University Innovation Fellows - User contributions [en]

Fellow:Erisa Gjoka

2020-10-22T17:44:27Z

Erisagjoka26: /* Bio */

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|[[File:Erisa profile picture.jpeg|300px]]
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;Name:Erisa Gjoka
;School (Cohort):University of North Florida (2020 cohort)
;Majoring in:Biology: Biomedical Sciences, Minor: Chemistry
;Country:United States of America
;Email:[[Special:EmailUser/Erisagjoka26]]
|}

==Bio==
Erisa Gjoka is University Innovation Fellow and an undergraduate student at the University of North Florida. She is currently studying Biology with a concentration in the Biomedical Sciences and minoring in Chemistry. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, she plans on attending medical school. With her career, she hopes to provide medical services to refugees in her community, as well as to those in countries overseas where there is a lack of medical attention.

Erisa was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, and is a first-generation Albanian-American. She is the oldest of five children and is very close to her family. Her family and culture play a huge role in her life and identity. As a pre-med student, her life can be a little hectic as she balances her classes, volunteering, research, and social life. However, when things get tough or overwhelming for her, her family and friends provide her with a great support system that she can lean on. Erisa volunteers at Mayo Clinic where she helps assist patients in the Radiology department. At her university, Erisa researches in a genetic-based lab in which she studies genes that affect muscle atrophy. In addition, she is a Supplemental Instructor for general chemistry, in which she holds review sessions for students three times a week covering topics in Chemistry.

From a young age, Erisa has always been drawn to creativity, whether that be through art, music, and even cooking. Through the UIF program, she hope to implement creativity and innovation on campus in a way that reaches students of all disciplines.

[[Priorities:University of North Florida Student Priorities]]

[[School:University of North Florida]]

==Achievements==
Hick's Honors College

National Collegiate Honor's Society

Genetic's Based Research Lab

Supplemental Instruction Leader

==Social media profiles==
Instagram: erisa_gjoka

[[Category:University of North Florida (2020 cohort)]]
[[Category:Student Contributors]]

{{CatTree|University of North Florida}}

Topic:Vv8c1tn04g34mlox

2020-10-05T23:21:18Z

Erisagjoka26 (talk | contribs) commented on "Experience" (Yesterday, my team and I met with 2019 UIF Cohort of UNF. Given that my cohort is the second at UNF, it was really nice to speak to the p...)

Topic:Vv8bmipchj1cjj2p

2020-10-05T23:06:05Z

Erisagjoka26 (talk | contribs) commented on "It really helps organize the ideas better" (The change model is a really neat tool that helped us organize our ideas, as well as bring to mind possible challenges that we might face...)

Priorities:University of North Florida Student Priorities

2020-09-27T21:30:29Z

Erisagjoka26:

<big><big>'''UNF 2020 UIF Cohort Strategic Priorities'''</big></big>

<big>'''''Strategic Priority 1: Introducing Innovation on Campus'''''

''Project Leaders: Erisa Gjoka, Rory Hampson, Tala Sartawi''

Showcasing Innovation to bring awareness and inspiration to the student body at the University of North Florida is a priority to our cohort. We want to enable students to thrive by equipping them with resources that motivate them to think more creatively in their respective fields. Innovation is hardly something that is confined to one or two disciplines; it is a versatile enhancement to all fields. If put forth utilizing the proper strategies (design thinking, prototyping, team collaboration, etc.), students should be able to take principles and wisdom from the opportunities provided to them and take that forth into their daily lives, finding unique ways to contribute to the creative and innovative atmosphere at UNF.

1. Perhaps through a TEDx conference series, or a mock Shark Tank event in which students could pitch their ideas to successful entrepreneurs and potential investors. These experiences would allow I&E to reach students from all disciplines. Through events like these, students would be able to brainstorm, prototype, collaborate, network, and possibly gain mentors along the way.

2. An open Maker Space called MindHUb at UNF

* This open design thinking space would be a center located on campus that would provide students with a space to work on ideas and prototypes
* MIndHub @UNF makerspace would include: rooms for teams to work on ideas, a huge whiteboard wall for students to brainstorm ideas and think out loud, 3D printers and other tools necessary for making various prototypes.
* Available to the students will also be an I&E advisor that would provide the students with opportunities on and off-campus for innovation and entrepreneurship. This advisor would be the middle person between the center at UNF and the Entrepreneurship Center Downtown.
* Provided by Mindhub are seminars and events focused on design thinking, productivity, team collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship in various fields of studies on campus.

