NSU Fall 2012 Horizons Magazine

32 HORIZONS 31 HORIZONS veterans feature Assisting Veterans at a Glance at NSU Yellow Ribbon Scholarship Call NSU’s dedicated service line at 877-829-3107 or (954) 262-2788. Veterans Benefits/Financial Aid Phone: 800-541-6682, ext. 27236 Fax (954) 262-3966 Email: VAbenefits@nova.edu Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Center for Veterans Assistance Also provides information for Shepard Broad Law Center Pro Bono Law Clinic for Veterans. Phone: (954) 262-8299 Web: www.nova.edu/humanservices/veterans Students United For Returning Veterans Web: http://cps.nova.edu/students/surv/ THe International Institute for Franchise Education at the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship Phone: (954) 262-5071 or 800-672-7223, ext. 25071 Email: Cheryl Babcock, director, at babcockc@nsu.nova.edu Web: www.huizenga.nova.edu/ExecEd/Franchise/ Nova Southeastern University Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine Patients can call (954) 262-2850. NSU’s Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale Discounted admission for military members. One East Las Olas Boulevard at Andrews Avenue Phone: (954) 525-5500 people who are doing this type of research,” said Klimas. “We are devel- oping consortiums of experts to help address the question of how do we prevent, treat, and cure these illnesses. We are developing quite a team through these resources.” Klimas said the new institute, expected to open in December 2012, already has partners at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, and is collaborating with researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Wayne State University, Boston University, Yale, and Columbia University in New York City. “I think our institute at NSU can solve the problems of Gulf War Illness. I know that is a grandiose thing to say, but we have the tools, we have the enthusiasm, and the innovative way we are approaching the problem makes this all very promising,” said Klimas. Research being done at the Center for Psychological Studies (CPS) by Stephen Messer, M.A., Ph.D., and his team of eight doctoral students, is focusing on veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Messer and his group are evaluating psychological treatment versus pharma- cotherapy for those affected by PTSD. Messer believes that the research he and his team are conducting could yield interdisciplinary studies across a number of the health profession divisions. “Our longer-term research program has the potential to improve the quality of life for veterans with PTSD and their families, and could also serve to develop NSU programs as a state-of-the-art training ground for highly specialized skilled thera- pists in the field,” said Messer, who worked in research for the U.S. Department of Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury and was director of the Psychiatry Research Section at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., before coming to NSU. STUDENT GROUPS AID VETERANS Messer also serves as faculty adviser for the CPS graduate student organization Students United for Returning Veterans (SURV). The organization was founded in 2008 to help veterans returning from combat who require mental health services and acts as a foundation of support for their families. The members also serve as a liaison to NSU on behalf of all veteran students and students continu- ing to serve in military branches. “My 10 years of working for different Department of Defense agencies, all mental health related, help me in my role as faculty adviser. I can share what I learned about military personnel, their trials and tribulations, and their transitions. Also, a major focus of the group is how they can serve as support for active- duty military, which is very familiar to me,” said Messer. This past year, the nearly 60 members of SURV volunteered at Operation Stand Down, where they helped to feed more than 1,400 home- less veterans. They have also created the Voice for Veterans Lecture Series, which enlists guest speakers to discuss issues facing veterans. Carlos Garcia, a veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years, is the group’s former president, but he remains actively involved. “I am so motivated to have SURV make a positive impact for veterans because I am a veteran myself. We also have been successful in reaching out to other NSU colleges that work with veterans,” said Garcia, who is currently working on his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology. When Sharks with a Purpose, a new student group at NSU’s Jackson- ville Student Educational Center (SEC), was looking for community outreach projects, the veterans’ assis- tance program K9s for Warriors got the unanimous thumbs up from members. Located in Ponte Vedra Beach, K9s for Warriors trains rescue dogs to aid veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The Sharks with a Purpose mem- bers volunteer as the “extra set of hands” for the organization and help feed, groom, and care for the dogs at the Warriors’ on-site facility. “Our members thought that help- ing veterans unite with animals would help them live better lives and would be a wonderful way to raise awareness of our school, our organization, and K9s for Warriors,” said Samantha Gaulden, faculty chair for the student group and assistant director at the Jacksonville SEC. “It’s our way of giving back to veterans who, as K9s for Warriors says, ‘sacrificed their tomorrows for our todays.’ ” n Carlos Garcia, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years, is working on his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology.