contact magazine winter 2011-12

•First Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded

•Energy Institute Puts Green Economy First

•Banner Center for Life Sciences Leads the Way

Contact WINTER 2011-12 | VOL. 18, NO. 2

FOR THE FRIENDS OFPALM BEACH STATE COLLEGE

Banner Yearat Palm Beach State

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PRESIDENT

Dennis P. Gallon, Ph.D.

DISTRICT BOARD

OF TRUSTEES

William Berger

John F. Dowd III

Wendy S. Link

David H. Talley

Carolyn L. Williams

Ariella N. Klein, Student

Contact is produced by the Office of College Relations and Marketing, Palm Beach State College, 4200 Congress Ave., Lake Worth, FL 33461.Please call 561-868-3122 or e-mail [email protected] for further information or to obtain additional copies of Contact.

EDITOR

Grace H. Truman, Ed.D.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Joyce Edelstein

Tabatha B. McDonald

Diana Pierre-Louis

Grace Truman

Mark Udry

ART DIRECTOR

Kari W. McCormick

PHOTOGRAPHY

Matthew Lester

Kari W. McCormick

John Ricksen

Enrico Sacchetti

Mark Udry

Contact

Palm Beach State College is accredited by theCommission on Colleges of the SouthernAssociation of Colleges and Schools to award theassociate and baccalaureate degrees. Contact theCommission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane,Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation ofPalm Beach State College. The Commission shouldbe contacted only if there is evidence that appearsto support an institution's non-compliance withan accreditation requirement or standard.

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am frequently accused ofbeing the eternal optimist,and if truth be told, that

label is accurate. Maintaininga positive outlook is my wayof staying energized and focused during times ofchallenge. Yes, our economy continues to stagnate, and a successful future will demand the best from eachof us. It would be understandable to hunker down insurvival mode until things improve. Perhaps that is why I am thrilled to witness instead the creativity andpersistence of our College faculty, staff and students as they pursue and achieve their goals. It is a pleasure to share with you some of their remarkable andinspiring accomplishments.

An example is the newly launched Institute for Energyand Environmental Sustainability at our Palm BeachGardens campus, as well as the Center for GreenConstruction and Energy at the Lake Worth campus.For Palm Beach State, these are the next steps in theprocess of “going green” in our curriculum offerings,service activities and college operations. They arepreparing students for employment that didn’t exist just a few years ago, before the “green economy” began to take shape. Innovation is also key to the new offerings of our Biotechnology program, which has been designated the Employ Florida Banner Center

for Life Sciences. Working with a broad network of industry and academic partners, Palm BeachState is developing training modules to

support the state’s growing life scienceindustries and STEM professions.

Palm Beach State College, founded in 1933 as Florida's first public community college, is a diverse, comprehensive institution dedicated to serving the educational needs of Palm Beach County.Integrally linked to the community through strong partnerships, the College provides associate andbaccalaureate degrees, professional certificates, workforce development and lifelong learning.

Palm Beach State College's mission is to create and sustain a dynamic teaching and learning environment that provides a high-quality, accessible, affordable education, preparing students tocontribute and compete ethically and successfully in a diverse global community.

www.PalmBeachState.edu

2AT PALM BEACH STATE,

THE FUTURE IS GREEN

Institute for Energy &Environmental Sustainability

equips students for the green economy

WORKFORCE EDUCATION

THAT WORKS

The Banner Center for Life Sciences gets it right

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Why health care students wantto save this guy’s life

Features

7

10

Contact is printed on chlorine-free,Forest Stewardship Council certifiedand Rainforest Alliance certified paper.

Departments

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Africa Fine and Stephen Gibsonshare the art of writing

FYI PALM BEACH STATE

B.S.N. creates advancement path forregistered nurses; Palm Beach Stategraduates first class of bachelor’sdegree students; College’slibrary archive going digital;Curtain rises on DuncanTheatre’s 25th season.

SPORTS

Panthers to swing for the fenceswith new baseball coach

FOUNDATION

Dentist’s legacy of generositycontinues; Fashion’s Night Out; Alma Mater – The new face of alumni

ALUMNI CORNER

Dr. Peter Lamelas discovers a cure forthe common emergency room

ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES

Back cover

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22

18

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24

Your Pathway to Success

As an institution, the College is experiencing steadyenrollment growth and unprecedented use of our facilities.Our campuses and technology infrastructure servestudents around the clock through classrooms, computernetworks, libraries, student centers, laboratories and onlinelearning. We continue to expand our two-year degreeprogram offerings. Our four-year degree programs also aregrowing, with the recent launch of the InformationManagement bachelor’s degree, to be followed by theinaugural class for the new Bachelor of Science in Nursingdegree beginning its studies in January 2012. All of theseprograms are vital to our local economy.

To meet present and future growth in Palm Beach County,the District Board of Trustees unanimously voted in August2011 to move forward with plans to purchase land for anew campus along Southern Boulevard in LoxahatcheeGroves. The establishment of a campus at this location will enable the College to better reach residents currentlyunderserved and will address projected growth for thenext 40 to 50 years. Discussions are currently underwaywith town officials and residents to ensure that this newcampus will be both a benefit and a point of pride for the community.

It is an exciting and challenging time, and, as always, Iremain positive that the future is bright for Palm BeachState College!

I PositivePower

Dennis P. Gallon, Ph.D.President

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Dr. Matteson is director of PalmBeach State’s Institute for Energyand Environmental Sustainability

(IEES), established by the College to meet thecommunity’s need for a highly trained greenindustry workforce.

Now, with Florida’s green economic enginestarting to hum, so is IEES. “Palm BeachState is in a unique position to partner withindustry in creating a transformative greeneconomy that will benefit generations ofFloridians,” says Matteson.

Abundant Sunshine, Lush Heartland and JobsFlorida’s green economy already ranks 7thamong the 50 states, as stated in the July 2011“Sizing the Clean Economy” report by theBrookings Institute. “There are obviousreasons why we are seeing and shouldcontinue to see more green industry come toFlorida and expand here. After all, we arenicknamed the ‘sunshine state,’” says GaryHines, a senior vice president at Palm BeachCounty’s Business Development Board.According to Hines, Florida’s famoussunshine and other natural gifts could make it famous for solar, wind and ocean energy,and biomass.

In fact, the state is already a leader in theproduction of biomass – the organic wastematerial from plants and animals used tomake bioenergy (renewable energy) andbiofuels. “We don’t have oil fields, but

we do have this lush environment and 12-month growing season – Palm Beach is one ofthe richest agricultural counties in the nation,”says Jeremy Susac, executive director of theFlorida BioEnergy Association. “We feed theworld during the winter, so why don’t we feedour fuel tanks from it, too?” Matteson, whosits on the Business Development Board’sGreen Energy Council and the AdvisoryCouncil for the Employ Florida BannerCenter for Energy, concurs: “People have theireye on Florida and Palm Beach County. We’rein a prime position to reap the advantages ofthe new green economy, starting with biofuelproduction, but certainly not stopping there.”

The Leader in Energy Education in South FloridaBased on the Palm Beach Gardens campus,IEES was created to produce a pipeline ofhighly qualified workers for all the emerginggreen industry sectors, including renewableenergy, clean technology, smart gridoperations and energy efficiency, advancedtransportation and agro-biotechnology. Here, Palm Beach State is insync with colleges across theU.S., as it focuses on becom-ing a key driver of green

workforce development. Everyone fromPresident Obama to the National ScienceBoard has put the spotlight on colleges toprovide the critical technical education need-ed to retrain workers for the high-skilled andhigh-paying green jobs that are coming.

Greening Up the CurriculumMatteson is well aware of the riches he has to work with at Palm Beach State. “It’s thepotential for synergy and innovation that’s

most exciting,” says Matteson about hiswork with College faculty and adminis-trators to create new programs and retrofit

existing ones. Take bioenergy produc-tion as an example: The Biotech-nology department teaches the

bioanalytics of turning plantcellulose into biofuel, while the

Electrical Power Technologyprogram educates studentsin the use of alternative andrenewable energy sources

for power generation anddistribution.

“We’re developing green career maps to helpstudents see the different career paths they cantake. Students will be prepared not only forgreen jobs, but for employability acrossmultiple sectors of the new green economy,”says Matteson.

Electrical Power Technology was the firstprogram to benefit from an IEES retrofit. Thetwo-year Associate in Science program beganin 2009 and has evolved to include a varietyof elective courses in alternative and renewableenergy. Students also may opt for a one-yearCollege Credit Certificate in AlternativeEnergy Engineering Technology. The AEETprogram provides an introduction to solar andwind energy, as well as biofuels and environ-mental mapping technologies; all credits

3PA L M B E A C H S TAT E C O L L E G E

continued on page 5

At Palm Beach State,the Future is GreenB Y J O Y C E E D E L S T E I N

Florida CrystalsLargest biomass facility of its kind in NorthAmerica uses leftover sugar cane fiber and otherorganic waste to generate electricity for itself aswell as 60,000 homes.

