Arts, Sciences & Education Magazine, Summer 2020

ARTS SCIENCES EDUCATION FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY SUMMER 2020

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BASIC S

Reading is a key predictor of educational gains and life success.

FIU'S ELEMENTARY EDUCATION PROGRAM RANKS AMONG THE TOP IN THE U.S. FOR PREPARING LIFELONG LEARNERS.

INSIDE: 8 - Breaking ground at The Kampong | 16 - National Geographic Explorer joins FIU | 17 - Saving coral reefs

CONTENTS

BACK TO BASICS

20 A wrong number leads to a career in science

10 In search of the science spark

19

Psychology student fights for her life

Behavioral therapy is the best first-step treatment for children with ADHD

22

7

Prison poetry becomes oasis from incarceration

24

What is the value of a tree?

8

World traveler inspires course on time

FROM THE DEAN

Mike Heithaus, Dean

When we first started working on this issue of Arts, Sciences & Education, the world was very different. We were well into the Spring semester and preparing for two major events — the FIU Geopolitical Summit focused on Climate Change and the Our Common Future lecture featuring Dr. Sylvia Earle. Within a week of these two events, the spread of COVID-19 forced shutdowns all across the country and FIU transitioned to fully remote classes almost overnight. For the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, that meant 507 faculty members converting 1,323 classes for more than 29,000 students.

Laura Dinehart, Senior Associate Dean, School of Education and Human Development Heather Russell, Senior Associate Dean, School of Environment, Arts and Society Walter Van Hamme, Senior Associate Dean, School of Integrated Science and Humanity Maricel Cigales, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies Maureen Donnelly, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Rita Teutonico, Associate Dean of Research Deborah Hasson, Assistant Dean of Accreditation and Assessment

Less than two months later, we hosted a virtual commencement for thousands of students and welcomed the summer terms, also remote. The resilience and unified commitment of our students, faculty and staff have been tested during these difficult times, and I’ve been inspired to witness how our college has not only responded to the challenges but created new and extraordinary opportunities that will have far-reaching impacts long after this pandemic is over.

Hector Junco, Assistant Dean of Operations

Researchers in our Biomolecular Sciences Institute are searching for a possible treatment to COVID-19 and other coronaviruses. Our Center for Children and Families is providing telehealth services for children with behavioral and mental health disorders. The work of our conservationists, physicists, forensic scientists and others continues remotely in the pursuit of solutions for the many challenges society faces. Our alumni — and even some current students — are on the frontlines of the global pandemic as nurses, doctors, paramedics, military and law enforcement and others. This also includes the more than 15,000 alumni who are teachers. They helped students finish the school year with both care and support and are now preparing for the many unknowns in the upcoming school year. This pandemic will continue to test us, but our college and our alumni will be there for our students, each other, and our communities.

Stephany Alvarez-Ventura, Senior Development Officer

I would be remiss to not mention the social unrest gripping the nation during this same time.

The killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor have thrown into sharp relief the obstacles and institutionalized racism that have affected Black communities for hundreds of years.

Black lives matter. It really is that simple. But the solutions to effect meaningful change will take hard work. We must participate in discussions that are uncomfortable at times and even challenging.

And then, we must act. We, as a college, are committed to leading efforts that recognize and affirm Black people’s humanity — and to institute changes and programs that make a real, lasting and sustainable difference.

As you read the stories in the latest issue of Arts, Sciences & Education, I hope you find inspiration in the impact our students, faculty, and alumni are having in our communities, for families, for our planet and more. For those of you on the front lines, I want to personally extend my gratitude for the important work each of you do.

During difficult times, the Panther spirit always prevails. I am proud of how we have come together and supported one another. We will emerge even more resilient with greater resolve to create an inspiring future.

Mike Heithaus Dean, College of Arts, Sciences & Education Professor, Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University Arts, Sciences & Education is a publication produced by the College of Arts, Sciences & Education and the Division of External Relations, Strategic Communications and Marketing at Florida International University.

College of Arts, Sciences & Education | Florida International University | 11200 SW 8th St., CASE 450 | Miami, FL 33199 305-348-2864 | casedean@fiu.edu | case.fiu.edu

@FIUCASE

Designed and printed by FIU’s Division of External Relations, Strategic Communications and Marketing 20103_07/20

Maria Rosado, Senior Director of Academic Support Services Stephanie Cox, Executive Director of Development Gill Rodrigues, Director of International Partnerships

JoAnn C. Adkins, Editor, Arts, Sciences & Education Magazine Barbarita Ramos, Senior Graphic Designer Ashley Fornaris, Graphic Designer Aileen Solá-Trautmann, Graphic Designer Writers Ayleen Barbel Fattal Nathalie Medina Angela Nicoletti Alexandra Pecharich Chrystian Tejedor Photographers Carl-Frederick Francois, Douglas Garland, Timothy Long, Nelson Cairo Palazuelos, Margi Rentis, Ivan Santiago Dean’s Advisory Board Gonzalo Acevedo, Co-chair Kevin Senecal, Co-chair Richard Standifer, Co-chair Mariel Acosta-Garcia Sandy Batchelor Suleyman Demir Steven Dinh Frank V. DuMond Sharon Fine Robert Fitzsimmons Paul D. Landrum Grace Lohn Brian Machovina Olga Melin Michael Mendez John Mills Esther Moreno Michael Rosenberg Sevi Sari Dan Tasciotti Fiorella Terenzi Cenk Tuncay Mine Üçer FIU Board of Trustees Dean C. Colson, Chairperson Rogelio Tovar, Vice Chair Cesar L. Alvarez Jose J. Armas Leonard Boord Gerald C. Grant, Jr., ’78, ’89 Donna J. Hrinak Natasha Lowell T. Gene Prescott Claudia Puig Marc D. Sarnoff Faculty Member Joerg Reinhold, Chair, FIU Faculty Senate Student Member Alexandra Valdes Student Trustee, MMC Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020 | 1

CLICK HERE TO PLAY VIDEO

HIGHLIGHTS

SECRET LIFE OF

PANGOLINS FIU scientists are the first to deploy animal-borne cameras on pangolins — the world’s most trafficked wild mammal. Matthew H. Shirley leads the team amassing much-needed data about these elusive and relatively unknown animals often poached for their keratin scales.

Mathieu Assovi is a Ph.D. student in conservation biology and wildlife management at Felix Houphouet-Boigny University in Cote d’Ivoire.

5

#

in the nation FIU ranks among the top programs in the country for psychology research according to the National Science Foundation's Higher Education Research and Development Survey.

1

#

in Florida

Going somewhere?

Creative writing professor, Lynne Barrett, is exploring how we do and don’t get around in South Florida. She is the editor of a new book of short stories — Making good time: True stories of how we do, and don’t, get around in South Florida.

2 | Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020

NEW

MOST CITED

Physics Professor Angela R. Laird was named one of the world’s most influential researchers by Web of Science. An authority in the field of human functional brain mapping, Laird ranks among the top 1 percent most cited researchers in the field of neuroscience and behavior.

149 NEWS STORIES FIU meteorologists were featured in local, national and international media including The New York Times, National Geographic and Associated Press, providing critical expertise on Hurricane Dorian.

NEXT PHASE OF PROMISING FIU’s Biomolecular Sciences Institute is expanding tests of its novel approach to killing castrationresistant prostate cancer by disrupting the cancer’s ability to repair damage to its own DNA. This research is supported by the Mary N. Porter Cancer Research Fund and the Harold D. Franks Cancer Fund at the Community Foundation of Broward.

