences
Communication
Dr. Margaret Stewart and Dr. Christa Arnold published “Defining Social Listening: Recognizing an Emerging Dimension of Listening” in The International Journal of Listening.

English
Dr. Jennifer Lieberman published the book “Power Lines: Electricity in American Life and Letters, 1882-1952” with MIT Press, and published the article “Finding a Place for Technology” in the Journal of Literature and Science (July).

Mathematics and Statistics
Dr. Trung Hoa Dinh, Dr. Raluca Dumitru and Dr. Jose Franco published “On a conjecture of Bhatia, Lim, and Yamazaki” in Linear Algebra and its Applications (June).

Music
Dr. Sarah Caissie Provost published “The Dance Hall, Nazi Germany, and Hell: Accruing Meaning Through Filmic Uses of Benny Goodman’s ‘Sing Sing Sing’” in Music and the Moving Image (August).

Physics
The Department of Physics held a public eclipse-viewing event at UNF, which distributed 2,000 eclipse glasses, mainly to UNF students.

Dr. John Hewitt’s proposal, “Integration of programming and modern research tools into astronomy courses at UNF,” was selected for funding by NASA's Florida Space Grant. Hewitt also led the organization of a workshop on the Aug. 21 solar eclipse for 65 local educators and distributed 10,000 eclipse glasses. He helped create a website, jaxeclipse.org, which was viewed more than 10,000 times in the month leading up to the eclipse.

Dr. John Anderson and Dr. Jason Haraldsen participated in numerous interviews related to the solar eclipse on Action News, First Coast News, News4Jax and WOKV radio, involved with the solar eclipse event on Aug. 21.

Political Science and Public Administration
Dr. Joshua C. Gellers delivered four presentations during his Fulbright grant in Sri Lanka, including “Chinese Investment in the Developing World” and “Academic Expectations and Academic Integrity” at the US-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission; “Environmental Impact Assessment in Sri Lanka: State of Knowledge and New Directions” at Verité Research; and “Global Environmental Politics” as part of the Global Transformations Lecture Series at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies.

Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Dr. Mandi N. Barringer, with her colleagues J. E. Sumerau and David A. Gay, published “Examining Differences in Identity Disclosure Between Monosexuals and Bisexuals” in the journal Sociological Spectrum (August).

Dr. S. Hughes, Dr. J. Lacasse, Ms. R. Fuller and Dr. J. Spaulding-Givens published “Adverse Effects and Treatment Satisfaction among Online Users of Four Antidepressants” in Psychiatry Research. With colleague Dr. B. Croft, Spaulding-Givens also presented “Mental Health Self-Direction: Recent Research from Florida Self-Directed Care and a National Multi-Site Process Evaluation” at the Temple University 2017 Summer Institute on Community Inclusion.

Dr. Paul G. Clark, with his colleague S. S. Weng, published “In Pursuit of Social Justice: Emic and Etic Perspectives of Social Service Providers” in the Journal of Community Practice (July).

College of Computing, Engineering and Construction

School of Computing
Dr. Swapnonneel Roy, with Samuel Matloob, Anand Seetharam, Anna Rameshbabu, William O’Dell and Welton Davis, published “Biometrics Data Security Techniques for Portable Mobile Devices” in INAE Letters (2017).

College of Education and Human Services

Department of Foundations and Secondary Education
Dr. Dan Dinsmore recently published two journal articles in the British Journal of Educational Psychology. With Dr. Meghan Parkinson from the COEHS Dean’s Office, Dinsmore published “Investigating the relations between high school students’ depth of processing and metacognitive strategy use.” Click here for the article. With Dr. Brian Zoellner, Dinsmore published “The relation between cognitive and metacognitive strategic processing during science simulations.” Click here for the article. 

Department of Exceptional, Deaf and Interpreter Education
The ASL/English Interpreter Education Program partnered with the Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf to host the inagural FRID Talk on Saturday, Aug. 12. Dr. Cam McDermid presented on the concept of cohesion in English and ASL, focusing on definite and indefinite determiners and how their use/interpretation affects receipt of the implicit and explicit messages being communicated. Dawn M. Wessling and Dr. Suzanne Ehrlich presented on the topic of language shaming in interpreter education and among professional practice by educators, mentors, consumers and practitioners. The event was attended by faculty, current and former students as well as interpreter professionals.

