Tag: nsu feature

‘NSU Ocean’ Serves Up Environmental Message at Boat Show

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Boat show booth

Nova Southeastern University made an appearance for the first time at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, unveiling “NSU Ocean” – a hub for global ocean research, education, and workforce development related to the health and resiliency of the oceans.

NSU Ocean brings together universities, government agencies, foundations, industry partners, and other “blue economy” stakeholders to better navigate today’s challenges and secure a healthier ocean, healthier communities, and a healthier economy.

Watch the video.

Alumnus Finds Passion Through Public Health Leadership

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Hill

NSU graduate Robert Hill

With more than 200,000 alumni across 50 states and in 119 countries, NSU graduates are making an impact worldwide. Master of Public Health alumnus Robert Hill is making his mark in South Florida.

“Through my personal experiences, I knew that the field of public health makes a difference to people’s lives,” said Hill, vice president of community impact for the American Heart Association. “I had struggled with obesity and my father passed away from a heart attack, so I find it so rewarding that I get to work every day to try to make people’s lives healthier.”

Hill’s career at the American Heart Association and previously the YMCA of South Florida has focused on health and wellness. He credits NSU for providing the skills and expertise he uses to connect with the people in his community.

“My relationship with NSU is important to my professional success in public health and how effective I am at communicating with people in a way that will inspire better health through knowledge,” he said.

Hill considers it a “gift to work with families and young children struggling with health issues and give them options or create environmental changes so that they can be more empowered to make healthier choices.”

From advocating statewide change to emergency response operations to working with at-risk youth, Hill brings his message into a world where he hopes to make a difference. And that includes his alma mater, where he is often invited to speak with students and share his personal and educational journey.

The experiences that inspired Hill are unique, and he knows everyone has their own story. With his refined ability to connect with people, he works every day to improve lives in his community. That’s what attracted him to NSU.

“Passion and community are really the most important things to me,” he said. “At NSU, I found the support, the leadership, and incredible faculty that gave me the opportunity to succeed far beyond the classroom.”

NSU’s Impact Receives Several National Accolades

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WSJ Best Colleges

Whether it’s leadership in research, expertise in health care, support of Florida’s economy, or distinctive student experiences, NSU has grown to be a dominant force in higher education – and others have taken notice.

The Wall Street Journal recently named NSU to its list of America’s Best Colleges 2025. This is the first time the newspaper recognized NSU as one of the nation’s top universities. It also ranked NSU fifth in Florida in salary impact (third among privates) and second in Florida in diversity (No. 1 among privates).

Other points of Shark pride:

  • NSU is Florida’s largest, private research university and on the road to achieving preeminent credentials given to those at the forefront of research and innovation.
  • Forbes ranked NSU #23 in its list of top employers in Florida.
  • NSU is the only university in Florida with a College of Optometry.
  • U.S. News and World Report has ranked several NSU health care programs as tops in their specialty areas.
  • The Carnegie Foundation selected NSU as one of 59 universities nationwide recognized for both High Research Activity and Community Engagement.
  • The National Security Agency has included NSU among the few institutions in the country designated as both a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Cyber Defense and Cyber Research
  • NSU is one of only four U.S. universities offering allopathic medicine and osteopathic medicine colleges.
  • U.S. Department of Education criteria position NSU as the largest, private, not-for-profit Hispanic-serving institution in the country.

NSU Art Museum Now Home to ‘Surrounded Islands’ Project

Surrounding Islands

The “Surrounding Islands”

NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale will premiere in February 2025 its first exhibition of “Surrounded Islands” from the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, which includes more than 43 preparatory drawings and collages created by Christo.

The exhibit also includes photographs and photo murals, engineering surveys, environmental studies, permits, correspondence, original components such as sections of the pink fabric, scale models and other archival documents that trace the history of the project.

Following the deaths of the artist duo, Christo V. Javacheff in 2020 and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon, in 2009, NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale was chosen as guardian of the archive for the landmark installation, “Surrounded Islands: Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, 1980-83.”

The exhibition elevates the museum to a new level of worldwide significance.

NSU Receives Funding for Early Detection of Breast, Other Cancers

Check presentation

From left, President George L. Hanbury, Pharmacy Dean Michelle Clark, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and President-Elect Harry Moon

The university has received $963,000 from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to help detect genetic differences among women that may make some more vulnerable to cancers and other diseases.

“I am thrilled to announce these federal dollars headed to Nova Southeastern University for the purchase of cutting-edge instruments that will be used for the early detection of cancers and other diseases,” said breast cancer survivor U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who presented the check to NSU.

Disparities in health outcomes based on ancestry are well-established and, for most of today’s major diseases, show people of African ancestry suffer worse outcomes. African American women have a 41 percent higher breast cancer death rate than white women, even though their incidence of breast cancer is four percent lower. Other cancers and major diseases show the same trend.

“These funds will support critical research to help us recognize and understand genetic differences and enable doctors to intervene sooner with treatments,” said Dr. Harry K. Moon, president-elect, executive vice president, and chief operating officer of NSU.

Dr. Michelle Clark, dean of NSU’s Barry and Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy, noted NSU is well-positioned for this research, as South Florida is a community with a rich blend of people representing multiple cultures, countries, and socioeconomic groups.

“Through genetic and other analysis, NSU scientists will explore how differences among people at the cellular level may contribute to their likelihood to develop cancer and other diseases,” she said. “Understanding our differences will lead to better diagnoses as well as better treatment options and outcomes.”

College of Business and Entrepreneurship Honors New Hall of Famers

The H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship held its 35th annual Entrepreneur and Business Hall of Fame on Oct. 27 at the Rick Case Arena, celebrating the entrepreneurial prowess of three additional “movers and shakers” in the South Florida regional business community.