Hypower, Inc.Leading renewable energy specialist; installedlargest building integrated solar photovoltaicsystem in the southeastern U.S.

INEOS New Planet BioEnergyOpening in 2012; to generate 8 million gallonsof third-generation bioethanol per year.

NextEra Energy/ Florida Power & Light• Nation’s largest solar photovoltaic plant• World’s first hybrid solar energy center

Petra SolarPioneer of technology that combines solarenergy with smart grid communications.

Solid Waste AuthorityNew $600 million renewable energy project will turn SWA’s existing waste-to-energy plantinto the cleanest of its kind in the U.S.

Florida’s Green InnovationCurrently, Florida has nearly 4,000 clean energybusinesses – here’s a sampling:

“People have their eye on Florida and Palm Beach County. We’re in a prime position to reap the advantages of the new green economy, starting with biofuel production, but certainly not stopping there.” Jay Matteson

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Imagine Florida as a Saudi Arabia of renewable energy.That’s no dream, according to Jay Matteson, Ph.D., whosemission is to make Palm Beach State College the leader ingreen energy education in Florida.

Dr. Jay Matteson, director of IEES,Lindsey Swann, staff member, and

Darius Ellington, student and EnergyClub member, show off the new

solar-wind car-charging station and solar-powered golf cart.

BioScience Technology ComplexPALM BEACH GARDENS CAMPUS

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transfer into the Electrical Power TechnologyA.S. degree. Future programs under consider-ation include smart grid and energy manage-ment technology.

Smart Courses for a Smart Grid“Smart grid technology”– the newmantra of electrical power generationand distribution – fuses digitalcapabilities with the old gridinfrastructure to enablegreater energy efficiency.Smart grids, equipped withsmart meters, collect real-time data intelligence aboutenergy usage from everyelectricity customer, allowingpower companies andconsumers alike to know howenergy is being used.

Undertaking one of thelargest smart grid deploy-ments in the U.S., FloridaPower & Light Company(FPL) recognized the need totrain the next generation ofelectrical power personnel andwas awarded a workforce educationgrant by the Department of Energy in August2010. “Smart grid will enable utilities to offercustomers a host of benefits now and in thefuture,” says Ken Languedoc, manager ofworkforce planning for NextEra Energy, FPL’s parent company. “We’re eager todevelop a smart grid curriculum so studentsare prepared for what’s coming.”

FPL selected Palm Beach State to developsmart grid curriculum as part of its Gateway to Power or G2P consortium of colleges and

universities that includes Florida AtlanticUniversity, Florida International University,Indian River State College, MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, State University ofNew York at Buffalo and Texas State TechnicalCollege. Currently Matteson is managing thedevelopment of three G2P courses: Green-house Gases and Carbon Cycle Introduction;Enhanced Power Quality and Reliability; andHome Area Network Management, each withan emphasis on current practices and careerpaths.

Launching Green CareersThe new green curriculum and IEESresources have already helped to launchcareers in

renewable energy. Peter Szarowicz and EdgarGonzalez, 2011 graduates of the ElectricalPower Technology program, were recentlyhired by NextEra Energy’s Power GenerationDivision. Both are associate production assur-ance specialists in the Juno Beach operationscenter where NextEra manages its windturbine installations across the country. Twoadditional Palm Beach State grads, Nick Howeand Daniel Avrith, also are on the wind team.

“Definitely, I credit the hands-on experience Igot at Palm Beach State,” says Szarowicz. “IEESinvested in wind turbines, which gave us theopportunity to do a full-scale project to analyzethe wind speeds on campus and present a planfor implementation. This led to an internshipat FPL, which led to my new job.”

Gonzalez, Szarowicz’s partner in the windanalysis project, followed a similar path. Prior

to his NextEra job, he moved from his FPLinternship into a position with FPL’s

Energy Smart Florida project. “PalmBeach State prepared me with the right classes, the right tools and great

professors,” says Gonzalez. Both heand Szarowicz plan to combine

work and further education,with the goal of becomingelectrical engineers.

The new courses are alsoinspiring A.A. degree students

like Nancy Hamdan, whoplans to start her own renewableenergy business someday, but is

focused now on recruitingmembers for the College’sEnergy Club. “I don’t thinkI would have found mycalling if it wasn’t for theIntroduction to Biofuels

class.”

Jay Matteson demonstrates the College’s biodiesel processor,

which turns leftover cooking oil (yellow grease) into biofuel.

Student Nancy Hamdan learns to make biodiesel.

“Definitely, I credit the hands-on experience I got at Palm Beach State.IEES invested in wind turbines, whichgave us the opportunity to do a full-scale project to analyze the windspeeds on campus and present a plan for implementation. This led to an internship at FPL, which led tomy new job.”

In Belle Glade, where sugar cane is the principal

crop, bagasse, the fibers left over from the

process, generate energy to power the mills.

Peter Szarowicz

continued on page 6

Information from 2010 Green Jobs Survey Report by Workforce Alliance

During their student days: From

left, Edgar Gonzalez assembles

a wind turbine with Szarowicz

and Daniel Damas.

continued from page 3

Vertical axial wind turbine designed and

built by student Jason Garzon

Managing the Wind: Peter Szarowicz works

in the wind turbine operations center at NextEra

Energy, which monitors thousands of turbines

across the country.Environmental Engineering TechnicianEnvironmental Restoration PlannerHazardous Materials Removal Worker

Nuclear Waste Management EngineerRecycling and Reclamation Worker

Water/Wastewater Engineer

Energy Engineering TechnicianLogistics Manager Smart Grid TechnicianSolar Sales Representative Testing, Adjusting and

Balancing HVAC SystemsWeatherization

Installer/Technician

Air Quality Control SpecialistEnvironmental JournalistRecycling Coordinator Remote Sensing Technician

Restoration EcologistSustainability Design Specialist

Biofuels Product Development ManagerBiomass Plant TechnicianElectrical Energy Storage TechnicianSolar Photovoltaic Installer

Wind Energy Operations Manager Wind Turbine Technician

Automotive Engineering TechnicianFuel Cell EngineerFuel Testing/Verification TechnicianLogistics Manager

Supply Chain ManagerTransportation

Planner

www.palmbeachstate.edu/IEES.xmlFor more program photos and videos:

www.palmbeachstate.edu/EPT.xml www.palmbeachstate.edu/x21113.xml

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B Y J O Y C E E D E L S T E I N In December 2010, Palm Beach State wasselected by Workforce Florida, Inc. to be theEmploy Florida Banner Center for LifeSciences. This isn’t just a lofty title or trophythat sits on a shelf. Being chosen to establishand operate an Employ Florida Banner Centercarries a contractual obligation to serve as thestatewide provider of workforce education andresources for a particular industry. Currentlythere are 11 Banner Centers around the statetargeting industries ranging from manufactur-ng to the creative arts to energy. The BannerCenter for Life Sciences is the newest and isn’twasting any time.

Input from Tallahassee to the KeysThe College’s Banner Center is dedicated tothe biotechnology, pharmaceutical andmedical device sectors of the life sciencesindustry – sectors that are making Floridafamous with such distinguished residents asThe Scripps Research Institute, Max PlanckFlorida Institute, Biotest Pharmaceuticals,BioTools, Cytonics, Akron Biotech, and thelist goes on. Working with industry partnersfrom Tallahassee to the Keys, the BannerCenter is responsible for annual hardcore

Workforce Education The Banner Center for Life Sciences gets it right

How many college students witness biotech

startups in action, or sit in on discussions

with industry leaders, or take classes

where they learn the exact skills industry needs?That’s a typical day for students studying life

sciences at Palm Beach State College. Education

doesn’t get any better or more relevant than when

your college is a Banner Center.

continued on page 8

That Works!

Cell Culture Methods:

Julie Wilkinson (right), director of pharma services

at ImmunoSite Technologies, guides Mary Schultz,

lab technician at Dyadic International, in conducting

a cell viability assay, as Shameem (left) and Asha

Patel observe.

IEES also has created several continuingeducation courses designed to bringattention to green career paths, such asthe Solar Golf Cart Conversion class.Yes, it’s a practical application of solartechnology in a county with 167 golfcourses, but it’s actually training for thenext generation of vehicle infrastructure.“Our goal with short courses is todemonstrate both the technology and the career potential. For unemployed and underemployed people, taking sucha course may get them started in a newcareer,” says Matteson.

Energy Efficiencies in ActionIn addition to curriculum development,Matteson seeks to maximize student andindustry engagement in IEES’ mission.His “Energy Education Showcase”promotes energy efficiency and givesstudents and faculty access to the latestgreen energy technologies. With the ablesupport of the campus Facilities depart-ment, Matteson has installed windturbines, established the College’s firstbiofuels technology learning lab, and isbuilding a wind/solar-assisted electric car-charging station – all to provide real-world learning opportunities. Plus,Matteson has “smart metered” everybuilding on the Palm Beach Gardenscampus for training students in smartgrid and energy management systems.

