Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023

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Inside Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 — June 15, 2023

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Surf Team riding the championship wave

The Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023's Surf Team is heading to the national competition this weekend in Dana Point, California, after winning the ninth consecutive National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) East Coast Championship in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
 
In addition to the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 team proudly taking first place overall in the semifinals, Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023’s Fergi Kelly placed 1st in the men’s division, Charlie Current in 2nd, Michael Turdo in 3rd and Carson Alvarez in 5th. In the women’s division, Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023’s Eden Lange placed 4th and Sarah Stotz in 5th. Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023’s Chaz Guernsey on the backup team also placed 5th for longboard.
 
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 surfers posing on the beach with surfboards Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 surfer surfing waves Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Surf Club members posing for photo at the beach Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 surfer riding a wave Female Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 surfer standing on the beach with a surfboard

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Athletics exhibits academic excellence

3.57 Department GPANorth Florida Athletics exhibited academic excellence once again, touting an amazing 3.57 department-wide grade point average for the spring 2023 semester. This represents the highest GPA in the department outside of the spring 2020 COVID-19 altered semester.
 
"Our student-athletes continue to be impressive in the classroom," said Tara Sunquist, assistant athletic director for Student-Athlete Center for Excellence Tara Sunquist said. "Our coaches recruit high-caliber student-athletes who are committed to excelling on the playing field and in the classroom. Much thanks to the Student-athlete Center for Excellence staff who work tirelessly to support student-athlete success."
 
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Athletics has now surpassed a 3.0 grade-point average for the 24th-straight semester.
 
Every single team achieved at least a 3.2 grade-point average, with the men's tennis team's 3.614 GPA marking the highest total for a men's program. The women's basketball team's 3.821 GPA was the best mark for any of the women's programs, with the women's teams combining for a 3.68 mark. Additionally, the men's soccer program achieved the greatest increase in grade point average from the fall to spring '23 semester.
 
All told, Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Athletics had 65 student-athletes post 4.0 GPAs, with 173 earning dean's list status and 245 surpassing the 3.0 mark. Learn more .
 
Information provided by Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Athletics

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Archaeology Lab unveiling lost Indigenous town

Member of the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Archaeology Lab doing an excavation at at Big Talbot Island
In a wooded area on Big Talbot Island, a group of Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 students dig carefully in the dirt.

The site was first uncovered by Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 in 1998, then four years ago, Archaeology Lab Director Keith Ashley proposed students again take to the field.

Students moved beyond reading about archaeology in textbooks to touching pieces of the past and having a direct physical connection to the lives of the Indigenous people who once inhabited Northeast Florida.

Digging centimeter by centimeter. Meter by meter. The discoveries are vast and include more than 15,000 pieces of Indigenous pottery, more than 100 pieces of Spanish olive jar, colorful majolica plate fragments and religious imagery, demonstrating interactions with a nearby friar on an adjacent island and the colony of St. Augustine.

Students also found stains in the soil where large posts once anchored structures. As they found more and more posts, they realized they were working within the footprint of what was once a structure about 50 to 60 feet in diameter. Archaeologists believe this would have been called a council house and served as a public building for gatherings, recreation and political and religious activities. It turns out the faculty and students found an area where not just a few people once lived. They had uncovered the lost Indigenous village of Sarabay.

The search on the site continues. After the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Archaeology Lab first discovered Sarabay in 2020, the team is currently undertaking one of the most intensive and extensive excavations at a Timucua village in the state of Florida. Through the current implementation of a four-year field project (2020-23), the students, faculty and volunteers are excavating broad areas in search of houses, activity areas and other buildings.

The Mocama-speaking Timucua Indians of northeastern Florida were among the first Indigenous populations of Florida encountered by European explorers in the 1560s. Documents written by the French and Spanish describe Timucua villages and hint at the locations. While the actual whereabouts of most of these villages had gone undetected for nearly 450 years, testing by the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Archaeology Lab has identified the archaeological location of the village of Sarabay at the Armellino site on Big Talbot Island.

This project, part of Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023’s larger Mocama Archaeological Project that first began in the 1990s, will provide a solid database for sixteenth-century Timucua settlements and allow students the opportunity to touch the ancient past of Northeast Florida.
 
