Southwest Florida: Pandemic Impacts on the Local Economy

 

Issues regarding supply chain management are not only important to examine on a national level - there are changes and issues that can be felt within the local economy as well. Southwest Florida is a prime example of a region that has experienced changing economic situations, which can make FGCU uniquely positioned to address these concerns. To better understand how Lee County has been responding to economic issues, our office sat down with two people from the Lee County Economic Development Office (EDO): Evelyn Valdes, a research analyst and alumni of FGCU (2013), and John Talmage, EDO’s Director. The EDO provides assistance to retain existing businesses, encourage entrepreneurship, and attract new businesses to provide a strong economy and thriving communities. But according to Director Talmage, “Some of the most important work we do involves improving opportunities for the workforce to advance skills and access career ladders.”

 

Southwest Florida was experiencing a boom more than a decade ago - there was a lot of building and construction that contributed to the housing-bubble that tipped off the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession that was felt globally. A decade later, the area had recovered and was building up its economy again - and then the COVID-19 pandemic began. Individuals and organizations were impacted by the quarantine, with more than a third of the county’s workforce having applied for unemployment. Many businesses, especially in Fort Myers Beach and Cape Coral, are still recovering now as the pandemic and its variants continue to plague society. However, because of the assistance and funding received from the federal and state levels, Lee County is recovering faster during this crisis than after 2008. The main issues that our growing regional economy is facing now are keeping up with the demand for goods, transporting those goods, affordable housing, and workforce development and training. 

 

Keeping up with the demand for goods is not just an issue here - in many places, prices for lumber and construction materials have risen as large corporations build in new regions and transportation lags slow down production. Affordable housing is another issue felt around the nation; when the price of buying housing or renting is too high, it becomes impossible for the average worker to live. Prices are rising, but wages are not increasing at a similar rate. We have also heard about workers not wanting to go back to their former jobs in the retail and hospitality industries due to low pay and variable employment in a region that has an on- and off-season. Even if companies are building here, the future workforce cannot be sustained unless they make enough money to live. And with companies like Bank of America raising their minimum wage to $25 an hour for new tellers and Amazon offering $20 an hour for new drivers, the region’s retail and hospitality industries will be seeing competition to fill new jobs. 

 

Lee is now the fifth most economically diverse county in the state of Florida. The warehousing industry has been growing the fastest - and the Alico corridor between the RSW Airport and FGCU is one of the main areas seeing major construction. Many companies have been purchasing and leasing warehouse spaces, such as Wayfair and Amazon. The area’s tourism industry is still growing, as evidenced by the growing number of hotels and rooms. There is also a fast-growing fashion apparel sector in Lee - local Cypress Academy is in the works to start a fashion academy in anticipation of this growth. The healthcare industry is also rapidly growing, with new companies in life sciences, medical equipment manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals setting up shop in the region. “There will be all sorts of advances in our local healthcare system,” Talmage explained. “We are seeing companies coming that deal with prosthetic devices, community-based medicine systems, and realigning medical devices to work with smart devices.” 

 

The local economy cannot be sustained without the help of the local education sector - which includes FGCU, as Director Talmage explains. It would be a problem if the types of jobs that will be coming to this region cannot hire people living in the area because they are not qualified for the work. Local high schools, technical schools, and colleges can support Lee County’s workforce directly by offering training and education opportunities that tie-in to the growing industries. FGCU has responded to community needs through a number of recent initiatives - from opening the Water School to focus on a major environmental feature in this region, to offering programs like Entrepreneurship, Supply Chain Management, and Construction Management. With almost 50% of FGCU graduates making their home in SWFL (the area, not just Lee) and FGCU promoting its micro-credentialing badging program to advance locals’ skills, FGCU will continue to make a positive impact in Southwest Florida. 

-Jaclyn Chastain

A Queer Theory Interpretation of The Fairness In Women’s Sports Act

 

A Queer Theory Interpretation of The Fairness In Women’s Sports Act

 

Jon Braddy, Ph.D.

