March 30, 2026 – South Florida State College (SFSC) announced today that it has earned the 2026-2027 Military Friendly® School designation recognized as a Silver School.
March 26, 2026 – The South Florida State College (SFSC) Foundation is pleased to announce The Building Tomorrow’s Schools Future Achievement Scholarship for two deserving students of DeSoto County High School. This is a recurring scholarship opportunity created through a partnership with Building Tomorrow’s Schools, Inc. (BTS).
Cheryl John (center), with Parker Hall, SFSC Foundation Board president, and Emily Dabolt, SFSC Institutional Advancement executive director
AVON PARK, Fla. – March 24, 2026 – Colleges and universities honor and encourage faculty who go beyond the requirements of the classroom. To that end, three South Florida State College (SFSC) faculty have been appointed as endowed chairs in their respective disciplines with funds donated through the SFSC Foundation, Inc.
The Norm and Laurie Stephens Endowed Teaching Chair was awarded to Dr. Joseph Velenovsky, Biology professor. Cheryl John, Mathematics professor, received the Carol Emery Endowed Chair in Mathematics. Patti Sassin, Nursing professor, was appointed as the Highlands County Health Facilities Authority (HCHFA) Endowed Chair for Nursing Education.
Faculty members appointed as teaching chairs are awarded $5,000 per year for two years, with half going toward equipment, professional development, or to attend a conference related to the faculty member’s discipline of study. The other half is a salary stipend.
Dr. Velenovsky will use his award to enhance student instruction within the General Biology II course and
Dr. Joseph Velenovsky (center)
strengthen professional learning by attending related conferences. Purchasing high-quality labeled specimens and specimen models for the Biology course will foster active learning, as students will gain hands-on insight into biological concepts.
John will develop a comprehensive digital resource bank aligned directly with SFSC curriculum. This project will strengthen student success in Intermediate Algebra and College Algebra, two high enrollment gateway courses that significantly impact persistence and degree completion at SFSC.
Sassin plans to enrich the student learning experience by upgrading the Nursing Lab in Room 104C on the SFSC Highlands Campus in Avon Park to create a more functional, realistic, and engaging clinical learning environment. Purchasing new equipment and supplies will provide students with increased hands-on practice opportunities to support stronger clinical competency, greater confidence, and improved readiness for real-world patient care.
Patricia Sassin (center)
Recipients for endowed teaching chairs at SFSC are chosen by a selection committee, with advice and counsel from College faculty. Selections are confirmed by Dr. Michele Heston, SFSC vice president for academic affairs.
The idea of endowed teaching chairs at community and state colleges came from research chairs at universities. At SFSC, the Endowed Chair program rewards faculty who hold the belief that the student must come first. The award can be used to fund professional development activities that, ultimately, enhance student learning and incorporate classroom projects or activities above and beyond what is usually offered in a course.
March 11, 2026 – During the 2026 Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC) on Saturday, March 7, at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, 19 South Florida State College (SFSC) students presented their research.
FURC is one of the largest multidisciplinary research conferences in the country. It is available to all undergraduate researchers in Florida who would like to submit their findings through poster presentations. FURC offers some of the best opportunities for students to network with fellow academics, learn about graduate programs, and participate in workshops and professional development.
The SFSC students’ scientific research presentations for FURC were varied. One or multiple students may have participated in a research topic under a faculty member who served as mentor on the project. Posters were presented at FURC on these undergraduate research projects:
- “What Your Oral Microbiome Says About Your Health,” by Elijah Wheelus and Ardwins Alcindor. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “Mysteries of Mycology: Finding the Undescribed through DNA Barcoding,” by Ardwins Alcindor. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “Circulating miR-21 as a Non-Invasive Biomarker for Early Colorectal Cancer Detection: A Meta-Analysis of microRNA Profiles in Liquid Biopsies,” by Carmelo Islas-Cardoso. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “Mammoth Impact: Studying the Effects of De-extinction,” by Gregory McCarty. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “Pathogenic Gut Bacteria and Their Mechanisms in Colorectal Cancer Progression,” by Harman Bharath. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “The Oral Microbiome as a Cardiovascular Biomarker: Bridging Dentistry and Cardiology,” by Jenale Alfonso Cruz and Andy Gomez Reyes. Faculty mentors: Dr. Mintoo Patel and Sheryl McGrath.
- “Melatonin Modulates Mitochondrial-Dependent Apoptosis in MDA-T41 Thyroid Carcinoma Cells,” by Jesus Ruiz-Cantellano, Kalel Garcia-Herreros, and Maria E. Neutsling Silva. Faculty mentor: Dr. Daniel Sanches.
- “Microbial Masterpieces: The Symphony of Science and Creativity,” by Carmelo Islas-Cardoso and Reynaldo Villalobos. Faculty mentors: Dr. Mintoo Patel, Karla Respress, Garrett Lee, and Andy Polk.
- “Rapid Point-of-Care Detection of Salmonella Enterica and Listeria Monocytogenes in Food Samples Using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification: Applications in Forensic Investigation and Surgical Medicine,” by Marleigh Souther and Maci Gaskins. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification-based Qualitative Detection of Microbial marker Genes in Water,” by Isabella Salinas and Jesus Torres. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “A Direct Comparison of Dental Care Usage by Hispanic Immigrants in their Home Country and Host Country: A Cross-sectional Study in the United States,” by Tina Wu. Faculty mentors: Dr. Mintoo Patel, Sheryl McGrath, Mlisa Manning, and Dr. James Hawker.