PROSTATE CANCER RESEARCH

It all depends on this dance of the pressure systems around the storm. We expect a major hurricane landfall somewhere between where I’m sitting and the Georgia border.

— Hugh Willoughby Distinguished research professor in the Department of Earth and Environment The New York Times

HUMANITIES CENTER DIRECTOR

Associate Professor of English Phillip Carter was appointed director of the Center for the Humanities in an Urban Environment. His vision is to bring a new type of humanities to FIU that respond to key issues of our time. To date, the center has hosted several major events focusing on Black humanity and the crisis of race in America, Latinx identity, LGBTQ+ issues and more.

Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020 | 3

DISCOVERIES

IN THE AMAZON, IT TAKES A VILLAGE Relationships are complex. Species living in Amazonian rainforests are no exception.

W

hile local environmental factors like soil shape where we find certain species, there is much more to the story. An international team of scientists led

by FIU ecologist Jason Vleminckx examined five highly diverse groups in French Guiana — trees, fungi, earthworms, ants and spiders.

They found species turnover is highly coordinated among the groups, shedding new light on how trophic interactions shape community assembly in tropical forests.

“Biodiversity is more than just species counts — it also comprises the identity of species,” said Chris Baraloto, co-author of the study and director of the FIU International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong.

4 | Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020

The research suggests the presence of fungi, earthworms, ants and spiders were all closely associated with trees and, in some cases, each other. In other words, they need each other. Ants and trees, in particular, are strongly coordinated and this strong association between the Amazon’s mightiest and tiniest residents likely results from the quality of tree leaf litter that structures the ants’ homes as well as the communities on which the ants prey.

Showing that a forest rich with one species group is also rich with another offers scientists critical new tools to improve conservation and management priorities.

Showing just how tightly linked these groups are can be just as important.

Biodiversity is more than just species counts — it also comprises the identity of species.

— Chris Baraloto

Finding the age of dolphins is like pulling teeth — not anymore!

You’ve probably never asked a dolphin its age. For one, it’s rude. Two, dolphins can’t talk. And three, it’s hard to figure out. Scientists have to pull a tooth, saw it in half and count the growth layers like the rings of a tree to calculate the age of a dolphin. FIU researchers decided it doesn’t have to be that hard.

FIU biologist Jose Eirin-Lopez and Ph.D. student Andria Beal have created the Bottlenose Dolphin Epigenetic Age Estimation Tool — or BEAT — which determines age through a small skin sample. The tool relies on specific genes and corresponding marks on those genes to pinpoint a dolphin’s age. Understanding age is a critical part of learning more about the health of animal populations. This new technique could be used to help determine ages in a variety of other species, including trafficked animals as well as threatened and endangered species. The research is supported by the National Science Foundation.

To read more about Eirin-Lopez’s epigenetics research, go to page 17.

BRAIN SCANS REVEAL why it’s so hard to quit smoking

M

ore than 90 percent of smokers who try to quit fail, and the reason may be hiding in their brains.

People often turn to smoking cessation

medications including NicoDerm CQ or Chantix.

Striatum

Psychology Ph.D. student Jessica Flannery and a team of scientists found these medications are only targeting the specific part of the

brain associated with tobacco cravings and

nicotine withdrawal symptoms. An entirely separate part of the brain is linked to the severity of the person’s actual addiction.

“This study suggests current medications only

treat the symptoms as opposed to the core of

the substance-use disease, which is how addicted

linked with nicotine addiction

a person is,” said Matthew Sutherland, a cognitive neuroscientist in the Department of

Psychology and senior author of the study.

"Instead of a single medication, perhaps

Sea levels are rising, so what happens if the ground starts sinking?

Researchers led by FIU scientist Sean Charles set out to determine if and how saltwater intrusion can cause coastal wetlands to sink.

Their findings demonstrate local actions can play a large role in the resilience of ecosystems to climate change.

When researchers subjected coastal sawgrass marshes to elevated saltwater, they lost 2.8 centimeters of elevation in one year — almost 10 times the rate of sea level rise.

Coastal sawgrass marshes without added saltwater maintained or increased elevation during the same time period. Due to their position in the landscape, coastal wetland survival is determined by the balance between changes in sea level and soil elevation. Therefore, the rapid elevation loss identified in this study could create a grim future for the Everglades and coastal wetlands.

The takeaway for the researchers is simple. Restoring freshwater helps maintain or even increase soil elevation.

And the higher the soil elevation, the greater chance coastal wetlands will have to stave off rising seas.

The research is a collaboration with the Everglades Foundation, the South Florida Water Management District and Everglades National Park. The research is part of the Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research, a program funded by the National Science Foundation.

Habenula

multiple medications, each targeting

different brain processes, are needed to improve quit rates."

The scientists administered smoking

cessation medication to understand

changes in brain activity between smokers

and nonsmokers. Using functional magnetic

resonance imaging (fMRI), scientists observed

brain processes associated with how addicted

linked with nicotine withdrawal

a person reported being was related to activity in the part of the brain called the striatum.

Meanwhile, a smoker’s craving for cigarettes was related to activity changes in the brain’s habenula.

This new study linking specific brain

processes to nicotine use offers a roadmap for developing new interventions or

improving existing ones. According to the

U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 68 percent of smokers want to quit and half of those

try to do so each year. But the nicotine in tobacco products is highly addictive and only 7 percent actually succeed.

The research was conducted by

psychologists in FIU’s Center for Children

and Families, Department of Physics and a team from the National Institute on

Instead of a single medication, perhaps multiple medications, each targeting different brain processes, are needed to improve quit rates.

— Matthew Sutherland

Drug Abuse.

Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020 | 5

SOLUTIONS

#INAFLASH Frances Zengotita B.S. in Chemistry '19 Claim to fame Tracked the transport of radioactive waste Say what? As a Department of Energy Fellow and Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Zengotita conducted research to update risk assessment models and work toward safe disposal of the nation’s legacy radioactive waste — the largest environmental cleanup challenge in the world.

What’s the big deal? Large amounts of radioactive waste began to accumulate in the 1940s as a byproduct from WWII and then the Cold War. Therefore, there is a need for the permanent disposal of radioactive waste that was a byproduct from our nation’s nuclear defense program.

When earthworms soil themselves, EVERYONE WINS

D

aphne Sugino Souffront went in search of safer, earth-friendly alternatives to pesticides. She found the answer in earthworm poop.

Vermicompost, which is created when earthworm waste interacts with bacteria, is a great fertilizer. Sugino Souffront, a graduate research assistant in FIU’s Department of Earth and Environment, found it also causes plants to make chemical changes to ward off pests.

The process works like antibodies fighting off disease-causing viruses in a person’s immune system.

Sugino Souffront believes vermicomposting may provide a promising alternative to agrochemicals, especially for Florida’s tomato industry, where more than 80 percent of farmers use pesticides. She will be sharing her findings with tomato farmers in Florida and across the world.

The research was supported by a USDA Hispanic Serving Institution BASE grant.

