ON THE COVER : The Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program welcomes its inaugural class.
The Magazine of Florida State University Panama City
2022-2023 | Vol. 30
FSU PANAMA CITY DEAN
Randy Hanna, ’83
OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT STAFF
Becky Kelly, Director of Advancement
Jan Waddy, Marketing & Publications
Kyle Middlemass, Media Specialist, ’19
Tammetrius Farmer, Development Coordinator
Helen Johnson, Web Manager
Michelle Roberson, Program Associate
EDITOR
Jan Waddy
DESIGNER
Kyle Middlemass, ’19
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Jan Waddy, Tammetrius Farmer, Tiffany
Castricone, Parmjeet Cobb, Elizabeth Crowe, Amabelle Paquia Marchi, Daniel Pennington, Karen Works, Pete Reinwald, Justine Sowell
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Helen Johnson, Andrew Wardlow
THE TORCH MAGAZINE is published by the Office of Advancement at Florida State University Panama City. To be included in the mailing list, or to submit a change of address, email us at torch@pc.fsu.edu. Please send alumni updates to outreach@pc.fsu.edu.
8
SAILOR & SCHOLAR
Meet donors Sandy and Jim Dafoe
1 2
CAREER READY
Engineering students make connection at Career Fair
1 3
STEM STORY
Community outreach a success
6 DEAN’S MESSAGE
14 FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
1 6
STUDENT RESEARCH
Second annual symposium
2 2
KINSEY COLLECTION
FSU PC hosts world-renown
African American art and history exhibit
18
BLACK STUDENT UNION
Meet BSU Association
President Zenovia Goss, ‘23
26
AMERICANISH
The Illumination lectureship series engages community with insightful guest speakers
30 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Zach Murzyn, ‘25
32 PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
Skillstorm
Financial Planning
42 KIM GODWIN SCHOLARSHIP
44 2022 NOTABLE ’NOLES
Melanie Boyd, ’13
Maria Goodwin, ‘02
Sharon Michalik, ‘13
Zacharias Sanchez, ‘11
Judge Elijah Smiley, ‘99
50 SEMINOLE SIGHTINGS
Billy Dean Concert
Annual Dinner
Great things are always happening at Florida State University Panama City. Every year we continue to welcome increased numbers of first-year students, transfer and graduate students to our campus. With a growing student body on-campus comes additional student activities, events and amenities.
Over the past two-years FSU PC has held family weekends, Lunch and Learns, the Torch Run 5K, lecture series and begun intramural sports. Student research opportunities have expanded and are showcased at our annual student research symposium.
The Barron Building commons has been transformed. It is an inviting space filled with Seminole spirit and pride where students gather to study, unwind or play pool. The increase in student clubs, activities and events truly fosters a greater sense of community on campus.
FSU PC is continually adding and growing new academic and communityfocused programs. The College of Applied Studies now offers undergraduate degrees in Public Health, Financial Planning and the fully online master’s in Organizational Management and Communication. The College’s nurse anesthesia program has begun FSU PC’s first doctoral program.
Our community partnerships continue to thrive through our Triumph, grantfunded programs. FSU PC’s Advancing Science and Career Education in New Technologies or ASCENT project has established K-12 STEM initiatives and has formed a partnership with SkillStorm to provide advanced technology certifications. This partnership is exciting for the university and our regional workforce, as we work to meet the demand for professionals in emerging technologies.
In fall 2023, contingent on the approval of the FSU Board of Trustees, we will open The Collegiate School at FSU Panama City. This charter high school will be the eighth lab school in the state and will begin with ninth grade. We are constantly looking ahead and planning for the future. We’ve accomplished so much with the support of our community, alumni and donors. We will always keep raising the bar and achieving great things.
Randy Hanna, Dean, FSU Panama City The College of Applied Studies
BY JAN WADDY
Sandy and Capt. (Ret.) Jim Dafoe are familiar faces at Florida State University Panama City, mentoring students in the classroom, supporting university events and celebrating at commencement.
“There’s a closeness here, and we have been excited to be part of it,” Sandy Dafoe said.
The couple regularly drives from their home in Tallahassee to Panama City, where they own a condo along North Bay. They have been known to spend entire days on the FSU Panama City campus, seeing their financial gifts in action through their support of experiential projects and student veterans. FSU Panama City currently has over 100 student veterans and dependents enrolled.
During the Spring 2022 FSU Panama City Graduation Gala on April 29, Jim Dafoe had the honor of helping present FSU Panama City student veterans their military honor cords and FSU Veterans Challenge Coins, symbolizing their achievement and service to our country. Sandy and Jim Dafoe also received recognition from the FSU Panama City Student Government Council, who presented them with the Coram’s Spirit of Service Award for their years of support to FSU Panama City.
The couple credits FSU Panama City Dean Randy Hanna for the impressive growth and positive changes they have seen since getting involved on this campus six years ago.
“He shares our vision of putting students first,” Sandy Dafoe said. “I know there are people who donate a lot more than we do, but we like to be involved with the students. We feel we have gotten more back than we have given.”
Jim Dafoe received his Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering and a license from the U.S. Coast Guard as an engineering officer from California Maritime Academy in 1958, the same year he joined the U.S. Navy. He served on seven submarines, including the USS Grayback, a warfare submarine. Jim Dafoe completed his 27 years of Naval Service as project director of Special Submarine Operations in the Office of Naval intelligence. He earned the Navy Achievement Medal, Naval Commendation Medal with two gold stars, and the Legion of Merit with a gold star. He also was a sub specialist in weapons and intelligence and was qualified as a surface warfare officer. In 1985, he joined System Planning and Analysis Inc. as manager of Submarine Technology Systems, before retiring nearly 10 years later in Fort Myers Beach.
Sandy Dafoe received her Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, teaching math in the Euclid Public School District, where she later chaired the high school math department.
“I was the only female math teacher in the district,” she said.
While teaching, she earned her master’s in Math Education from FSU in 1969 through a National Science Foundation grant.
“I’m a simple sailor, and my wife is a mathematician,” Jim Dafoe said during a March 10, 2022, visit to FSU Panama City.
The couple, both widows, met in Fort Myers and started a new life together before building their dream home in Gainesville. But one FSU football game changed their course.
“We were sitting at a football game in 2012 and a sign from FSU flashed on the screen that said, ‘support your veterans,’” Jim Dafoe, 84, recalled.
The couple moved to Tallahassee the following year to support student veterans at FSU, which had opened the Student Veterans Center in 2011. FSU currently has approximately 1,400 student veterans and dependents.
“Jim and Sandy moved to Tallahassee shortly after Florida State opened its Student Veterans Center to support all facets of our effort to be the nation’s most veteran friendly and empowering university,” said FSU Student Veterans Center Director Billy Francis, who was inducted into Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame March 29, 2022. “From day one, their efforts, leadership, and philanthropy have enabled us to achieve milestones and set benchmarks that would not have occurred without Jim and Sandy Dafoe. I cannot thank them enough.”
The Veterans Center partners, who Francis considers personal friends, have been part of the FSU Veterans Alliance and serve on the Veterans Advancement Council for FSU.
Jim Dafoe worked with FSU to design the Veterans Alliance Arrowhead, now the proud symbol of FSU’s commitment to veteran success. The arrowhead is the focal point of the Alliance Arrowhead Window, a stained-glass window created by FSU Master Craftsman Studio, at FSU Heritage Museum in Dodd Hall, where it was unveiled in Nov. 10, 2016. The Dafoes also spearheaded the Vietnam POW/MIA Bracelet Memorial, which was dedicated Sept. 17, 2021, across from the Capitol in Tallahassee.
The Dafoes presented FSU Panama City with commissioned artwork depicting the Veterans Alliance arrowhead on Jan. 24, 2017, in the Skinner Veterans Ready Room, and Jim Dafoe continues to proudly wear his Veterans Alliance Arrowhead lapel pin.
Jim Dafoe’s background in engineering led to the Dafoes’ involvement with the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, where he sponsors student research. The Jim and Sandy Dafoe High-Performance Materials Institute Undergraduate Research Award was first awarded in 2016.
Jim Dafoe said he enjoys seeing “students working at the cutting edge of technology.”
