A little more than a month into 2024 and we have a wealth of stories to share with you. At the end of last year, NSU received confirmation of our accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. This notification recognizes the university as an institution of quality and distinction. NSU also renamed the College of Pharmacy the Barry and Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy to recognize the Silverman’s transformational gift to the university intended to enhance the growth and continued impact of NSU’s pharmacy program.

In January, NSU welcomed Richard James, former chief development officer for HCA Healthcare’s East Florida Division, to the role of NSU Health’s chief strategy and operations officer. James will develop and manage NSU Health’s growth and oversight. We also received word that Fitch Ratings upgraded NSU’s Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘A’ with a ‘positive’ outlook. The upgrade reflects NSU’s favorable student enrollment trends and continued trajectory of growth in student-generated revenues.

Earlier this month, NSU honored our donors and philanthropic partners at the 25th Annual Celebration of Excellence. This event highlights the generosity surrounding our university, and the stories shared over the evening never fail to inspire.

NSU recognized new members of the Shark Circle Society, donors whose cumulative giving to the university totals $1 million or more. This year’s inductees were James and Cathy Donnelly; Milton and Barbara Jones, Barbara and Michael Landry; Michael and Lainie Zager; David and Cathy Husman; George and Jana Hanbury; Scott Colton and Michael Kelly; Dentsply Sirona; John and Eileen Doran Esler and family; David and Nancy Muskat; and Walgreens. Links to their stories and the impact they’ve made here at NSU can be found in this issue of the Donor Connection. In addition, the 2024 President’s Award for Excellence in Community Service was presented to Albert Miniaci, chief executive officer and founder of Paramount Companies, and Joel Hochberg (posthumously), co-founder of Rare Ltd., a pioneer in the gaming industry and developer of the game Donkey Kong. Enjoy a video recapping the evening’s festivities.

Did You Know?

• South Florida Business Journal named Elaine M. Wallace, D.O., M.S., M.S., M.S., M.S., dean of NSU’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, a 2023 Power Leader in Healthcare.
• The Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation recently opened a Volumetric Capture Studio (VCS). A collaboration between Sony Electronics, GeniusXR, and the Center of Innovation, the state-of-the-art studio represents a new era in immersive storytelling. It will pave the way for innovative applications of volumetric video capturing in fields such as education, health care, engineering, and more.
• The women’s basketball team recently broke a program record by extending their winning streak to 20, including an upset of the 15th-ranked University of Tampa Spartans in early January. The #16 Sharks clinched at least a share of the Sunshine State regular season conference title with their victory over Florida Southern on February 24. 

In this issue of Donor Connection, we talk with Johannes Vieweg, M.D., FACS, dean and chief academic officer of NSU’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine. Vieweg and his wife LaDonna are members of NSU’s Shark Circle Society and have made a lasting impact on the university since they arrived in Fort Lauderdale in 2016. In addition, Makena Carr, a staff member at the NSU’s Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, spotlights a new research study on the effects of long COVID. We also provide even more stats on the Sharks women’s basketball team—we’d love to see you cheer on the team at an upcoming game.

Thank you for your continued support. Fins Up!

Terry J. Mularkey, M.A.S., CFRE

Vice President for Advancement and Chief of Staff