Center for Urban Education and Policy
The Center for Urban Education and Policy — in concert with the Office of the Dean and several other sponsors — will host the first of what the Center hopes will be a regular speaker series. National Book Award winner Ibram X. Kendi discuss the history of racist ideas in America (and subsequently how racism permeates virtually every area of our society) on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. Following his prepared remarks, Kendi will answer audience questions and then sign copies of his bestselling book “Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America.”

Dr. Chris Jansen, and his staff from the UNF Center for Urban Education and Policy, met with Dr. Katrina Hall, a board member, and Lillie Sullivan, president of the Jacksonville Beach Elementary Preservation Fund Inc., the nonprofit arm of the Rhoda L. Martin Cultural Heritage Center. Mrs. Peggy Johnson, a retired educator from Duval County Schools, presented an oral history of the education of African-American children in the beaches area during segregation.

The CUEP, with the Rhoda L. Martin Cultural Heritage Center, will co-host the Wonder Women Banquet honoring local women leaders who have made a positive impact on education and the community. The event will be held Thursday, Oct. 5, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the University Center. UNF Faculty and members of the community are encouraged to attend. For more information on tickets or sponsorships, please contact Dr. Katrina Hall at khall@unf.edu or (904) 620-1935.

Department of Childhood Education, Literacy and Tesol
Dr. Katie Monnin represented the Will Eisner Foundation and judged the 43rd annual San Diego Comic Con Masquerade and Cosplay Ball in July. At the Denver Comic Con in June, Monnin presented and participated on three panels. Monnin was asked to join the Advisory Council for Denver Comic Con and the Pop Culture Classroom. She was also asked to take a lead in planning the brand-new literary award ceremony hosted and sponsored by Denver Comic Con. She agreed to chair the Denver Comic Con Literary Award Committee as well.

Dr. Christine Weber presented on the topics “Examining critical issues in gifted education: A case studies approach” and “Encouraging reflective thinking to assess understanding and growth of differentiation.” Weber, with co-presenter Wendy Behrens, also participated in a panel discussion on Professional Learning in Education: models, research, and practice at the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children International Conference, in Sydney, Australia. Weber also participated in an all-day workshop with catholic educators in Western Australia (Perth) on Creating Learning Menus: Providing for Student Choice.

Center for Instruction and Research Technology
Rozy Parlette, Allison Archer, Justin Lerman and Megan Bracewell presented two sessions at the annual InstructureCon 2017 conference in Keystone, Colorado: "Building an Instructional Design Sandbox and Faculty Development Portal in Canvas" and "Top-Notch Templates: Your Secret Weapon in Successfully Meeting QM Standards."

Student Affairs
The Department of Diversity Initiatives’ QUEST program will be featured in an upcoming issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. The article will focus on QUEST’s initiatives to help underrepresented students transition successfully into the University environment.

Kaitlin Legg, director of the LGBT Resource Center, received the GOLD Alumni Award from her alma mater, Nazareth College. The award recognizes the achievements of an alum who graduated within the last 10 years and has earned a place of distinction in the community or workplace. On June 12, Kaitlin Legg spoke on WJCT about the impact of the Pulse shooting one year later. In July, Legg spoke on First Coast News about the potential ban on trans people in the military. 

Sheila Spivey, director for the Department of Diversity Initiatives, and Brandi Winfrey, coordinator, presented to the Florida Diversity Council in July. Their presentation was titled “The IB Factor: Understanding Implicit Bias,” which focused on how subconscious biases may be affecting the way you interact with others in the workplace. The council sought out the department based upon their expertise on the subject matter.

Thomas J. Carpenter Library

Maria Atilano, marketing and student outreach librarian, published “Taking Care of Business: Why Libraries Should Incorporate Listening into their Social Media Goals" in the Journal of the Library Administration & Management Section (JLAMS) Vol. 13 : 1, Article 4. She also co-presented the webinar "Get GIFy with it: How to go viral during Banned Books Week” in August in conjunction with librarians from the American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom and New York Public Library.

