Broward College named “Local Corporation of the Year” by SFMSDC
For the second time, Broward College has been named as the Local Corporation of the Year by the Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council. It is the highest award presented to a local or regional member of the SFMSDC. Recipients consistently demonstrate a commitment to minority purchasing, technical and managerial assistance and sponsorship of minority programs.
“This is a very special honor for the college,” said Alex Denis, associate vice president for procurement services. “It recognizes the hard work undertaken by the professionals here in the Office of Supplier Diversity, Procurement Services and Facilities Management who strive to assure that our supplier diversity efforts are unparalleled. Broward College is a very diverse institution and it is fitting that our supplier diversity efforts be recognized for their excellence.”
For the 2009 award, the college was cited for its support to the organization by providing free business development courses to minority business enterprises, participating in the organization’s Mentor/Protégé Program, service at the board level and participation on a variety of committees. Other nominees for the award were Baptist Health South Florida and Broward Health.
Broward College Alumna receives FACC Lifetime Achievement Award
Susan B. Hassmiller, senior adviser for nursing for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and a graduate of Broward College, has been named recipient of the Florida Association of Community Colleges’ Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the three LeRoy Collins Distinguished Community College Alumni Awards presented annually. The awards will be presented November 19th at the FACC’s 60th annual convention in Orlando.
Dr. Hassmiller began her life’s journey in nursing at what was then Broward Community College and graduated with an Associate of Science in Nursing degree in 1974. Now a resident of Princeton Junction, N.J., she went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing and master’s degree in health education from Florida State University. She earned a second master’s degree in community health nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and earned a Ph.D. in nursing administration and health policy from George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.
To read the full story on Dr. Hasmiller’s award, click here.
Gold Coast Magazine names District Board of Trustees member for honor
In mid-October, Gold Coast magazine introduced the first-ever list of “The 40 Under 40,” which honors the county’s leading professionals under 40 years of age. Board Chair Sean Guerin was named to the list which was published in the November 2009 issue of the magazine. An announcement from the magazine stated: “The 40 Under 40 highlights leading young professionals in industries such as government, medicine, media, non-profit, law, finance, and community development. Each of the 40 individuals on this list has exhibited significant strides and contributions in their fields and Broward County as a whole.”
Art Professor Paints Dome of Lauderhill City Hall
When the new Lauderhill City Hall opens on November 2nd, it will signal the unveiling of a public art project painted by a Broward College adjunct professor. Georgeta Fondos, who teaches art appreciation, drawing, and 2-D design on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus, was awarded the commission last summer. Her canvas was the majestic dome in the rotunda of the city council chamber. The work she created to grace the dome is one of colorful flora and fauna.
Music Professor Wins 20th ASCAP Award
Dr. Kenneth R. Benoit, adjunct professor of music appreciation on North Campus, has received his 20th award from the prestigious American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). The ASCAPlus Award is for a body of original compositions which have been written and/or performed during a single year. He has received ASCAP awards from 1988-1991 and from 1994-2009. For this year’s 2008-2009 award, Dr. Benoit completed two works : “A Leader’s Prayer” and “Symphony No. 3 in D.” Dr. Benoit earned his Doctor of Musical Arts from Louisiana State University and Master of Music Theory/Composition from the University of Miami.
Associate VP for Procurement has article published
Alex Denis researched and wrote an article entitled “Stewardship and Accountability in Public Contracting” which appeared in the summer 2009 edition of the Journal of Contract Management. The journal is the official publication of the National Contract Management Association. Its purpose is to link scholarly research with best practices in the contract management field. Alex is an alumnus of Broward College where he received his A.A. degree. He went on to graduate from Florida International University with a B.A. in Psychology, and earned his M.B.A. degree at Nova Southeastern University. He has more than 17 years of experience in public sector procurement and is certified by the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing as a Certified Public Purchasing Officer. To see the article, click here.
Enrollment story featured on WPLG – Channel 10
Last Friday, WPLG reporter Constance Jones visited the Samuels South Campus to interview Enrollment Management Director Edward Key. The story focused on enrollment increases with the downturn in the economy. It ran on the 6 p.m. news, and several of our students were interviewed as well. An estimated audience of 70,850 viewed the spot. To view the spot, click here.
