Broward College Names the 2018-2019 Professors of the Year
Following the tradition to recognize the best of our faculty, Broward College announced the winners for the 2018-2019 Professor of the Year awards. The awards celebrate dedicated, innovative, and creative part-time and full-time faculty. Professors are nominated by their peers and students on each campus.
Twelve faculty members collegewide will be recognized this year during the spring commencement ceremony at the BB&T Center in Sunrise on May 7.
Hugh Adams Central Campus
- Professor Brian Faris has been an employee of Broward College for the past 18-years. He became a full-time faculty member in August 2007 teaching courses in Networking Services Technology.
- Dr. Behnoush Memari has been a full-time professor of Chemistry at Broward College since 2003. She has served in several roles at the College, including, associate academic dean, contextual consultant, and e-Associate for Instructional Technology. She was named Endowed Teaching Chair in 2008 and 2013 and was also previously named a Professor of the Year.
- Professor Jennifer Millien is a part-time professor of Media Technology since 2016. She is actively involved in the Women in Film Association for Broward College.
- Professor Serge Komovsky has been a part-time professor of Mathematics at the College since 2015. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the National Aviation University in Kiev, Ukraine.
North Campus
- Professor Amber Abels has been teaching Biology and Anatomy at Broward College for the past two years as full-time faculty. She is currently working towards a Doctorate in Education with a focus on educational technology at the University of Florida.
- Professor Marcus Sousa is a former Broward College student who earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary Mathematics Education from the College. He now teaches Mathematics part-time alongside his former instructors.
- Dr. Leon Weissberg has been an educator for 48 years. He has been with Broward College for the past five years teaching different history courses. Dr. Weissberg is currently a part-time professor of American History for the College Academy.
Judson A. Samuels South Campus
- Professor Simone Keize has been teaching full-time at Broward College since 2013. In addition to her role as professor, she created the Accountant Students Association (ASA), which helps students with networking, scholarships, and job opportunities.
- Professor Yvonne P. Morris is a part-time professor at the Arts, Humanities, Communication and Design Pathway at Broward College since 2009. She is also an author, speaker, and certified holistic life coach that holds master’s degrees in Communication and HR Management.
- Professor Jennifer Killam has been teaching English for Academic Purposes for the past two years as part-time faculty. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Composition and Applied Linguistics at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Online Campus
- Professor Margo Butler is a full-time faculty member of the Liberal Arts department. She started at the College in 1998 and was one of the first to develop an online course for Broward College Online.
- Professor Douglas Phinney is part-time professor of American History at the College for the past ten years. He was first a professor at South Campus and later moved to Online as the College created its Online campus.
Congratulations to our Professors of the Year!
Learn more about Broward College and its exceptional faculty by visiting www.broward.edu.
Broward College Student Awarded Prestigious Transfer Scholarship
Lucas Araujo Ferreira, a student at Broward College, is one of 61 recipients of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s prestigious Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The highly competitive national scholarship will provide Ferreira with up to $40,000 annually for a maximum of three years to complete his bachelor’s degree.
Ferreira, of Hollywood, Florida, will receive an Associate in Arts with a specialization in computer science at the Broward College spring commencement ceremony in May. An Honors student graduating with a 3.92 grade-point average, Ferreira is a former student government president and new student orientation leader who overcame financial hardship in his native Brazil before immigrating to the United States to enroll at Broward College. Ferreira plans to transfer to an Ivy League school in the fall, where he will pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
“Broward College is extremely proud to have one of our own students selected for this esteemed award,” said Broward College President Gregory Adam Haile, Esq. “The Jack Kent Cooke scholarship is confirmation of what we at Broward College already know: that Lucas, and many of our students, are remarkably driven, resilient, talented and highly deserving of this award, and every support available to ensure their success.”
Since the launch of the scholarship in 2000, 21 Broward College students have won the award. In addition to the monetary grant, 
these new Cooke Transfer Scholars will receive comprehensive educational advising from Foundation staff to guide them through the process of transitioning to a four-year school and preparing for their careers. The Foundation will additionally provide opportunities for internships, study abroad, graduate school funding, and access to a thriving network of nearly 2,500 fellow Cooke Scholars and alumni.
Nearly 1,500 students applied for the 2019 Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The Foundation evaluated each submission based on academic ability, persistence, leadership, and service to others. The recipients selected represent 18 different states, have a median household adjusted gross income of $28,000 and an average GPA of 3.93. This year’s cohort of Cooke Transfer Scholars has applied to the nation’s most selective institutions.
Interested in learning more about the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship? Sign up to receive an email alert when the application opens again this fall!
