Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15, recognizes the rich history, cultures, and contributions of Americans with Hispanic heritage. This includes those whose ancestors come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. At Nova Southeastern University, we take this opportunity to honor their achievements and celebrate the vibrancy they bring to our community.
Hispanic-Serving Institution
Nova Southeastern University is the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States, and it meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria for a Hispanic-serving institution.
Origins of Hispanic Heritage Month
In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week, which was observed during the week that included September 15 and September 16. In 1988, Congress expanded the observance to a month-long celebration (September 15 - October 15), and the change became effective in 1989.
September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of the independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively.
2024 Hispanic Heritage Month Events
09/01/2024 - 10/20/2024
In-person event, Alvin Sherman Library, Second Floor, Cotilla Gallery
The NSU Alvin Sherman Library will host a free Hispanic Heritage Exhibit, "Figuration in Latino American Art." Enter into the vibrant Latino art world, where figuration is a powerful medium for exploring identity, history, and cultural expression. This exhibit delves into how Latino artists use figuration to depict personal narratives, collective experiences, and societal transformations.
Artists represented in this exhibit include:
- Fernando Davila - Columbia
- Gloria Velez - Columbia
- Monica Czukerberg - Mexico
- Miguel Rodez - Cuba
- Andrea Favelli - Argentina
09/13/24, 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
In-person event, Alvin Sherman Library, Second Floor, Cotilla Gallery
We’re celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a movie marathon! Join us for some of our favorite movies that celebrate the culture and influence of Hispanic Americans.
Free popcorn is provided.
09/16/24, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
In-person event, Alvin Sherman Library, Second Floor, Cotilla Gallery
Growing Up and Toward the Future: An Afternoon with Alexandra Alessandri In-Person. Reading/talk with the Colombian-American children’s book author. https://alexandraalessandri.com/
Viva el Futuro! A Hispanic Heritage Month series of events exploring the promise and possibilities of the future. All events will be held in the Alvin Sherman Library’s Cotilla Gallery.
Free and open to the public.
Register here.
09/18/24, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Room: 2104 Finklestein
https://nova.zoom.us/j/91727402925
Zoom Meeting ID: 917 2740 2925
College of Dental Medicine and Hispanic Dental Association Event
Title: Have You Thought about a Career in Dental Public Health?
Topic outline:
- Introduction to Dental Public Health
- Dental Public Health Programs and Services
- Health Policy and Advocacy
- Research in Dental Public Health
- Professional Roles and Responsibilities
Dr. Claudia A. Serna is an Associate Professor, Director of the Master of Public Health Program, and Chair of the Department of Public Health at the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine at Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Serna holds a dental degree from Javeriana University, a master's and doctoral degree in public health with a specialization in health promotion and disease prevention from Florida International University, and a Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University. She furthered her education by completing a residency in dental public health at NYU Langone Health, and a certificate in social media marketing from Rutgers University School of Business.
She is also master certified in health education, a certified communicator in public health, board certified in public health, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health. She is the recipient of the 2017 American Public Health Association Anthony Westwater Jong Memorial Community Dental Health Post-Professional Award, the 2017 Leverett Graduate Student Merit Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dental Public Health from the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD), and the 2020 KPCOM M.P.H. Golden Apple Award.
Dr. Serna’s research in Dental Care Utilization Among Hispanic Migrant Farmworkers, Dental-Related Use of Hospital Emergency Department by Hispanics and Non-Hispanics, Community- Based HIV Prevention Intervention for Hispanic Migrant Workers and the Latino Migrant Worker HIV Prevention Program has been published in scientific journals, including the Journal of Public Health Dentistry, American Journal of Public Health, AIDS Education and Prevention, Family and Community Health, and the International Public Health Journal. She also authored a chapter in the American Public Health Association Book Oral Health in America: Removing the Stain of Disparity
09/20/24, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
In-person event, Alvin Sherman Library, First Floor, Program Room 1017
We're celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by creating a traditional Mexican decorative craft. We'll create a banner made of paper panels cut with unique designs.
These decorations can be used for any celebration and are often used to decorate the home.
Register here.
09/25/24, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Room: 2104 Finklestein.
https://nova.zoom.us/j/97786130503
Zoom Meeting ID: 977 8613 0503
College of Dental Medicine and Hispanic Dental Association Event
Title: Climbing the Leadership Ladder as a Hispanic Woman
Dr Terry will discuss how Hispanics are represented in organized dentistry, focusing on previous and current leaders both nationally and at the state level. Through her voice as president of the Florida Dental Association, Dr. Terry has had a positive impact on:
- The dental profession
- The Hispanic community
- Access to care issues
- Addressing perceptions or stereotypes of Hispanics
- She will explain the power of her platform and what her future steps are in representing Hispanics in the dental world.