 

 

The Fairness In Women’s Sports Act was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on June 1^st 2021—the kick-off to Pride Month for the Florida LGBTQ community. In a clearly staged signing event, politicians and student-athletes from Jacksonville’s Trinity Christian Academy flanked the governor and applauded his speech. Digital projections highlighting the competitiveness and physical prowess of the Academy’s athletic teams appeared on a screen behind the politicians and the Trinity Christian Conquerors team. Governor DeSantis brought to the podium a young lady, Miss Selina Soule, an athlete from Connecticut who bemoaned the struggle she endured; having trained daily to sharpen her track and field skills, the dedication of waking early and suffering through multiple practices, the grueling schedule and sacrificed time that all competitive athletes must undergo for their sport, she spoke.  Selina Soule declared, “us girls …don’t give up a normal high school experience just for participation trophies, we race to win.”[1] The Conquerors briefly exited the stage so the audience could watch an edited film of Miss Soule’s performance during Track and Field competitions. Selina was strong, fast, and agile; yet, despite her best efforts the track star only attained a third-place ranking; bested by two transgender girls.  

 

Ron DeSantis found this troublesome. “In Florida, girls are going to play girls’ sports and boys are going to play boys’ sports. That’s the reality,”[2] declared the governor introducing the Act. Now in Florida, as in Gattaca[3], biology is destiny. “We are going to go based on biology, not based on ideology.”[4] Now, the gender assigned on our original birth certificate will determine the team sport we compete on. Its “such a commonsense issue,”[5] said Senator Kelli Stagel. Disregarding the evidence that a biologically defined male who takes estrogen is physically altered; his (now her) advantages originally gained from testosterone get neutralized.  This is well-known and well-documented, hence The Fairness In Women’s Sport Act is staged to protect the integrity of women’s sport and the records/achievements held by females based on biology, before another Selina Soule is victimized, hypothetically in the state of Florida. Whereas a transgender man competing against “biologically” advantaged males is not threatening and remains outside the scope of the Act; even with his testosterone injections he will be less a competitor; hence, not a threat to the “integrity” of male sport competitions or records/achievements. “This is nothing about anybody being discriminated against,”[6] said Senator Stagel, and again repeated, “It’s commonsense.”[7]  

 

As I watched the signing ceremony, I looked at the Conquerors in the background. Young student-athletes nervously smiling during a historic media event, excitedly displaying the signifiers of their academy; “Trinity” and “Christian” proudly scrolled across team jerseys. Religion came to mind and I thought, WWJD? Would a young biologically-certified male from ancient Judea, who died ushering forth a heavenly kingdom on earth, see this Act as a step in the right direction? Again, this is not based on ideology. Does The Fairness In Women’s Sports Act, which privileges the body above the spirit and the soul, move American society toward greater joy and expand love? For Trinity Christian Academy, the obvious answer is, Yes; hence the staged photo-op.  As Selina Soule spoke of her agony of defeat at the speed and ability of the transgender females, I felt sadness. Not sadness at her loss, but that her loss was not reframed differently by her society; parents, coaches, friends and a few others. They made this young lady a victim, and Selina accepted the title; “I was robbed.”[8] Miss Soule’s suffering could have been reframed, she could have spoken of greater openness and acceptance; she more than anyone had an insight which, unfortunately, was not expressed. Selina’s voice could have ushered forth a new vision for the world of sport, rather she found a scapegoat for her suffering (two transgender teenagers facing an already cruel world). A victim’s voice from Connecticut co-opted by a Florida governor staging a regressive Act—was this necessary?  

 

It’s been a great learning experience working alongside FGCU Eagles Athletics over the past few years, I found the student-athletes at our university refreshingly divergent from the cliché movies and media portrayals which they themselves must struggle against. For these athletes, the spirit of sport is about bettering the whole person through regulated battle against a fierce competitor equally determined to win. This desire is deeply rooted and skillfully nourished, particularly cultivated among FGCU Eagles. In my dealings with our university’s student-athletes, one phrase stands out, “I would rather lose a hard-fought game than win an easy one.”[9] That which is said following a defeat has far greater meaning than the platitudes of praise following any victory.  During my last meeting chairing the Student-Athlete Health and Wellness Committee, the athletic program director voiced a great fear. Director Ken Kavanagh would often report the wins and losses of the FGCU Eagles; mentioning scores, rankings, measures and statistics that demonstrate numerically the value of our teams. Additionally, he would discuss the high academic rankings of our student-athletes, highlighting the importance of scholarship and solid GPAs among those various teams.  As a member of the faculty, I was genuinely impressed. Forefront on the Committee’s agenda were discussions of the mental resilience of our student-athletes, particularly struggles against depression. During this last meeting, Director Kavanagh alluded to his greatest fear; that the worst thing he could ever hear in his professional role, something he has already experienced once in his career and hopes he will never hear again, would be that one of our student-athletes committed suicide. The trade-off of a championship, a high tier, a score or measure or ranking is never worth the cost of a student-athlete’s life. Yet with a stroke of a pen, Governor DeSantis placed his name to a law that further isolates a segment of our state’s population, one already coping with a high level of suicide and rejection—kids. The well-being of the souls under our charge outweighs this unnecessary Act.