OH, SNAP! Bacteria, fungus combo can help crops fight salty conditions Coating seeds with a fungus and a bacterium could help valuable crops block the one-two punch of saltier groundwater and soil, FIU researchers have found. The salt-sensitive snap bean, which contributes more than $105 million to Florida’s economy every year, is particularly at risk of saltwater intrusion in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, where underground aquifers are used for irrigation. Coating its seeds with the bacteria rhizobium or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi helped snap beans fight wilting and nutritional issues, said Professor Krish Jayachandran, co-director of FIU’s Agroecology program who directed the study. “We wanted to see if it can mitigate the salt stress effects,” said Claudia L. Garcia, an agroecology master’s student and the study’s lead author. “Especially together, these microorganisms could play a critical role in mitigating salt stress in soil.” The bacterium-fungus combination was also found to increase the production of a protein released by the fungus that helps soil clump together to keep from being blown or washed away.

6 | Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020

Scientists bait mosquitoes with one of Earth’s most common scents Scientists have developed a new method for baiting mosquitoes for an innovative attract-andkill approach to mosquito control.

Geosmin is one of the most recognizable and common microbial smells on the planet, and scientists from FIU, Lund University and University of Washington have discovered the organic compound is particularly appealing to mosquitoes looking for a place to lay their eggs.

“It’s the smell of rain as it drops on the parched earth,” said FIU biologist Matthew DeGennaro, who was part of the team that made the discovery.

An inexpensive container system with geosmin-scented water was designed to attract mosquitoes and draw them away from unscented ones. Once a mosquito laid its eggs, the container system could trap and kill the larvae.

“If we can get mosquitoes to lay eggs in traps, we can break the breeding cycle and suppress mosquito populations,” says FIU biologist Andre Luis da Costa da Silva, who led the field experiments in Miami.

Field tests were also conducted in Brazil and the geosmin was effective in drawing mosquitoes away from other water sources when added at specific concentrations there and in South Florida. The findings were exciting, but geosmin can be difficult and expensive to obtain. Beetroots were tested as a cost-effective alternative since geosmin is the source of that plant’s earthy taste. Even though peels from beetroots contain other chemical compounds, the mosquitoes appeared undeterred in their attraction as larger numbers of eggs were found in containers with beetroot peel than without.

NO MORE DEBATE

Behavioral treatment first = best treatment for ADHD

B

ehavioral treatment builds life-long skills for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

(ADHD), yet debates linger about which

should come first — behavioral treatment or medication. For researchers in the FIU

Center for Children and Families, there is no debate.

“Behavioral therapy is the best first-

step treatment for children with ADHD

because they learn skills and strategies that will help them succeed at school,

at home and in relationships long-term,” said William E. Pelham Jr., founder and director of the Center for Children and Families.

of implementation for those treatments.

His work guides a comprehensive clinical program at FIU that now helps more than 3,000 families annually.

Behavioral treatment can include parent training focused on behaviormodification techniques such as praising appropriate behavior, providing structure and establishing routines based on a system of rewards and consequences.

Psychologist and center Clinical Director Erika Coles recently expanded her own research in this area, examining just how many children can avoid medication altogether with effective behavioral treatment. Her results show most children do not need medication at all if properly treated.

For her study, researchers evaluated

The most important thing parents can do when their child is diagnosed with ADHD is to get help as early as possible to get the best outcome for their child.

127 unmedicated children with ADHD,

— William E. Pelham Jr.

intervention as a first-line treatment for

ages 5 to 13, after participating in the center’s Summer Treatment Program.

Children were randomly selected to receive minimal or extensive behavioral intervention, or no behavioral intervention after the program. They were evaluated by teachers and parents each week to determine if medication was needed.

Results showed 37 percent of children who received continued behavioral therapy, did not need any medication at all.

“These results add to a growing literature of research suggesting that the use of low-intensity behavioral children with ADHD reduces or eliminates the need for medication,” Coles said.

A pioneer in the field of ADHD

If replicated in larger studies, the

research and treatment, Pelham has built

effectiveness of this behavior-first

treatments for ADHD and the best order

medicate those diagnosed with ADHD.

a lifetime of work researching the best

approach could revolutionize the rush to

EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENTS Researchers at FIU’s Center for Children and Families are unlocking the secrets of cognition to develop key treatments for ADHD, anxiety and other mental health disorders. To learn how you can help, contact gillrodr@fiu.edu | 305-299-0765.

Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020 | 7

Taking the measure of

a tree

By Chrystian Tejedor

P

erhaps more than anywhere else in Miami, the streets of Coconut Grove are dappled with sunlight and shadow.

Look overhead and you’ll see why.

Here, the tree tunnels that stretch over highways and streets are the fabric of the community. They’re like the cafecito windows of Little Havana. Or the beaches that line the coast.

These green sentinels have seen Miami grow from backwater to major metropolis. Sometimes they’ve been spared from the bulldozer.

Sometimes they haven’t. The fate of Coconut Grove’s lush canopy seems to be constantly hanging in the balance.

FIU biologist Chris Baraloto is leading the Miami Urban ReLeaf Coalition, a census of trees in Miami’s most verdant enclave. The mission is to measure and map every tree in the Grove.

This information will help guide the city’s tree policy that spells out which trees need protection.

8 | Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020

It is but one of the many initiatives carried out by researchers at FIU’s International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong in Coconut Grove. The Kampong is the former estate of famed botanist David Fairchild. Like Fairchild before him, Baraloto conducts research on how people can better use plants.

Baraloto’s team is working to calculate the aesthetic value of plants, to understand how much carbon they remove from the air and what medicinal value they might have. It is work that is carried out throughout the world in the forests of China and South America, on the streets of South Florida and now in lush Coconut Grove, the community Baraloto calls home.

The researchers are also determining how much shade each tree provides and estimating residential savings in cooling costs. They are also looking at how much mitigation the trees’ roots provide for flooding and even sea level rise.

They tally the negatives, too. Does the tree produce messy fruits? Do its roots threaten infrastructure? Is it invasive? Or is it simply non-native?

This helps city officials determine which trees merit protection and which trees should replace those that fall in a hurricane or are removed for construction projects.

Officials also want residents to know what’s already protected, what’s not, and how they can best work with the city to take care of trees in their own yards.

“Trees are a major part of the character of Coconut Grove,” said Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, who represents the Grove. “Our residents are passionate about them and see protecting them as critical to maintaining the quality of life and environment of this unique, historic community.”

Baraloto, himself a resident of Coconut Grove, will soon train the public to take measurements themselves to broaden data collection efforts. Right now, people can be part of the project by submitting photos and assisting with the identification of trees using the Grove ReLeaf page on the iNaturalist app. Almost 500 participants have already made more than 3,400 observations of 501 plant species in the Grove.

“Grove ReLeaf is important because without our trees, we can’t call this place the Grove,” said Anne Haygood, a National Geographic fellow who serves as director of the Miami-based community organization Mountain to Sea Education. “This community-wide science project is a really cool opportunity for people of all ages to contribute while learning from FIU scientists.”

The team at the FIU International Center for Tropical Botany is rooted in its mission to make local conservation a little easier. A satellite view of South Florida’s tremendous sprawl proves Coconut Grove has a lot to protect.

FIU breaks ground on International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong

F

IU has broken ground on a new research facility at the International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong, an innovative collaboration between FIU and the National Tropical Botanical Garden.

The new facility will be a home for researchers to advance botanical research including the preservation of tree canopies, reducing toxic algal blooms, mitigating sea level threats, improving pollination, combatting plant extinction, discovering new species, supporting sustainable farming and identifying new plantderived medicines.

