Having trouble viewing this email? Click here to view in browser.
February 2020

FAU's Brain Institute is proud to announce “Brainy Days 2020,” a celebration of neuroscience throughout the month of March sponsored by Palm Health Foundation. From using magic to study the mind to understanding best practices for educating those with autism, and gaining a unique perspective on drug addiction from a scientist, author and survivor, FAU’s Brain Institute hopes to engage, empower and educate the public about brain diseases and ultimately reduce the stigma associated with brain disorders.
The Brainy Days Kickoff Lecture will feature Stephen Macknik, Ph.D., a nationally recognized neuroscientist and expert in the brain mechanisms subverted by optical illusions and magical trickery. If you have ever found yourself face-to-face with an utterly bewildering illusion, you know the powerful effect such images have on the mind. The question we often ask ourselves is, How is that possible? Dr. Macknik, an award-winning neuroscientist and professor at the State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, will explain just why we think we see the things we see.

Stephen Macknik, Ph.D., SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Jupiter Campus
12-1:30 p.m., Reception and Book Signing to Follow,

“Brainy Days,” is sponsored by the Palm Health Foundation. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Els Center of Excellence, and the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium provided additional support. For a full schedule of events, visit http://fau.edu/ibrain/brainydays.

Nearly 200 people attended the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors 20 th Anniversary Benefactors Dinner on February 20 at the Pelican Club. The event featured Florida Atlantic University’s Distinguished Teacher of the Year Jeffrey S. Morton, Ph.D., as the keynote speaker, FAU President John Kelly and Interim Dean Tim Steigenga. Attendees learned first-hand how the college provides unmatched opportunities for some of the best and brightest in the nation. Beacon Pharmaceutical served as the title sponsor of the John D. MacArthur Campus 20 th Anniversary. Thank you to all of those who provided additional support. Donate today! Please designate your gift to the Community Engagement Scholarship Fund.
Research

FAU Jupiter Scientists suspect Mexican cavefish may hold clues to many biological mysteries, including human disease. Alex Keene and his university collaborators, Johanna Kowalko and Erik Duboué, are helping FAU emerge as a hub for the growing field of cavefish research. Together, these young scientists are teasing out the fish’s secrets and establishing it as an unconventional sort of lab rat, a subject for routine use in studies intended to shed light on human biology.

“We are developing this fascinating animal into a new experimental model,” Keene said. “For FAU to be at the center of these advances, is exciting.” Read More

Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., a professor in the College for Design and Social Inquiry, conducted a new study that showed more than 28 percent of teens in a romantic relationship were, at one point, victims of digital dating abuse.

The results also pointed to males being significantly more likely to experience digital dating abuse compared to females...  Read More

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators conducted one of the first known studies to examine how cognitive functioning is affected differently by the neighborhood environment depending on one’s apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype – a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD)...  Read More
Faculty and Student Spotlight

The Kenan Social Engagement Program at the Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University is pleased to announce the selection of two new scholarship winners. Elizabeth Pino and Sarah Hemmen are the 2020 winners of a $10,000.00 seed grant to continue their social enterprise, Princesses Against Cancer , a costumed character party company designed to bring smiles to children fighting disease. These scholarship recipients, or Kenan Scholars, have been chosen as part of a competitive selection process to launch social ventures that they conceptualized and planned in the Fall 2019 semester under the tutelage of program co-directors Timothy Steigenga, Ph.D. and Christopher Strain, Ph.D., both professors at the Wilkes Honors College... Read More
 

Sunil Raju, a Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College National Merit student in the Medical Scholars Program, was recently published in  Revista de Estudios Hispánicos, one of the most prestigious journals in the field of Hispanic literature...   Read More
2020 Florida Collegiate Honors Council Annual Conference

FAU’s Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College proudly hosted the 2020 Florida Collegiate Honors Council (FCHC) annual conference at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Palm Beach Gardens Feb. 7-9. 250 registered students, faculty and program directions from 21, two and four year colleges and universities, public and private attended to present their research and network. Rachel Luria, associate professor of Rhetoric & Composition, served as conference chair. Luria was also sworn in as FCHC President for 2020-2021. Honors College students were involved in every aspect of the planning and execution, from choosing the theme, “SoFloMind: Reclaiming Hope and Change," to putting together the program, and moderating the panels—in addition to presenting their own research in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities.
 
Florida Atlantic University Brain Institute's ASCEND program held an interactive booth in the ArtiKids Zone during the ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival on Saturday, Feb. 15 and Sunday, Feb. 16 in downtown Abacoa. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! Our neuroscientists had a great time speaking to families and teaching kids about the brain.
Announcements

Preparations for the construction of RH3 on the Jupiter Campus are underway. Fencing around the structure and other safety precautions are now in place.
 
The safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors to any FAU campus is always of paramount importance. Please exercise caution around the construction sites. While any disruption will be minimized, some noise is periodically likely.
 
Construction of the new $17.1 million facility will begin this spring and will bring the total student bed count on the Jupiter campus to 453... Read More

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter has announced its course offerings for the spring semester, which begins Tuesday, March 14... Read More
Upcoming Events

Terry Virts, a retired United States air force colonel and a veteran of two spaceflights, along with a 200-day flight in the Space Station
Wednesday, March 4 at 7 p.m.
Tickets: $35/member; $45/non-member

Join Florida Atlantic University at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Wednesday, March 11 for FAU Day! The Miami Marlins will be playing the New York Yankees at 1 p.m. Our very own Owlsey and members of FAU will be on site with giveaways and team spirit!
Thursday, March 26, 2020
7-9 p.m.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Jupiter
 
LUNAFEST ® is a distinctive touring film festival that honors the talents and stories of women everywhere through a series of short films. All proceeds from LUNAFEST ® fund FAU scholarships for female students on the Jupiter campus.

Registration is open for FAU’s Emerging Models Symposium. Invited speakers will discuss models being developed for use in research including bats, butterflies, and mosquitos. The event will be held Friday, April 17 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience.
The John D. MacArthur Campus presently enrolls more than 1,500 students and offers groundbreaking programs in research and education. Two of the world’s leading research organizations, the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and Scripps Research Institute are located on the campus and offer high school, undergraduate and graduate students transformational experiences not found anywhere else in the world. The campus is home to the nationally-ranked Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College which provides 440 students with a live-in, all-honors educational experience and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the largest membership program of its kind in the nation. Recognized as a center of scientific activity, the campus also serves as the headquarters for two of FAU’s primary research organizations, the Brain Institute and the Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention (I-HEALTH).