 

The citizens of Florida are freedom loving and often extend that liberty to others. Religious allusion aside, the people of this state have created a zone where stigma is rejected.  The Fairness In Women’s Sports Act writes stigma into law and a commonsense appeal is nothing more than an ad populum fallacy, not to mention that the legislation is unnecessary and cruel.  

This law is no source of pride.

 

 

 

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[1] Speech of Salina Soule presented during the signing ceremony of The Fairness In Women’s Sports Act. Jacksonville, Florida. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj-bxPVRqTs&t=1060s

[2] Speech of Ron DeSantis presented during the signing ceremony of The Fairness In Women’s Sports Act. Jacksonville, Florida. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj-bxPVRqTs&t=1060s

[3] Gattaca (1997). Film. Directed by Andrew Niccol. From IMDb, “A genetically inferior man assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.” https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119177/

[4] Speech of Ron DeSantis presented during the signing ceremony of The Fairness In Women’s Sports Act. Jacksonville, Florida. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj-bxPVRqTs&t=1060s

[5] Speech of Kelli Stagel presented during the signing ceremony of The Fairness In Women’s Sports Act. Jacksonville, Florida. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj-bxPVRqTs&t=1060s

[6] Speech of Kelli Stagel presented during the signing ceremony of The Fairness In Women’s Sports Act. Jacksonville, Florida. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj-bxPVRqTs&t=1060s

[7] Speech of Kelli Stagel presented during the signing ceremony of The Fairness In Women’s Sports Act. Jacksonville, Florida. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj-bxPVRqTs&t=1060s

[8] Speech of Salina Soule presented during the signing ceremony of The Fairness In Women’s Sport Act. Jacksonville, Florida. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj-bxPVRqTs&t=1060s

[9] Articulated by a nominee of the Ken Kavanah Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award. Interview. Meeting of the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee. 2021. 

Cindy Linh Lu: Toxicity of Oxybenzone on Environmental Microbes Research

 

In the semesters of Summer 2020- Spring 2021, seven female undergraduate STEM students and three professionals investigated the potential environmental impacts of chemical ultraviolent filter found in sunscreens and other personal care product. To calculate the average loading rate of chemical UV filters in SWFL beaches, surveys were taken at the beaches to identify the average amount of sunscreen used, how often it is applied, and most used sunscreen and factors it is selected. This research caught many people’s attention, even showing on Wink News story (shown below) and making the school’s newsletter.

https://www.winknews.com/2020/11/14/fgcu-researchers-to-see-if-sunscreen-harms-our-water/

                This was an amazing learning experience that taught me so much. By working closely with my mentor, Dr. Redfern, I was fostered and guided on this research project, in which I pursued grant writing and learned how to do further research.

 

The goal in the lab is to investigate the potential toxicity of oxybenzone on certain environmental microbes. In the lab, I have created the stock: one with oxybenzone, one without, and one with sunscreen (3% avobenzone) with oxybenzone. After the stock was autoclaved, the microbes were constantly fed and monitored for the growth rate over time. These results will help us better to understand and further characterize the environmental impact associated with oxybenzone.

While the research is still in progress, I have gained so much knowledge in the span of one year as an undergrad student. Dr. Redfern’s guidance has helped me in so many ways by building my critical thinking and problem solving skills, as well as my confidence. Working with her and so many other students has given me life-changing experience in the lab, research, and surveying. As a future engineer, this research opportunity transformed my perspective and insight on what I would like to do in the future as I continue my education and career. I am eager to continue this research and learn more of the opportunities Florida Gulf Coast University has to offer.