'''''Strategic Priority 2: Marketing & Communications'''''

''Project Leader: Maxwell Twardowski''

Something that we have noticed as we have begun to investigate potential issues at UNF is a major lack of marketing and communication in regards to the resources offered to students at our university. UNF has many resources to offer, and students may know about some of the better marketed ones, such as the counseling center and the international center, however certain other resources the university has to offer, such as the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which hosts startup businesses and offers different entrepreneurial services to UNF students and members of the community, as well as the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, which deals with research done by graduate and undergraduate students and can offer grants or other different project management services to students. These resources, although extremely useful and can be major assets to UNF students, are not well advertised or marketed, and a solution such as a website with information on every resource UNF has to offer could be a major help to make sure these services are properly utilized.

'''''Strategic Priority 3: Mental Health'''''

''Project Leader: Jules Gerstein''

Although students report that they believe UNF is an environment that actively encourages positive mental health and the wellbeing of students, they also report that marketing among organizations and resources promoting positive mental healthcare fall short. We believe students should actively be aware of their mental health and have sustainable resources to address it. While the counseling center offers various resources, the lack of participation and centralized outreach may cause students to withdraw from seeking mental healthcare or miss out on opportunities. Perhaps, through a campus-wide Mental Health Awareness week students could benefit from events led by mostly students, but also the psychology department and counseling center to spread awareness about the importance of mental health. We would use this week as an opportunity to highlight resources available and to stress how mental health practices can improve not only our personal success but academic and professional success. This week would not only be a temporary fix but have a long-term plan to address mental health inequities. Furthermore, we would approach departments across campus to partake in the promotion of mental health resources on campus and to encourage open dialogue among students and professors. With a reported decrease in the quality of education due to the pandemic, students are missing out on personal connections and opportunities to engage in meaningful conversations. Addressing departments about this issue could also improve how students view their education and their mental health during this difficult time.

'''During Mental Health Awareness Week:'''

* Mental Healthcare Resource Fair, exposing students to resources on campus
* Suicide Awareness Walk, 5k walk to promote suicide awareness, and physical activity that is scientifically proven to increase dopamine levels
* Workshops, such as: How to Manage Stress, How to Cope with Academic Failure or Unmet Expectations, Mediation Practices
* Guest lecturers from professors on the correlation between taking care of your mental health and productivity
* Guest speakers from students who could share their personal struggles with mental health and strategies

'''''Strategic Priority 4: Building a More Interactive Community'''''

''Project Leader: Tala Sartawi''

A big issue that UNF students often complain about is the lack of a strong student community on campus. This is due to the commuter nature of UNF. As a team, we believe that helping create a well-knitted community on campus is an essential first step to help students.

'''Community Room:'''
* As simple as this sounds this idea would help create unity amongst the UNF student body as it would provide them with the place where they can go and hang out and mingle.
* It would have comfy couches, a snack bar, a coffee machine, and a few board games, and a TV screen.
* The idea behind it is to provide commuting students with a place to relax and hang out in-between classes instead of sitting in the library. As the library is already a crowded place with not enough seating.
* For the idea to be successful it needs to be properly marketed and strategically placed in the middle of campus in an obvious location in order for students to easily locate it. The location is crucial as it has to be close to most buildings to make it more accessible and practical so that students can go there in between classes
</big>

<big><big>'''Strategic Priorities: 2019 Cohort'''</big></big>

'''Strategic Priority 1: Connecting Students With Resources'''

''Project Leader: Courtney Ardizzoni''

 Discuss the marketing of innovation, through multiple social media sites for a large selection of students to give their ideas for innovative solutions. Both upper and undergraduate students are excited to give their opinions on change at the university and hope to actually have an opportunity to speak on these aspects in the future.  Using social media and flyers to promote upcoming events and innovative programs are the best way currently to share this information, but in the future we are hoping to continue to innovate using multiple platforms to provide all students with the chance to get involved.

