SLS 1501 -  Honors Introduction to Academic Life

Hi, my name is Dr. Jennifer Bebergal, or Dr. B! Welcome to the UHP and SLS 1501. I am excited to meet each of you as you begin your FAU journey. I started my FAU journey more than two decades ago and in addition to earning my doctorate in educational leadership, I have worked in various roles at FAU from admissions to orientation to my current home in the Center for Teaching and Learning. I am passionate about helping you succeed both inside and outside of the classroom. In our class, you will think critically, be engaged, and focus on current issues in the world and how we can each do our part to make the world a better place. On a personal note, I enjoy travel, Disney, my family, and volunteering and working for equity and social justice.

Katie lives every day full of energy, inspired to enable those around her to find their purpose and chase it with all they’ve got. She gets to do that every day while serving as Assistant Vice President of Advancement & Alumni Affairs at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Katie completed her Ph.D. in December 2017 in Higher Education Leadership, has two master’s degrees and an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice. She is associate graduate faculty at FAU and has taught in the Leadership Studies Minor and Higher Education Leadership graduate courses. Katie is an Area Facilitator for Area II with Alpha Xi Delta Fraternity and recently served as Chapter Advisor for the Theta Iota Chapter. She is the chair of the First and Proud Alumni Network and teaches group fitness classes at FAU and barre3 Boca Raton. Katie lives in Boca Raton with her husband, Mike, and their two fantastic fur babies, Charlie and Franklin.

Debbi Johnson-Rais, Ed.D., is the Senior Director of Communication and Professional Programs in the College of Engineering and Computer Science,  working in the Office of the Dean. She was previously Director of Florida Atlantic University's Scholars Program, an initiative created to recruit and provide support and programming for high-achieving students, particularly those in the medical pipeline. Debbi graduated with a Doctor of Education in Public Health Education and Promotion from Nova Southeastern University and a BA and MA in Spanish literature from the University of Oklahoma. The focus of her work has been on the training of healthcare providers, particularly with regards to medical language skills for non-native speakers.  She has also worked to develop leadership skills required to face issues in the field of healthcare. These include social justice, managed care, professionalism, disease prevention, and healthcare policy.