The couple also has served on FSU’s Development Council for the College of Education.
“I said, ‘If you’re going to get engineering, I’m going to find something,’” Sandy Dafoe said with a laugh. “We went to the Wescott Society Luncheon, and I talked to someone from the College of Fine Arts; and we hit it off.”
The Dafoes support FSU’s College of Fine Arts, including Opening Nights. Their passions united in 2014, when they served as co-curators with FSU Student Veterans to present “FSU Veterans — Past, Present & Future — Salute Vietnam Veterans” exhibit to honor Vietnam Veterans at the Museum of Fine Arts.
Jim Allen, director of Academic & Registrar Services at FSU Panama City and a U.S. Navy veteran as well, met and became friends with the Dafoes while working for the FSU Career Center in Tallahassee and has helped facilitate their connection to FSU Panama City.
“They continue to meet with students in Tallahassee and support experiential learning programs and participate in engineering projects,” Jim Allen said. “Jim knew we had veterans and an engineering program at FSU Panama City, and they wanted to lend their support to what we’re doing on campus. We continue to welcome the support they give and the time commitment. They continue to throw their support behind students and student veterans.”
In March 2022, the Dafoes met with FSU PC Mechanical Engineering students, who presented them with a program update on their senior design project. Led by Project Manager Christopher Beach II, Dakota Fisher, Jeffrey Kildow, Mark Wilson and Cameron Jones, the students built a package delivery drone prototype to be presented at the Senior Design Presentation at the end of Summer 2022. The seniors were scheduled to graduate in July 2022.
“The students captured one of the problems,” Sandy Dafoe said. “The sensors are underneath the drone, so where do you put the package? How far below the drone is the package going to be with the wave and velocity?”
The students also discovered they couldn’t fly on FSU property and began to familiarize themselves with aviation rules for Tyndall Air Force Base and Naval Support Activity Panama City.
“Professor Damion Dunlap is giving them the freedom to explore by not answering all their questions. He’s fostering leadership, and they’re learning to work as a team,” Sandy Dafoe said.
The Dafoes not only serve as project sponsors, but also as advisors.
“It’s fun for us working with all the students, and we are basically in the role as a mentor, assistant director on the project,” Jim Dafoe said.
The Dafoes also were involved with the Seminole Coast team that created an autonomous robotic boat for the 2019 International RoboBoat Competition in South Daytona.
“I’M A SIMPLE SAILOR, AND MY WIFE IS A MATHEMATICIAN.”
“The Senior Design Project is a requirement of students in the Mechanical Engineering degree program. The Dafoes are providing financial support as well as feedback and insight,” Jim Allen said.
Dunlap, former Mechanical Engineering professor at FSU Panama City, conducted research in mine warfare and unmanned systems at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) before earning his Ph.D. in 2011 from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. He invited the Dafoes to hear the Mechanical Engineering students’ pitches for their different Senior Design Projects, and the drone project was the one the Dafoes felt was the best to pursue.
“In the past, the Dafoes have been part of student organizations such as the SPEAR (Students Pursuing
Engineering and Robotics) club that I advised,” said Dunlap, who has returned to NSWC PCD. “But students’ involvement changes with new leadership and students graduating. We wanted to find a way to keep them engaged.”
By supporting the Senior Design Projects, the Dafoes can be involved with the students throughout the entire process.
“It gives students accountability,” Dunlap said. “The Dafoes give their feedback, and their input is considered. They challenge the students to think more deeply about the impact that comes from design systems. They’ve helped the students about practical matters, asking, ‘How would you use it?’ and ‘What benefit would it bring?’ There is a lot of wisdom from the Dafoes that comes from experience.”
“IT’S FUN FOR US WORKING WITH ALL THE STUDENTS, AND WE ARE BASICALLY IN THE ROLE AS A MENTOR, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ON THE PROJECT.”
When FSU Panama City students Kyle Greer, ’20 (B.S. Computer Engineering), Madison Penney, ‘22 (M.S. Electrical Engineering) and Logan Weiler, ’20 (B.S. Electrical Engineering) each graduated with a master’s in Electrical Engineering in December 2022, NAVSEA was ready to welcome them.
During the March 2022 Career Fair at FSU PC, all three were offered full-time positions at NAVSEA to start immediately following graduation.
“They said the offer was good up to one year, so that works out perfectly,” Greer said.
The Career Fair was instrumental in making the connection with NAVSEA. The students were able to show off their resumes and get to know the employer through casual conversation, finding out each other’s expectations.
“This is nobody we would have met if it hadn’t been for the Career Fair,” Logan said. “I’ll be working with cybersecurity and communication.”
More than 100 students were enrolled in FSU PC’s engineering programs for fall, which has generated several Department of Defense SMART scholars.
FSU PC’s bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and the
master’s in systems engineering were both added to academic programs in fall 2018 in response to the demand from local industry and support from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. The FAMU-FSU Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and FSU PC developed the program (systems engineering) with support from the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC PCD).
As FSU PC’s mechanical engineering program entered its fifth year this fall, more than half of the students have started their careers at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, while others are employed locally at Ocean Engineering. Community partners such as Tyndall Air Force Base also offer career opportunities for FSU engineers.
The Department of Mechanical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and managed by the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.
The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering also oversees FSU PC’s civil & environmental engineering and electrical & computer engineering undergraduate programs, as well as FSU PC’s graduate programs for civil & environmental engineering and electrical engineering.
Amabelle Paquia Marchi, the SAME Panama City Post STEM chair and an Asian-American licensed civil engineer with DRMP Inc., always wished there were STEM events in her community when she was growing up. This sparked an idea for a STEM outreach event for girls using the power of positive role models to highlight STEM female professionals and college students. By partnering with FSU PC staff, the initial idea of a female STEM panel for a small group of girls grew into a one-day “STEM Story” camp with more than 70 girls in fifth to eighth grades in attendance.
To start the day, the girls engaged with exhibitors from local agencies, including the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, the Doolittle Institute, Boys & Girls Clubs, Science & Discovery Center of Northwest Florida, Gulf Coast State College, Girls Inc. of Bay County, and a local high school robotics competition team, the Galactic Squirrels.
In the opening presentation a panel of female professionals spoke about their work and how they got into their respective fields. The panelists represented many ethnic and technical backgrounds, including an environmental consultant/Native American coordinator, project product engineering manager, architect, psychiatrist, and U.S. Air Force senior master sergeant who specializes in explosive ordnance disposal.
After the panel discussion, the girls broke into small groups for hands-on activities, where they explored mechanical engineering, programming, technology, forensic science, civil engineering, and physics. Yvonne Traynham, FSU PC Mechanical Engineering assistant teaching professor, remarked how fun it was to see the girls build balloon-powered vehicles and adapt their designs to make the cars faster, demonstrating the relationship between potential and kinetic energy.
The day wrapped up with a “watercraft” group activity led by FSU PC students. Using just plastic wrap, duct tape, and straws, the girls had to build a craft that could float and support the maximum number of pennies.
“Events like STEM Story are so important to middle school girls,” Tiffany Castricone, former president of the Panama City Post, 2020 SAME Young Professional of the Year, and event co-moderator, said. “They should dream big and learn that there is a world of possibilities if they can just allow their love for mathematics and science to persist — not allow the social pressures to steer them away from a lifetime love for the ‘un-cool’ subjects that turn into great paying careers. Never give into the idea that math is not for girls or let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.”
STEM STORY: Over 70 girls in fifth to eighth grade attended the first “STEM Story” summer camp at FSU PC to learn about STEM through activities and demonstrations.Sarah Wofford-Mares began teaching biology courses in the fall semester at FSU Panama City. A native of south Alabama, she earned her bachelor’s in marine science and biology at the University of Alabama before earning her master’s and Ph.D. in biology at Bowling Green State University. Before coming to FSU PC, Wofford-Mares taught at Bowling Green State University, Jacksonville State University and, most recently, the University of Florida.
Wofford-Mares specializes in aquatic and marine biology, animal behavior and communication. Her research has led her to study unique organisms such as crayfish, sea anemones, apple snails and even humans. She has been published in various journals, including the Journal of Crustacean Biology. Wofford-Mares is especially interested in how organisms gain information from their environment and how that affects their behavior and performance.