Strategic Priority 2&4: Innovation Solution Challenge

''Project Leader: Anastasia Daniels''

The third prototype we created was an event similar to an escape room that challenged teams of students to create a solution to a problem in an hour. The event is called “Innovative Solution Challenge”. The students will be given a prompt to solve a real-world problem. Each team will consist of 4-6 members and they will be in the rooms at the same time. They will all be given the same prompt to solve and can only use the materials provided in the room. Ideally, the solution to the problem will be theoretical and they would use the materials to be able to illustrate the solution. Real-world problems could range from income inequality to racism. Materials that would be in the room would range from markers and papers. At the end of the hour, the students would present their ideas to the other groups. The goal of the event is to encourage innovation and design thinking among each group and for the groups to also see how others from different backgrounds decided to solve the same problem. 

For the actual development of the project that I would lead, I would have to book rooms in the Student Union for each team to be in as well as a bigger room for all the teams to present their project in at the end. All of the team members would have to put up flyers and spread the word around campus for students to start creating their teams. Ideally, we would have 4 teams of 4-6 people. Once these teams RSVP, we send them the basic rules of the game and have them arrive early. Prior to their arrival, we set the rooms up with the materials. When the teams arrive, each fellow debriefs a team and they all begin at the same time. After doing this event once, we will learn from the students what worked and what didn’t and make improvements for the next. We would hold this event twice a semester. 

Strategic Priority 3: Teaching Innovation Institute

''Project Leader: Evan Maslin''

Priority three in our two-year strategic plan is a formal redesign of the Teaching Innovation Institute offered by the Office of Faculty Enhancement. The curriculum of the institute will focus on equipping faculty with the tools needed to integrate creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving skill-building activities into the classroom. This project is going to require the coordination of resources and the collaboration between several different departments/institutes/offices on-campus. 
<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>Determine if there is funding available to provide faculty members with a stipend and/or future development funds <ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>The value of the stipend or the future development funds must be equivalent to what the faculty member would have received if they had taught a summer course </li>
</ul></li>
<li>Collect quantitative data pertaining to student engagement/participation in the classroom, benefits of utilizing alternative teaching methods (on GPA, retention rates, etc.), and faculty interest in the program<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>This will be collected via academic journals, speaking with professionals in the field, and by conducting a student opinion research survey </li>
</ul></li>
<li>Establish a partnership between the Office of Faculty Enhancement, Taylor Leadership Institute, and University Innovation Fellows <ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>Ensure that each party involved designates an official liaison tasked with developing and administering the institute <ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>Office of Faculty Enhancement: Dr. Dan Richard </li>
<li>Taylor Leadership Institute: Dr. Matthew Olhson </li>
<li>University Innovation Fellows: Evan Maslin </li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
<li>Redesign the current training curriculum to focus on innovative teaching methods and student skill-building while ensuring to receive both faculty and student input <ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>Host multiple brainstorming and prototyping sessions with both faculty and students<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>Two of each type of session per semester  </li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
<li>Secure a venue for the program, advertise, and select participating faculty<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>Host the institute at either the College of Education or Adam W. Herbert University Center </li>
<li>Advertise the institute to faculty members by sending out a university-wide email, posting information on social media, and meeting with faculty members identified as premier candidates</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Have faculty reflect on their experience at the institute and if there used any of the methodologies taught in the semester immediately following their completion of the institute <ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>The initial reflection should be completed no more than one week after the conclusion of the institute </li>
<li>Faculty will be sent a survey and asked to complete at the end of the first term immediately preceding their successful completion of the institute </li>
</ul></li>
<li>Improve the institute for the next year </li>
</ul>

Strategic Priority 5: Funding Student Innovation

''Project Leader: Thatcher Hart''

The last priority of the long term planning of promoting innovative thinking at UNF would be to help encourage and incentivize students to come up with innovative solutions to the problems that they see on campus. Coordinating different funding sources in order to come up with a substantial pot of money that could be allocated for these innovative purposes. Combined with the previous steps in our overall plan this would help create an environment on campus that would highly encourage innovative ideas to be spread across campus 

