| Faculty/Staff Leader |
Nature of the Experience |
| Directed Independent Study |
| Ellis, Terri |
In this TLO, students will characterize the function of genes and their role in the evolution of antibiotic resistance. By doing so, students will have an authentic, immersive experience in biomedical research, that cannot be replicated in a time limited classroom setting. Biomedical researchers must be comfortable “working without a net”, unsure of where the research will take them, but confident enough in their skills and abilities to fully explore complex biological pathways. It is only through doing research that students can learn to rebound from failed experiments and explore science that has no “right answer”, unlike what they experienced in their coursework. This will broaden students' views of science beyond that of black and white answers, to more fully understand the nuances of medical research. First, students will begin basic lab work in the lab, being trained in appropriate hands-on scientific techniques, and learning more about the research topic. Second, students will attend the October Florida regional conference of the American Society for Microbiology. This will allow students to be exposed to a professional scientific meeting, attending both oral presentations and poster sessions of the latest scientific research. Third, students will write up a formal proposal for a project that they will complete in the lab to be presented at the UNF SOARS conference in April. This third phase will allow students to establish, plan, and execute research goals.
Summer B 2019 - Summer A 2020
Categories:
Directed Independent Study
Undergraduate Research
|
| Lane, Amy |
The goal of the proposed TLO is to use marine natural product drug discovery studies as a vehicle to introduce cutting edge interdisciplinary biomedical research to UNF undergraduates. This TLO will enable five UNF undergraduates to conduct a series of three transformational activities in marine natural product discovery. These activities will transform student understanding of the scientific inquiry process and link knowledge from chemistry and biology coursework to “real world” problems having global relevance. These experiences are designed to yield student learning outcomes that include the development of technical expertise, problem solving skills, and communication skills. These TLO outcomes will prepare students for a variety of careers (e.g. medicine, research, teaching). The three transformational activities include: 1) Students will conduct field collections of marine sediments (sand) from local shallow water (< 10 feet) coastal habitats, such as Anastasia Island and Little Talbot Island. Through this experience, students will hone teamwork skills, gain increased awareness and understanding of marine resources in the Jacksonville area, and develop expertise in environmentally conscious field research practices. 2) Students will complete laboratory studies at UNF to isolate marine bacteria from their newly collected sediment samples and evaluate these bacteria for the production of antibiotic molecules. Students will also learn and apply state-of-the-art molecular biological techniques to evaluate genes and enzymes utilized by marine bacteria to assemble natural products. 3) Students will present their research results as posters or oral presentations at the Florida American Chemical Society Meeting and Exposition (FAME) in May 2020.
Summer B 2019 - Summer A 2020
Student Criteria:
UNF Biology, Chemistry students, and other majors interested in biomedical research.
Categories:
Directed Independent Study
Undergraduate Research
|
| Waddell, Dave |
This TLO will provide unique undergraduate research opportunities that will expand on previous studies that revealed differential expression of a myriad of genes and gene networks in mice undergoing muscle wasting. Students participating in this TLO will develop knowledge and skills necessary to characterize novel genes, gene variants, and gene networks involved in muscle atrophy. Additionally, students will contribute to a body of work aimed at expanding our understanding of the role that differential gene expression and processing plays in muscle wasting. The methodologies utilized in this project provide an excellent opportunity for undergraduates to learn and understand cutting edge techniques that are employed in biomedical research. The majority of the work for this project will occur in the lab during the academic year, while an additional component of this TLO will be conducted in Dr. Monte Willis’ lab at the University of Indiana School of Medicine at the end of the spring semester. Finally, students will present their research at the Experimental Biology conference in San Diego in the spring of 2020.
Summer B 2019 - Summer A 2020
Student Criteria:
Students with a background in Biology and have an interest in the biomedical field will be given preference, however any student who is able to effectively demonstrate and articulate their reasons for wanting to participate in this program will also be given an opportunity.
Students who are freshmen or sophomores will have to successfully complete General Biology I in order to participate. Students who are juniors will be required to have successfully completed General Biology I and either Genetics or Molecular Cell Biology.
