14982 a&s annual publications 2015 digital version 120115

The Fragile WildConservationists race the clock to restore balance between civilizations and the shrinking tropical wilderness

Page 18

18 On the cover: The Fragile Wild Scientists race to save tropical species

3 Alumnus’ crime novel completed five years after his death

4 Combating life-threatening diseases, one molecule at a time

8 Scientists unlock tangled mysteries of DNA 10 Faculty + peers + technology = success FIU transforms the math experience

12 Primal understanding is at our fingertips

14 What’s in your air Analytical chemistry for everyone

16 Cultivating success

22 Research for the birds

24 Creating a just, peaceful and prosperous world Green Family Foundation transforms School

ofInternationalandPublicAffairs

25 Exhibit takes viewers ‘Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow’

26 Unusual plant points to diamonds beneath the ground

28 Putting treatment within reach Telemedicine revolutionizes access to mental health care

30 Unraveling the mysteries of the human brain

32 Shakespeare first edition coming to FIU

34 news.FIU.edu

Picture: Researchers at the FIU Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment Laboratory study the upside-down jellyfish to understand the effects of chemical and physical stressors on the organism.

The past year was an amazing and transformative year for the College of Arts & Sciences! I am honored to serve as the dean and to help facilitate the amazing work of our faculty, studentsandstaff.

Last year, the college awarded more than 4,300 degrees, and our researchers accounted for more than $45 million in external research funding.Inaddition,theoutstandingeffortsofour faculty and students provided the inspiration to be entrusted with more than $30 million in philanthropic pledges to support all three of our amazingschools.

A single gift of $20 million to name the StevenJ.GreenSchoolofInternationalandPublicAffairsandtheKimberlyGreenLatinAmericanand Caribbean Center has set the Green School on a path to being fully independent and applying tobecomethefirstschoolinthestatetojointheprestigious Association of Professional Schools of InternationalAffairs.IthanktheGreenfamilyfortheirtrustandsupport.

The School of Environment, Arts and Society alsoreceivedtremendoussupportthisyear.PaulG.Allen’sVulcanInc.pledged$4milliontoinitiatetheGlobalFinPrintproject—aninternationalcollaboration to assess the status of coral reef sharksandraysworldwide.Theprojectformsakey piece of the Tropical Conservation Institute, which received a $5 million challenge grant from theBatchelorFoundation.

Our impact is being felt within our community andglobally.Itcanbeseeninthe3,000childrenwho received treatment last year for ADHD, anxiety and other behavior disorders from the CenterforChildrenandFamilies.Itcanalsobe seen in the innovative cancer treatments being developed by the Biomolecular Sciences InstituteandintheAgroecologyProgram’sVeteransandSmallFarmersOutreachProgram,

which was honored in the United States House ofRepresentatives.

Arts & Sciences faculty played a leading role in establishing the Sea Level Solutions Center, whichisaddressing—andhelpingtosolve—the critical challenges that sea level rise presents toourcommunity.Andthissummer,Englishalumnus Richard Blanco took to the steps of the United States Embassy in Havana as the AmericanflagwasraisedinCubaforthefirsttimeinmorethan54years.Blancowroteanddelivered an original poem to commemorate the historicevent.

In the classroom, we are developing and implementing methods to better engage students, including the opening of three active learningclassrooms.I’mparticularlyexcitedbyour tremendous gains in student achievement inlowerdivisionmathcourses.Thankstoourdedicatedfacultyandstaff,wesawdoubledigitincreases in pass rates while maintaining the rigor of the curriculum! The work that all of our faculty members are doing to improve student success hasdistinguishedFIUonanationalscale.

This is an exciting time to be part of the CollegeofArts&Sciences.Wearemakinganimpactfromourclassrooms—oncampus,undertheocean,aroundtheworld,andonline—toour local community and throughout the world! I hope you will be as inspired as I am by the work featured in Arts & Sciences.

Sincerely,

MichaelR.HeithausDean, College of Arts & SciencesProfessor, Department of Biological SciencesFlorida International University

Message from the Dean

Arts & Sciences 2014-2015 | 1

Arts & Sciences Mike Heithaus Dean

William Anderson Associate Dean

Maricel Cigales Associate Dean

Maureen Donnelly Associate Dean

Michael Maunder Associate Dean

Jeremy Rowan Assistant Dean

Evelyn Gaiser Executive Director, School of Environment, Arts and Society

Suzanna Rose Executive Director, School of Integrated Science and Humanity

JoAnn C. Adkins Editor, Arts & Sciences Magazine

Aileen Solá-Trautmann Art Director

Barbarita Ramos Graphic Designer

Writers Ayleen Barbel FattalRobyn NissimEvelyn S. Perez PhotographersDouglas GarlandDouglas HungerfordTimothy LongChristopher Necuze

College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board

Victor C. Balestra, ChairMariel E. Acosta-GarciaSandy BatchelorFrank DuMondFausto B. GomezPatricia B. Keon Paul D. LandrumJoe Zammit LuciaJohn MillsEsther MorenoMichael RosenbergDan Tasciotti

FIU Board of Trustees

Albert R. Maury, ’96, ’02, Chairperson

Claudia Puig, Vice ChairMark B. Rosenberg, SecretaryCesar L. AlvarezJose J. ArmasJorge L. ArrizurietaLeonard BoordMayi de la Vega, ’81Gerald C. Grant, Jr., ’78, ’89Michael G. JosephNatasha LowellJusto L. Pozo ’80

Faculty MemberKathleen Wilson

Chair, FIU Faculty Senate

Student MemberAlexis Calatayud

President, Student Government MMC

Mike Heithaus swims outside the FIU Aquarius Reef Base.

Arts & Sciences is an annual publication produced by the College of Arts & Sciences and the Division of External Relations at Florida International University. Please send comments, requests for copies, or requests for permission to reprint material to [email protected].

College of Arts & SciencesFlorida International University11200 SW 8th St., ECS 450Miami, FL 33199

[email protected]

cas.fiu.edu 14982_10/15

Heithaus becomes dean

Mike Heithaus was appointed dean of FIU’s College of Arts &

Sciences as of April 1, 2015.

Heithaus, who served as interim dean since July 2014, replaced

Kenneth G. Furton, who was named provost and executive vice

president of FIU last year. As the seventh dean of Arts & Sciences,

Heithaus is committed to initiatives that improve student success,

engage faculty and expand research opportunities.

“Because of its diversity and reach, the College of Arts & Sciences

requires a dynamic leader who is committed to creating opportunities

for our students,” Furton said. “After an extensive nationwide search,

it became apparent that Dr. Heithaus has the passion and the skills

best suited to lead FIU’s College of Arts & Sciences.”

Heithaus is the founding executive director of the School of

Environment, Arts and Society (SEAS) and also served as associate

dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. With SEAS, he oversaw

approximately $20 million in annual research expenditures and

helped to raise more than $12 million in philanthropic gifts since

2011. He was also instrumental in FIU securing ownership of the

Aquarius Reef Base in the Florida Keys, the world’s only undersea

research laboratory.

Well-known internationally through his research on the

ecological role of large sharks, both in Australia and Florida

waters, he has been with FIU since 2003. Heithaus served as

the director of FIU’s Marine Sciences Program from 2008-2009.

Prior to joining FIU, he was a staff scientist at the Mote Marine

Laboratory’s Center for Shark Research, where he worked with

National Geographic’s Remote Imaging Department conducting

studies using their “crittercam.”

Heithaus has been involved in the production of more than

a dozen natural history documentaries. He currently conducts

research using cutting-edge technology, including cameras worn

by animals, to unravel the lives of hard-to-study marine creatures

from whales and dolphins to sharks, seals and turtles. Extending his

reach to inspire future generations of researchers, conservationists

and enthusiasts, he has produced a series of educational videos

and authored textbooks for K-12 classrooms.

Heithaus earned his Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University in

Canada and his Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences from Oberlin

College in Ohio. n

2 | Arts & Sciences 2014-2015

Jack Vaughn’s old friend Cal has gone missing.

His vintage Cadillac has been pulled

out of a South Florida canal. His house

is suddenly up for sale. His gym has

been appropriated by a gang of Russian

thugs. Vaughn suspects foul play. The

fictional ex-cop goes in search of his

friend, hoping to find him alive. And

that is where Vaughn’s story was about

to end.