Smart Metering: Understanding Our FootprintCorporations and institutions world-wide are paying attention to theircarbon footprints simply because itsaves money. By smart metering every

campus building, students will be ableto train directly in smart grid opera-tions – an area that promises a largevariety of career opportunities.

Thanks to the generosity of OSIsoft®

and Space-Time Insight®, they’ll belearning the most popular systems forintelligent energy resource management.With dashboard controls, students willbe able to see where energy is being used on the campus, how much oil isconsumed by each building, the amountof CO2 being released, and even thenumber of trees consumed. In otherwords, students will be able to evaluatethe College’s carbon footprint and learnhow energy efficiencies can be achieved.IEES has installed “energy kiosks” wherestudents can check out how much energythe College is using and producing fromits solar and wind laboratory.

More than anything, Matteson knowsIEES is becoming a testament to whatstate colleges can accomplish. CommentsMatteson, “We want to open the door topeople, so that they can participate inthis extremely important, nationwidegreen movement that has the potential to get the U.S. back on its feet again,keep it more secure, and provide goodjobs and better careers for millions.”

continued from page 5 Matteson introduces

students to the solar and

wind energy control system.

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Sitting PrettyWith the College inthe biotech spotlight,known as the resource forlife sciences throughout thestate, Palm Beach State biotech-nology students are sitting pretty.Some have bachelor’s and even master’sdegrees from other schools, but come here to get a one-year college credit certificate ortwo-year Associate in Science degree, takingadvantage of the expert lab-based instructionand outstanding internships. With theaddition of Banner Center networking events,the exposure to what industry needs, and theopportunity to train alongside those workingin the industry – Palm Beach State has becomethe place to launch a life sciences career.

“I can’t imagine myself doing anything else,”says Asha Patel, a 2011 A.S. degree graduate of the College’s Biotechnology program. Patel, who loved the program “from day one,”just finished an internship at ImmunoSiteTechnologies in Ft. Lauderdale and is nowgetting her bachelor’s degree. “We were able to meet people in the field, people whocreated their own companies, people lookingfor actual techs right out of school… It was agreat experience.”

The PayoffTod Fairbanks, Ph.D., chair of the BannerCenter’s Industry Advisory Council and lifesciences professor at Palm Beach State, seeseveryone’s hard work and commitment payingoff. “When we ask [our industry partners] ifthey can handle our students for internships,they’re more than willing because they knowthey’ve had input into what we’re teaching. Itmakes it easier for them to transition our

students rightinto their own labs.

It’s a win-win.”

The employees of industry partnersare benefiting, too. By taking the Business

Basics module, Dr. Dukor’s BioTools staff –everyone from administrative assistants toPh.D. scientists – achieved a better understand-ing of the industry and a fresh perspective ontheir own products, resulting in processimprovements and new marketing strategies.“Everyone has their niche, but this modulebrought us together and provided theframework to get everyone’s input. We wouldnot have uncovered these ideas if it hadn’tbeen for this course,” commented Dukor.

Earlier this year, Florida was ranked #1 in thenation for workforce and job training by theU.S. Chamber of Commerce. At Palm BeachState, the Banner Center for Life Sciences is aprime example of how the best in workforcetraining makes a difference.


deliverables in the form of definitive, cutting-edge training modules that meet the preciseneeds of Florida’s life sciences industry. “It’s a curriculum designed from industryinput,” says Libby Handel, Ph.D., directorof the Banner Center. “These modules focuson real-world situations and applicationswith emphasis on industry standards andcompetencies required in the life sciencesworkplace.”

Working with industry came naturally to Dr. Handel, who is also the director of theCollege’s innovative Biotechnology program.Her involvement of industry in the programwas instrumental in Palm Beach State’sselection as a Banner Center, but Handeldidn’t rely only on her Rolodex. She and herteam used every avenue available to ensuretheir Banner Center’s Industry AdvisoryCouncil included all possible players: newand established companies, economicdevelopment organizations, workforce boardsand other colleges and universities. The goal:Gather comprehensive input on trainingneeds – the training most essential to thecontinued growth of Florida’s life sciencesindustry. While the industry has weakened inother states, Florida has seen a 21 percentjump in the number of biotech companies

since 2008, according to the University ofFlorida.

Partners in TrainingIn focus group meetings, one-on-one sessionsand online surveys, Florida life science leadersgave detailed responses to questions like“What are the five most important areas ofknowledge you look for in employees? Doesthe current workforce possess this knowledge?Please describe.” Such questions allowed theBanner Center team to drill down andpinpoint the exact curriculum that would bevaluable to the industry now and in thefuture. “When companies are together asking‘who would you hire, why would you hirethem, and what educational background doyou need?’ then it’s very beneficial foreveryone,” says Rina Dukor, Ph.D., BioToolspresident and the Banner Center’s leadindustry advisor for the pharmaceuticalsector. “That’s the integral and beautiful partof how the curriculum for the Banner Centerwas created. They actually listened andunderstood what the companies here need.”

Training Everywhere for EverybodyArmed with this data, the Banner Centerquickly determined the topics of its first sixtraining modules. The curriculum develop-ment team for each module consists ofacademicians, researchers and industryprofessionals, who make sure the modules are completely Florida-driven, right down to the case studies and lab materials used.

After undergoing beta-testing and revision,the modules will be offered statewide toentry-level and advanced workers, as well ascareer-changers and students enrolled inbiotechnology programs. These courses willbe given in venues ranging from corporateoffices to the classrooms and laboratories of

Palm Beach State College and the BannerCenter’s growing roster of academic partners,fulfilling the Banner Center’s dual mission oftraining Florida’s life science workforce andhelping the state’s biotechnology programsrevitalize their curriculums. Coursecompleters will receive a Banner Centerindustry-recognized certificate to tout onresumes and interviews.

“From the campus to the workplace, we’veaddressed and designed the curriculum to behelpful to a variety of demographics,” saysHandel. “Even our Business Basics for theLife Sciences Industry course is appealing toscientists who want to transition out of thelaboratory into business or regulatory roles.”The ultimate challenge will then be toidentify and develop industry certifications.As biotechnology and its career tracks are sonew, no universally recognized certificationsexist. The Banner Center, through intensivecollaboration with industry and educationpartners, will build and standardize a cohesivestatewide certification system for life scienceprofessionals, which if successful, could berolled out nationally.

Industry Members

Akron Biotechnology, LLCAtlas Spine, Inc.Beckman Coulter, Inc.Biomet 3iBiotest Pharmaceuticals Corp.BioTools, Inc.Brickell Biotech, Inc.CHS PharmaCytonics CorporationDyadic International, Inc.Envoy Therapeutics, Inc.ImmunoSite Technologies, LLCMax Planck Florida InstituteNanotherapeutics, Inc.OPKO Health, Inc.Sancilio & Company, Inc.Sanofi Pasteur VaxDesignCorporationThe Scripps Research InstituteThermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Academic Members

Florida Atlantic University –Center for Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyFlorida State College atJacksonville Indian River State CollegeNova Southeastern UniversityPalm Beach State CollegeSanta Fe State CollegeUniversity of Florida – Center ofExcellence for RegenerativeHealth BiotechnologyUniversity of Miami – MillerSchool of MedicineUniversity of South FloridaResearch Foundation, Inc.

Organizations

BioFlorida, Inc.bioOrlando Business Development Board ofPalm Beach CountyEnterprise DevelopmentCorporationNorthern Palm Beach CountyChamber of CommerceResearch Park at Florida AtlanticUniversityWorkforce Alliance

Employ Florida Banner Center for Life Sciences Industry Advisory Council

The First Six ModulesBusiness Basics for the LifeSciences Industry


123456

Cell Culture Methods

Cleanroom Technology

Introduction to Medical DeviceManufacturing

Pharmaceutical Basics

Protein Purification andCharacterization

2011

2010

2009

2008

21%increase in biotechcompaniesin Florida

Asha Patel, a 2011 graduate of Palm Beach State’s

Biotechnology program, looks at cells. Patel is currently

tutoring biotechnology students as she works toward a

B.S. in biology at Florida Atlantic University.

www.palmbeachstate.edu/Biotechnology.xmlwww.lifesciencesbannercenter.com

For more program photos and videos:



middle-aged man comes into the ER, brought in by his daughter.Two nurses quickly assess his symptoms – shallow, rapidbreathing, blood pressure and heart rate through the roof,

lungs filling up with fluid, and eyes wide open in a daze; he’s sweatingand obviously distressed. It’s congestive heart failure, and the nursesmust act quickly if they are to save his life.

Don’t worry. SimMan® lives. He’ll live to have congestive heart failureagain tomorrow – or a stroke, pancreatitis, head injury….