Categories:
Directed Independent Study
Undergraduate Research
|
| Field Experience |
| Rosenblatt, Adam |
The proposed TLO will provide students with unique opportunities to engage with and understand the effects of human-driven land use shifts on charismatic wildlife. First, students will participate in a first-of-its-kind study examining the effects of urbanization on the abundance, distribution, and behaviors of American alligators. This study is taking place across an urbanization gradient in the St. Johns River (SJR), an iconic part of the Florida landscape that has not escaped the ever-expanding influence of urbanization. Students will participate in a new alligator monitoring project within the Jacksonville portion of SJR. Students will also assist with night surveys across nine tributaries of SJR, from Black Creek in the south to Clapboard Creek in the north. Second, students will travel to Jekyll Island, GA where they will spend a week learning about the effects of light pollution and land development on alligators and sea turtles. Students will work with the staff of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to monitor nesting sea turtles and limit the negative effects of light pollution on sea turtle behaviors. Students will also work with the staff of the Jekyll Island Authority to capture alligators, pump their stomachs, and study how their diets may be affected by living on golf courses.
Summer B 2019
Categories:
Field Experience
Undergraduate Research
|
| Rossi, Anthony |
The TLO will provide both biology and engineering undergraduates from UNF a unique opportunity to participate in an interdisciplinary community-based project that will introduce students to concepts across scientific disciplines (i.e. biology and engineering) while providing a benefit to both student learning and the larger community to which UNF belongs (i.e. Jacksonville metropolitan area). Specifically, this TLO is designed to support ten undergraduate students (five biology majors and five engineering majors) who will participate in site assessment, design, construction and installation of a low-cost solar-powered pump, plumbing system and water reservoir (i.e. collection tower) at JAG. During the second phase of the project, students will work in the laboratory to design and construct the system on site. Phase three will be construction of the solar-powered pump, plumbing and water tower and finally, the last phase of the project will involve sending the participating students to two national conferences to present the results of this project.
Summer B 2019 - Summer A 2020
Categories:
Field Experience
Service Learning
Undergraduate Research
|
| Vickery, D. |
Professor Vickery will lead a group of twelve Sculpture students from the Department of Art and Design to tour a specialty art supply house (Reynolds Advanced Materials), a bronze foundry (Bronzart) and multiple museums in Orlando, St. Pete, Sarasota and Tampa. There will be a focus on casting materials, such as bronze and glass, but also visiting a specialty art supply house in Orlando that sells all types of cold-casting art materials. The students will learn about all of the possibilities to cast in cold materials (resins, acrylics, rubber, etc.). They will also get the opportunity to speak one-on-one with sales representatives to learn about the products. In addition, students will learn about how the industry solves problems with casting metal – from mold-making pro-tips to pouring metal, to applying patinas.
Fall 2019
Categories:
Field Experience
|
| International |
| Biernacki, Krzysztof |
UNF Opera Study Abroad in Europe was established by Dr. Krzysztof Biernacki in 2010 in collaboration with European Music Academy in Teplice and North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra as a summer opera program for UNF students in the Czech Republic. The four-week long summer opera program offers UNF students the opportunity to gain professional European experience by performing complete operatic works in professional opera theaters with accompaniment of professional symphony orchestra under the instruction of outstanding international faculty. The program also offers one-on-one voice lessons, orchestra concerts, master classes, individual language coachings, plus cultural attractions and sight seeing excursions.
Summer B 2019
Categories:
International
|
| Christie, Catherine |
This TLO is designed to provide UNF multi-disciplinary students the opportunity to experience the Mediterranean diet and culture through immersion in Umbria and Tuscany. The trip includes a 16- day immersion into Umbrian and Tuscan life at a 14th century Italian villa with daily Italian language practice and food procuring/preparation for meals at the villa. Students will be immersed and engaged in Italian culture living at the villa and experience many aspects of ancient and modern food production including olive oil, cheese, meat, fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, and wine. Students will experience markets alongside native Italians in Camuchia and Perugia and will practice Italian in the purchase and negotiation of food prices for dinner items they will later cook at the villa. The students will work in teams to capture recipes during the ten cooking classes as they prepare dinner with the Italian language instructor (Catia Melani), local cooks, and faculty.