Jack Vaughn is the creation of FIU

alumnus Anthony Gagliano, who

earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in

Creative Writing in 2002. The search for

Cal was Gagliano’s second crime novel

featuring Jack Vaughn. Gagliano titled

the book The Emperor’s Club. But in

2009, midway through his manuscript,

Gagliano suffered a stroke. He died

shortly after at the age of 53. The plight

of Vaughn and his missing friend Cal

were resigned to the fate of a book not

yet finished.

Gagliano’s first book, Straits of

Fortune, was critically acclaimed. His

former professors, Les Standiford and

Dan Wakefield, were fans. So when their

former student unexpectedly passed

away, they were disappointed to know

his next novel would never see the light

of day.

“I knew Anthony was a real talent

from the first time he read in my class,”

Wakefield said. “I told him, you can just

take Jack Vaughn and keep going.”

But because he couldn’t, Wakefield

and Standiford decided they would keep

Vaughn going — at least until the story

ends in The Emperor’s Club. So they

contacted Gagliano’s widow and asked

for the incomplete manuscript. She dug

it up from his computer and sent it to

the professors. They got to work.

“This was a labor of love. We wanted

to do it,” said Standiford, who also

serves as director of FIU’s Creative

Writing Program. “The manuscript

was really good and close to being

publishable. So we gave it a shot.”

There are many challenges in

finishing another person’s creative work,

especially when you don’t know how the

story was supposed to end. Maintaining

another author’s cadence and the voice

of their characters is tricky. And making

sense of unfinished chapters can be

downright confusing.

“I’d be reading along and I’d say,

wait, didn’t this just happen?,”

Standiford said.

It was in that moment Standiford

realized Gagliano would move around

pieces of the plot to find the best fit

within the storyline. Old stuff would be

inserted into new stuff. It was clear the

intent was to reconcile these replicated

storylines in the final draft.

While Standiford did a lot of the heavy

lifting, it was up to Wakefield to decide

how the book ends. He was tasked with

writing the final chapter.

Once the manuscript was completed,

Standiford called on his colleague at

FIU, John Dufresne, to serve as editor.

“I was a fan the first time I read it,”

Dufresne said.

Satisfied, the trio went in search

of a publisher. Three years went by

with nothing. The crime novel was

facing a major challenge. Typically,

publishers expect authors of mystery

and suspense thrillers to create a

series out of their lead characters. The

Emperor’s Club was the second book to

follow fictional ex-cop Jack Vaughn. It

would also be the last.

“Publishers look at what it will be

like at the end of 10 books in

somebody’s career. Not a single book,”

Standiford said.

Undeterred, Dufresne turned to

a friend and colleague at MidTown

Publishing in New York. With a single

phone call, they found their publisher.

The Emperor’s Club hit bookshelves at

the end of 2014.

“For me, this is Anthony getting his

rightful place in Miami literary history,”

Dufresne said.

Gagliano’s widow has arranged to

donate proceeds from the book to the

FIU Creative Writing Program in her late

husband’s name. n

alumnus’ crime novel completed five years

after his death

By Evelyn S. Perez | [email protected]


life-threatening diseases,

one molecule

at a time

Combating


Under the gaze of a microscope, Yuk-Ching Tse-Dinh’s eyes focus

on winding strands of DNA. For her,

it’s the twist and turns of the DNA

double helix that are most interesting.

The theoretical chemist believes

the enzymes that regulate the

overwinding or underwinding of DNA

are potential keys to treating a variety

of diseases. She hopes her research

will lead to the discovery of new drugs

to treat bacteria that are currently

drug resistant.

The complexity of her work —

combating diseases at the molecular

level — is a growing scientific trend

worldwide. FIU researchers, including

Tse-Dinh, are advancing the science

behind diseases, cancer biology and

neurodegenerative disorders as part

of the Biomolecular Sciences Institute

(BSI) in the School of Integrated

Science and Humanity.

Biochemist Joong Ho Moon is

seeking to improve the effectiveness of

gene therapy to treat or prevent disease.

Although it is currently only being tested

as treatment for incurable diseases,

gene therapy has the potential to treat

inherited disorders, certain types of

cancers and some viral infections. With

support from a nearly $490,000 award

from the National Science Foundation,

Moon is studying gene and drug delivery

methods through particles without toxic

effects. Through this research, Moon

believes he can dramatically improve the

effectiveness of gene therapy methods

and reduce the risks associated with

that type of treatment.

Moon is just one of the many BSI

faculty members leveraging career

awards and federal grants to support

their work. Biochemist Fenfei Leng was

awarded a $317,000 grant from the

National Institute of General Medical

Sciences in the National Institutes of

Health (NIH) for his efforts to develop

new and more effective cancer

treatment drugs and new ways to

combat obesity.

“The purpose of the institute is to

enhance the intellectual environment

and resources for biomolecular and

biomedical research here at FIU,” Tse-

Dinh said. “Through interdisciplinary

collaborations, we hope to increase

external funding for our projects that will

expand the scientific and translational

impact of our research.”

BSI recently received a $75,000 gift

to fund preliminary research for the

treatment of glioblastoma — a malignant

By Ayleen Barbel Fattal | [email protected]

Yuk-Ching Tse-Dinh works with student Carlos Parra in her chemistry lab.


tumor affecting the brain or spine. As the lead in this research, Tse-Dinh hopes to identify predictive biomarkers, or molecular signatures, that may provide more effective, individualized treatment for glioblastoma patients.

BSI researchers, a team Tse-Dinh assembled as founding director, come from all across the university. Their combined research could lead to cures for certain cancers, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Yuan Liu is one of the researchers looking at neurodegenerative disorders. With support from a $1.6 million NIH award, Liu and her team have developed a new strategy for the treatment of Friedreich’s Ataxia — a rare inherited disease that causes damage in the nervous system leading to unsteady movement. The disorder also causes problems in the heart and spine, and can sometimes lead to diabetes. Liu is now in the process of patenting the first effective form of treatment for this disease.

Liu and Tse-Dinh, both from the College of Arts & Sciences, have partnered with cell biologist Irina Agoulnik from FIU’s Herbert Wertheim

College of Medicine to develop a new, cellular-level treatment for prostate cancer, a project supported by the Community Foundation of Broward. The team believes they can combat prostate cancer that returns in patients who have already been treated by castration.

Castration-resistant prostate cancer has no known cure, with 75 percent of patients dying within five years of onset. The problem lies at the very core of the human body — DNA. When damage occurs within a person’s DNA, it can cause a mutation in the DNA sequence. This is typically fixed by a process called DNA repair, a function that exists in all cells. It is typically a good thing, except when it comes to cancer, where the repair actually helps the bad cells thrive. To make matters worse, DNA repair in cancer cells occurs at a higher and more efficient rate than in normal cells. So while normal cells go through a natural life cycle in which they replicate and eventually die off, cancer cells keep multiplying.

The BSI researchers believe that by stopping the DNA repair, damage will build up in the cancer cells causing them to die, essentially killing the prostate cancer.

“Inhibiting DNA repair within cancer

cells slows tumor growth,” Tse-Dinh

said. “Our proposed research will test

a variety of compounds to determine

which ones are the best inhibitors of

DNA repair.”

The researchers hope to establish

a novel method for screening and

determining which compounds will

most effectively block DNA repair in

cancer cells without affecting normal

cell growth.

“We anticipate that within the

timeframe of this project, we will

discover a new class of compounds that

can be developed to treat advanced

prostate cancer disease,” Agoulnik said.

According to the researchers, it is

likely that the compounds identified

in this study may also be effective in

curing other cancers and relieving

the symptoms of neurodegenerative

disorders including Alzheimer’s,

Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

By studying the smallest particles of

the human body, each of BSI’s faculty

members are researching innovative

solutions for some of our most complex

health issues. n

“Inhibiting DNA repair within cancer cells slows tumor growth. Our proposed research will test a variety of compounds to determine which ones are the best inhibitors of DNA repair.”

— Yuk-Ching Tse-Dinh


Cancer facts

The disease accounts for

million deaths

1,620 each day

8.2

589,430

Lung & Bronchus

Lung & Bronchus

Prostate Breast

Colon &Rectum

Colon &Rectum

Pancreas Pancreas

Liver Ovary

28% 26%

9% 15%

8% 9%

7% 7%

5% 5%

Leading types and annual mortality rates in the United States

American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts and Figures 2015World Health Organization: World Cancer Report 2014

Cancer accounts for nearly

1 of every 4 deaths in the U.S.

