Inside FGCU - November 2023

November 2023 | Edition 5 | FGCU.EDU/INSIDE

INSIDE

Your Campus. Your News.

IN THIS ISSUE

FGCU PHOTO

Page 2 • •

Lunch at the Boardwalk Dr. Hologram

Page 3 • • • •

Five Things to Know Alianza's First Meeting Did You Know?

Cheer on FGCU's Teams

Page 4 • • •

Now Open: Archives' Exhibit Years of Service Photo of the Month

HOLIDAY HOURS

F

GCU observes Veterans Day Nov. 10.

Thanksgiving break is observed Nov. 22-24 (Wednesday through Friday), which includes the recently announced Presidential Holiday. Looking ahead, Christmas Day is observed Dec. 25 and winter break is Dec. 26-29.

Please follow the procedures outlined by the Office of Administrative Services & Finance to submit hours through Workday.

If you have questions, email payrolloffice@ fgcu.edu.

TECH-SAVVY EAGLE Don't forget: Complete active assailant training in Workday by Nov. 20

F

GCU employees have until Nov. 20 to complete the "Active Assailant Preparedness Training" in Workday Learning. This self-guided, virtual training is designed to familiarize employees with FGCU safety and security features that are in place to help keep the campus community as safe as possible. The training also reviews what steps may be needed to prepare for a violent incident.

Remodel project to show Cohen some love

A

significant remodel of the Cohen Student Union is now underway.

Over the next two years, the university will plug away at renovating the two-story building and its surrounding landscape to provide students and employees with a more welcoming, living room-style atmosphere to gather for meals, meetings and more.

Phase 1 began Oct. 30 and is slated to go through the end of the spring term. Its focus is on the first floor area in and around Einstein’s Bros. Bagels.

During this phase of work, Einstein’s is temporarily located in the food court area, where it can be found in The Rally space. Until it returns to its original location, the restaurant will offer a condensed menu.

The Bookstore will be accessible throughout the remodel.

Guiding the project is a stakeholderfocused committee of students, Student Success & Enrollment Management leadership as well as campus events and facility staff. The cost of the remodel is covered by a combination of carryover funds and capital improvement trust fund fees.

Starting in December, additional work will begin in the walkway/lobby area that leads out to the sliding doors and parking lot outside of the Bookstore.

The annual training is mandatory and takes about 15-20 minutes to complete.

The FGCU Police Department is facilitating a series of training exercises for an active threat on campus. If you would like to volunteer as a participant, send an email with your name and contact number to emergencymanagement@fgcu.edu.

ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY OF RG ARCHITECTS

FGCU.EDU/INSIDE

2

SAVE THE DATE

Next lunch at the Boardwalk set for Nov. 7

T

he Boardwalk restaurant in North Lake Village opens early Nov. 7 for FGCU staff, faculty and students. Mark your calendars: Lunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Regular pricing applies. View the menu at: www. dineoncampus.com/fgcu/the-boardwalk.

FGCU PHOTOS Above: Supporting the October lunch at The Boardwalk are President Aysegul Timur, Vice President of Advancement Kitty Green and Beverly Brown, the director of operations for the President’s Office. Below, left: Enjoying lunch together at The Boardwalk are FGCU dining staff Gillian Vasquez, marketing coordinator; Brian Cutro, assistant controller; and Paris McDougle, marketing assistant. Above, right: Caue Souza, a marketing student, enjoys lunch at The Boardwalk in North Lake Village.

FGCU using hologram technology to better train healthcare students beam speakers from around the world in real-time, project and manipulate 3D images of human anatomy and incorporate an artificial intelligence component using AI BOT in the holograms.

capture a person’s image and transmit it to another location where it appears as a 3D hologram.

Traci Grove, Nursing Lab/Simulation Education coordinator for Marieb, has taken the lead with the new technology that arrived this summer.

FGCU PHOTOS Above: Robert Bland, assistant professor of nursing anesthesiology, is shown as a live-beamed image projected from a studio. Right: Dr. Hologram technology relies on a mix of cameras and sensors.

M

arieb College of Health & Human Services will soon roll out a new type of technology to their students, allowing users to come together in realtime no matter the proximity worldwide.

Holoportation technology uses a combination of cameras and sensors to

“After the pandemic, technology was brought to the forefront. We were seeing new capability and endless opportunities,” Grove said. “Holoportation is not a new concept. When you think of the movies 'Star Trek' or 'Back to the Future,' the concept has been around for a while.”

