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Nova Southeastern University
Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences
3301 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314
Phone: 954-262-8408
Fax: 954-262-3930
www.undergrad.nova.edu
Highlight Reports for the NSU Board of Trustees
The Office of the Dean provides periodic reviews of college activities and initiatives. These Board Highlights are distributed to the Nova Southeastern University Board of Trustees, the College of Arts and Sciences Board of Advisers, and others in the community.
January 2008 | March 2008March 2008
The Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences has focused additional faculty time and energy on
review and assessment of curriculum quality this past year. As a result, college faculty have
established more than 20 curriculum committees with membership from key stakeholders in the
community, as well as full time and part time faculty, alumni, and employers. The result has
been a deliberate review of program learning outcomes and revisions in course requirements.
Along with this review, and core duties in teaching and scholarship, college faculty continue to
offer campus and community access to critical programs, speakers, lectures, film series, and
panels related to specific areas of expertise and larger issues of interest and concern in society.
The following report highlights college developments and programs.
Distinguished Speaker Series
Each year, the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences hosts at least five distinguished speakers,
all selected to support an annual college theme. This year’s theme is “Truth and Power.”
Admission to lectures is always free.
The Division of Math, Science, and Technology welcomed Eric Kandel, M.D., recipient of the
2000 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology and professor at Columbia University, to NSU on
February 21. As a guest in the college’s Distinguished Speaker Series, Kandel spoke on “The
Molecular Biology of Memory Storage and the Biological Basis of Individuality.” In his lecture,
Kandel drew from his groundbreaking studies on the basic molecular mechanisms underlying
learning and memory. His research has been central to understanding normal memory as well as
dementia and other mental illnesses that affect memory. A book signing followed the lecture.
In conjunction with Kandel’s visit to NSU, the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences
presented a symposium, The Plastic Brain, on February 20, featuring guest speakers who are
currently conducting exciting and important research associated with Kandel’s theories and
findings. In addition, the Division of Humanities hosted a discussion on February 19 on “Memory and Memoir: The Autobiographical Process,” which explored the process of lifewriting
in relation to Kandel’s groundbreaking book, In Search of Memory: The Emergence of
Science of Mind.
The next guest of the Distinguished Speakers Series will be Kerry Kennedy, a leading advocate
for human rights around the world. Kennedy’s will present on “Speak Truth to Power,” on April
17 in the Miniaci Performing Arts Center. She has been an international protector of human
rights for those in need of justice. Kennedy has led dozens of human rights delegations to
countries around the world and published Speak Truth to Power: Human Rights Defenders Who
Are Changing Our World, which features interviews with famous human rights activists. This
book generated a theatrical presentation, a PBS television program, and educational and
advocacy tools distributed to tens of thousands of high schools and colleges.
College News
On January 23, the college hosted “College Basketball Night,” supporting the NSU Sharks in
their home basketball games against Florida Tech. During the game, the college offered
souvenirs to fans in attendance and refreshments to guests of the college.
On January 24, the Clinic Exploration Program (CEP) held its traditional, beginning-of-semester
jacketing ceremony. Honored were 37 students in the program who received the blue jackets
they wear while observing health professionals on the job. Don Rosenblum, Ph.D., dean of the
college, introduced NSU President Ray Ferrero, Jr., J.D., and Robert S. Oller, D.O., CEO of the
university’s clinics. Also in attendance were representatives from various NSU clinics and
several college faculty members. The CEP offers students the opportunity to shadow medical
professionals on the job in many of NSU’s clinics. Participants gain a broad perspective that
shows how various medical fields work together, offering a practical, up-close review of several
medical career options.
The college presented a Stolzenberg-Doan International Lecture Series speaker on January 31.
Titled, “Truth, Power, the Media, and the Balkans,” this event featured Stacia Deshisku, Director
of Coverage for CNN. Deshishku spoke about the role of the media in international crises,
particularly obligations of the media in help to shape public opinion and policy. She also
addressed reporters’ responsibilities to corroborate official reports with sources in the field. The
lecture in the Knight Auditorium in the DeSantis Building was followed by a reception in the
Spears Atrium. The following day, Deshisku had lunch with 18 students and several faculty
members to continue the discussion.