Multi-Modal Learning Strategies: Workshop teaches techniques developed for students with disabilities
Sharon Simpson, a Broward College associate professor of biological sciences, has been teaching anatomy and other courses for about two decades -- yet she is always willing to learn more about how to communicate most effectively with her students. “Students learn in different ways,” she said. Professor Simpson was one of the attendees at a workshop designed to present innovative strategies for teaching that were originally developed to help students with learning disabilities, yet can be beneficial for all. The workshop, held on two dates in September and October, was presented by Ruby Crane, Stuart Buckley and Janine Hill, who are part of the TRIO grant through Broward College’s Office of Disability Services.
The presenters demonstrated some of the strategies and assistive technology available to help students with hidden disabilities, such as learning disabilities, and also students who are visually impaired or blind. In general, “…a learning style is a learning preference,” said Crane, and there are three elemental approaches, visual, auditory and tactile. A teacher should “…include ways of presenting that use all styles,” Crane said, in order to help all students in a class learn successfully.
Broward is key in planning Fort Lauderdale College Fair to be held at Convention Center
Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Angelia Millender and the staff of student affairs did the major planning for the Fort Lauderdale College Fair which will be held on Thursday and Friday November 5th and 6th. More than 200 colleges will attend the fair, as well as representatives from ESE, ESOL and the military. In addition, there will be a counseling center staffed with BRACE advisers and other counselors who will answer questions and provide college and career materials. Workshops will be held on scholarships, choosing a college, highly selective colleges, hot jobs and majors for the 21st Century, and first generation in college students. A financial aid workshop will have translators for Spanish, Portuguese and Creole. The event will be free and open to the public.
North Campus History/Political Science Professor Blaine Brown co-authors new book
Dr. Blaine T. Browne and co-author Robert C. Cottrell have just had a book published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. entitled Lives and Times: Individuals and Issues in American History since 1865. In his review of the book, Steven Short from Collin County Community College writes: “This is a solid collection of biographies, and Browne and Cottrell have done an excellent job selecting their subjects. ‘Lives and Times’ examines the issues and challenges of the past through the individuals who experienced it. A great addition for teaching and understanding history.” The publisher describes the book as “…a biographical reader designed to acquaint students with major issues in American history through the lives of individuals, prominent and otherwise, whose activities and ideas were crucial to shaping the course of the nation’s history.” Robert C. Cottrell is professor of history at California State University and this is the fourth book that he and Dr. Browne have co-authored.
North Campus Academic Dean commended by the National Science Foundation
Director Arden L. Bement, Jr. and Acting Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) wrote Academic Dean Monica Ramirez commending her for her participation in the NSF’s merit review process during the past year. They state in their letter to Dr. Ramirez: “The quality and credibility of our merit review relies on the proposal reviews that experts such as you provide us. We sincerely appreciate your willingness to devote the time and effort required to review these proposals… Your help enables NSF to advance the frontiers of research and empower individuals through education in science and engineering.” The 2008 Annual Merit Review Report is available on this link. This report contains information about the outcomes of the merit review that Dr. Ramirez helped make possible.
Vice President for Human Resources and Equity has busy month with her message of inclusion
Dr. Edna Chun has travelled as far as Las Vegas and as close to home as Palm Beach with her message of inclusion and celebration of diversity. On October 15th, she was the featured speaker at the Human Resource Association of Palm Beach County dinner meeting where the subject of her talk was entitled “Bridging the Diversity Divide: Building a Concrete Action Plan for Inclusion.” On October 21st Dr. Chun attended the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA) national conference where she delivered a similar message.
At the national conference, her workshop was described as a session where concrete tools, measurement strategies and organizational learning initiatives that higher education institutions can use to transform their culture and bridge the diversity divide can be learned. Her book of the same name as the workshop, published earlier this year, is often mentioned as the source of further information wherever she speaks.
To complete the month, on October 29th, Dr. Chun will present a CUPA-sponsored webinar entitled HR Initiatives and the Bottom Line in Times of Economic Downtown: Proactive Impact on Workforce and Institutional Finances. The webinar will focus on specific HR initiatives and approaches designed to address the need to meet budgetary targets while maintaining high employee morale.
College Health Fair very successful!
