University of Florida Homepage

Mellon Foundation grant recognizes UF Women’s Studies Department strengths

In a testament to its dedication to academic excellence and community engagement, the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at the University of Florida has been selected as a recipient of a prestigious ‘Affirming Multivocal Humanities’ grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The funding, awarded during the fall 2023 semester, marks an important milestone for the department and underscores its contribution to innovative scholarship in the humanities.

The ‘Affirming Multivocal Humanities’ grant will advance the department’s mission by supporting various curricular and co-curricular initiatives over the next two years, including community-engaged student research, a career pathways series, and efforts to promote public understanding of the field.

“We’re thrilled that the Mellon Foundation is recognizing and supporting the work that we’re doing here at UF,” said Bonnie Moradi, chair of the department and professor of psychology. “Experiential learning and community engagement have been longstanding strengths of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. This grant builds on these strengths to provide students with rich research and career readiness opportunities that serve communities and benefit the social good.”

Annually, the department places over two hundred students in more than thirty internship and practicum sites. With the grant’s support, the department plans to establish an alumni mentoring network for students, further expanding its experiential learning program.

According to Moradi, students have responded enthusiastically to grant events and opportunities. Through Mellon grant events, students are engaging with scholars, practitioners, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and alumni across various fields.

Moreover, students have joined research teams funded by the grant, collaborating with faculty on community-engaged research projects. These mentored projects allow students to develop critical skills while providing service to community centers, education programs, health clinics, victim services, and other settings.

“Students are telling us that these experiences are a distinctive part of their UF experience that they will remember and carry forward,” said Moradi.

The grant will also help the department elevate platforms for students and alumni to share the impact of their education in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies.

Women’s Studies majors engage in a panel in fall 2023. Photo courtesy of Alyssa Zucker.

“Our students have inspiring stories about what they’re learning as Women’s Studies majors and how they’re benefiting communities in Florida and beyond,” said Moradi.

Through project activities, participants will reflect on their learning and create accessible and public communications using narrative-building and storytelling techniques. These narratives will not only serve to highlight the personal and professional growth of those involved but will also underscore the significance of their education in fostering positive change within the communities they serve.

Moradi looks forward to leveraging the funding to enhance the department’s intellectual environment and promote broader advancement of knowledge in the field.

“The legacy of this grant will be to capture and share our students’ stories about their learning, accomplishments, and professional pathways as Women’s Studies majors,” said Moradi. “We are thrilled about the student opportunities we can create and we’re proud of our students’ work.”

The Mellon Foundation has granted over $18 million to 95 public colleges and universities across 66 institutions through its ‘Affirming Multivocal Humanities’ initiative. This funding supports activities advancing the study of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. Grants were awarded based on institutions’ contributions to gender and ethnic studies. Explore the initiative here.

UF honors legacy of William and Grace Dial with renaming of Dial Center

The University of Florida proudly announces the transformation of the Dial Center into the William & Grace Dial Center for Speech and Communication Studies. Formerly recognized as the Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication, this renaming reflects the center’s expanded scope and its commitment to interdisciplinary approaches. The new name aligns with the center’s dedication to fostering advanced interpersonal skills, effective listening habits, persuasive argumentation, and public speaking.

The shift also revitalizes a tribute to the enduring legacy of Attorney William H. Dial and his wife Grace. Emily Rine Butler, the director of the center, expressed enthusiasm for the renaming, seeing it as a pivotal moment in the center’s evolution.

“We strive to honor the Dials’ legacy every day by empowering students, faculty, and staff to find their voices,” said Butler. “At the center, we actively use communication as a means to put something good out into the world.”

Grace and William H. Dial.

The history of UF’s Dial Center dates back to 1996 when its establishment was made possible by the Dial family’s generous endowment. William Henry “Billy” Dial, a UF law school graduate in 1932, left an indelible mark on the state’s history, particularly in downtown Orlando’s development and the introduction of I-4. His influence extended beyond law to banking, where he transformed First National Bank into the thriving SunBank, a legacy now continued by Truist.

Dial’s eloquent communication skills were inherited by his eldest daughter, Joan Dial Ruffier, who became the first female Chair of the Florida Board of Regents. It was her commitment to education that led to the establishment of the Dial Center.

“It’s crucial to recognize the impact of investing in communication skills across all fields,” Butler said. “Joan has always been forward-thinking in this regard.”

In response to evolving needs, the center has expanded its offerings over the past decade. Butler, who assumed leadership in 2021, embraced the challenges of the pandemic as opportunities for growth.

“We knew that students’ interpersonal skills were getting rusty,” she said. “So we rebooted and reenergized our efforts.”

The team wasted no time, expanding their range of offerings within the four main pillars of the center, the ever-popular Minor in Communication Studies, competitive and public Speech and Debate teams, the two-year Ambassador Leadership Program for undergraduates, and the Public Speaking Lab. In 2022, the Public Speaking Lab moved to a larger space on the 5th Floor of Rolfs Hall, enabling it to offer more appointments for those looking for help developing their communication skills and establishing itself as a central hub within the campus.

“A lot of people think we only focus on public speaking,” said Amy Martinelli, the center’s associate director. “Public speaking may be our bread and butter, but once you move beyond, you’ll find a whole four-course meal.”

Amy Martinelli, Gil Carter, Congresswoman Kat Cammack, and Emily Rine Butler pose for a photo in front of a speech and debate poster in the Dial Center. Photo by Michel Thomas.

The center has diligently cultivated more robust partnerships both within and beyond the campus community. Increasingly frequent public events engage a wider audience from across the campus. Public workshops spanning conflict management, building confidence, and civil discourse have expanded the center’s reach. In an exciting development, the center will also co-sponsor TEDxUF’s 15th Annual Conference next month, further amplifying its influence and involvement.

“We are fortunate to have incredible resources here at UF,” said Butler. “You need people who act as bridge builders, connecting these resources to collectively benefit and uplift everybody. We want to be those people.”

The liberal arts lie at the epicenter of this endeavor, she explained, possessing an advantage in fostering these connections compared to another discipline.

Looking ahead, Butler remains steadfast in the center’s core mission. Guided by the vision of the Dial family, the center ensures that future generations possess the skills to effectively share ideas, bridge disciplines, and advocate for themselves and others.

“It’s a legacy that harmonizes with our own, continuously evolving,” she said.

Central to this mission is the goal of enhancing individuals’ ability to communicate articulately and express themselves effectively — a principle cherished by the Dials and embraced by the center.

“We won’t stop pushing forward until we can connect with every individual at UF,” Butler said. “Every effort counts in moving the needle.”

Explore the Dial Center for Speech and Communication Studies’ offerings, including upcoming events, here.

New study finds a significant relationship between partisan politics and consumer sentiments

Hector Sandoval’s findings reveal that Floridian consumers exhibit greater confidence about economic conditions when their favored political party is in charge.

A new study from UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) has found that national elections have a greater impact on consumer sentiment and spending intentions than previously thought, especially during transitions of power between political parties. Led by Hector Sandoval, director of the Economic Analysis Program and research assistant professor at the Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR), the study draws on years of meticulous observation and analysis of monthly sentiments data collected by the UF Survey Research Center.

Photo of Hector Sandoval, standing in front of a large window with his arms crossed.
Hector Sandoval. Photo by Michel Thomas.

Despite the wealth of data available to economics researchers, studies on these relationships are relatively uncommon. This study, according to Sandoval, is built on similar work performed in Australia back in 2018, marking the first of its kind conducted in the state of Florida.

“Consumer sentiment surveys have existed for nearly 75 years, yet the causal relationship between sentiment and consumption is mixed and scarce,” Sandoval said.

These surveys ask a range of questions, with the primary inquiry being: “Do you think now is a good or a bad time for people to buy major household items?” Following this central query, there are six additional questions probing specific major purchases, like cars, apparel, housing, etc. Sandoval and his team looked at samples of surveys from 1991 to 2019, a time period encompassing seven presidential elections and seven state gubernatorial elections.

