Antonio Rull

Senior Freshman Direct Admit nursing student Antonio Rull will participate in an important study led by Dr. Rebecca Koszalinski, associate professor in the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, as a research assistant.

“I hired Antonio because he literally approached me with intellectual curiosity and asked for an opportunity,” shared Dr. Koszalinski. “We have great students at FAU, but it is rare for an undergraduate to seek learning opportunities along with their coursework. That was really all I needed to know.”

Among his job responsibilities are to help Dr. Koszalinski prepare for and assist with Research Day, an event where BSN, PhD and DNP students and faculty to present their research and clinical projects held each fall. Next semester, he’s eager to join her research team that is performing a first-of-its-kind evaluation of both the short-term and potential long-term health effects of harmful agal blooms among Florida residents.

“In the College of Nursing, there are many opportunities available for students to work with faculty members on projects we normally would not see in a class/lecture setting,” said Rull. “These opportunities have a wide range of clinical applications that go well beyond what we would typically encounter working at a hospital.“

Outside of the classroom and lab, Rull is an active member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and the Student Nurses Association. Earlier this year, he also played the trumpet in Florida Atlantic University’s Marching Owls band.

Rull chose to pursue a degree in nursing because of his mother, who is a registered nurse. Growing up, he was always eager to hear the stories she would share with him every day.

“My mom would come home and tell me how she hard she’d worked, but that interactions with her patients would make her hard day worth it,” stated Rull. “Just as my mother did, I hope to care for those who need an extra hand with their health.”

Following his anticipated graduation in May 2024, Rull plans to return to his hometown of Tampa. He hopes to work as either an operating room or intensive care unit nurse.