ARTS SCIENCES EDUCATION FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY 2017 CLIMATE EXTREMES Science uncovers secrets hidden within natural disasters CONTENTS Scientists advance forecasting to give people more time to prepare for approaching storms Alumna fights cyber criminals for Comcast Music legend Sam Moore looks to change the Three women narrative on soul are shaping Mother, researcher, the future cancer fighter: one of STEM professor proves she’s a survivor Students advance World’s deepest coral research, conservation Selective mutism program helps nursery could help restore of Florida Everglades children find their brave voice threatened coral reefs Mike Heithaus, Dean FROM THE DEAN William Anderson, Vice Dean Ady Arguelles, Executive Director of Development Maricel Cigales, On the first day of the fall semester, I stood atop the Stocker AstroScience Center to marvel Associate Dean Maureen Donnelly, Associate Dean at the Great American Solar Eclipse. In the chaos that is the first day of classes, it was a rare Valerie Johnsen, Executive Director of Academic Support and Analysis chance to pause. I was fortunate that my family was able to join me and the many others on Hector Junco, Executive Director of Finance and Operations campus who took time out of the day to look up. Suzanna Rose, Associate Dean Jeremy Rowan, Assistant Dean From the observation deck of Stocker, I also had that rare Laura Dinehart, Executive Director, bird’s-eye-view of campus. There were several thousand students, School of Education and Human Development faculty and staff doing exactly what we were. Pausing. Watching. Evelyn Gaiser, Executive Director, From rooftops, sitting in the grass, standing along walkways, School of Environment, Arts and Society from the windows of buildings, and all those joining us at the Walter Van Hamme, Executive Director, School of Integrated Science and Humanity astroscience center. I was reminded of how fortunate we are to be JoAnn C. Adkins, Editor, part of this one big community of students, alumni, faculty, staff Arts, Sciences & Education Magazine and community partners that have the goal of creating a better, Aileen Solá-Trautmann, Art Director inspiring future. How will we achieve this goal? Our innovative and Barbarita Ramos, Graphic Designer excellent teaching will train the next generation. Our research and Writers Ayleen Barbel Fattal, Evelyn S. Gonzalez creative works will help solve local and global challenges while Chrystian Tejedor inspiring the public. And, our deliberate engagement will ensure Photographers Carl-Frederick Francois, Douglas Garland, that we maximize our impact. Ben Guzman, Timothy Long, Kristen Mayoral, Christopher Necuze, In the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, we are fortunate to have venues like the Ivan Santiago College of Arts, Sciences & Education Stocker AstroScience Center to give our students and the community the resources to learn Dean’s Advisory Board about the world around us and to develop solutions to the challenges that face us. But it’s Gonzalo A. Acevedo, Co-Chair Kevin Senecal, Co-Chair the people who make amazing things happen — faculty who teach and research, donors who Richard Standifer, Co-Chair Mariel Acosta-Garcia provide the opportunities to always move forward, community partners who help bring about Victor Balestra change and our staff who provide the support that makes it all possible. In the pages of this Sandy Batchelor Manya “Terry” Blechman magazine you will meet Bethany Reeb-Sutherland who encapsulates the qualities of our faculty Stephen E. Davis III Suleyman Demir — optimistic in the face of adversity, compassionate, student-focused and driven to use her Steven Dinh experiences to create new knowledge that will help others. Frank DuMond Sharon Fine Robert “Bob” Fitzsimmons Our students are amazing (including the 3,000 we graduated last year). They are innovating, Kirsten Hines creating and pushing the limits of education — constantly rethinking what is possible. To Patricia B. Keon Paul D. Landrum serve them, we are rethinking how we do things. We are researching new teaching methods Brian Machovina Nancy G. Maynard to improve classroom experiences. We are accelerating research initiatives in key areas where Olga Melin Michael Mendez highly skilled and engaged workers are needed — the environment, child mental health, and John Mills STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math). We are growing initiatives in the Esther Moreno Michael N. Rosenberg humanities to ensure our students develop their creativity and critical thinking as they embark Carl Stocker Daniel Tasciotti on future careers. We are providing the support they need to graduate sooner, with less debt Fiorella Terenzi Jennifer Tisthammer and with real-life