Before joining FSU PC in the fall, Govinda Pageni worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He received his B.A. and M.S. in Mathematics from Tribhuvan University in 2007 and 2012. He also received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2018 and 2022, respectively.
Pageni taught numerous undergraduate mathematics courses for many years before joining FSU PC. Teaching is his big focus; one of his favorite things is helping a student who feels that they cannot survive a math class understand and appreciate the material. He enjoys teaching a variety of math classes and hopes to get involved with undergraduate research at FSU PC. His primary research is in the field of differential equations with fractional order with the concentration in a system of fractional differential equations via the Laplace Transform method, and he is using this emerging branch to study the epidemiological models of infectious diseases.
Bré Minniefield is a biomedical scientist trained in genomics, bioinformatics, epidemiology and general biology. She received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2021. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, she has traveled to the Sunshine State to continue her passions in biological research and teaching.
Her vast biology background includes everything from conducting bat surveys in West Virginia to using bioinformatics to research key genetic links to common/chronic diseases. Throughout her research career, Minniefield’s enthusiasm for teaching biology is her purpose. She is passionate about making biology accessible and intriguing to students. Minniefield wants to use fruit flies and bioinformatics to engage students in the subject.
Jason Smith is a Teaching Faculty member in the Department of Nurse Anesthesia Program at FSU Panama City starting in Spring 2023. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Nursing at Emory University, master’s degree in Nurse Anesthesia at Gooding Institution of Nurse Anesthesia, and his Doctor of Nurse Practice at Troy University. He has many years of previous experience in the workforce.
Today, along with teaching he is also the CRNA at Clearway Pain Solutions, CNRA Anesthesia at Doctors Hospital, and CRNA at Plastic Surgery Institute and Spa. He is also Chief Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at Jackson Hospital and The Eye Center of North Florida.
Dr. Rajput holds multiple patents and held senior security related positions in several companies, including Racal Datacom. He retired as professor from Nova Southeastern University in 2017, where he also managed undergraduate CE, CS, CIS, SE, IT and Math programs. He was Associate Professor of Cyber Security at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Arizona from 2019 till 2021. Dr. Rajput has also lectured at University of Miami and Florida Atlantic University and several universities abroad. He served as one of the founding academic advisors to the President of Pakistan for GIK Institute, and also advised the founding Rector of NUST on Computerized Entrance Exams as well as Graduate Electrical Engineering Programs.
Dr. Rajput has two decades of diverse security product development experience raging from embedded systems to web applications. Dr. Rajput also serves as Chief Science Officer at True Meridian, LLC. He did his Ph.D. with Dr. Lloyd Welch at Communications Sciences Institute, Viterbi College of Engineering, University of Southern California
Twan Capehart, Ph.D. is a Teaching Faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at FSU Panama City starting in Spring 2023. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at Florida A&M University and his master’s and doctorate at the FAMUFSU College of Engineering. He has three years of previous experience in teaching engineering at the undergraduate level as an adjunct professor at the College of Engineering in Tallahassee. Dr. Capehart has also worked for the past three years as a mechanical engineering consultant in the private sector on multiple projects, with a specialty in innovation, ideation, product development and prototyping of mechatronic systems.
Dr. Capehart’s dissertation research focused on variable stiffness mechanisms for bio-inspired robotic systems. His areas of research interest are mechatronic systems, dynamic robotic systems, mechanical design innovation and bio-inspired mechanisms. Dr. Capehart’s focus at FSU Panama City is teaching, student engagement, program development and community outreach within the Mechanical Engineering Department.
Florida State University Panama City is pleased to welcome new faculty members this fall.
Florida State University Panama City hosted the second annual Student Research Symposium on April 20 at the Holley Academic Center. Students from all majors had an opportunity to showcase their research completed during the 2020-2022 academic years to the university community. The event featured more than 80 research projects by students from FSU PC, Gulf Coast State College and North Bay Haven Charter Academy high school.
Projects were set up in the St. Joe Community Foundation Lecture Hall, where students were able to present their research to judges and attendees, as well as one another. Students ranged from undergraduate education and computer engineering majors to military servicemen pursuing graduate degrees in engineering.
FSU PC elementary education student Jayleigh Greene, ’22, used a personalized instruction approach to help students overcome the challenges in reading that they may encounter when they are learning English as a second language in her study, “Developing Long Vowels in English as a Second Language (ESL) Learners.” Advised by elementary education professor Aimee Frier, Greene worked closely with a fifth-grade student to narrow down obstacles and factors that were preventing his progression of reading in English. After several tests, Greene discovered the student was having difficulty with long vowel sounds. By focusing on the development of this skill, the student showed improvement after three lessons. A first-generation college student, the Louisiana native is pursuing her master’s
in education with plans to teach as a local elementary school in Walton County, where her family relocated.
Advised by electrical and computer engineering professor Ali Manzak, computer engineering student Kameron Butler, ’23, presented a group project with student Obadah Kabuka, Brian Le and Joel Ealum on “Multinomial Naïve Bayes.” Machine learning algorithms are used for purposes such as prediction, classification, regression and decision making. Butler explained naïve Bayes is one of the well-known classification methods and most used in text classification, and multinomial Naïve Bayes specifically produce reliable results for applications with discrete features.
“In this project, we tried to implement Multinomial Naïve Bayes algorithm on an ARM-based processor using ARM assembly language,” said Butler, who commutes from his home in Marianna.
He completed his summer internship at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division and is interested in working on hardware for a big tech company.
This engaging environment filled with conversations about research, theories and ideas was envisioned by FSU PC computer science professor Karen Works. Works, who earned her Ph.D. at the Worcester Poly Institute in 2014, Works spent 12 years in software development and taught at Westfield State University and Gulf Coast State College. Her background in research and advising undergraduate student research informed her vision for FSU PC’s symposium of high school, undergraduate and graduate students. The symposium took place in two sessions, the first focusing on science-based research in the areas of psychology, engineering and computer science; and the second including research in education and communications.
Savannah Kelly, a graduate student in FSU PC’s Early Childhood Autism Program, was named the Overall winner and received a $500 scholarship. Other scholarship winners included FSU PC Elementary Education students Hannah Robinson and Ruth Aland. Andrew Bouchard, a graduate student in FSU PC’s Systems Engineering program, won for Methodology; and FSU PC Systems Engineering graduate student Brett Thach won for Presentation.
FSU PC undergraduate Professional Communication students Raemi Creteur, Reagan Land, Annalisa Tibbetts, and Erika Ellis won the Overall award for their group project. FSU PC undergraduate Psychology student Jacqueline Kellison won for Methodology, and FSU PC undergraduate Elementary Education student Tyler-Marie Buschman won for Elementary Education.
North Bay Haven high school student winners included Lillian Gay, Overall; Vanessa Hervie, Methodology; and Rohan Nana, Presentation.
FSU Panama City elementary education student Zenovia Goss, ’23, is inspiring other students and her community as president of the Black Student Union (BSU).
“The whole point is we want to give to our community,” Goss said. “We are focusing on outreach.”
Goss restored FSU PC’s BSU in fall of 2021 after transferring from Gulf Coast State College (GCSC). By the summer of 2022, there were 18 members. Goss had run the BSU at GCSC for nearly two years, and although BSU also was a Recognized Student Organization at FSU PC, it had been inactive since Hurricane Michael hit in 2018.
“The community needs more diversity,” Goss said June 18 during the Juneteenth Festival at Rosenwald High School — the first major event for FSU PC’s BSU.
Goss is part of the Dean’s Diversity Task Force in Diverse Partnerships. She and the other members are working to promote diversity on campus and in the community by getting involved in events.
“The main goal of the Diversity Task Force is to enhance diversity on campus,” Goss said. “It is important to show representation in the community.”
The BSU was created to promote “leadership, academic excellence, cultural awareness, and community engagement amongst students of African descent.”
FSU PC’s current BSU board includes Vice President Tatiana Brown; Khadija Anees, social media; Shante’a Roberson, treasurer; and Adonna Brown — all elementary education majors set to graduate in 2023.
“We have a group that sticks together through ups and downs, but at the end of the day, we’re one huge elementary education family,” said Goss, who was looking forward to finishing her courses this fall to get into the classroom for her internship.
