NSU Fall 2012 Horizons Magazine

30 HORIZONS 31 HORIZONS NSU has a “large arsenal of resources for veterans,” said Dena Hale, Ph.D., an assistant professor of market- ing at NSU. Hale retired from the U.S. Army after serving five years of active duty, two years in the Army Reserves, and four years with the Illinois Army National Guard. She frequently speaks with organizations about veterans groups, such as the New Opportunities Workshop, hosted by the International Institute for Fran- chise Education at NSU. “We spoke with area franchise owners regarding the opportunities available for veterans. Our discussion was the first step to developing relationships to help network our area veterans for future opportunities,” said Hale. Roger said his career has taken off because of this commitment to veterans and the mentorship he re- ceived from Cheryl Babcock, director of the International Institute for Franchise Education. “She quickly saw, because of my military background, that the franchise world was the right fit for me,” said Roger, currently director of training for an international, medically supervised weight loss company, Mr. G’s Weight Loss and Wellness Program. Robert Hill, Ed.D., is on the com- mittee of the NSU Salute to Veterans and Service Members, now in its fourth year and set for November 19. Hill, pro- gram professor in the Higher Education Leadership doctoral program at the Abraham S. Fischler School of Educa- tion, believes that this kind of special attention is important because veterans have specific needs as an “emerging special population.” FINANCIAL AID Since the signing into law of the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2009—which covers the full cost of an undergraduate education at any public university or college in the country, and many private schools, for the nation’s newest generation of veterans—the Depart- ment of Veterans Affairs said more than 600,000 veterans have taken advantage of the GI Bill. “We provide a number of financial aid opportunities for veterans,” said Carl Coleman, NSU Veterans Benefits administrator and senior financial aid counselor. “For veterans, it’s critical that they know about what’s available to them.” That includes the Yellow Ribbon Scholarship that provides additional assistance to cover tuition and fees not covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Roger, who also was a recipient of the Yellow Ribbon Scholarship, said the aid available took him through his entire undergraduate degree and paid 80 percent of his graduate degree. “And I still had money for school sup- plies,” he added. “NSU is exceptional when it comes to this kind of assistance. They have special financial advisers who know what’s available, which is a major advantage.” Community At The Core While student veterans find numer- ous opportunities within NSU, there are outreach programs that the univer- sity provides as a community partner. In his 2011 Investiture Speech, NSU President and Chief Executive Officer George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D., stressed the importance of community as one of the eight core values of the univer- sity. “NSU will increasingly involve the broader university community in outreach programs that respond to the changing needs of the people and students we serve.” The Shepard Broad Law Center is currently planning to create South Florida’s first Veterans Law Clinic to assist veterans and their families with landlord-tenant cases, consumer mat- ters, domestic relations, and state/ federal misdemeanors, among other issues. Once established, the clinic will serve as a much-needed pro bono resource to the thousands of U.S. veterans and military personnel in South Florida, said Athornia Steele, dean of the Law Center. The Law Center is seeking commitments from South Florida law firms, private foun- dations, and individuals to create the clinic. It also will seek grant funding from the federal government. “We are committed to giving back to our community through service, community engagement, and promo- tion of academic excellence—all of which are embodied with this exciting endeavor,” said Steele. When the clinic is opened, NSU law students will gain real-world expe- rience in aiding veterans and their families, Steele added. The clinic will work with community partners such as Legal Aid, the Public Defender’s Offices, and various military service agencies, and will team with NSU’s already established Center for Veter- ans Assistance, as needed. “The Law Clinic fits in well with the Center for Veterans Assistance by offering yet another service to what we provide,” said Kimberly Durham, Psy.D., executive dean for administration and human services and NSU Clinics community liaison. The Center for Veterans Assis- tance grew out of a research project entitled, “A Mixed Method Study on Returning Veterans Experiencing a Holistic Therapeutic Program.” The co-principal investigator for the study was Angela Yehl, Psy.D., director of clinical operations and an assistant professor at the Center for Assess- ment and Intervention, Institute for the Study of Human Service, Health, and Justice. “We found that post-traumatic stress, sexual abuse, and many mental health issues were standing in the way of successful outcomes for these veter- ans. They needed other assistance to help get them reintegrated into civil- ian life,” said Yehl. The Center for Veterans Assis- tance, inside the Mailman Segal Center for Human Development, provides free individual therapy, family therapy, psychological/psycho- educational testing, and vocational assessment services to active duty service members, veterans, and their family members. Funded by the United Way of Broward County, the center is part of a larger, community-based network of services addressing finan- cial, legal, employment, health, and mental health needs of veterans and their families. The center also acts in partnership with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 8195, Stone of Hope Project. “We have many veterans who need help in assessing how their time in the military and reintegration into civilian life has affected them and those around them. The Center for Veterans Assistance is one of the most valuable resources that we have to offer,” said Bobby White, commander of VFW Post 8195 and executive direc- tor of the Stone of Hope project. Durham’s hope is that the center’s holistic model reaches beyond Broward County. “We have plans to go to Washington, D.C., to address members of the Department of Defense about what we are doing here at Nova South- eastern University.” GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH Veterans face many stumbling blocks upon their return to civilian life. In 2008, an extensive federal report concluded that roughly one in four of the 697,000 U.S. veterans of the 1990– 1991 Gulf War suffer from Gulf War Illness. The illness is a condition now identified as the likely consequence of exposure to toxic chemicals, including pesticides and a drug administered to protect troops against nerve gas. The 452-page report states that “scientific evidence leaves no question that Gulf War Illness is a real condition with real causes and serious conse- quences for affected veterans.” One of the most respected and recognized scientists in the research and study of Gulf War Illness is Nancy Klimas, M.D., who joined the College of Osteopathic Medicine faculty in December 2011. An expert in immune disorders, Klimas is establishing the NSU College of Osteopathic Medi- cine’s Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, which will conduct cutting- edge research and treat patients suffering from Gulf War Illness. Klimas is also the director of research for the Gulf War Illness research program at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, which serves as a valuable partner for the research she will be conducting at NSU. “The new institute will offer a place, a core resource, to groups of Jake Connolly, who is working on his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, talks with a couple through the Center for Veterans Assistance’s counseling sessions held at the Mailman Segal Center. Bobby Simeone (right) pursues his Ed.D. in Educational Organization Management with a minor in Conflict Resolution. Student veterans find numerous opportunities at NSU.