The findings indicate a significant boost to consumer morale when their affiliated party won elections, particularly following presidential elections where there was a change in the presidential party, such as those in 1992, 2000, 2008, and 2016. As anticipated, consumer sentiments showed an inverse pattern between Democrats and Republicans. When a Democrat won the presidency, Democrats’ positive sentiments rose while Republicans’ positive sentiments declined, and vice versa when a Republican won.

A chart showing differences in consumer sentiments between Democrats and Republicans.
One of several charts created for the study. This one compares the sentiments of Democrats and Republicans and highlights the changes during election years. Graph courtesy of Hector Sandoval.

While the relationship between national elections and consumer sentiment was clear and significant, the relationship between gubernatorial elections and sentiments was much harder to define. For one, there was only one party shift in the governor’s office during the time periods in which data was collected, so there was not a lot of data to work with. The results were also weak, so Sandoval was not able to determine a statistically significant relationship.

“We did, however, observe a growing partisan divide, and this trend is something worth investigating,” Sandoval explained. “Understanding why the gap between Democrats and Republicans is widening and exploring its social and economic implications are both important avenues for further research.”

In addition to looking at sentiment surveys, Sandoval also analyzed administrative data on actual spending during those time periods to investigate the effect of consumer sentiment on spending. His findings revealed that consumers kept to their beliefs, making fewer large purchases during times when their overall sentiments were low.

While Sandoval believes that all states would benefit from research like this, not every state maintains records of consumer sentiments, and among those that do, none have data going as far back as Florida’s. New York, Nebraska, and California could be the subject of future studies, as their data goes back to 2002, 2017, and 2018, respectively.

“It would be interesting to observe whether similar patterns emerge in other states, especially concerning the impact of gubernatorial elections on sentiment,” Sandoval said.

Read more about the study here.

Rare access to hammerhead shark embryos reveals secrets of its unique head development

An abstract rendering of what gravitational waves might look like if we were able to see them.

Pushing the boundary on ultralow frequency gravitational waves

A team of physicists has developed a method to detect gravity waves with such low frequencies that they could unlock the secrets behind the early phases of mergers between supermassive black holes, the heaviest objects in the universe.

The method can detect gravitational waves that oscillate just once every thousand years, 100 times slower than any previously measured gravitational waves.

“These are waves reaching us from the farthest corners of the universe, capable of affecting how light travels,” said Jeff Dror, PhD, an assistant professor of physics at the University of Florida and co-author of the new study. “Studying these waves from the early universe will help us build a complete picture of our cosmic history, analogous to previous discoveries of the cosmic microwave background.”

Dror and his co-author, University of California, Santa Cruz postdoctoral researcher William DeRocco, published their findings Feb. 26 in Physical Review Letters.

Gravitational waves are akin to ripples in space. Like sound waves or waves on the ocean, gravitational waves vary in both frequency and amplitude, information that offers insights into their origin and age. Gravitational waves that reach us can be oscillating at extremely low frequencies, much lower than those of sound waves detectable with the human ear. Some of the lowest frequencies detected in the past were as low as one nanohertz.

“For reference,” Dror explained, “the frequency of sound waves created by an alligator roar are about 100 billion times higher than this frequency – these are very low-pitched waves.”

An outdoor headshot of Jeff Dror.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Dror.

Their new method of detection is based on analyzing pulsars, neutron stars that emit radio waves at highly regular intervals. Dror hypothesized that searching for gradual slowdown in the arrivals of these pulses could reveal new gravitational waves. By studying existing pulsar data,  Dror was able to search for gravitational waves with lower frequencies than ever before, increasing our “hearing range” to frequencies as low as 10 picohertz, 100 times lower than previous efforts that detected nanohertz-level waves.

While gravitational waves with frequencies around a nanohertz have been detected before, not much is known about their origin. There are two theories. The leading idea is that these waves are the result of a merger between two supermassive black holes, which, if true, would give researchers a new way to study the behavior of these giant objects that lie at the heart of every galaxy.

The other main theory is that these waves were created by some sort of cataclysmic event early in the universe’s history. By studying gravitational waves at even lower frequencies, they may be able to differentiate these possibilities.

