College of Health Professions and Sciences Archives | �鶹ԭ�� News

A Family’s Unlikely Journey to Become Knights

Robert Stephens — Mon, 04 May 2026 16:52:49 +0000

When StaceyAnn Castro Tapler and her 21-year-old-son, Johnny, graduate this week, it won’t be the first time a parent-child duo has simultaneously celebrated commencement at �鶹ԭ��. But to understand why this particular family’s story is remarkable, you must first appreciate the journey.

StaceyAnn Castro Tapler (49) and her son Johnny (21) graduate together this week. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

We could start 33 years ago to when Castro Tapler first visited �鶹ԭ�� and dreamed of becoming a Knight.

Or jump to when she lost sight of that dream in the whirlwind of life after enlisting in the U.S. Marines, completing an overseas deployment, getting married and raising a family.

Or here, in present day, as the 49-year-old graduates alongside her oldest, each with degree choices influenced by Johnny’s struggle with neurological hearing loss — hers, early childhood development and education and his, communication sciences and disorders. And don’t forget her other son, Michael, an emergency management major, close behind and husband, John, graduating later this year from Valencia College, a partner.

Their story is one of many subplots and selfless acts, and so much love for family — a family that pulled strength from each other on the road to this long-awaited, triumphant moment.

“People doubted us for moving here from Long Island to become Knights,” Castro Tapler says. “We said, ‘Just watch.’ “We’re proving that you can do anything you put your mind to doing by adapting and overcoming.”

StaceyAnn Castro Tapler first visited �鶹ԭ�� in 1993 as a teenager and always dreamed of earning a degree from the university. At 49, she’s finally achieving her goal. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

A Dream Put on Hold, But Never Forgotten

Castro Tapler’s mind first fixed on �鶹ԭ�� in 1993 when the family of her friend, David Konits ’01, paid for her to visit them in Orlando to thank her for saving their son’s life after a serious injury. Putting others first had already become ingrained for Castro Tapler, then 16, despite a childhood without means. She lived with her mother in another friend’s basement and had never traveled beyond New York.

“They brought me to the �鶹ԭ�� campus and I was blown away,” she says. “I’d never seen such nice kids studying together in such a beautiful environment. If I could ever afford college, I wanted it to be here.”

Castro Tapler went back home, finished high school and joined the U.S. Marines. Shortly after 9/11, she was deployed to Kuwait. The idea of college continued to dim as she fulfilled her military duty, returned to Long Island, went to work and raised a family.

“The goal was always out there,” she says, “but I just couldn’t get to it.”

She wanted a more streamlined path for her sons, Johnny and Michael, so she and her husband always included tours of universities during family trips.

“When we came to �鶹ԭ��, the boys and John fell in love,” Castro Tapler says, “and to me, that feeling of belonging was still there after so many years.”

On the day of Johnny’s high school graduation, they loaded up the car and moved to Orlando — placing her within reach of the dream she never gave up on.

Planting Roots on Campus

As a U.S. Marine veteran, Castro Tapler has chilling stories about how she calmly put out oil fires in open combat zones. On her first day of classes at �鶹ԭ��, she — like a good Marine — arrived 30 minutes early with food and hydration. An emotion consumed her: Fear.

Here she was, surrounded by students half her age using tablets and carrying backpacks while she pulled around a wagon and used a spiral notebook. She would need to relearn how to learn. Three encounters quickly made her feel at ease.

“The sound of a piano in the lobby soothed my nerves. Then a group of girls in my first class invited me to work with them. And I found the ,” she says. “A college campus is a different world from what veterans are used to. The people in that office helped me understand aid, tutoring and the culture. They’re veterans, too, so they know how difficult the transition can be.”

Her fear turned to joy and a genuine belief she belonged. She felt even more connected knowing Johnny and Michael were on the same campus feeling the same pride.

Johnny Castro intends to use his communications and sciences disorders degree as the first step toward a medical degree in audiology. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

The Start of a New Future

We come to the most surreal moment: mom and son graduating together. She points out this is a goal achieved, but not the goal.

“Our degrees open doors to serve others,” Castro Tapler says.

She’ll teach first grade, knowing each child is unique, perhaps with a challenge that hasn’t yet been identified. Johnny intends to use his communications and sciences disorders degree as the first step toward a medical degree in audiology. He visualizes being the first person parents see when their babies are diagnosed with a complication. He already knows what he’ll say:

“It’s going to be OK. Look at me. I have a hearing disorder, too, and now I’m a doctor,” Johnny says.

Michael will apply his emergency management degree from �鶹ԭ�� to help communities on a larger scale. And John, after finishing at Valencia College, will consider an online business master’s program at �鶹ԭ��, so he can provide financial planning and support for those facing their own challenges.

“He wants so badly to be a Knight like the rest of us,” Castro Tapler says.

It makes sense. Knights are known for their grit. And this family has plenty of it.

“I think back to people saying you’ll never afford college, you’re too old, and Johnny can’t become a doctor with hearing loss,” Castro Tapler says. “Now we’re going to walk to the stage together and hear our names called.”

Taking Apart the Mystery of Vocal Fatigue

Robert Stephens — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:30:10 +0000

To better understand Assistant Professor Hamzeh Ghasemzadeh and his work, he goes back to a childhood memory of broken toys. Within hours of receiving little robotic figures or remote-control cars, he’d dissembled what had once been a carefully crafted package of technology. To him, sitting among the remnants of a new gift meant he was sitting in a circle of fun.

“My favorite game was to take the toys apart to see how they work and then try to put them back together,” Ghasemzadeh says. “My parents saw my curiosity as a great thing.”

“This is why I came to �鶹ԭ��. I’ve been able to jump right in and address mysteries that haven’t received much attention.”

That same curiosity now drives his research at , where he seeks to take apart discomforted voices, figuratively, so he can develop strategies to make each one whole again. Ghasemzadeh, who joined �鶹ԭ�� in late Summer 2025 and will teach in the school’s newly launched , has already secured one research project funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and is developing another.