Seven Exceptional Faculty Members Recognized with 2019 Endowed Teaching Chair Awards
On Thursday, April 18, 2019, seven faculty members were surprised in their classrooms with the 2019 Endowed Teaching Chair awards. The Broward Community College Foundation established the project in 1989, in celebration of the College’s 30th anniversary, to highlight exceptional faculty.
“We seek to identify the very best of our faculty and recognize their fantastic work,” said President Gregory Adam Haile, Esq. “It’s important for us, the College, to celebrate them. And what better way to do so than with the Endowed Teaching Chair Awards.”
The awards recognize faculty members that pursue innovation in the classroom. The $10,000 grant that accompanies the recognition is intended for professional development and to support the implementation of projects that improve the classroom experience for students. Each chair is sponsored by an organization from the community.
“My students are the reason I’m here. I want to see them succeed, I care about them, and they make my job the best job in the world,” said Savena Budhu Barajas, assistant professor of English as she reacted to the unexpected visit.
The seven recipients were selected by a panel of their peers following an in-depth review. They are:
Children’s Opportunity Group Endowed Teaching Chair – Dr. Savena Budhu Barajas is an assistant professor of English. She developed the Caribbean Literature course that may be used as a General Education requirement. Dr. Barajas is a recipient of the 2012 Student Life Development award and Professor of the Year.
Bank of America I Endowed Teaching Chair – Dr. Scott Demsky is a math professor. He took a break from teaching and spent 25 years at IBM as a software developer. Dr. Demsky returned to higher education at Broward College, where he is also a member of the College’s Critical Thinking Learning Society.
Bank of America II Endowed Teaching Chair – Benjamin Botero is a Criminal Justice assistant professor, holder of three master’s degrees. He is also the mentor to the Criminal Justice Club. Botero received the 2017 Broward College Central Campus Professor of the Year, and it’s a two-time ASPEN Faculty Innovation Award recipient.
Margaret and Cato Roach Endowed Teaching Chair – Lourdes Heuer is an assistant professor of English, advisor for the Broward College Online Read Book Club, and a member of the College Read Committee. She is also a member of the National Council of Teachers of English and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
International Education Endowed Teaching Chair – Dr. Isis Silva is an associate professor of Education. Silva has presented at the annual Council on International Education Exchange conference in Barcelona. During the 2019 spring break, she helped lead a study abroad course for the College in France.
Gaddis Corporation Endowed Teaching Chair – Rudy Jean-Bart is an assistant professor of History. He is the faculty advisor for the Black Student Union and Food for Thought. A recipient of the ASPEN Faculty Innovation Grant, Jean-Bart has hosted the college-wide TEDx event.
Cleveland Clinic Florida Endowed Teaching Chair – Dr. Ellen Glazer is an assistant professor of Computer and Information Science and recipient of two ETC awards, the first in 2006.
[ngg_images source="galleries" container_ids="6" display_type="photocrati-nextgen_basic_slideshow" gallery_width="600" gallery_height="400" cycle_effect="fade" cycle_interval="10" show_thumbnail_link="1" thumbnail_link_text="[Show thumbnails]" order_by="sortorder" order_direction="ASC" returns="included" maximum_entity_count="500"]
For more check out our photo album on .
Learn more about Broward College and our exceptional faculty, visit www.broward.edu.
Mass Casualty Drill Seeks to Prepare us for Emergency Response
Dozens of students are gathered for a barbecue party; there’s music, people are eating, dancing, talking. Suddenly, a massive explosion. Several people are injured.
This description was the scene at one of the mass casualty drills organized by the Department of Safety, Security, & Emergency Preparedness (SSEP) of Broward College.
The SSEP has always worked towards providing the safest environment for all employees and students that attend all campuses and centers. Part of the efforts of the department includes special events such as training exercises like the one previously described.
This annual, big-scale drill mimics real-life emergencies with the help of community partners such as Police Departments and local hospitals.
“Exercises like this are important because they allow us to train our community partners to increase our capabilities to respond to any emergency,” says Jaeson Weber, Director of Emergency Management Safety & Emergency Operations. “As an academic institution, it also allows us to bridge the gap between our academic pathways and the professionals in the fields that our graduates will go into by providing hands-on experience.”
2019 Mass Casualty Drill
On Friday, April 12, the College will host this year’s drill in partnership with Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). The exercise will take place on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The College has designated the areas of Building 5, Building 1008 (SIM Center), and Parking Lot G, to be used for the drill. The Davie Police Department, Davie Fire Rescue, and Florida Atlantic University will be participating alongside Broward College and HCA. More than 200 people, including volunteers, first responders, and students from the Health and Sciences and Public Safety Pathways, are expected to participate. During the drill, the mobilization of emergency vehicles, the use of life-like sounds of firearms and explosions, and simulated victims are to be expected.