For Black History Month, the college presented the following events:
• ....On Feb. 4, Michael Nojeim, Ph.D., associate professor of political science at Prairie View A&M University and author of Gandhi and King: The Power of Nonviolent Resistance (2004), gave a guest lecture on “Gandhi, King, and the Philosophy of Non-Violent Resistance” in the Knight Auditorium of the DeSantis Building. Nojeim spoke about the origins and tradition of non-violent resistance in social change movements.
• ....On Feb. 24, Step Afrika, the first professional company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping, held a master dance class in the University Center. The workshop was open to all NSU students, staff, and faculty. That evening, the troupe performed in the Miniaci Performing Arts Center. Step Afrika’s visit to NSU was co-sponsored by the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Allied Health and Nursing, the 11 Division of Multicultural Affairs, the Pan African Student Union, and student dance organization Chicks on Point.
The athletic training program sponsored seminars in the A1A Marathon Health and Fitness Expo
on February 16-17 at the Broward County Convention Center. This seven-lecture series—
focusing on proper nutrition, race preparation, running tips and techniques, and overall healthy
living—was designed by Elizabeth Swann, Ph.D., program director of athletic training in the
Division of Math, Science, and Technology. Athletic training student volunteers also distributed
race packets at the Expo, facilitated race check-ins, and managed stations providing runners with
water and hearty encouragement during the race on February 18.
The Division of Humanities sponsored a workshop on “Preparing for a Career in
Communications” on February 20 in the Carl DeSantis Building. Led by Ron Castell, a former
communications executive, the workshop focused on job opportunities in communications, as
well as what courses and extracurricular activities can help students attain these positions.
Workshop participants learned ways to market themselves for employment, effective resume
writing, and job interview skills.
The college hosted an open discussion featuring Iraq War veterans on February 21, in the Knight
Auditorium of the DeSantis Building. Assistant professors Allison Brimmer, Ph.D., and Jason
Piccone, Ph.D., helped to facilitate a discussion between members of the panel and the audience.
This event was held in conjunction with campus groups Social Action Social Awareness and
Step It Up, which provided refreshments. The panel discussion was part of a series, “Truth and
Power: The War in Iraq,” which is offering thought-provoking films and panel discussions
throughout the academic year within the context of the college’s annual theme of “Truth and
Power.”
Faculty Lecture Series
This lecture series presents to the campus community the college faculty’s diverse areas of
interest in the humanities, biology, physical science, and social and behavioral sciences.
The 2008 Winter Semester schedule includes:
Michael D. Reiter, Ph.D., assistant director of the Division of Social and
Behavioral Sciences, spoke on the topic, “Are Inappropriate Relationships
Inappropriate?” on February 7. In the talk, Reiter considered societal rules about
what are, and are not, appropriate relationships. Examining how such rules are
created and what power they have on people’s behaviors, he demonstrated that
there are often varying degrees of inappropriateness.
• ....On February 19, Edward O. Keith, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Math, Science, and Technology, spoke on" Stacking the Deck: Japan, the International Whaling Commission, and the Resumption of Commercial Whale Harvests." The talk focused on the International Whaling Commission's moratorium on commercial whaling and the noncompliance of some nations, including Japan, Norway, and Iceland. Keith explored the politics behind this disagreement, the legitimacy of the claims of indigenous and/or historical whaling, the quality and utility of the information collected by "scientific whaling" and the potential impact of the resumption of whaling on whale populations.
• ....Jason E. Piccone, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, presented “Who’s the Man? Truth and Power in America,” on March 13. This talk explored how a small minority of people control the political, cultural, and economic power in the United States and how this power has served to maintain an exploitative relationship over the larger population. Piccone then discussed how power can be distributed more widely through the acquisition of knowledge, civic activism, and, ultimately, through a shift in our cultural paradigm.