SimMan’s not a real man, but he’s not your typical dummy, either.SimMan, manufactured by Laerdal Medical, is a human patientsimulator – the technology that’s made Palm Beach State’s Center ofExcellence in Medical Simulation a reality. Founded in 2009 byJacqueline Rogers, Lake Worth campus dean of health sciences andpublic safety, the center specializes in the expert use of these computer-ized mannequins, which can simulate any medical condition or crisis forthe purpose of training health care providers. Actually, the center’s rootsgo back 10 years to when Palm Beach State’s Respiratory Care program,under Rogers’ direction, was first to use medical simulation in aneducational setting in Palm Beach County. Now, with the remarkabletechnological advances in medical simulation over the last decade, thecenter has become a key element of health care training at the College.

Program InfiltrationIn establishing the center, Rogers’ first move was to hire DavidMarchsteiner, a 20-year veteran paramedic and firefighter with Delray Beach Fire-Rescue and an adjunct professor in public safety at the College. Under Marchsteiner’s direction as clinical coordinator,the center has infiltrated a dozen health sciences and public safetyprograms at the College – from Nursing and Medical Assisting toSurgical Technology, EMT/Paramedic and Dental Hygiene. Butstudents don’t take a course in medical simulation. Instead, theirprofessors book simulation sessions customized to deliver a clinicalexperience that reinforces exactly what the students are learning in the classroom.

“Simulation technology gives students the ability to transfer theknowledge that they’ve attained didactically and in their skill labs to areal clinical setting. SimMan talks and he breathes, has a heartbeatand responds appropriately – so all the realism is there, without thechance of injuring a patient,” says Rogers. According to a November2010 U.S. Office of Inspector General report, an estimated 13.5percent of Medicare beneficiaries experienced “adverse” events duringtheir hospital stays, and another 13.5 percent experienced “temporaryharm” events. Most disturbing, 44 percent of all events were found tobe “clearly” or “likely” preventable. Statistics like these make SimMana very big – and important – man on this or any health care campus.

Just Like a HospitalBased on the Lake Worth campus, the Center of Excellence inMedical Simulation operates in classrooms transformed into hospitalsettings – complete with heart monitors, IV poles, crash carts, medicalsupplies, room-dividing curtains, and SimMan dressed in a hospitalgown, lying in a hospital bed. Other beds and stretchers containSimMan’s two brothers – or sisters, as the genitalia is interchangeable.The center also has a SimBaby,™ a SimNewB® (newborn) in anincubator, SimJunior™ (child), and soon to be added, SimMom,™

a full-body interactive birthing simulator.

A Computer at HeartWhen a semester’s in full swing, the center rocks with two or threesimulation sessions a day, four days a week. Students come to a sessionas though they’re arriving for their shift at a hospital. Dressed inuniform, they check in and get a status report on the patient’scondition. From start to finish, everyone responds according to thesimulation scenario – and that depends on what the instructor’sordered. Teaching diabetes care? SimMan’s blood sugar drops.Asthma attack? Poor SimMan develops respiratory distress.

At heart, SimMan is software run by a high-end simulation manage-ment system. He comes preprogrammed but is also programmable.Marchsteiner and his team of eight operators, each with extensivenursing and/or EMS experience, have the medical and technicalexpertise to put SimMan through the ringer. “We’re able to do anyscenario,” says Marchsteiner. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a cut finger or aheart attack. In a real hospital setting, you might not see a particularcondition for months, maybe years. There are a lot of people who’ve never seen a cardiac asthma patient – we can create thathere.” Because SimMan’s wireless, scenarios also may involvemultiple disciplines in multiple locations. Paramedic and nursingstudents, for example, will practice transfer of care, where mostmedical information errors occur.

B Y J O Y C E E D E L S T E I N

Big Manon Campus

Eyes: Pupils are light sensitive, he can blink, cry

Ears: Microphone is built inMouth: Trismus, tongue can swell,

difficult airway, fully intubatable,AMBU capable, has both rubber andceramic teeth (for testing intubationprocedures), can drool or froth

Talks: Via operator/instructor (behind one-way mirror) or programmedphrases heard through speakers

Neck: Carotid artery pulses,cricothyrotomy-capable,airway obstruction scenarios

Chest: Sternal IO (Interosseous), CPR, lung sounds, heart sounds, chest tube capable

Arm left: Blood pressure, radial and brachial pulses

Arm right: IV capable, medication administration

Abdomen: Bowel sounds, distensible

Pelvis: Femoral pulses (bilateral), interchangeable genitalia, urine production with Foley catheter or on demand

Leg left: IO capable at proximal tibia, pedalpulses (to help detect blood clots)

Leg right: Pedal pulses

Why Palm Beach State’s health care students want to save this guy’s life

A

SimMan® | from Head to Toe

continued on page 12

The most advanced SimMancan urinate, bleed, sweat,drool, cry and have seizures.... He can die 20 times a day andnever complains.

David Marchsteiner

“”Clinical Coordinator


http://media.palmbeachstate.edu/wmroot/CenterforExcellenceinSimulations.asx

http://media.palmbeachstate.edu/wmroot/BOT_SimMeeting.asx


Critical Thinking in ActionIn a typical session, the operator is at thecontrols, with the instructor alongside, andtogether they monitor the scenario from anadjacent room with a one-way glass window.They can see the students, but the studentscan’t see them. The set-up also features acamera with a zoom lens, positioned oppositethe window. Everything the students do isvideotaped, annotated and time-stamped.

Sessions usually run 3-6 hours, with studentsrotating through 20-minute scenarios,alternating roles as health care providers,patient’s family members and observers. The family members show concern and askquestions, giving the health care providerspractice in handling family situations.Observers watch their peers perform andprovide feedback during the post-scenariodebriefings.

During the scenarios, the students play theirroles uninterrupted, interacting with SimManjust as if he were a real person. Students can’tturn to the safety net of the instructor orconsult their textbooks. They have to think ontheir feet. “Medical simulation gives studentsthe reality of decision-making, of criticalthinking, which is our focus at this College. Wewant to be sure our students leave here withthat ability, and this is one more instructionalstrategy that helps them do that,” says Rogers.

Tell Me Where It HurtsAs students go through their semesters oftraining, the scenarios build in complexity.Most scenarios begin with a patient assessment.Using real medical equipment, students cantake SimMan’s pulse, blood pressure andtemperature, listen to his heart and lungsounds, start an IV and get a blood return, doan EKG, check his respiration and glucose,administer medications and injections, or inserta catheter. Throughout the scenario, thestudents talk to him (and his family members)and attempt to diagnose and treat him.SimMan tells students how he’s feeling, or theoperator can speak for him through amicrophone. If a student misses a step orignores a symptom, the operator can instantlychange things on the fly – manipulating theprogram to bring about the physical andemotional consequences. Marchsteinerelaborates: “Say a student gives SimMan amedication that he wasn’t supposed to get.Now I need to create the reaction. I drop his O2 saturation and he gets short of breath. I canmake him wheeze and cough, change his heartrate and the way his chest rises and falls. I’llhave him moan and express concern. The mostadvanced SimMan can urinate, bleed, sweat,drool, cry and have seizures.” Of course, if thestudents are successful, SimMan gets better, all in real time.

It’s no wonder students become fully engagedwhen taking care of SimMan. “We getstudents who actually cry,” says Marchsteiner.“Students will rub the mannequin’s handbecause the mannequin is responding to them;they get to know the mannequin and whensomething goes wrong they feel bad.”

Instructors and operators also use theirexperience to infuse simulation sessions withthe unexpected. In afternoon sessions,Marchsteiner often throws students somecurves because they’re usually tired after lunch.“Real-life nurses and paramedics don’t cometo their shift and find everything neat andorderly. Or things will go haywire just asyou’re losing energy. Students must know howto keep their cool, remain professional andrespond quickly.”

“It’s fantastic,” says nursing Professor MaryBiderman. “The students can bridge thetheory into practice right in this room. It’s asafe environment [where] they’re allowed andcan make mistakes. I have an example… weran a CPR code on SimMan. The very nextday [during the students’ clinical rounds] atJFK [Medical Center], they had a patient whohad a cardiac arrest, and the students all saidthey felt much more comfortable, much morerelaxed and less panicky, because they hadbeen through it. That’s our goal.”

DebriefingAfter the scenario ends, perhaps the mostimportant part of the experience takes place:The instructor, operator and students reviewthe scenario in a debriefing session. What didthey learn? What could they have done

differently? Those in the student observerrole offer their critiques, but all studentsshare in the discussion. “We do a qualitativedebriefing,” says Rogers. “You really want tohear from the students what they’re takingaway.” If an action or assessment is disput-ed, the annotated, time-stamped video isconsulted.

“I’ve always enjoyed coming to simulation…each time it gets better, you’re lessnervous,” says Steve Calcanes, a second-semester student in Palm Beach State’sNursing program. Calcanes had just finishedplaying the nursing role in a chest painscenario for Biderman’s Medical/SurgicalNursing class. “The door’s closed until it’sover; you don’t see the instructor [or operator].All you have is the patient and you speak tothe patient; so it’s very realistic. You feel on the spot a little bit, but that’s how it’s going to be as a nurse, too. You see what areas youneed to work on.” His partner in the scenario,nursing student Maritza Aponte, adds, “Youlearn from the mistakes… so you’re not asscared to go on the floor and do these skillswith a real patient.”