Summer A 2020
Student Criteria:
The course is open to graduate and undergraduate students to foster interdisciplinary collaboration.
Categories:
International
|
| Ibanez, Nuria |
The Spanish Study Abroad Program at the University of Cantabria in Santander offers students the opportunity of studying Spanish language and culture at one of the 15 top universities in Spain, recognized as a Campus of International Excellence by the Spanish Government in 2009. UNF students will enroll in an intensive language course at the Universidad de Cantabria that focuses on spoken and written Spanish. They will also enroll in a three credit-hour UNF course, FOL 3953 Advance Foreign Language Study Abroad that will focus on Languages and Cultures in Contact. This course will serve as a channel for reflection on the study abroad experience, the development of an appreciation and cultural awareness of the Spanish heritage and the different cultures that have interacted to shape contemporary Spain, and the evolution of Spanish language. As part of this course that is focused on the language-culture interaction, students will participate in a weekend excursion to Burgos to visit the Fundación de la Lengua de Castilla y León (Spanish Language Foundation of Castilla- León) and Segovia. Students will also participate in a series of one-day visits to neighboring cities and villages, such as the medieval village of Santillana del Mar, Picos de Europa mountains, the fishing village of San Vicente de la Barquera, and the city of Bilbao in the Basque Country.
Summer B 2019
Categories:
International
|
| Loh, Chung-Ping |
The course is designed to help students develop a deep understanding of many of the social and economic challenges associated with the rapid economic growth and urbanization in China. Along with the popular impression of China’s emergence as a political and economic powerhouse since its’ opening up in the 80’s, there is often a lack of understanding of the internal challenges resulted from the country’s rapid transition. Students will gain initial familiarity through assigned readings and lectures during the spring semester. Students will travel to China for a 10-day trip. During the trip they will visit two megacities with a sharp contrast in growth paths due to their respective coastal and inland locations; visit a rural town in an inland province where social challenges from China’s urbanization and large scale labor migration are heavily felt. They will gain new insights through their observations, discussion with local college students, interviews with local residents and officials, and conversation with school children in the rural community. Students will interview long-time residents in Beijing and learn about the changes in the city and the transition they had to go through during the recent decades. A discussion with local college students in Beijing International Studies University will further reveal the view of a younger generation with regards to the trade-off between economic advancement, urbanization, and associated problems. The exchange of viewpoints between the Chinese and the American students will give each other a different way to understand urban growth and alternative policy approaches to treat urban problems.
Spring 2020
Categories:
International
|
| McCarl, Clayton |
Participants in this Summer B 2019 language and culture study abroad will spend four weeks in Colombia. The group will be based in El Retiro, a small community 45 minutes from Medellín, and will travel for class activities to Medellín, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Bogotá and Zipaquirá. Participants will take two three-credit courses through which they will explore the experiences of marginalized groups in Colombia today and in the past. Students will also engage directly with artists and community activists who are working to build peace in Colombia through cultural production. Guided by community leaders, the students will tour underprivileged neighborhoods of Medellín, visiting cultural centers, exploring urban art and interacting with local hip hop and graffiti artists. They will participate in the annual international Festival de Poesía (Poetry Festival) held in Medellín, and engage in a writing workshop led by the renowned Colombian poet Marta Quiñónez. Students will also attend the biannual conference of the Asociación de Colombianistas (Association of Colombianist Scholars) in Bogotá. In addition, students will consider the experiences of those of African descent in Colombia through hands-on digital humanities research. They will transcribe and prepare for online publication documents held in the Archivo Histórico de Antioquia (Historical Archive of Antioquia) related the central role of Afro-Colombians in the development of that region, which has long understood itself to be “white.”