Students from the Dental Hygiene program will be participating. “They will benefit greatly,” says Nora Powell, Dean of Health Sciences. “The opportunity to participate in a simulated emergency that calls upon multidisciplinary collaboration is priceless because during their career they can volunteer with FEMA to act in times of crisis and this exercise will certainly allow them to put to practice skills that they will need in a real-life emergency.”
Students are given guides and other resources on drills, mass casualty emergencies, and such, two months before the drill. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in this exercise because it will allow me to see the behind the scenes of an emergency. As a future Dental Hygienist, I am looking forward to learning and understanding the procedures used by professionals on the field,” says Alex Bajer, a student at Broward College.
Emergency Planning and Training
Constructing a strong and reliable emergency plan is not an easy job. The SSEP works hard to provide the most up-to-date, secure plan that will help to save lives. Providing training exercises such as the mass casualty drill helps the College in its mission of providing a safe environment. “The exercise has strengthened Broward College’s emergency management plans and associated capabilities in that it permits refinement of strategies, concepts, and operating principles,” says Weber.
Are you interested in a career in Law Enforcement, Health Science? Learn about the programs offered here.
For more information about Campus Safety, Emergency Preparedness tips, and more visit broward.edu/safety.
Changing Perceptions – Women in Automotive
Sometimes life’s biggest challenges can be turned into rewarding events. This is the case for Ashley Burroughs, who stumbled upon her future career when she totaled a beloved family car back in 2012.
“At the time, I was working in restaurants and barely making enough to get by. I couldn’t afford to repair the car, so I figured I would try to do it myself. I asked a good friend of mine who tutored me through it,” says Ashley. “By the time I was done with it, I realized that this was something I could do professionally.”
Automotive Technology
is one of over 140 programs offered at Broward College. The program, which started at the College in 2006, trains students to become auto specialists qualified to work on the highly-sophisticated cars of today. In partnership with the Broward County Technical Colleges, Broward College provides technical training for the students at an affordable price.
The training follows dealer-specific requirements that include engine repair, electrical systems, brake, transmissions, and more.
Women in Automotive
Throughout the entire industry, women are underrepresented. In 2017, women represented 26.7 percent of the industry’s workforce in all positions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When it comes to automotive technicians, women only represent 9.6 percent of the employees.
“It’s sad to see such a small percentage of women in this industry,” says James Norton, professor of Automotive at the College. “The female students that have completed this program have gone on to hold positions as Service Advisers, Service Managers, Mechanics, and more. And they tend to do better than their male counterparts.”
Ashley worked as a mechanic for a year before enrolling in College, and during that time she faced discrimination not only from clients but from her friends and family. “It was very frustrating having to deal with sexism, but at the same time I found more purpose to be the best I could be and show that I am just as qualified and can do the same or even a better job than my male colleagues,” she says.
Ashley’s ultimate goal is to work as a technician for General Motors. She currently holds six Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications.
The industry – Facts and Numbers
The automotive industry is expected to grow 6 percent through 2026. As of 2017, the median pay was $39,550 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Interested in pursuing a career in Automotive Technology? Visit the program’s website.
Register for an information session and program tour here.
Learn more about career opportunities in the Industry, Manufacturing, Construction, and Transportation (IMCT) Pathway, here.
Changing Perceptions – Women in Marine Engineering
Sidney Oakes is focused on the task at hand. She’s repairing a boat engine as part of her training to becoming a Marine Engineer. It’s the kind of job that requires her full attention. Currently, Sidney is working towards the first milestone of the program: becoming a certified Marine Electrician.
The 21-year old inherited her passion for g the field from her father. Thanks to his encouragement, she decided to make that passion into a lifetime career. So, she enrolled in Broward College in January 2019.
Broward College offers the opportunity to earn an Associate degree in Marine Engineering while also earning important certifications in the field. The two-year program combines technical and academic training that meets the needs of the industry. The College partnered with the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) to offer the most up-to-date curriculum. In Broward County, one of the leading locations for the yacht industry, this program is in high demand.
Women in Marine
Women represent only 9.3 percent of the industry’s workforce in the United States. Worldwide, the number is even lower, with studies showing the number of female marine engineers at 2 percent.
“It’s not easy to go into a field that’s so heavily dominated by men,” explains Sidney. “Had I not been encouraged and supported by my dad from a very early age to follow my dreams, I may not have gone into this field.”