“Looking ahead, the next step is to analyze newer data sets,” Dror said. “The datasets we used were primarily from 2014 and 2015, and a huge number of pulsar observations have been undertaken since that time.”

Dror also plans to run simulations on mock data using UF’s HiPerGator supercomputer to further unravel cosmic history. The supercomputer can efficiently run large, complex simulations, significantly reducing the time required to analyze data.

Read the full study here.

This study was supported in part by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.

 

Firewood Displays Are So Popular, Even Gas-Fireplace Owners Want In

A woman sits in a office setting surrounded by space themed materials

Astrobiologist Amy Williams shows young women in STEM that the sky is the limit

Dolphin spotted ‘playing with his food’ in Florida video. Why they do it.

A Florida earthquake? Really? Initial skepticism gives way to science. Here’s why

Young Earth-like planet with lava oceans spotted near the Big Dipper

UF announces 10th Gates Cambridge Scholar

Floridian sentiment continues upward tick for fifth month

Consumer sentiment increased for a fifth month in a row in February, reinforcing the optimistic outlook set at the beginning of the year.

Five students dressed in yellow and the iconic Two Bits tie hold a "Thank You" sign in front of the Turlington rock.

CLAS celebrates this year’s Gator Nation Giving Day impact

Generosity ignites the college’s continued success and innovation

This year, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences celebrated a successful Stand Up & Holler: Gator Nation Giving Day, highlighting the generosity of our donors who invested more than $1.5 million to support programs and initiatives benefitting students, faculty and staff throughout the college.

Gator Nation Giving Day brings together the UF community, including alumni, parents, students, donors, faculty, and staff, in a spirited 24-hour fundraising campaign. This year marked the university’s sixth event, held on Feb. 15, where supporters were encouraged to contribute to their preferred areas of interest within UF.

Dean David E. Richardson emphasized the importance of Giving Day in not only generating financial support for student success but also fostering a culture of philanthropy within the CLAS community around the college’s many outstanding programs.

Giving Day unites our community in a shared mission of support and generosity,” he said. “It’s more than fundraising; it’s about cultivating a spirit of partnership with our alumni and friends.”

CLAS received over 1,000 gifts from 825 donors and successfully met three giving challenges.

These contributions will help the college in a variety of ways, from providing students with new learning opportunities to funding faculty research and projects across campus. Donor-supported initiatives included:

Enhanced experiential learning opportunities:

  • The Department of Biology’s Experiential Learning Fund will support experimental teaching methods with an intensive Semester of Immersion program, offering hands-on learning through fieldwork, research, and intensive class sessions.
  • Beyond120, the college’s flagship experiential learning program, received tremendous support which will transform learning opportunities outside of the classroom, including internships, excursions, and mentorship connections.

Outreach that makes a difference:

  • The Department of Physics’ Unrestricted Fund, which raised over $2,500, will allow for expanded engagement in physics teaching and research with support for the recruitment of faculty and graduate students, group activities, and community engagement events.
  • The Bud Shorstein Center for Jewish Studies will use funding to host public programs and to help create a warm environment for Jewish students, faculty, and staff at UF.
  • The funds raised by the Department of Astronomy will support the enrichment of programming, including colloquia by noted astronomers, career talks by alumni, and recognition awards for outstanding student engagement.

Expanded student experiences:

  • The Bob Graham Center for Public Service will use funding to cultivate civic leadership by immersing aspiring public service professionals in internship pipelines.
  • The Center for African Studies will expand its student and community outreach efforts by engaging in extracurricular activities that promote community building and public programming.
  • The Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies plans to support its student and faculty scholarship programs, creating more opportunities to host public events and travel for conferences.

Support for graduate student and faculty teaching:

  • The Department of History’s Bridget Phillips Term Professor Fund saw over $22,000 raised toward the establishment of a term professorship.
  • The Department of Economics encouraged support for one of their highest awards for doctoral students: the Lawrence Kenny Graduate Student Teaching Award. This award recognizes doctoral students for their impact on undergraduate education and teaching.