Americans are expected to

die of cancerin 2015

— The Killer

worldwide


Scientists unlock tangled

mysteries of DNA


By JoAnn C. Adkins | [email protected]

Chromosomal proteins hold the key to our DNA and they are changing,

according to marine sciences professor Jose Eirin-Lopez.

While today’s human body contains a variety of these proteins, Eirin-Lopez believes they evolved from a single ancestor millions of years ago. This finding is pivotal in unraveling the mysteries of DNA organization and regulation and could someday lead to innovative therapies for a variety of diseases including cancer.

DNA is the recipe for all living things. Each of our cells has a DNA molecule enclosed within its nucleus, containing the entirety of our genetic information. However, like a recipe book, 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. It is up to a group of proteins known as chromosomal proteins to unlock the information required to trigger action in a cell — to form a bone, determine eye color, metabolize food, fight infections or any other function. While significant information is available about the structure and functions of chromosomal proteins, very little is known about their origin and evolution. Eirin-Lopez and a team of researchers are the first to explain the mechanisms responsible for the evolutionary diversification of a specific group of chromosomal proteins known as High Mobility Group Nucleosome-binding (HMG-N) proteins.

“In the early stages of life on earth, cells were rudimentary yet still able

to perform their jobs. But evolution,

through mutations, drift and natural

selection, has led these proteins to

evolve into higher performers,” said

Eirin-Lopez, who co-authored the study

with Rodrigo Gonzalez-Romero from

FIU and Juan Ausio from the University

of Victoria in Canada.

The research unveils the mechanisms

responsible for the specialization of

this group of proteins, from a common

ancestor directing a variety of activities

to specialized groups working in

concert. However, along with better

cell performance, a higher number of

chromosomal proteins also provides

more potential targets for harmful

mutations. If one or more of these

proteins are altered or mutated they

can give erroneous instructions to cells.

The potential health consequences

of such mistakes are massive, often

causing cells to grow uncontrollably and

resulting in cancer.

“The only way we can alleviate the

negative effects of these alterations is

by getting an exhaustive knowledge

about these proteins and their function,

helping us to develop therapies to

reinstate the correct communication

with DNA and the cell,” Eirin-Lopez said.

“Nonetheless, our knowledge about

chromosomal proteins will never be

complete until we determine how they

came to be and to fulfill their current

roles in the cell. Only evolutionary

analyses can answer that question.

Understanding this better prepares us to

take action in the future.” n


FACULTY+PEERS

+TECHNOLOGY=

SUCCESS

Growing up in Jamaica, Garfield Jugar was never a “math person.”

Actually, he hated math. Tired of his mother always taking his radio away as punishment for his bad grades, Jugar buckled down and tried to teach himself.

Jugar would wait for his family to go to sleep late at night and turn off the television. He would then talk through the process to solve the problems. Over time, the self-teaching method produced results and math stopped being a problem. Actually, Jugar started to enjoy it. By the time he was ready for college, he decided to major in it and enrolled at FIU.

The autodidactic student became a Learning Assistant (LA) in FIU’s Mastery Math Lab, a high-tech, high-touch approach to improving student performance through evidence-based teaching techniques including peer mentoring. The Mastery Math Lab, where students attend weekly problem-solving sessions, is designed for students in Intermediate and College Algebra courses. It is predominantly staffed by Learning Assistants, like Jugar, who are there to help their peers navigate the rigors of math. This approach is an alternative to traditional lecture learning and,

for many, makes classwork more relatable. It’s also one of several transformative interventions the college has implemented in recent years to better engage students in the classroom.

Throughout higher education, math courses traditionally have some of the highest failure rates nationwide. Even though math is a skill nearly every person uses on a daily basis, it has become a significant impediment to degree completion. FIU is not immune to this reality. It is what led to the creation of the Mastery Math Program, and has since led to other projects that are reversing course on this trend.

Last year, new approaches to teaching were implemented in onsite and online versions of introductory math courses including Finite Math, Social Choice Math and Pre-Calculus Algebra. Faculty engagement was a key component in these transformations. A team approach was devised, allowing for cross-collaborations on common issues and challenges. Special workshops were offered to arm the professors with new, evidence-based teaching methods.

In just a few short months, test scores were on the rise. By the end of

the academic year, nearly 900 students who were at-risk of failing were able to successfully complete their lower division math courses.

“The Department of Mathematics and Statistics has done an incredible job improving the success of our students while maintaining the rigor of the curriculum,” said College of Arts & Sciences Dean Mike Heithaus. “There is more work to do, but to have made such large gains so quickly is inspiring.”

Pass rates experienced double-digit increases college-wide. This is in addition to more than 1,300 students who successfully completed College Algebra — but would have likely failed using previous teaching methods — since the inception of the Mastery Math Program.

“With full implementation, this transformation has the potential to positively impact the nearly 12,000 students who take undergraduate math courses each year at FIU,” said Leanne Wells, director of the FIU Mastery Math Program.

In addition to new teaching methods and peer learning, technology is also playing a role in the success of FIU’s efforts in math. High-tech components include personal response devices,

FIU transforms the math experience



such as iClickers, which provide real-time feedback for students and instructors. But ultimately, the success is tied to the relationships between students and the course content.

In addition, an important component to the changes being implemented in FIU’s math classes is the use of Learning Assistants.

The Learning Assistant program was pioneered in Physics during a time when enrollment numbers were steadily dropping for physics majors. Today, the peer-mentoring program is being implemented at a much greater scale. In addition to physics and math, FIU has deployed LAs in chemistry, earth sciences and biological sciences with plans to expand to other areas. FIU currently has the largest LA program in the country, with 178 Learning Assistants supporting more than 6,700 enrollments in 110 sections of STEM courses in nine disciplines.

For students like Garfield Jugar, his time as a Learning Assistant allowed him to teach others, while honing his skills as a mathematician and teacher. Now a teacher in Broward County, the student who once couldn’t pass a math test has since become the educator. n

Lower Division Math Pass RatesOnsite classes at Modesto A. Maidique Campus

Mastery Math Program(full implementation)

Introductory math course transformation

Before intervention After intervention

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

% P

ass

Rat

e

College Algebra

FiniteMath

Social ChoiceMath

Pre-CalculusAlgebra



Researchers have long been interested in the relationship between

hand preference and language in

development.

FIU psychologist Eliza Nelson believes understanding handedness

— the tendency to use one hand

more naturally than the other — gives

insight into how the brain works and

how it has changed over time. She is

also examining overall motor skills.

While her ultimate goal is to advance

scientific understanding about the

human brain, her subjects are not

always human.

As director of the FIU Hands Lab,

Nelson is studying spider monkeys

at Miami’s Monkey Jungle, observing

how they use their hands. Though

her focus is on their hand preference,

Nelson recently made an unexpected

discovery about the lanky-armed

primates. Spider monkeys’ hands are

not like most other primates — they

have four fingers and no thumb —

making them an interesting model for

studying grasping and motor function.

They have long been believed to only

be capable of using their hands like

hooks. But when Nelson gave a group

of spider monkeys tubes of peanut

butter, hoping to learn more about

their hand preference, some of the

monkeys used individual fingers to dig

out the yummy treat. It is the first time

this type of independent digit control

has ever been reported for

this species.

While an intriguing and unexpected

find, Nelson’s team was most

interested in studying the species’

reach and coordination — both of

which are particularly difficult for spider

monkeys given their unique hand

structure. Comparing results of both

tasks is critical for understanding the

evolution of hand-use preferences in

primates. Contrary to predictions and

previous findings, Nelson’s research

shows multiple measures are needed

to fully characterize the concept of

handedness. She hopes to make

an important case for standardizing

measures in this field and fill a gap in

our knowledge of handedness

in primates.

As a researcher in FIU’s Center for

Children and Families, Nelson also

focuses on motor skill research in

children, specifically how their hands

are controlled. Her work examines links

between motor abilities and cognition

including reasoning, communication

and language.