Summer B 2019
Categories:
International
|
| Murphy, Debra |
The goal of the 2020 Italy Program is to provide an authentic immersive experience by exposing students to the many facets of Italian culture and art by: • Introducing them to smaller towns and villages (Massa Marittima and Braccagni in Tuscany, for example) giving them the opportunity to meet and interact with contemporary artists Marco Zeno, Rodolfo Lacquaniti, and prominent businessmen such as Giulio Borgia and Francesco Mazzei, and other Italians in informal settings • Introducing them to many of the most important works of art and architecture from the western tradition, increasing their knowledge base of patronage, symbolism and materials as their critical thinking and communication skills are expanded and enhanced • Guiding them through many of the most important museums in Italy (the Uffizi, Accademia, Borghese Gallery, Capitoline and Vatican, for example), significant archaeological sites (Ostia Antica, the Roman Forum, the Coliseum, the Pantheon, Pompeii and Herculaneum), historic monuments and churches (St. Peter’s Basilica) to study the masterworks of significant artists (Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio, and Bernini, for example) • Increasing their “cultural capital” by visiting a dairy farm, TerraViva, to learn the bio fuel industry in Tuscany; by visiting a major national park in the Maremma region; by having students shop for their own groceries in Italian markets and grocery stores; by scheduling introductory Italian lessons; by teaching them how to use the metro system in the large urban center of Rome; by exposing them to rich traditions that differ from American ones
Summer A 2020
Student Criteria:
Students must have at least a 2.75 GPA and must be of at least sophomore standing.
Students will be interviewed by the Academic Director of the program. Students are thoroughly briefed about the physical rigors of the program with its demands of walking, climbing stairs and maneuvering cobblestones and archaeological sites and the intensive nature of the lecture and class schedules.
Categories:
International
|
| Schwam-Baird, Shira |
The program consists of five weeks in France during which UNF students have French classes 15 hours a week (total 60 contact hours) where native speaker instructors teach entirely in French and their classmates come from all over the world. They live with French families with whom they take two meals a day, so their immersion experience continues outside the classroom, and real cultural contact fills the greater part of most days as they navigate the city independently on foot and on public transportation. Three to four afternoons a week, Dr. Schwam-Baird teaches the culture class (Faces of France), which examines social, political, and cultural issues in contemporary France with insight into their historical context, and which includes the perspective of France as part of the construction of Europe. As part of the course, students will participate in many excursions such as afternoon visits to places of interest in the city, full-day Saturday excursions in the region around Strasbourg, and a long weekend in Paris.
Summer A 2020
Student Criteria:
The program is open to all majors and minors, but in order to participate, students must have the equivalent of a year of college French study. Students must be in good academic standing.
Categories:
International
|
| Sheffler, David |
This innovative 6-hour summer study abroad course trains students to apply geospatial technologies to the study of history, a powerful and cutting edge approach. Students who successfully complete this course will develop a thorough, place-based understanding of the Camino de Santiago, a United Nations World Heritage Site and one of the world’s most important pilgrimage routes. Furthermore, they will gain geospatial analysis skills. During the study abroad portion of the course, students will spend three weeks in France and Spain, traveling the full length of the traditional Camino Francés, a route which stretches nearly 500-miles from the French Pyrenean town of St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela in the Spanish province of A Coruña on the Atlantic Coast. As the Camino snakes it way across northern Spain, it passes through five distinct linguistic, cultural regions and geographic regions: the alpine and subalpine Pyrenean range, the wine-growing region of the Ebro river valley, the low-slung mountains of the Sistema Ibérico, the dry nearly treeless Meseta, and the green temperate hill country of Galicia. In recent years, the Camino has also come to include the final 55 miles to Finisterre. This small fishing village—whose name means literally end of earth—occupies a narrow peninsula on Galicia’s Costa da Morte. Along the way, the Camino passes through landscapes shaped by millennia of human activity—neolithic megaliths and dolmens (prehistoric stone tombs), Roman roads and ruins, medieval bridges, castles and cathedrals, and Franco-era bunkers and fortifications.
