Thomas Tworoger: Lifelong Entrepreneur Inspires By Example

Dr. Thomas Tworoger, NSU Business EmeritusThomas Tworoger, Professor Emeritus

In special recognition of his distinguished service to NSU Florida, the Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship confers the title of Professor Emeritus on Dr. Thomas Tworoger.

Dr. Thomas Tworoger began his relationship with NSU as a student, earning two graduate degrees – M.B.A. and D.B.A. Owning and operating multiple successful entrepreneurial business ventures, he personally acknowledged that he directly benefited from the practice-based education he received at Nova Southeastern University.

Upon his retirement from these private-sector ventures, Tom joined the HCBE faculty full-time as an accomplished real-life case-study teacher in the classroom, applying a refined set of skills he acquired from Harvard Business School training.

Tworoger became the founding Chair of the Entrepreneurship, Real Estate, and Sport and Recreation Management Department. Through his leadership, a department that focused on experiential learning and quality teaching experiences for the students was born. He received the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2005 and the Students’ Choice Award for Undergraduate Professor of the Year in 2010.

“Partners are for dancing!” — Tworoger’s cautionary advice to students about working with partnersTom and his spouse, Dr. Leslie Tworoger, NSU Professor of Management, established the Tworoger Family Scholarship Fund. The fund grants awards of up to $15,000 per year to students in the Entrepreneurship graduate program who demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit, academic strength, leadership ability, and a vision to apply their degree to career goals.

Well known for his cautionary advice to students contemplating working with partners (“Partners are for dancing!”), Tom forged a harmony among faculty members across different niche programs, in which each person deeply cared about the success of the other degree programs.

In recent years, he was instrumental in creating successful experiential education initiatives and research outcomes through a Cuba-based study abroad program, the Entrepreneurship undergraduate major, and the Huizenga Business Innovation Academy, HCBE’s premier undergraduate program.