In a recent study, Nelson determined

infants who consistently prefer to

use their right hand are more likely

to develop advanced language skills

by age two. In that study, Nelson

measured hand preference in different

ways according to the age-appropriate

motor level. She looked at how infants

used their hands to pick up toys and

compared it to how they used their

hands in combination to manipulate

toys as toddlers.

Results showed children who had

clear, early hand preference performed

better on language skills tests than

those who did not develop handedness

until toddlerhood. Those who were

inconsistent in their hand use as

infants, but developed a preference for

the left or right hand as toddlers, had

language scores in the typical range for

their age.

By studying how the hands are used,

researchers can better understand how

the brain is organized, hopefully leading

to a better understanding of how a

number of human disorders, including

autism and schizophrenia, affect

the brain.

Nelson’s research on handedness

consistency and the emergence of

language skills is ongoing. Her ultimate

goal is to identify how language and

motor skills are linked in development

and to identify earlier markers of

school readiness. n



ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY FOR EVERYONE

What’s in your


Just 2 centimeters long and 2 millimeters in diameter, an FIU

researcher has invented a sorbent tube that could bring analytical chemistry to the masses. The simple yet highly sensitive device is designed to sample volatile chemicals in the air, your home, food and even your body.

Called the CMV (capillary microextraction of volatiles), the device can sample air by drawing just a small amount of air through it. When sent to a laboratory for analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are identified including those VOCs associated with the presence of bacteria, mold, carcinogens and much more. The CMV could potentially be used in medical diagnostics simply by breathing through it — offering an inexpensive, non-invasive method for disease-detection.

Because of its portability, low cost and proven sensitivity, the CMV can impact nearly all industries including medicine, law enforcement, shipping, insurance, and even private in-home use.

FIU inventor Jose Almirall, a chemist and director of the FIU International Forensic Research Institute, and alumnus Digno Caballero have formed IAD-x, LLC to further develop the device and expand research with the intent to put analytical chemistry within reach for the average person.

Their efforts were on display early this spring at the eMerge Americas technology conference at the Miami Beach Convention Center — a platform connecting revolutionary startups,

cutting-edge ideas, global industry leaders and investors worldwide.

“For academics and researchers, eMerge is a golden opportunity to connect with industry and bring scientific discoveries to market,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg.

The IAD-x collaboration is revolutionizing the field of analytical chemistry while helping to foster economic growth and employment opportunities. The team was selected by the National Science Foundation to participate in the Innovation Corps Teams Program (I-Corps) this past summer. The program connects NSF-funded researchers with the business community and entrepreneurs to promote innovation and technology transfer. Although initially developed to detect explosives, additional applications and potential markets for the CMV became apparent through the NSF-funded I-Corps customer discovery process.

“I recommend any faculty member wanting to explore commercialization of science and technology to consider going through the I-Corps program,” Almirall said. “The I-Corps team of a student or post-doc, a business mentor and the principal investigator is provided with the tools necessary to begin to evaluate whether a scientific discovery can be turned into a viable business.”

Still in the early stages of development, the researchers are exploring market opportunities for industry applications. All of their efforts are concentrated at FIU where IAD-x is being incubated. n



Cultivating Success

Cultivating Success

Garfield Jarrett was a U.S. Marine. Military service was both his

passion and his career. But injuries

sustained during a roadside attack in

Iraq ended it all.

Jarrett was granted a medical

discharge and returned home to South

Florida where he enrolled at FIU to pursue

a degree in social work. He was driven by

a desire to help people but also felt adrift

in his new reality. One day on campus,

a flyer caught his attention. It was

announcing a new agriculture program

for military veterans in the College of Arts

& Sciences. Suddenly, the aimlessness

gave way to memories of his childhood

growing up on his grandfather’s

sugarcane plantation in Jamaica. It

brought a smile to his face.

South Florida is home to more than

200,000 veterans, and nearly 10 percent

are currently unemployed. Miami-Dade

County is also home to a large population

of Hispanic and migrant farmworkers. FIU

Agroecology Program directors Mahadev

Bhat and Krish Jayachandran know

these statistics well, which led them to

create the Veterans and Small Farmers

Outreach Program for military veterans,

socially disadvantaged farmers, beginner

farmers, and nursery growers. In addition

to providing technical and entrepreneurial

skills needed to launch farm operations,

the program also teaches aspiring

farmers about government assistance

programs and how to access them.

Jarrett was among the first to enroll,

having recently graduated from the

Robert Stempel College of Public Health

& Social Work.

Today, he spends his time cultivating

kale, carrots and other crops on his

farm in Homestead. He is also rearing

livestock. He has found both his calling

and a place where he truly feels at home.

He is now looking to combine his social

work education with his farming business,

offering outreach activities for veterans

and K-12 students at his southwest

Miami-Dade County farm. The veterans

program has caught the attention of

U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, who lauded

FIU’s efforts during a recent session of

the U.S. House of Representatives.

“The Veterans and Small Farmers

Outreach Program will provide direct

benefit to not only our brave men and

women returning from harm’s way, but

also to the countless small farms in

Homestead,” Curbelo said.

Bhat and Jayachandran have long

dedicated their careers to people like

Jarrett. For them, agroecology — a field

that combines ecology and agriculture

— is not just about improving farming.

It’s about innovation. They are fostering

in an era of modern agriculture — one

that relies on technology, public/private

partnerships, university collaborations

Garfield Jarrett on his farm in Homestead, Fla.

By JoAnn C. Adkins | [email protected] and Evelyn S. Perez | [email protected]


Aspiring banker becomes agroecologist

Stephany Alvarez-Ventura, a once-aspiring banker, now spends her days among

honeybees and organic gardens.

The Dominican Republic-native worked part-

time at a bank in high school. Upon graduation,

she enrolled at FIU to pursue a career in finance.

But an essay project in an English class piqued

her interest in the environment, specifically

pollution. She shifted her career aspirations to

environmental studies. She landed an internship

at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s

Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water in

Washington D.C., where she ultimately was

offered a job. Instead, she returned home to

Miami to further her education in FIU’s School of

Environment, Arts and Society.

Alvarez-Ventura devoted her thesis to studying

colony collapse disorder — a serious disease

affecting honeybee colony health and its ability

to pollinate crops. Today, she is the program

coordinator with the FIU Agroecology Program

and continues to foster new relationships

throughout Miami-Dade County.

Since its inception in 2005, the Agroecology

Program has secured $7 million in research

grants and awarded more than 150 scholarships

to undergraduate and graduate students like

Alvarez-Ventura. In 2012, FIU became one of

the first universities in the nation to receive the

USDA’s Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges

and Universities designation, which Alvarez-

Ventura says is a testament to her alma mater’s

commitment to people like her. n

and community engagement to develop endeavors that are environmentally, socially and economically beneficial.

Throughout Florida, more than 1.5 million people work in the state’s agriculture, natural resources and food industries and that number is on the rise. Nearly a third of those are in Miami-Dade County. In fact, agriculture represents $2.7 billion annually in local economic impact, yet occupies just 6 percent of the county’s available land, according to the South Dade Chamber of Commerce. Bhat and Jayachandran believe this low-impact yet high-return industry still has untapped potential. They are currently developing projects that create environmentally sustainable practices, help ensure food security, and provide a catalyst for economic growth. The Agroecology Program is working closely with the International Center for Tropical Botany, a collaboration between FIU and the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Researchers are combining the study and cultivation of plants with modern day uses, including food products. The Agroecology Program is also working with the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management to develop farm-to-table food programs. While the ideas are still in the development phase, Bhat and Jayachandran hope, in partnership with the University of Florida’s Tropical Research and Education Center, they can establish research and product development in the heart of Miami’s agricultural community.

“Agricultural science is the way of the future,” Jayachandran said. “If we are going to feed more than 9 billion people in the future, we have to get creative in how we use our soil resources and water resources.”

The ultimate goal is to create a university-supported incubator and food venture center to foster economic growth as well as technology and product innovation. Since its inception more than a decade ago, the Agroecology Program has secured 18 USDA grants from its National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Office of Advocacy and Outreach to fund research, outreach and engagement initiatives, scholarships and more. Bhat and Jayachandran hope the program can continue to grow, offering inspiration, sustainability and diverse career paths. n

Agroecology Program combines sustainability with economic opportunity in southwest Miami-Dade County

Stephany Alvarez-Ventura


Grasshopper Sparrow

Coelogyne Fimbriata

Coelogyne Fimbriata photo by Hong Liu.