“This is why I came to �鶹ԭ��,” he says. “I’ve been able to jump right in and address mysteries that haven’t received much attention until now.”

A Common Problem Without Clear Answers

The first such mystery sounds quite straightforward: vocal fatigue, a common vocal complaint. Beneath the surface, however, it’s deceptive. Solutions have mostly evaded scientists, leaving vocal fatigue as an ongoing problem for many people who rely on their voices, like coaches, public speakers, singers and teachers. Many of Ghasemzadeh’s colleagues experience the very throat discomfort that he’s deconstructing during the funded project just underway.

“We want to collect … multi-modal data and use machine learning models to analyze [vocal fatigue] and develop recommendations for each person.”

“Some instructors get vocal fatigue quickly, some get it slowly and some don’t get it at all,” he says. “There’s a genetic component, but there are also behavioral components. How do they use their voice? How often do they use it? What about the environment where they’re using it? What about personality? We want to collect such comprehensive multi-modal data and use machine learning models to analyze it and develop recommendations for each person.”

The recommendations might include pacing voice usage, projecting the voice efficiently and allowing the voice to recover. Ghasemzadeh envisions this model being predictive and — this is the part he stresses most — personalized.

“The approach to general medicine started with an assumption that while we’re different on the outside, we are very similar inside. Patients with similar ailments took the same medications and [the] same dosages. But we now know that people don’t always respond to pills the same way. If we can quantify how we’re different inside, we can create a computational model to predict responses to medications and optimize treatment plans.”

To integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into vocal fatigue solutions, subjects in Ghasemzadeh’s study will wear sensors that track how and where they use their voices. He’ll prompt them to perform specific vocal tasks and monitor their phonatory function throughout the day. The AI model will analyze these patterns in real time to identify early signs of vocal strain and predict when fatigue is likely to occur.

“We are different. Every prescribed solution should be different, too.”

Participants will also visit his lab at the in Central Florida Research Park, where specialists will collect imaging, aerodynamic and acoustic data. The highly equipped facility brings together America’s leading hearing and voice scientists to develop new technologies and clinical tools for people with hearing loss or voice disorders.

With all of that in hand, including the technology, Ghasemzadeh and his team hope to unwind the mystery of vocal fatigue — one person at a time.

“That’s the idea I want to put forward with every project,” he says. “We are different. Every prescribed solution should be different, too.”

From Engineering to Human Connection

Many would think a toy-reassembling boy is destined to become an engineer. That’s what Ghasemzadeh thought, too. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering and began his career with a focus on telecommunications and signal processing.

“There was something important missing,” he says. “Human connection.”

“Speech became my research interest because … it sets us apart as a species and as individuals.”

He crossed paths with a close friend who mentioned his own research in a field Ghasemzadeh was vaguely familiar with: communication sciences and disorders. The conversation sparked Ghasemzadeh’s enthusiasm for applying his expertise in areas such as signal processing to personally help others.

“Speech became my research interest because it’s the signal we predominantly use to communicate,” he says. “It sets us apart as a species and as individuals.”

For example, it’s quite easy to identify Ghasemzadeh without even seeing him. He sounds young yet intelligent enough to have dual doctoral degrees. There’s an inflection of humility in his voice. The curiosity is always there, too. In fact, his peers have noticed, from his work, what his parents noticed among his broken toys: his curiosity leading to great things. Shortly after arriving at �鶹ԭ��, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association chose Ghasemzadeh for its Early Career Contributions in Research Award.

“It’s also a reminder that I’m early in my career,” he says, “and the sky is the limit.”

At the center of his work as a principal investigator is a belief that progress doesn’t happen alone, but through teamwork.

“You have to surround yourself with different skillsets, all of us willing to take things apart that have never been taken apart, with everyone focused on one goal,” Ghasemzadeh says. “When you win, I win and everyone wins.”

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders of the National Institutes of Health under award number R00DC021235. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

�鶹ԭ�� Researchers Lead Study to Improve Quality of Life for Testicular Cancer Patients

College of Health Professions and Sciences — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:31:40 +0000

While completing treatment is a significant milestone for many cancer survivors, people with testicular cancer often face hidden physical, emotional and social well-being struggles that can last a lifetime.

Associate Professor of Health Sciences Michael Rovito

To reduce these challenges, associate professors of health sciences Michael Rovito and Keith Brazendale in �鶹ԭ��’s Department of Health Sciences are conducting a 6-month intervention study, which is funded by the Florida Department of Health Cancer Innovation Fund.

The National Cancer Institute estimates survival rates for testicular cancer are high, as about 10,000 men are diagnosed each year and fewer than 5% die from the disease — underscoring the need to improve quality of life for these patients.

“Our focus is on finding ways to improve the quality of life for these survivors, and to improve their mental, emotional and social health,” says Rovito, who has researched testicular cancer and men’s health for nearly two decades.

A New Approach to Survivorship Care

Previous survivorship programs have often focused on high-intensity exercise, which can be difficult for patients managing recovery, work and family demands. To develop a more sustainable path to recovery, Rovito and Brazendale are testing a uniquely designed intervention in Florida, known as the Physical Activity and Connectivity for Testicular Cancer Survivors (PACT) program.

PACT combines low-impact, remote, physical activity with an online support network to help survivors navigate psychosocial challenges. Participants engage in regular low-intensity physical activity, such as walking or taking the stairs, and track their progress using Fitbit devices. The devices provide real-time feedback, allowing researchers to set weekly goals and offer personalized guidance. This feedback loop helps participants stay engaged while building sustainable habits.

“We’re seeking an intervention they can do for the rest of their lives,” Brazendale says. “We want these healthy supports to become habit.”

Support Beyond Physical Recovery

Connected through Zoom sessions, PACT program participants receive personalized counsel and encouragement from the researchers directly. They also take part in virtual peer-support sessions led by a social worker and a survivor advocate trained in trauma-informed care. Monthly sessions include breathwork, meditation and discussions on common concerns such as fertility, relationship changes and fear of recurrence.