 

 

 
 

The State of Journalism - Interview with Professor Judd Cribbs

Professor Cribbs worked as a reporter for 25 years before coming to FGCU to teach journalism back in 2010. In his time in the field, he has seen it all. While in the last several years, the feelings of animosity towards the media as a whole seem to have taken center stage in much of the discourse around politics, Cribbs experienced it for much of his professional career.

“I used to encounter people who were angry at me. Told me to go home, you know? That I was a vulture, a scumbag. This happened long before it became kind of a national conversation.”

These types of encounters were all too common for Cribbs, whether he was reporting on a disturbance at a bar involving college students, or a car crash involving teenagers. Confrontations from those involved always sprang up, often out of the fear of misrepresenting what really happened or painting them in a bad light.

“A lot of times we are shining spotlights on people who have done things that would be considered embarrassing or humiliating to them or their family. People don’t really like that.” Other times, the story might be about the absolute worst moment of a person’s life. “I did a story once on a young boy who went missing and ultimately died. We had to go talk to the family about what happened. To their credit, they invited me in, talked about their departed son, and were just the most gracious, loving people.”

Often, journalists go into negative situations like these, and being the outsider, people’s guards are instinctively up. They are on heightened alert to the possibility that an outsider will come in and try to dig up dirt that will make their reality even worse, rather than focus on the good that a journalist can do by informing the community.

“I don’t know that that ever goes away. People are looking for that kind of stuff.”

Cribbs mentioned how in most of his confrontations, where a person approached him with hostility about his reporting of the news, the root of the problem was often a lack of understanding of the journalistic process. Cribbs recalled how many times someone would call him after one of his stories was published, and how these callers would complain that his stories were inaccurate. But each time, Cribbs would have an honest conversation with them, and explain each step he went through to gather the facts, talk to sources, check public records, etc.

“Nearly every time that I would have these one-on-one conversations with people, they would understand what I did, and by the end of the conversation they would be less hostile. I think it calms them, to just know that I did go through a process and I didn’t just throw it out there. Some people are surprised that there’s such an editorial process.”

FGCU’s Center for Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

 Last summer, after the horrific and problematic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, FGCU President Mike Martin responded to the subsequent protests calling for social justice, stating: “A fundamental value of FGCU is an unambiguous commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and a firm resolve to address racism, bigotry and intolerance on our campus and beyond. Recent events across the nation have reminded us yet again that we must exhibit our values through action.”  

During this time FGCU created a Task Force that could examine what steps were needed for the institution to more closely embody its stated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The task force focused on issues like increasing the number of faculty and staff of color at the university and increasing consciousness through events on topics such as bias, racism, microaggressions, environmental racism, voter suppression, dating, and domestic violence. One of the Task Force members, Dr. Ted Thornhill, was ready with another initiative - establishing a center that would add to the academic structure of the university and enable us to address race and ethnic issues from a research standpoint. 

 

A few years ago, Dr. Thornhill made news when FGCU first offered a course titled “White Racism.” The course offering received a lot of attention, with national and international news organizations reaching out to Dr. Thornhill for interviews on what was seen as a “controversial” course and name. Thornhill typically teaches courses on the sociology of African Americans, social class inequality, white racism, and racism and law enforcement. His research has examined how color-blind ideology and organizational policies and practices promote racial inequality, particularly in K-12 and higher education, the labor market, and the criminal justice system. 

 

Moving forward with this initiative, FGCU appointed the sociology professor to be the Director of the newly formed Center for Critical Race and Ethnic Studies. The term “Critical” in the Center’s name is an academic label that refers to an analysis of the systems of power, privilege, domination, and resistance that affect racial and ethnic groups. Dr. Thornhill was intentional about including the term in the name, as it lets the community know that the Center has a focus on academic discourse and scholarly pursuits, aiming to do more than supporting peaceful protests or collecting data for sterile demographic analyses that are devoid of politics. 

 

The Center for Critical Race and Ethnic Studies aims to advance racial justice within communities and organizations in (and beyond) Southwest Florida. The Center seeks to advance its vision by drawing together an intellectual community made up of a multidisciplinary group of FGCU faculty, students, and community members committed to the critical study of race and ethnicity in the US and globally. Its aim is to promote and support research, dialogue, collaboration, and community engagement focused on advancing racial equity. This could include studies on voter suppression, indigenous communities, undocumented immigrants, and undoing the systems of oppression built into our society. 