Pygmy Marmoset

The Yachang Orchid Nature Preserve is home to 2,400 vascular plants

and at least 130 species of orchids. Rarest among those is the Geodorum eulophioides. Hong Liu will never forget the first time she laid eyes on it. For more than eight decades, it was believed to be extinct, a victim of human progress. But there it rested in a remote corner of southwest China, not extinct but not exactly safe either.

A few years ago, a local villager illegally cleared a portion of the preserve to plant eucalyptus, an economically lucrative plant in China. With just that single crop, the farmer claimed more than half of the land that hosted the only known viable population of G. eulophioides. Liu knew time was not on her side to save the rare orchid. She spent the next several years successfully negotiating greater


SCIENTISTS RACE TO SAVE TROPICAL SPECIESBy JoAnn C. Adkins | [email protected]

East African Bongo Antelope

protection for the orchid, but her efforts are far from finished. She is among the many researchers in FIU’s School of Environment, Arts and Society seeking to preserve plant and animal species that call the tropics and subtropics home.

Home to the International Center for Tropical Botany and the Tropical Conservation Institute, FIU’s geographic expertise in conservation extends from South Florida to the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa, the Pacific and Asia. These regions comprise the top global biodiversity hotspots — areas of exceptional species richness facing extraordinary threats. Combined, the International Center for Tropical Botany, dedicated to plant conservation, and the Tropical Conservation Institute, dedicated to animal conservation, account for one of the most ambitious efforts in recent years to protect and

preserve some of the most biologically rich and diverse regions of the world.

The International Center for Tropical Botany, a partnership between FIU and the National Tropical Botanical Garden, is headquartered at The Kampong, the historic estate of plant explorer David Fairchild. It brings together FIU’s botanists and the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s research team, their extraordinary tropical plant collections and Pacific Island field programs. The center is supported by a $2.5 million gift from the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust and a matching $2.5 million gift from the Batchelor Foundation. FIU’s move to expand its botanical resources comes at a time when botany programs are shrinking all across the world and some are closing altogether. In the United States alone, half of the nation’s top-funded universities have eliminated

their botany programs in the past 20 years. The decision is usually an economic one.

“When threats are so high, it’s amazing that resources are being pulled,” said Christopher Baraloto, who joined FIU in 2015 as the director of the International Center for Tropical Botany. “The tropics, in particular, have so much diversity that there’s so much we still don’t know. Without that knowledge, we have to ask ourselves, is it worth the risk to stop investing?”

Botany — the scientific study of plants — is important to many aspects of human life including the supply of food, timber, fiber, agriculture, medicine, and cosmetics. Plants support the basic daily functions of human life by providing essential ecosystem services such as the protection of watersheds, the absorption of carbon and the provision

The Fragile Wild


of grazing lands. It’s these fundamental realities that make botany a critical area of study for the world’s growing population.

Mike Maunder, associate dean of research engagement in FIU’s College of Arts & Sciences, has devoted his career to habitat and species conservation. He has been involved with conservation projects in sub-Saharan Africa, the United Kingdom, the Middle East and the United States. Today, he carries many titles. In addition to

associate dean, he is the interim director of The Kampong and co-director of FIU’s Tropical Conservation Institute.

Last fall, Maunder went in search of plants that were known to have once populated Africa’s remote Imatong Mountains, long before war consumed the country known today as the Republic of South Sudan. Maunder and Kenyan botanist Quentin Luke began the long task of finding what remains of South Sudan’s historically rich plant life.

During 30 years of civil war, the African country experienced no conservation biology. No ecology. No biology field studies. The country’s economic infrastructure was destroyed and its universities wrecked.

South Sudan gained its independence in 2011, a welcome change to its violent history. But Maunder knows from experience that the window of opportunity to conserve and protect what remains is very tight. He’s been there before, only last time it was Somalia.

In South Sudan, the people have begun to rebuild, posing a new threat for the country’s endangered species. A mix of tropical forests within the Imatong and grasslands and swamps to the north, South Sudan is now threatened by large-scale habitat loss, falling victim to both traditional and industrial agriculture.

The imbalance for conservation isn’t just being felt by South Sudan’s plant life. Maunder says the forests are silent. What wildlife remained after the fighting ended is now being devoured by people starved of protein. Maunder and other conservationists are looking for a solution that allows the people to thrive without destroying the country’s biodiversity. That balance has become a core focal point for both the International Center for Tropical Botany and the Tropical Conservation Institute.

“The advantage of FIU is that we already have a large group of biologists working in the tropics that bring a level of expertise that is urgently needed,” Maunder said. “And we are magnifying those resources through strategic collaborations with our institutional partners.”

Though their work often takes them to far-off places like China and South Sudan, there is plenty of work still to be done much closer to home. Embedded throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, FIU researchers are racing the clock in the Amazon to catalogue species, preserve what remains and begin the arduous journey of restoring populations of plants and animals that have been depleted by humans.

Formed in partnership with the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation

Researchers have embarked on the largest-ever attempt to survey the

world’s shark and ray populations of

coral reefs.

Predators are disappearing from the

oceans in alarming numbers with nearly

a quarter of shark, ray and skate species

threatened with extinction. The lack of

comprehensive and up-to-date data on

species abundance and distribution

is hindering efforts to protect and

replenish these ecologically important

marine animals.

Deploying baited underwater video

equipment, researchers hope to catch

the ocean’s top predators on camera

in their natural habitats. More than 400

reef locations will be surveyed during

the three-year project dubbed Global FinPrint. The project is focusing on three key geographic regions where data gaps exist — Indo-Pacific, tropical western Atlantic, and southern and eastern Africa and Indian Ocean islands. Mike Heithaus, FIU marine biologist and dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, is part of the international team of researchers.

“Recent estimates suggest around 100 million sharks are taken from the oceans every year for their fins and meat. This is resulting in severe population declines for some species, and many of the species that are in trouble live in coastal habitats like coral reefs,” Heithaus said. “This could be a big problem for

historic shark census catches predators on camera

Prosthechea Boothiana


(RSCF), the Tropical Conservation Institute is supported by a $5 million challenge grant from the Batchelor Foundation. From majestic creatures including reef sharks to tiny primates, the institute is one of North America’s only academic hubs for tropical conservation located in a top hotspot. Paul Reillo, RSCF’s founding president and fellow in the School of Environment, Arts and Society, serves as co-director of the Tropical Conservation Institute. For more than 20 years, Reillo has taken a hands-on approach to biodiversity conservation, developing novel husbandry, management and restoration methods for endangered species. The field-oriented population biologist, ecological geneticist and environmental engineer has led a variety of captive breeding programs that are helping to stop extinctions throughout the tropics.

Among the institute’s target species is the pygmy marmoset, the world’s smallest monkey, easily fitting in the palm of a human hand. They are found in the Amazon, living in the rainforest along rivers and streams. While not currently endangered, pygmy marmosets are considered a species of special concern. Humans continue to encroach on their habitat and the pet trade serves as a major threat. Tropical Conservation Institute scientists are leveraging this tiny

and charismatic species to help protect the vast expanses of rapidly vanishing Amazonian forests in which they reside.

In addition to the pygmy marmoset, ambitious conservation projects are currently under way for the East African bongo antelope, sharks, Amazon parrots and many others. The philosophy is simple — protect and recover flagship species — which helps ecosystems and helps other species and people that live within those ecosystems. Some of the work focuses on captive-breeding programs, but the end goal is field-based conservation of wild populations and habitats.

In Florida, the institute recently embarked on a historic effort to save a local species of bird that is fighting extinction. Seven Florida grasshopper sparrows, among the world’s most endangered birds, are under the care of Tropical Conservation Institute researchers. Less than 100 male Florida grasshopper sparrows are accounted for in Central Florida, their only known habitat. Five of the seven sparrows were taken as tiny chicks from nests likely to fail and hand-reared from five days of age. The other two were parent-reared, and all are youngsters from this year’s summer breeding season. These seven tiny songbirds are the first of their kind to be raised in a captive setting.

“The plight of these sparrows is, unfortunately, a common theme throughout the tropics and subtropics,” Reillo said. “The Tropical Conservation Institute is designed to address the critical issues driving wildlife to extinction and declines in biodiversity-rich ecosystems. These little sparrows, and all the species fighting for survival on this changing planet, are why we’re here.”