For her, seeing a more balanced gender representation is imperative to inspire more women to enter the industry. “Seeing more women in Maritime jobs will inspire women to disregard biases and prejudices and pursue a career as Marine Engineers,” she explains. “Both men and women can do this job. We just need to educate women from early that whatever their dreams and goals are, they can accomplish them if they work hard.”
For these percentages to grow, industry experts believe inclusion must start at the education level. “Sadly, there is not a drastic increase in the number of female students in the programs,” says Alvaro Lopez, program manager of the Marine Engineering program at Broward College. “Over the past ten years, our numbers have remained the same. For every 25 male students, only two or three are female.”
He feels that at the professional level change is already evident. “Every day I see more women engineers occupying positions on big ships and mega yachts. I’m also seeing more women in senior management positions in Marinas and shipyards,” says Lopez.
The industry – Facts and Numbers
With an average pay of $90,970 per year and an expected growth of 12 percent through 2026, Marine Engineering is a high-demand profession.
Marine technicians are hired for the maintenance, repair, and design of the internal systems of ships, yachts, sailboats and such.
Learn more about job opportunities in Marine Engineering.
Are you interested in touring the facilities? Register on Eventbrite for information sessions.
Buehler Planetarium Renovations are out of this World
After some 30 months of welcome interior renovations, Broward College’s most-noted astronomer thanked her lucky stars she could talk about space in a way she is most comfortable.
“We can finally use this room as our spaceship and time machine again,” said Susan Barnett, director of the Buehler Planetarium and Observatory. “But, first we had to upgrade the space inside the planetarium. Our physical plant needed some tender-loving care.”
Now that the looking after is in the past, the College’s window to the universe on the A. Hugh Adams Campus in Davie is up and running again. The planetarium, which has hosted more than two million visitors since opening in 1965, boasts a $1 million major facelift designed to meet the ongoing needs of students and the star-gazing community. Part of the modernization, made possible by a gift from the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust included tripling the size of the lobby and overhauling much of the indoor space including refurbishing the restroom facilities, repairing the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system and installing new carpeting and chairs.
Barnett said the work was overdue. The last upgrades to the planetarium were back in 1998, ten years after she joined the Broward College staff. Since that point, Barnett has been the conductor of virtual tours that can take up to 100 visitors to the moon, through Saturn’s rings and into the center of the universe without them ever lifting a foot off the ground inside the planetarium’s theater.
“I do call it ‘playing’ in here,” said Barnett, pointing to her “toy,” a high-definition projection system she uses to paint breathtaking 3D representations of outer space on the planetarium’s dome-shaped ceiling. “We don’t always stop to think about what’s going on in the sky. There was a time when people had a very different picture of the world and its surroundings. They thought the earth was flat. This planetarium gets people to look up and see the wonderful things that are out there.”
Barnett said the experience she creates under the dome immerses visitors and transports them out of their realm in a way that a laptop or the night sky can’t. For many in the audience, the first experience inside a planetarium is a point of inspiration.
“People absolutely space out,” said Barnett, who hosts everyone from local grade-school students on field trips to retirees who have lost track of the science concepts they once held in awe. “I get the ‘wows and the gasps and the applause for reminding them of their connection to the sky and galaxy.”
As the only public planetarium in the county, the dome is also used by Broward College faculty to not only instruct classes in astronomy but mathematics, history, religion, and geology as well.
“It’s a wonderful asset and resource for the College,” said Barnett, who studied planetary geology at Yale University before coming to Broward College where she also teaches introductory astronomy. “Broward College has amazing faculty. That’s a given. But our students are not just sitting in a classroom. The planetarium is one of the many different environments where students can learn to think and interact with the world around them.”
And that experience is also a gateway visiting elementary school students, many of whom are stepping foot on a college campus for the first time, never lose sight of as they explore the outer reaches of the universe.
“I had a fourth-grader come up to me after a show and say, ‘I’m coming to this College,’” said Barnett. “But, I’ve had reactions from all ages. I’ve had parents say, ‘my teenager never paid attention to anything before until now,” or ‘my daughter needed to see something like this.’ It shows we’ve lost track of the wonder of the sky. But, the point is, we can find it again together, right here.”
Buehler Planetarium shows are offered, 7-8 p.m., the second Wednesday of every month. Teachers are encouraged to book trips in advance. Following each presentation and on every Wednesday just outside on planetarium patio, the public is invited to visit the Broward College Observatory, where visitors can take advantage of powerful telescopes to view planets, nebula and the moon in unmatched detail. Check it out here.
You can explore courses offered in Astronomy and related fields through the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Pathway.