Award
Winners
2000 - 2001
June 30, 2000
As Nova Southeastern University matures, a part of its evolving
mission is the development of its faculty. One important
faculty activity is scholarship. Through efforts by the University
President and its Trustees a quasi-endowment has been established
to support faculty scholarship. The Board of Trustees at
the request of the president has allocated $500,000 for faculty
scholarship. The president's commitment is to request additional
funding to enhance this activity. It is planned to use interest
of up to a maximum of 5% being used to enhance faculty scholarship
through individual faculty awards. A task force was established
and charged with developing:
- Priorities for funding;
- Specific procedures to guide faculty in making application
for funding;
- A procedure and mechanism for orderly, representative
and efficient review of faculty proposals; and
- additional funding opportunities; including a Center/College
match for this fund.
Recommendations for each of these charges follow.
Funding Priorities
Awards will be made in part from this fund (50%) and in
part from funds of the Center supporting this award (50%).
During this first year of operation, annual awards of a
maximum of $10,000.00 each were presented to faculty selected
by a reconstituted subcommittee of the Faculty Scholarship
Research and Professional Development Committee and approved
by the University President. Funding was prioritized for
work that:
- was deemed scholarly in nature by the faculty applicant
and his/her Dean
- was initiated by a faculty member and approved by his/her
Dean
- represented new or expanded activity for the University
- fell within the University and College/Center identity,
goals and mission
- contained a meaningful evaluative component proposed
by the applicant
- will expand the knowledge and understanding of the academic
community, and
- will be disseminated, through professional review, outside
of the University.
Funding was prioritized for proposed work that facilitates
faculty in doing traditional scholarly research projects,
for significant educational and program development and for
activities that expand understanding and increase the body
of knowledge associated with a given profession or professions.
Special attention was given to activities that include an
interdisciplinary component while achieving the above stated
objectives.
2000-2001 President's Faculty Scholarship Award Winners
In this year's competition, we had 21 submissions from 42
faculty members representing 13 academic units. This was
a wonderful response from the NSU community and it shows
how eager faculty are to involve themselves in professional
development activities.
The quality of all of the proposals submitted by the faculty
was stellar and the process of selecting the eventual award
winners was quite difficult. So close was the competition,
that President Ferrero decided to expand the number of winners
this year from an initial group of 6 to the final cohort
of 9. That was just how good these proposals were.
Dr. Lester Janoff - HPD College of Optometry
Dr. Ed Keith - Oceanographic Center / Farquhar Center for
Undergraduate Studies
Dean David Loshin - HPD College of Optometry
Dean Richard Dodge - Oceanographic Center
Dean Norma Goonen - Farquhar Center for Undergraduate Studies
Project Title: Tear Protein Adhesion to Contact
Lenses and Lens Storage Vials
Abstract: Over the past two years we have been
investigating the adhesion of tear proteins to contact lenses.
We have determined that tear proteins adhere to some types
of contact lenses more than others, and that the time-course
of tear protein adhesion also varies with the contact lens
polymer. However, we have discovered that there is an incredible
amount of variation in this process. The major tear proteins
behave differently in relation to the contact lens, and there
are differences between individuals in terms of the types
and amounts of proteins secreted. Because of this variability,
we propose a series of control experiments using simulated
tear solutions containing individual tear proteins in known
concentrations, to determine their adhesion to new contact
lenses never worn by patients. Once we have a clearer understanding
of this variability, we plan to conduct clinical studies
of tear protein adhesion to new contact lens materials, and
explore the impact of tear protein adhesion on clinical problems
such as Contact Lens Related Papillary Conjunctivitis (also
called giant papillary conjunctivitis or GPC).
Dr. Josephine Shallo-Hoffman - HPD College of Optometry
Dr. Cyril Blavo - HPD College of Allied Health
Dr. Rachel Anastasia Coulter - HPD College of Optometry
Dean David Loshin - HPD College of Optometry
Dean Raul Cuadrado - HPD College of Allied Health
Project Title: Vision Screening of Pre-School Children
at Nova Southeastern University
Abstract: It is well established that the earlier
the treatment of some eye disorders, such as amblyopia and
strabismus, the better chance there is to prevent a permanent
loss of visual acuity and binocularity. Current vision screening
requirements in the state of Florida have not been evaluated
for accuracy. This study will test the validity and reliability
of the current vision screening requirements for pre-school
children for the state of Florida. Young children will be
recruited from the NSU Family and Pre-school Center. Method:
All children, age 3-5 years old, who attend programs at NSU
Family Center and whose parents consent, will be tested with
the following vision screening battery, using a multi-station
format (each screener performing one task) at the Family
Center. The sensitivity and specificity of each screening
test will be determined using examination data as the gold
standard as will be explained as follows.