Information provided by Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Media Relations

New Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Calendar is live

Have You Seen the New Calendar? The new Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Calendar of Events is now live at . It is crucial and imperative that ALL EVENTS hosted/co-hosted by Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 that are open to the public or the campus community are on the main calendar. All students, faculty and staff who submit events to the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Calendar should visit the to review the guidelines. For Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 website administrators who would like to share events on their website, fill out and the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 web and digital services team will reach out to you. For Academic Calendar questions, contact Angela Tlack. For general questions, email eventcalendar@unf.edu or reach out to Amanda Ennis.

OspreyRising status update

Osprey Rising
The OspreyRising project team is making great progress. They have been diligent in reviewing and dissecting the feedback from the campus community, and they have started the process of uploading records from Banner to the new Workday Foundation Tenant. The project is on time and on track, and more than 100,000 records have been uploaded thus far.  
 
During the business process analysis, 112 opportunities to align business processes and standardize practices emerged. These opportunities will be addressed in the Architect and Configure Phase, which began this month.
 
The OspreyRising project is a major undertaking. The team is fully committed to providing a new system that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the University's finance and human resources functions.
 
Learn more about OspreyRising.
 
Information provided by the OspreyRising Project Team

Coggin MBA and GlobalMBA programs receive top ranking

Coggin College of Business building at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023The Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Coggin College of Business MBA and GlobalMBA programs have been ranked Tier One among business schools globally by CEO Magazine in the recently released 2023 Global MBA Rankings. 
 
CEO Magazine showcases the top business schools in their annual Global Rankings, profiling MBA, Executive MBA and Online MBA programs.
 
 
Information provided by Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Media Relations

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 professor researching inmate rehabilitation programs

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 professor sitting at a table speaking with prison inmatesDr. Jennifer Wesely, professor of criminology and criminal justice, recently visited a maximum-security California state prison in Los Angeles County to advance her research on inmate rehabilitation programs and learn from a group of incarcerated men in the Paws for Life K9 Rescue prison program.
 
Prison-Dog Rehabilitation Programs have benefits for both dogs and humans. In Paws for Life, dogs are rescued from high-kill shelters in the LA area, and incarcerated men train, care for and socialize the animals.
 
 
Information provided by Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Media Relations

Tips to protect your mental well-being

Stress impacts us all, but there are steps you can take to help enhance your mental well-being. Below are five helpful tips you can utilize to help you maintain mental stability and relieve stress.

Professor sitting in his office speaking with a student
  1. Create and PROTECT space for rest and rejuvenation. It is important to physically protect that time to engage in something you find restoritive as well as put stressors on the back burner to help keep stressors at bay.
  2. Sleep, sleep and more sleep. Get reflective about your . We know that getting adequate, quality sleep can lead to improved mental health, physical health and productivity.
  3. Take time to reconnect with your values. Consider your motivations, purpose, strengths and how to craft your life to connect better with these values while utilizing your strengths. Use this to center yourself during unsteady times.
  4. Connect with your community. This could include many things — connecting with your social supports, friends and family regularly or volunteering for a local cause you care about. These activities are some of the greatest buffers to stress.
  5. Get curious about where you might be “getting stuck” in stress. Consider using apps like to see if there are patterns of thinking or perspectives that are contributing to the “stuck” and, if you’re struggling to make a shift, get help. Utilizing our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for some temporary help to expand your coping toolbox or, for more ongoing or in-depth support, reaching out to a local mental health service provider can be incredibly helpful for gaining new perspectives and breaking free from stress before it becomes a more serious issue.

Learn more .

Information submitted by Dr. Angela Mann, associate professor of psychology and licensed psychologist.

Prepare for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season

Satellite images of a hurricane eyeHurricane season has arrived and there's no time to waste in making sure you have an emergency preparedness plan and adequate supplies on hand to ensure your family's safety.

The Florida Department of Revenue’s Florida Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday scheduled for all Florida residents begins Saturday, Aug. 26, and concludes Friday, Sept. 8.

Learn more and additional resources.

A complete checklist of supplies created by the is available online. More preparation guidelines are available on the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Emergency Management website from the dropdown list titled "Campus Safety Guides."

Summertime reading suggestions

Book sitting on a fence at the beachSummer is the perfect time to relax and dig into a good book. Whether you’re taking a staycation or traveling far from home, here are some reading recommendations from Thomas G. Carpenter Library’s faculty and staff to check out and enjoy.