 Although the Center for Critical Race and Ethnic Studies is currently led by one person, the Center’s Director, plans for expansion are already underway. Dr. Thornhill has been meeting with FGCU faculty that conduct race-related research, assembling a coalition of faculty affiliates focused on race and ethnicity, racism, and immigration from an academic perspective. So far, the Center has ten faculty affiliates, covering the disciplines and fields of literature, Latin American & Caribbean studies, foreign language, migration studies, sociology, history, multicultural education, and social work. Soon the Center will also have a physical location that students and community members can go to, located on the fourth floor of the library. A combination study and community space is being planned and constructed at the top floor of the Bradshaw G. Wilson Library, which the Center’s Director hopes will turn into a collaborative space that can provide a venue for research, book clubs, workshops, discussions, and lectures. This space is set to open sometime in the Fall 2021 semester. 

 

Dr. Thornhill also seeks to make race and ethnic research opportunities more available to students; the Center is currently piloting an Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, where the Center’s faculty affiliates work with students on faculty-mentored research projects. Dr. Thornhill plans to expand the program in upcoming semesters to faculty at-large. 

 

For the Center for Critical Race and Ethnic Studies to exist as an organization at FGCU sends a powerful statement about the university’s commitment and foci. As Dr. Thornhill explained in an interview for this Scholarly Newsletter, for individuals who are non-white, seeing certain words - like “white supremacy,” “critical race studies,” “white racism,” or “Black Lives Matter” - can have a powerful impact that can validate our lived reality. Establishing a Center like this is an important way that FGCU can address these issues with academic expertise, give voice to students and faculty, and help the campus community appreciate the reality of these issues.

Learning and Earning with WiSER Eagles

 By: Dahlya Byrne

Florida Gulf coast University (FGCU) is a four-year, public research university located in Fort Myers, Florida, with an estimated 15,000 enrolled students (https://www.fgcu.edu/about/fastfacts).  A primary goal at FGCU is to encourage and develop new methods of learning. One program that exemplifies this practice is the WiSER Eagles program in the Office of Undergraduate Scholarship.  Created in 2018 with a pilot group of ten students, there are now more than 60 WiSER Eagle positions available to undergraduate students (Personal communication Jaclyn Chastain, 17 February 2020).  I became aware that the program is not well known when I talked to my classmates about the different activities I was able to participate in.  Since I have benefitted greatly from this program, I thought writing an article spotlighting current and past participants would introduce other students to WiSER Eagle and give them a chance to participate. 

The intent of the program is to provide opportunities for students to experience valuable research skills by offering them an opportunity to participate in faculty driven research in a variety of disciplines in a group setting.  Students gain valuable technical skills while strengthening their interpersonal and professional skills.  Students are surrounded by like-minded individuals and mentored by dedicated professionals passionate about research and educating students. WiSER Eagle positions are available across the disciplines and in a wide range of settings from Engineering, Environmental Sciences to Rehabilitation. Additionally, the WiSER Eagles provides academic stipends to individual students, allowing them to work up to 10 hours per week at an hourly rate of $9.50. Students who continue to participate after the first year become eligible for pay raises. 

I was hired to work as a Student Research Assistant for Dr. Brigitte Belanger, an assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy program at FGCU in the fall of 2019.  I continue to work in this capacity.  My position involves multiple roles.  At times I have been an event planner coordinating, planning and participating in our FGCU Student Veterans’ Golf Event where we raise $15,000 for Scholarships and programs.  I am a member of the Veterans’ Support Committee (VSC) and attend monthly board meetings where I’ve learned to take notes for minutes and prepare agendas. I work with graduate students and have completed the CITI training in order to participate in the creation of a research project that has been IRB approved.  The more intangible or soft skills I’ve acquired include better time management skills, effective communication, multi-tasking, just to name a few. As my competence and confidence improved my role expanded.

The skills and abilities I have developed are too numerous to list but I can definitely say that none of these experiences would have been possible were it not for the WiSER Eagles program.  As I work to develop this article for publication, I find myself realizing that nine months ago I don’t think I would have had the confidence to approach and interview strangers much less know how to get an article published.  Not bad for a college freshman!  The students I interviewed for this article hold similar views.

Freshman Elaine Cooke says she heard about her position from her teachers during class. Both her major and research area incorporated Engineering, however, she described the focus of her major to be primarily business. While it remains on par with her major, she stated that participating in WiSER Eagles forced her out of her comfort zone as she was working hands on with the construction aspect. 