Going MobileThe center leaders also plan to go mobile –using the wireless SimMan and a trailer or van to bring lifesaving skills training to thecommunity. “We have the goal of taking thison the road and making it available for ruralareas or offering it to any provider [hospital,fire station]. It won’t require long-termabsence from the workplace – we can pull into a parking lot, do the training and then

we can leave and still give the realism of whatwe need to do,” comments Rogers.

As for SimMan – he’s ready for anything. “He can die 20 times a day and nevercomplains,” jokes Marchsteiner, though thetrue worth of SimMan is never far from mind.“We’re teaching students how to cure, frombasic assessment to diagnosis and treatment –we’re teaching the whole thing. You can’t getthis type of experience in a hospital, where youcan make a mistake and learn from it on thesame patient. And what’s more valuable than a patient’s life? That’s why we do it – to savehuman lives.”


From top left, Hilde Tertnes and Fredrikke Vikhamar

of Laerdal Medical (visiting from their Norway

headquarters) and David Marchsteiner watch as

second-year nursing students Davina Catino (left)

and Kris Pernsteiner assess their patient.

At the Center of Excellence in Medical Simulation,

students enact a scenario in a hospital setting as the

operator controls and speaks for SimMan from an

adjacent room with a one-way glass window.

Human patient simulators, like real humans,

come in all ages and genders. Palm Beach

State students can practice on adult, child

and baby simulators, including SimBaby.™

www.palmbeachstate.edu/MedicalSimulation.xmlFor more program information and videos:



faculty spotlight

StephenGibson

growing up in theBronx, Stephen Gibson got his first real tasteof poetry when a teacher at his Catholicelementary school made the entire classmemorize a stanza from Edgar Allan Poe’s“The Raven.”

“To this day, I still know it,’’ Gibsonchuckled. “I think that’s what got meinterested. I knew I enjoyed it.”

That interest in poetry developed into a long-lasting passion, and Gibson began writing hisown literature as a young teenager. However,it later would be W.H. Auden, the PulitzerPrize-winning poet regarded by some as oneof the greatest writers of the 20th century,who would have the largest influence on his work.

When Gibson was in high school, a familyfriend introduced him to the British-bornpoet who was living in an apartment on St.Mark’s Place in Manhattan. Auden agreed toreview and critique some of the buddingpoet’s work, and Gibson became immersedin his.

“I started reading a lot of his work and wasblown away by the skill and beauty of it. It’sjust amazing stuff,’’ said Gibson, associateprofessor of English and literature at Palm

Beach StateCollege in BelleGlade and authorof four books ofpoetry. “I learnedcraft. The craft isreally what impressed me.”

Gibson indirectly crossed Auden’s path againwhen, as an undergraduate student studyingEnglish literature at the State University ofNew York at New Paltz, he became closefriends with his professor, Irving Weiss, andhis wife, Anne. As fate would have it, thecouple was good friends with Auden, whohad dedicated poems to them. “It was a nicecoincidence,’’ he said.

After graduating with his bachelor’s degree inEnglish literature from SUNY at New Paltz,Gibson earned a master’s degree in Englishliterature and creative writing at SyracuseUniversity. He continued writing whileteaching English full time at a Catholic highschool in New York and part time atOnondaga Community College. Then hegave up the snow for sunshine, taking ateaching position in 1983 at the Belle Gladecampus, where he has worked for 28 years.

He published his first poem, “TheAnthropologist,” in 1976 in the journal

in the classroom. AfricaFine was a fervent graduate student with a zealfor storytelling and an appetite for reading.

She had a brief career as a newspaper reporterafter earning a bachelor’s degree in publicpolicy and African American studies fromDuke University in 1993, but she knew in hergut that churning out daily stories on crimeand small-town government wasn’t herdestiny. Fine missed being in school.

After about five years of various copywriting,editing and newspaper reporting jobs, shereturned to the classroomto pursue a master’s degreein English literature fromFlorida Atlantic Universityand landed a position as agraduate assistant. Duringthat stint of helpingstudents sharpen theirEnglish and literary skills,she had an epiphany of herown — teaching was hercalling.

“I loved being in school,and I loved reading and studying English.That’s when I fell in love and figured out whatI wanted to do,’’ said Fine, a Palm Beach StateCollege associate professor of English and

literature and chair of the English andLiterature department on the Boca Ratoncampus. She worked as an adjunct instruct-or for four years before becoming a full-time professor in 2005 and departmentchair in 2008.

“Teaching is the best job; even on the baddays I still love it,’’ she said. “I loved being astudent, and I think being a teacher is thenext best thing. I get to feel like I’m doingsomething productive and positive to helpother people. It is what I was meant to do.”

In graduate school, she alsotook several creative writingclasses, nurturing her love forstorytelling that had begun as a child growing up inMilwaukee.

“I had always written storiesand been interested in it, and Iwas a voracious reader eversince I was a kid,’’ she said.“That’s an important part ofbeing a writer.”

For one of her creative writing assignments,the professor told the class to write whateverthey wanted. That’s when Fine began“Katrina,” a romance novel about a woman

Stephen Gibson

Associate ProfessorGenre - Poetry

B.A. - English Literature SUNY at New PaltzM.A. - English Literature and Creative WritingSyracuse UniversityGimelstob Professor of the Year Award recipient

sharingtheofwriting

English professors’ work as publishedauthors fuels their love for teaching

art

AfricaFine

It started

B Y T A B A T H A B . M C D O N A L D

art

As a child

Fine, continued on page 17Gibson, continued on page 16

Africa Fine

Associate ProfessorGenre - Romance Novels

B.A. - Public Policy and AfricanAmerican StudiesDuke UniversityM.A. - English LiteratureFlorida Atlantic UniversityFAU Distinguished Alumni Awardrecipientwww.africafine.com



Gravida during a time when access toliterary journals and magazines was limited.“The Internet has made everything much

more accessible,’’Gibson said.

Since then, he has hadmore than 150 poems

published in various literary and poetryjournals, including Five Points, GeorgiaReview, MARGIE: The American Journalof Poetry, Michigan Quarterly Review, theParis Review, Poetry and The SouthernReview. He also published four books ofpoetry, including three published as areward for winning national bookcompetitions. They include “Paradise,”which was published by the University ofArkansas Press earlier this year after Gibsonwas named a finalist for the Miller WilliamsArkansas Poetry Prize. Gibson’s book andthat of the competition’s winner wereselected from among 700 manuscripts. His other books are “Frescoes” (2009 poetry book prize from Lost Horse Press),

“Masaccio's Expulsion” (2006 poetry bookprize from MARGIE/IntuiT House), and“Rorschach Art” (Red Hen Press). He also is a past Individual Artist Fellowship recip-ient from the state of Florida in both poetryand fiction.

Gibson, a three-time recipient of theCollege’s Professor of the Year Award, isquick to point out that it took multiple triesto get some work published. “I tell mystudents up front they shouldn’t getdiscouraged by it. That’s just the way it is. Ifyou believe in your work, keep sending it.”

He said he loves teaching English andliterature, and his passion for writing feedsinto the classroom. “All writing is a process,so is the reading of it,’’ he said. “I like thediscovery. Your students are always learningsomething new, and you’re always learningsomething new when it comes to theliterature and the writing.

“Students know when you don’t care aboutstuff. When you get involved in something,you care about it. They pick up on it. Theyknow you do.”

Halimeh Shatara, a 2004 graduate of PalmBeach State who now works as a librarytechnician at the College, said she took allof her English classes from Gibson whenshe was working on her Associate in Artsdegree. “He’s a wonderful professor; that’swhy I recommend him to everybody. I lovethe way he teaches. He gets the studentsengaged in the course. During classdiscussions, he always connected real-lifeexamples to the events in the short stories.He opens your mind and heart to reallyunderstand other people’s stories.”

“When he’s teaching literature, he actuallybrings it to life and you can visualizeyourself being there within the moment ofthat particular passage,’’ said Dr. BarryMoore, dean of educational services at theBelle Glade campus. “I would have loved tohave been taught by him; it would havegiven literature a different perspective. He’svery passionate about it, too.”

trapped in a tangled web of choosingbetween a mysterious man she has knownsince childhood and a newfound love. It

became her firstromance novelpublished by Five Starin 2001, the sameyear she received her

graduate degree. “The classes gave me theconfidence and help I needed to get itfinished,” Fine said.

A professor at FAU helped her with queryletters she sent to about 20 publishers; Fineonly approached small publishers whospecialized in the romance genre, and FiveStar gave her a chance – twice. Thecompany published her second book,“Becoming Maren” three years later, andthen Genesis Press published her next threebooks: “Looking for Lily” (2008), “SaveMe” (2009) and “Swan” (2010).

“It was a busy time,’’ she said of the booksshe wrote largely while teaching full time,raising two young children and being a wifeto her supportive husband, Jeffrey.