  • Maria Atilano, Student Engagement Librarian:  by T.J. Klune
  • Teddy Geep, Library Services Specialist in Acquisitions:  by Kat Leyh
  • Glenda Kelsey, Coordinator of Library Services:  by Kirk W. Johnson
  • Becca Maynite, Coordinator of Access Services:  by Ryan Andrews
  • Robin McNeil, Library Systems Specialist:  by Stephen Graham Jones; by Garth NixYo
  • Trina McCowan, Assessment Librarian: by Christopher Buehlman; by Jack Townsend
  • Emily Ray, Electronic Resource Discovery Librarian: by Shahan Mufti
  • Dee Robertson-Lee, Library Services Specialist: by Bianca Pitzorno
  • Emily Rothschild, Student Library Assistant: by Jeffrey Eugenides
  • Austin Sprunger, Library Services Specialist for Interlibrary Loan: by Keith Houston; by Delphine Minoui.
  • Marielle Veve, Metadata Librarian: by Gary R. Renard
  • Beryl White Bing, Virtual Learning Librarian: by Tina McElroy Ansa; by Abi Daré

The Carpenter Library is open this summer for all your browsing and research needs!

Article submitted by Maria Atilano, Student Engagement Librarian

Osprey Profile: Emily Rossello

Emily Rossello sitting on a wood fence with a Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 construction hatMeet Emily Rossello

Emily Rossello, a Jacksonville native, is a junior majoring in construction management. She is currently interning at Auld & White Constructors LLC, where she has gained valuable experience assisting in various projects such as the construction of two fire stations and the Mayo Clinic Bundy Café renovation and addition. Rossello was a member of the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Construction Management (CM) Ethics Team, which won second place at the 2023 Virtual American Institute of Constructors (AIC) Collegiate Ethics Competition in April. She received the 'Best Overall Presenter Award' at the competition.

Why did you choose to major in construction management?
I always loved being outside. When I was little, I loved watching active construction sites and construction equipment. When it came to choosing a major, this really fit me. It is a great industry that is always growing. It is the best feeling to see a completed building and know that you had a part in it.

How was your experience participating in the AIC Collegiate Ethics Competition?
It was great! Our team was awarded first in the written presentation and second in the oral presentation, giving us second place overall. The team this year consisted of Brent Akers, Alexis Hall and Zaid Kaseer as well as our academic advisor Dr. Jonghoon Kim. It is a great competition and we represented Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 well. Our team analyzed a real-world prompt related to unprofessional and unethical behavior in the construction process. We were tasked with writing an essay and delivering an oral presentation to showcase our analysis and proposed solutions to the industry judges.

How did it feel to win an individual award at the AIC Collegiate Ethics Competition?
I was so honored to have received the Best Overall Presenter Award for my presentation skills. When the judge called my name at the award ceremony, I was so excited.

What brought you to Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023?
When it came time to look for colleges, I knew I wanted to stay in Florida but I wasn't sure where. I decided that Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 was great because it had majors I was interested in and it was close to home.

Do you have a favorite place on campus?
I love doing schoolwork outside and Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 has many great options, but you are most likely to find me in the bamboo garden.

What campus clubs/organizations/activities are you involved in?
I am the current Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Student Chapter President. Last year, I served as the chapter's social media officer and competed in the ABC competition. I've spent the past year as the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Pro-Life Club president and a Catholic Osprey officer. I am also a member of the Women in Construction Club and the AIC competition.

What do you want to do after graduation?
I hope to be a superintendent or project manager in the commercial construction industry. My internship has shown me how much I enjoy working on big projects in the commercial industry.

What is a fun fact about you many people may not know?
I am a coin collector! I collect all U.S. currency. I have been doing it since second grade when my grandfather helped me start my collection.

Faculty and Staff News

Osprey FountainBrooks College of Health
Dr. Shyam Paryani, director of EMHA program, participated in the United Nations Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) for the Sustainable Development Goals "Bridging Gaps with Digital Healthcare" in May.
 
Dr. Tes Tuason, professor of public health and director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program (CMHC), received the Fulbright Scholar Award 2023-2024. With this fellowship, Tuason will teach and conduct research in the Philippines.
 