The BSU meets every couple of weeks in the Dr. and Mrs. James T. Cook Library & Learning Center. Goss, who was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has stressed that anyone can join, not just students of African American descent.
Anees, a graduate of Panama City Advanced School, also transferred to FSU PC from GCSC.
“I was in the Muslim Student Association at GCSC,
and then there was the Black Lives Matter movement. I firmly believe Black lives matter and want to get involved in all causes,” Anees said. “I think it’s important to have different people on the board to show you don’t just have to be Black.”
Tatiana Brown also is a transfer student from GCSC, but she had known Goss since their time at North Bay Haven, where she was involved in organizations and clubs.
“When I got to FSU, I talked to Zenovia and she told me about this club,” Tatiana Brown said. “I’ve never been in a diverse club, one that represents Black culture and focuses on struggles as well as having someone to relate to. I didn’t see a lot of diversity until I got to college, and I was so excited to be on the board and do stuff in my community.”
Adonna Brown refers to Tatiana as her “sister” since they share the same last name. Both of Adonna Brown’s parents attended Florida A&M University and have reiterated the importance of celebrating their culture.
“My dad always thought it was important for me and my brother to really learn about the Black culture and history,” explained Adonna Brown, who graduated from Mosley High School, where she was involved in volleyball. “I went to a predominantly white school and wanted to share ideas and amplify voices so younger generations have representation.”
Roberson, a graduate of North Bay Haven, said, “The reason I joined Black Student Union is because I was searching for a club that I felt could have an impact in the community and my life. I think that’s what the Black Student Union does.”
FSU PC celebrates Black History Month annually, but this year’s Feb. 1 event at the Holley Academic Center also kicked off the “Illumination, Shedding Light on Diversity” series of guest-speaker events.
“We are here today, not only to celebrate Black History Month, but to celebrate diversity and inclusion in schools and throughout the community,” said Irvin Clark, EdD, associate dean of Student & Strategic Initiatives.
Keynote speaker Bernard Kinsey joined the audience in the St. Joe Community Foundation Lecture Hall via Zoom to talk about the “Myth of Absence.” He and his wife, Shirley, cultivated the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection celebrating African Americans’ achievements spanning 400 years, as told through paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, rare books and documents.
“The presentation was amazing,” Goss said. “The background hidden information that we didn’t get to learn about in school is why hosting these events is important.”
During the program, Kinsey explained contributions by African Americans were omitted from the history books and their collection, which was exhibited at FSU PC from April 22, 2022, through July 28, 2022, aims to provide the narrative. He presented slides of African Americans throughout U.S. history, such as poet Phillis Wheatley and jockey Jimmy Winkfield, noting their accomplishments despite overwhelming obstacles.
“There were many high school students in attendance,” Goss noted. “We need to pass this information to them as early as possible, as they are the next generation.”
This year’s Black History Month presentation was open to the community and more than 250 high school students from Bay District Schools were in attendance. Students included 50 Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp cadets from Bay, along with high school students from Arnold, Mosley, New Horizons, Rosenwald and Rutherford. Deane Bozeman students watched from their school via Zoom.
Florida State University Panama City hosted the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection from April 22 through July 28, but the monumental exhibit made a lasting impression.
“It has been our honor to host this world-renowned exhibit, and we have been overwhelmed by the tremendous response from our community,” said Dean Randy Hanna.
The historic opening of the Kinsey Collection brought together pep bands from the FAMU Marching 100 and the FSU Marching Chiefs for a performance at FSU’s Amphitheater, the first time members of the two bands had played together since 1983. During the three-month exhibit, hundreds of residents, school and church groups visited FSU Panama City, including many first-time visitors.
“If a picture is worth a thousand words, art is worth a million, because the artist puts so much of themselves into the work,” said Panama City City Commissioner Josh Street during the April 22 opening.
The rare and comprehensive collection features primary source historical objects and artifacts dating from 1595 to the present day, and art created by African American artists that dates to 1865.
“This is so important for our community to see an art exhibit of this magnitude and part of making Panama City its own destination,” Panama City Mayor Greg Brudnicki said.
Organized by The Bernard & Shirley Kinsey Foundation for the Arts & Education and KBK Enterprises
“IF A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, ART IS WORTH A MILLION, BECAUSE THE ARTIST PUTS SO MUCH OF THEMSELVES INTO THE WORK.”
ART
Inc., the Kinsey Collection shares stories of African Americans’ achievement spanning more than 400 years.
“Thank you for telling the story of our people,” Valencia Matthews, dean of the College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities at Florida A&M University, told the Kinseys during a presentation in FSU PC’s St. Joe Community Foundation Lecture Hall. “They have dedicated their lived to educate others on the history of African Americans.”
The Kinsey Collection began with the Kinseys’ desire to instill an appreciation for the arts from cultures throughout the world in their son, Khalil, and led to “rediscovering” the African American story. The collection is now curated by Khalil Kinsey and historian Larry Earl.
During the past 15 years, the exhibit has been seen by more than 15 million people around the world, and it is the largest collection of African American art and history outside of the Smithsonian. Most recently, the Kinsey Collection has covered more than 100,000 square feet at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. But the FSU Panama City show, the Kinseys’ 38th stop, has been more personal for Florida natives Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, who met at Florida A&M in Tallahassee in 1963.
“What we wanted to try to do with this show is personalize it, because a lot of what we do is personal,” said Bernard Kinsey, who has cultivated the collection with his wife during their 55 years of marriage.
The FSU Panama City exhibit included personal photos of the young couple paired with photos of a civil rights demonstration.
“This all was going on at the time (in the ‘60s). We show Black people in everyday life, having fun and having this pride of being who they are,” Bernard Kinsey said. “We want you to uncover all these truths. You can’t do this by owning the collection; you have to bring it to a point for others to see.”
During exhibit tours, the Kinseys shared personal connections to the artwork, sculptures and books in the collection. The bronze bust of Frederick Douglass once sat on the Kinseys’ dining room table, and Rosa Parks’ 1998 book, “Quiet Strength” was signed to her friend Shirley Kinsey.
The digital representation of the slave trade brought many visitors to tears, each dot representing a ship taking 500 people captured from Africa’s “slave coast — 1,000 miles up and down the west coast” to be sold in North and Central America. As the years go by, the digital model shows million taken in increasing frequency.
“Portuguese started the slave trade in 1501,” Bernard Kinsey said, pointing out the concentration was in Brazil, then the Caribbean and Mexico.
The Kinsey Collection was free to the community. This was made possible through generous sponsorships by
local organizations and businesses, including Walborsky Bradley & Fleming, Panama City Toyota, the St. Joe Community Foundation, Florida Power & Light, Visit Panama City Beach and the Charles A. Whitehead Foundation, in addition to anonymous donors and individual sponsors.
Greg Finley, dealer principal at Panama City Toyota, said, “I was immediately intrigued and impressed by the collection and began to see that it told a singular story but that it was also a story that needed to be understood by a broader range of people. In this collection, we see a story that will hopefully resonate with people of color here in our community. As I think of this I think of employees and customers that cross our paths that could be moved and motivated by this exhibit, I think of them identifying this story as part of their own. But I also believe there is a story is being told here that people who look more like me should better understand. People like me are likely unfamiliar with these stories, or maybe more troubling, have been indifferent to them. So, this exhibit is for them, too. And while I won’t put too much pressure on this exhibit to work miracles in the broader society, maybe it’s a key step for simply understanding one another a little better. And I think in understanding one another’s stories we can begin to do some amazing things together.”
Students also made connections with the artwork. DNAP student Ndeye Dieng, ‘24, discovered Bernard Kinsey also ancestry from Senegal, Africa, where she calls home. Another student saw her grandmother in Hughie Lee-Smith’s Untitled 1951 oil painting of the young African American girl with pigtails in a yellow dress, jump roping on the foundation of a dilapidated house.
FSU PC adjunct professor Janice Lucas, ’89, a 2020 Notable ‘Nole and Illumination Committee member, volunteered to lead groups outside of regular exhibit hours because she believed so much in this initiative.
