HONORABLE AND NOTABLE
Ken Brummel-Smith, M.D. (Medicine) has announced plans to retire in 2017. Brummel-Smith served as a founding chair of the Department of Geriatrics from 2003-2015. Before arriving at FSU, Brummel-Smith served as the medical director to the PACE Elderplace program in Portland, Ore., and as the Bain Chair of the Providence Center on Aging. Brummel-Smith currently chairs the Alzheimer’s Research Advisory Council for the Florida Department of Health. He has been selected by his peers 15 times as one of the Best Doctors in America.
Frank Fincham Ph.D. (Human Sciences), has been invited by the Church of Milan and Catholic University of Milan to help celebrate the Year of Jubilee declared by Pope Francis. The Year of Jubilee, which began on Dec. 8 and spans until Nov. 20, is a period designated by the Pope to exalt God’s love and to pray for the absolution of sins. Fincham is a former Rhodes Scholar and currently serves as the eminent scholar and director of the FSU Family Institute.
Braketta Ritzenthaler, Ph.D. (Engineering), celebrated her retirement Oct. 28 after 20 years of service with the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. Ritzenthaler has held various positions since she began work with the College of Engineering in 1996. Most recently, she served as assistant dean of external relations and marketing in the college’s dean’s office.
PRESENTATIONS
Thomas Blomberg Ph.D. (Criminology), George Pesta Ph.D. (Criminology), and Julie Mestre Brancale (Criminology) presented findings from their research on elder financial exploitation to residents of the Tallahassee retirement community Westminster Oaks on Oct. 27. The investigation was part of the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice’s continuing focus on the causes and methods of prevention of elder fraud and exploitation. The presentation, which included discussions by Merrill Lynch and AARP, was part of FSU’s chapter of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, an organization designed to provide opportunities for academic enrichment to older adults.
Glenna Gordon (Nursing), presented findings from her research project “Intensity Estimation in Poisson Processes with Compositional Noise” at the International Chinese Statistical Association Symposium in Atlanta, Ga.
Lucinda Graven Ph.D. (Nursing), presented her research, “Gender and Ethnic Differences in Heart Failure Self-Care,” at the 20 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America in Orlando, Fla.
So Hyun Park Ph.D. (Nursing), presented findings from her research project “Factors Influencing Obesity Among Preschoolers: Multi-Level Approach” at the Sigma Theta Tau 27th International Nursing Research Congress in Cape Town, South Africa.
GRANTS
Ming Cui Ph.D. (Human Sciences), and Mallory Lucier-Greer Ph.D. (Human Sciences) have received a $10,000 grant from the National Council on Family Relations for their proposal “Helicopter Parenting of College Students: Strengthening Family Well-Being with An Interdisciplinary Approach.” The two family and child sciences professors will partner with faculty from FIU to collect data from college students of both universities and their parents on helicopter parenting and young adult outcomes.
Branko Stefanovic, Ph.D. (Medicine), has received a seed grant to begin research on the suppression of fibrosis of keloid fibroblasts and validation of a novel antifibrotic compound and analysis of prognostic markers.
Lloyd N. Werk, M.D. (Medicine), has received a seed grant for assessing the risk progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in obese pediatric patients. Werk serves as a clerkship faculty member with FSU’s Orlando Regional Medical School campus.
Yi Zhou, Ph.D. (Medicine), and Hengli Tang, Ph.D. (Biology), have received a seed grant to test the anti-Zika therapeutic candidates in human brain organoid and animal models.
BYLINES
Marshall Kapp, Ph.D. (Medicine), has written an article, “Teaching Legal Competencies Through an Individualized Elective in Medicine and Law” published in the journal Gerontology & Geriatrics Education Oct. 14, 2016.
SERVICE
Joedrecka Brown Speights, M.D. (Medicine), was named to the Florida Medical Association’s FMAHealth Core Team on health disparities. FMAHealth Core Teams lead efforts to develop strategic goals to address medical practice, payment, engagement, technology, workforce education and development, research and health disparities.
Paul Cottle, Ph.D. (Physics), has helped organize Future Physicists of Florida, a Florida State University-sponsored program that inductedd 190 Monroe County middle school students during a ceremony on Nov. 4. Future Physicists of Florida is an organization that seeks to identify and recognize middle school students who have demonstrated ability in math and science, and to encourage talented students to take rigorous high school math and science courses so that they are prepared for college majors in science, engineering, math and computing. Last year, Future Physicists of Florida inducted 450 middle school students in three ceremonies at FSU, Bay County and Monroe County.