Dr. Beatriz Terry was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She attended Florida International University and completed her dental training at Marquette University School of Dentistry, graduating top 10 with honors and receiving membership into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society. Dr. Terry went on to complete a Masters program and residency in periodontics and dental implants from the University of Minnesota and became a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, the highest level attainable.
Dr. Terry has been a practicing Periodontist for over 30 years. In addition to her practice, she lectures in English and Spanish locally, nationally, and internationally on periodontics, dental implants, and systemic links to periodontal disease. In addition, she is very involved with organized dentistry at the state and national level.
09/26/23, 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
In-person event, Alvin Sherman Library, Second Floor, Cotilla Gallery
A panel discussion with faculty, students, and librarians during Banned Book Week on this oft-banned and challenged literary masterpiece by renowned Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Viva el Futuro! A Hispanic Heritage Month series of events exploring the promise and possibilities of the future. All events will be held in the Alvin Sherman Library’s Cotilla Gallery.
Free and open to the public.
Register here.
09/30/24, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
In-person event, Alvin Sherman Library, Second Floor, Cotilla Gallery
A roundtable presentation and discussion with Dr. Phillip Carter (Associate Professor of English and Linguistics and Director of the Center for the Humanities in an Urban Environment at Florida International University) and Dr. Andrew Lynch (Professor and Assistant Dean of Program Development in the College of Arts and Sciences at University of Miami), regarding language crossover and what may lie ahead in community language use.
Viva el Futuro! A Hispanic Heritage Month series of events exploring the promise and possibilities of the future. All events will be held in the Alvin Sherman Library’s Cotilla Gallery.
Free and open to the public.
Register here.
10/02/24, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Room: 2104 Finklestein.
https://nova.zoom.us/j/99163604976
Zoom Meeting ID: 991 6360 4976
College of Dental Medicine and Hispanic Dental Association Event
Title: Developing Cultural Competency in the Dental Setting
Dr Terry will discuss how Hispanics are represented in organized dentistry, focusing on previous and current leaders both nationally and at the state level. Through her voice as president of the Florida Dental Association, Dr. Terry has had a positive impact on:
- The dental profession
- The Hispanic community
- Access to care issues
- Addressing perceptions or stereotypes of Hispanics
- She will explain the power of her platform and what her future steps are in representing Hispanics in the dental world.
Cultural competence refers to the ability to understand, communicate, and effectively interact with people from diverse backgrounds. In dental practice, cultural competency should foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected. This lecture will review the definition of cultural competency, its importance in dental care as well as the common cultural belief within the Hispanic community that may affect dental health and care
Dr. Hernandez obtained her dental degree from the University of Carabobo in Venezuela. She later earned a Certificate in Advanced Periodontics from the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Hernandez is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and a Diplomate of The International Congress of Oral Implantologists. Dr. Hernandez is the former Program Director and Department Chair of the Department of Periodontology at Nova Southeastern University. Currently, Dr. Hernandez is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Nova Southeastern University, College of Dental Medicine. Dr. Hernandez has multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals and has lectured nationally and internationally.
10/05/24, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
NSU Art Museum, One East Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Price: Talk is free for members and included with day-of museum admission for non-members. NSU students, faculty, and staff can activate their free individual membership HERE.
Spanish-Uruguayan artist, theorist, and art educator Joaquin Torres-García (1874-1949) is renowned for his trademark abstract style of Universal Constructivism based on grid structure and symbolic motifs. After being active in Europe for years, he returned to his native Montevideo, Uruguay in 1934, where he established the Taller Torres-Garcia, an art workshop that proposed a new constructivist art centered on geometry with roots in ancient American arts and architecture. De Torres and his followers’ paintings are well represented in the Stanley and Pearl Goodman Collection of Latin American Art, which is a generous bequest to the Museum. The lecture coincides with the exhibition: Selections from the Stanley and Pearl Goodman Collection of Latin American Art, from September 21 to October 20.
Cecilia de Torres is internationally recognized as the leading authority on the work of Joaquín Torres-García and the artists associated with his Workshop, The Taller Torres-García (TTG). Ms. de Torres established her gallery in New York in 1993, after co-curating the exhibition El Taller Torres-García: The School of the South and Its Legacy (1991-1993), with Mari Carmen Ramírez. The exhibition was inaugurated at the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid and was accompanied by an exhibition catalogue.
