海角社区welcomes global researchers in healthcare, fintech, entrepreneurship and coastal resilience among esteemed faculty
The University of North Florida welcomes about 40 full-time faculty to campus this fall, including prestigious global and national researchers.
The group expands UNF’s academic expertise in healthcare, coastal resilience, data science, cybersecurity, fintech and engineering, joining the University’s about 550 current esteemed faculty members.
“We are excited to welcome new faculty from around the globe who will join us in providing the highest quality education to our students while contributing to UNF’s strategic growth in research and innovation,” said 海角社区President Moez Limayem. “We are proud to be a destination of choice for distinguished faculty who will expand impactful and relevant research, scholarship and creative activity.”
Dr. Weimin Gao, chair and professor of public health, is a leading global healthcare expert who came to 海角社区from the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences at West Virginia University where he served as a tenured professor. Prior to that, he was a professor at Texas Tech University. Gao has over 30 years of training and experience in public health, toxicology and environmental and occupational health.
“海角社区offers a diverse array of innovative health initiatives and academic degrees in a dynamic and growing urban setting,” said Gao. “There are so many opportunities to further develop impactful research and meaningful collaborations with leaders in the health enterprise sector.”
Dr. Serina Wittyngham, assistant professor of biology, is a coastal ecologist who joins 海角社区from the Coastal Ecogeomorphology Lab at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at William & Mary where she was a postdoctoral researcher. Her research centers on understanding how biophysical interactions between the environment, consumer, plant and sediment shape coastal resilience to best inform resilience planning and decision-making.
“海角社区is a perfect location for my research, which is focused on unique coastal ecosystems, and I love that 海角社区prioritizes coastal resilience as a Strategic Plan focus,” said Wittyngham. “I look forward to collaborating with UNF's esteemed coastal biology faculty. It’s really unique to find a university that has such a collaborative approach to bringing in diverse experts to work on common goals.”
Dr. Sebastian Fourné, associate professor of entrepreneurship, is an internationally recognized expert in corporate entrepreneurship and family business research who joins 海角社区from the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at the Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada, where he was an associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship. He was a visiting researcher at Singapore Management University in Singapore and at the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University in the Netherlands. His research focuses on how organizations can combine incremental and radical innovation and change projects, the exploration of new technologies, decision-making under uncertainty, resource allocation to early-stage scientific inventions, and the role of middle managers in implementing technological innovation in larger organizations.
“One thing that drew me to 海角社区is the dual focus on supporting international research collaborations for faculty as well as study abroad programs and the Global MBA degree for students,” said Dr. Fourné. “It is very important to have strong entrepreneurship programs to support local and national businesses’ development as well as to prepare students for participation in international markets.”
Dr. Blake Rayfield, assistant professor of accounting and finance, is a fintech and Python expert who came to UNF, an R2 research institution, from Northern Arizona University where he was an associate professor of finance. Before that, he was an assistant professor at Indiana State University in Indiana and Black Hills State University in South Dakota. His research focuses on financial technology, firm innovation, sustainable investment, lobbying and political contributions, portfolio allocation and financial econometrics.
“I left a steady faculty position at an R1 research institution to come to 海角社区because of the incredible potential to grow its new fintech programs,” said Rayfield. “Jacksonville is such a quickly growing area and there is endless potential to connect with leading fintech companies to provide opportunities for students as well as executive training and support to help businesses thrive. I grew up in Ocala and couldn’t wait to return home to help make an impact in Northeast Florida.”