“I look around and can’t believe this is here. One reason this exhibit means so much to me is I grew up in Panama City with segregation,” said Lucas, who was in first grade at Oak Grove, 1967-68, the last year of segregation at schools.
Lucas earned her bachelor’s in broadcast journalism from Florida A&M University and her master’s in English education from FSU Panama City. She also is the executive director of the LEAD Coalition of Bay County working with the community to build trust increase safety and restore neighborhoods.
“This is a big deal for the community,” Lucas said. “As an African American, I feel validated by the university.”
“THIS IS A BIG DEAL FOR THE COMMUNITY.”
BY JAN WADDY
Florida State University Panama City launched its “Illumination, Shedding Light on Diversity” initiative in Spring 2022, highlighting diversity, equity and inclusion through a series of guest speakers.
The Illumination series provides opportunities to hear different viewpoints and learn from the unique experiences that belong to the minority. FSU PC is committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion through a comprehensive calendar of events, workshops and forums throughout the year that celebrate diverse cultures and encourage the community to engage in meaningful conversations and educational opportunities.
Rolling out the Illumination series, the 2022 Black History Month event Feb. 1 featured a presentation by Bernard Kinsey of the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection, who appeared via Zoom for his slideshow presentation with members of the community and Bay District School students in attendance. The cultural celebration also included song and dance from NuGulf Coast Choir and selected reading from Gulf Coast State College students in the St. Joe Community Foundation Lecture Hall.
For filmmaker Iman Zawahry, her appearance in the Illumination series at Florida State University Panama City was a “full-circle moment.”
“I was super pleasantly surprised this series was going on in Panama City because it’s so sorely needed for smaller communities to be able to connect with different groups,” said Zawahry, an FSU Film School alumna and Panama City native. “I think we are truly educated through the arts. Arts connect people and make them relatable. Even if you disagree with someone, it’s good to have a dialogue about it instead of staying in the same mind set.”
Zawahry’s award-winning film, “Americanish,” is the first romantic comedy made by diverse American Muslim women about Muslim women. Her March 30 screening of “Americanish” at FSU PC included friends and family, members of the local Muslim community and four of her former International Baccalaureate (IB) teachers at Rutherford High School — sitting on the front row.
“I brought my sister and a friend to the screening, and they were just as thrilled with the film as I was,” said Faith Holman, Zawahry’s ninth grade IB world history teacher. “The film fits across cultures. It tells a story and has a message; it makes you think.”
Since debuting at CAAMFest 2021, the film has received numerous awards, including being named the Grand Prize Winner at Heartland Film Festival and YES Film Festival; and the Audience Award Winner at CAAMFest, New York Asian Film Festival, Asian American International Film Festival and Philadelphia Asian American International Film Festival, plus Best Director at La Femme Festival; Best Actress Aizzah Fatima, Tasveer
Film Festival; Best Indie Comedy, Best Supporting Actor Godfrey and Lifetime Achievement Award Lillete Dubey at Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival; Honorable Mention Best Film at Chicago South Asian Film Festival; and Runner Up, Best Film and Audience Award at Anchorage Film Festival.
“I was nervous about coming to Panama City because I didn’t know how the community would react to the film, but I was taken aback by how much love and support the film and I received, plus a standing ovation,” Zawahry said. “As a filmmaker, I embrace my truth in an unwavering compulsion to share my authentic story as an American Muslim woman. ‘American. Brown. Muslim. Woman’ — that is the heart of my story. Many of the narratives we see today that are put forward are ones of the foreign Muslim voice and do not address the American Muslim perspective.” Holman, who retired in 2015, had asked Zawahry to share her first-person account as a ninth grader at Rutherford, where Holman taught in the IB program for almost 30 years.
“If we had students in class from another culture, I would always say, if you see something in the textbook
speak up if you want to,” said Holman, who encouraged students to share different perspectives regarding culture and religion.
When it came to the class’s Islam section, Zawahry didn’t recognize the description of her own religion in the textbook.
“We were able to cross out ‘men are superior to women in our textbooks,’” Zawahry said. “My history teacher, Ms. Holman, gave my Muslim friends and me time to speak about Islam in class. That was really the first time I felt seen. And it gave me courage to become the activist and storyteller I am today. I’ve devoted my life to portraying brown American Muslim women as real human beings: people with hope and yearning; people who struggle with being true to their religion and true to themselves.”
Zawahry added it was a big moment in the mid-‘90s to have the support of her teachers, saying she “never felt othered in their presence.” She and three or four of her female American Muslim friends were invited to returned to Holman’s world history class each year during high school to speak to ninth graders during the class’s Islam section.
“Those girls, as a group and independently, are just so special to me. They were all just so willing to share and wanted others to know we all have things in common,” Holman said. “They were able to talk about the role of women and the difference between culture and religion. Religion teaches one way and culture may teach another
thing. They did a presentation on growing up an American Muslim, and we usually wound up talking about the role of women and covering (hijab). At that time, they didn’t cover but explained it was a choice. Iman thought she ought to cover but didn’t because in Panama City — this was 20 to 30 years ago — a covering would have brought more attention to her. The point of covering was to not draw attention to yourself. She thought once she got to a larger city, with a more diverse community, she would. That always stood out to me.”
Zawahry left Panama City when she was 17 but says her challenges she faced growing up as a “brown person in the South” led her to storytelling and comedy.
“It made me who I am with activism and how I feel and deal with comedy and racism, but there’s also a greatness with Southern hospitality and small-town life,” Zawahry said. “When you make a movie that seems very specific, you don’t know how other communities will react to it. There have been Muslim women who have said that they felt like they had been seen for the first time.”
The film was set for the first international premiere at the London Indian Film Festival in June, with four screenings in the United Kingdom into July.
“What I’ve realized while touring with this film — now in more than 40 cities — is that there is no ‘right audience’ for this film,” Zawahry said. “It has had the ability to move communities and people of all backgrounds.”
“AMERICANISH HAS HAD THE ABILITY TO MOVE COMMUNITIES AND PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS.”
Florida State University provides students an engaging community with the flexibility to explore their full range of interests. Our professors focus on student success with opportunities such as undergraduate research.
Following this structure, FSU PC holds an annual Student Research Symposium as a showcase for students to present their work to the university community.
Learn more at pc.fsu.edu/student-research
BY JAN WADDY
Walk into the Holley Academic Center on any given day, and you’ll run into Intramural Sports Coordinator Zachary Murzyn, ’25, even if you can’t keep up with him.
The FSU PC business administration student formed the FSU PC running club in fall 2021, and then rallied fellow FSU PC students, plus students from his high school alma mater North Bay Haven, to run in the FSU PC 5K Torch Run in January. Murzyn placed third overall.
He led FSU PC’s intramural kickball through the spring at Oakland Terrace, where they remained “undefeated in team spirit,” before starting up a Lynn Haven kickball league in July. They also have continued their partnership with the City of Panama City.
With support from FSU PC, Murzyn spearhead an end of the spring semester hiking trip to Providence Canyon in May 2022.
“The trip to Providence Canyon was a huge success. Everyone had a blast,” Murzyn said. “One of the students message me after saying, ‘100% getting more involved in campus life because of how much I enjoyed this trip.’”
A group of 13 students from FSU PC and Gulf Coast State College went on the road trip, including stopping for some “good Southern cooking” at a restaurant in Eufala.
He added, “It gets people excited for the future.”
Murzyn also has served in C.O.R.E.’s beach clean-ups.
“I like staying busy,” admitted Murzyn, who also obtained his real estate license in March and started with Keller Williams in May. “I just like talking to people. I enjoy sales and helping people out. A lot of out of state people are coming in and there’s a lot of development. Florida is a great place to live.”
The Lynn Haven native is finding his own path at FSU PC, where his older brother Matthew Murzyn, ’23, is a civil engineering student.
“I like the fact that FSU PC is close to home, has smaller class sizes and you get to build more of a connection with staff and professors; get to know the deans,” said Murzyn, a Bright Futures scholar. “It also is free for me to attend; I get paid to go to school. That financial aspect made the decision easy.”
He was part of a Fort Walton Beach 5K in June, the same month he went with the intramural group whitewater rafting and planned the FSU PC 5K Torch Run for 6 p.m. Sept. 24, “just to be different because every other 5K starts in the morning, and it also gives area high schoolers time to run.”