The Kampong is the historic home of famed plant explorer David Fairchild and one of South Florida’s original botanical research centers.

A landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, The Kampong features one of the five botanical gardens that make up the National Tropical Botanical Garden.

The new LEED-certified research building will provide lab and meeting spaces.

“The work we are doing here is ultimately about saving plants, saving lives and improving our overall quality of life,” said ICTB Director Chris Baraloto, an associate professor of biological sciences.

While the primary focus is on research and graduate education, Baraloto said he also plans to host lectures once a month featuring globally recognized scientists that will share important botanical research with the community.

Above: FIU officials and leadership from the National Tropical Botanical Garden celebrated the official start of construction for the International Center for Tropical Botany.

#INAFLASH Elizabeth Martinez, B.S. Biological Sciences Claim to fame. Peacock intern at the National Tropical Botanical Garden's The Kampong.

Say what? Martinez conducted research estimating current and historical populations of peacocks in Coconut Grove and examined social perceptions of peacocks among residents there.

The payoff? The internship provided Martinez with the opportunity to develop the research project from the beginning and focus on professional development.

Communication and critical thinking became part of her daily routine.

Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020 | 9

W

By Nathalie Medina

10 | Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020

hile her high school classmates were thinking about prom, college applications and graduation, Bianca Maderal was fighting for her life.

At the beginning of her senior year, Maderal was having a conversation with a friend at the end of Spanish class when she suddenly had a seizure. She was rushed to the hospital where she spent two weeks undergoing so many medical procedures she lost count.

Doctors performed a craniotomy biopsy not long after her 18th birthday. It left her with a 7-inch scar on the right side of her head and a dreaded diagnosis — stage three brain cancer. Rare and aggressive, the cancer is usually found in 30- to 50-year-olds. Doctors found eight star-shaped tumors on her brain and told her parents she had six months to live. Maderal had different plans. It’s cancer’s turn to be afraid, she told herself.

In search for the best treatment, Maderal and her parents drove across the country from Miami to Texas, Boston and finally Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

She underwent eight weeks of treatment, facing the unknown in an unknown city. Her mother did all she could to make her smile — shopping, walking around the town and trying to distract her anyway she thought she could.

Maderal ended up finding her own distraction.

She started Fight Like A Kid, a nonprofit organization to help children find hope while battling cancer. She provides hospital visits, care packages, organizes toy drives and hosts holiday events. As a cancer ambassador in partnership with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, she has brought her vision of Fight Like A Kid to life.

The humanitarian and cancer patient also found a way to pursue her hopes of a college education. She enrolled at FIU and studied Psychology on a pre-med track with a long-term goal of becoming a pediatric oncologist.

“The doctors told me not to go to school, but I didn’t care. I had to,” she said.

Her family was supportive, but seeing her go to school in a mask scared them. The mask served as a reminder of Maderal’s compromised immune system.

She did it anyway.

Despite the battle, she hasn’t given up on herself or the kids. Today, seven of the eight tumors are gone and she is on the journey to fight that last star.

“I was assigned this mountain to show others that it can be moved,” Maderal said.

Maderal received her psychology degree in December 2019. She is continuing her work with Fight Like A Kid and wants to pursue a career in pediatric oncology.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS RECEIVE MILLIONS to tackle teacher, counseling shortages Project INCLUDE supports

26

doctoral students

at the three universities who will research ways to address the needs of culturally diverse students with disabilities in an urban setting.

T

he School of Education and Human Development is addressing local and national shortages of diverse special

education teachers, school psychologists and counseling professionals with a combined $9.65 million in collaborative grants and matching funds.

DIVERSIFYING FACULTY FIU is leading a trio of universities to support diverse students pursuing doctoral degrees in special education.

People who graduate from this program will bolster the ranks of faculty who would be responsible for preparing future teachers for the classroom.

The U.S. Department of Education

Photo Source: Florida Supreme Court

Alumna Barbara Lagoa was confirmed to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in November.

In January 2019 Lagoa made history when she was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court — the first Hispanic woman and the first Cuban American woman ever appointed to that court. Her move to the federal appeals court means she will hear appellate cases from Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

Lagoa received her bachelor’s degree in English from FIU's College of Arts, Sciences & Education and was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. She earned her Juris Doctor from Columbia University. In 2006, she became the first Cuban American woman appointed to Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal. A Miami native, Lagoa is a member of the Board of Directors for the YWCA of Greater Miami and Dade County, the Film Society of Miami, Kristi House, and the FIU Alumni Association.

expected to work together to evaluate special needs students and ensure individualized education plans are followed there.

Cramer and school psychology associate professor Andy Pham are leading Project School Psychologists and Educators: Collaborative Interventions for All Learners, which will train these collaborators together.

Supported by a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, these funds will provide tuition support for two cohorts, each with 10 school psychology specialistlevel students and 20 master’s-level

has provided $3.75 million to fund

special education students. They

the program called Project INCLUDE

will work collaboratively across their

(Inclusive Consortium of Leaders in

programs to develop a robust set of

Urban Disabilities Education). FIU,

skills that benefit students in Florida

Arizona State University and Syracuse

who have persistent and severe

University are matching those funds, for

learning and behavioral challenges.

a total grant amount of $7.5 million.

Project INCLUDE supports 26 doctoral

The program will feature 12week summer seminars offered in

students at the three universities who

conjunction with the FIU Center for

will research ways to address the needs

Children and Families.

of culturally diverse students with disabilities in an urban setting.

“There’s been a decline in people going into the field – particularly there’s a gap in people of color and people interested in studying issues related to urban settings,” said Elizabeth Cramer, a professor of special education at FIU and director of the new program.

“As teachers are training in the field, we need researchers and professors who have this knowledge, skillset, and

REHABILITATION COUNSELORS Certified rehabilitation counselors work with state, federal and private entities to coordinate services that assist people with disabilities cope with limitations, obtain employment and live the most independent life they can live.

There’s not enough of them.

To keep up with the demand, the U.S. Department of Education is giving FIU

interest to prepare teachers.”

a $900,000 “Training ‘Beyond Possible’

BETTER TOGETHER

the next five years. The grant will cover

Special education teachers and

Rehabilitation Counselors” grant over full tuition and provides stipends and

school psychologists rarely train

career support for students to attend

together. Yet in K-12 schools, they are

and present at conferences.

Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020 | 11

To teach a child, learn like one!

Maria Tsalikis

that sounds right. Botanists, marine scientists and Finding Nemo screenwriters are usually confident in their pronunciations. The rest of us are reminded of what it was like to first learn to read as a child.

fo-un-day-ti-on. foun-day-ti-on.

Foundation!

By Chrystian Tejedor Anemone.

Think about how you just read that word.

Did you sound it out? uh-NEH-muh-nee.

It’s both a flower and in the sea, a simple invertebrate that stings. It is also one of the most mispronounced words in the English language. When reading it, most people will try to sound it out, battling the letter/ sound relationships to find a combination 12 | Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020

Learning to read is a major milestone for children. As an adult, learning to read like a child can be challenging. Counterintuitive.

Feel almost unnatural even though we still practice the fundamentals from time-to-time. uh-NEH-muh-nee.

Most people think learning to read is easy, because they can already read. Learning to read like a child requires the mental challenge of actually remembering what it was like to be a child in the moments of learning. But when a teacher can learn like

a child, they are much more effective at teaching. This idea is a core principle of how FIU is preparing teachers for the modern elementary school classrooms.