Associate Professor of Health Science Keith Brazendale

“The online support session provides coping strategies and tools for the participants to use during the day, when they can feel anxious or depressed or overwhelmed,” Rovito says.

Outside of the meetings, researchers stay in touch regularly with individual messages to participants, sending tailored motivational text messages.

“Our hope is that we are providing realistic physical activity changes that are sustainable when the monitoring ends,” says Brazendale. “We want these survivors to have adopted habits and skills that result in them being healthier over the long-term.”

The researchers say they hope to expand the program to other cancer survivor groups and integrate it into broader survivorship care across Florida, while securing additional funding for larger-scale trials.

The Feasibility of the Physical Activity and Connectivity for Testicular Cancer Survivors (PACT) program is supported by a grant from the Florida Department of Health Cancer Innovation Fund grant number 25C33.

�鶹ԭ�� Research to Help Inform Statewide Efforts to Stop Domestic Violence and Improve Care for Survivors

Eddy Duryea ’13 — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:08:58 +0000

Florida is turning to �鶹ԭ�� experts to find better ways to prevent domestic violence and give survivors a stronger voice in the services they need.

Through a $257,384 two-year grant from the Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence, faculty from �鶹ԭ��’s Violence Against Women research cluster are conducting a statewide domestic violence needs assessment. Their findings will help policymakers and local agencies develop better strategies to fund and support domestic violence prevention programs that empower survivors.

“The collective goal of our work is to give people working in these programs and people using these services a voice,” says Bethany Backes, associate professor of social work at , who leads the Violence Against Women cluster and is the project’s principal investigator. “Having research that practitioners can understand and interpret in a way that’s helpful is important to us. “What we’re creating now is hopefully something that can be used for years to come.”

The World’s Women

Violence against women is a global issue. According to UN Women, nearly one in three women worldwide have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life. In 2024, around 50,000 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members.

“We’re looking at criminal justice, sociology, health, and so much more that altogether could create solutions beyond any one discipline.” — Kim Anderson, Professor of Social Work

�鶹ԭ��’s faculty cluster — working across the disciplines of education, social work, criminal justice, sociology and medicine — was created a decade ago to change these outcomes. “We know how complex this social problem is,” says Kim Anderson, a professor of social work and cluster member. “We’re looking at criminal justice, sociology, health, and so much more that altogether could create solutions beyond any one discipline.”

Informing Florida’s Strategy

The researchers have already identified some key needs for the state to examine.

“For example, we’re seeing people facing abuse who are having to spend more on food or other necessities as they navigate shifts in funding for certain assistance programs,” Backes says. “What we’re also seeing is the effect of population booms, and how rapid growth and rapid decline in some areas affects the need for services.”

Several of the members of �鶹ԭ��’s interdisciplinary Violence Against Women Faculty Cluster: Karina Villalba (top left), Bethany Backes, Alison Cares (bottom left) and Kim Anderson (bottom right)

The researchers are analyzing data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Florida’s Departments of Law Enforcement and Children and Families and are surveying organizations that provide domestic violence services. They are interviewing survivors who sought services and those who didn’t to understand access to care and risk factors.

Creating opportunities where more people feel comfortable sharing their domestic violence experiences is cluster member Karina Villalba’s expertise.

“My focus is on intimate partner violence, specifically within the Hispanic community,” says Villalba, an assistant professor in the ’s Population Health Sciences Division. “There are certain beliefs, like the concept of ‘machismo’, that may give an avenue for some men to pursue this kind of violence. Because it can be part of the cultural acceptance, it might not even be seen as violence by the survivors.”

She hopes efforts to prevent domestic violence in the U.S. will have impact globally.

“You’re seeing a ripple effect in countries in Latin America where people are becoming more aware,” Villalba says. “It helps us keep pushing forward with our work so we cannot just be a beacon here in Florida and the United States, but to show the world what we can do.”

Keys to Preventing Violence

Preventing domestic violence means identifying early warning signs and behaviors and providing services to lower the risk of continuing violence, Backes says.

Domestic violence is “not always physical and it’s not just seeing someone with a black eye,” she says. “Physical violence can happen after there’s been psychological abuse such as coercion, controlling, isolation or stalking.”

Cluster member Alison Cares, associate professor of sociology at , says preventing domestic abuse involves changing misconceptions.

“There’s this expectation of how abusers or survivors look. It’s easy to think the people doing this abuse look like monsters,” she says. “But the reality is these are people we know. They can be friends or family members or people we work with.”

The researchers say they are encouraged by the resilience of the survivors and service providers they have met.

“We see incredible bravery of people who talk to a support person,” Anderson says. “We’re hoping that information we get from this assessment can elevate the voices of staff and survivors.”

�鶹ԭ�� Celebrates Order of Pegasus, Student Awardees During Founders Day 2026

Joe Adams — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:45:01 +0000

�鶹ԭ�� will honor 56 exceptional students at Founders’ Day on Wednesday for excellence in scholarship, leadership and service across various disciplines.

Our students are groundbreaking national and global scholarship winners, researchers, athletes, teaching assistants, residence assistants and leaders in campus organizations, including Student Government, LEAD Scholars and the President’s Leadership Council. The honorees include transfer students, those from first-generation and international backgrounds and members of the Burnett Honors College.

Aside from focusing on academics and campus causes, many of the student honorees volunteered at hospitals, schools, parks, food banks, shelters, clinics, youth clubs and with many community service organizations — at times as organizers and coordinators for support drives and campaigns.

“When you look at this group, you see trajectory.” — John Buckwalter, �鶹ԭ��’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs

“The students we recognize at our Founders’ Day Student Honors Celebration are extraordinary not just for what they’ve achieved, but for how they’ve shaped their time at �鶹ԭ��. They’ve pursued opportunities, challenged themselves and lifted others along the way,” says John Buckwalter, �鶹ԭ��’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “When you look at this group, you see trajectory — students whose experiences here are opening doors in meaningful ways and changing the direction of their futures, the trajectories of their families and the communities they inhabit.”

