NSU Newsroom
SharkBytes
Horizons
This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Academic Year Kicks Off with Convocation Ceremony
- Award-winning author Edwidge Danticat, M.F.A., speaks to students at a dinner seminar following the 2010 Convocation ceremony.
The Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences and members of NSU’s undergraduate community officially opened the academic year with the 2010 Convocation ceremony on Sep. 7. The event was highlighted by a keynote talk from award-winning writer Edwidge Danticat, M.F.A., author of The Farming of Bones and a 2009 recipient of the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s “Genius Award” fellowship.
Don Rosenblum, Ph.D., dean of the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, opened the ceremony by recognizing the students and faculty and staff members in attendance. George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D., university president and COO, then spoke and offered students advice for their collegiate career, encouraging them to utilize NSU’s various academic resources and to explore the vast co-curricular opportunities for all disciplines and interests.
Also speaking at the event was Dimitri Giarikos, Ph.D., associate professor/coordinator of sciences in the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences. Giarikos received the 2010 Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences Full-Time Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, recognized by peers for his strong commitment to student learning and student success. Giarikos spoke on shaping identity, this year’s academic theme, and shared a PowerPoint presentation full of tips and strategies for achieving success at NSU.
After an introduction by Andrea Shaw, Ph.D., associate professor/assistant director in the college’s Division of Humanities, Danticat took the stage. The writer, who emigrated to the United States from Haiti as a child, urged students to “wear [their] identity garments loosely” and to not allow themselves to be limited to one type of person.
The ceremony concluded with the on-stage recognition of the undergraduate students who made Dean’s List for the fall and winter semesters in the 2009–2010 academic year. Many of the more than 100 Dean’s List scholars, who earned at least a 3.5 GPA in both semesters of their first year in college, took the stage.
Following the convocation ceremony, Danticat enjoyed a dinner seminar with students from the college’s First-Year Reading Program and the M.A. in Writing degree program. The First-Year Reading Program provides select freshmen students with the opportunity to read a book from the convocation speaker over the summer. The students then discuss the literature with the author on the day of event.