Researchers throughout the College of Arts & Sciences hope to build a foundation for future scientists that will work to preserve the diversity of life on the planet.

Plant by plant and animal by animal, the teams within FIU’s International Center for Tropical Botany and Tropical Conservation Institute are racing the clock to discover, protect and restore. Their missions are closely intertwined because their subjects are so closely intertwined. Their research and conservation efforts are giving some of the planet’s most vulnerable species a fighting chance at survival. But even more importantly, these teams of researchers are preparing the next generation — one that will carry the charge of stewarding a natural world

shredded by human demand. n

these ecosystems because sharks and rays, which are also in trouble in many places, may be important for maintaining healthy ecosystems. This global survey will fill in data gaps that could help governments, fisheries and others better understand and conserve these important predators.”

The new data will be consolidated with thousands of hours of existing video data to form a single dataset for analysis, producing the first global standardized survey of shark, ray and skates in coral reef environments.

With a $4 million pledge from Microsoft Co-Founder Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc., Global FinPrint is one of

several initiatives within Allen’s portfolio of ocean health programs.

Survey data will be made available in 2018 through an open-access database platform created by Vulcan’s technology development team and will include information on species density, habitats and diversity trends. Researchers,

policymakers, governments and others will be able to use this database to help inform conservation priorities, such as identifying and protecting areas with large or important shark populations, and to better understand the ecological importance of sharks as apex predators. n

Prosthechea Boothiana photo by Mario Cisneros.


BirdsDead birds might be the last thing

you would think of collecting, but they were the target of a recent campus-based research initiative.

Six undergraduate students, along with their professor, spent 21 consecutive days searching for birds that died after crashing into campus buildings.

“Window strikes are pretty common,” said Biologist John Withey. “Birds can survive, but it depends on how fast they’re going.”

A victim brought to him recently was an ovenbird, a warbler with black speckles on a white chest that commonly winters in Florida. His students’ efforts are part of a continent-wide, scientific study of bird-window collisions. This hands-on project reflects Withey’s approach to teaching and research since arriving at FIU in 2012.

He organizes his classes and laboratory to enable discoveries in a manner similar to his experience as a student in California and Washington.

“That’s what I value — giving back the opportunities that I had,” he said.

Withey mentors and inspires FIU’s young scientists through the rigors of precise ecological fieldwork and data analysis. One new opportunity this semester was the course on urban ecology, which incorporates his love of birds. Withey says this nascent, interdisciplinary field offers a vital looking glass into the future of an increasingly urbanized world that remains dependent on natural systems. Miami offers an exceptional real-world laboratory for investigating the interaction of hundreds of bird species within a densely built environment.

Withey has published widely on urban ecology and avian research. He recently traveled to Colorado to discuss how birds interact with differing patches of hardwood hammock in southern Florida. Using statistical analysis, the research is finding that residential birds engage differently than migratory birds with the remnants of this declining habitat.

“We don’t know that much about the habitat’s quality. Are birds finding what they need?,” he asks.

In another study, published this year, Withey and co-authors found that birds previously categorized as vulnerable were impacted more by urbanization and agricultural expansion than other groups of vertebrates. Huge conversions of natural land are straining ecosystems globally and locally.

By Robyn Nissim | Contributing writer

Researchfor the


Withey challenges his urban ecology

students to invent ways for cities and nature

to coexist. More than 80 percent of the U.S.

population lives in cities, and the greater

Miami region is one of the densest and

largest, ranking No. 8 in the nation, according

to the U.S. Census. Neighborhood parks

that could support birds are conspicuously

absent in Miami-Dade County, and its two

largest cities, Miami and Hialeah, rank among

the nation’s three worst for green space,

according to a 2014 report from the Trust for

Public Land.

People in such concrete jungles might lose

sight of natural wonder.

“Birds can help us reconnect,” Withey said.

In the city, he appreciates when a small

mockingbird defends its nest against a

mighty hawk, and when hordes of black

grackles gather noisily at sunset. But some

bird watching requires adventure into remote

areas. After all, endangered species are ones

you don’t see in the city, according to Withey.

Withey spent 18 months with the

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

intensely studying songbirds and their

preferred habitats in Panama, and the results

appeared last year in a single-authored paper

in the journal Biological Conservation.

Withey says that Florida residents can

support birds locally by adding native and

fruiting plants to yards, keeping cats indoors,

and adding stickers of hawks to windows.

In future years, Withey plans for the

window-collision study to expand beyond

collecting dead birds and into an experiment

of preventive window treatments. Getting the

broader community involved in citizen science

is also on Withey’s agenda, and every year

he conducts birdwatching sessions during

“Environmental Immersion” days at Fairchild

Tropical Botanic Garden. n

for the


Creating a Just, Peaceful and Prosperous World

When Steven J. Green started out in business more than four

decades ago, his work was largely defined by geographic boundaries. Fast-forward to today, and a person can be an importer and an exporter with little more than a computer.

In this globalized society, Green believes greater international understanding is necessary to be a successful person. And he’s not just referring to business. The former ambassador to Singapore, business leader and philanthropist is helping to advance international understanding through a bold commitment to education. He, along with his wife Dorothea, daughter Kimberly and the Green Family Foundation, has made a $20 million gift to FIU College of Arts & Sciences to name its School of International and Public Affairs, now known as the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs.

“I think the interconnectivity of the

world today is so close that unless people have a knowledge of other cultures and other political systems, we’re never going to have a peaceful world,” Green said. “To make a political difference, to make a social difference, you have to integrate many factors of lifestyle — health, safety, governance and laws. The School of International and Public Affairs deals with the integration of these ideas and truly creates a platform for tomorrow’s leaders.”

During his term as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore from 1997-2001, Green spearheaded strategic programs that enhanced U.S.-Singapore alliances in economic development, intellectual property, immigration and national security. Now, the chairman and CEO of Greenstreet Partners is leading the efforts of the Green School’s Strategic Advisory Board.

“FIU’s School of International and Public Affairs is a platform

from which people can develop a universal understanding,” he said. “The integration of the 72 countries represented in the school’s student body — cultures living together, working together, dealing together — is a real opportunity for universal understanding.”

The Green School will now become a stand-alone school within FIU. In addition, FIU has renamed its Latin American and Caribbean Center to the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center and established the Kimberly Green Scholarship and Dorothea Green Lecture Series Fund.

“This gift reinforces FIU’s destiny as a preeminent center for international education and global problem-solving,” FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg said.

For Green — a man who spent the better part of his career globalizing well-known domestic brands, including Samsonite and Culligan — much of his education came from the new people,

Green Family Foundation transforms School of International and Public Affairs

By JoAnn C. Adkins | [email protected]


new cultures and even the new foods

he discovered in his travels. But he

says it’s his wife’s giving nature that has

long-inspired his philanthropic spirit.

Throughout his career, he has found

opportunities to make a difference.

Some are very personal to him. Others

are simply attempts to leave the world

a little better than how he found it. The

naming of the School of International

and Public Affairs combines both — a

very personal way for the family to

support new ideas and future leaders

while hopefully creating a better world.

“I have two grandchildren and I

want them to live in a peaceful world

where there is greater understanding

of cultures, a world where American

competitiveness continues,” Green said.

“It would be easy to just live out the rest

of my life and smile when I can, hoping

it’s more often than not. But the reality

is, you want to leave this earth feeling

that you’ve created something.” n

Steven J. Green, left, walks with FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg during a visit

to FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus.



By Evelyn S. Perez | [email protected]

A rare discovery by an FIU geologist could radically change diamond

prospecting worldwide.Researcher Stephen Haggerty

recently embarked on a field trip to search for a long-elusive kimberlite pipe in the dense bush of northwestern Liberia. Kimberlite pipes are concealed geological structures that serve as the primary source of the world’s commercial diamond production. They form as a result of violent eruptions of certain types of volcanoes.

Haggerty first searched for this particular kimberlite pipe in the late 1970s and 1980s, but civil wars stalled his efforts. He returned in 2013, finally discovering exactly what he was looking for and something he did not expect. Rising out of the ground above the kimberlite pipe was a Pandanus candelabrum, an unusual plant known to locals as pamaya. The palmlike plant with its aerial roots and spiny fronds was growing in the chemically unique soil directly above the kimberlite pipe.

Subsequent exploration by foot,

vehicle and air shows that the pamaya plant only seems to grow in areas where the diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes are present — making these plants the first and only known botanical indicator for these diamond areas, according to Haggerty.

“We don’t know if this plant can grow anywhere else where there aren’t kimberlite pipes present. It’s too early to tell,” said Haggerty, who also is the chief exploration officer of Youssef Diamond Mining Company. “The roots of the plant are typical of swampy areas, but for Liberia, it appears to be kimberlite-specific.”

The discovery in Liberia could change the dynamics of diamond exploration worldwide by providing a natural and easily identifiable marker for the locations of diamond-rich deposits. It could become the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly form of prospecting in West Africa.

Haggerty’s findings were published in the June-July edition of

Economic Geology. n

UNUSUAL PLANT POINTS TO DIAMONDS

BENEATH THE GROUND


Telemedicine Putting treatment within reach

revolutionizes access to mental health care



In-person treatments for mental health can be costly, time-consuming and often unavailable

in convenient locations. For these reasons, many don’t seek help. But researchers at FIU’s Center for Children and Families (CCF) are pioneering the use of electronic media to provide health care services in a more convenient and cost-effective setting. This new trend is called telemedicine.

Currently, the researchers are providing comprehensive diagnostic assessments and state-of-the-art treatments for children and adolescents who experience excessive fear and anxiety-related problems or exhibit disruptive behavior disorders.

Because some children do not respond to traditional forms of therapy, psychologist Jeremy Pettit and researchers in CCF’s Child Anxiety and Phobia Program are implementing a computer-based treatment that seems more like a video game to kids than therapy. The computers help train children to direct their attention away from threatening stimuli. This format is easier for them to grasp because it uses technology with which they are already familiar. Preliminary findings show this method can be effective in treating anxiety and depression symptoms in children and adolescents.

For children with behavior disorders, one of the most effective treatments is changing how parents and children interact to improve the child’s behavior while also improving the parent/child relationship. However, availability, accessibility and acceptability of evidence-based early intervention methods can be challenging.

To address the lack of access to this type of

treatment, psychologist Jonathan Comer and

researchers in the Mental Health Interventions

and Technology Program at CCF are exploring

ways to provide highly specialized therapy to

families remotely. They are using telemedicine

to provide training and feedback to parents

using webcams, wireless Bluetooth ear

devices and video teleconferencing. Parents

are remotely coached in real-time to apply

parent-child interaction therapy techniques to

manage their children’s behavioral problems

at home.

This type of internet-delivered therapy can

also be effective for children with disruptive

behavior disorders including obsessive-

compulsive disorder (OCD). Comer conducted

a preliminary study using two-way audio

and video equipment to allow for real-

time communication. Results showed all

participants exhibited significant improvement

with their OCD symptoms. Some no longer

met the criteria for an OCD diagnosis.

Early intervention is crucial, especially for

children with anxiety or behavior disorders.

With the use of telemedicine, mental health

professionals can broaden the availability of

supported interventions.

The implementation of telemedicine for

mental health treatment marks one of the most

significant shifts in therapy in the past decade.

The team at FIU’s Center for Children and

Families is exploring new ways to utilize this

growing trend to expand the availability of and

access to effective treatment for those who

need it most. n

For millions of Americans, mental health

treatment is largely out of reach — a fact

FIU psychologists are trying to change.

Putting treatment within reach


The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. It makes up

2 percent of a body’s mass yet uses

20 percent of its blood and oxygen

supply. It controls the way we think.

It controls our movements. It dictates

the way we make decisions. And it

determines how we recall memories.

It is powerful and yet, fragile.

In the past 50 years, technological

advances have allowed us to use the

science of neuroimaging to better

understand the brain — not just

its anatomy, but its psychology —

leading to what we know as cognitive

neuroscience. In the next 50 years, a

routine brain scan may eliminate the

need for lengthy testing and intensive

evaluations. A doctor may be able to

diagnose neurodegenerative conditions

such as Alzheimer’s Disease, as well

as psychological issues including

depression and addiction, even without

typical symptoms.

The science isn’t there yet, but FIU

researchers believe it will get there.

Physicist Angela Laird is developing

FIU’s Cognitive Neuroscience and

Imaging Center (CNIC), a program

dedicated to the study of the brain.

CNIC features more than 50 affiliate

researchers from all across the

university including psychology, physics,

chemistry, biology, education, medicine,

business and more.

For Laird, it’s about more than

diagnosing and treating illness. CNIC’s

mission is also dedicated to education.

Laird is currently studying reasoning

and problem-solving among students

in her physics classes utilizing the

same neuroimaging techniques used

in diagnostic studies. By monitoring

brain activity while the students are

learning, she hopes to identify the best

methods for teaching today’s STEM

(science, technology, engineering and

math) students and better craft the way

classes are taught well into the future.

CNIC scientists have dedicated

their careers to understanding mental

processes in the healthy and diseased

human brain. They study brain activity,

cognition, emotion, action, sensory

perception and mental health, while

working to develop new technologies in

cognitive neuroimaging. Psychologist

Anthony Dick is studying language

development. Modern Languages

Professor Melissa Baralt is exploring the

cognitive effects of bilingualism.

Psychologist Matthew Sutherland is

leveraging neuroimaging techniques

to study the impact of drug abuse on

human brain function. With funding

from the National Institutes of Health,

Unraveling The mysTeries of The

hUman brainBy Ayleen Barbel Fattal | [email protected]


he is examining the long-term impact

of marijuana use on brain function of

patients living with HIV/AIDS. Others

are conducting research to reduce

health disparities among minority

populations, especially those living

with HIV/AIDS and drug addiction,

examining how alterations in brain

function can affect medication

adherence and the tendency for

risky behaviors.

CNIC’s mission is to act as a catalyst

for the research programs at FIU,

enabling deeper understanding of the

neural mechanisms underlying brain

development, adaptation and learning,

and response to disease. Fostering

community engagement and outreach

is key to developing this understanding.

Laird is passionate about sharing the

wonders of science. And for her, no

student is too young to start studying

the brain. This was most evident

during the recent Brain Day event at

the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum

of Science where schoolchildren

enjoyed activities created by Laird and

other CNIC researchers. Earlier in the

year, Laird and her FIU students also

hosted an interactive presentation for 40

kindergarten and first-graders during a

day of art and science at FIU. The kids

created brain hats designed to help

them learn the major lobes of the brain

and what they control.

Understanding the scientific basis of

thought and function of the brain drives

the entire cognitive neuroscience team

at FIU. While countless discoveries

remain to be uncovered about the

human brain, researchers are engaging

the latest technologies to advance what

we know about the organ that gives us

the ability to know. n

Angela Laird, director of Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging Center.


SHAKESPEARE FIRST EDITION

By JoAnn C. Adkins | [email protected] and Evelyn S. Perez | [email protected]

COMING TO FIU

When William Shakespeare died in 1616, he left behind many

unpublished plays. These celebrated

works were destined to be lost in a time

of handwritten manuscripts and pirated

printings. No Macbeth. No Antony and

Cleopatra. No Tempest.

But a sentimental gesture by the

author’s friends, John Heminge and

Henry Condell, changed the course of

literary history. Just a few years after

Shakespeare died, the duo set out to

collect his writings and publish them in

a book known as the First Folio. This

book may be one of the most important

secular books in the English language,

containing almost all of the known plays

that Shakespeare wrote including 18

that were never released in his lifetime.

About 750 copies of the First Folio were

printed in 1623 and less than 250 are

known to survive today. The Folger

Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C.


SHAKESPEARE FIRST EDITIONCOMING TO FIU

EVENT SCHEDULEJan. 14-31

Much Ado About Nothing

by Shakespeare Miami

Feb. 2 Exhibit opening,

Frost Art Museum

Feb. 14-17 Academic conference

for teachers, The Betsy – South Beach

Feb. 20 Folio Family Day, Frost Art Museum

Feb. 25-26 SOBE Wine and Food

Festival events, The Biltmore

Feb. 27 Closing day festival, Frost Art Museum

March 18 A Midsummer’s Night

Dream opening by Miami City Ballet

April 8 Two Gentlemen of Verona

opening by FIU Department of Theatre

holds the largest collection and is about

to embark on an unprecedented journey.