Student award categories highlight new inductees of the Order of Pegasus, �鶹ԭ��’s highest student honor; graduate awards for outstanding master’s thesis and outstanding dissertation; undergraduate awards for honors thesis; and individual college awardees as chosen by the respective college deans. All honorees earned financial awards.

This year’s 37 inductees into the Order of Pegasus mark the 25^th anniversary class of top-achieving Knights. The average GPA of the 2026 class is 3.912.

The campus community is invited to attend the Student Honors Celebration on Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Student Union’s Pegasus Ballroom. A brief reception will follow.

Here are the students to be recognized.

Order of Pegasus Inductees

Fatima Alziyad, College of Health Professions and Sciences and Burnett Honors College
Andy Ayup, College of Sciences
Megan Bailey, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College
Stacie Becker ’23, College of Arts and Humanities
Akash Hari Bharath ’25MS, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Swati Bhargava ’25MS, College of Optics and Photonics
Sanjana Bhatt, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
Griffon Binkowski ’24, College of Sciences and Burnett Honors College
Ossyris Bury, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College
Nico Chen, College of Arts and Humanities and Burnett Honors College
Kyle Coutray, College of Medicine, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College
Allyson Crighton, College of Nursing and Burnett Honors College
Nyauni Crowelle-Feggins, College of Health Professions and Sciences and Burnett Honors College
Cameron Cummins, College of Arts and Humanities and Burnett Honors College
Andrew “Drew” Hansen ’25, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
Andrea Hernandez Gomez, College of Sciences
Lindsey Hildebrand, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Ariana Johnson, College of Medicine
Sanjan Kumar ’23, College of Medicine
Kworweinski Lafontant, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Meera Lakshmanan, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
Abrianna Lalle, College of Nursing
Ilana Logvinov, College of Nursing
Hannah Lovejoy, College of Business
Taiel Lucile, College of Health Professions and Sciences and Burnett Honors College
Robin Marquez, College of Sciences
Shanel Moya Aguero, College of Community Innovation and Education and Burnett Honors College
Gabrielle “Gabby” Murison, College of Sciences
Varun Nannuri, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
Natalie Otero, College of Business and Burnett Honors College
Om Pathak, College of Medicine, College of Arts and Humanities and Burnett Honors College
Pritha Sarkar ’24, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Jacob Vierling, College of Community Innovation and Education
Janapriya Vijayakumar, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
Ornella Vintimilla, College of Medicine and Burnett Honors College
Om Vishanagra, College of Medicine, College of Engineering and Computer Science and Burnett Honors College

Undergraduate Student Awards

College Founders’ Award

Liam Pivnichny, Burnett Honors College
Antonella Bisbal Hernandez, College of Arts and Humanities
Jordan Nell, College of Business
Jude Hagan, College of Community Innovation and Education
Ossyris Bury, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Timothy Horanic, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Sun Latt, College of Medicine
Abrianna Lalle, College of Nursing
Jacob Silver, College of Optics and Photonics
Emily Willis, College of Sciences
Fabian Rodriguez Gomez, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis

Edwin Garcia ’25, College of Arts and Humanities, Outstanding Honors Thesis in Arts, Humanities and Creative Inquiry
Eric Haseman ’25, College of Sciences, Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis in Social Sciences
Shreya Pawar ’25, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis in Natural Sciences
Andrea Molero Perez ’25, College of Medicine, Outstanding Honors Undergraduate Thesis in Health Sciences
Nicholas Rose ’25, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Outstanding Honors Thesis in Engineering and Technology

Graduate Student Awards

Outstanding Dissertation

Jessica Moon ’25PhD, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Michael Pierro ’20 ’23MS ’25PhD, College of Engineering and Computer Science

9 �鶹ԭ�� Experts Inducted to National Academies of Practice

Julie Harper ’01 and Grayson Keglovic — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:32:32 +0000

Nine experts from two colleges within �鶹ԭ��’s Academic Health Sciences Center were elected into the Class of 2026 Distinguished Fellows of the National Academies of Practice.

The prestigious recognition is awarded to scholars who have made outstanding contributions to advance practice, education, research and policy in a healthcare profession and who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to interprofessional practice.

�鶹ԭ��’s inductees and their respective academies are: Mindi Anderson (Nursing), Morris Beato (Physical Therapy), Susan Dyess (Nursing), David Eddins (Audiology), Julie Feuerstein (Speech-Language Pathology), Kristine Gauthier (Nursing), Valerie Martinez (Nursing), Jacqueline Towson (Speech-Language Pathology), and Asli Yalim (Social Work).

The awardees were inducted during the National Academies of Practice Annual Meeting in Indianapolis on March 14.

College of Nursing Fellows

(From left to right): College of Nursing’s inductees Susan Dyess, Frances Armstrong, Jonathan Decker, Valerie Martinez, Mindi Anderson, and Kristine Gauthier. (Photo by Melanie Cedeño-Lopez)

Mindi Anderson

Mindi Anderson, interim associate dean of academic affairs and professor at the College of Nursing, is one of the world’s leading experts in healthcare simulation. Her research, which has established best practices in healthcare simulation education, includes developing and evaluating simulation experiences to prepare healthcare students for clinical practice. She is also part of an interdisciplinary team at �鶹ԭ�� whose research has contributed to multiple patents to advance simulation and training.

Susan Dyess

With over 30 years of academic, clinical, and administrative experience, Professor Susan Dyess is a nationally recognized leader in interprofessional education, curricular design and holistic nursing. An expert in aging, vulnerable populations and quality, safety and patient outcomes, she has played a pivotal role in advancing interprofessional learning through institutional councils, statewide initiatives and community-based partnerships. Previously, she held senior academic leadership positions that strengthened cross-disciplinary education and fostered student success through innovative models.

Kristine Gauthier

Kristine Gauthier, assistant dean for clinical affairs in the College of Nursing, is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner who collaborates on interdisciplinary teams to improve health outcomes for underserved pediatric populations. Her collaboration extends into academic settings with curriculum development and research to address childhood health and wellness. In addition to her �鶹ԭ�� appointment, Gauthier leads a national center on child health and safety where she collaborates to develop resources, metrics, policies and research.