Financial support for students:

  • The Sociology and Criminology & Law Lanza-Kaduce Scholarship Fund will provide scholarships to undergraduate or graduate students with financial need and preference to first-generation students who have worked in public service or whose families are public servants.
  • The Geology Department Fund will enhance graduate student stipends with the funds raised on Giving Day, improve Department of Geological Sciences facilities, and sponsor distinguished seminar speakers.

Older adults rely more on trust in decision making. It could open them up to scams.

University of Florida buildings

UF moves up to second place in top producer ranking of Fulbright US scholars

The larger of the two observatories opens its roof to allow those inside to look at the sky.

UF’s Rosemary Hill Observatory offers a rare view of the night sky

Far away from the light pollution of big cities, Rosemary Hill is the perfect place to stargaze for residents of North Central Florida.

Located in the heart of the largest dark area of North Florida, the Rosemary Hill Observatory stands quietly in a forest near the small town of Bronson. Tucked away from the bright lights of Gainesville, this UF satellite facility offers students and astronomy enthusiasts alike a rare view of the night sky, unsullied by the effects of light pollution.

Compared to some of the massive observatories designed to peer into deep space, the facilities at Rosemary Hill may seem unassuming at first. There are only three buildings there: two small, domed towers housing telescopes and a small lodge near the main road. These modest structures, however, boast some impressive technology.

While the advanced equipment is primarily used by UF astronomy students for academic purposes, the observatory also serves the greater Gainesville and Bronson communities at large. The Department of Astronomy regularly collaborates with local clubs and astronomy enthusiasts to host stargazing events and meteor shower watch parties on the grounds. The Department has started hosting its own events, too, offering visitors from Bronson, Gainesville, and other nearby towns tours of the towers and talks on astronomical topics like light pollution.

“It is a rare gem in the heart of North Florida,” Elizabeth Lada, chair of the Department of Astronomy, explained. “As one of the few observatories in the eastern US with minimal light pollution, it not only serves a vital learning ground for students, providing hands-on experience and training, but also invites the broader community to connect with the wonders of the cosmos.”

The larger of the two observatory towers stands atop the hill and houses the older and larger of the two telescopes. This 30-inch-wide Tinsley telescope was installed way back in 1967, the same year the observatory was built, and has received regular repairs and upgrades over its nearly 60-year lifespan.

Francisco Reyes, an associate scientist emeritus for the Department of Astronomy, oversees operations at Rosemary Hill. According to Reyes, operating the larger telescope is a team effort, as despite being upgraded over the years, the large telescope still must be manually moved, framed, and focused.

Francisco Reyes explains how the 30-inch telescope works to a group of visitors.
Francisco Reyes explains how the 30-inch telescope works to a group of visitors. Photo by Michel Thomas.

“Students work in teams of three to four to operate it,” Reyes explained. “We usually let graduate students lead the teams to give them a chance to share their expertise.”

Operating a large, manual telescope takes a lot of time and trial and error, but for students, the experience is invaluable. In order to get a photo, they must identify the object they wish to photograph, rotate the telescope to point in that direction, focus the lens on the object, and get the lighting and focus just right.

“It can take up to an hour and a half to get just one great photo,” Reyes said.

The interior of the 30-inch telescope, with a large mirror and several electrical components.
The interior of Rosemary Hill’s 30-inch telescope. Photo by Michel Thomas.

If students are patient, though, the photos they take at Rosemary Hill are stunning. Visitors to Rosemary Hill can find a small gallery of photos from over the years in the larger tower’s lobby. Some of these photos even date back to the 1970’s and 80’s, showcasing the observatory’s rich history.

The second observatory tower is a short walk down the hill, and houses a smaller 14-inch wide Meade telescope within. This telescope, unlike the Tinsley, is brand new, having been installed in 2021 thanks to a Tech grant championed by Astronomy Professor Anthony Gonzalez. Also, unlike the larger telescope, this is a digital telescope and can be turned and focused using a controller. It can even be used remotely, even allowing remote operation from UF’s campus. However, the complexity of its internal components makes regular maintenance and upgrades on the Meade telescope challenging, especially in the humid Florida climate, where mold growth poses a threat.