This year’s honorees reflect South Florida’s incredible business vitality, driven by wealth migration, a strong job market, profitable businesses, and promising startups. Through this event and numerous academic and research efforts, the Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship provides its students with meaningful exposure to business leaders, mentors, and alumni that can help them grow into effective leaders.

The Hall of Fame has historically celebrated the achievements and contributions of influential business leaders. Among its past recipients have been Rita Case, Guy Harvey, Terry Stiles, and H. Wayne Huizenga.

This year’s inductees:

Thomas M. McDonald moved from Ohio to Florida in 1979 and began his career at Craven Thompson & Associates, Inc. as its chief financial officer. In 1986, McDonald became president of the firm, which engages in a various land development projects including commercial, industrial, and residential projects, as well as public infrastructure projects. McDonald and his wife, Vickie, founded the McDonald Family Foundation, which supports charities associated with children’s issues and disadvantaged people in our community. The McDonalds established “The McDonald Family Endowed Scholarship Fund” in 2013 at NSU.

John E. Miller moved to South Florida from New York in 1973 and attended the University of Florida from 1980 to 1983, focusing on broadcast journalism, advertising, and business administration. In 2005, John founded Hutton Miller, LLC, a brand-building marketing firm that would achieve more than $4 billion in worldwide product sales, consistently awarded for its creativity, and hit campaigns for a diversity of clients. Miller supports charities such as the Boca West Foundation, Bound for College, Place of Hope, and the Boys and Girls Clubs.

Daniella Ortiz first came to the U.S. in 1999 from Argentina to pursue her MBA at NSU. She and her husband, Alfredo, started Daniella Ortiz, a high-end handbag and jewelry line, in 2005. Since opening their flagship boutique on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Daniella has partnered with more than 100 nonprofits around the country and helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, American Cancer Association, JAFCO, several hospitals, and shelters for abused women and children.

Conservation Crews Work Around the Clock Saving Sea Turtles

Nesting dig

Morning crew member Mikayla Twiss excavates a sea turtle nest on Fort Lauderdale Beach.

More than 140,000 sea turtle hatchlings come to life each year in Broward County, beginning a journey for survival that has a major impact on the health and economic vitality of our coastal communities and ecosystems. This year’s nesting will end in October, marking another successful season of partnership between NSU and Broward County to protect sea turtle habitats, educate and involve the public, and contribute to the sustainability of our ocean resources.

Sierra Ciciarelli

Sierra Ciciarelli, outreach and assistant field manager of Broward County, explains to onlookers sea turtle nesting and the importance of being eco-friendly.

Sea turtle conservation efforts are critical to NSU’s support and leadership in the “blue economy,” which ties the health of our oceans to the health of our economy.

As a hub for research and education, NSU helps communities make the connection between the sustainable use of ocean resources, economic growth, and quality of life. In Florida alone, it is estimated that ocean-related activities and businesses generate billions of dollars in economic value and support thousands of jobs. Sea turtle conservation is one of several NSU focus areas aligning with the blue economy. Among others: coral restoration, shark research, and marine biodiversity.

Sierra Ciciarelli, outreach and assistant field manager of Broward County, has been working with NSU teams to monitor sea turtle nesting activity along 24 miles of beaches for five seasons. Ciciarelli says turtles are an essential component of ocean health and advises the public to avoid exposing the turtles to light, keep beaches clean, and above all, avoid nesting areas.

“When hatchlings disorient,” she says, “they can find their way into unsafe places such as pools, storm drains, and roads rather than the ocean.”

NSU’s work with sea turtles is just one of many collaborative research and conservation initiatives that help support the economic and social vitality of ocean-related communities. Other areas of research and education include sea-level rise, erosion, and water quality; coral reef science and conservation; and sustainable marine practices. To learn more, visit: https://www.nova.edu/ghoc/index.html.

A Day for Children Offers Entertainment, Health Services for Families

For more than 20 years, some 100,000 residents have attended the university’s Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital – A Day for Children. Crowds returned this year for the event, which offered free and low-cost health and wellness services, education for vision, medical, speech, behavioral, and dental health, as well as physical and occupational therapy.

It’s part of NSU’s comprehensive and longstanding commitment to research, education, and community outreach efforts that recognize healthy children are more likely to grow into healthy adults.

Demonstrating this commitment to children is NSU Health, connecting families to the care they need through a single integrated, coordinated network. NSU Health specializes in pediatric services, providing centers for children’s dental care, eye care, mental health, osteopathic manipulative medicine, and hearing care. Learn more.

Among this year’s participating partners were Broward County Libraries, Boys & Girls Club of Broward County, Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Broward Healthy Start Coalition, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Flamingo Gardens, Florida Children’s Theatre, Hungry Howie’s Pizza, and South Florida Cloggers.

NSU Receives Two Milestone Accreditations

When Nova Southeastern University President and CEO George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D., unveiled NSU’s Vision, Mission, and Core Values, he challenged all the deans to work with their faculty and staff to obtain recognition from their respective accrediting bodies.

 That challenge was not only accepted, but today, we can announce that it has been met, as NSU’s H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship and Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine both earned the highest level of accreditation in their disciplines.

In the case of the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, NSU earned accreditation from AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) – the world’s largest business education alliance. With the accreditation, NSU joins the ranks of less than six percent of the world’s schools offering business degree programs. Currently, 980 institutions in 60 countries and territories have earned this prestigious accreditation, which requires a rigorous approval process. READ MORE.

As for the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, it has been granted full accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)—the nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs in the United States and Canada. Achieving this final, essential approval involved a three-step accreditation journey, which included numerous site visits spanning more than six years. The accreditation grants NSU MD the privilege of officially conferring the Doctor of Medicine degree (M.D.) and state licensure upon its student graduates. READ MORE.

Posted 02/22/23