College of Arts and Sciences
Communications
Dr. Rachel E. Riggs, assistant professor of communication, along with Dr. Debbie Davis, Professor Lisa DuBois Low, and Dr. Jeffrey Ranta presented, “Engaging public relations students in a post-COVID environment: How to increase participation in professional student organizations and rebuild student leadership” in a roundtable discussion at the Southern States Communication Association in St. Petersburg, Florida, April.
 
Music
Lynne Arriale, professor of jazz studies, is an adjudicator for the American Pianists Association Premier Series (5 adjudications). This competition offers the largest cash award in the world for a jazz musician, December 2022 - March 2023.
 
Philosophy and Religion Study
George Rainbolt, professor of philosophy, has a contract with Palgrave-Macmillan for his book, “Freedom as Non-Constraint: Beyond Non-Interference and Non-Domination.”
 
Dr. Hans-Herbert Koegler, professor of philosophy, published the journal article “Abolishing Truth, Achieving Democracy? Rorty’s Pragmatist Critique of Power” in .
 
Center for Community-Based Learning
Katie Jones, Osprey Community Ambassador, was one of 175 students nationwide to be selected to the . This distinction recognizes Katie for her work to increase nonpartisan voter participation at the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023.
 
College of Education and Human Services
Dr. Wendy Baker, clinical program manager in the Department of Exceptional, Deaf, and Interpreter Education, Dr. Rebecca Burns, professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning & Curriculum, and Dr. Megan Lynch, postdoctoral fellow in the College of Education & Human Services, were awarded an Office of Faculty Excellence High Impact Practice grant titled “Integrating Inquiry into Student Teaching Internship Experiences through a Collaborative Summer Inquiry Community.”
 
Dr. Rebecca Burns, professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning & Curriculum and director of Clinical Practice and Educational Partnerships, served as an invited expert panelist on teacher education at the National Summit for Digital Equity and Financial Inclusion held in Atlanta, Georgia. The panel was called "" April 2023. The moderator was Kurt Kiefer (Council of Chief State School Officers), and the other panelists included: Ji Soo Song (Digital Equity Advisor, U.S. Department of Education), Dr. Mary Ford (Director, National Collaborative for Digital Equity), Lawrence Franchini (Vice President, BrainCo), Roger Rosen (CEO, Rosen Publishing Group), and Dr. Sonny Magana III (CEO, Magana Education).
 
Dr. Shaqwana Freeman-Green, associate professor in the Department of Exceptional, Deaf, and Interpreter Education, published an article titled, "Research Should Focus on Improving Mathematics Proficiency for Students With Disabilities" in .
 
Dr. Dilek Kayaalp, associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, published a book chapter titled, " Educational participation, linguistic practices, and self-identification of Middle Eastern refugee youth in Canada" in Alex Wiseman and Lisa Damaschke-Deitrick (Eds.), Education for Refugees and Forced Im/Migrants Across Time and Context: International Perspectives on Education and Society, 45, 253-271. Emerald Publishing Limited. In May, she presented a research paper and served as a chair at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference. Additionally, she has been selected as the recipient of the following awards: Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award (2022-2023), Outstanding Faculty Community Engaged Scholarship Award (2022-2023) and she's been selected as the recipient of one-semester Sabbatical Leave Award (2023-2024). Together with colleague Dr. Madalina Tanase, associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, Dr. Kayaalp has received the Race and Ethnicity Research Grant (2023) and the Community Engagement Research (CER) Faculty Fellowship (2023).
 
Dr. Rakesh Maurya, assistant professor in the Department of Leadership, School Counseling & Sport Management, with co-authors Daniel Puhlman, Aya Shigeto, Gustavo Murillo-Borjas and Virginia Vincenti, published an article titled “Qualitative genogram analysis: A methodology for theorizing family dynamics” in .
 
Dr. Tara Rowe, associate director of THRIVE and Student Accessibility Services (SAS), is the recipient of the 2023 Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Presidential Diversity and Inclusion Staff Award.
 
Dr. Elizabeth Hale, assistant professor of literacy, has been appointed the co-director of the . Along with co-director Linda Howell (COAS) and colleagues Dr. John White and Kadesh Lauridsen (COAS), they are gearing up for the 4th annual , a weeklong professional development for K-12 teachers held at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 that focuses on high-quality, engaging writing instruction and teachers as writers.
 