In 2016 — 400 years after

Shakespeare’s death — the folios will go

on tour to all 50 states, Washington D.C.

and Puerto Rico in the Folger’s exhibit

First Folio! The Book that Gave Us

Shakespeare. One site has been chosen

for each state. In February, when the

First Folio comes to Florida, it will take

up residence in the Patricia and Phillip

Frost Art Museum at FIU, thanks in large

part to the efforts of FIU Department of

English Chairman James Sutton.

“This is a dream come true. I’ve been

teaching at FIU for 20 years and have

yet to meet students, from elementary

school to college, who weren’t pulled

in and electrified by Shakespeare,”

Sutton said.

The selection process was highly

competitive. Sutton, along with Gayle

Williams and Shawn Tonner from FIU

Libraries, and Klaudio Rodriguez from

the Frost, drafted and submitted FIU’s

application to host the folio in Florida.

The 500-square-foot traveling exhibit,

which will be on display Feb. 2-27,

2016, tells a two-part story. The first

is about the book itself. The second is

about Shakespeare’s plays and their

significance. When the folio arrives

in Miami, its pages will be opened

to the “to be or not to be” soliloquy

from Hamlet, one of the most quoted

selection of words ever written. Sutton

believes Shakespeare’s words continue

to define the human experience —

what it means to love, to struggle, to

persevere and even to die.

Visitors will be able to indulge in

digital content and interactive activities,

including a 3-D virtual tour of the old

Globe Theatre in London. FIU will

celebrate the folio’s visit with a series of

events including a grand opening, family

day, educational programming, and a

closing day festival. The university will

also team up with The Betsy – South

Beach to host an academic conference

for teachers. Additional events are

currently being planned including a

film series and theater performances.

For those who can’t get enough of the

bard, associated events — including

performances of A Midsummer’s Night

Dream by the Miami City Ballet — will be

offered throughout South Florida after

the exhibit departs FIU.

For John Heminge and Henry Condell,

they simply set out to preserve the

work of a friend. It is unlikely that

they ever imagined their efforts would

ensure Shakespeare’s plays would

grace theaters all across the world.

That his plays would become ballets.

That, someday, motion pictures would

be invented and his works would find

a new medium. That his words would

be spoken four centuries later by

schoolchildren who barely recognize

Shakespeare’s English. It is unlikely

that those two friends would have ever

imagined that the book they set out to

publish would today be an international

treasure about to embark on a national

tour in a country that did not exist when

Shakespeare was alive. n


For the complete stories, visit news.FIU.edu.

College of Arts & Sciences in

Scientists question Nicaraguan canal in newly released report A group of international scientists — including FIU geology and water quality experts — convened to review the environmental impact assessment report commissioned for the proposed construction of a shipping canal in Nicaragua. The trans-isthmus canal would be built by the Nicaraguan government and the Hong Kong Nicaragua Canal Development Company, and would exceed the Panama Canal’s size and capacity. The scientists raised concerns about the canal’s environmental impact assessment report, citing the short amount of time taken to evaluate the impacts of such a large-scale project and insufficient data collection on sediments, species, erosion and fisheries. The scientists’ review garnered international attention as the controversial project continues to be debated throughout Latin America.

FIU awarded selective grant to train leaders from AfricaFIU was one of 20 American universities, and the only in Florida, selected to host African scholars as part of President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative. Twenty-five fellows from Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and other sub-Saharan nations called the Modesto A. Maidique Campus home during the summer while taking part in academic coursework, leadership training and community service projects. Supported by the U.S. Department of State, the initiative supports the fellows who hope to strengthen democratic governance, bring prosperity and enhance peace and security across Africa.


1-day sale turns 10-year-old book into ‘New York Times’ best seller

Les Standiford’s 10-year-old Meet You In Hell met the New York Times Best Sellers list this year. Wanting to tell the story of the larger-than-life personalities

responsible for the boom of the American steel industry, the director of the FIU Creative Writing Program published the historical nonfiction book in 2005. A decade later, a promotion offered by the book’s publisher made the book’s sales rocket, placing it in the top 10 of the country’s best sellers for the month of May. The promotion was a great success, generating sales of more than 3,800 e-books in April and helping the older book rise from obscurity. It is estimated half of all reading in the U.S. is done without paper today. With consumer adoption of hand-held technology rapidly rising, many argue e-publishing will continue to transform reader trends for many years to come.

Creative writing student earns best new poet accoladeFIU Master of Fine Arts student Annik Adey-Babinski is living her dream of studying and writing poetry. Adey-Babinski’s poem “Wash Bucket” was one of 50 selected for publication in Best New Poets 2014, an annual anthology that recognizes the country’s emerging writers. Inspired by a dream her boyfriend had, the poem follows the journey of a wayward man who has left to battle his demons and has now returned to heal others, including a sick blue bird.

Student ecology club named chapter of the year FIU’s ecology club, GLADES, has been named student chapter of the year by the Ecological Society of America. GLADES — or Growth of Leadership, Academics and Diversity in Ecological Sciences — provides students with a network to explore research, professional development, community outreach and leadership opportunities in ecology. Now in its second year at FIU, the club has organized a variety of events and initiatives on campus and in the community, including panel discussions, lectures, research presentations, beach cleanups and an adopt-a-tree program.


For the complete stories, visit news.FIU.edu.

College of Arts & Sciences in

Obama marks Earth Day in the EvergladesPresident Barack Obama celebrated Earth Day with FIU researchers in Everglades National Park. The president took to the podium to speak about climate change and the importance of preservation. Evelyn Gaiser, executive director of the School of Environment, Arts and Society, along with biologist Philip Stoddard, public administration student Jacqueline Crucet, journalism student Bryan Palacio, and Arts & Sciences alumnus Larry Perez were among those who joined Obama in the River of Grass.

FIU becomes major research partner of Florida Keys sanctuaryUnder an agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), FIU has been named a major research, monitoring and education partner of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. With resource protection and public outreach as major focal points for the sanctuary, NOAA committed $1.3 million in October for FIU to provide support of sanctuary operations with personnel and partnership opportunities. Among the personnel are scientists who monitor conditions and assess resource damages, mechanics who maintain facilities, educational/outreach specialists, and administrative staff.

Alumna introduces VP at White House college summit

Provost and Executive Vice President Kenneth G. Furton and physics alumna Idaykis Rodriguez joined President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and

higher education leaders in Washington D.C. to announce federal actions to help students prepare for and graduate from college. Rodriguez, a postdoctoral fellow at FIU’s STEM Transformation Institute, introduced Biden at the White House’s College Opportunity Summit. Rodriguez shared her struggles to finance her education and the role her college mentor played in her academic success. FIU announced its commitment to initiatives in line with the Obama administration’s priorities, including college readiness partnerships, college completion networks and increasing the number of college graduates in STEM fields.


Geeki Girls descend on FIUFIU’s School of Integrated Science and Humanity along with the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies hosted the GeekiWood conference in September in collaboration with non-profit Geeki Girls. The conference offered tools to empower adolescents to have a greater appreciation for science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and the arts. It’s a way to encourage teens, especially girls, to pursue STEM-related areas in their studies as well as future college and career planning. Producers, educators, technicians and scientists explained to a group of more than 200 middle school girls — and boys — how technology facilitates the creative process. The conference included an expo featuring FIU student organizations and researchers showcasing STEM-related work including a dogs and drones exhibit, reptiles and their ecological importance in South Florida, 3-D printing and more.

Physicist ignites big bang in fashion industryWhen Fiorella Terenzi transformed a Milan fashion show into an astronomical marvel, she did not anticipate the impact it would have on the fashion industry. Just months after Italian designer Ermenegildo Zegna debuted his fall-winter collection to the sights and sounds of space with the help of Terenzi, the FIU physicist was invited to give a presentation about the collaboration during The New York Times International Luxury Conference in 2014. A pioneer in the field of acoustic astronomy, Terenzi produced sounds from space that were blended with music from Tchaikovsky for Zegna’s fashion show soundtrack. Models walked in tempo with pulsating stars as animations of space served as the visual backdrop. While her specialty is sound, Terenzi also consulted on the animations, intertwining fashion and science in a one-of-a-kind display.


College of Arts & SciencesModesto A. Maidique CampusECS 450Miami, FL 33199-0001

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