A black and white photo of Rosemary Hill's larger tower, with the night sky dotted with stars in the background.
Photo by Michel Thomas.

Despite these operational challenges, Lada expresses optimism about the strong turnout at recent public events and hopes to continue fostering a connection between the observatory and the communities it serves.

“I hope that we can continue to share the magic of stargazing under these dark skies with our students and the community for many generations to come,” said Lada.

For more information on the Astronomy Department’s public events, visit their website here:

Can we create the molecules of life?

front cover of Ytori magazine, showing intersecting lines in graphic art

Explore Our New Issue of Ytori Magazine

Woman stands in front of a bookcase

UF awards Hilliard-Nunn posthumous promotion to master lecturer

Patricia Hilliard-Nunn, who inspired students in the African American Studies Program at the University of Florida and led a truth and reconciliation effort focused on the troubling history of racial violence in Alachua County before her death in August 2020, has been posthumously promoted to master lecturer.

“To my knowledge, no faculty member at UF has been promoted posthumously before now,” said DAVID RICHARDSON, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “I’m grateful that Provost Scott Angle and Danaya Wright, the president of the Faculty Senate, found a path to move this forward.”

Hilliard-Nunn, who earned her PhD in mass communications from Florida State University, used her scholarship to explore the history of racial violence in North Central Florida, documenting the extra-judicial killing of a group of people in Newberry in 1916. Active beyond the UF campus, she shared that history of violence during the Jim Crow era through programs in Gainesville-area schools, churches and at civic events.

She founded the Makare African Dance Family and was an independent media producer, artist, dancer, and advocate for social justice. A statue in her honor has been erected outside the Alachua County Courthouse in downtown Gainesville, a site where previously a statue of a Confederate soldier had been placed following Reconstruction from the Civil War.

Hilliard-Nunn’s promotion process from senior lecturer to master lecturer had begun before her death but had not been completed.

“This is the top rank in the Lecturer title series, analogous in the ranks of professors to full professor,” said Dean Richardson. “It recognizes mastery, eminence, and impact,” he said.

“Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn’s impact on the African American Studies program was monumental,” said VINCENT ADEJUMO, senior lecturer in the program. “She was an excellent teacher of the discipline and cared deeply for her students. She also was very talented as a film maker, producing several projects for the program and was extraordinary in creating unique events that made a lifetime impact on those who attended.”

“I think a lot of people are happy to see this has been accomplished,” said Kenneth Nunn, Hilliard-Nunn’s husband, professor emeritus in the UF Levin College of Law and visiting professor at Howard University School of Law. “She put a lot of work into this promotion even as her health was declining,” he said.

“UF has honored students who have made the transition before their graduation by awarding posthumous degrees. I think it is a good thing that UF can do this for staff and faculty who make the transition while still employed,” Nunn said.

Nunn said some of his students now at Howard University studied under his wife. “They tell me she inspired them and helped them find their academic path while at UF.”

Nunn called his wife a “public intellectual” who sought ways to bring her scholarship beyond the bounds of the campus and into the community. “She modeled behavior that pierced the town-gown divide,” he said.

NKwanda Jah, founding director of the Cultural Arts Coalition of Gainesville, recalled the energy and expertise Hilliard-Nunn shared with the community surrounding UF. “She was qualified for any posting at the university, but she used her time working in East Gainesville to bring people together. She had great vision,” Jah said.

UF Psychology’s Vivian Ibañez tackles pediatric feeding disorders with cultural compassion

Vivian Ibañez understands the power of food. It’s a vital element for survival, but it’s more than mere sustenance. It serves as a cultural anchor, shaping identity and fostering a sense of belonging. Immigrants, including Ibañez, often find food to be a stabilizing force, offering a powerful pathway back to their roots.

“Food is a big reminder of where we come from,” Ibañez said. “It’s one of our strongest links to home.”

Despite the universal importance of food, the intricacies of eating are often overlooked. Proper nourishment is not a given for everyone, especially for children with severe feeding challenges. These disorders, surprisingly common among children, can have profound impacts on physical and emotional development if not addressed.

