Page 19 - PGA Community News - September '24
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September 2024                                                          September 2024                                                 PGA C.A.N.!, Page 19


           W




                       HAT’S





                   NEW?
                                            John D. MacArthur Campus at Jupiter
             2024  SEPTEMBER                          Florida Atlantic University                                             Sponsored report









                                                                                    Foreign Service Fellowship
                                                                                    In June, Wilkes Honors College student Alberto
                                                                                    Hernandez was selected to participate in the
                                                                                    prestigious Meridian-Cox Foreign Service Fellowship
                                                                                    for Emerging Leaders. The fellowship is a fully paid
                                                                                    enrichment and training program seeking to expand
                                                                                    awareness and access to Foreign Service careers
                                                                                    among students from under-represented communities
                                                                                    across the United States. Hernandez was among 20
                                                                                    fellows selected out of over 450 exemplary applicants
                                                                                    to represent Florida Atlantic in Washington, D.C. The
                                                                                    week-long program included a full-day visit to the U.S.
                                                                                    Department of State, an interactive two-day diplomatic
                                                                                    skills training course, a diplomacy simulation and panel
                                                                                    discussions with representatives from the broader U.S.
                                                                                    Foreign Service apparatus. >


                 WELCOME STUDENTS

                 In 1999, Florida Atlantic’s brand-new Honors College opened        New Research in Dopamine-
                 its doors to the first class of 77 incoming freshmen. Twenty-      linked Disorders
                 five years later, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College’s newest    Dopamine, a powerful brain chemical and
                 class of freshmen and transfer students brought the enrollment     neurotransmitter, is a key regulator of many important
                                                                                    functions such as attention, experiencing pleasure
                 to over 670 students. Today, the Wilkes Honors College is          and coordinating movement. Many brain disorders
                 recognized as one of the top honors programs in the country,       are associated with alterations in dopamine signaling,
                 thanks in large part to the incredible opportunities available     including substance abuse disorder, autism and
                                                                                    bipolar disorder. Identifying the underlying causes
                 in the world-class biomedical research hub co-located on the       of dopamine-signaling disruption can have major
                 John D. MacArthur Campus. Despite the growth in enrollment,        implications on understanding these disorders. With
                 the college has maintained one of its most important assets:       the help of a tiny worm and a powerful platform
                                                                                    generated via the Million Mutation Project, researchers
                 a close-knit, supportive environment where students are
                                                                                    from Florida Atlantic’s Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute
                 encouraged to stretch beyond their comfort zones and try new       have helped identify new factors in how dopamine
                 things, knowing they have a strong support system to help          works in the brain.
                 them navigate their individualized journeys. As Dean Justin
                 Perry, Ph.D. explained during orientation, “There is something
                                                                                                          SCAN TO READ MORE.
                 here for everybody.”



                 HONORS COLLEGE CELEBRATES 25 YEARS                                 Academy for Community
                                                                                    Inclusion
                 The Wilkes Honors College is celebrating
                                                                                    Florida Atlantic’s Academy for Community Inclusion
                 25 years of academic excellence on the                             welcomed 11 new students for the Fall 2024 semester.
                 John D. MacArthur Campus. A special                                The mission of ACI is to increase overall independence
                 Anniversary Celebration event is set for                           in employment, self-determination and community
                                                                                    experiences for individuals with intellectual or
                 Nov. 14 at the Pelican Club in Jupiter,                            developmental disabilities. The program, which is
                 featuring celebrity real estate broker                             held in-person between the Jupiter and Boca Raton

                 Ryan Serhant as the evening’s keynote speaker. Tickets go          campuses, allows students to earn certificates in
                                                                                    supported employment, supported community access
                 on sale in September. Sponsorship opportunities are also           and supported community living. These certificates are
                 available.                                                         built on courses that lead to employment, independent
                                                                                    living and mastery of self-advocacy skills.




                                                                                                         SCAN TO LEARN MORE.
                                  SCAN TO LEARN MORE.


                     NEXT GENERATION TRAINING IN SCIENCE ON FLORIDA ATLANTIC’S JUPITER CAMPUS

                      Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College • Charles E. Schmidt College of Science at Jupiter • FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute • I-HEALTH • FAST Labs
                           • FAU High School in Partnership with Max Planck Academy • FAU-Max Planck Joint Programs • College of Education Teacher Training
                                  STAY CONNECTED: FAU.EDU/JUPITER                                        @FAUJUPITER

                                                      5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL 33458   |   phone: 561.799.8500
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