Page 10 - Abacoa Community News - January '23

Page 10, Abacoa

FAu FeAtures

Montana Tucker Headlines episodes can be found on all of Tucker’s social platforms to Ph.D., principal investigator, professor and director of the
School of Public Administration within FAU’s Dorothy F.
educate and enlighten her audience, who a national survey
Concert-4-Kindness At FAU recently revealed may not even be aware of the Holocaust. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. “The crucial outcome of
“As we lose the generations from all backgrounds this transformation will be the mitigation of STEM workforce
By Polly Burks who bore witness and survived injustice, bigotry and shortages with implications for local industries, in particular,
Award-winning singer- watershed events in history in their lifetime, who better biotechnologies, aerospace, health, aging, agriculture,
songwriter, dancer, actress than their grandchildren to stand up and speak out against international trade, marine environment, information and
and social influencer Montana hate, bullying and discrimination, and advocate for better security, and financial services.”
Tucker will headline a multi- education and understanding,” said Bonnie Kaye, of Kaye The project team will undertake new initiatives and build
arts Concert-4-Kindness on Communications, Inc., cochair and sponsor of the event, on current policies and data collection activities and will seek
Sunday, Jan. 15 at 4 p.m. in along with her husband, Jon Kaye. to advance self-sustaining interventions for diverse hiring
the Carole and Barry Kaye For more information about the concert, visit www.fau. and retention; transparent and equitable policies, information
Auditorium, FAU Student edu/artsandletters/concert-4-kindness/. For information on through a longitudinal demographic data dashboard of
Union, 777 Glades Road, sponsorship opportunities, contact Laurie Carney at (561) faculty; and strategic communications. These interventions
Boca Raton campus. Tickets 297-3606 or lcarney@fau.edu. will focus on inclusive support for gender diversity and
range from $10 to $20 and can intersectional minorities, most visibly, Latina and African
be purchased at www.fauevents.com or by calling (561) 297- FAU Receives $1 Million NSF American women, in hiring, retention and promotion.
6124. The concert is presented by Marilyn and Jay Weinberg. The process will adapt evidence-based practices and
In her first hometown concert, Tucker, along with dancers, Grant To Empower Women In innovations from sister ADVANCE institutions. To aid
FAU students and various community groups, will take part institutional integration and long-term sustainability, the
in a number of performances which include singing, dancing, STEM Faculty project team will prioritize practices that will be bootstrapped
instrumental music, spoken poetry and video play. This will be with ADVANCE support and synergized with ongoing efforts
intermingled with “kindness” cameos by Tucker’s friends in the By Gisele Galoustian and existing institutional infrastructures for diversity.
arts and entertainment industry meant to inspire unity and peace. The absence of an inclusive and diverse STEM (science, The project team will focus on the competencies of
“To amplify kindness in south Florida and beyond, I look technology, engineering and math) faculty significantly hurts complex systems and data science to identify interconnected
forward to headlining this concert,” said Tucker. “I hope the education of a STEM workforce by the lack of role models factors that influence systemic change. This will be
each of you will help out by bringing all your friends from to help educate diverse groups of students. Demographically accomplished with adaptive analytic approaches that are
all walks of life to this incredible program.” unrepresentative science also can negatively impact and capable of processing large numbers of variables that
The event will also include performances by the following: neglect research in areas that communities and societies need. dynamically interact on multiple levels over time. The
• Clarence Brooks, director of dance at FAU, will Florida Atlantic University has received a three-year, nearly successful implementation of this project for institutional
perform Sweet in the Morning, choreographed by Leni $1 million National Science Foundation ADVANCE adaptation change aims to achieve a more representative and
Williams with music by Bobby McFerrin. Brooks has grant to help transform faculty diversity and ensure appropriate participatory STEM faculty and accelerate institutional
performed with more than 60 American companies and representation of women in STEM. This grant continues the competitiveness in education and research.
toured the United States, Europe, and Asia. work of the late Emmanuelle Tognoli, Ph.D., who served as a Co-PIs of the project are Chad Forbes, Ph.D., associate
• BriGuel, the internationally renowned bilingual research professor in FAU’s Center for Complex Systems and professor, Department of Psychology, FAU Charles E. Schmidt
artistic duo from Spain and New York, are on a mission to Brain Sciences within the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science College of Science; Karin Scarpinato, Ph.D., senior associate