Milestone Anniversaries
Congratulations to the following employees with a milestone anniversary at UNF in September:

25 Years
Bruce Herring, Assistant Director, IPTM
Pansy Tapper, Associate Director, TSI Accounting

20 Years
Philip Geist, Associate Director, Small Business Development Center
Cathy O'Farrell, Director, Field Experiences, College of Education and Human Services

15 Years
Angela Gibson, Assistant Director, Contracts Grants, ORSP
Elizabeth Hardy, Coordinator, Academic Support Services, One-Stop Center

10 Years
Christianne Brown, Mental Health Counselor, Counseling Center
James Shoemaker, Senior Engineer/Tech Designer, Physical Facilities

5 Years
Darren Carr, Maintenance Mechanic, Osprey Fountains
Kellie Cosner, Coordinator, Events Planning, Fine Arts Center
Artis Hartley, Maintenance Mechanic, Maintenance and Energy Management
Stefanie Levine, Coordinator, Employment, Human Resources
Phillip Simmons, Assistant Director, Academic Support Services, Transfer Student Services
Don Zavesky, Assistant Director, Research Prog Services, Small Business Development Center


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

Cigdem Akan, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering
Michael Aspinwall, Assistant Professor, Biology
Chaka Brittain, Assistant Professor, Nursing
Shinwoo Choi, Assistant Professor, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Patrick Chung, Assistant Professor, History
Trung Hoa Dinh, Assistant Professor, Mathematics and Statistics
Ayan Dutta, Assistant Professor, School of Computing
Paul Elliott, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Anirban Ghosh, Assistant Professor, School of Computing
Julie Hartline, Assistant Professor, Leadership SC and SM
Kristen Hicks, Assistant Professor, Nutrition and Dietetics
Lucy Hoover, Instructor, Political Science and Public Administration
Sheryl Kae, Instructor, Management
James Keena, Assistant Professor, Political Science and Public Administration
Andrew Kozlowski, Assistant Professor, Art and Design
Yvonne Lee, Assistant Professor, Accounting and Finance
Jae-Ho Lee, Assistant Professor, Mathematics and Statistics
Campbell McDermid, Associate Professor, Exceptional Deaf and Interpreter Education
Arthur Nelson, Instructor, Arts and Sciences
Nilufer Ozdemir, Assistant Professor, Economics
Benjamin Paladino, Instructor, Management
Sinyoung Park, Assistant Professor, Health Administration
Adam Rosenblatt, Assistant Professor, Biology
Frank Smith, Assistant Professor, Biology
Kassie Terrell, Assistant Professor, Public Health
Andrew Thoeni, Instructor, Marketing and Logistics
Helene Vossos, Assistant Professor, Nursing
Lisa West, Instructor, Art and Design
Tracy Whitted, Instructor, Leadership, School Counseling and Sport Management
Christina Wright, Assistant Professor, Nursing
Lihong Yao, Instructor, Physics
Madeline Zavodny, Professor, Economics
Robert Zeglin, Assistant Professor, Public Health


Great Job
The following employees were promoted recently:

Lian An, Professor, Economics
Devrim Bilgili, Associate Professor, Mathematics and Statistics
Judy Comeaux, Associate Professor, Nursing
Malgorzata Czerwinska, Associate Professor, Mathematics and Statistics
Fredrick Dale, Associate Instructor, English
Michelle Davis, Office Manager, Biology
Rosa De Jorio, Professor, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Todd DelGiudice, Associate Professor, Music
Roberta Doggett, Associate Instructor, Communication
Georgette Dumont, Associate Professor, Political Science and Public Administration
Nathan Edwards, IT Help Desk Manager, User Services
Jose Franco, Associate Professor, Mathematics and Statistics
Jennifer Hager, Professor, Art and Design
Adam Harpstrite, AV Support Specialist, IPTM
Eric Johnson, Associate Professor, Biology
Chau Kelly, Associate Professor, History
Bryan Knuckley, Associate Professor, Chemistry
O. Patrick Kreidl, Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering
Corinne Labyak, Associate Professor, Nutrition and Dietetics
Chunsik Lee, Associate Professor, Communication
Thomas Mullen, Associate Professor, Chemistry
Elizabeth Nabi, Associate Professor, Art and Design
Jody Nicholson-Bell, Associate Professor, Psychology
John Nuszkowski, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Jae Park, Associate Professor, Communication
Anita Parks, Administrative Assistant, Library
Sherry Pinkstaff, Associate Professor, Clinical and Applied Movement Science
Zornitza Prodanoff, Professor, School of Computing
Daniel Santavicca, Associate Professor, Physics
Dawn Saracino, Associate Instructor, Clinical and Applied Movement Science
Dorianne Schaffield, Coordinator, Student Affairs, Interfaith Center
David Swanson, Associate Professor, Marketing and Logistics
Kristi Sweeney, Associate Professor, Leadership, School Counseling and Sport Management
Cara Tasher, Professor, Music
Heather Truelove, Associate Professor, Psychology
Debra Wagner, Associate Professor, Nursing
Christine Weber, Professor, Childhood Education, Literacy and TESOL
Lunetta Williams, Professor, Childhood Education, Literacy and TESOL
Damien Wise, Custodial Services Superintendent, Custodial Services
Richmond Wynn, Associate Professor, Public Health
Brian Zoellner, Associate Professor, Foundations and Secondary Education