Under the auspices of the Human Resources & Equity and the Employee Benefits office, the 2009 Employee Health and Benefits Fair was held at four locations across the college. For two weeks, employees had the choice of attending the fair at North, South or Central campus or at the Willis Holcombe Center. More than 400 staff members attended, setting a record for the number of participants: 274 flu shots, 45 mammograms and 91 bone density tests were administered. Door prizes for the fair were provided by Lago Mar Resort & Club, The Rhodes Insurance Group, Amtrust and Humana.
Dental students elected as officers of the Florida Student Association of the American Dental Hygiene Association
Two current and three post-graduate students attended the Florida Student Association of the American Dental Hygiene Association’s ( FSADHA) annual session. Our two current students were elected as President and Secretary of the association. This is quite an honor since there are nineteen dental hygiene programs in our state that send representatives and two of the four board positions are now held by our students. In addition, one of our post-graduate students won second place in the table clinic competition. Joyce Abraham, associate dean of the dental program writes: “We are proud to share program achievements with you!”
Retired Fine Arts Theater faculty member provides historical documents
This past week, Mildred Mullikin, a theater professor at the college’s Adams Central Campus from 1960 – 1990, stopped by to visit the college archives. The occasion was to present a set of memory books she compiled documenting the history of the college and theater department during her tenure here to be held in the archives.
Today Professor Mullikin lives in South Carolina and occasionally visits South Florida. She stays in touch with many of her former students and former faculty and keeps busy conducting genealogical research. The nine volumes she presented to the archives collection offer a fascinating glimpse of our history. Andrew Dutka, who manages the archives, joins me in inviting you to stop by and have a look. The archives are located on the fourth floor of the Joint University/College Library on the Adams Central Campus.
Mediator training successfully completed by college staff members with certification awards
College staff members recently completed mediation Training to become certified as Florida Supreme Court County Court Mediators. The training was held at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) through the Institute of Conflict Resolution & Communication (ICRC). Alexia Georgakopoulos, Ph.D and director of training for ICRC, was the primary trainer for the three days. The program is designed to educate participants about a variety of mediation models.
In January of 1996, the college collaborated with Nova Southeastern University, under the leadership of Donald Cleveland and NSU Dean of Systemic Studies Dr. William Warters, to train more than 20 college staff members in conflict resolution and mediation. As a result of the collaboration, a program was developed and directed by Cleveland entitled, Program for Peaceful Problem Solving (PPPS). PPPS provided members of the college and the local community with resources and direct assistance to resolve interpersonal and intergroup conflicts creatively and nonviolently.
Broward College and the Marine Industries Association receive Leadership Award
Broward College and the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) were honored by the Broward Alliance with a 2009 Leadership Award for the partnership’s efforts in fostering marine education. The Broward College-MIASF collaboration was presented the award at the Broward Alliance’s annual meeting in Fort Lauderdale on October 7th. Other Leadership Award recipients were Ted Martin (KPMG), Rosana Santos (Big Chef), Holly Svekis (South Florida Business Journal), Bill White (Compass Office Solutions) and Stella Tokar (Miramar-Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce).
Volunteer Corner
Broward College participates in United Way’s Day of Caring
Students from Broward College participated in the 18th annual Day of Caring, coordinated by the United Way of Broward County, on October 9th. Each year the United Way of Broward County selects one nonprofit organization to benefit from the day’s efforts. The 2009 beneficiary organization was Women in Distress.
Among the group were four students from the South campus Technology club. They cleaned, painted, and renovated, and especially enjoyed doing a good deed in the community. It was an eye-opening experience for them.
Members of Broward College’s softball team also participated in the event. They were among the first volunteers to arrive at the pickup point at the North Broward Medical Center, where they boarded a shuttle bus to take them to the facility’s campus. There, they donned T-shirts, received paint brushes, rollers and buckets of pale tan latex paint. They spent their day painting apartment interiors. Women in Distress officials said approximately 1,000 volunteers showed up despite unseasonably warm weather. To read the full story, click here.
Light the Night Walk for a Cure, 2009
On Saturday, October 10th, Dr. Miller’s honors biology class participated in the Annual Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Miramar Light the Night Walk for a Cure. It was a fantastic success and to date, the South Campus Honors Biology Team has raised over $1400. This is their 9th year of participation, and the team was honored and given a special “Bright Light” medal for their fundraising efforts.