Decoding Behavior

Ibañez, a research assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, specializes in navigating the complex challenges faced by families grappling with feeding disorders. As part of her role, she oversees a pediatric feeding disorders clinic at the Florida Autism Center, a division of BlueSprig, in collaboration with the UF Health Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment.

To tackle these challenges, Ibañez and her colleagues employ applied behavior analysis, a branch of natural science rooted in the belief that behavior is influenced by the environment, and modifying it is key to behavioral change.

Everything is backed by data. “That’s part of why I fell in love with this field — because it’s based on objective decisions,” Ibañez said. “I spend all day looking at the graphs and data points,” she said. Ibañez and her team develop assessments of each patient’s behaviors, linking that information to individualized treatment plans.

Ibañez stresses that while feeding disorders and eating disorders may sound similar, they’re quite distinct. Eating disorders typically involve body image issues, whereas children with feeding disorders exhibit food refusal or selectivity for other reasons.

a professional woman holds up a card with mouths on it to demonstrate.
Photo by Michel Thomas.

These families are not just dealing with picky eaters. Many of Ibañez’s patients are born prematurely, lacking the fully developed anatomy required for coordinated feeding processes. This early difficulty in eating can lead to aversions, setting the stage for future challenges these children will face.

During the critical period of weight gain, if feeding by mouth proves difficult, a gastronomy (G) tube may be inserted. While life-saving, this intervention may not provide opportunities to practice eating by mouth, perpetuating a cycle of disinterest and difficulties with eating.

Ibañez likens feeding disorders to negative dining experiences that can dissuade us from revisiting a restaurant or ordering a particular dish again. “You’ve developed this association that the last time I ordered this, I didn’t feel good, so I’m not going to do that again,” she said. “A similar cycle develops for some kids.”

Feeding disorders also often manifest in children with developmental disabilities, such as autism, where restrictive and repetitive behaviors can impact diet. From a feeding standpoint, Ibañez explains, many of these children get stuck in patterns of only eating foods of a certain color or texture.

“I have had patients, some as old as eight years old, and all they eat is Goldfish,” she said. “Although these kids are eating, we know their nutritional status will be greatly impacted. So, you can understand how once a child has a feeding difficulty, it exacerbates other medical symptoms.”

A Life-Changing Feeding Program

Similar to most ailments, Ibañez acknowledges, there’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for feeding disorders. The pediatric feeding disorders clinic offers a comprehensive, 12-week intensive program that involves daily therapies, incorporating feeding evaluations and personalized treatment during meals.

“We often describe our services as a last-stop shop,” Ibañez said. “Our program is for children who have had at least three months of therapy with minimal to no progress in their oral feeding and are not gaining weight, maintaining hydration, or meeting their nutritional needs.”

Upon admission to the clinic, each child receives individualized goals. Typical examples include diversification of foods eaten, a shortening of the timeframe of meals, and a reduction in challenging behaviors. A team of therapists and students work with each patient to help them reach their goals.

“We give them back their eating skills, teaching them positive associations with food,” she said. Ibañez calls their intensive program a “life-changing experience for families.” After successful completion of the program, the goal is to transition families to a follow-up service until the child is an age-typical eater.

100% of patients achieve their feeding goals

Goals are individualized. They range from diversification of diet to a reduction in time it takes to finish a meal.

The structure and approach at UF’s clinic is new to the state. “Before its establishment, most families had to go out of state for treatments,” she said, noting the burden caused by limited access to such services. “I worked with one family who had been forced to take out a second mortgage in hopes of decreasing their child’s dependence on a gastrostomy tube for daily nutrition.”

As Ibañez welcomes her own first child into the world, she’s excited about the ways it will help her relate more closely to her patients and their families. “People always say you don’t know until you have your own kid,” she said. “For so long, I’ve relied on my educational background, and I anticipate that going through my own experiences with feeding my son will give me even more of a perspective of what parents are going through. I hope that it’ll just make me an even better practitioner.”