<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>Survey students about likelihood of participating if eligible for financial compensation <ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>Get a better understanding of where the money needs to go and the amount of students that would be interested. </li>
</ul></li>
<li>Talk to Student Government, the Honors College, and other colleges about donating money <ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>Construct an agreement to see what percentage of the funds would come from each donor or if a single entity on campus would be funding the entire scholarship / TLO</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Set up committee/group that would allocate the funding to the students <ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>Have this croup encompass both students and faculty having representation from all levels of the university to better gage the amount of impact that each project would have on the university as a whole.</li>
</ul></li>
<li>Create more awareness of the opportunity on campus once it is put into place. <ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;">
<li>Put up flyers on campus and have teachers spread the word in classes and have them try to identify students with these ideas to persuade them to step forward and pursue the objective they have in mind</li>
<li>Send out email blasts to the students faculty and administration of the university to further spread awareness. </li>
<li>Start having current social media accounts that are aimed toward the correct target having posts that would persuade these innovative projects to collect the money to advance the idea.</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>

[[Category:Student Priorities]]
[[Category:Student Priorities]]
[[Category:Student Priorities]]
[[Category:University_of_North_Florida]]
[[Category:Student_Priorities]]
{{CatTree|University_of_North_Florida}}

Topic:Vuj2nby4yt2dt5qp

2020-09-26T15:42:12Z

Erisagjoka26 (talk | contribs) commented on "Making multiple prototypes along the way" (When the presenter began listing off the different majors and how well they performed on this task compared to the kindergarteners, I was...)

School:University of North Florida

2020-09-19T21:27:37Z

Erisagjoka26: /* Promoting Student Innovation & Entrepreneurship:  */

[[File:First pic.jpg]]

The University of North Florida is a nationally ranked university located in the scenic Northeastern Florida city of Jacksonville. Composed of six colleges of distinction, the University currently has an enrollment of 17,000 students and employs more than 500 full-time faculty as well as over 1,000 staff members.

The University of North Florida (UNF) is an emerging center for entrepreneurship in Jacksonville, and in Northeast Florida. UNF’s Coggin College of Business is primarily responsible for the increased emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation. Most recently, after a $1 million dollar donation, UNF created the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

<div>[[File:Second pic.jpg]] </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>

The UNF Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is open to 15 start-up companies per year where entrepreneurs undergo a year-long development program at the 13,000-square-foot living, learning lab, located in the bustling center of downtown Jacksonville. Learn more about the UNF Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation by watching this video.
The Coggin College of Business also offers a minor in entrepreneurship that all students have the opportunity to partake in. The minor itself is predominantly business-oriented but does offer courses that teach creativity and design thinking. This minor coincides with the 200 registered student organizations on campus, one of which is the Entrepreneurs, Creators, and Innovators club. In addition, UNF offers courses such as GEB4942: Entrepreneurial Internship, which stimulates innovation and allows students to gain real-world experiences in entrepreneurial business. Other courses such as MAN4294: Creativity and Innovation in the Workplace, teach students how to have a creative mindset when exploring different possibilities in complex and uncertain environments. There may be an opportunity to expand the number of clubs or students involved with social innovation because the UNF Student Government, which has an annual budget of roughly $4.5 million dollars, just announced the creation of a new Student Involvement Center.

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs is one of the ways UNF encourages student innovation and entrepreneurship through funding a variety of different research-based projects. The final way that UNF encourages student innovation and entrepreneurship are through Transformational learning opportunities (TLOs). TLOs may take a myriad of forms that include study abroad experiences, service-learning experiences, research/directed independent study experiences with a faculty member, and leadership experiences.

<div> </div><div>[[File:Third pic.jpg]] </div></div>

= <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Encouraging Faculty Innovation and Entrepreneurship:  =

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The University of North Florida does not offer a tremendous amount of resources for faculty interested in entrepreneurship and innovation. The Office of Faculty Enhancement hosts the [https://www.unf.edu/ofe/events/Summer_Teaching_Innovation_Institute_2019.aspx <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teaching Innovation Institute]<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, every summer. The institute focuses on redesigning an existing course of developing a new course while involving innovative instructional strategies. The interdisciplinary focus of the institute allows for all faculty and department teams to participate, underlining the opportunity for innovation and entrepreneurship to become a university-wide point of focus. 