And this fall, seasonal sports are back on with Bay United Soccer adult league, flag football, intramural baseball and volleyball.
In June, Florida State University Panama City announced its partnership with SkillStorm, a tech talent accelerator, to launch technology-based training courses for students, alumni and professionals looking to advance their careers in the tech industry.
This first-of-its-kind initiative aims to enable more members of the FSU PC community to access training in high-demand tech skills and will allow students to pursue industry certifications such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Practitioner Certification and AWS Solutions Architect Associate Certification.
The certifications provided through this partnership are designed for students and professionals at any stage of their educational career journey, allowing participants to further develop essential technology and business skills. Many of the certification courses offer students the flexibility to attend when convenient, while also providing access to one-on-one mentoring and training from industrycertified instructors and opportunities to collaborate with classmates.
For more information on the program, visit: fsu-catalog.skillstorm.com
“Addressing employers’ tech talent needs both now and into the future will require creative solutions that bridge the gap between education and the world of work. This partnership reflects FSU PC’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional higher education, and helping more students access the credentials that will help them stand out in a competitive labor market.”
— Joe Mitchell, SkillStorm’s Chief Operating Officer
This fall, FSU Panama City debuted a bachelor’s program in financial planning, which has received recognition as a registered program with the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board.
Housed under the College of Applied Studies, the new FSU financial planning degree curriculum includes the CFP curriculum for financial planning. Students also are trained in additional finance-related areas, such as financial advising, investments, portfolio management, estate planning, risk management, financial customer service/consulting, ethics and finance-related entrepreneurship.
The new bachelor’s degree in financial planning is available to students at FSU Panama City and FSU in Tallahassee and fulfills the program’s vision to prepare students to become future certified financial planners. The program is available online and on-campus, and it was built to provide ultimate flexibility to students who may be working in businesses or other industries while seeking their degree.
For more information on the program, visit: pc.fsu.edu/financial-planning
“We developed this new financial planning program specific to the needs of the industry and for students to be successful in their careers. The innovative curriculum includes courses that lead to eligibility to take the CFP exam and an array of others that teach applied skills necessary to be effective financial planners in practice.”
— Amy Polick, PhD, BCBA-D, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
Thirty students were accepted into FSU Panama City’s nationally accredited Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) program in May 2021, and on July 27, 2022, the inaugural class was recognized during a traditional white coat ceremony to celebrate their move from the classroom into residency.
The rigorous 36-month DNAP program prepares registered nurses to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA). Once the students move to clinical training sites at the end of July, FSU PC continues to offer support with annual site visits and weekly meetings via Zoom. Students also have opportunities to attend conferences.
“There is a span of about 23 different facilities all over Florida and in parts of Alabama, and they do regional rotations. We also will see the students again when they graduate,” said DNAP program director Stacey VanDyke. “There are nine CRNA schools in the state of Florida, and students ultimately choose here. We teach ultrasound guided regional anesthesia and the students can put it into practice on the clinical sites with peripheral anesthesia rotations.”
Kenyatta Taylor, ’24, left her position in care management administration to return to the ICU as a critical-care nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic to refresh her experience in preparation for applying to the DNAP program.
“I had been a critical care nurse for about 14 years. I went to do some other nursing specialties before returning to the bedside to refresh my experience and learn more current practices,” said Taylor, who worked in California, New York, Iowa and Birmingham during the early days of the pandemic. “Nurse anesthesia has been my dream for years. I don’t want to live life with any regrets.”
Program prerequisites include a baccalaureate or master’s degree in nursing, Registered Nurse (RN) current
experience and at least one year in a critical care setting. Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certification also is encouraged.
“The pandemic highlighted the ability of the CRNA and opened many doors,” VanDyke said. “It allowed us to practice the full scope of our abilities.”
Taylor had earned her master’s in nursing administration in 2007 from Samford University in Birmingham and obtained her RN license in 2000. After being accepted into FSU PC’s DNAP program, Taylor relocated from Birmingham to Panama City with her two youngest daughters, ages 15 and 10, to Panama City. Her husband stayed in Alabama to work, since DNAP students are not permitted to have another job while in the program.
The first semester of the DNAP program, which runs May through July, features research-based online courses.
“We began learning basic principles of anesthesia, biochemistry and physics, anatomy and physiology, and pharmacology,” Taylor said. “The art of anesthesia is not really something you can be prepared for. As a nurse, you carry out physician’s orders. But in this role; it is up to you to figure it out. It’s a learning curve. Now you’re the sole provider; you made the decision. It’s on you to figure it out. You must know the ‘why’ of what you’re doing.”
Taylor said nurse anesthesia professor Scott Stewart, DNAP, CRNA, has helped her understand that “why.”
During the second semester of the DNAP program, which the inaugural class began in August 2021, students are paired up with a senior-level student in the simulation lab.
“The first year is the didactic portion,” Taylor said. “In August (2021) we started the didactic portion in the Bayside building. We have simulation labs once a week in the technology building.”
During a simulator check, students are given a scenario and must decide which one is happening and how to proceed for the procedure’s 30 steps. They also must do cardiac risk assessments for their patients.
“If you have a patient that has a platelet count of less than 100,000 (norm is greater than 100,000) and they are wanting to have regional anesthesia, but the coagulation indicates to getting regional anesthesia. You must articulate why you use general anesthesia versus regional anesthesia,” Taylor explained. “We have a research project that will center around improvements on our clinical site.”
Taylor’s clinical training began in August 2022 in Huntsville, closer to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama.
“In peripheral regional anesthesia, you are blocking a section; if you don’t clot well, we use general. The goal is to try to use regional unless large body cavity,” Taylor said. “Regional anesthesia is preferred because it’s easier on the patient with less recovery time and a decrease in patient’s operative pain.”
While Taylor admits she’s always been fascinated with the anesthesia process, she said, “I wanted the challenge of having some autonomy in my practice.”
Taylor chose FSU PC because of the DNAP’s program reputation, location and good success rates.
“I like the quietness and compactness of the campus; it’s not overwhelming,” Taylor said, adding FSU PC has “a homey feel. I like sitting by the water and reading. I also love Dr. VanDyke; she is very approachable. She understands you need school-life balance.”
Having five children, three at home, ranging from ages 5 to 27 has given VanDyke a unique perspective.
“I’ve had a mom give birth during the program, students become fathers, one had twins. I understand life and work with it,” VanDyke said. “You can do up to 64 hours a week of clinical time and didactive. Demands are up to 64 hours per week to get the amount of experience.”
VanDyke, a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran, has served in professional organizations at the state and national levels, including the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthesiologists and the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiologists.
“I was deployed in 2001 during 9/11. When I was there and bringing people in was the first time, I noticed the CRNA role in wartime situation. I became a CRNA in 2006, deployed in 2009 and saw the work on the battlefield,” said VanDyke, who joined the U.S. Air Force in 1996.
VanDyke earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Alabama in 2013. She has served as director of the Nurse Anesthesia Clinical Residency Training Program at Eglin Hospital and has led FSU PC’s nurse anesthesia program since 2016.
HANDS ON : Students in the DNAP program are tested on their skills with realistic simulations of medical emergencies.
Teaching faculty in the DNAP program also include Gerard Hogan, DNSc, CRNA, and Jason Smith, DNP, CRNA. Hogan, who was hired in 2020, is a former president of the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists and focused on curriculum development for the current doctoral program.
“We now have five faculty and will have a total of six by 2024,” said VanDyke, who added the DNAP program recently was authorized to accept 32 students. “Everyone in the office is a veteran. It wasn’t planned, but it means so much to me. We’re uber sensitive to things specific to the military population and understand PTSD and being away from your family for a long time. It gives us a vantage point and helps build trust. We know what we’re capable of and what we stand for, baseline standards and morals.”
Ndeye Dieng, ’24, a native of Senegal, Africa, enrolled in the U.S. Army National Guard Reserve while earning her nursing degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dieng knew she would fit into FSU PC’s Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program because of the faculty’s military backgrounds and support of students.