They don’t start with edgy trends or complex algorithms. They start with the basics, the proven methods of giving children the foundation they need to become lifelong learners. cuh-uh-at. When a child is learning to read, they struggle at first with reading words they already know how to say. They can say cat. They most likely know what a cat is. But now they’re seeing the word ‘cat’ for the first time. The reward is in the discovery. CAT! When Helen Robbins teaches her college students how to teach reading in FIU’s School of Education and Human Development, she makes them learn the

Joshua Ellis

process of learning to read all over again.

The senior instructor begins the course by sounding out simple words, just like a kindergartener.

buh. buh-ih. buh-ih-ig.

BIG!

“This is what a child has to learn,” Robbins said. “You have to have a deep understanding of what it means and how it works.”

They move on to rhyming words.

Cat. Bat. Hat. Big. Fig. Jig. Then comes phonics, connecting words to the sounds they make. There is lots of practice and repetition. As the lessons sink in, the college students start reading books. Think The Cat in the Hat and How to Be a Big Kid. They progress to more difficult books.

And then more difficult ones still.

Eventually, they visit elementary school classrooms in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. They assess reading abilities of students in the classroom. They develop individualized plans to help those struggling more than others. They tutor for up to two semesters.

“The children learn to read and my students learn how to teach reading,” Robbins said.

Reading is a key predictor of future educational gains and life success. Each year, more than 1 million public school students arriving in fourth grade are added to the nation’s ranks of nonreaders. Two-thirds of those are black and Hispanic struggling in the face of an inequitable education system.

Yet, children in Miami-Dade County Public Schools have scored first in the nation compared to their counterparts. With many of FIU’s elementary education graduates staying and working locally, FIU education faculty believe their unique degree program is helping Miami-Dade County children buck the national trend.

“We all ask tough questions of ourselves, of our programs,” said Maria Tsalikis, a senior instructor who leads the elementary education program. “What will make these college students be the best teachers out there, not just with our district but in our nation?”

The efforts are working, and others are taking notice. Earlier this year, FIU’s undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program was named one of the top in the United States by the National Council on Teacher Quality. The program was recognized for its strong commitment to evidence-based reading instruction and is one of only 15 undergraduate elementary programs in the country to earn an A+ for exemplary coursework.

Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020 | 13

Experience!

ex-peer-ee-en-sss.

Science lessons are a whole other challenge. Building a foundation with the basics of biology, physics, earth science and chemistry requires tapping into a child’s curiosity. To do that, science class can’t be tedious and it definitely can’t be boring.

The same is true for science classes in the elementary education program at FIU. Assistant professors Emily Dare and Joshua Ellis keep lectures brief to allow more time for active learning. They teach science by doing science, preparing their students to do the same in their own elementary classrooms someday.

Dare gives students a light bulb, a piece of foil and a battery. She asks them to find a way to power the light. No clues given. She 14 | Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020

“I think one of the biggest challenges is to have these teacher candidates understand what it’s really like to be a teacher,” Ellis said. “Our program stresses a lot of field experiences so they are actually in the classroom of a veteran teacher. And they come back to class at FIU so we can reflect on what that means. It all comes back to making the experience relevant.” tells them to figure it out. They usually do.

And they have fun doing it.

When Ellis teaches conduction — the transfer of heat from one object to another — he relies on spoons and ice. He gives one student a plastic spoon and places an ice cube in it. Drip. He hands another student a metal spoon, also cradling an ice cube. Drip.

Drip. Which will melt first? As little puddles form at their feet, the ice shrinks along with the students’ apprehensions about teaching science. The metal spoon-holder notices their hand is getting cold, while their plastic counterpart seems totally comfortable. That’s because — spoiler alert! — the metal spoon is better at transferring the holder’s body heat. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Relevant!

Rel-eh-va-ent.

Children live in the same world we live in and they are very curious about it, points out Assistant Professor Rebecca Christ.

Social studies builds a foundation for later lessons in history, civics, political science and geography. It’s about the past and current events. It helps children learn about the world they live in and how to process experiences such as a hurricane or global health pandemic. Simply put, social studies teachers teach relevancy.

Christ teaches her college students about the media, how information is vetted and how news outlets cover different types of events. She wants her future teachers to

Top 15 in the natiotanry

elemen FIU’s undergraduate program has teacher preparation e National earned an A+ from th uality.]

Council on Teacher Q

Emily Dare

anticipate underlying narratives that could pop up even though they aren’t part of the curriculum because, after all, they are current events.

For historical events, students do more than read. Take a recent lesson on civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks. The college students explored her life through journey boxes — a treasure trove of literature, photographs, news articles and other items about her, the movement and the court cases she ignited.

Students can explore these items on their own and as part of a group, discussing and debating the life of times of historical figures.

When the content can be a bit heavy, Christ assigns the students to express how they feel through art projects. It’s a great tool for her students, but more importantly, a great tool for children in their future classrooms.

It’s all about tapping into a child’s natural curiosity and readiness to learn, said Laura Dinehart, senior associate dean in FIU’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education and executive director of the School of Education and Human Development.

“Watching a child have those aha! moments, whether it’s putting the sounds together to read, or recognizing how numbers come together to add, is what teaching is all about,"Dinehart said. "For children, learning is like uncovering a mystery. Once they solve that mystery and recognize that these are keys to a whole world of mysteries, learning becomes exciting and it only makes them want to learn more.”

At FIU, lessons come alive. Future teachers are taught to experiment, develop basic skills and be fun. The School of Education and Human Development's program is a scalable model for teaching that can work anywhere – one that not only helps children to learn, but cultivates a lifelong love of learning. n Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020 | 15

Nat Geo Explorer joins FIU Jennifer Gil-Acevedo

M

ireya Mayor has joined FIU's College of Arts, Sciences & Education as director of the Exploration and Science Communications Initiative.

She is developing an innovative program to help scientists effectively communicate complex topics in straightforward and exciting ways to many audiences including government officials, news media and the general public.

“There has never been a more important time for scientists to know how to communicate their work and engage publicly on the role science plays in understanding and tackling the critical issues and challenges of our time,” Mayor said.

Mayor’s ultimate goal is to help restore public confidence in the important work being done by scientists — work that can save lives, heal the planet and improve the quality of life for people all across the world. She is developing a robust program of trainings and toolkits to help scientists share their work.

“Throughout Dr. Mayor’s career, she has found innovative ways to excite, inspire and educate audiences all across the world,” said Mike Heithaus, dean of the college. “Her experiences will help our scientists improve how they communicate and help bring our environmental solutions to the public and decision makers.”

Mayor is an anthropologist, wildlife correspondent, author, National Geographic Explorer, National Science Foundation Fellow, and Fulbright Scholar who has spent most of her career reporting on wildlife and habitat loss while 16 | Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020

advocating for solutions to the alarming trends.

She is the author of Pink Boots and a Machete: My Journey from NFL Cheerleader to National Geographic Explorer, which chronicles her unconventional career path.

The daughter of Cuban immigrants, Mayor grew up in Miami and attended the University of Miami where she earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and English. She spent four years as a Miami Dolphins cheerleader before setting off to a remote region of the Amazon where she immersed herself with the local tribes and recorded data on an unstudied species of primate.