Faculty Achievements:
On January 7, the local NBC television affiliate, WTVJ, interviewed Robin Sherman, Ph.D.,
associate professor and assistant director of the Division of Math, Science, and Technology, on
the issue of whether the theory of evolution should be taught in Florida public schools. Sherman
advocated that understanding how the theory of evolution works is important for understanding
how biological science works. She suggested that such knowledge is important for maintaining
adequate standards of quality in Florida’s public school science education.
On January 13, at the Jewish Museum of Florida in Miami Beach, Gary Gershman, J.D., Ph.D.,
associate professor in the Division of Humanities, moderated a panel discussion on President
Abraham Lincoln’s relationship with Jews in the United States. Experts from around the country
discussed how Lincoln fought anti-Semitism in the military and included rabbis among the
chaplains. The event was sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission,
established by Congress to generate educational, public, and legacy events to mark the 16th
president’s 200th birthday in 2009. Its members, appointed by the president and congressional
leaders, include political leaders, jurists, historians, and collectors. The museum also showed a
video of the panel discussion on February 12, Lincoln’s birthday.
On Wednesday, February 5, the ABC affiliate, WPLG Channel 10, sought expert political
analysis from two faculty members, Charles Zelden, Ph.D., professor, and Gary Gershman,
J.D., Ph.D., associate professor, both from the Division of Humanities. On Local 10 News at 6,
both professors offered political commentary on the results of Super Tuesday, when 24 states
held presidential nominating contests. They also discussed their views on what is to come next
for the Republican and Democratic parties.
Charles L. Zelden, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Humanities, gave the annual Justice
Stanley F. Reed Lecture at Kentucky Wesleyan College on February 26. His talk was titled, “Defeating the All White Primary: The Story Behind Justice Stanley F. Reed’s Majority Opinion
in Smith v Allwright (1944).” The lecture examined the Supreme Court’s overturning of the all white
Democratic Party primary in Texas for being unconstitutional, and examined the effect this
ruling had on the evolving civil rights movement.
Fuzhen Zhang, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Math, Science, and Technology, has been
chosen as editor for a special issue of the journal Linear Algebra and Applications. This issue
will honor exceptional mathematician Shmuel Friedland, D.Sc., from the University of Illinois-
Chicago. Zhang also received an honorary professorship from Shanghai University, China, as
Jianzhi Professor. This recognition is awarded to internationally-renowned scholars. Shanghai
University is one of the largest universities in China.
Andrea Shaw, Ph.D., assistant professor and assistant director of the Division of Humanities,
has published an essay in the newly released book, Music, Memory and Resistance: Calypso and
the Caribbean Literary Imagination (2007). Her essay, titled “Big Fat Fish: The
Hypersexualization of the Fat Female Body in Calypso and Dancehall,” is part of a rich
collection that brings together critical perspectives from a wide variety of Caribbean artists to
discuss Caribbean culture and its connections with political traditions in the African Diaspora.
The Performing and Visual Arts Program
Muscle to Bone: Moving the Power Within, a full-length dance concert, was presented by the
Performing and Visual Arts Program of the Division of Humanities on February 1-2 in the
Miniaci Performing Arts Center. The six dance pieces, choreographed by guest artists and
college faculty, featured performances by NSU students.
To support talented theatre and music students, the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences offers
a new talent-based Performing and Visual Arts Grant. Students pursuing a theatre major at NSU,
and musicians participating in the Orchestra or Pep Band, may apply. This grant, awarded on a
yearly basis, is available to current undergraduate students, incoming freshmen, and transfer
students.
The Promethean Theatre (TPT), NSU’s theatre in residence, performed Two Sisters and a Piano,
by Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz. Production was held in the Mailman-Hollywood Theatre on
the second floor of the Mailman-Hollywood Building. Author, Nilo Cruz, is a Cuban-American
playwright, the first Latino to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The Promethean Theatre hosted
Cruz in two talk-back discussions following special performances on March 1- 2. The talk-back
discussions offered the audience a unique opportunity to talk about the play with South Florida’s
own Pulitzer Prize winner. TPT has also received a nomination in the 32nd Annual Carbonell
Awards for the world premiere of Juan C. Sanchez’s play Red Tide in October at the Mailman-
Hollywood Theatre. The play has been nominated in the category of Best New Work.
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