Dr. Stacy Boote, associate professor of elementary mathematics education, and Dr. Terrie Galanti, assistant professor of secondary mathematics, computational thinking, and STEM integration, published the article “Teaching Angle as Turn Using a Code.org Lesson” in .
 
Dr. Stacy Boote, associate professor of elementary mathematics education, won the following three awards at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023’s Office of Research & Sponsored Programs (ORSP) Scholars Transforming Academic Research Symposium (STARS) in April:
  • Award 1: Award for being an author in the College of Education and Human Services receiving the highest number of citations for a high-impact journal article as measured by Web of Science for the last five years
  • Award 2: Platinum Member Designation Award for Principal Investigators Who Accrued More than One Million Dollars in Funding for all Sponsored Research Activities 
  • Award 3: Award for Principal Investigators Who Obtained Research Funding of $250,000 or More in One Fiscal Year
Digital Learning
Laura Jackson and Jann Sutton, senior instructional designers in the Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT), presented “Is there anybody out there? Digital tools to engage your students” at the Online Learning Consortium Innovate Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, April.
 
Thomas G. Carpenter Library
Maria Atilano, student engagement librarian, published a book review of “Learning in Action: Designing Successful Graduate Student Work Experiences in Academic Libraries,” in College & Research Libraries, May.

Get to Know: Dr. Amy Lorenz

Amy Lorenz sitting on a pool deck with her legs in the poolDr. Amy Lorenz, director of Residence Life, oversees the residence life team to set a vision and create a positive residential experience for students. As a first-generation college graduate, she is committed to providing educational opportunities, activities and programs to students and making sure they have access to resources to help ensure their success at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023.

What does your job involve?
A large part of my job is leading our team as they respond to students in crisis and guiding them to the resources that will best help them. My goal is to continue to improve the residential experience for students and adapt and change our practices to meet student needs as they have shifted post-pandemic. Residence Life includes everything to do with hiring, training and supporting Resident Assistants (RAs), Learning Community Assistants (LCAs), the Graduate and Full Time Residence Life Coordinators and Assistant Directors; developing the Resident Handbook and policies that guide how students live in community with one another; providing educational experiences for students through the living-learning communities, activities and programs; and helping our team connect students to resources like the Dean of Students, Counseling, SASS, Career Services and any other support they need. 
 
How long have you worked at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023?
Five years
 
What do you enjoy most about working here?
I was a first-generation college student, so one of my favorite things about working at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 is our population of first-generation students. I know firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate college when your parents or others have not gone before you, so I really love thinking of innovative ways to help students find their path. I also enjoy working with our awesome campus partners. There are so many faculty and staff across the University who are willing to go above and beyond to support students.
 
Do you have a favorite spot on campus?
My favorite spots on campus are the Student Wellness Complex, Eco Adventure trails and the super secret Diet Coke cooler in one of the Ozzie's stores.
 
How do you like to spend your time when you aren’t working?
When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my husband and two daughters. We enjoy being outside camping, kayaking, swimming and shark tooth hunting. We have found several megalodon teeth! I particularly enjoy running; I have run several half and full marathons, and completed my first 50K ultramarathon a few years ago on a local trail. My favorite tv show is Jeopardy; I watch it every day! I am a big fan of finding local coffee shops and roping my friends and colleagues into going to new cafes with me.
 
Where did you grow up?
Madison, Connecticut
 
Where did you go to school?
I attended the University of Connecticut (Go Huskies!) and majored in psychology. While there, I did undergraduate research, was an RA, worked in orientation for several years and served as president of my sorority, Pi Beta Phi. I earned my master's degree in College Student Personnel from Miami University (Ohio). Fun fact: Miami was a university before Florida was a state! The institution is named for the Native American Nation people (Myaamia) who lived in the area. I earned my Doctor of Education degree from Marshall University in West Virginia in spring 2021.
 
What’s the greatest bit of advice you’ve ever been given?
While neither of my parents were able to afford college, they had incredible work ethic and hustled hard to make a good life for our family. I do not remember a specific spoken quote from them about work ethic, but I do know I learned from their example and approach each day with the goal to do my best at home and at work.
 