Dr. Terri Hamill - Fischler Graduate School of Education
and Human Services
Dean H. Wells Singleton - Fischler Graduate School of Education
and Human Services
Project Title: Use of Chirps for Electrophysiologic
Assessment of Hearing in the Lower Range
Abstract: The purposed study applies a novel use
for the type of acoustic signal, called a "chirp", to elicit
an electrophysiologic response. Electrophysiologic testing
involves the measurement of the firing nerves of hearing
in response to sound, measured with electrodes taped to
the head. The proposed research will determine the optimal
chirp stimulus characteristics and compare and contrast
the chirp responses to those evoked with more traditional
stimuli. It is hypothesized that the chirp will provide
a more robust measurement of low-pitch hearing. Electrophysiologic
measurement of hearing for low pitches is a continuing
challenge in audiology. This study will use normal-hearing
adults to begin the investigation into the feasibility
of using this chirp stimulus to assess hearing for low
pitch stimuli, so that it may one day be used to assess
hearing of infants and others unable to participate in
traditional behavioral hearing testing.
Dr. Ana Fins - Center for Psychological Studies
Dean Ronald Levant - Center for Psychological Studies
Project Title: A Behavioral Intervention for HIV-Positive
Individuals with Insomnia Complaints
Abstract: Reports of sleep complaints among HIV+persons
have ranged from 14% to 79%. Furthermore, studies have established
the presence of sleep disorders independent of psychological
causes such as depression. Sleep disturbances reported include
delayed sleep onset, nocturnal awakenings, early morning
awakenings and poor sleep quality. Despite the prevalence
of sleep complaints, little information exists on the treatment
of sleep disturbances in this population. The use of non-pharmacological
interventions for insomnia with HIV+individuals has been
encouraged as a means of avoiding the use of sleep medications,
which can cause sedation, dependence or drug interactions,
and as a way of imparting a sense of control and mastery
to HIV+patients. This study will yield preliminary data regarding
the efficacy of an established psychological intervention
for insomnia in reducing sleep complaints among HIV+individuals
and will generate pilot data to assess the feasibility of
conducting such an intervention within an HIV+ population.
Dr. Stan Hannah - Fischler Graduate School of Education
and Human Services
Dr. L. Leanne Lai - HPD College of Pharmacy
Dr. Laurie Dringus - School of Computer and Information Sciences
Dr. Lisa Deziel-Evans - HPD College of Pharmacy
Dr. Thomas Thompson - Fischler Graduate School of Education
and Human Services
Dr. Alan Cohen - Fischler Graduate School of Education and
Human Services
Dr. Madeline Hellman - HPD College of Allied Health
Dean H. Wells Singleton - Fischler Graduate School of Education
and Human Services
Dean William Hardigan - HPD College of Pharmacy
Dean Edward Leiblien - School of Computer and Information Sciences
Dean Raul Cuadrado - HPD College of Allied Health
Project Title: Design of Collaborative Learning
Environments: Building Community on the Web
Abstract: The conversion of traditional classes
to online media has proven surprisingly difficulty. In most
cases, instructors have failed to take full advantage of
the power of the Internet. As a result, most online courses
are merely HTML versions of correspondence courses. In 1965
Douglas Englehart argued that the true power of the net-worked
environment was its ability to leverage our intellect. To
date, there has been little empirical research on how to
construct an online learning community that would realize
Englehart's vision. The proposed research project would develop
four online sites for graduate students in education, pharmacy,
information science, and physical therapy. The sites would
be designed specifically to study and test ways in which
technology could be used to bring together students and scholars
so that they could learn together by sharing their ideas,
expertise, and problems.
Dr. Pat Blackwelder - Oceanographic Center
Dean Richard Dodge - Oceanographic Center
Project Title: Calcification in Marine Invertebrates:
Research and Lecture Series Utilizing the Recently Acquired
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) at Nova Southeastern University
Oceanographic Center
Abstract: A basic research program in marine invertebrate
calcification, and a related collaborative lecture and hands-on
labs series with the University School is proposed utilizing
the recently acquired scanning electron microscope (SEM)
by Nova Southeastern Oceanographic Center. SEM study of fine
structure and composition of cultured and fossil marine crustacean
calcified valves and coral skeletons will be conducted. In
addition, SEM and biomineralization related lectures and
a hands-on lab is proposed in conjunction with the University
School Marine Biology and Environmental Science program.