Valerie Martinez

As a certified pediatric nurse practitioner, Valerie Martinez collaborates across disciplines as a researcher and educator to improve health outcomes for children and families. In her role as director of the advanced practice in �鶹ԭ��’s doctor of nursing practice program, Martinez has designed courses and simulations to prepare future nurse practitioners to collaborate effectively across health professions. Her research seeks to generate evidence to improve care across healthcare professions.

(From left to right): Asli Yalim, Julie Feuerstein, Morris “Rick” Beato and David Eddins (not pictured Jacqueline Towson).

College of Health Professions and Sciences Fellows

Morris “Rick” Beato

Morris “Rick” Beato, a clinical associate professor in the , has extensive experience in multidisciplinary clinical settings, including the �鶹ԭ�� Huntington’s Clinic. He educates physical therapy students in IPE competencies and has received multiple national and state awards for teaching and professional service. His scholarly contributions include multiple collaborations in neurology and geriatrics. He is the director of the �鶹ԭ�� and Orlando Health Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency Program.

David Eddins

Professor David Eddins is a nationally recognized certified clinical audiologist in the . Eddins is the founding director of the Communication Technologies Research Center at �鶹ԭ��, an interdisciplinary center that focuses on hearing technologies, simulation, auditory neuroscience, voice and aerodigestive systems, and simulation and virtualization. His contributions to the interprofessional community include extensive research, mentoring and editorial service focused on improving diagnostics and treatment in hearing, speech and voice.

Julie Feuerstein

Assistant Professor Julie Feuerstein is a speech-language pathologist, educator and clinical researcher who leads interdisciplinary initiatives uniting professionals in speech-language pathology, physical therapy and assistive technology. Her research and service in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders are centered around improving systems of care for young children with complex communication needs. Feuerstein’s expertise spans early intervention, augmentative and alternative communication, and implementation science.

Jacqueline Towson

Jacqueline Towson is a speech-language pathologist and associate professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders committed to improve outcomes for young children with disabilities and their families. Towson has published and presented extensively on her research focusing on dialogic reading, early language and literacy and training. She has led multiple large-scale interdisciplinary projects, designed to deliver statewide training to ensure the use of evidence-based practices in serving children with high-intensity needs.

Asli Yalim

Associate Professor Asli Yalim has served as the School of Social Work’s Interprofessional Education Research Liaison since 2024. She develops and leads IPE activities that integrate wellness content into her coursework, creating experimental learning opportunities that foster collaboration across different professions. Yalim has collaborated on several funded projects, including an interprofessional, evidence-based virtual program to prevent burnout, suicide and mental health conditions among healthcare workers.

Additionally, six �鶹ԭ�� faculty members from the Colleges of Health Professions and Sciences and Nursing were elected as new professional members. Membership is extended to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their profession and dedication to interprofessional healthcare.

�鶹ԭ��’s new professional members and their respective academies are: Frances Armstrong (Nursing), Jonathan Decker (Nursing), William Hanney (Physical Therapy), Ilana Logvinov (Nursing), Ayse Malatyali (Nursing), and Shari Norte (Athletic Training).

�鶹ԭ��’s new distinguished fellows join 17 previously inducted faculty, 11 from the College of Health Professions and Sciences and six

84 Faculty Scholars Honored at the 5th Biennial Faculty Authors’ Celebration

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:58:56 +0000

Beyond teaching and conducting research, many faculty members devote significant time — sometimes years — to authoring books. Their work spans instructional texts that guide students’ learning to creative publications that explore new ideas.

This year, �鶹ԭ�� honored 84 faculty members during the fifth biennial Faculty Authors’ Celebration, held Feb. 17 in the Solarium Room at the John C. Hitt Library on the university’s main campus. The event celebrates faculty whose published books — from novels and poetry to textbooks and manuals — contribute to scholarly excellence and creativity in their respective fields.

Professor of English and Director of Graduate Programs Anastasia Salter delivered the keynote address at this year’s Faculty Authors’ Celebration. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

The event, which is sponsored by the Office of Research��Ի��, drew many guests, including Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs John Buckwalter and Vice President for Research and Innovation Winston Schoenfeld.

Professor of English and Director of Graduate Programs Anastasia Salter delivered the keynote address. Salter is the author or co-author of 10 books on digital culture and electronic literature, including most recently Undertale: Can a Game Give Hope, which invites readers to rethink their relationship with gaming and game characters.

