NSU Horizons Spring/Summer 2009

M ore than 12 years ago, Denton and Shalette East took their friendship to the next level when they began dating. Their partnership led not only to marriage, but to the basis for a successful business. The Easts, both Ph.D. candidates at Nova Southeastern University’s Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences, combined their interest in education and technology to cre- ate www.GoGSAT.com . The Web site prepares Jamaican students for their Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) through 24-hour, online assistance; live chats; and online practice exams for math, English, social studies, and science.  “We spend every day together, unless one of us is traveling,” Denton said. “Sometimes we have differences of opinions, like all couples do, but we agree to move on to find solutions.” This philosophy is working. To date, the couple’s Web site is helping more than 11,000 students in 200 preparatory and primary schools in Jamaica. Building on this success, the Easts also developed www.CaribbeanExams.com , which provides test preparation to students in 17 Caribbean countries. In recognition for their work, the Easts recently won first place in the 2008 Jamaica Innovation Award for Education and Popularization of Science and Technology. They also received second runner up for the Jamaica Innovation Grand Award. The recognition was espe- cially meaningful to the couple, who always wanted to make a difference in their native Jamaica. The duo is also currently working with the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Social Development Commission in partner- ship with the United States Agency for International Development’s Community Empowerment and Transformation (COMET) project. Through COMET, the Easts are developing Community Safety and Security Courseware (CSSC). The courseware will help students understand community policing principles and the roles and responsibilities of police and find youth development oppor- tunities. During the 2008–2009 school year, about 3,900 inner-city students will benefit from the CSSC course, which is also available to www.GoGSAT.com subscribers. The Easts’ next venture will be in the United States, creating a Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) preparation Web site. The pair hopes to launch this project within the next two years. “We are enjoying the best of both worlds: doing what we like to do and helping people along the way,” Denton said. ■ Tech-Savvy Couple Develops Online Resource for Test-Takers 7 horizons E xperienced health professionals have, over the years, developed medical expertise and their bedside manners, but aren’t necessarily taught how to pass on these skills to the next crop of young medical practitioners. In order to give seasoned health professionals the skill set to teach, Nova Southeastern University has introduced a new graduate degree program: the Master of Science in Medical Education. The program, offered by the Fischler School of Education and Human Services, is designed for physicians and faculty members with professional degrees from any health professions field. The degree is intended to further develop the health professionals’ teaching skills, strengthening their ability to educate students and residents. The three-year, 36-credit program is offered in collabora- tion with NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine and is one of the few of its kind in the academic world. “The Master of Science in Medical Education degree program is for professionals who are on faculty in schools or training people in hospitals, as well as for those who desire to be better educators,” said Leonard A. Levy, D.P.M., M.P.H., associate dean for education, planning, and research at the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Levy coordinates the program along with Sidi M. Lakhdar, Ed.D., of the Fischler School. Coursework is conducted online through a team-teaching approach, with educators from the Fischler School and the Health Professions Division. The instructors are highly respected profes- sional practitioners and educators. Visit www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/programs/ms/health for more information. ■ New Degree Program Teaches Health Professionals How to Teach NSU Ph.D. candidates Denton and Shalette East NSU health care professionals take part in new graduate teaching program