Welcome back, everyone.

Doesn’t it feel like summer just began? How fast it turns to fall! I hope everyone enjoyed fun, relaxation, and safe travels. I thought I would catch you up on some happenings from this summer.

I hope many of you were able to attend one of the sea turtle releases coordinated by NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography. These very special events, held in the months of July and August, allow participants to observe the hatchlings’ journey from the beach to the ocean.  This year, we had about 300 people participate.

Consider that Florida accounts for 70 percent of the nation’s sea turtle nesting, and Southeast Florida ranks second in the world for the most important nesting areas for loggerhead sea turtles. Broward County is a consistent nesting area for three species–the loggerhead, green sea turtle, and leatherback sea turtle.

As many of you know, NSU contracts with Broward County to manage the Sea Turtle Conservation Program, which helps protect and assist threatened sea turtle species within Broward County. We are so proud of their good work!

Welcoming New NSU Sharks:

This year NSU saw the largest incoming freshman class in its history, with more than 1,900 new students. This is an increase of 21 percent over last year’s record-breaking class and a sharp contrast to the national average, which is currently seeing a decline in enrollment. In the new class, approximately 60 percent of students are from Florida, 35% hail from out-of-state and 5 percent are international. This freshman class represents 34 countries and 40 states/territories, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and is a reflection of NSU’s diverse student population.

Our success in attracting new students is testament that NSU provides a clearly defined edge over the competition.

Supporting Communities:

As you may know, Hurricane Dorian, which made landfall in The Bahamas as a Category 5 storm, left behind heartbreaking damage to the homes of thousands of NSU alumni, students, and families. In difficult times, the NSU community bonds together to provide support and aid to help impacted individuals. We have already raised $5,000 to help our NSU family.

The NSU Cares fund helps students, alumni, and employees who are most in need of assistance, helping impacted individuals return to a sense of normalcy in these most difficult times.

Celebrating Another Milestone:

On September 14, 2019 NSU celebrated the grand opening of the new Tampa Bay Regional Campus in Clearwater. The new campus was made possible through a generous donation by Drs. Kiran C. and Pallavi Patel of $230 million to NSU – $80 million in gifts and a $150 million investment in real estate and facilities to build the facility. The Tampa Bay Regional Campus is home to a vast array of programs—in nursing, psychology, health care sciences, and education, among others. It also serves as site for NSU’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The Tampa Bay Regional Campus will focus on providing dynamic, personalized, multidisciplinary education for graduates who want to become leaders. These NSU graduates will enter the workforce as capable, confident, and caring professionals.

Honoring Donors:

November is when we induct new members into NSU’s Fellows Society. Members of the Fellows Society include individuals, corporations, foundations, and trusts, whose cumulative giving to NSU exceeds $50,000. I look forward to welcoming these generous donors to the NSU family at this gala event.

Thank you for your continued friendship and support. I hope to see each of you very soon.

Sincerely,

Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, Ph.D.
Vice President
Advancement and Community Relations