Philanthropy. Innovation. Entrepreneurship. Commitment to community. All characteristics of NSU and our family of donors, alumni, students, faculty, and staff members. In this issue of Donor Connection, we welcome the opportunity to recognize even a few of the many contributions and achievements of the NSU community.

Board of Trustees member, Fellows Society member and NSU alumnus Paul Sallarulo (’88) serves as the chairman of the Broward Special Olympics. Read about Paul’s lifetime of community service here and consider joining the NSU community for this year’s Race for Champions on Nov. 7. All proceeds go to Special Olympics Florida/Broward County, which has its headquarters on the NSU Fort Lauderdale/Davie campus.

Fellows Society member Miles Mikolas had a stellar collegiate career at NSU, and he now plays in the major leagues as an all-star pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. His contributions to NSU’s athletic fund are being used to improve our baseball facilities, and the Annual NSU Baseball Golf Classic is now named after him. Learn more about Miles, and register for the Miles Mikolas Baseball Golf Classic, which is scheduled for December 14 at the Grande Oaks Golf Course.

Another NSU alumnus is doing his part to help keep Florida safe during the pandemic. Already this year, Thomas DeSernia (B.S. ’12) has donated more that 100,000 FACESHIELDS® to South Florida residents and first responders through his sports apparel and outerwear organization, SA Company. Fins up, Thomas. Thank you for your contribution to our community.

We are also proud to feature an initiative that is working to treat veterans who are suffering from Gulf War Illness or traumatic brain injuries. Veterans are able to start the healing process through a hyperbaric chamber treatment developed at the NSU Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine. The treatments are funded by Fellows Society members the Lozick Family Foundation and The 22 Project, an organization named for the sobering statistic that an estimated 22 veterans commit suicide every day. Learn more about The 22 Project and the work of NSU researchers here.

NSU proudly announced the scheduled opening date of the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation. The center will open in July of next year. The 54,000-square-foot space, located on the top floor of NSU’s Alvin Sherman Library, will bring together entrepreneurs, students, faculty, staff, companies, venture capitalists, angel investors, economic development experts and other creative individuals to build better people who can then build better businesses. Visit nova.edu/innovation for an in-depth look at the plans for this unique space.

I’d also like to take a moment to recognize this year’s inductees into the Entrepreneur and Business Hall of Fame. Earlier this week, a virtual ceremony was held to mark the occasion and celebrate their success. Please join me in congratulating James F. Allen, Shark Circle Fellows Society member Dan Doyle Jr., and Kristin Johnson.

Homecoming starts next week at NSU and we invite you to join us as we embark on a weeklong virtual celebration. You can find a list of events here. I’d also like to invite you to join us virtually on Tuesday, Nov. 10 for the United States Armed Forces Service Flag Monument and Plaza Dedication. We will be livestreaming the event. We’re proud to unveil this monument for all of our military students, faculty, staff, and community members. For information on naming opportunities, please contact Catie Dargue at (954) 262-2163, (954) 594-2018, or cdargue@nova.edu.

Thank you for your continued support of NSU,

Terry J. Mularkey, MAS, CFRE
Vice President, University Advancement and Chief of Staff