The following year, Mayor completed the first ever genetic studies of two of the most critically endangered primates in the world. She earned her Ph.D. from Stony Brook University and later became the first female wildlife correspondent for National Geographic. She has spent two decades exploring some of the wildest and most remote places on Earth. Her work in Madagascar includes the discovery of a new species of mouse lemur which led to the establishment of a national park to protect the endangered species.

Mayor was recently named a Fellow at the Explorers Club, selected as an insider for O, The Oprah Magazine, and starred in “Expedition Bigfoot" on Travel Channel. The two-time Emmy nominee has hosted dozens of wildlife shows, including the Nat Geo WILD series Wild Nights with Mireya Mayor, and starred in Mark Burnett’s Expedition Africa on History Channel. She was also the host of Nat Geo Mundo’s La Cuba De Hoy.

Explorers Hub coming to FIU The official Florida National Geographic Explorers Hub has been established and explorers will be hosting events at FIU. Florida is home to one of the largest populations of National Geographic Explorers in the U.S., second only to California. More than 150 of the scientists, conservationists, educators and storytellers who have received support from the National Geographic Explorers program currently reside in the Sunshine State, including FIU's Mireya Mayor, who helped establish the Florida hub.

The National Geographic Society uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world.

The Florida hub will organize activities throughout the state including citizen science meet-ups, education activities, workshops, training and more. Mayor will lead the hub along with explorers Maria Fadiman, Nareerat Boonchai, Elizabeth Lindsay, Thomas Culhane, Jennifer Adler, Nareerat Boonchai, Gabby Salazar and FIU Environmental Studies alumna Jennifer Gil-Acevedo.

GOING BEYOND Biologist lands coveted BIG IDEAS grant for new era of science

By Angela Nicoletti

C

hallenges have always been big. Ideas to overcome them are always bigger.

Molecular biologist Jose Eirin-Lopez has an idea that could unlock the secret to saving coral. The National Science Foundation (NSF) believes his idea is the kind of really big idea the world urgently needs.

The federal agency is funding millions of dollars through its 10 Big Ideas, an initiative which was created to spark new discoveries and provide special support to proactive, long-term research that’s focused on solving some of society’s biggest challenges. The NSF selects projects that fall under one of the 10 categories. Each one must push past the limits of possibility. It requires out of the box thinking. Cutting-edge and daring, these projects represent a new era of science. One that supports economic growth through new discoveries and innovation, while also encouraging universities to rethink how they educate the next generation of scientists. To put it simply, the Big Ideas are anything but “small.”

With a $3 million grant through the NSF’s Understanding the Rules of Life: Epigenetics Big Ideas program, Eirin-Lopez is making the more than 5,500-mile journey across the world from Miami to Mo’orea — a remote island in French Polynesia. The research behind his big idea can only happen in Mo’orea. Nowhere else.

In the turquoise clear waters off the coast are some of the last

remaining healthy reefs left on earth. Nearly everywhere else, corals are dying and disappearing. Warming ocean temperatures have taken a toll. Diseases have swept along entire reef tracts, leaving behind coral graveyards. The immediate focus is on saving the ones that can be saved.

On life support, they aren’t the perfect test subjects in the search for long-term conservation strategies.

The coral in Mo’orea hold the answer to questions that have long

remained unanswered about how coral put up a fight to survive in the face of environmental challenges.

These monumentally important changes can’t be seen with the human eye because they are happening at the molecular level. The only way to get a glimpse is the rapidly growing field of science called epigenetics.

Although relatively complex, epigenetics stems from a simple fact: Every living thing on earth is the product of where it lives.

The basic rulebook or manual for life is DNA. Environmental factors, such as temperature, control what sections of the manual will be used.

The bookmarks on those sections are called epigenetic markers. They determine how the rules are read and what specific adaptations are activated. Over time, the markers become a record and tell the story of what environmental stressors a living organism experienced. They’re also passed on to future generations.

By locating epigenetic markers, the team will track the responses that are activated when the corals are subjected to higher temperatures.

Corals that adapt to withstand warming seas are sharing the secret to survival. The hope is to pinpoint patterns and understand what modifications are being passed on to offspring.

This data will be critical to informing future preservation for coral that extends past the short-term solution of ‘rescuing’ coral and safeguarding

it in temperature-controlled tanks in labs and aquariums.

This may be an ambitious idea. It may take time and patience. But, it’s this type of ambition that has been behind every idea that has shaped the world’s future.

“Many living things may not be able to cope with such a fast-changing environment,” said Eirin-Lopez. “Unless we have all of the information, we’re not going to be able to effectively stop the loss of corals.”

Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020 | 17

INVESTIGATIONS

When a hurricane comes even baby sharks run away.

Bradley Strickland, a Ph.D. biology student, found juvenile bull sharks fled the safety of the Florida Everglades for the open ocean as Hurricane Irma approached in 2017.

Bull sharks use the Shark River estuary in the Florida Everglades as a nursery for the first four years of life. It is highly unusual for them to leave this area until they are ready.

The study found that as Hurricane Irma got closer to South Florida almost all of the juveniles headed into deeper waters. Those that didn’t, which tended to be the youngest ones, didn’t survive.

Strickland knows there are questions left to answer.

Understanding how storms impact shark behavior can help inform how future storms or weather events might impact populations, their place in the food web and more.

Strickland's study is part of the Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research program led by FIU's Institute of Environment.

18 | Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020

In search of BIOMARKERS for disease

B

iochemist Francisco Fernandez-Lima is leading a team of researchers in the development of rapid diagnosis and improved treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

With a $1.6 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Fernandez-Lima and researchers from FIU’s Biomolecular Sciences Institute are working to develop analytical solutions and instrumentation that could be used in liquid biopsies to detect epigenetic biomarkers for diseases. Epigenetics is a rapidly growing field of science that explores how living organisms interact and respond to their environment.

“This instrument could bring us one step closer to truly personalized medicine,” Fernandez-Lima said. “With this grant we could build the next generation of technology for the study of protein modification.”

Chromosomal proteins hold the key to DNA, which is the recipe for all living things. Each cell has a DNA molecule enclosed within its nucleus, containing the entirety of an organism’s genetic information.

However, like with any recipe, not all that information is required at the same time. Most DNA remains tightly packaged in chromosomes until specific pieces of information are needed to do a job including fighting infections. As proteins are exposed to environmental factors, they can develop markers for disease or immunity.

The instrument Fernandez-Lima and his team are working on can help identify and measure specific information of every individual and disease state.

“This new instrument will help oncologists make rapid diagnosis and personalized treatment decisions for the individual cancer patient,” said Biomolecular Sciences Institute Director Yuk-Ching Tse-Dinh.

Fernandez-Lima’s research projects involve multiple disciplines, including medicine, chemistry and biology. His laboratory focuses on the development of new diagnostics tools, as well as the evaluation of long-term therapeutic effects.

Predicting earthquakes to save lives The ground shaking is often the first sign of an earthquake, offering little time to act. Seconds can stand between life and death. Lajhon Campbell believes science can give people more time to get out of harm’s way.

Under the guidance of geophysicist Shimon Wdowinski, Campbell used GPS to measure the earth’s movements. He looked for patterns to predict where and when future earthquakes might happen.

With lifesaving implications, this type of research can inform early alerts and provide recommendations on the safest locations to live in earthquake-prone areas.

Campbell recently graduated with a master’s degree in Geosciences.

Where does the SCIENCE SPARK come from?