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

Deiderie Allard, Associate Director, Residence Life, University Housing
Leroy Baker, Custodial Worker, Physical Facilities
Joshua Barthuly, Course Media Developer, Distance Learning
Catherine Baucom, Instructor, Education and Human Services
Melinda Brown, Executive Secretary, Telephone Services
Andrea Buenano, Instructor, Education and Human Services
Daniel Button, Instructor, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Matthew Childers, Assistant Professor, Political Science and Public Administration
Nina Der-Heard, Coordinator, Admissions Processing, Enrollment Services
Alexandra Diaz, Coordinator, Student Financial Services, Controller
Kenton Durrant, Office Assistant, Procurement Services
Denice Fett, Assistant Professor, History
Candace Ford, Program Assistant, Student Health Services
Alexi Gonzalez, Assistant Director, Academic Support Services, Admissions
Barbara Hetrick, Professor, Arts and Sciences
Lynna Im, Coordinator, Admissions Processing, Enrollment Services
Natalie Indelicato, Assistant Professor, Public Health
Jennifer Irish, Faculty Administrator, Taylor Engineering Research Institute
Yvonne Katzman, Administrative Secretary, Small Business Development Center
Scott Landes, Assistant Professor, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Douglas Leas, Assistant Professor, School of Computing
Joan Lehmann, Coordinator, University Budgets, Office of Planning and Budget
Mary Locklear, Instructor, Nursing
Brett MacLaughlin, Senior IT Support Technician, User Services
Lawrence Mao, Lecturer, Physics
Rachel McCandless, Instructor, Nutrition and Dietetics
Kathleen McClung, Assistant Director, Annual Giving
Sarah McDermott, Assistant Professor, Art and Design
Yanek Mieczkowski, Assistant Professor, History
Kaila Miller, Police Communications Operator, University Police Department
Christopher Miller, Coordinator, Admissions, Transfer Student Services
Donna Mohr, Instructor, Mathematics and Statistics
Simeon Nanovsky, Assistant Professor, Economics
Melissa Omeechevarria, Instructor, Education and Human Services
Jessica Pavliska, Coordinator, Student Financial Services, Controller
Megan Possinger, Director, Assessment and Testing, Assessment Activities
Theo Prousis, Instructor, History
Timothy Rearick, Instructor, Public Health
Sandy Rosedale, Instructor, Nursing
A. Coskun Samli, Professor, Marketing and Logistics
Pali Sen, Professor, Mathematics and Statistics
Behrooz Seyed-Abbassi, Assistant Professor, School of Computing
Lena Shaqareq, Instructor, Urban Internship
Catherine Silvers, Assistant University Librarian, Library
Elaine Staley, Assistant Professor, Biology
Berik Uzakbaiuly, Lecturer, Physics
Bogdan Visinescu, Assistant Professor, Mathematics and Statistics
Jennifer Wells, Coordinator, Administrative Services, General Counsel’s Office
Suzie Weng, Assistant Professor, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work

 

In Memoriam

With sadness, we announce the passing of a UNF colleague:

 

Vuokko “Vicki” E. Cornett, an instructor in the Department of Childhood Education, Literacy and TESOL, passed away Aug. 11 following an extended battle with lung cancer. Vicki was known for her inspirational ethic of care, professionalism, and advocacy for her students and children.

A UNF faculty member since 2009, Cornett taught a student internship practicum as well as a course in educational psychology.

Cathy O’Farrell, director of field experiences, remembered her colleague: “Vicki was a unique soul. She embodied the qualities of compassion, care, commitment, strength, patience and humor. Vicki was an anchor for those who were navigating through rough times. She left a mark on the lives of all she touched. We will miss her and will carry her memory in our hearts and minds for eternity.”

She is survived by her husband, Dr. Jeffrey W. Cornett, chair and professor of UNF’s Department of Foundations and Secondary Education.