From Heritage to Healing

Ibañez’s personal connection to food traces back to a childhood home filled with the aroma of traditional Guatemalan dishes. Since her family immigrated to the States when Ibañez was just two years old, it might’ve been easy for her to forget or feel disconnected from her Guatemalan heritage. But her parents made sure she identified with her culture through many avenues, including food.

“Food took on a special meaning to me early on,” she said. “Despite being far away from home, my mom cooked a lot of recipes that reminded us of our culture.”

This connection fueled Ibañez’s interest in pediatric feeding disorders during her training at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, affiliated with the Johns Hopkins Medical institutions in Baltimore, Maryland. The experience served as her introduction to developmental disabilities and applied behavior analysis. While working at the hospital and studying at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, she encountered children grappling with feeding difficulties for the first time.

“I found these challenges really interesting, especially given the importance of food across the lifespan and cultures,” she recalls. “I was working with children who had really complex medical histories that made eating really painful.”

As she finished up her PhD at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2017, UF Professor of Psychology Timothy Vollmer recruited Ibañez to join his team as a postdoctoral researcher. She was drawn by the opportunity to establish a new service from the ground up, alongside a practitioner she highly regarded.

“UF is known around the world for its behavior analysis program,” Ibañez said. “Vollmer recognized that we have this strong program, but not the specialty services to match.”

Building Dreams

Discussions about establishing a center, and a specialized feeding clinic as one part of this center, began to take shape. “It seems like it all happened quickly, but really this is a dream that a lot of people had for many, many years,” Ibañez said.

A few weeks before COVID caused widespread shutdowns across the globe, UF Health cut the ribbon to its groundbreaking Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, which formally established a private-public partnership between the Florida Autism Center and UF. The Center comprises several specialty clinics that house short-term intensive therapy, including the pediatric feeding disorders clinic.

Today, Ibañez collaborates closely with Vollmer and another of his former students, Kerri Peters. Peters, now a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and administrative director of the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, spearheads much of the coordination with professionals across the university to develop and refine the center’s services with a multidisciplinary approach.

“It’s very important for us to be able to communicate across college, across departments, and disciplines,” Peters said.

Looking ahead, the three practitioners are energized by the opportunities to expand integration with providers and collaborate with talent across UF. “It’s the obvious place to put together a very coordinated effort,” Vollmer said. The team anticipates further integration into the university healthcare system, aiming to provide an increasingly comprehensive service.

Vivian Ibañez and her team of postdoctoral associates and trainees. Photo by Michel Thomas.

The team is also heavily focused on educating the next generation of leaders in pediatric healthcare. Each patient has a two-to-one staffing, which offers many UF undergraduate students the chance to gain hands-on clinical experience with Ibañez and her team.

“My biggest joy is teaching hands-on with the patients,” Ibañez said. “I enjoy bringing students in and showing them how the things they’re learning in textbooks look in real life.”

The clinic emphasizes “training the trainer,” empowering students to replicate the specialized services elsewhere. Since there are only a handful of training centers with this expertise in the United States, the ultimate goal is to advance future care, providing families with broader access to these resources nationally and globally.

Celebrating Milestones

The clinic’s outcomes speak for themselves: 100% of the children treated in the clinic have met their individual goals. “All of these kids leave here eating at some level, drinking at some level,” Ibañez said. “I’m happy to say that our data show that we’ve been highly successful.”

plastic bowls and cups fill a table during a feeding session, showing the soft foods, drinks, and specialized tools used for feeding
A typical set-up for a feeding session includes soft foods, drinks, and specialized tools for feeding. Photo by Michel Thomas.

The accompanying health benefits are also clear. As eating and nutrition improve, many of Ibañez’s patients gain weight, and their g-tubes are taken out. “You can see the changes in their features,” she said. “They look healthier, and a lot of the kids who struggle in other areas like speech or toileting are making related improvements while in our program.”

Many “firsts” happen in the clinic, but one holds the top rank in Ibañez’s mind. “It never gets old watching a parent be able to successfully feed their child for the first time,” she said. “For us to be able to give that experience back to parents is so special. We’re all about helping the families.”

Learn more about UF’s Behavior Analysis Research Clinic here.

Read more from the Fall/Winter 2023 issue of Ytori magazine.