experiences to enhance their education. Cenk Tuncay Mine Üçer In this issue of Arts, Sciences & Education, we celebrate the work of all those who make our FIU Board of Trustees successes possible. I hope you will be as inspired as I am and find a way to get involved! Claudia Puig, Chairperson Jorge L. Arrizurieta, Vice Chair Mark B. Rosenberg, Secretary Cesar L. Alvarez Jose J. Armas Leonard Boord Dean C. Colson Mike Heithaus Gerald C. Grant, Jr., ’78, ’89 Michael G. Joseph Dean, College of Arts, Sciences & Education Natasha Lowell Professor, Department of Biological Sciences Justo L. Pozo ’80 Marc D. Sarnoff Faculty Member Arts, Sciences & Education is an annual publication produced by the College of Arts, Sciences & Education and the Kathleen L. Wilson, Division of External Relations at Florida International University. Chair, FIU Faculty Senate College of Arts, Sciences & Education | Florida International University | 11200 SW 8th St., ECS 450 | Miami, FL 33199 Student Member Krista M. Schmidt 305-348-2864 | [email protected]| case.fiu.edu @FIUCASE President, Student Government MMC Arts, Sciences & Education 2017 | CASE | 1 DISCOVERIES INVENTION Science hemical testing is a multi-billion dollar For Furton, who is also FIU’s provost But with the new FIU method, referred industry where accuracy is critical and and executive vice president and a fellow to as “fabric phase sorptive extraction,” results Ctime is of the essence. Thanks to a of the National Academy of Inventors, the could be secured within hours. This could new, patented technology developed at FIU, revolutionary new method was developed improve water and air quality monitoring, sampling and testing is about to get faster, from a desire to improve sample preparation forensic testing and even monitoring of fruit more sensitive and cheaper. in a way that benefits scientists, but more for ripeness. The new testing method involves a importantly, the general public. FIU holds a patent on the invention and composite made of muslin cotton, a common “We hope this will be a game-changer for is currently working to commercialize the fabric, with a custom-chemical coating the industry,” Furton said. technology for widespread use in a variety of applications. designed by College of Arts, Sciences & Currently, to test for an illicit drug in urine Researchers at more than 30 universities Education chemists Kenneth G. Furton and or a pollutant in the air or water, components have independently validated the innovation. Abuzar Kabir. must be separated from the sample in a More than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles The tiny piece of cloth is already proving complicated, multi-step process. Often, have been accepted for publication on the to be a powerful tool in chemical testing. toxic solvents and expensive equipment are technology. Those findings have convinced The researchers have extracted targeted required. The normal process can take 24 leading experts in chemical testing that the components from air and liquid samples hours or more. That time frame doesn’t even technology should replace existing sample within 15 minutes of exposure. include actual chemical testing. preparation methods. 2 | CASE | Arts, Sciences & Education 2017 The Fight against Zika The Biomolecular Sciences Institute has received $1.4 million in state and federal grants to help stop the spread of Zika and other mosquito-borne illnesses. Biologist Matthew DeGennaro, who leads the projects, studies how mosquitoes FABRIC PHASE find human and plant hosts in the SORPTIVE EXTRACTION hopes of identifying molecular targets in the insect. His work could Improve chemical GOAL: lead to the development of better testing with speed, accuracy repellants. The research team is and reduced costs also developing new baited traps UNPRECEDENTED: that could reduce populations of Results in minutes, not days dangerous mosquitoes. INDUSTRY SUPPORT: NEW TOOL DEVELOPED Experts calling for FIU method to replace current methods of TO ASSESS OIL SPILLS chemical sampling Scientists are getting a new perspective of what happens to oil in a spill, thanks to a tool developed by researchers from FIU’s Center for Aquatic Chemistry and Environment in the College of Arts, Sciences & Education. Little is known about how oil acts when it mixes with seawater or sunlight during Stopping Ebola a spill. But by combining techniques to create one The curiosity of one FIU physics powerful instrument, scientists can see how oil Ph.D. student could improve behaves at the molecular level. Traditional analytical decontamination of Ebola sites technologies offer limited information, but now, worldwide. Nepal-native Jeevan scientists can simultaneously examine molecules GC studied how proteins, DNA by mass, size and shape without lengthy sample We hope