“I like the critical thinking that goes into making decisions with anesthesia, being able to have a deeper understand of why you are providing something to a patient,” Dieng said. “With anesthesia, you are a provider and know what you are supposed to do. There’s also the nursing piece that comes in of learning how to interact and care for your patients and spend time with them, have empathy for them.”
Her clinical training began in August 2022 in Orlando, so she could be closer to her military drills. While her husband kept his job in Nort Carolina, her twin boys, age 9, have been on the journey with her.
“I really want to go into military anesthesia,” Dieng said. “Students here at FSU PC had said the program was hard but felt like they had support and were in good hands. I knew I would fit in here.”
While Taylor and Dieng are in the first group of students to start in the DNAP program, the NAP previously was offered. All programs must transition to a doctoral by 2025. The program has gone from seven to nine semesters, from 28 months to 36 months.
“The last master’s class graduates in December 2022,” said VanDyke, who added this was a mandate. “You must graduate with your doctoral preparation to do your job in 2025. Anyone graduating in January 2025 must start with their doctorate.”
The next cohort of DNAP students began in May 2022, with space for another class of 30.
As for the differences with the master’s and doctoral program, VanDyke said, “Clinical requirements are the same, but the didactic education is more well-rounded to include a focus on leadership information and health care system and culminates with scheduling project that focuses on best practices. Critical action lab goes over they do things we never want to happen in the operating room. We make things happen in the simulation lab to help prepare them.”
VanDyke said, “We have a 100% employment rate. Once they pass the board, they are registered CRNAs, graduate and pass test and start work. Job opportunities are so endless for this group. They each get four to five offers minimum. In Florida, there is an aging elderly population. People are retiring here and living longer, so there is a need for providing more medical services longer. More surgical services are being offered across the country with an increase in lifespan. We need CRNAs to fill seats; people are living longer. They can be licensed independent practitioners, but we don’t recommend anyone goes solo the first year, but they are able to do it.”
For more about the program, visit pc.fsu.edu/nap.
“WE HAVE A 100% EMPLOYMENT RATE. JOB OPPORTUNITIES ARE SO ENDLESS FOR THIS GROUP.”
BY JAN WADDY
Florida State University Panama City has created a scholarship in honor of ABC News President and Panama City native Kim Godwin, who gave FSU Panama City’s 2022 Commencement address.
“When we asked Kim Godwin to come, she didn’t hesitate,” said FSU Panama City Dean Randy Hanna. “When you look at her background, she’s always looking to serve others.”
The Kim Godwin Scholarship will be awarded annually to a student who aspires to study journalism or a related field, such as Communication, at FSU Panama City and displays high character, academic achievement and service to the community.
“The scholarship will be awarded to students on campus in Communication or high school students with the intent on being in government or communications,” Hanna said. “The scholarship is for students who have high aspirations to be in certain fields and would be a great Florida State representative.”
Godwin’s roots are in Panama City, where she attended Oscar Patterson Elementary and her mother, Helen Johnson, now resides.
“When I come to Panama City, it’s like coming home. There’s a sense of community here and service and importance of education,” Godwin said.
Godwin earned her bachelor’s in broadcast journalism from Florida A&M University. In November 2020, she was recognized by the National Association of Black Journalists and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University with the Ida B. Wells Award. The award was given in recognition for her work in advocating for coverage of communities of color, building a diverse newsroom, and championing the careers of young journalists.
On May 1, 2022, Bay High School student Jazmira Guzman, 17, became the first recipient of the Kim Godwin Scholarship at FSU Panama City. She will graduate high school in May 2023.
“It means so much to me to give another young person an opportunity, because I was you, so full of life,” Godwin said. “Educators, you really do make such a difference. All of us remember some teacher that poured into us as high school students and college students. I remember my professor saying to me, ‘Kim, you can,’ ‘Kim, you will,’ and ‘Kim, sit up in your chair and move to the front of the class.’ Jazmira, I know your family is so proud. I’ve worked hard but I’ve had an extraordinary career, and I want kids to know you can do it, too.”
Dual-enrolled at Gulf Coast State College and Bay High School, Jazmira completed her junior year with a 4.4 GPA and was ranked seventh in her class of 245. Jazmira also is a member of the Student Government Association at Bay High, where she serves as a public relations manager. She further developed her leadership skills as
a member of Junior Leadership Bay Class of ’22, where Jazmira said she learned cooperation, time management, organizational and communication skills.
“It is such an honor to be the first recipient of the scholarship, as a female and minority interested in the spoken word,” said Jazmira, who is fluent in Spanish and English.
Jazmira attended the 2022 Commencement at Tommy Oliver Stadium with her parents, Rosa Garcia and Ricardo Guzman, and her brother Jerry Guzman. While Jazmira is enjoying every step of her educational journey, she is looking forward to pursuing higher education.
“In college, everybody loves to learn; it is a common personality trait,” she said. “It’s a great blessing from God to do these things and have these opportunities. I was sitting at the graduation ceremony, seeing so many different majors come together for the ceremony, all graduating with different degrees, and it was like one big family.”
Family is important to Jazmira, who has seven siblings that she leans on for support. She credits her family and educators throughout the years with encouraging her ambitions.
“My parents were always pushing me do everything to the full extent, as well as teachers throughout the years,” said Jazmira, whose family moved from Miami to Panama City in July 2013. “This is where I grew up and I have had so many opportunities that I don’t think I would have had in Miami. I always say Panama City has the family feel; it’s a small town where everybody knows everybody. Being here for so long and being involved in so many things, we feel like we have family here now.”
Jazmira volunteers at Chautauqua Learn & Serve Charter School, where Bay District Schools Teacher of a Lifetime Cynthia McCauley has led her on “trips with a purpose, speaking a mission of peace around the world and promoting diversity in schools,” traveling to Ireland; Tanzania, Africa; New Zealand; Dubai; and Argentina.
“Being bilingual has allowed me to connect with different groups of people,” said Jazmira, whose mother was born in Puerto Rico.
Jazmira, who also has a love of writing, has ambitions “to be a sports analyst or legal counsel on a sports team,” with a minor in public relations or political science. She has spent her high school summers working as a photographer, focusing on sports photography.
“I have been around sports my entire life. Being from Puerto Rico, my parents have taken me to a lot of baseball games. And I’ve grown up with my brother playing baseball while my dad was the coach,” said Jazmira, who admitted, “I don’t have the hand and eye coordination, but I can talk about sports.”
Jazmira and her mother were excited to get involved in this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15-Oct. 15, at FSU Panama City.
On Sept. 27, FSU Panama City announced the 2022 Notable ‘Noles as part of a more than 20-year campus homecoming tradition. The 2022 Notable ‘Noles include Gulf Coast State College business and technology chair and professor Melanie Boyd, CareerSource Golf Coast deputy director of operations and programs Maria Goodwin, Bay District Schools director of communications Sharon Michalik, Real Estate agent and multibusiness co-owner Zack Sanchez, and Circuit Judge Elijah Smiley.
The award is given to FSU Panama City alumni who demonstrated excellence as students and have made outstanding contributions to the community and within their careers. Since the award’s inception in 1996, FSU Panama City has recognized 80 Notable ’Noles, accounting for less than 1 percent of the campus’ alumni.
Melanie Boyd has dedicated her career to public service. She has served in the military, facilitated elections, and provided vital community services through public works. Currently, she is a professor of business and entrepreneurship and chair of the Business and Technology Division at Gulf Coast State College where she prepares students to be tomorrow’s leaders and maintains a commitment to excellence within her division.
Boyd earned her bachelor’s degree in management and her master’s degree in business administration. Both degrees have served her well.
Under her leadership, the Business and Technology Division team has pioneered the first unmanned vehicle program in the state, acquired cutting edge emergency communication technology and equipment and continuously ensure that their programs stay relevant and meet or exceed industry standards.
Despite experiencing personal adversity, Boyd persevered and achieved great professional and personal success. Her pride and legacy are reflected in her children. Joseph Williams, a graduate from the Naval Nuclear Power Training Program, was commissioned as a Naval officer right out of college. Her daughter, Karen Williams, followed in her mother’s footsteps and dedicated her career to public service.
When considering the qualities of a Notable Nole,’ Boyd’s daughter noted an individual who faces challenges with grace, optimism and strength. She also stated that the designation reflects a person who gives selflessly to others and continues to grow through education and training. Qualities she observes in her mother.