Throughout the years, the Cecilia de Torres, Ltd.’s exhibitions have aimed to bring about a new appreciation and understanding of Latin American modern and contemporary art. This pertains, most specifically, to the movements of Constructivism and Geometric Abstraction, and spans across media that includes painting, drawing, sculpture, kinetic art, and ceramics.
Ms. de Torres has also curated and contributed to numerous museum exhibitions, writes extensively on Torres-García and the artists of the TTG, and is regularly consulted by museums and auction houses regarding this work. In May 2015, following forty years of research, Cecilia de Torres published the online catalogue raisonné of Joaquín Torres-García, available to the public at www.torresgarcia.com.
The Annual Stanley and Pearl Goodman Lecture in Latin American Art is named in recognition of the couples’ generous promised gift to the NSU Art Museum of over 90 works by Latin American artists.
Contact: 954-525-5500 | moareservations@moafl.org
Image Credits: Joaquin Torres-Garcia, Gare II (Railway Station II), 1931. NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale; promised gift of Pearl and Stanley Goodman.
10/02/24, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
https://nova.zoom.us/j/97058581491
Zoom Meeting ID: 970 5858 1491
College of Dental Medicine and Hispanic Dental Association Event
Title: Bridging the Gap: Empowering International Dentists in the US Academic System
Various initiatives have been designed to streamline the admission process for international dentists (ID) in U.S. academic institutions. Despite all the efforts, ID struggles to understand the licensure pathways available, and the similarities and differences between DMD/AGE programs. One of the major challenges for ID is how to present their skills, knowledge, attitude, and behaviors to meet the expectations of a U.S. educational dental model and receive an acceptance letter. The primary aim of this session is to engage participants seeking licensure, describe the most common mistakes in the application process, share insights on the academic dental landscape, and provide overall recommendations and guidelines to streamline the integration to the US dental system.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Understand the challenges ID faces when applying to U.S. dental schools
- Discuss possible solutions to support ID interested in continuing their professional development in the U.S.
- Share a database of guidelines, challenges, and opportunities to facilitate the process.
Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Dr. Gabriela Lagreca obtained her first dental degree (D.D.S.) at the Central University of Venezuela, and her second dental degree (D.M.D.) from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. After relocating to Boston in 2011, she completed an Implant Fellowship at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery department, followed by the Advanced Graduate Education Program in Prosthodontics at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM), graduating with high honors. In 2015, she became a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics and a Fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists. To date, she is the first Hispanic female of the 35-board certified practicing prosthodontist in Massachusetts. Currently, Dr. Lagreca is the Director of Faculty Education and an Associate Professor at TUSDM. Dr. Lagreca has served as Faculty Advisor for the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) TUSDM Chapter, director of the Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program (ADEA ADCFP), and is a delegate at the National Council Sections of Faculties. Additionally, she serves as the President of the American College of Prosthodontics (ACP) Massachusetts section.
Dr. Lagreca’s recognitions include the ADEA Emerging Academic Leaders Program in 2018, Harvard Macy Institute for Educators in Health Professions 2021, the Incisal Edge Magazine 40-under-40 Award in 2021, the American Dental Association (ADA) Institute for Diversity in Leadership (IDL) 2021-2022, Fellow of the American Academy of Dental Sciences (AADS) in 2021, Fellow of the International College of Dentistry (ICD) in 2022, and the 20 Most Influential Emerging Leaders of Color, Greater Boston’s Western Suburbs from the Charles River Regional Chamber, 2023.
In 2020, she celebrated her 10th anniversary in the United States by funding The International Dentist® Podcast. To date, she has mentored and supported over 100 internationally trained dentists in the USA, assisting their career paths towards clinical practice, licensure, research, and academia. In 2022, she completed her master’s in business administration (MBA) with a concentration in strategic leadership and entrepreneurship, she shares her time between motherhood, academia, and private practice in Wellesley, MA.
10/10/24, 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
In-person event, Alvin Sherman Library, Second Floor, Cotilla Gallery
A cultural presentation and performance by Marinera en el Mundo Florida celebrates Peruvian culture's resilience. https://www.marineraenelmundoflorida.com/about
Viva el Futuro! A Hispanic Heritage Month series of events exploring the promise and possibilities of the future. All events will be held in the Alvin Sherman Library’s Cotilla Gallery.
Free and open to the public.
Register here.
10/10/24, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
In-person event (College of Dental Medicine)
Bar RITA, 1401 S Andrews Avenue, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33316