2026 Faculty Author Honorees

Yara Asi ’07MA ’15PhD, College of Community Innovation and Education
Jonathan Annand,
Greg Autry, College of Business Administration
William Ayers, College of Arts and Humanities
James Bacchus, College of Sciences
Morris Beato, College of Health Professions and Sciences
James Beckman, College of Community Innovation and Education
Martha Brenckle, College of Arts and Humanities
Andrea Borowczak ’92, College of Community Innovation and Education
Wayne Bowen, College of Arts and Humanities
Sarah Bush, College of Community Innovation and Education
Jessica Campbell ’12MA ’20PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
Shannon Carter, College of Sciences
Robert Cassanello, College of Arts and Humanities
Necati Catbas, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Thomas Cavanagh ’06PhD, Center for Distributed Learning
Karl Chai, College of Medicine
Baiyun Chen ’07PhD, Center for Distributed Learning
Amy Cicchino, College of Arts and Humanities
Brian Collins,
Ilenia Colón Mendoza, College of Arts and Humanities
Joshua Colwell, College of Sciences
Aimee Denoyelles ’00, Center for Distributed Learning
Taseen Desin, College of Medicine
Ahmad Elshennawy, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Katia Ferdowsi, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Julie Feuerstein, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Scot French, College of Arts and Humanities
Martha Garcia ’97 ’00MA, College of Arts and Humanities
Amrita Ghosh, College of Arts and Humanities
Carolyn Glasshoff ’11MA ’21PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
Donita Grissom ’14PhD, College of Community Innovation and Education
Gulsah Hancerliogullari Koksalmis, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Kenneth Hanson, College of Arts and Humanities
Duncan Hardy, College of Arts and Humanities
David Head, College of Arts and Humanities
Bari Hoffman ’96 ’98MA, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Emily Johnson ’15PhD, College of Arts and Humanities
Naim Kapucu, College of Community Innovation and Education
Lauren Kehoe,
Haidar Khezri, College of Arts and Humanities
Nolan Kline, College of Medicine
Alla Kourova, College of Arts and Humanities
Lanlan Kuang, College of Arts and Humanities
David Lerner Schwartz, College of Arts and Humanities
Hsiu-fen Lin, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Robert Littlefield, College of Sciences
Ty Matejowsky, College of Sciences
Stephen Masyada, College of Sciences
Jonathan Matusitz, College of Sciences
Kevin Meehan, College of Arts and Humanities
Lisa Nalbone, College of Arts and Humanities
Hakan Özoğlu, College of Arts and Humanities
Jason Phillips, �鶹ԭ�� Libraries
Laurie Pinkert, College of Arts and Humanities
Ghaith Rabadi ’96MSIE ’99PhD, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Luis Rabelo, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Sherry Rankins-Robertson, College of Arts and Humanities
Jorge Ridderstaat, Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Lee Ross, College of Community Innovation and Education
Mary Rubin ’12 ’19MA, �鶹ԭ�� Libraries
Houman Sadri, College of Sciences
Anastasia Salter, College of Arts and Humanities
Scott Carter, College of Sciences
Melina Sherman, College of Sciences
Marwan Simaan, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Christopher Spinale ’04MEd ’24PhD, College of Sciences
Mel Stanfill, College of Arts and Humanities
Sandra Sousa, College of Arts and Humanities
Bulent Soykan, Institute for Simulation and Training
Sidney Turner, College of Arts and Humanities
Jennie Wagner, College of Nursing
Linda Walters, College of Sciences
Chung Ching (Morgan) Wang, College of Sciences
Keri Watson, College of Arts and Humanities
Taylar Wenzel ’11EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
Amanda Wilkerson ’16EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
Florence Williams, Center for Distributed Learning
Andrew Williams Jr., College of Community Innovation and Education
Ross Wolf ’88 ’91MPA ’98EdD, College of Community Innovation and Education
Sharon Woodill, College of Community Innovation and Education
Kuppalapalle Vajravelu, College of Sciences
Jill Viglione, College of Community Innovation and Education
Staci Zavattaro, College of Community Innovation and Education

Future Speech-Language Pathologists Test Skills in High-Tech “Escape Room” Exam

Grayson Keglovic — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 19:28:30 +0000

The final exam for Basic Phonetics in Fall 2025 was anything but basic, thanks to Lecturer Erin Leeming and the technology at the College of Health Professions and Sciences’ . The course culminated in an escape room simulation in which students worked in groups to “escape” a doctor’s office filled with clues written in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and hidden in an immersive simulation room.

The IPA is a universal system that uses symbols to represent speech sounds. It’s a foundational skill for speech-language pathologists (SLP) who use the IPA to track and target a client’s articulation of speech sounds during speech therapy.

“I was really excited to try this because I feel like you can see everything that we’ve built up to and everything that I’ve been teaching throughout the course,” Leeming says. “This is even more real world for students to be able to read somebody else’s transcription and figure out what a client said and how they said it.”

Held in the Blended Learning Interactive Simulation Suite (BLISS), students had 20 minutes to use the suite’s three touchscreen, interactive walls to solve a series of clues written in IPA that led students to complete tasks and locate specific items around the “room” to look for a way to escape. Students moved through the exercise in groups of five or six, testing their phonetic skills as well as encouraging communication and collaboration.

“This could easily be a class where you just make it about memorization, and a teacher could say ‘Here’s symbols you have to memorize for a test,’ ” says student Carrie Miles. “This was a really great way to take all the things that we learned throughout the year and apply them to actual language and actual conversation, because when we get to the real world, we’re not going to be memorizing something off a piece of paper. We’re going to have to be listening and reading transcriptions and applying the things that we know about phonetics that way.”

More than 120 undergraduate communication sciences and disorders students moved through the escape room, earning their final exam grade. Leeming says that the feedback and engagement from student participants was exactly what she hoped for; they found it digestible, challenging and less nerve-racking than a normal final exam.

“Incorporating this simulation technology brought a completely new perspective to teaching and testing. … It enhanced engagement and reinforced learning in a creative, fast-paced way.” — Erin Leeming, lecturer

“They like being able to see that they’ve learned something and that they’re able to use it in a different way than they might in the classroom,” Leeming says. “Incorporating this simulation technology brought a completely new perspective to teaching and testing. The field of communication sciences and disorders relies on collaboration and problem-solving, so instead of a traditional test, this gave students the opportunity to apply their skills in an interactive environment. It enhanced engagement and reinforced learning in a creative, fast-paced way.”

BLISS, the immersive simulation suite, has added a new dimension to healthcare education and clinical training possibilities for the college. The space has been used extensively for teaching and learning, with scenarios ranging from physical therapy students experiencing fragile infants in a simulated NICU, to , to communication sciences and disorders students .

The interactive phonetics escape room is part of a broader continuum of technology-driven simulations developed within the Rehabilitation Innovation Center to model real-world complexity and support the development of workforce ready healthcare professionals.

Orlando’s New Poet Laureate, �鶹ԭ�� Alumna Finds Healing Through Words

Camille Dolan ’98 — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 18:02:44 +0000

When Orlando poet laureate Camara Gaither ’23MSW steps up to a microphone, her presence is both grounded and electric. She doesn’t just perform poetry — she opens a space for healing.

“Poetry gives us permission to feel without judgment,” she says. “And when we share those feelings out loud, we remember that we’re not alone.”

As a mental health therapist at Heart Bonds Counseling, working toward becoming a licensed social worker, Gaither has built her life around helping people find their voice. Whether she’s guiding veterans through trauma, leading poetry workshops for youth or performing for packed audiences, her message is the same: words can transform pain into power.