Through a partnership with Dr. Hologram, a telepresence healthcare technology company, PORTL’s EPIC Holoportation device can provide students with highfidelity interactive simulation scenarios involving virtual patients. It can also live

Grove is very excited about the way technology will enhance the students’ experiential learning style through the practice and testing of real-world scenarios, which is expected to ultimately strengthen future provider competencies.

“This is just the beginning. Once we get everyone together to brainstorm, we can do so much more. This will revolutionize the way we teach and how students learn,” Grove said.

The plan is to use the technology in a variety of classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This includes a broad spectrum of health science majors, such as nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant, occupational therapy, social work, counseling and exercise science.

To find out more about this new technology and/or to be part of the Implementation Team, contact Grove at tgrove@fgcu.edu or dialing extension 7518. An educational session will be announced.

FGCU.EDU/INSIDE

3

5 THINGS TO KNOW

T

he holidays are upon us and you may be looking for ways to get into the spirit.

Whether it’s eating delicious food with colleagues or getting involved with your community, or both, FGCU has multiple opportunities to give thanks and give back this season.

4

FGCU PHOTOS

1

1. SoVi Thanksgiving feast is Nov. 17 The annual Thanksgiving Feast will be held at SoVi Dining from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Nov. 17. For $7, employees can enjoy a spread of all the Thanksgiving favorites, plus a pie bar and some other fall goodies. Guests can also donate items for the FGCU Campus Food Pantry. For every donation, you get entered to win a prize!

2 3. Lend a helping 'paw' Dec. 7 Pause for Paws is collaborating with the FGCU Cooking Club to make dog treats for local animal shelters from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 in Merwin Hall, Room 112. Watch a movie, socialize and enjoy tasty treats made by the FGCU Cooking Club. Visit getinvolved.fgcu.edu for details.

2. Empty Bowls fundraiser is Dec. 1 Fill up with Empty Bowls at 11:30 a.m.

Dec. 1 in the Bower School Arts Complex Courtyard. Hosted by the Bower School for 17 years, this fundraiser is committed to helping Southwest Florida neighbors in need who are experiencing food insecurity. Proceeds support the food pantry of Interfaith Charities of South Lee. Guests can purchase handmade bowls made by FGCU art students as well as enjoy a variety of delicious soups for free or for a small donation. Visit www.facebook.com/FgcuEmptyBowls for more information.

4. Sign up to help at commencement Fall commencement is set for Dec. 16, and FGCU is asking employees to sign up as workers to support the two ceremonies. Employees who sign up to work commencement (an 8-to-5 commitment on a Saturday) benefit

3 from an alternative work schedule, meaning they can take another day off in in exchange for working commencement. For details, visit fgcu. edu/commencement or email events@ fgcu.edu.

5. Wasmer Gallery storytelling events Experience the power of spoken stories in the Wasmer Art Gallery at the Arts Complex, join a performance by a professional storyteller or tell your story at the open mic community events. Visit fgcu.edu/artgalleries/specialevents for a lineup of storytelling events. Purchase tickets at fgcustorytelling.com.

DID YOU KNOW?

Faculty, staff connect at first Alianza meeting Pipitone, along with fellow Alianza founders Dr. Lirio Negroni, professor in the Department of Social Work, and Dr. Marianela Rivera, assistant professor of Spanish in the Department of Language and Literature, led the one-hour meeting that featured brief introductions from each attendee and work groups.

FGCU PHOTO Faculty and staff attend FGCU's Alianza meeting.

S

ept. 27 marked the first general body meeting of Alianza: Alliance for Hispanic/Latinx Employees of FGCU. According to its mission, Alianza provides a space for FGCU Hispanic/Latinx employees to promote cultural awareness, build community and network around their Hispanic heritage.

Alexandra Pipitone, the assistant dean and director of the Multicultural and Leadership Development Center and one of Alianza's founders, opened the meeting in Merwin Hall by greeting faculty and staff with words in English and Spanish: “Welcome, welcome, ¡bienvenidos a todos!”

Attendees were provided with a draft of the Alianza’s Constitution, divided into small groups and engaged in discussions that elicited feedback about the document’s content.

Since the meeting, Alianza elected its inaugural executive team: • • • • •

President: Pipitone Vice President: Cara Ryan, coordinator of Academic and Curriculum Support Secretary: Rivera Treasurer: Eve Olvera, administrative specialist in the Multicultural & Leadership Development Center Parliamentarian: Roberto Garcia, instructor in Department of Integrated Studies

Contact alianza@fgcu.edu for more information.