 

UNF loses another devoted Osprey:

 

The campus community also mourns the passing of President Delaney's father, Jim Delaney, who died on Wednesday. A devoted and proud father, Jim Delaney loved the University of North Florida and the Ospreys. He was a loyal fan and a regular at UNF Athletic events. He will be profoundly missed. 

 

A funeral for Delaney will be held Friday, Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Jacksonville Beach.

Coffee is a beloved beverage that is consumed daily by 54 percent of American adults. The average daily intake of coffee within that group is 3.1 cups. If this group includes you, you may be wondering if it’s a good choice for your health. Jenna Braddock, instructor in the Nutrition and Dietetics Flagship Program, answers myths surrounding coffee.

Myth: Coffee isn’t good for your health.
Fact: Through the years, coffee’s impact on health has been studied many times. Coffee contains more than 1,000 unique components that influence its appearance, aroma and flavor. The exact makeup of these compounds can vary even from cup to cup. One particular group of compounds, chlorogenic acids, actually acts as an antioxidant.

With this in mind, it’s not surprising that coffee has been linked to health benefits. Observational studies have concluded that regular coffee drinkers may have a lower risk for Type 2 diabetes, gallstones, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. It also seems that coffee doesn’t negatively impact heart health, and among healthy adults, coffee drinkers who regularly consume two to four cups a day may have the lowest risk for mortality.

Despite these promising findings, there are still some who should be careful about their coffee intake, particularly as it relates to the caffeine it contains. It’s still recommended that pregnant woman restrict caffeine intake to less than 200 milligrams a day. In addition, those who have chronic, very high blood pressure should talk to their doctor or dietitian about how much and how often they should consume caffeine.

Myth: Coffee gives you energy.
Fact: The caffeine in coffee isn’t actually energy in the form of calories. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that increases alertness and acts as a stimulant on the brain and body. While caffeine is considered a safe ergogenic aid in sports, the body still requires calories to burn for energy to work properly. Relying only on caffeinated beverages for “energy,” can leave you ultimately fatigued at the end of the day. For the best results from caffeinated coffee, drink it with food containing calories, too, and don’t solely rely on it to keep you going throughout the day.

Myth: Coffee drinks are virtually free of calories.
Fact: While basic, black coffee is very low in calories (about 2 calories per 8 ounces), the additional flavoring agents added to coffee can get you in a little trouble. Per tablespoon, heavy cream adds about 52 kcals, half-and-half about 20 kcals and flavored nondairy creamer can add around 45 kcal. If you’re someone who “likes a little coffee with your cream,” then you should definitely pay attention to how much you are adding in order to manage overall calorie intake.

Espresso drinks warrant even more awareness as you can easily consume more than 200 calories in your favorite beverage from the coffee shop. This isn’t necessarily a problem if you know what you are getting. Fortunately, many chain coffee shops make the calorie content of their drinks easy to find. Consider skipping the whip cream and caramel drizzle on top of your daily coffee to reduce added sugar and excessive calories.

The Goods is a monthly column about food myths and facts by faculty members in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Flagship Program and runs monthly in The Florida Times-Union’s “Taste” section. Have a question about coffee? Contact Jenna Braddock at j.braddock@unf.edu.

Chocolate Pick-Me-Up Smoothie

INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 1 cup plain soymilk
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• ½ cup brewed coffee
• ¼ avocado
• Dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place ingredients in the order listed in a blender.
2. Blend until smooth, adding more soymilk or ice to your desired thickness.
3. Enjoy!

Serves: 1
References:
1. Bidel S, Tuamilehto J. The Emerging Health Benefits of Coffee with an Emphasis on Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease. European Endocrinology. 2013; 9:99-106.
2. Mejia EG, Ramirez-Mares MV. Impact of caffeine and coffee on our health. Trends End Metab. 2014; 25:489-491.
3. Zhang Y et al. Caffeine and diuresis during rest and exercise: A meta-analysis. J Sci Med in Sport. 2015; 18:569-574.

The University of North Florida recently gathered data from all areas of campus to measure the school’s impact in the community. The results show that during the 2016-17 academic year, UNF students participated in community-based experiences more than 21,000 times — for nearly 1 million hours — either through courses or engagement opportunities organized by student groups, clubs or athletic teams. In addition, UNF faculty and staff contributed nearly 60,000 hours.

How much is that worth? Using a value estimator from the nonprofit organization Independent Sector, the hours contributed by UNF students and employees are worth an estimated $23.7 million!

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