“harmonize humanity” one note, one film at a time. Brianne and a member of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute. She vice president for research, FAU Division of Research;
and Miguel will perform their own music and share award- was the original principal investigator of the submitted proposal Russell Ivy, Ph.D., senior associate provost for programs and
winning film shorts they created. Both grandchildren of who led the design of the initiatives and interventions that led assessment at FAU; and Evonne Rezler, Ph.D., senior associate
Holocaust survivors, they support Ukrainian displaced to a successful grant submission, which is now allowing FAU dean for undergraduate studies, Department of Chemistry and
persons finding refuge at the Auschwitz Jewish Center to implement these initiatives. Biochemistry, FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.
Foundation in Poland. The NSF ADVANCE program is designed to foster gender
• Florida Singing Sons and Chorale Soleil, a new high equity through a focus on the identification and elimination FAU Diplomacy Team Places
school student ensemble, will join forces vocally to cultivate of organizational barriers that impede the full participation
arts-aware youth as leaders of tomorrow. Florida Singing and advancement of diverse faculty in academic institutions. First At Washington, D.C.
Sons has been showcased with prestigious local companies Organizational barriers that inhibit equity may exist in
such as Florida Grand Opera and New World Symphony and policies, processes, practices and the organizational culture Competition
toured in the United States and major cities in Europe. and climate. ADVANCE “Adaptation” awards provide
• Nat King Cole Generation Hope, named for their support for the adaptation and adoption of evidence-based By Lisa Metcalf
famous father by his twin daughters who live in Palm Beach strategies to the academic, nonprofit institutions of higher The Leon Charney Diplomacy Program at Florida
County, provides a legacy of music education, mentoring education as well as non-academic, nonprofit organizations. Atlantic University recently competed in the annual
and resources for youth with the greatest need and fewest “Successful implementation of our program for diplomacy competition in Washington, D.C. The program
resources. Local students and their mentors will perform institutional change will achieve a more representative and received seven delegation awards, finishing first place overall
instrumental music. participatory STEM faculty and accelerate institutional
The performers all are donating their talents to support competitiveness in education and research,” said Alka Sapat, FAU Features on page 14
the future Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Holocaust and Jewish
Studies building at FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of
Arts and Letters. While serving as the hub for Holocaust and
Jewish Studies on campus, the Wallach building will bring
together under one roof all multidisciplinary education that
focuses on human rights education, conflict de-escalation,
ethics and diplomacy, leadership training and peacemaking.
The building also will house FAU’s Peace, Justice and
Human Rights Center, a university-wide effort that unites
scholars, students, practitioners and community leaders
engaged in the themes of social justice, human rights, and
peace and nonviolence. All proceeds from the concert will
be directed into the “Make a Difference Fund” at FAU to
support scholarships and programs within the building.
“FAU is honored to have Montana bring her talent and CHARLIE
reach to our campus, as we share the belief that education PIERCE
is our best hope against hatred in building a better world
for all,” said Michael Horswell, Ph.D., dean of the Dorothy EXPEDITION
F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. “This concert will Sat., January 21, 2023
help raise awareness and funding to make this a world-class 10am – 4pm 023
education center in the middle of south Florida.”
Tucker, who has a total of more than 14 million social
media followers combined on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook
and Instagram, has opened for icons like Jennifer Lopez, Flo Discover Jupiter-Explore history shaped by nature!
Rida, Ciara and Pitbull. She will perform her popular original Living History • Storytelling • Games • Music • Arts & Crafts • Hands-On Activities
song Be Myself and present her video I’m Not Alone, also
known as “the song that saves lives.” Tucker wrote these LIMITED TICKETS ONLINE – jupiterlighthouse.org
songs for her music videos to inspire young people to respect
their own and others’ inclusion and diversity. $5 per child, $10 per adult, FREE for children 5 and under
Extending her message beyond her music, Tucker is using 561-747-8380 • 500 Captain Armour’s Way, Jupiter
her vast social platform for change. She was recently featured
for retracing her roots to Poland for a once-in-a-lifetime
exploration of her maternal grandparents’ experience during
the Holocaust on ABC’s Good Morning America and other
national media outlets. This experience was captured on-
camera for her followers in a recently released How to: Never
Forget Holocaust education docuseries. The series of short