Beating the Heat

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INNOVATION

Was it hot enough for you this summer? One researcher at the University of Florida wants to get a better understanding of how to make popular tourist areas around the state more comfortable during the hottest times.

Yi Luo, an assistant professor in the University of Florida’s College of Design, Construction and Planning, studies microclimates — a term used to describe climate conditions in a relatively small area, particularly when the climate there is different from the area surrounding it. Temperature, humidity, solar radiation, wind and precipitation all can make a difference in a microclimate.

Urban setting features such as dense buildings, extensive pavement and a lack of vegetation can contribute to a more uncomfortable microclimate, Luo says.

Luo has worked with designers at the St. Pete Pier and Mallory Square in Key West to study their microclimates and pinpoint how to make visitors more comfortable. “At St. Pete Pier, I know the designers intentionally incorporated features such as extended roofs and a tilted lawn to provide shade for people,” she says.

Luo continues to work with designers at Mallory Square to create a more comfortable environment within its microclimate. Features such as shade trees, overhead structures and pavement materials, and colors that reflect solar radiation can make a hot microclimate easier to bear, she says.

HEALTH CARE

• Mayo Clinic of Jacksonville has opened its Community Health Collaborative office in downtown Jacksonville in a 3,100-sq.-ft. space. The collaborative will focus on community health education, clinical trial participation and outreach; it will not offer medical care.
• Scott Kashman has been named president of Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside in Jacksonville. He was previously market president for St. Dominic Health Services and CEO of St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, Miss.
• Wolfson Children’s Hospital has received a $100,000 grant as part of the program Preventing Youth Suicide: A Cardinal Health Foundation National Collaborative. The program aims to help hospitals better identify and take care of young people at risk for suicide.
• Baptist Health of Jacksonville has launched the Motherhood Space program to support pregnant and new moms with postpartum depression. The program meets three times a week and is led by a group of psychologists specializing in perinatal mental health.

EDUCATION

• The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida has established the Florida Semiconductor Institute. The institute will assist with the state’s research and development in the semiconductor industry and help build its semiconductor workforce.
• Edward Waters University, a historically Black university, has reached its second highest enrollment in almost 20 years with a fall enrollment of 1,175 students, which included a 4.3% increase in new students compared to the 2022 fall semester. Overall, student enrollment has increased 26% since 2019.
• Jacksonville University has opened its 30,000-sq.-ft. STEAM Institute, which offers interdisciplinary studies in science, technology, engineering, the arts and math. The STEAM Institute also includes labs for fintech, robotics and cyber forensics, as well as a film studio.

CANNABIS

• Planet 13 of Las Vegas is purchasing the Jacksonville-based medical marijuana company VidaCann in a $48.9-million deal. VidaCann operates 26 dispensaries in Florida along with a distribution and growing facility and claims to be the ninthlargest dispensary network in the state. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024.

FINANCIAL

• Emily Dawkins, formerly north Florida regional president for Truist Financial Corp. in Jacksonville, has stepped down from her role. Steve Fisher now oversees the north Florida region.
• John Hirabayashi is retiring as CEO of Community First Credit Union. He had been CEO since 1996, when it was known as Educational Community Credit Union. A search for his replacement is ongoing; Hirabayashi will remain there until mid-2024, when a successor is named.

NON-PROFITS

• The Jacksonville-based Wounded Warrior Project announced the retirement of CEO Michael Linnington starting in January. Linnington became CEO in 2016 after he retired from the Army as a lieutenant general. The board of directors is searching for a successor.

TRANSPORTATION

• The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is exploring the feasibility of creating a commuter rail connection from Jacksonville to St. Augustine. The JTA held a series of workshops earlier this year to discuss possibilities with residents. A timeline and cost analysis are still in the works.

Tags: Northeast, Feature