The ROCK Stars

Maria F. Loffredo Roca, Ph.D., Director, ROCK, is Chair of the Department of Integrated Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. She has her Ph.D. in Media Ecology from New York University, her M.A. in Performing Arts Management also from NYU, and her B.A. in Interpersonal and Public Communication from Purdue University. She is a GreenFaith Fellow and served as the Director of the GreenFaith Inspirations project from its inception in December of 2017 until March of 2020. A founding faculty member of FGCU, Dr. Roca has been recognized for her work with the Professor of the Year Award from Florida Gulf Coast University (1997-1998), two-time recipient of FGCU’s McTarnaghan Award for Excellence in Teaching (2002-2003; 2015-2016), the Faculty Award for Service Excellence (2001-2002), and the Chair Excellence Award (2018-2019). In 2015 she was presented with the Rachel Carson Award for distinguished service to the field of environmental and sustainability education. She has trained with the Center for the Contemplative Mind in Higher Education. She oversees the Roots of Compassion and Kindness (ROCK) project at FGCU, partnering college students with elementary and middle school students in the teaching of compassion, empathy and kindness. She serves on the Board of the RESET SWFL Center and directs RESET’s Earth Moments project. Maria is the mother of one daughter, Alissa, who is a professional opera singer.

Joy Paluska Heaps joined the ROCK Center as the Program Coordinator in July of 2024. Joy holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Iowa and a Juris Doctorate from the City University of New York School of Law at Queens College. Joy brings over two decades of experience working in civil rights, legal aid, disaster recovery, and child advocacy. She also served as a highly rewarded civil servant under two Presidential Administrations from 2010-2018 at the Executive Office of the President. While at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Joy managed outreach related to children on the autism spectrum and created the first-ever Tribal Fellowship Program to ensure geographic, professional, and tribal diversity to help inform NCMEC’s advocacy and outreach. In her spare time, Joy works diligently on her golf game with her husband.

Jenna Pick joined the ROCK Center as the Outreach Coordinator in August 2024. Jenna graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Studies, with a minor in Gender Studies, from Florida Gulf Coast University. During her time as a student, she served as a course assistant in The Contemplative Life course offered at the university, where she taught meditation, self-compassion, and mindfulness to students. Her academic background also included extensive learning in interpersonal communication, which she applies in her outreach work to cultivate meaningful connections and create supportive environments. Jenna’s passion for promoting well-being, compassion, and kindness guides her efforts at the ROCK Center, where she is dedicated to helping individuals access the resources and support they need to succeed.

I have been teaching at the elementary level for 27 years in Collier County Public Schools and am passionate about teaching and learning as well as infusing technology into lessons for younger students. This led me to seek and earn my Master's Degree in Educational Technology from FGCU which I completed in 2010. I began teaching the Foundations of Civic Engagement course at FGCU in Spring 2022, and in the Fall 2023 semester partnered with ROCK to complete a whole class service-learning project with Laurel Oak Elementary in Naples where I teach third grade. I have continued the partnership each semester since, having FGCU students serve as tutors and mentors and work to spread kindness and compassion through fun and engaging lessons and activities with younger students.

Dr. Andrea Fortin is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Florida Gulf Coast University in the department of Integrated Studies. She earned her PhD in Communication at the University of South Florida where she also obtained a Graduate Certificate in Instructional Technology: Distance Learning. Her MA is in Public Communication from Fordham University in NYC. While she lived in New York, she was a producer for the radio show Cityscape on the local NPR station, WFUV. She is a native Floridian and received her Bachelor's degrees in Communication and English from Florida Gulf Coast University. Her current research interests are related to gaming, digital culture, community, kindness, compassion, and empathy. Dr. Fortin is also committed to meaningful community work. She works with the FutureMakers Coalition of SouthWest Florida, and you can learn more about the Career Pathways project here. Additionally, she volunteers her time at a local middle school to teach students communication skills through games such as Dungeons and Dragons. Dr. Fortin is also a yoga teacher (200RYT). She enjoys long walks with her dog, traveling with her husband, gaming, reading, and writing. 

I joined the ROCK Center in the spring of 2024 and currently teach The Compassionate Life, partnering with United Way schools to teach compassion, kindness, and empathy. My students explore the roots of such topics and learn how to integrate newfound knowledge into the community through academic study, real-world practice, and service learning. I am committed to fostering compassion, empathy, and kindness by empowering students to create positive change. My why is to inspire students by sharing my passion and creating a dynamic, impactful learning environment with opportunities for community engagement. In addition, I am graduating in December 2024 with my Doctoral Degree in Organizational Leadership.

Dr. Andrea Lynn is an inaugural member of the ROCK team and adjunct faculty in the department of Integrated Studies. She designs courses that connect the concepts of self-compassion, compassion for one another, and compassion for our Earth home by centralizing the following question: Survival of the fittest, or of the most compassionate? She and her students delve into answering this inquiry each semester, situating in service-learning as they navigate the ideals of coexistence and interconnectedness from an integrated humanities and natural sciences lens.

Meg is the Director of Scholarly Innovation and Student Research at FGCU and a comp instructor for the School of ROCK. Come see her if you're interested in working with local schools on research or family literacy! Her current research investigates gamifying pedagogy (the grown-up way to say, "playing games in class!") and tracing the representations of empathy in children's literature. Meg served as ROCK's project manager, and prior to that, she taught in the SUNY system for sixteen years, creating courses in children's and young adult literatures, British literature, composition, and Career Prep for English Majors, publishing two scholarly monographs (X Marks the Spot: Women Writers Map the Empire for British Children, 1790-1895, Ohio UP; Gaming Empire in Children's British Board Games, 1836-1860, Routledge), and winning a Chancellor's Award for Excellence in College Teaching. 

Professor Norman has over 16 years of teaching experience and was Department Chair for the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences at St. Petersburg College for 12 years.  She now enjoys a fulltime faculty position at SPC as well as being a member of FGCU’s ROCK center and adjunct faculty, teaching HUM 1020 focusing on Kindness/Compassion/Empathy.

Rita Rubin

My current work with The Integrated Education and Partnerships and the ROCK Center gives me professional happiness with the hope of making a kind and compassionate difference in our world. As a “seasoned” educator, I have taught K-12 general and special education students and have experience as a principal and curriculum coordinator. In higher education, I have taught undergraduate and graduate courses and been an academic advisor and college administrator. My personal joy comes from spending time with my Mom, family, friends, and through volunteer work with many animal rescues.