For her accomplishments, Fine was amongeight recipients of the DistinguishedAlumni Award from FAU in 2009. She said her own experience as a publishedauthor as well as her foundation in AfricanAmerican studies and public policy makeher a more effective and passionate professorfor her students.

“I can think of different ways to help themwith writing,’’ said Fine, who herself wasinspired by such writers as Alice Walker, andparticularly by Walker’s short stories. “I like the idea of telling regular people’s stories. It inspired me to want to tell stories thatpeople can relate to.”

She said she gets her ideas from a combina-tion of things. “I write fiction, and I takesituations and pieces of lives of people Iknow or newspaper stories and come upwith five more questions I have. A storymay strike me, and I’ll think about whathappened before and how. Sometimesthings just sort of jump out at you – theemotions that people experience. It startswith that, and the story goes aroundthat initial idea or emotion.”

Her colleagues and students say she is a joyto have in the classroom. “I love her style,’’said Deana Karp, an aspiring engineer whoenjoys writing and is taking her third classwith Fine this term. “She really pushes herstudents to independently excel, and shepushes you to do that in the writing. She’sentertaining, and she doesn’t push her viewson the student. Whatever position you take,you just support it well.”

“She is a masterful professor and writer,”said Leonard Bruton, associate dean ofacademic affairs in Boca Raton. “Sheteaches in a way that she writes. She tells a story in a way that captures thestudents.”

StephenGibson

AfricaFine

continued from page 14 continued from page 15

I like the discovery. Yourstudents are always learningsomething new, and you’realways learning somethingnew when it comes to theliterature and the writing.

Teaching is the best job;even on the bad days Istill love it.... I get to feellike I’m doing somethingproductive and positiveto help other people. It iswhat I was meant to do.


For a few days in lateAugust, the DuncanTheatre on the Lake

Worth campus was not filled with the notes ofmusic from a concert, voices singing Broadwaystandards, or the sound of applause. The stagecurtains were up, but the interior echoed withpneumatic drills, the clanging of metal onmetal, and the sounds of physical exertion. Theatre personnel and facilities workers slowlymoved among the vast rows of seats, unboltingthem from the bare concrete floor.

In the words of Mark Alexander, the director ofthe Duncan Theatre, the venue was “cleaningup its act” for its 25th season.“The College has always been committed tokeeping the Duncan Theatre current, makingthe venue comfortable and inviting,” he said.“We have made significant improvements intechnology and infrastructure.”Included in the renovations is replacing the800-plus seats in the theatre and StageWest. But instead of making a trip toa local landfill, the seats were donat-ed to a local ministry, where theymade an encore in severalschoolrooms in earth-quake-ravaged Haiti.The theatre itself is arenovation of an audi-torium built in 1960that served as a multipur-pose lecture and perform-ance hall. The old auditoriumwas later converted into backstage facilitiesand the 123-seat Stage West. The “new”Duncan Theatre, with a five-story loft area,

continental-style seating, newfoyer and other amenities wascompleted in 1986.

Along with its 25th anniversary season, thetheatre will also reach the one million mark in attendance; it averages about 40,000 visitorsa year. Alexander, who took over as theatredirector in 2001, has also grown the number of annual subscribers, from fewer than 900 tomore than 1,500. A new annual membershipcampaign begun in 2010 has been successful in supporting the programming of the theatre.Members receive advanced seating prior topublic ticket sales, discounted tickets to selectevents, waiver of lost ticket fees and advancednotice of additional performances.The Duncan Theatre has carved out a niche as a performing arts mecca by offering an eclectic

mix of established “brand names” and emergingartists and acts. Last season the venue scored a major coup with a concert appearance by jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding a fewmonths before she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, the first jazz artist to winthe award.That attention to detail, finding the right mix ofperformances and the intimate setting betweenaudience and artist has been recognized in thecommunity. The theatre was named the BestIndie Theater in WPBF-TV’s annual A-List forthe last two years.This year’s line-up of artists includes PilobolusDance Theatre, jazz great Earl Klugh, cabaretchanteuse Meow Meow, The Puppini Sistersand the return of the Juke Box Music series. “We are most proud of our commitment toforge new ground for the performing arts byintroducing that yet unknown musician ordance company to our patrons, allowing themto experience that exciting element of artisticdiscovery that is commonplace in major cities

across the U.S.,” said Alexander. “Youcan come to the Duncan Theatre

and see the same qualityperformances that you

would in New York orChicago without ever

leaving Palm BeachCounty.”


FYI | P A L M B E A C H S T A T E

www.palmbeachstate.edu/Bachelor.xml

FYI continues on page 20

www.Duncan.orgGet a glimpse of the season:

Palm Beach State graduates firstclass of bachelor’s degree students

Palm Beach State College celebrated another key momentin its history earlier this year with the graduation of itsfirst class of students to earn bachelor’s degrees.

The College awarded the Bachelor of Applied Science degree inSupervision and Management to 122 graduates during thespring commencement ceremony. To help celebrate the historicmoment, the College released hundreds of balloons from theceiling of the Palm Beach County Convention Center. See our latest graduates on Flickr:

www.palmbeachstate.edu/SocialMedia.xml

B.S.N. creates pathfor registered nurses to advance

Registered nurses with associatedegrees now have a more afford-able opportunity in Palm Beach

County to further their education andposition themselves for leadership roles in health care facilities.

Palm Beach State College will beginoffering a Bachelor of Science in Nursingin January 2012. More than 60 studentshave been admitted into the inauguralclass. The program is open to registerednurses who hold a valid unrestrictedFlorida nursing license. This will becomethe College’s third bachelor’s programsince it began offering four-year degrees in 2009.While individuals with associate degrees innursing are eligible to sit for the NationalCouncil Licensing Exam to become aregistered nurse, a bachelor’s degree oftenis needed for those who want to pursueadministrative positions. Some hospitalshave even begun requiring all of theirnurses to have a bachelor’s degree.“B.S.N.-prepared nurses are needed withtheir expanded clinical knowledge nowmore than ever to help patients navigatethrough the complex health care system,’’said Dr. Gary Reardon, program director,citing a report issued by the Institute of

Medicine in 2010. “A B.S.N. programthat has a focus on nursing leadership willgive those nurses the educational prepara-tion to function with more independenceas they make clinical decisions aboutpatient care on a daily basis.”The College began the Bachelor ofApplied Science in Supervision andManagement in fall 2009. Earlier this year, it added the B.A.S. in InformationManagement.

See all the programs:

122“Like” theDuncan Theatreon Facebook!

RN to BSNSee why youshould get aBSN now!



FYI | P A L M B E A C H S T A T E

College’s library archive

Going Digital

Decades after the Civil War, hundreds ofglass plate negatives – images depictingthe aftermath of battle, portraits of

soldiers and officers taken by photographersMathew Brady, Alexander Gardner and Timothy O’ Sullivan – were used for their glass to create greenhouses for the wealthy.Over the years, those images, bleached by the sun, faded away.

Much like those photographic plates, informa-tion produced in print, audio, video/film ordigitally is in danger of being lost forever. Evennow, in a small room on the second floor ofthe Harold C. Manor Library on the LakeWorth campus, a collection of the College’shistory – newspaper clippings, photographs,newsletters, yearbooks and other memorabilia –is literally disintegrating from the ravages of time and past neglect.But thanks to staff members at the LibraryLearning Resource Center on the Lake Worthcampus, the history of the College will not onlybe preserved, but available to millions via theInternet. The LLRC is teaming up with TheInternet Archive to preserve the history of Palm Beach State College.

The Internet Archive is a nonprofit founded tobuild an Internet library. Its purposes includeoffering permanent digital access to historicalcollections for researchers, historians, scholarsand the public. Founded in 1996 and located inSan Francisco, the Internet Archive includestexts, audio, moving images and software as wellas archived web pages. “Libraries have wanted to do this for a long time,but we haven't had the resources,” said PatAlvarez, associate professor and librarian. “TheInternet Archive is a preservation project thatpartners with libraries to make it affordable toscan and catalog materials.”The College has a link to its own webpage onthe Internet Archive site, with digitally scanned

editions of past issues of The Beachcomberstudent newspaper, the College yearbook(The Galleon) and course catalogs.“Palm Beach State College’s participation in The Internet Archive allows students,faculty, alumni and the general public toelectronically access our College history,”said Brian Kelley, LLRC director on theLake Worth campus. “This means access to the College yearbooks, catalogs and news-papers of the oldest public communitycollege in the state. In the future, we hope to add audio, video and other formats.”

The LLRC is also enlisting the help ofalumni, current and former College staff, instructors, administrators andcommunity members in cataloging andcaptioning the thousands of photos in its archives. The images, black-and-whiteprints and color slides are in boxes sepa-rated by decade and only a few have anyinformation as to where and when theywere made. The library has purchased aflatbed scanner and will create a sectionon its website for volunteers to view andprovide information about the photos.“Creating an online archive photo data-

base will make it possible for anyone with aninterest in the history of the College to helpus without having to come to the library,” saidKelley. “These images can open a door to theCollege’s history. We need the key – the infor-mation about the people and places in thephotos – to unlock that door.”To view the Palm Beach State College LLRC’sarchive page, go to the library’s main webpage at www.palmbeachstate.edu/LLRC.xml forongoing additions to this important collegeresource. To visit The Internet Archive’s mainwebsite, visit www.archive.org.