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">UNF also has an [https://www.unf.edu/research/Research_Development.aspx <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Office for Research & Sponsored Programs] <span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(ORSP) which assists faculty in complying with university, federal, state, and funding agency guidelines, rules, and regulations during budget preparation when determining costs applicable to grants, contracts, and other agreements. If a faculty member would like to involve a student, or students, with their research, students are eligible to apply for an undergraduate research grant through the [https://www.unf.edu/ugstudies/OUR/Research_Grants.aspx <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR)]<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Students can receive up to $3,500 in funding towards research-related expenses. 

= <span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Actively Supporting the University Technology Transfer Function:  =

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">UNF does have an initiative for [https://www.unf.edu/research/Intellectual_Property_and_Technology_Transfer.aspx <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer (IPATT)] <span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that is administered through the [https://www.unf.edu/research/Research_Development.aspx <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Office for Research & Sponsored Programs] <span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(ORSP) and overseen by Associate Vice President for Research, Dr. John Kantner. Through marketing and licensing activities, ORSP brings technology forward to public use and for the benefit of the inventor, the University, and the community. Income is generated for both the inventor and the University through licensing agreements, and ORSP encourages agreements with local and regional companies. ORSP, IPATT, and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation will all work in conjunction with one another to advance idea development and technology transfers. 

= <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Facilitating University-Industry Collaboration:  =

<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In recent years, UNF has continued to expand and further develop relationships with external organizations and corporations. For example, the [https://www.unf.edu/coggin/CEI/ <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation] <span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">has partnered with the Life Sciences Incubator at Mayo Clinic, Beaver Street Enterprise, PS27 Ventures, Source Fuse, The Jim Moran Institute, and the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Entrepreneurial Growth. In addition, four of the 15 ideas selected by the incubator this year relate to the healthcare and technology industries. This is incredibly important because Baptist Health, Florida Blue, and the Mayo Clinic are three of the largest employers in Jacksonville. 
<div>[[File:4th pic.jpg|thumb|right|200x200px]]</div>
[[File:5th pic.jpg|thumb|right|200x200px|5th pic.jpg]]
<div><div> </div><div>Another major aspect of developing private-public relationships is UNF’s continued dedication to earning the Carnegie Foundation “Community Engagement” designation. The University has established numerous public outreach and community partnerships that include the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, HandsOn Jacksonville, Public Opinion Research Lab, Small Business Development Center, Center for Community Initiatives, Volunteers in Medicine, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Center for Ethics, Public Policy, and the Professions. These community partnerships allow faculty members, and dedicated student assistants, to utilize their disciplinary expertise to produce “applied scholarship” that directly addresses an array of regional concerns. </div><div>
 <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Engaging With Regional and Local Economic Development Efforts:  <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The University of North Florida has an annual economic impact of nearly $1 billion on the regional economy. Despite this general impact, the university is committed to contributing to the growth of the regional economy through specialized initiatives, institutes/centers, and programs. One of the University’s largest center is [https://www.sbdc.unf.edu/about-the-sbdc/ <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of North Florida] <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(SBDC). With funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the University of North Florida, the City of Jacksonville, the Clay County Chamber of Commerce, Marion County, Nassau County, St. Johns County, Putnam County, Suwannee County and other public and private sector sources, the Florida SBDC at UNF is able to provide its management assistance services at little or no charge to the client. SBDC programs deliver up-to-date management advice, training and information to help business owners make sound decisions and to assist potential owners in getting started on the right foot. For every federal dollar invested in the SBDC program, nearly $10 is returned in the form of tax revenue. 
<div> </div></div>
[[File:6th pic.jpg]]

UNF has now created an entire cycle of support for aspiring innovators by offering courses on entrepreneurship, to the new Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation for start-ups, to the SBDC for growing small businesses. Together, these resources will allow the university and local community to continue to grow.