Summer B 2019
Categories:
International
|
| Smith, Sericea |
In classroom-based sessions at UNF, students will analyze psychosocial determinants that affect disaster preparedness and will learn foundational epidemiologic principles that influence post-disaster disease prevention and response. Students will also examine the practice of disaster management through on-site discussions with staff from local organizations, such as the American Red Cross in Jacksonville. Students will actively engage in learning through multiple collaborative simulations, including a disaster-related disease outbreak exercise, a critical analysis activity in which students examine media representation and public perception of disasters, and a mock media interview in which students will respond using risk communication techniques. To gain a global perspective, students will travel to Europe for a total of nine days. In Geneva, they will meet with experts and field workers affiliated with the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO). They will consider first-hand accounts of response and recovery efforts around the world, as well as examine the human rights challenges that accompany such processes. In Paris, they will engage in a mock UN-style, international disaster crisis simulation, working alongside students from the American University of Paris.
Summer B 2019
Categories:
International
|
| Service Learning |
| Rossi, Anthony |
The TLO will provide both biology and engineering undergraduates from UNF a unique opportunity to participate in an interdisciplinary community-based project that will introduce students to concepts across scientific disciplines (i.e. biology and engineering) while providing a benefit to both student learning and the larger community to which UNF belongs (i.e. Jacksonville metropolitan area). Specifically, this TLO is designed to support ten undergraduate students (five biology majors and five engineering majors) who will participate in site assessment, design, construction and installation of a low-cost solar-powered pump, plumbing system and water reservoir (i.e. collection tower) at JAG. During the second phase of the project, students will work in the laboratory to design and construct the system on site. Phase three will be construction of the solar-powered pump, plumbing and water tower and finally, the last phase of the project will involve sending the participating students to two national conferences to present the results of this project.
Summer B 2019 - Summer A 2020
Categories:
Field Experience
Service Learning
Undergraduate Research
|
| Undergraduate Research |
| Ellis, Terri |
In this TLO, students will characterize the function of genes and their role in the evolution of antibiotic resistance. By doing so, students will have an authentic, immersive experience in biomedical research, that cannot be replicated in a time limited classroom setting. Biomedical researchers must be comfortable “working without a net”, unsure of where the research will take them, but confident enough in their skills and abilities to fully explore complex biological pathways. It is only through doing research that students can learn to rebound from failed experiments and explore science that has no “right answer”, unlike what they experienced in their coursework. This will broaden students' views of science beyond that of black and white answers, to more fully understand the nuances of medical research. First, students will begin basic lab work in the lab, being trained in appropriate hands-on scientific techniques, and learning more about the research topic. Second, students will attend the October Florida regional conference of the American Society for Microbiology. This will allow students to be exposed to a professional scientific meeting, attending both oral presentations and poster sessions of the latest scientific research. Third, students will write up a formal proposal for a project that they will complete in the lab to be presented at the UNF SOARS conference in April. This third phase will allow students to establish, plan, and execute research goals.
Summer B 2019 - Summer A 2020
Categories:
Directed Independent Study
Undergraduate Research
|
| Lane, Amy |
The goal of the proposed TLO is to use marine natural product drug discovery studies as a vehicle to introduce cutting edge interdisciplinary biomedical research to UNF undergraduates. This TLO will enable five UNF undergraduates to conduct a series of three transformational activities in marine natural product discovery. These activities will transform student understanding of the scientific inquiry process and link knowledge from chemistry and biology coursework to “real world” problems having global relevance. These experiences are designed to yield student learning outcomes that include the development of technical expertise, problem solving skills, and communication skills. These TLO outcomes will prepare students for a variety of careers (e.g. medicine, research, teaching). The three transformational activities include: 1) Students will conduct field collections of marine sediments (sand) from local shallow water (< 10 feet) coastal habitats, such as Anastasia Island and Little Talbot Island. Through this experience, students will hone teamwork skills, gain increased awareness and understanding of marine resources in the Jacksonville area, and develop expertise in environmentally conscious field research practices. 2) Students will complete laboratory studies at UNF to isolate marine bacteria from their newly collected sediment samples and evaluate these bacteria for the production of antibiotic molecules. Students will also learn and apply state-of-the-art molecular biological techniques to evaluate genes and enzymes utilized by marine bacteria to assemble natural products. 3) Students will present their research results as posters or oral presentations at the Florida American Chemical Society Meeting and Exposition (FAME) in May 2020.
Summer B 2019 - Summer A 2020
Student Criteria:
UNF Biology, Chemistry students, and other majors interested in biomedical research.
Categories:
Directed Independent Study
Undergraduate Research
|
| Rosenblatt, Adam |
The proposed TLO will provide students with unique opportunities to engage with and understand the effects of human-driven land use shifts on charismatic wildlife. First, students will participate in a first-of-its-kind study examining the effects of urbanization on the abundance, distribution, and behaviors of American alligators. This study is taking place across an urbanization gradient in the St. Johns River (SJR), an iconic part of the Florida landscape that has not escaped the ever-expanding influence of urbanization. Students will participate in a new alligator monitoring project within the Jacksonville portion of SJR. Students will also assist with night surveys across nine tributaries of SJR, from Black Creek in the south to Clapboard Creek in the north. Second, students will travel to Jekyll Island, GA where they will spend a week learning about the effects of light pollution and land development on alligators and sea turtles. Students will work with the staff of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to monitor nesting sea turtles and limit the negative effects of light pollution on sea turtle behaviors. Students will also work with the staff of the Jekyll Island Authority to capture alligators, pump their stomachs, and study how their diets may be affected by living on golf courses.
Summer B 2019
Categories:
Field Experience
Undergraduate Research
|
| Rossi, Anthony |
The TLO will provide both biology and engineering undergraduates from UNF a unique opportunity to participate in an interdisciplinary community-based project that will introduce students to concepts across scientific disciplines (i.e. biology and engineering) while providing a benefit to both student learning and the larger community to which UNF belongs (i.e. Jacksonville metropolitan area). Specifically, this TLO is designed to support ten undergraduate students (five biology majors and five engineering majors) who will participate in site assessment, design, construction and installation of a low-cost solar-powered pump, plumbing system and water reservoir (i.e. collection tower) at JAG. During the second phase of the project, students will work in the laboratory to design and construct the system on site. Phase three will be construction of the solar-powered pump, plumbing and water tower and finally, the last phase of the project will involve sending the participating students to two national conferences to present the results of this project.
Summer B 2019 - Summer A 2020
Categories:
Field Experience
Service Learning
Undergraduate Research
|
| Waddell, Dave |
This TLO will provide unique undergraduate research opportunities that will expand on previous studies that revealed differential expression of a myriad of genes and gene networks in mice undergoing muscle wasting. Students participating in this TLO will develop knowledge and skills necessary to characterize novel genes, gene variants, and gene networks involved in muscle atrophy. Additionally, students will contribute to a body of work aimed at expanding our understanding of the role that differential gene expression and processing plays in muscle wasting. The methodologies utilized in this project provide an excellent opportunity for undergraduates to learn and understand cutting edge techniques that are employed in biomedical research. The majority of the work for this project will occur in the lab during the academic year, while an additional component of this TLO will be conducted in Dr. Monte Willis’ lab at the University of Indiana School of Medicine at the end of the spring semester. Finally, students will present their research at the Experimental Biology conference in San Diego in the spring of 2020.
Summer B 2019 - Summer A 2020
Student Criteria:
Students with a background in Biology and have an interest in the biomedical field will be given preference, however any student who is able to effectively demonstrate and articulate their reasons for wanting to participate in this program will also be given an opportunity.
Students who are freshmen or sophomores will have to successfully complete General Biology I in order to participate. Students who are juniors will be required to have successfully completed General Biology I and either Genetics or Molecular Cell Biology.
Categories:
Directed Independent Study
Undergraduate Research
|
