27
COM Outlook . Fall 2013
which is interdisciplinary in nature, is
designed to provide students with the
requisite theoretical knowledge and
applied skills needed to work in the
rapidly growing interdisciplinary field
of disaster and emergency prepared-
ness. “The M.S. in Disaster and Emer-
gency Preparedness is a true testament
to the outstanding work of the faculty
and staff members in the institute and
to their commitment in making NSU-
COM one of the leaders in disaster and
emergency education and community-
based research in the field,” she stated.
One other educational aspect that
took root under her guidance was the
Center for Interprofessional Education
and Practice, which was established to
support interprofessional learning and
collaborative practice at NSU’s Health
Professions Division and other related
programs across campus. Ultimately,
the center’s goal is to enhance patient-
centered and community-oriented
care through providing students as
well as faculty and staff members with
opportunities to purposefully and col-
laboratively learn and work together.
According to Dr. Rokusek, who
was appointed as Slovak Honorary
Consul for Florida in 2008 by the
Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Slovak President Ivan Gasp-
arovic, her diverse and far-ranging
responsibilities are not just mundane
tasks—they’re professional passions.
“My major role as assistant dean in
the Office of Education, Planning, and
Research is to consistently monitor
federal and state funding sources and
seek out opportunities that match our
priorities,” she explained.
“But it’s also important for me
and others to help instill a culture of
research and grant writing throughout
the college,” added Dr. Rokusek, who
helped establish an integral NSU-
COM international linkage at Come-
nius University Faculty of Medicine in
Bratislava, Slovakia. “When I started
here in 2006, the Office of Education,
Planning, and Research had only 3 em-
ployees, including myself. Since then,
we’ve grown to include 19 employ-
ees. It’s an ongoing process, but step
by step, we’re getting there. There is
almost infinite potential at NSU to de-
velop new programs and new research
initiatives. I applaud the support for
research given by Dr. Silvagni and am
eager to help carry out NSU President
Dr. George Hanbury’s Vision 2020,
which includes a real focus on research
expansion in all areas.”
Although Dr. Rokusek enjoys all
aspects of her NSU-COM career, she
does have her favorites. “If I could do
just two things, they would be serving
as director of our Center for Interpro-
fessional Education and Practice and
spending more time working with
our GREAT GEC,” she admitted. “I
worked on this project when I was
a consultant for NSU-COM nearly a
decade ago, and it took us four tries to
secure the geriatric grant, so it’s a real
passion project for me.”
As she looks toward the future,
Dr. Rokusek has several professional
aspirations she would like to pur-
sue before she retires; however, one
stands above the rest. “I would love
to see us develop an interprofessional
center for geriatrics education and
research,” she stated. “We are defi-
nitely positioned to pursue it because
we have all the health disciplines
right here on campus. I always say
that NSU and our college are so full of
potential but that there are not enough
hours in the day to do everything we
want to do, which is why we have to
prioritize. It’s a matter of finding that
balance between keeping the energy
alive without getting burned out.”
Throughout a career brimming
with personal and professional accom-
plishments, Dr. Rokusek can proudly
reflect on her past, knowing she’s
made her parents proud, lived life
on her terms, and been supportive of
others. “My parents were a real driv-
ing force in my life because they were
exemplars of hard work and dedica-
tion,” she explained. “They always
lived life to the fullest, so I always try
to do the same by working hard and
trying to positively touch the lives
of people. They also instilled in me
a great love for my culture, which is
why it gives me great joy to celebrate
who I am and then translate that into
both my work and personal life.
“My mother always said, ‘Work
to make a positive difference in the
world and always try to leave a piece
of symbolic immortality behind you,’”
she added. “I strive to do that every
day, especially for our students, as
they are our future.”