Unraveling how THE BRAIN REMEMBERS

F

IU doctoral student Maanasa Jayachandran is working to unravel the mystery of how the brain recalls memories in the correct order.

If she’s successful, it might lead to a better understanding of how diseases like Alzheimer’s affect memory and how to treat them.

Recalling a memory in the correct order is a crucial skill when it comes to completing tasks or even reminiscing with family. Yet, it’s still among the many enduring mysteries of how the brain works.

Jayachandran has been studying the role of different parts of the brain and how they retrieve memory in a sequence. For her study, Jayachandran trained rats to remember sequences of odors. Then she would put the odors out of sequence and ask the rats to tell her if they were in the correct order or not.

Jayachandran and Psychology assistant professor Timothy A. Allen, both researchers in the FIU Center for Children and Families, then blocked rats’ ability to transmit messages between different parts of their brain to simulate the effects of a brain disorder.

With the connection interrupted, rats could not determine if memories were out of sequence. Jayachandran repeated the experiment after interrupting another connection to a different part of the brain. Again, rats failed the task.

Learning how this process works helps researchers better understand what happens in the brains of people who are affected by memory disorders. It suggests that in the future we can manipulate these circuits in people to improve their ability to retrieve memories in the correct order.

Remy Dou is in search of the moment a person first sees themselves as a scientist.

It’s a moment that can be so elusive because typically, it’s based on little things that happen over time. A conversation here. A book read there. A TV show seen at the right time.

He’s starting with college students. He wants to know who spoke to them first about science and what they talked about. Do those conversations happen with friends? Or family? Are they reading about science fiction? Or are they reading things like Popular Mechanics? Are they just watching Star Wars?

Yet putting a finger on something so ephemeral could lead to understanding why students choose to major in science or not. With support from a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Dou just might make a discovery that could lead to more people from underrepresented groups graduating from college and embarking on impactful STEM careers.

Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020 | 19

How a wr0ng numb3r

paved the way for a promising research career

By Angela Nicoletti

20 | Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020

A

ngelica Moncada called a wrong number, launching her into a world of scientific research and career path toward environmental solutions.

Stapled to a crowded bulletin board, a flyer stood out: A nearby animal shelter was seeking volunteers.

Since moving to South Florida and leaving behind her family in Colombia, Moncada felt her connection to nature slipping away. Splitting her days between the classroom at Broward College and a part-time job at a cafeteria, she hoped spending her free time with animals would reconnect her to nature.

She dialed the number on the flyer. The phone rang. A woman answered. She didn’t work at the animal shelter. She

knew nothing of the volunteer opportunity.

Moncada realized she had the wrong number.

The call should have ended there, but it didn’t. The woman told Moncada about an opening at a nearby termite research facility. It required a science background. She was an environmental science student. Moncada — whose first language was Spanish — had only one question: “What is termite?”

She toured the facility the next day where scientists were studying the voracious insects she knew as “comején.” She felt like she had entered another world.

“I didn’t know you could make a career of learning about what you love,” Moncada said.

Despite having no research experience, she was offered a job as a lab technician. Because it was a paid position, she was able to leave her job at the cafeteria. She remained in college, going on to earn a bachelor’s in environmental science. She wanted to keep going, but with limited resources, a graduate degree seemed out of reach.

Moncada heard about a National Science Foundation (NSF) program at FIU that supports research opportunities for underrepresented minority students. It was available through the CREST Center for Aquatic Chemistry and the Environment in FIU’s Institute of Environment. Moncada applied for a research assistantship and was admitted in 2017.

Here, she received a stipend along with opportunities to

grow as a scientist. One of those was an NSF conference in Chicago exploring research needs for populated coastal areas.

The conference organizers asked Moncada to give a fiveminute speech about her journey into science. As she stood on a stage in front of 200 scientists, Moncada couldn’t help but think, “They have nothing to learn from me.”

Turns out, they had a lot to learn.

Moncada’s pursuit of a Ph.D. is unlike that of many people who were in the room, but a common narrative for others like her. Often, underrepresented minorities cannot afford

the hiatus from paid employment that’s typically required to complete a dissertation. As the nation tries to grow diversity within scientific ranks, Moncada contends the need for financial support will only grow. So will the need for more opportunities.

Jeff Schaeffer, editor in chief of Fisheries magazine, was at that NSF conference that day. He invited her to write an essay as soon as she exited the stage. Moncada’s essay, What Does Diversity Require of Us?, appeared in the August issue of Fisheries.

“I know many scientists who are dismayed about our ability to retain bright Hispanic students in STEM fields, but there was no understanding of why we were losing them,” Schaeffer said.

“Angelica’s presentation about why we lose them nailed it.”

Today, Moncada is studying under Assefa Melesse, a professor of water resources engineering in the Department of Earth and Environment in FIU’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education. Using remote sensing and modeling technology, she’s tracking contamination in water to understand where it’s coming from.

“Angelica has no fear of going to new territories for discovery and to understand the environment,” Melesse said.

The world of higher education was as foreign to Moncada as the word “termite.” Her focus was simply on graduating so she could get to work. Her advice to students who feel the way she once did is to go in search of opportunities — “knock on doors and keep knocking.” If she’s learned anything, she said, it’s anything can happen. After all, her research career was launched because she called a wrong number.

EDUCATING A NEW BREED OF SCIENTISTS Reflective of the community it serves, FIU has a history of turning out diverse alumni who are leaving a mark in STEM. More than 143 undergraduates and 52 graduate students have worked as research assistants at FIU’s CREST Center for Aquatic Chemistry and Environment. The center is a training ground for aspiring professional studying in in the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, the College of Engineering & Computing and the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work. NSF funding has supported minority students in their quest to earn degrees while amassing research experience.

Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020 | 21

. . . e t i ot wr

The freedom

By Alexandra Pecharich

T

wenty-something Richard Yates recites his original poem in front of about 200 people on folding chairs in a cramped but brightly lit space. Murals of the Statue of Liberty, the flag raising at Iwo Jima and the first moonwalk cover the walls. Dressed in a blue jumpsuit, clean-shaven and beaming, Yates begins “Simba” with a reminiscence of his childhood love for the zoo, one that eventually turns sour.

“My heart broke for the big cat alone in the cage,” he says in a line leading up to a poignant coda: “After years of living in a cage, a lion no longer believes he’s a lion, and a man no longer believes he’s a man.”

Yates accepts a shower of applause. Soon after, Mario Palma follows with his own poema, in Spanish, and then Jonathan Arce with verse that references committing murder at age 14.

These men are serving time for felony crimes. Most in the room are. The rest of the audience is made up of university professors and local instructors, graduate students and members of the community who have come to Dade Correctional Institution to show support for a population of drug and violent offenders working to better themselves.

Everyone has gathered for a three-hour “graduation” where inmates take the mic.

AN OASIS “I want to believe that they’ll go out into the world and this will have influenced them,” FIU English professor Kenneth E. Johnson says of the writing course he teaches at the prison. “It’s practical in that they become better writers and communicators so that they gain some skills that will serve them in the future.”

Johnson has signed on to Exchange for Change, a local nonprofit started by former journalist Kathie Klarreich. She has recruited faculty from FIU and elsewhere to teach songwriting, fiction writing, legal writing, memoir and, in Johnson’s case, film review.

After negotiating with the program warden,

22 | Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020

he received the go-ahead to show his 15 students “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Birdman of Alcatraz” during the spring semester.

