NSU Horizons Winter 2008 - 2009

Looking Ahead One of Margules’s goal is to strengthen NSU’s relationships with research entities and other research-oriented universities such as the Florida Research Consortium, BioFlorida, Enterprise Development Cor- poration, University of Miami, University of Florida, and Florida Atlantic University, among others. Another one of his goals is to shepherd the university’s research-related capital im- provement projects, such as the Center for Collaborative Research and the Academi- cal Village, which is slated to be built at the current University Park Plaza site. The village will be a mixed-use, high-tech re- search park that will bring together the best scientific minds from academia, government, and industry. The Academical Village will add up to two million square feet of research, office, retail, and residential space, as well as a new hotel conference center. A teaching hos- pital could also be added to the develop- ment. It’s expected to generate millions of dollars in tax revenue and create more high- tech jobs in South Florida. “It will be a great economic and re- search boon to this region’s development,” Margules said. Since building research facilities re- quires extensive funding, Margules wants to tap into federal, state, and private funds by increasing the amount of grant proposals the university submits. To help facilitate this process, he is helping create a grant writing laboratory at the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technol- ogy Center to assist students and faculty members with grant writing. He would also like to see growth in NSU’s clinical research activities, particu- larly in the health sciences. Clinical re- search is using the knowledge gained from basic and applied research to conduct further research, mostly on humans, to treat diseases or dysfunctions. Basic research is the quest to gain scientific knowledge, while applied research is the quest to produce results that can be applied to real- world situations. Some of NSU’s research strengths, Mar- gules said, come from areas such as the College of Dental Medicine and the Ocean- ographic Center. At the College of Dental Medicine, researchers Peter Murray, Ph.D., and Frank- lin Garcia-Godoy, D.D.S., M.S., are using stem cells in regenerative dentistry to grow replacement teeth for patients. The pair said they are a decade away from accom- plishing their goal. Researchers from the National Coral Reef Institute at NSU’s Oceanographic Center are making strides in environ- mental and marine research. Under the direction of researcher Alison Moulding, Ph.D., more than 400 juvenile corals have been raised from larvae and are being kept at an indoor aquarium at the Oceanographic Center. When these corals reach a maximum size, they will be used to rehabilitate damaged reefs off Broward County’s coastline. There’s a lot on Margules’s plate, and he’s excited because he sees unlimited research potential for NSU. The univer- sity, he said, already has the four “Ps” of research—the people, a plan, and potential products and patents—to become a research leader in turning ideas into prod- ucts that will cure diseases and make life better for people. Perhaps the most important element of NSU’s research is the scientists in lab coats who spend each day looking into microscopes and conducting experi- ments. They now have an advocate in the soft-spoken gentleman who wears a business suit. n For the last eight years, NSU students have joined elderly residents from local nursing and rehabilitation centers for din- ner and entertainment—an event called the Senior Prom. The Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement spon- sors the prom, which pairs 40 NSU stu- dents with 40 seniors. Through the exploration of diversity, NSU students are also encouraged to be- come effective leaders for individuals of different backgrounds and beliefs. On the NSU Spiritual Life Council, students from different faiths work together to broaden perspectives and support spiritual expres- sion. The annual Diversity Summit, a day-long conference on campus, provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to effectively lead and succeed in a diverse society. “As our nation becomes increasingly diverse, leaders must be able to understand and value diversity,” Morrow said. “Stu- dents are learning the challenges and op- portunities involved in staying true to your own core beliefs and convictions while re- maining open and respectful of those who hold different viewpoints and values.” The skills learned through NSU’s leadership and community outreach pro- grams stay with the individuals beyond their college years. As students graduate and move into their professions, they can become and remain leaders of their organ- izations and in their communities. “I recently received a phone call from someone who came to the first leadership retreat we did 20 years ago,” said Williams, who remains active in leadership develop- ment at NSU by teaching a leadership class. “He told me, ‘I’m in the industry now, but I’m still using some of the same tools we learned back in the day.’ It just shows that the equipping of leadership skills is absolutely critical.” That’s something that Constant wants to see from the members of his orga- nization, MALES. Lessons on leadership “are life lessons,” he said. “My members can take what they’ve learned and pass it on down to their sons.” For El-Tourkey, the lessons in leader- ship will help her as she begins her career. “Leadership is very important in marine biology, especially when you’re trying to lead a research team,” she explained. “You have many eccentric scientists all trying to work together, and it’s difficult to find cohesion among the group. So when some- one steps up and is able to be a leader and can lead the team and cultivate a sense of belonging among the team, that’s very important.” n next generation of leaders Continued from page 23 gary margules Continued from page 19 43 horizons