Environmental Health and Safety

Meet the Staff

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Elizabeth Guimaraes

Mrs. Guimaraes, MBA, ARM, LHRM is the Director of Risk Management, Nova Southeastern University, reporting to the Vice President for Finance & CFO. She oversees all areas of the university's insurance programs, including monitoring compliance with risk management/insurance policies and procedures, Red Flags Identity Theft Prevention Program, and Workers' Compensation benefits. A valuable member of the management team since April 2006, under her leadership new innovations are realized in managing risk, for example training and development programs, which includes an ergonomic self-monitoring tool, geared at educating and inspiring all employees about their role in preventing and safeguarding against repetitive motion injuries/accidents. Other responsibilities include attending the FICURMA board meetings in her capacity, Affirmative Action Representative, Chair Nova Safety Committee, and Past President of the Florida Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) Broward County Chapter.
Mrs. Guimaraes is the past chair of the 40th Annual RIMS Educational Conference (2015), in Naples, Florida. An avid runner she has participated in a number of marathons including Disney and Marine Corps.
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Dr. Charmaine Beckford

As the Workers' Compensation Manager Finance, Dr. Beckford is responsible for working with faculty, staff, and student employees to help them keep pace with workers' compensation laws within their state, safety on campus, and the university's return to work program. She has designed and implemented the university's ergonomic self-monitoring tool based on OSHA's recommendations for a safe working environment, and neutral body positioning,Employee and Employer manuals to direct safety reporting and behavior, and the Campus Impact initiative to create opportunities to engage and reward faculty, staff, and student employees for their role in making the campus safe. The Campus Impact program introduces to the NSU communities key departments (Honorees) that are instrumental in keeping faculty, staff, and student employees safe within the NSU communities. In addition, the program recognizes individual faculty, staff, and student employees who identify and report potential safety hazards to the Office of Risk Management.

Specializing in ergonomics, Dr. Beckford's applied research, "Applying the Transtheoretical Model of Change to Ergonomic Intervention,” presented at The Qualitative Report's 7th Annual Conference (TQR2016) focused on determining behavior readiness as an influencer on safety, particularly to identify a more effective method of preventing workplace injuries. Dr. Beckford holds a series 6-20-All-Lines Adjuster license and a CEAS II: Expanded Ergonomics Assessment Skills Certification. She is a Life-time honorary member of the advisory board Junior World Learning & Education Centre, was named Woman of the Year 2011/2012 by the National Association of Professional Women, and enjoys membership with Nova's Safety Committee and other organizations.
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Jessie L. Gilley

Mr. Gilley joined Nova Southeastern University’s Risk Management Office in May 2011, as the Risk Management Program Manager Finance working out of the Health Professions Division reporting to the Director of Risk Management. He graduated from the University of Florida where he received his Bachelors of Science in Public Relations.

He is a State of Florida Licensed Healthcare Risk Manager (LHRM) and holds a State of Florida All Lines Adjuster 6-20 license. Jessie brings a wealth of experience to the team boasting 17 years of claims handling experience. The last seven years were spent in an academic healthcare environment at Jackson Health System working in conjunction with the University of Miami as a Risk Manager focusing on quality and patient safety while investigating and resolving clinical incidents. Over the years Jessie has specialized in medical malpractice, general liability and products liability claim litigation. The Team is pleased to have Jessie on board.
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Ray Beverly

Mr. Beverly joined Nova Southeastern University's Risk management Office in February 2023, as the Risk Management Program Manager reporting to the Director of Risk Management. He will be working with the liability and property insurance programs. 

Mr. Beverly is a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in the insurance industry. He has held various positions in the field of claims management and has worked with some of the leading names in the industry. Mr. Beverly spent most of his career as an Assistant Vice President at Gallagher Bassett Services, a division of Arthur J Gallagher Company, where he oversaw a team of claim professionals and handled a variety of property and casualty losses on a national basis. 