In her position, Elaine works alongside her mentor, Dr Hashem Izadi Moud in the Department of Construction Management to develop of new mix of concrete for increased sustainability in the houses of Southwest Florida. Under his guidance she has presented at a variety of conferences, including the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC) in February of 2020 and the ASHRAE Conference of 2020. This program opened the door for many opportunities like these that she expressed she would not have had otherwise. 

Laina Lamb is a recent FGCU graduate who worked as a Research Assistant for Assistant Professors Dr. Davey and Dr. Salapska-Gelleri in the Departments of Social Sciences and Psychology. Laina’s position involved conducting IRB approved interviews on historians based on study guide questionnaires given by her mentors. She was in charge of collecting narratives on the home front of subjects who were children during WWII. 

Laina states there was a huge learning curve due to the number of new tasks she had to acquire. Some of these tasks involved learning to use software (NVIVO) to transcribe interviews and operating the audio equipment. Laina says working at a position that combined history and psychology allowed her to develop a deeper appreciation for history. Laina is grateful for the opportunity to practice her interviewing skills during the course of her sessions.  Laina is confident that these skills will be invaluable in her future career as a therapist. 

Daniel Talamas is a research assistant working with Dr. Molly Nation in the Department of Ecology & Environmental Studies. He began his work with this mentor as a volunteer Spanish translator, as he became more familiar with her research, he took on greater responsibilities. The research focused on educating middle and high school students about water quality using their campus ponds. Daniel was involved in curriculum development and implementation. He also monitored student outcomes and was responsible for collecting water samples. Daniel explains there were some challenges scheduling sessions around student classes but he reports the skills he gained (journal writing, teach, and communication) were well worth the efforts and Daniel believes he never would have considered research before this experience as he found it much too intimidating.  

The three students I interviewed felt strongly that the WISER Eagle Professional Development sessions contributed greatly to their success. They reported that the assignments encouraged critical thinking and felt that time spent researching independently, and with their mentors was enhanced by the biweekly group sessions.  Overall, they reported the experience as positive and provided “an enriching and curiosity inducing work environment”.

In conclusion I would like to say that I am very grateful to the WiSER Eagles program.  I have been exposed to so many opportunities and taken on new challenges that are providing me with considerable hands on experience, allowing me to improve on a variety of skills, building a resume of skills outside the traditional classroom while enhancing my competence and confidence in my ability to take on bigger and greater challenges.  I hope other students will read this article and look in to becoming a “WiSER Eagle” It’s an experience that will enrich your life and possibly open a door to a career you had not considered.  There aren’t many part time jobs that can make that claim!

I want to thank the Eagle WiSER Participants, Daniel Talamas, Laina Lamb, and Elaine Cook, as well as Jaclyn Chastain & Billy Gunnels for taking the time to speak with me.

#FacultyFriday: Hasan Aydin

ABOUT ME

My name is Hasan Aydin. I was born in Dogubeyazit on the Eastern side of Turkey. This region is predominantly occupied by Kurdish people to which I belong. During the early days of my life, Kurdish people were not allowed to receive education in their mother tongue. There were no schools in my region. I, therefore, had to move to the Turkish-dominated Erzurum city located about 300 miles from my birthplace. Leaving my family was difficult but, looking back, I had this insatiable desire to acquire education at any cost.

AS A STUDENT

I started schooling in Erzulum when I was about seven years old. Despite the challenges created by the new environment and the fear of being discovered that I was not of Turkish identity, I worked hard in class and was a top student from elementary to high school. I completed the equivalent of K – 12 education in Erzulum and later moved to pursue my degree in Mongolia in 2000, where I graduated with a teaching degree.

PREVIOUS TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Seventeen years ago, I began my journey into the teaching profession as a fresh college graduate with degrees in Mongolian, English, and Russian languages and received my BA in English. The following decade offered challenging and uplifting professional experiences at diverse geographical locations, including Turkey, Mongolia, the Philippines, Romania, Nigeria, and the United States. During this time, I was fortunate to interact with culturally, linguistically, and religiously diverse students from ethnically diverse backgrounds. A significant proportion of these students were English Language Learners (ELL).