“Poetry gives us a place to put pain,” says Gaither, who earned a master’s in social work from �鶹ԭ��. “It’s an accessible way to approach emotions that feel too threatening to face directly.”

A Call for Change

Before she ever found the courage to share her poetry publicly, Gaither was navigating a season of change. Seven years ago, she and her husband moved to Orlando with their infant daughter, drawn by opportunity and the promise of new beginnings. Gaither had worked in the nonprofit sector for several years but felt called to something deeper — something that could merge advocacy, creativity and care.

When the pandemic arrived, that call grew louder.

“I realized I couldn’t keep waiting for the perfect time to go back to school,” she says. “The world was changing — and so was I.”

She applied to �鶹ԭ��’s social work program in the College of Health Professions and Sciences, drawn by its emphasis on evidence-based practice and serving others. The program offered her flexibility to balance graduate studies with motherhood and work, and it challenged her to explore the intersections between mental health, identity and storytelling.

A Transformative Journey

During her field placement at the Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gaither worked closely with veterans processing trauma and loss. There, she saw the power of creative expression in action.

“When we create a metaphor for something painful, we give ourselves a little space from it — enough to begin understanding,” she says. “A veteran once described grief as ‘my neighbor.’ That line stuck with me. It gave him language for something that felt impossible to name.”

Camara Gaither ’23MSW now uses her training to lead workshops that help trauma survivors, caregivers and young people reclaim their narratives.

That moment became a turning point. Gaither began studying poetry therapy, a clinical practice that uses creative writing to foster emotional healing. She later trained through the International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy and now facilitates workshops that help trauma survivors, caregivers and young people reclaim their narratives.

“People who have been silenced in different ways often rediscover their agency through language,” Gaither says. “Poetry becomes a form of resistance and restoration.”

Her dual background in art and social work allows her to see poetry as both medicine and a mirror. In her therapeutic work, she encourages clients to explore their experiences through metaphor and rhythm. In her performances, she models that same courage, voicing joy, grief and transformation in equal measure.

“The holes in our lives — the losses, the wounds — they can be filled with good things,” she says. “That’s what poetry has done for me.”

Gaither’s own journey with spoken word began as an undergraduate student in Tampa, where she first encountered the art form that would later shape her identity. She had been writing poetry since childhood, but the first time she experienced the spoken word genre was pivotal to her journey as a poet.

“It was the first time I saw poetry embodied,” she says. “The way performers used not only words, but also vocal cadence and physicality to tell a story — it all expanded what I believed poetry could be. I remember thinking, ‘I want to do that.’”

After graduation, she continued writing and performing, eventually becoming a fixture in Orlando’s poetry community. Her work, known for its emotional depth and precise rhythm, explores themes of identity, mental health and faith. She has performed at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and at events across Central Florida, earning recognition as one of the region’s most resonant and thoughtful voices.

Strengthening Orlando’s Community

In 2025, the City of Orlando named Gaither its third poet laureate — and the third consecutive �鶹ԭ�� alumni to hold the title ( and Shawn Welcome ’17 ’25MA in 2021. In this role, Gaither will use poetry to connect communities, celebrate culture and promote literacy across the city. She plans to create youth workshops, write commissioned works for civic events, and lead Orlando’s Words and Wonders poetry contest, where winning poems are displayed at the Orlando International Airport.

“Being poet laureate isn’t just about performing, it’s about service — showing people that poetry belongs to everyone.”

Despite the growing spotlight, Gaither remains grounded in her purpose as both a clinician and an artist. She continues to work in mental health, blending her clinical training with creative approaches to trauma recovery. She says she believes that healing often begins with expression — with finding a way to say what has long gone unsaid.

“When someone writes, I’m angry, that’s a start,” she says. “But when they write, my anger is a storm that doesn’t know where to land, suddenly, we have something to hold and understand. That’s the power of poetry.”

For Gaither, every poem is an act of courage and an invitation to connection. It’s a truth she carries from her �鶹ԭ�� days to every stage she stands on: that the human voice, when used with honesty and empathy, can help others heal.

New �鶹ԭ�� Mobile Health Clinic Increases Access to Care

Wendy Sarubbi — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 17:56:05 +0000

�鶹ԭ�� unveiled a new 38-foot �鶹ԭ�� Heath Mobile Health Clinic on Wednesday, designed to bring free, high-quality healthcare directly to communities that need it most.

The clinic also serves as a mobile classroom, preparing �鶹ԭ�� healthcare students in programs including medicine, nursing, physical therapy and speech-language pathology with hands-on experience delivering community-based care.

The clinic is the first interdisciplinary clinical care program offered by �鶹ԭ��’s Academic Health Sciences Center (AHSC). The center unites �鶹ԭ��’s colleges of Health Professions and Sciences, Medicine and Nursing to create more interprofessional health education, research and patient care efforts.

“This new mobile health clinic is expanding access to healthcare in our community,” says Deborah German, who as vice president for health affairs leads the AHSC and serves as College of Medicine dean. “Our goal is simple and powerful – when healthcare providers work together, the patient receives better care.”

The clinic is focused on low income, uninsured and underinsured populations in Orange and Osceola counties, helping patients who face transportation, mobility or financial barriers that restrict their access to healthcare.

Services include screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and hearing, along with chronic disease monitoring, fall-risk assessments, medication reviews, audiology services and health education.

With two private exam rooms, diagnostic equipment, and point-of-care testing capabilities, the clinic is aiming to reduce preventable conditions and improve long-term health for the Central Florida region.

“The �鶹ԭ�� Health Mobile Health Clinic is designed to complement the incredible work being done by community health centers, federally qualified health centers and charitable clinics across Central Florida,” says Caridad Hernandez, chair of medical education at the College of Medicine, who has worked for years to make the mobile clinic a reality. “Our goal is to fill gaps and meet people where they are, working hand in hand with these organizations to amplify resources and create a seamless continuum of care.”