Do you know me?These are a few of the images from the Collegearchives that need identification. If you have any information on the people, places and year they were made, contact Pat Alvarez at the Lake WorthLLRC at 561-868-3800 or by email: [email protected]

Panther baseball team to swing for the fences with new coach

Kyle Forbes has some big cleats to fill.

Forbes, 41, is the new head base-ball coach for the Panthers,replacing Alex Morales,who resigned inDecember 2010 toaccept a chief scoutingposition with theWashington Nationalsorganization.Morales’s record at PalmBeach State was 175-87(.668) including an 85-38(.691) in the SouthernConference of the FloridaCommunity College ActivitiesAssociation. He was named the2010 Southern Conference Coachof the year after his 2010 team wonthe Southern Conference andfinished the season ranked ninth in the country.Forbes was an assistant coach under Morales from 2005to 2010. As interim coach in 2011, he led the Panthers to a 26-20 overall record (12-12 in the SouthernConference.)"It is an honor to coach the baseball team here at PalmBeach State. The program has a tradition of excellenceand I look forward to guiding our players in the rightdirection,” said Forbes. “We have a solid group ofreturning players for 2012. The combination of thesereturners and an outstanding recruiting class shouldmake for an exciting season next year.”Forbes grew up in Boynton Beach and graduated fromAtlantic High School in 1988. He lettered in three varsity

sports, swimming, basketball and baseball, and wasnamed the Athlete of the Year by the Boca/DelrayNews in 1987. He stayed close to home in college,playing catcher at nearby Palm Beach AtlanticUniversity. In 1989, he was named to the

NAIA District 25 All-Academic Team. Forbes began his coaching career in

1990 at Florida Atlantic University as an assistant coach under KevinCooney. In the two years Forbes was at FAU, the team was ranked inthe top ten in the country. In 1994,Forbes was hired as the head baseball

coach at Palm Beach Atlantic University.During his nine seasons at the helm,

Forbes amassed an overall record of244 wins and 198 losses. The

Sailfish qualified for the post-season six times, and were

ranked as high as eighth inthe NAIA national base-ball poll. In the past twoseasons Forbes has servedas pitching coach at

Northwood Universityunder the tutelage of Coach

Rick Smoaliak. The two years that he was at Northwoodthe Seahawks had a record of 73-43.Forbes has been an associate scout for three major leagueorganizations: the Cleveland Indians from 1993-95, theMilwaukee Brewers from 1995-2000, and the AtlantaBraves from 2001-10. Forbes received a bachelor’s degree from FAU in 1992and a master’s degree in education from FAU in 2007.

www.palmbeachstate.edu/Athletics.xmlSee all the Panthers sports schedules:

View a collectionon Flickr!



When Barney Blicher moved to West Palm Beach in 1928 after gradu-ating from the New York University College of Dentistry, it was, in hiswords, “a real country town” with a population of about 25,000.

“The people were friendly,” he said in a 1981 interview. “Nobody everused a lock on their front doors. There was a lot of activity going on.” It was the era of the great Florida land rush, the first real estate bubble.At the time of Blicher’s arrival, there were only 18 other dentists in all of Palm Beach County. The nearest specialist, an oral surgeon, was in Miami.

Blicher started his dental practice in downtown West Palm Beach. In1933 he opened an office in Pahokee, the first dentist to establish apractice in the western communities, traveling there on the weekendsto service its citizens and the inmate population at the nearbycorrectional facility. He became a pioneer in reconstructive dentistrybefore it was a recognized specialty in his field. Blicher continued hisdentistry practice for more than 55 years until his retirement in 1983.He died at the age of 86 in 1992.

In the mid-1960s, Palm Beach Junior College created a two-year courseof study for dental hygiene. Blicher created a series of postgraduatecourses for those students who wanted to continue their dental health

education. He used the money he charged for teaching those classes to establish what he called the Palm Beach County Dental ScholarshipFund, which provided interest-free loans for dental hygiene students at the College.

Blicher created a trust account in 1976 to be used for scholarships forstudents enrolled in the dental health programs at the College. Thetrust was maintained by the Palm Beach County Dental Associationuntil this year, when it was turned over to the Palm Beach State CollegeFoundation, in accordance with Blicher’s wishes.The fund, valued atmore than $84,000, has been used to establish the Barney BlicherDental Student Scholarship. Scholarships of up to $1,000 a student persemester will be available beginning in the fall of 2013.

Dr. John Jordan, one of the former trustees of the fund, joined Blicher’sdental practice in 1979. Jordan said working with Blicher was a “dreamcome true” because of his mentor’s generosity of spirit, hiscommitment to the quality of his work and his drive for perfection.

“Barney was one of the most giving men I’ve ever met in my life,” saidJordan. “He was never too busy to teach me something. He was a veryhumble man; he never took credit for the things he did in helpingothers. So I know that with the establishment of this scholarship,wherever he is, he’s grinning ear-to-ear.”

The Foundation honored Dr. Blicher’s legacy at a Sept. 16 receptionhighlighted by the unveiling of a plaque in the Dental Healthbuilding on the Lake Worth campus.

The Barney Blicher Dental Student Scholarship is for Dental Assistingand Dental Hygiene students in their second year. Eligible studentsmust be Florida residents registered for six credit hours or more andhave a grade point average of 2.5 or higher.

foundation

To learn more about endowed scholarships, planned giving or other ways to contribute to the Palm Beach State CollegeFoundation, visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/Foundation.xmlor call the Foundation office at (561) 868-3450.

B Y M A R K U D R Y

Dentist’s legacy of generositycontinues with scholarship

“Alma” in Latin means soulful and caring,and that word describes the alumni andcurrent students she represents as the newface of the alumni network. Alma speaksdirectly to supporters of the College, invitingalumni to join the network. Alma valuesfriends and understands how theircontributions impact the College. She isgrateful for the support, whether it befinancial, time or talent.

You can join the network and stay connectedto Palm Beach State and fellow alumni byclicking ‘like’ on her Facebook page.

Fashion’sNight OutCityPlace in downtown West Palm Beachstaged a Fashion’s Night Out runway fashionshow Sept. 8 with proceeds benefiting PalmBeach State College students. Coinciding withthe opening of Fashion Week in New York City,this nationally recognized event provided astylish backdrop for dedicated volunteers tomeet alumni, provide College information,raise money for First Generation In Collegescholarships and celebrate a good cause. Thecrowd was filled with College associates whocame to support Palm Beach State CollegePresident Dennis Gallon, student trusteeAriella Klein and Palm Beach State CollegeFoundation board members Vicki Chouris,Paul Rampolla and Harvey Oyer, whomodeled clothing provided by local stores.Proceeds from raffle sales generated over$5,000 for the Foundation.

“Fashion’s Night Out at CityPlace was anexciting event that allowed the community to

take part in a national event whilesupporting a meaningful local foundation,”said Edan Della Mea, CityPlace marketingdirector. “We are so happy that we couldoffer a night of fashionable fun to support anorganization like the Palm Beach StateCollege Foundation, which helps thousandsof students achieve their dreams at collegeeach year through financial scholarships andschool endowments.”

Membership in the alumni network is free. Benefits include:• Invitations from Alma to alumni events, receptions and

social activities to make new friends and build yournetworks.

• Enhancing your personal and professional goalsthrough our Corporate & Continuing Educationclasses and job search assistance at theCareer Centers on all four Palm BeachState campuses.

• Learning about upcoming cultural eventsat campus theatres and art galleries.

• Alerts from Alma on special savings anddiscounts for alumni from the Palm BeachState corporate partners program.

To join, visitwww.palmbeachstate.edu/Foundation.xml and click on “Welcome Alumni.”

Alma Mater – The face of Palm Beach State College alumni

was one of the mostgiving men I’ve ever met in my life. He was never too busy toteach me something. He was a very humble man; he nevertook credit for the things he did in helping others. So I knowthat with the establishment of this scholarship, wherever he is, he’s grinning ear-to-ear.

Want to help?The Foundation’s scholarship programs are as diverse as the students themselves,supporting nearly all academic and careerprograms – from future nurses and lawenforcement officers to automotivetechnicians and surgical technologists.Generous donors make it possible to providescholarships to more than 2,000 studentsannually. Still, there are more studentsneeding financial assistance than we are able to support. A gift from you can make a difference.

The Foundation’s website now makesdonating quick and easy. You can designatefunds to support a specific programscholarship or place them in the generalscholarship fund. If you make a contributionbefore Dec. 31, 2011, it can be included inyour charitable donations when filing yourfederal tax return. Just visit here and click on“Make a Gift.”

“Like” Alma on Facebook!

Join our alumni network throughthe Foundation’s website!

Foundation Board member Harvey Oyeron the catwalk.