To expand my horizon in languages, I sought and earned a master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in 2007. The culmination of these experiences was invaluable in shaping my practical understanding of today’s multicultural classrooms. This prompted me to pursue my doctorate in multicultural education at the University of Nevada, which I earned in 2011.

I have frequently found myself reflecting on what my role should be in the classroom. The answer has often boiled down to the need to create a collaborative, engaging learning environment where I facilitate students in active inquiry and discovery that promotes opportunities for authentic learning. During my years of research and teaching, I developed a synergy of knowledge, skills, and dispositions in multicultural education and global education to provide quality and equitable education for diverse student populations and their future teachers. I joined the College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast University in 2017, where I work as a multicultural education professor in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Culture. Besides teaching and instruction, I also enjoy my work. I am a human rights defender and champion the cause for oppressed people of the world.

INTERACTION WITH STUDENTS

In my teaching, my philosophy has always been to help students combine the knowledge gained in the classroom with applicable skills and dispositions that will allow them to make a difference in their working community. I deliberately integrate the concept of “embracing diversity” into both undergraduate and graduate courses. All my courses are framed on the knowledge/research base that consists of five distinctive strategies aligned to my teaching: cooperative learning, inquiry-based instruction, differentiation, timely feedback, and technology integration.

 I am committed to preparing candidates for culturally diverse educational settings (PreK-12 and higher education) and our rapidly changing global landscape. My commitment to supporting students’ development into becoming informed and engaged citizens are reflected in my work as a teacher-scholar and an educational leader.  In communicating with my students, I have adopted an open-door policy in which my students can approach me whenever they want to reach me. I always strive to be available to them. I have discovered that by sharing my passion for teaching and learning and demonstrating my enthusiasm and empathy to my students, I can connect to them both as a teacher and as someone who is engaged with them to find pertinent answers to complex and perplexing questions.

I am proud to state that I have demonstrated success in fostering the scholarly development of my students by mentoring (and accompanying) both undergraduate and graduate student-presenters to national and international conferences across the United States and abroad since 2017. I have created a research team to develop various campus enrichment opportunities, including a scholarly writing circle, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and multi-faceted diversity and equity initiatives. As a teacher-educator, I see my role as a mentor for students who want to extend their research beyond the classroom. During the past few years, several students in my courses improved their class research projects and presented them at local and international forums. All these endeavors have made students understand that their future teaching practices must be research-based, and their educational decisions must be data-driven.

Besides my teaching, I have also established myself as an internationally recognized researcher. I have been referenced and been given awards by other scholars in the field of multicultural education in both a national and international scope. My scholarship focuses on multicultural education, bilingual education, promotion of the Kurdish language, and cultural rights, human rights, social justice, diversity and equity in education, educating refugee students, citizenship education in a global context, and international education. My research spans across local, national, and international contexts, having conducted research with and prepared educators in Germany, Turkey, Romania, Mongolia, Nigeria, and the United States.

I am the author of several books, and published numerous articles, have had many conference presentations. My most recent book (co-edited with Winston Langley) was Human Rights in Turkey: Assaults on Human Dignity, which Springer Press published. Because of this, my scholarship has been recognized by several institutions. For example, in 2018 and 2019, I was awarded the “best publication article” in the College of Education at FGCU. I also received the Human Rights Educator Award from the United Nations Human Rights Florida in 2019. Also, based on my accomplishment, I was awarded an outstanding biographical publication record by Marquis Who's Who in America in 2019.

ASSOCIATIONS WITH COMMUNITY

The extent and diversity of my involvement in these professional and community organizations and committees exemplify the breadth and depth of my service. I take pride in my leadership skills, the leadership role that I have demonstrated in various positions, and ultimately, by which I have contributed to education. I am also a founding editor and editor-in-chief for the Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies and the American Journal of Qualitative Research, and an associate editor for Intercultural Education. 

I serve as a director of Education and Youth Empowerment for African Network of South-West Florida. I served as a program chair for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2020/SIG Multicultural/Multiethnic Education: Theory, Research, and Practice.

I am a member of several professional organizations, including the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), the Korean Association for Multicultural Education (KAME), the International Association for Intercultural Research (IAIE), and the Pi Beta Delta: International Honor Society for International Education.

I wish to spend my remaining career helping others succeed as we produce, both individually and collaboratively, works that impact our field and the students affected by it.