Adolfo and Marisela Cotilla have designed more than buildings at Nova Southeastern University (NSU). The couple has built long-lasting friendships and a legacy of learning, outreach, and support.
Adolfo Cotilla, M.A., M.F.A., an architect, is president and CEO of ACAI Associates. The Fort Lauderdale firm was hired by NSU in 1993 to design the Health Professions Division campus. Since then, ACAI has participated in the architecture design and related services at several NSU projects, including the Dental Simulation Lab, the Horvitz Administration Building, the Oceanographic Center, and NSU regional campuses.
The Cotillas are passionate about education. They are patrons of the arts. One of the couple’s first gifts to NSU was to establish a library outreach room “where people have a sense of a place to learn,” Adolfo said.
Today, the Adolfo and Marisela Cotilla Gallery–named in their honor–is a showcase for revolving exhibitions, art and photography, historical and cultural events, and performance space. The gallery reflects the couple’s dual passion for the arts and education. It is located on the second floor of the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center.
Born in Cuba, Adolfo and Marisela left the island as children in 1961. They met as teen-agers living in Miami, and married while Adolfo was a student at the University of Florida, where he earned a Master of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in Architecture.
“I’ve always regarded education as a passion and with an understanding because I grew up in a family of educators,” said Adolfo, whose mother was a Catholic schoolteacher at the Archdiocese of Miami. “Many of my aunts and uncles and my mom and grandmother were all educators. It was second nature for me.”
“When your parents come to this country and you are a refugee, there are a few things that you bring with you,” Marisela said. “The one thing that is foremost in determining what your future will be is education. Regardless of what happens in the country where you were born, or what happens in the chaos of that time, education is the one thing that no one can take away. That, to us, was critical.”
Among other gifts, the Cotillas have established an endowment to provide scholarships to students at NSU’s Health Professions Division. They are long-time supporters of the Alvin Sherman Library. They have donated gifts in support of NSU signature events, including the Celebration of Excellence, Bal Fantastique, and other special fundraisers.
“Somewhere along the line, a bridge was built where NSU became part of our family,” Marisela said. “For us, NSU is not only where we donate–it’s about what we support and the friendships we’ve built. It is something that we treasure and we feel blessed to be part of something like this.”