FGCU PHOTO Thermal tanks at FGCU’s Central Energy Plant melt the ice stored in the plant chillers to cool university buildings.

F

GCU’s primary source of cooling buildings is not normal air conditioning.

The Central Energy Chiller Plant, behind the Physical Plant, operates four chillers on the main campus. Overnight, the chillers produce and store ice in 219 thermal ice tanks. During the day, in peak hours, the ice is melted. The cold temperature from the melted ice goes through a heatexchange system to chill water that is then circulated through underground pipes into campus buildings. Alico Arena and the Emergent Technologies Institute (ETI) use this system of cooling via separate chillers.

The energy-efficient method has saved the university on energy and power costs since opening its doors in 1997.

CATCH A GAME

W

ith the exception of basketball, employees can attend any FGCU game for free by showing their Eagle ID. Learn more at www.fgcuathletics.com.

4

FGCU.EDU/INSIDE

Now open: FGCU Archives' new exhibit highlights rescue of children in France during Holocaust

FGCU PHOTO "They Were Children: Rescue as Resistánce," is now open through March 31, 2024, at University Archives and Special Collections’ in the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library.

W

alk back in time at the University Archives and Special Collections’ newest exhibit: "They Were Children: Rescue as Resistánce." The exhibit is now open at the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library through March 31, 2024. It focuses on the efforts of Oeuvre de Secours Aux Enfants (OSE) to rescue Jewish children during Germany’s occupancy of France in World War II. A central point of the exhibit is how young people, between the ages of 19 and 22, had major roles in saving children and fighting injustice. Mila Racine, 19, and Marianne Cohn, 22, lost their lives in these efforts but saved many children.

“We want our students to know that even when it’s uncomfortable to do the right thing, these were ordinary people who did extraordinary things,” explained Bailey Rodgers, Archives coordinator.

Whether a class explores the bravery of

ordinary people, the history of World War II or the importance of civic engagement, the 2023-24 Archives' exhibit is an opportunity for faculty and staff to enrich their courses and own knowledge.

Make appointments for group and class tours at library.fgcu.edu/uasc/instruction.

Additionally, a "lib guide" for the exhibit with related books is posted on the homepage of the University Archives and Special Collections’ website, library.fgcu. edu/uasc, as well as on the exhibitions page, library.fgcu.edu/exhibits.

One-on-one appointments on a wide range of topics can also be made online year round with Rodgers, Victoria Jones (University Archivist) or with any Archives staff.

Photo of the Month

YEARS OF SERVICE

C

elebrate your fellow Eagles who have reached new career milestones in October. Information in this list was provided by Human Resources.

25 Years of Service •

• •

Melinda A. Coffey | Administrative Specialist, Physical Therapy Program

20 Years of Service

Samuel Africain | Handler II, Central Receiving John A. Bramlett | Maintenance Technician II, NLV/WLV Maintenance

15 Years of Service • • •

•

• • •

Andrew Lee Baurer | Assistant Director, Business Services Heather Kalies Diaz | Assistant Registrar, Curriculum and Degree Audit, Office of the Registrar Jennifer Elaine McGurk | Coordinator, RHM Internship, School of Resort & Hospitality Management

10 Years of Service

Jacqueline Salmond | Instructor II, Department of Integrated Studies

5 Years of Service

Mark Komives | Manager, PGA Golf Management Program Dr. Natalie L. Reckard | Director, University Housing for Residence Life, Housing & Residence Life Quetia Siffort | Financial Aid Advisor II, Enrollment Services Center

CONNECT WITH US

PHOTO BY FRANCISCO GARCES, FJGARCES0118@EAGLE.FGCU.EDU, AND JACLYN CHASTAIN, JCHASTAIN@FGCU.EDU This close-up of a barred owl was shot near the nature trail entrance adjacent to The Water School. Do you have a picture of campus that you would like to submit to Inside FGCU? Send it to newsletter@fgcu.edu with your name and a brief description of the image.

The next edition of

INSIDE

Your Campus. Your News. comes out in December!

The Inside FGCU newsletter is created by a committee and editorial support staff, including the following Eagles:

Emily Helm Pamela McCabe Tami Tassler Lexi Velte Rosario Welle I’Riel Williams Lori Zallie Got a tip, upcoming event, submission or suggestion? Email newsletter@fgcu.edu or fill out a submission form online at www.fgcu.edu/inside.