<big>With a sponsorship from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the university has constructed the Coggin Executive Mentor Program. This program is designed to enhance the classroom experience by linking students with leading executives for one-on-one mentoring. Mentors share career advice and valuable insight into the transition from college to work. Students build career networks and develop skills to become better professionals and leaders.</big>
https://www.unf.edu/coggin/Career_Management_Center/students/ExecutiveMentors.aspx
A similar, but different program, Community Alliance for Student Success, or CASS, is a program and community that was created to serve traditionally underrepresented students. Students are paired with experienced minority members, including industry leaders and local business owners to learn about job opportunities and network in Jacksonville. </div>
https://www.unf.edu/cass/
[[Category:Schools]]
[[Category:University_of_North_Florida]]
{{CatTree|University_of_North_Florida}}

Topic:Vt8iiw7paeatst3l

2020-09-07T01:26:31Z

Erisagjoka26 (talk | contribs) commented on "University of North Florida Perch Portal" (The University of North Florida has been using platforms such as Instagram to stay connected with students. Using the story feature, orie...)

Resource talk:How to create a cross-cutting student organization

2020-09-07T01:07:51Z

Erisagjoka26: Created page with "This page, Creating Resource talk: How to create a cross-cutting student organization, was very informative and provided information that is very beneficial to forming cross-c..."

This page, Creating Resource talk: How to create a cross-cutting student organization, was very informative and provided information that is very beneficial to forming cross-cutting student organizations. This page discusses the types of students you want to focus on attracting to your group. These types of student's should have some sort of leadership experience, be passionate about your mission, and want to stick around and support your mission for a long time. This page also discusses how to attract these students and describes some creative methods for doing so. In addition to attracting students, which are described as the "fuel" to your cause, it is important to build strong relationships with faculty members, otherwise known as the "engine" to your cause. With any organization, funding is very important. One interesting point this article made was that funding will come when your group is ready for it. Your group's main goal should be to, "break down barriers and bring people together".

Topic:Vsgeimbpfly6o9n0

2020-08-29T03:55:56Z

Erisagjoka26 (talk | contribs) commented on "Collaboration vs Regurgitation" (I definitely agree with you. When watching the videos that go along with this discussion post, the same thing you talked about came to mi...)

User:Erisagjoka26

2020-08-26T20:31:34Z

Erisagjoka26: Redirect to Fellow Page

#REDIRECT [[Fellow:Erisa Gjoka (2020)]]

User:Erisagjoka26

2020-08-26T15:23:32Z

Erisagjoka26: Redirect to Fellow Page

#REDIRECT [[Fellow:Erisa Gjoka]]

Fellow:Erisa Gjoka

2020-08-26T15:23:31Z

Erisagjoka26: Created Fellow Page - 2020

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|-
|[[File:OOjs UI icon userAvatar.svg|300px]]
|-
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;Name: Erisa Gjoka
;School (Cohort): University of North Florida (2020 cohort)
;Majoring in: Biology: Biomedical Sciences, Minor: Chemistry
;Country: United States of America
;Email: [[Special:EmailUser/Erisagjoka26]]
|}

==Bio==
Erisa Gjoka is a student at the University of North Florida. She is currently in her third year and is majoring in Biology with a concentration in the Biomedical Sciences and minoring in Chemistry. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, she plans on attending medical school. With her career, she hopes to provide medical services to refugees in her community, as well as to those in countries overseas where there is a lack of medical attention.

Erisa was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, and is a first-generation Albanian-American. She is the oldest of five children and is very close to her family. Her family and culture play a huge role in her life and identity. As a pre-med student, her life can be a little hectic as she balances her classes, volunteering, research, and social life. However, when things get tough or overwhelming for her, her family and friends provide her with a great support system that she can lean on. Erisa volunteers at Mayo Clinic where she helps assist patients in the Radiology department. In addition, she researches in a genetic-based lab at her university which studies genes that affect muscle atrophy.

In her free time, Erisa loves to cook. She is a big foody and loves to try new recipes and cuisines! In addition, she loves to be outdoors. She often goes on runs, bike rides, hikes and to the beach. She really enjoys amusement parks; Universal Studios and Aquatica are her favorite ones and she hopes to visit them soon. She is always up for a new adventure and hopes to travel in the future.

==Achievements==
Hick's Honors College
National Collegiate Honor's Society
Genetic's Based Research Lab
Supplemental Instruction Leader

==Social media profiles==
Instagram: erisa_gjoka

[[Category:University of North Florida (2020 cohort)]]
[[Category:Student Contributors]]

{{CatTree|University of North Florida}}

File:Erisa profile picture.jpeg

2020-08-26T14:16:13Z

Erisagjoka26: