Academic excellence. Student-centered. Integrity. Innovation. Opportunity. Scholarship/Research. Community. Diversity. These core values govern NSU’s actions, and we are grateful for your support in order to help us lift up these values. Thank you for helping us create an institution that invites conversations—even the difficult and uncomfortable ones—in times when we need to listen to our students and community in order to foster scholarly inquiry into the most difficult issues facing our society.

Dr. Hanbury addressed some of these issues in his recent letter to the NSU community. We invite you to read his message of support, and we invite you to reflect, listen, and respond with us in order to create meaningful change. We have also provided links to similar messages from the Shepard Broad College of Law, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, College of Pharmacy, and Athletics department. Student organizations across the university have also taken the time to share their support of those who are standing for justice.

Shortly after the news of George Floyd’s death sparked a national movement, NSU’s Inclusion and Diversity (ID) Council held a town forum for its volunteers. The conversation that resulted helped to inform Dr. Hanbury’s message and will serve as a catalyst for future discussion and action. We had the opportunity to talk with one of the council chairs —Robin Cooper, Ph.D., Assistant Dean for Research and Strategic Initiatives and Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution and Ethnic Studies in the NSU College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS). Dr. Cooper expressed her appreciation for honest exchange from the Inclusion and Diversity Council members and discussed some of the steps taken by the council and CAHSS to nurture the communication currently taking place.

In the upcoming days, NSU is presenting and/or hosting a variety of conversations around race, social injustice, and police reform. Please take a look at the times on our calendar and contact myself or someone on my staff if you have any questions or if you would like to participate in any of these forums.

We did also want to take a moment to highlight one or our students, Brianna Burch, and one of our Distinguished Alumni, Nilda Banchs, Pharm.D. ‘01. Brianna is an amazing young woman who is working toward her bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Neuroscience. She is also the recipient of the Milton L. and Barbara H. Jones Endowed Scholarship. Dr. Banchs owns a pharmacy in Puerto Rico, where she faces an underserved community, poverty, hurricanes, and a global pandemic. She and her team continue to serve.

Hurricane season is upon us, and our NSU Cares fund may be needed more than ever this year for students who are negatively impacted by the forces of nature. Please take a moment to learn more about the fund and contribute if you would like to do so.

Thank you again for everything that you do,

Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, Ph.D.

Vice President for Advancement and Community Relations

joa@nova.edu  |  cell: 954-647-1527