West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio(below, left), student trustee Ariella Kleinand President Dennis P. Gallon wait theirturn backstage.

To learn more about the Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting programs, visitwww.palmbeachstate.edu/DentalHealth.xml

Dr. John Jordan

http://www.facebook.com/AlmaMaterPalmBeachStateCollege



B Y M A R K U D R Y

Peter Lamelas discovers a cure for the commonemergency room

Peter Lamelas wasn’t exactly thinking of a career inmedicine when he enrolled at Palm Beach JuniorCollege in 1976. Lamelas moved from New York

City to West Palm Beach with his family a year earlier andattended Forest Hill High School as a senior. The familyhad moved to New York from Cuba when he was fouryears old. Lamelas said his family was typical of thosecoming from Cuba, starting their life in America fromscratch. “Both my parents were college educated, andthey both had to pull themselves up by their bootstraps,”he said.

His parents opened a business, The Corner Store, on thecorner of Olive Street and Southern Boulevard in WestPalm Beach. The store, an area landmark, is a ramshackle,round-shaped building, serving as a combination bait-and-tackle and convenience store. Lamelas and hisbrothers worked in the store, even pumping gas forcustomers, while attending Forest Hill High School and PBJC.

“Attending PBJC was a good transition for me while Idecided what I was going to do and where I was going togo in life,” said Lamelas. “The ability to live at home andstill attend college was a big attraction for me. Plus, Icould go to classes in the morning and hit the beach inthe afternoon.”

He also hit the books, becoming serious about his studies,concentrating on math and science courses with an eyetoward a career in medicine.

Health care runs in the family; Lamelas’ uncle and cousin,both named Roberto Acosta, are doctors in the WestPalm Beach area. His uncle is an internal medicine andcardiology doctor, his cousin, an orthopedic handsurgeon. Lamelas’ father was a pharmacist and successfulbusinessman in his native Cuba. Lamelas’ brother Joefollowed him into the profession and is now the chiefcardiac surgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach,while his brother Robert still runs the family business.

Lamelas seized an opportunity to attend medical schoolin the Dominican Republic, cutting his studies at PBJCshort, but he credits the College for setting him on a pathto his career.

“Palm Beach Junior College will always be near and dearto my heart because I wouldn’t have been able to studymedicine abroad,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been nearlyas prepared for college and medical school abroad if Ihadn’t attended PBJC first.”

After medical school and residency training, Lamelasreturned to south Florida, working as an emergency roomdoctor at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, St. Mary’sMedical Center in West Palm Beach, Wellington

Regional Medical Center, Bethesda MemorialHospital in Boynton Beach and more than 17years as the ER director at Columbia Hospital ofthe Palm Beaches and an Emergency MedicalServices Medical Director for Riviera Beach FireRescue. Lamelas was the first emergencyroom physician to sit on the State of FloridaBoard of Medicine when he was appointed bythen Gov. Jeb Bush in 2001.

Lamelas opened his first urgent care clinic,MD Now, near the corner of Lantana Roadand Military Trail in suburban Lake Worth inJanuary 2005. It was an immediate success.

Lamelas said he got the idea for his clinicswhile working as an emergency room doctor.His business model, he says, is to be every-thing an emergency room is not.

“I wanted it to be the complete opposite ofwhat the emergency room is,” he said. “In atypical ER you wait hours, you pay a hugeamount of money, you’re treated rudely. It’sreally not an appropriate place for non-life-threatening medical needs or routine care – it’s for true emergencies.”

His clinics offer fast, professional and affordable medical care. Mostpatients, once they sign in, pay and complete paperwork, are seen, treatedand released in less than an hour. MD Now offers a wide range of services,including work and school physicals, seasonal flu shots and travelvaccines, drug testing, general and urgent medical care without anappointment. Lamelas is expanding his offerings to include physicaltherapy, diagnostic imaging and after-hours pediatric care. His clinicsare sparkling clean, well furnished and decorated, with flat screen televi-sions and mini-refrigerators stocked with bottled water in the waitingarea. The equipment is state-of-the-art, the staff – from doctors toreceptionists – is efficient, professional and courteous. For Lamelas, itwas a model that quickly paid huge dividends.

“At our first MD Now clinic in Lake Worth, we saw more patientsthan we ever expected, and during flu season it was crazy,” said Lamelas.“It’s almost like going to a good restaurant – it’s popular and everyoneknows about you because of the service you provide. We quickly real-ized we wouldn’t be able to sustain our level of great patient service atthat pace, so we opened more clinics to serve a growing need for fast,affordable, quality medical care.”

He soon expanded, adding locations in Royal Palm Beach, Boca Raton,Palm Beach Gardens, Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach. Lamelasis in the process of expanding and opening four additional clinics inPalm Beach and Broward counties. His business has more than 240employees and 24 doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.He and his wife, Stephanie, who is MD Now’s business manager, bothfound the time to attend business school and earn MBA degrees.

“One of the things that sets MD Now apart from other urgent careclinics is that we’re a locally owned and operated business; we’re not a bigimpersonal corporation,” said Lamelas. “We have an extensive network ofdoctors if one of our patients needs a referral to see a specialist or needs tobe admitted to a hospital. We also follow up with a phone call with eachof our patients to see how they’re doing. That sort of caring and attentionto detail is what makes us a local success story.”

Peter Lamelas, MDCEO & Medical Director - MD NOW Medical Centers, Inc.

Residency in Internal Medicine – Carney Hospital, Boston and University of Connecticut Health Sciences Center, Farmington, Conn.

Board Certified in Emergency Medicine by American Board of Physician Specialists

Member and Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians

Member of Palm Beach County Medical Society and Florida Medical Association

Former Medical Director, Riviera Beach Fire Rescue

Consultant for the West Palm Beach Fire Pension Fund

Board Member of the Urgent Care Association of America

Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2001 to serve on the Florida Board of Medicine

Former Manalapan Town Commissioner

AlumniCorner

MD Now

“Attending PBJC was a goodtransition for me while I decidedwhat I was going to do andwhere I was going to go in life.The ability to live at home andstill attend college was a bigattraction for me.”

The MD will see you now:


Palm Beach State CollegeCollege Relations and Marketing4200 Congress AvenueLake Worth, FL 33461-4796

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Alumni Success Stories

Daniel R. SuiterPALM BEACH JUNIOR COLLEGE, A.A., 1985UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, B.S., 1987; M.S., 1989;PH.D., 1994

r. Daniel Suiter is an associate professorof entomology at the University ofGeorgia, where he teaches and heads a

research and extension program in urbanand industrial pest management. Beforejoining UGA in 2000, he was an entomologyresearch associate at Purdue University forfive years.The career educator has fond memories ofPBJC faculty member Robert Shaw’s mathclasses. (“Hands down, he was the bestteacher I had in 12 years of college.”)Another PBJC professor, Dr. Carol Butler,introduced him to the study of insects,which became his life’s work. Theseindividuals, he says, demonstrate “theawesome power” of those who teach.“Teachers can influence others with a single sentence, comment or meeting. As teachers, we must be cognizant ofeverything we say and do. Some studentout there is watching and looking up toevery teacher. The responsibilities areenormous.”

Mali S. GardnerPALM BEACH JUNIOR COLLEGE, A.A., 1984

leeing the Communist regime in Cuba50 years ago, Maria “Mali” Soto Gardnerand her family found refuge in the

caring, close-knit communities along LakeOkeechobee. A Clewiston resident since1963, she proudly notes that she has hadthe same friends since kindergarten. Shewas first elected to the City Commission in1999, was mayor from 2001 to 2010, andis now in her third term as commissioner.She also is vice president for humanresources at the First Bank of Clewiston.Gardner recalls the excitement of enrollingat PBJC’s new Belle Glade campus duringits early 1980s startup. “I remember howthe provost, Mary Orsenigo, worked sohard to make sure the students wererepresented well and had the classes theyneeded,“ she said. Now serving on theClewiston High School Advisory Board,Gardner urges students to take advantageof educational opportunities at PalmBeach State. “It’s a tremendous resourcefor our area,” she added.

D FMichelle CannonPALM BEACH COMMUNITY COLLEGE, A.A., 2006FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITYHONORS COLLEGE, B.A., 2008

elf-described Anglophile MichelleCannon found her dream job at, whereelse, the British Embassy’s Consulate

Office in Miami. As regional learning anddevelopment coordinator, Cannon handleslogistics for diplomatic officer and stafftraining in 12 Embassy offices in CentralAmerica and the Caribbean. It’s a greatniche for a person whose love of all thingsBritish blossomed through her coursework,which included a summer term studyingEnglish literature in Bath. “My time at PBCC was valuable as well aseconomical and prepared me for the realworld,” Cannon said. She credits ProfessorEdwin Peck with nurturing her love ofEnglish poetry and Professor Roy Boulwarefor his helpfulness in demystifying thestudy of statistics. Cannon was named toPhi Theta Kappa at PBCC, and she went onto win the Senior Thesis Award at the FAUHonors College.

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