The first research study will focus on crustacean (ostracod)
calcified valve fine structural variability with change in
environment. By examination of fine-scale morphologic features
in their shells (sieve-pores), chemical information (salinity)
from the ambient environment in which they grew may be reconstructed.
The second research study will be on corals and incorporation
of clay sized dust particles during growth. A significant
component of airborne dust in South Florida and the Caribbean
is windborne from the Sahara. It is of unique composition
with relatively high concentrations of titanium and iron.
SEM elemental analysis for the presence of Saharan dust in
dated corals ultimately may assist in determination of paleowind
variability. The interdisciplinary component of this study
is with the University School science program, in which lectures
on electron microscopy and calcification in marine invertebrates,
as well as a hands-on SEM lab will be conducted.
Dr. Camille Bentley - HPD College of Osteopathic Medicine
Dr. Joel Spalter - HPD College of Osteopathic Medicine
Dr. Kerry Earlywine - HPD College of Pharmacy
Dr. Harold Laubach - HPD College of Medical Science
Dean Anthony Silvagni - HPD College of Osteopathic Medicine
Dean William Hardigan - HPC College of Pharmacy
Dean Harold Laubach - HPD College of Medical Science
Project Title: Diagnosis of Parasitic Infection by Surrogate
Methods in Rural Communities of Guatemala
Abstract: This project is the first part of a series
of related studies to be performed during repeated NSU DOCARE
Student Chapter Missions to Guatemala. It was suggested by
observations made on the Mission of January 2000. These included
the apparent high prevalence Ascariasis, Giardiasis, and
Entammeba histolytica cyst passage and the apparent utility
of complaints of chronic abdominal pain, anorexia and weight
loss among patients treated. Study One will address the question
whether, in an environment in which these infections are
endemic, these symptoms can be used as an appropriate surrogate
for stool examination in the diagnosis of the protozoan and
nematode infections. Study Two will be the development of
growth charts for pediatric patients in the visited Guatemalan
communities. These growth charts can then be used in further
studies.
Dr. Veljko Dragojlovic - Oceanographic Center
Dean Richard Dodge - Oceanographic Center
Project Title: Cobalt Nanoclusters as Carbonylation Catalysts
Abstract: The broad, long-term objectives of this
project are to develop a nanocatalyst for metal-catalyzed
carbonylation of alkenes. Each year, in the US over 4 mission
tons of chemicals are made using metal-catalyzed carbonylation
process. Specific goals of this proposal are to prepare cobalt
nanoclusters as carbonylation catalysts, investigate their
properties, and apply them on a simple system. Publications
by other research groups and my preliminary research indicate
that the likelihood of success is high. The results will
be submitted for publication in peer reviewed journals and
possibly presented at a conference. Acceptance of a presentation
is also subject to a peer review. The proposed project calls
for the involvement of two centers: Oceanographic Center
and Farquhar Center. While most of the work will be done
at the Oceanographic Center, students at Farquhar Center
will also participate in the proposed project by performing
instrumental analysis and doing simple reactions.
Dr. Nicola Schutte - Farquhar Center for Undergraduate
Studies
Dr. Nathalie Franco - Farquhar Center for Undergraduate Studies
Dean Norma Goonen - Farquhar Center for Undergraduate Studies
Project Title: Normative Life Transitions: Predicting Successful
Adaptation in New Mothers and Beginning College Students
Abstract: The aim of this investigation is to explore
internal factors (emotional regulation, coping, beliefs and
expectations regarding the transition) and external resources
(social support, role reorganization) that promote successful
adaptation across the transitions of college and parenthood.
Beginning freshman students and mothers-to-be will be recruited
to participate in a longitudinal study. Regression and path
analysis will test the predictions regarding the role of
internal and external factors in promoting adjustment across
transitions. The conceptualization of the project began in
December of 1999 and the data collection phase of the project
would begin with the pre-transition assessment in June 2000.
The study and dissemination of results to national conferences
and refereed journals would be completed by the summer of
2001. The finds of this study will help us better understand
the crucial factors in the successful adaptation of new mothers
and beginning college students.
Conclusion
This has truly been a remarkable event for our fine university.
Our honoring the faculty winners is just the start of this
annual event. With the support of the Board of Trustees and
the Deans of Nova Southeastern University, we will continue
to build upon this inaugural award. It is President Ferrero's
hope that, in the years to come, NSU will be able to increase
the amount of awards and money given in support of faculty
scholarship and research. This is an investment not only
in our faculty, but also into the enrichment of our students'
academic lives and in the improvement of our great university.