“The classes are an oasis from incarceration,” Johnson says, explaining that only those with good behavior qualify to participate.

Glenn Hutchinson, director of FIU’s Center for Excellence in Writing, has taught playwriting to the convicts and sees how the act of writing offers this population, or anyone, for that matter, powerful opportunities for venting and self-expression.

“Some people chose to write directly about being incarcerated and others did not,” Hutchinson says. “What I remember most is their writing about seeing their children on visitation days and the joy that brought, but also the heartache.”

A LIMITED OPPORTUNITY IN FLORIDA Earlier this year, FIU began providing continuing education certificates to inmates who completed courses taught by FIU faculty, something Hutchinson and Johnson, along with other members of the English department, helped make happen.

Klarreich hopes that FIU’s lead will encourage other institutions to offer some type of formal recognition, which she says can serve as both a measure of accomplishment for prisoners as well as impetus to continue learning if and when they get out.

“For so many of these guys, who either hated education or were told they’re stupid or had to battle a whole lot of other things, all of a sudden they have found an outlet that they never thought possible,” she said.

State Representative Dianne Hart would like to see Exchange for Change expanded throughout Florida. She stresses the program’s transformative nature and has suggested that those who complete courses should see a reduction in their sentences.

The FIU faculty members are not

compensated for their time, but each finds the experience rewarding.

“All I know is when I go into the classroom, they become my students,” said Johnson, a 35-year veteran of FIU. “Some of them are very talented, intelligent, and most of them, because of the writing, they’re very expressive and they’re excellent. I leave there always thinking about what I’ve been given.”

For Heather Russell, senior associate dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education and chair of the Department of English at the time the project began, this program is transformative.

"Learning about Frederick Douglass and how the practice of making it illegal for enslaved Africans to read and write was critical to maintaining the white power structure, empowered the incarcerated students taking our FIU English course, to ponder Douglass' belief that indeed 'literacy was the pathway to freedom."

OUTSIDE SUPPORT Among those who attended the endof-semester event was Kimberly Green.

An activist and head of the Green Family Foundation (FIU’s Latin American and Caribbean Center bears her name), she saw an opportunity to bear witness to those without a voice.

“Today I experienced what happens when true compassion, self-examination and reflection meet creativity and expression,” she shared on social media.

Also moved was alumnus P. Scott Cunningham MFA ’08, founder of the annual O Miami poetry festival. During 2019's National Poetry Month, O Miami and Exchange for Change named Eduardo "Echo" Martinez as the inaugural Luis Angel Hernandez Florida Prison Poet Laureate.

Martinez's work was published in The Miami Herald.. Cunningham has partnered with the writing program on a number of projects and believes strongly in its mission.

Eduardo

© Rowan

“Echo”

z

Martine

Inmates participated in a graduation cerem ony where professors and community members joined them for the po etry readings.

erety

Moroe G

© Rowan Moroe Gerety

Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020 | 23

TI World traveler inspires new course on time

B

ruce Harvey has never been able to ignore the tick, tick, tick of a clock.

He’s spent a lot of time thinking about time. He’s wrestled with how elusive it can be. Tick. How fast and slow it moves. Tick. How mysterious. Tick. Precious. Tick. And how it comes to shape and define everyone’s life.

Harvey, who’s been an English professor at FIU for more than two decades, couldn’t drown out the sound of the clock, so he decided to do something about it. He created an undergraduate course — open to all students regardless of their major — focused on the idea of time.

“The real seed of the idea for this course came from a discussion with Dr. Allen Wesler, who has been a passionate world class traveler to ancient anthropological sites throughout his life,” Harvey said.

Wesler is the author of The Story that Changed the World, which explores the prehistoric origins of human consciousness. He is also a supporter of FIU’s philosophy program. In 2017, FIU hosted the Archaeological and Philosophical Perspectives Conference which brought together leading humanities experts to explore Wesler’s theory and intellectual work. Harvey was inspired by Wesler — someone who has spent a lot of time thinking about consciousness and time.

Harvey’s concept sounds abstract, but somehow he has kept it organized and all-encompassing. Blurring the boundaries between history, philosophy and the humanities, the syllabus launches at the “cognitive take-off” — about 30,000 years ago when people first became aware of lunar cycles. Tick. It was the moment people began to understand they were “living-in-time.” From there, the class delves into ancient Greek and Roman thinking, Renaissance writing, Karl Marx, Charles Darwin and more. Tick. Tick.

Assignments are unlike any other assignment in a typical undergraduate class. In one, students are asked to look around their rooms and pinpoint the oldest object — not necessarily something they’ve owned the longest, but the oldest in terms of geological time.

Another exercise encourages students to think about pain, and yes, even death. Tick. And as a sort of counterweight to pain and death, the film Groundhog Day is part of the class. After all, what would a discussion about time be without Bill Murray waking up every day in

24 | Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020

ME has a teacher

By Angela Nicoletti

Punxsutawney and it’s always Feb. 2 and there’s nothing he can do about it. Tick. And tick. And tick again.

In a productivity-focused world where time is tracked — and yes, time is money — Harvey’s course gives students permission to pause. Instead of reacting to time only when it’s being “wasted,” like when stuck in traffic, the hope is they will begin to understand time on a deeper level and from different perceptions.

“The course is meant to be both thought-provoking and personal for students,” Harvey said. “I know they might not be interested in whether a cockroach remembers pain if they were to fail to stomp it out in their kitchen, but what about the dog waiting at the door for them to come home?”

When creating the class, Harvey took inspiration from conversations he’d had with many friends and colleagues at FIU. With Grenville Draper, professor of Earth and Environment, he would have long talks about the wonders of rocks. Some of their ages are calculated in billions. Tick. Tick. Tick. Sharks don’t live quite as long, but Harvey still recalls the moment he learned that sharks have memories. It was during a conversation with Mike Heithaus, marine biologist and dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education. Sharks actually remember a lot, Harvey was told. All of this stuck with him. It’s the kinds of things he wants his students to think about.

Creating such a unique and out-of-the-box course has been a highlight in Harvey’s long teaching career. Tick. And it’s also provided an outlet for him and all of his thoughts about time.

“I’m getting older. And the clock doesn’t stop ticking,” Harvey said. “So, some of the existential features of the course — such as whether death means the end of individualized time or not — become increasingly important to me.”

Harvey knows his time at FIU is coming to a close. Although he’s nearing retirement, he is going to let that clock continue to tick, tick, tick for a little longer. He’s not quite done thinking about time just yet. Tick…

HUM 3306 — History of Ideas: The Idea of Time, from Deep Time to Digital Post-Time Consciousness — is offered online every Fall, Spring, and Summer semester.

GOOD NEWS —

your dead palm is a home for woodpeckers

J

oshua Diamond, who graduated with his Ph.D. in environmental science, conducted the first research on woodpecker nesting habits in South Florida.

After inspecting more than 1,860 nest cavities in 967 trees, Diamond discovered that while woodpeckers nested in pines and oaks, their favorite South Florida trees are palms. Dead ones, to be exact.

Woodpeckers are an important ecological keystone species, because when they vacate a nest, it does not go to waste. Other animals, including eastern screen owls and exotic species like parrots, take up residence.

“People like having life in their yards or neighborhoods. They see a dead tree and want to get rid of it,” Diamond said. “But they might not know how much more life it’s going to bring.”

Arts, Sciences & Education | Summer 2020 | 25