After his stint at Gallagher Bassett, he went on to work as the Claims Manager at Broward County. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing the management of all liability property claims within the county. With his extensive experience and expertise in claims management, Mr. Beverly has gained a reputation as a trusted and reliable professional in the insurance industry.

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Gladys Uzcategui Giannattasio

Assistant Professor

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Marilyn Uzdavines

Professor - Law

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Aslihan Uzel

Associate Professor-Orthodontics

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Kimberly Valenti, M.S.

Director - Master's Medical Education/Director - Interprofessional Education/Instructor - Medical Education

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Jessica Valenzuela

Professor - Psychology

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Vincent Van Hasselt

Professor/Director - Psychology

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Kasi Lou Van Heel, Dr.P.H., M.P.H.

Assistant Professor - Public Health

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Brian Van Hoozen

Associate Professor - Chemistry

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Pradeep Vanguri, Ph.D.

Professor - Health & Human Performance

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Star Vanguri, Ph.D.

Professor - Writing & Communication

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Saynur Vardar

Chair - Periodontology/Professor

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Josefina Vazquez Garcia

Assistant Professor

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Juan Velasco

Assistant Professor/Team Lead

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Katherine Velasco

Assistant Professor/Team Lead

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Kallidaikurichi Venkatachalam, Ph.D.

Professor - Biochemistry

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Steven Vertz, M.S., CCC-SLP

Associate Director and Instructor Speech-Language Pathology

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Nisha Vijayakumar, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor - Public Health

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Natacha Villedrouin, Ed.D.

Director - Student Services/Instructor - Medical Education

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Mani Vindhya

Medical Director - Anesthesia/Instructor - Anesthesia

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Debra Vollweiler

Professor - Law

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Michael Voltaire

Associate Professor

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Johnathon Vsetecka

Assistant Professor - History & Political Science

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Robert Wagner

Executive Associate Dean, School of Health Sciences

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Angela Waguespack

Professor - Psychology

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Sarah Wakefield, Au.D.

Associate Professor - Audiology

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Jill Wallace-Ross, D.O.

Associate Professor - Osteopathic Principles

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Yueting Wan

Instructor - Physics

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Ling Wang, Ph.D.

Professor - Computing

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Holly Waters, D.O.

Assistant Professor - Osteopathic Principles/Vice Chair - Osteopathic Principles

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Caroline Watts

Assistant Professor - Nursing

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Arthur Weinstein, Ph.D.

Professor

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Nathan Weirich

Assistant Professor - Anesthesia

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Sara Weisfeld-Spolter, Ph.D.

Professor

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Jeremy Weissman

Assistant Professor - History & Political Science

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Maria Wey Mendieta

Assistant Professor

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Monique Wheatley

Assistant Professor - Physician Assistant

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Kim White, Ph.D., M.S.N., P.H.C.N.S.-B.C., R.N.

Associate Professor � Nursing

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Nathan Widboom

Associate Professor - Osteopathic Principles

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James Wilets

Professor/Associate Dean - International Programs

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Kevin Willeford, O.D., M.S., PhD

Assistant Professor

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Annette Willgens, PT, MA, EdD

Professor - Physical Therapy

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Adam Williams, Ph.D.

Professor

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Albert Williams, Ph.D.

Chair/Professor - Finance

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Lucas Williams

Assistant Professor - Education

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Rachel Williams, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow

Program Director- Speech-Language Pathology and Professor - Speech-Language Pathology

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Shane Williams

Assistant Professor - Family Medicine

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Donna Williams-Newman, Ph.D., D.N.P., M.S.N., R.N.

Coordinator - Clinical Services/Associate Professor - Nursing

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Ashley Wilson, PT, DPT

Assistant Professor - Physical Therapy

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Sonia Wisdom, Ph.D., M.S.N., R.N.

Program Director - BSN/Assistant Professor - Nursing

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William Withem

Assistant Professor

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