- “Using DNA Barcoding to Identify a Scarabaeoid Beetle,” by Jadyn Garrett and Ty Giller. Faculty mentor: Dr. Joseph Velenovsky.
- “Conserving Florida’s Living Heritage,” by Aiden Swain, Ardwins Alcindor, Cohen Jefferies, Adrian Mendoza, and Isabella Salinas. Faculty mentors: Dr. Mintoo Patel and Dr. Kate Calvin.
At a state or community college, such as SFSC, research has become a significant component of its science curriculum.
“Undergraduate research allows students to delve into their subjects in a much deeper way than regular classwork and promotes critical thinking,” Dr. James Hawker, dean of Arts and Sciences at SFSC. “It better prepares students for upper division work at a university after transfer. It also increases their chances of being accepted to their university of choice by demonstrating advanced learning in the first two years of college.”
For more information about undergraduate research at SFSC, contact Dr. Jam
Glarysvette (left) and Edwin Delgado
AVON PARK – March 4, 2026 – Father and daughter, Edwin and Glarysvette Delgado will graduate together from South Florida State College (SFSC) with their Bachelor of Science in Supervision and Management (BAS-SM) in May 2026. Both of the Sebring residents earned their Associate in Arts degrees from SFSC in 2024 and both are the first in their family to graduate from college.
SFSC began offering the BAS-SM in the fall term of 2012, and the first cohort of 14 students graduated in May 2014. The BAS-SM was the first baccalaureate degree that SFSC offered, creating a continuing educational and professional pathway for students in associate degree programs. The program allows students to stay within their communities, continue their education, and obtain a baccalaureate degree at a significant cost savings.
A year and a half ago, Edwin Delgado became the manager for energy and utilities at the School Board of Highlands County. “I’m the one who manages the electricity and water and does audits in the morning, making sure printers are off, lights are off,” he said.
Glarysvette Delgado works full-time as a secretary in the Guidance Department at Sebring High School. “I work at the department’s front desk,” she said. “I do enrollment, the withdraws, among other things.”
Edwin decided to apply to the BAS-SM program, because he wanted to be able to move up at the School Board. “Previously, I managed different types of businesses and was always involved in the financial part of the business. Now, I work out of the Finance Office. So, numbers interest me to a certain degree.
“The School Board encourages people to have bachelor’s degrees for certain positions,” he said. “If I want to move up, the BAS-SM will benefit me in the long run. I’d like to, eventually, become a director. I have 10 more years with the School Board before I reach my 30 years and I’d like to retire within the Florida Retirement System.”
Edwin has even longer-term goals for himself. “After retirement, I’d like to move to an island, somewhere in Central America,” he said. “I love being in the water. I know that down the road, I’d like to open up my own business – on the island. Through the BAS-SM program, I’m learning how to start from the bottom up as a business manager. It’s helpful in my current job and I believe it’ll be helpful later on in life.”
Glarysvette always wanted to have a career in education. “I love kids and I love education, so with my bachelor’s degree, I could use it in teaching,” she said. “Being a classroom educator, it’s important to set a good example. The business program teaches you to be a good and intentional business leader. If education doesn’t turn out to be the route I take, the degree will help me move up in companies when I first start working. I’ll have the foundation for managing a business. I may even start my own business one day.”
For father and daughter, the experience of taking classes together has been positive and beneficial. “It’s good to have someone you’re close with and who you can talk to about your classes,” Glarysvette said. “When we can align our classes and take them together, we keep each other accountable and on track. It’s funny, Dr. [Tina] Adams, the program’s lead instructor, didn’t know that my dad and I were related until we had a Zoom meeting. Our computers were too close and started making that echo noise.”
Heading for graduation, the current BAS-SM students are working on their end-of-program Capstone Projects that bridge their accumulated classroom work with a real-world application. “The company I’m working on is Carvanna, and my dad is working on United Healthcare,” Glarysvette said. “Dr. Adams gives us a major corporation and presents a problem for us to solve for the company. For instance, Carvanna has a 100-day warranty and Dr. Adams wants us to find out why the company hasn’t received good reviews for the warranty and how we could resolve that concern.”
Edwin supports and advocates for the BAS-SM program wholeheartedly and urges others to continue their education. “Look at me,” he said. “I started this journey in 2018. I stopped my education because my father-in-law passed away. I needed to help take care of his business. Otherwise, I would have completed my education a long time ago. Then, I developed the mentality of ‘I don’t know if the College is going to do anything for me.’ But I was completely wrong because an education will open doors for you. It will create opportunities. I’m 100% all for it. It’s helping me now, and it will help me down the road.”
The BAS-SM provides students with educational opportunities and the ability to increase their job skills and marketability in Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto counties. Major employers in the College’s service district are involved in public service, health care, business, and retail. Such employers require employees who have a well-rounded education, can think critically, have people skills, can supervise staff, and can manage aspects of a business.
The program runs for approximately two years and is online. For complete details about the BAS-SM program, visit southflorida.edu/bas-sm. To discuss your eligibility, call Dr. Tina Adams, BAS-SM program lead instructor, at 863-784-7448 or email tina.adams@southflorida.edu.