Who inspires you and why?
My parents inspired me with their work ethic and dedication to our family. They instilled important values into my sister and me: valuing education and lifelong learning; keeping an eye out for and taking care of people in need; service to our communities; being open to different perspectives and willing to change our own perspectives as we learned from others; and a love of reading.
 
What is a fun fact about you many people may not know?
I am a total geek for King Arthur stories! In college, I took an Honors course on King Arthur. I had the opportunity to travel to England and Wales to visit sites associated with King Arthur and his tales. I got the chance to scramble around Tintagel in Cornwall, visit potential sites of the Round Table and hunt for the Holy Grail. It was amazing!

Dateline

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 Dateline balloonsMilestones
Congratulations to the following employees with a milestone anniversary in June:
 
20 Years
Koren Borges, Associate Instructor, Management
 
15 Years
William Bigham, Locksmith Supervisor, Physical Facilities
 
5 Years
Daniel Nutt, Coordinator, Grants Administration, ORSP
Ramon Nazario, Recycle Refuse Worker, Recycle
Trevor Lynch, Student Affairs Specialist, Recreation
Delores Irvin, Office Manager, Public Health
Emily Ray, Associate University Librarian, Library
 
Welcome
The following employees were either hired by Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 or were promoted from OPS positions recently:
Kelly Brave, Coordinator, Student Financial Aid, Financial Aid Office
Justin Brosonski, Desktop Support Engineer, Service Management
Matthew Butler, Assistant Director, Student Financial Aid, Financial Aid Office
Jade Calliste-Edgar, Records Registration Coordinator, Registrar's Office
Gabi Cueva, Office Manager, Clinical and Applied Movement Science
Anthony DiGirolamo, Coordinator, Environmental Health and Safety
Jenna DuPilka, Assistant Director of Development, COAS
Lea Fernandes, Assistant Director Development, AASA, College Dev. Officers
Moon Ja, Senior Library Services Associate, Library
Mark Luk, Student Financial Services Coordinator, Controller
Sydney McInnis, Nurse Practitioner, Counseling Center
David Menegazzi, Maintenance Mechanic, University Housing
Mary Kelli Palka, Director, Strategic Communications, Marketing and Communications
Elizabeth Riepe-Strickland, Assistant Director, Classification and Compliance, Human Resources
Anna Salvaggio, Coordinator, Program Services, Hicks Honors College
Huyen Tran, Clinical Research Associate, Psychology
 
Great Job
The following employees were promoted recently:
Jhezaryn Joy Alba, Senior Accountant, Controller
Ysabella Banta, PC Maintenance Tech II, Service Management
Amy Bishop, Director, Graduate and Executive Recruiting, CCB Graduate and Executive Programs
Shannon Cullen-Brosonski, Assistant Director Development, MOCA Jacksonville
Misty deSmit-Pyle, Production Manager, Fine Arts Center
Karene Fabian, Bursar, Controller
Alarie Gibbs, Assistant Director, Educational Services, MOCA Jacksonville
Andrew Hopkins, Associate Director, Research Program Services, Political Science and Public Administration
Nikki MacPhee, Assistant Director, Alumni Engagement
Kelly Rhoden, Assistant Director, Institute of Environmental Research and Education
Angela Smircic, Coordinator, Accounting, Controller
Andrew Sullivan, Coordinator, Student Accessibility Services
Tasha Toombs, Housing Assignments Spec, University Housing
Ana Vangarde, Coordinator, Employment, Human Resources
Christina Walker, Coordinator, Accounts Payable, Controller
Sabrina Whittaker, IT Communications Coordinator, Service Management
 
Goodbye
The following employees have left Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 recently:
Timothy Barnes, Accounting Associate, SG Business and Accounting Office
Stephanie Boilard, Coordinator Library Systems, Library
Leon Brown, Custodial Worker, University Housing
Joann Campbell, Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs
Paul Clark, Associate Professor, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Alice Davies, Office Manager, Accounting and Finance
Milton Ford, Senior Custodial Worker, Custodial Services
Carrie Guth, Assistant Vice President, CHRO, Human Resources
Kishia Hill, Persistence Coordinator, Undergraduate Studies
Donald Hutton, Instructor, Health Administration
Latrina Patrick, Project Manager, Education and Human Services
Clifford Poppell, Teaching Laboratory Specialist, Electrical Engineering
Claudia Sealey-Potts, Associate Professor, Nutrition and Dietetics
Caili Thompson, Academic Advisor, CCB Advising
Michael Townsend, Law Enforcement Officer, University Police Department
Chantel Williams, Manager, Military Engagement Compliance, Military and Veterans Resource Center
 

In Memoriam
The Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 community was saddened to learn of the death of James Tarantino, senior custodial worker, who passed away Tuesday, May 30.