“She [Boyd] not only demonstrates each of these characteristics daily, but she inspires and encourages these traits in those around her; and that is what makes her extraordinary,” said Williams.
For Boyd, being recognized as a Notable Nole’ is an honor but also a challenge.
“Looking back over the years at the caliber of people who have earned this recognition, I am incredibly proud to belong to such an elite group,” said Boyd. “My challenge is to continue serving this community and living up to those high standards.”
Maria Goodwin is recognized for her professionalism, her positive attitude, and her understanding that partnerships are vital to achieving great results. Her work ethic earned her the Dean’s list and high honors when she graduated from FSU Panama City with a bachelor’s degree in communication, cum laude in 2002.
Goodwin has dedicated her professional career to serving her community. She has worked with the Bay County Chamber of Commerce and the Bay County Economic Development Alliance. In 2008 she joined CareerSource Gulf Coast as their first director of communications.
“Her degree has served her well,” said Kim Bodine, executive director of CareerSource Gulf Coast. “She [Goodwin] put our organization on the map by developing our brand and increasing our presence in our 3-county service area.”
Goodwin was promoted to the Director of Workforce Services in 2012 and then to her current position as Director of Operations in 2017.
In all her roles she has advocated for jobs and workforce development within Bay County and the region. She successfully branded the CareerSource Gulf Coast and expanded their service area to include Bay, Gulf and Franklin counties and developed a professional team dedicated to providing specialized services to both career seekers and employers. She facilitated training opportunities for economically challenged students and implemented programs focused on the needs of veterans and military families.
“She [Goodwin] is a huge advocate for growing and bringing excellent jobs to our community and a great ‘first face’ for Bay County,” said Kim Bodine, executive director of CareerSource Gulf Coast. “Her knowledge, personality, and determination to succeed create a lasting first impression.”
Goodwin has successfully managed her career and community service while raising twin boys with her husband Michael.
Sharon Michalik is a passionate advocate for those in need and has always spearheaded Bay District School’s community outreach efforts. This was never truer than after Hurricane Michael devastated the county in 2018.
Sharon joined the school district’s administrative offices in 2012 as the Executive Director of Human Resources. After Hurricane Michael, she stepped up to assume leadership of shelter operations at the Emergency Operations Center. Here she worked to find temporary housing for hundreds of homeless employees. In addition, she worked with state and federal agencies to secure resources to help employees rebuild and replace essential personal items and held a clothing drive for work clothes. At the same time, she managed an international outreach for supplies, secured more than $150,000 in private funding to help teachers and managed to secure funding and donations to provide clothing for more than 10,000 students.
Since then, Sharon has developed a shelter operation manuals and employee training. During the pandemic she was instrumental in developing a food delivering plan had buses on the road every day delivering meals to students and families in need.
In her current position as Director of Communications, Michalik works to ensure the community has ease of access to essential information. She had a large role in developing social media outreach campaigns and creating a two-way channel of communication with district stakeholders.
Through her volunteer work with various agencies in our community, Sharon ensures she is giving back to her community in every way possible. She is definitely a deserving Notable ‘Nole.
A two-time graduate from FSU Panama City including a bachelor’s degree in communication in 1998 and a master’s degree in educational leadership in 2006, Michalik credits her success to her non-traditional education.
“My path to graduation was non-traditional, and I would never have been able to realize my dreams without the Panama City Campus of Florida State University,” said Michalik. “Balancing classes and fulltime employment as a single mother of two was very challenging, but I got so much support from the FSU PC faculty and staff ... they never let me doubt myself or my abilities.”
A native to Panama City, Zacarias “Zack”
Sanchez showed an inclination towards business and entrepreneurship at a young age. His parents served as his role models both professionally and personally.
Ruben and Iris Sanchez owned and operated a restaurant which became a local favorite and the place where Sanchez would learn his business skills. Working in the family restaurant, he established a strong work ethic and earned enough money to buy his first piece of real estate at the age of fifteen.
When Sanchez graduated, with honors, from FSU Panama City in Business Administration at the age of 19 his journey began. From here he started working in banking and then in insurance. He learned management, how to successfully collaborate and lead a team and how to build effective and meaningful relationships with clients. It didn't take long for him to realize that real estate was really his true calling, and this realization was the beginning of Think Real Estate. Currently Sanchez is a co-owner of Think Real Estate, C&G Sporting Goods and Structure Painting.
“Zach is truly committed to making Bay County a great place to live, work and play,” said wife Olivia Crosby-Sanchez.
Sanchez sits on the board of directors for the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of NWFL and serves as chair of Be the Light Family Foundation.
For Sanchez, it is important to have an unmatched work ethic and to act on your goals.
“Always do what you say you are going to do in life,” said Sanchez. “Give back to your community. Soak in every moment of life.”
Sanchez is also devoted husband and father to his wife Olivia and two girls, Vivian and Violet.
Judge Elijah Smiley graduated with honors from Port St. Joe High School. After completing a summer program at Florida State University, he went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in government, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of West Florida and a juris doctorate from Florida State University College of Law. Even with this long list of accomplished learning, Judge Smiley graduated Cum Laude from FSU Panama City with an accounting degree in 1981 and became a certified public accountant.
Judge Smiley’s love for learning combined with a desire to use his education to best serve his community played a significant role in his decision to continue furthering his education.
Throughout Judge Smiley’s long career in justice, he has served as a felony and criminal judge in the 14th Judicial Circuit, which covers Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties. As a result, his monthly caseload ranges between 200 to 300 cases.
Throughout his career as an attorney, public defender, professor and judge, Smiley has dedicated time to serve the needs of his community. He has created programs to honor women and educators and established youth events to provide a safe environment for kids. Together, he and his wife Kathy began a Christmas tradition of preparing and distributing customized gift bags for those in need.
For his leadership and initiative, Smiley has earned several special community-based honors and awards, including the Bay County Educators Outstanding Leadership Award, the Advisory Committee for Urban Revitalization Equity’s Distinguished Government Service Award, the Omega Psi Phi fraternity Citizen of the Year Award and Legal Services of North Florida Crump-Park Thurgood Marshal Award.
“Of all his achievements, it is his ability to effectively be a supportive husband, father, and member of his extended family, that is the most remarkable,” said wife Kathy. “He is indeed the embodiment of a Notable Nole.”
Judge Smiley advises us to “dream big.”
“I am thankful for the educational opportunities provided by FSU that made it possible for me to dream beyond my imagination and achieve my goals,” said Judge Smiley. “There are no limitations on your imagination. Dream Big!!!”
PAPA JOE’S BAYSIDE
OCTOBER 28, 2022
KINSEY COLLECTION
PANAMA CITY TOYOTA
ST. JOE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
WALBORSKY, BRADLEY, & FLEMING PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS
CHARLES A. WHITEHEAD FOUNDATION
VISIT PANAMA CITY BEACH
FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT
GOLD TABLE SPONSORS
CADENCE BANK
DR. & MRS. JAMES T. COOL
COMMUNITY BANK
BILL CRAMER CHEVROLET BUICK GMC
SKINNER TAX CONSULTING
ST. JOE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
TYNDALL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
ZZIMMER DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
GARNET TABLE SPONSORS
DR. RIYAD & RASHDA ALBIBI
BARRON & REDDING P.A.
CASA LOMA
COMMANDER REALTY, INC.
DAYS INN BY WYNDHAM
ECAP AT FSU PANAMA CITY
FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT
GULF COAST STATE COLLEGE
HANCOCK WHITNEY
HUTT INSURANCE AGENCY
INNOVATIONS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
RESORT COLLECTION
SUZANNE VICKERS CONSTRUCTION INC.
SELECT SPECIALTY HOSPITAL
THE WALTERS FAMILY
WALSINGHAM INVESTMENTS, LLC
CWR CONTRACTING INC.
BAYSOLUTIONS
DAFFIN INSURANCE SERVICES
NEVES MEDIA PUBLISHING
PANHANDLE ENGINEERING, INC.
OLIVIA SANCHEZ, THINK REAL ESTATE
ST. JOE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
ROYAL AMERICAN HOSPITALITY
pc.fsu.edu
