Provost’s Seminar Series is hosting Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy Research and Innovation Office, University of Minnesota. Dr. Osterholm will lead the “The Big One Is Still Coming: Lessons We Should Have Learned from the Covid-19 Pandemic” talk on Friday, December 5, 2025, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m., in Seidler Hall, Room 114. More about the speaker: Dr. Osterholm is Regents Professor, McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Public Health, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, a professor in the Technological Leadership Institute, College of Science and Engineering, and an adjunct professor in the Medical School, all at the University of Minnesota. In November 2020, Dr. Osterholm was appointed to President-elect Joe Biden's 13-member Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board. From June 2018 through May 2019, he served as a Science Envoy for Health Security on behalf of the US Department of State. He is also on the Board of Regents at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He is the author of the New York Times best-selling 2017 book, Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs, in which he not only details the most pressing infectious disease threats of our day but lays out a nine-point strategy on how to address them, with preventing a global flu pandemic at the top of the list. Link to his comprehensive bio.

Brought to you by The Water School Seminar Speaker Committee Harry Maisch, Stefan Carpenter, Dhruv Bhatt, and Vanaja Kankarla. Dr. Onorato is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received a B.S. from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, an M.S. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Onorato was also a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Idaho through 2005, where he concentrated on large carnivore conservation genetics. Later in 2005, he began his research position on the Florida panther project for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Dave’s main research interests focus on using long term genetic, demographic, and spatial data garnered from field studies to conserve and recover endangered large carnivores. He is responsible for developing and implementing research projects on the Florida panther that will assist with providing data necessary to assess progress towards achieving recovery objectives outlined in the USFWS Florida Panther Recovery Plan. Dave is also a member of the FWC Florida Panther Capture Team and is responsible for setting capture objectives each season in order to obtain study animals necessary for research projects. 

Arts Bonita is looking for FGCU students who may be interested in assisting them with the following events:   ❄️ Arts Bonita Winter Camp Volunteers Needed!Help create a fun and supportive environment for kids at the Arts Bonita Winter Camp. Duties include assisting instructors, supporting student projects, and helping with bathroom breaks. When:  Monday, December 22, 9 - 4 PM Tuesday, December 23, 9 AM - 4 PM Friday, December 26, 9 AM - 4 PM Monday, December 29, 9 AM - 4 PM Tuesday, December 30, 9 AM - 4 PM Friday, January 2, 9 AM - 4 PM Shifts: Full day (9 AM–4 PM), half day morning (9 AM–12 PM), or half day afternoon (1 PM–4 PM) Where: Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs, FL Volunteers Needed: 20 If you're interested in this opportunity, click here!     💃 Arts Bonita Dance Academy Fall Recital Volunteers Needed!Assist with backstage management, enforce rules, and help with clean-up during the recital. A great way to support performing arts in the community! When: Saturday, Dec 13, 2025, from 12 PM to 2 PM (Please arrive 5-10 minutes early) Where: Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs, FL Volunteers Needed: 5 If you're interested in this opportunity, click here!     Students who complete this event gain skills in Critical Thinking/Problem Solving, Teamwork/Collaboration, Leadership. This aligns with the following Sustainable Development Goals: Good Health and Well-being (3) and Quality Education (4).

FGCU Exploratory Advising is looking for FGCU students who may be interested in assisting them with their Major Mania event! 🤝 Volunteer Duties Include: Setting up cooler stations and tables Handing out water bottles to attendees Greeting and directing students to faculty tables Providing general event support 📅 Details: When: Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Time: 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM (includes setup and takedown) Where: Library Lawn, FGCU (11100 FGCU Blvd S, Fort Myers, FL)   If you're interested in this opportunity, please email Betsy Rodriguez at berodriguez@fgcu.edu.   Students who complete this event gain skills in Critical Thinking/Problem Solving, Teamwork/Collaboration, Professionalism/Work Ethic. This aligns with the following Sustainable Development Goals: Quality Education (4).

Provost’s Seminar Series is hosting FGCU President Aysegul Timur, Ph.D. Dr. Timur will lead “FGCU – Your University” talk on Thursday, January 15, 2026, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m., in AB9 (The Water School), Room 106.   More about the speaker: Dr. Timur was selected to become Florida Gulf Coast University’s fifth president on May 4, 2023. Her presidency was confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors on June 22, 2023. In her most recent role, Timur served as Vice President and Vice Provost for Strategy and Program Innovation at FGCU, where she has worked since 2019. Dr. Timur received her Ph.D. in Business Administration, majoring in Economics, from the University of South Florida, and both her MBA and bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration from the University of Istanbul. Her achievements have been widely recognized, earning accolades such as being listed in Naples Illustrated’s Top 100 in 2024 and receiving the Leadership Legacy Award from Leadership Collier Foundation in 2023. Before joining the university, she held a variety of faculty and executive leadership positions in higher education, including full professor of economics and Dean of the Johnson School of Business at Hodges University.

Provost’s Seminar Series is hosting Brian Fonseca, Ph. D., Director of the Jack Gordon Institute for Public Policy and the Executive Director of Cybersecurity@FIU at Florida International University. Dr. Fonseca will lead the discussion “Securing the Digital Future: Threat Landscape, AI Workforce, Cyberhygiene, and Geopolitics,” on Thursday, January 29, 2026, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m., in AB9 (The Water School), Room 106. More about the speaker: Dr. Fonseca is Director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and an adjunct professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University’s (FIU) Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs. He is the founding Executive Director of Cybersecurity@FIU, FIU’s university-wide interdisciplinary emerging preeminent program. Brian also serves as a Cybersecurity Policy Fellow and International Security Fellow at the D.C.-based think tank New America. His analysis has been featured in local, national, and international media and he serves as the on-air political analyst for South Florida’s WSVN-Fox News. Brian has testified before the U.S. Congress in 2019 and 2021. His recent publications include two edited volumes titled Culture and National Security in the Americas (Lexington Books, 2017) with Eduardo A. Gamarra and Democracy and Security in Latin America (Routledge, 2021) with Orlando Perez and Gabriel Marcella, and he is co-author of The New US Security Agenda: Trends and Emerging Threats (Palgrave, 2017) with Jonathan Rosen. Brian’s technical expertise and publications focus largely on U.S. and Latin American governance, national security, and foreign policies, with particular focus on Venezuela, China, Russia, and cyberspace. Brian joined FIU after serving as the Senior Research Manager for Socio-Cultural Analysis at United States Southern Command’s Joint Intelligence Operations Center South (JIOC-S). Brian holds degrees in International Business and International Relations from Florida International University in Miami, Florida, and attended Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, and National Defense University in Washington D.C. From 1997 to 2004, he served in the United States Marine Corps and facilitated the training of foreign military forces in both hostile theaters and during peacetime operations.