Free Things to Do

© Project Atrium: Hiromi Moneyhun, 幽 霊 Yūrei (Ghosts). Site-specific installation for MOCA Jacksonville’s Project Atrium Series, 2023.Project Atrium: Hiromi Moneyhun - 幽 霊 Yūrei (Ghosts)
Exhibition on view through Aug. 27; MOCA Jacksonville
Free admission for Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 employees and one guest.
Yūrei (Ghosts), is a call to attention on behalf of the ocean. Utilizing her unique paper cut technique on an unprecedented scale, local artist Hiromi Moneyhun urges us to recognize the urgency of the moment. Learn more . (© Project Atrium: Hiromi Moneyhun, 幽 霊 Yūrei (Ghosts) installation view. Site-specific installation for MOCA Jacksonville’s Project Atrium Series, 2023.)

Bo Bartlett: Earthly Matters
Exhibition on view now through Sept. 10; MOCA Jacksonville
Free admission for Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 employees and one guest.
Bo Bartlett is acclaimed for his large-scale paintings that explore American life and cultural heritage. Earthly Matters presents a selection of Bartlett's recent works that explore human impact on and interaction with the natural world. .

Contemporary Cartographies
Exhibition on view now through Oct. 15; MOCA Jacksonville
Free admission for Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 employees and one guest.
This exhibition includes works from MOCA Jacksonville's permanent collection, complemented by loans from local and national artists, charting their surrounding landscape both literally and figuratively. .

Towels with text written on themForms of Knowing Part II: We Remember (Opening Reception)
Wednesday, June 21, noon - 2 p.m., Lufrano Intercultural Gallery
This exhibition, featuring sculptural installations by Lorrie Fredette and photographic works by Kija Lucas, is an interdisciplinary collaboration inspired by the PACT Alzheimer’s research project at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023, led by Dr. Jody Nicholson, associate professor of psychology, and supported by the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 HARP Grant and STARS Research Award. Learn more .

First Line Literary Contest
Monday, June 26 - Friday, July 7, Online
Compose your best opening line to an imaginary novel. Any topic or genre is acceptable, as long as your first sentence is original. All Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 students, faculty and staff are welcome to participate. Entries must be submitted online between Monday, June 26 and Friday, July 7. Three lucky wordsmiths will be chosen to receive gift cards. Winners will be announced Monday, July 24. Learn more and .

Swoop Summary

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 volleyball player Mahalia sharing a laugh on the court with teammatesMahalia White Named a Finalist for CWSA Honda Inspiration Award
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 volleyball's Mahalia White was named a College Women Sports Awards Honda Inspiration Award (CWSA) nominee as one of three finalists for the national award as announced by the CWSA recently. The 2023 Honda Inspiration Award show airs Monday, June 19 at 8:30 p.m. EST on the CBS Sports Network. White's story will be shared in a special feature and the winner of the award wil lbe announced the following day. Learn more .
 
Recapping Another Title Season
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2023 women's tennis' ASUN dynasty added yet another chapter to its book this past season as the Ospreys went 18-7 and took home their 10th ASUN Tournament Championship in program history. Learn more .
 
Men's Golf Concludes Season in Regionals One Shot Short of NCAA Finals
North Florida men's golf performed strongly in the final round, but missed the cut to make the NCAA Championships by just one stroke after scoring 20-under 844 as a team and finishing sixth overall at the NCAA Norman Regional. Read more .
 
O'Gorman Sets ASUN Record in Final Day of Outdoor Championships
The North Florida men's track and field team made more history and closed out the ASUN Outdoor Championship with a trio of gold medals on Saturday, May 13, at the Visit Jax Track at Hodges Stadium. Aidan O'Gorman secured a record in the 5000m with a time of 14:16.51 resulting in a gold medal. Learn more .