The clinic is the first interdisciplinary clinical care program offered by �鶹ԭ��’s Academic Health Sciences Center (AHSC), which is made up of healthcare providers, faculty, researchers, staff and students committed to improving healthcare and educating the next generation of healthcare leaders.

Training Future Health Leaders

�鶹ԭ��’s Academic Health Sciences Center is made up of healthcare providers, faculty, researchers, staff and students committed to improving healthcare. It is focused on educating the next generation of healthcare leaders and finding better ways to treat disease through innovation, discovery and collaboration.

The mobile clinic serves as a classroom on wheels that provides future �鶹ԭ�� physicians, nurses, audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and others with the opportunity to learn in real-world settings, side by side, as part of interprofessional teams.

“These experiences prepare graduates who are not only clinically skilled but know how to work and communicate better in healthcare teams.” — Caridad Hernandez, chair of medical education at the College of Medicine

“They will see firsthand how life and social circumstances impact health and care, and how collaboration strengthens outcomes,” Hernandez says. “These experiences prepare graduates who are not only clinically skilled but know how to work and communicate better in healthcare teams. That training stays with them when they go into clinics and hospitals to care for us all.”

Mimi Alliance ’22 is a family nurse practitioner doctoral student at �鶹ԭ��’s College of Nursing who is providing care on the mobile health unit and conducting doctoral research on hearing screenings for seniors.

“�鶹ԭ��’s mobile health clinic is an incredible and innovative tool that will allow us, as a group of providers, the ability to care for patients by serving them where they are,” she says. “Ultimately, this is going to improve the health of our communities.”

Addressing a Community Need

The mobile clinic serves Florida residents who are uninsured or underinsured with income levels at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. Nearly 15% of both Orange and Osceola County residents are not insured, regardless of income level. In addition, 27% of Floridians say they do not have a personal physician.

Since March, almost 500 patients have visited the clinic for blood pressure checks, hearing screenings and point-of-care testing for blood sugar levels and cholesterol. It has provided care at Four Roots Farm, Kinneret Council on Aging, Grace Medical Home, the Central Florida Fairgrounds and four Central Florida YMCA locations. �鶹ԭ�� has also reached an agreement with Osceola County to provide care at community centers in the future.

Thanks to a grant from the Florida Department of Health, the clinic is working to improve care for the community’s diabetic patients with limited access to care.

Diabetes is a worldwide epidemic. In Florida, at least 2.17 million adults have been diagnosed with diabetes and an estimated 550,000 more are unaware they have it. The state’s diabetes rate is higher than the national average and it is getting worse – an additional 6 million adults in Florida have prediabetes.

“Many of our neighbors with diabetes have no access to healthcare. That leads to premature death, blindness, loss of limbs and kidney failure,” Hernandez says. “Through the FDOH grant, we can help provide these patients with needed care. We screen patients for diabetes, can provide prescriptions at no cost, and offer education on diet changes that will help them manage their disease.”

As one recent patient at Kinneret Council on Aging explains, “�鶹ԭ�� helped me know what kind of food and protein I can eat to help my blood sugar not get too high or too low. Thank you so much. You are helping.”

The clinic also started a diabetic foot program after one of the Kinneret patients said she and other diabetics lacked mobility and eyesight to regularly check their feet for ulcers or blisters. Diabetes increases a patient’s risk for foot ulcers that can lead to amputation. Thanks to the foot program, �鶹ԭ�� College of Nursing faculty and students are providing hands-on education and preventive screenings to patients, who also received their own telescoping mirrors to do regular foot checks at home.

Providing Needed Audiology Care

One of the clinic’s major health services is hearing health and the prevention of hearing loss.

“This is not just a ‘nice to have’ screening,” says Bari Hoffman ’96 ’98MA, associate dean for clinical affairs at �鶹ԭ��’s College of Health Professions and Sciences and a certified speech pathologist who has helped lead the mobile clinic effort. “Hearing loss is linked to diabetes, cardiovascular and cardiometabolic conditions, balance, cognition and overall health. When we catch hearing loss early, we can intervene before it affects someone’s safety, memory, their social connections, or their long-term health trajectory.”

Thanks to a gift from the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, �鶹ԭ�� purchased diagnostic hearing equipment to provide clinical-grade hearing assessments in the community. And though a collaboration with Central Florida Hearing Aid Recycling Programs, the mobile clinic can help connect patients with reprogrammed, refurbished hearing aids at no cost.

“This is such a meaningful addition,” Hoffman says. “Identifying hearing loss is important, but ensuring people have access to hearing aids is what truly changes lives.”

The mobile unit is also supported by the Community Fund of our teaching hospital – �鶹ԭ�� Lake Nona Hospital and our partners HCA Florida Healthcare and The Jules B. Chapman MD and Annie Lou Chapman Private Foundation.

Stephanie Garris is CEO of Orlando’s Grace Medical Home, which provides high-quality, continuous care to some of Orange County’s more than 160,000 uninsured residents. Grace patients have received audiology care from the �鶹ԭ�� mobile clinic.

“This mobile clinic is an incredible resource for our patients, offering essential services they otherwise wouldn’t have access to.” —Stephanie Garris, CEO of Orlando’s Grace Medical Home

“This mobile clinic is an incredible resource for our patients, offering essential services they otherwise wouldn’t have access to,” Garris says. “Through our partnership with �鶹ԭ��, we are expanding access to care—especially for the working poor, whose jobs often don’t include healthcare benefits.”

Expanding Efforts

Mobile clinic leaders are eager to expand services and work with additional community organizations.

Plans also include expanding the mobile clinic into an innovation hub to pilot and evaluate emerging aging-in-place and digital health technologies and integrate new diagnostic and disease prevention tools.

�鶹ԭ�� research faculty also want to use the vehicle’s services to study better ways to advance health accessibility and chronic disease management. Educators from the AHSC’s three colleges also plan to grow interdisciplinary student training across areas including audiology, nursing, medicine, physical therapy and speech language pathology.

Community organizations wishing to partner with the mobile health clinic can contact anna.cisneros@ucf.edu.