Student Life Achievement Awards | 2021

12 2021 NOMINEES FOR Professor of the Year Sumitra Mukherjee, Ph.D.—College of Computing and Engineering Sumitra Mukherjee is a professor in the College of Computing and Engineering. He has been with Nova Southeastern University (NSU) since 1996. Prior to joining NSU, he was on the Computer Information Systems faculty at Baruch College, City University of New York. He earned his doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University. His teaching and research focus is on analytics and artificial intelligence. He applies optimization and machine learning algorithms to find robust solutions for technical and organizational problems. Mukherjee’s articles appear in high-impact journals such as IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering , IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence , Journal of the American Statistical Association , and Management Science . The greatest reward in his academic career has been the professional success of his students. Madhavi Menon, Ph.D.—College of Psychology Madhavi Menon is a professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. She joined NSU in 2007 and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in the College of Psychology. Menon’s research focuses broadly on processes of social-development. She has conducted studies and published papers on attachment, aggression, gender-identity, and achievement. She strongly subscribes to a “research-to-teach” model and mentors undergraduate students in research. Many of her students have presented at leading national and international conferences. Menon truly enjoys the collaborative research process and believes that these activities are wonderful learning opportunities that allow students to go “beyond the textbook and classroom.” She believes that her responsibilities as a teacher and a researcher are complementary, and she is firmly committed to both roles. Elizabeth Swann, Ph.D.—Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences Elizabeth Swann is a professor and the director of interprofessional integration at the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences. She is also the NCAA faculty athletics representative (FAR). As the FAR, she exemplifies a student-centered approach in collaborating with NSU administration and the athletics department to serve student athletes, faculty members, and the community. Beginning her NSU career in 2003, one of her greatest contributions is in the area of interprofessional education (IPE). As the executive director of the Center for Interprofessional Education and Practice, she has led different events, such as virtual IPE Day 2021, which had 2,000 students from all campuses and 120 volunteer facilitators. This is the largest IPE student event in the country and including 20 different professions. Swann also authored the telehealth simulation on human trafficking awareness. Aarti Raja, Ph.D.—Halmos College of Arts and Sciences Aarti Raja, associate professor of biology, has been at the Halmos College of Arts and Science since 2012. She nurtures a creative research environment, working with learners ranging from undergraduates to professional program students. Raja promotes NSU’s Core Values of Opportunity, Research/Scholarship, and Community in her implementation of educational experiences. One example of her leadership contribution is the Tiny Earth program at NSU, where a network of instructors and students focus on addressing the worldwide crisis of diminishing antibiotics through student-led scientific discovery. She is also an active leader of the Science Alive community outreach program. Raja thrives in the active-learner community that is NSU, where students and faculty members are continually working to improve themselves and make an impact. Hugh G. Rappa, M.D.—NSU Jacksonville Campus Hugh Rappa obtained his degree as a Doctor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Padua, Italy. He celebrated his 25th anniversary with Nova Southeastern University in January 2021, exemplifying his belief in the NSU family. It is estimated that he has helped educate more than 1,200 PA students since he first received his faculty appointment at the university in 1995. In 2009, Rappa transferred to Jacksonville for the start of the new NSU PA Program, where he is currently a full professor and associate program director. At Jacksonville, he is proud of being instrumental in establishing a partnership with St. Johns County School District, where each year, his PA students assist in hearing and vision screenings for more than 2,500 elementary school students. His motto to all his students: humble but confident .