legacy A Magazine for Alumni and Friends
IN THIS ISSUE
Alumni Catch Bowl Fever Debate Brings National Recognition To FAU Florida’s Growing Research Coast
Creating a
Greener World SUMMER 2008
FROM THE PRESIDENT
SUMMER 2008 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 1
E D I TO R & A RT D I R E C TO R
Answering the Call for Leadership At no time in history has the leadership of academic institutions been more important than now, as our country and the world face the challenge of global warming. As you will see in this issue of legacy, Florida Atlantic University is wasting no time in stepping up to the plate. From our Mission Green initiative to our new energy-efficient buildings, FAU is working hard to model the best environmental practices. We are proud that the beautiful building that houses the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing is certified at the gold level under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED ) Rating System . In addition, the K-5 school under construction at FAU’s Pine Jog location will be Florida’s first LEED-certified President Brogan welcomes Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to the Sea Tech campus. During his energy and economic development budget address public school. The jewel in the Uni- Gov. Crist proposed substantial support of FAU’s ocean energy research project. A prototype of an underwater propeller turbine can be seen versity’s crown will be the new head- behind Gov. Crist. quarters facility of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, which is being built to the platinum standard of energy-efficiency — the highest LEED level achievable — and which will serve as a constantly evolving showcase for sustainable development. FAU is also taking giant steps in the research arena. At our recently established Center of Excellence in Ocean Energy Technology, funded by a $5 million competitive state grant, faculty researchers are working to harness the power of the Gulf Stream as an inexhaustible, nonpolluting source of energy. The success of this project could transform Florida from an energy-importing state to a leading exporter of cleanly produced energy, and it could create more than 26,000 new jobs in our area. While much has been accomplished, FAU and other universities around the world have just embarked upon what will undoubtedly be a many-faceted, decades-long effort to develop ways to turn the global warming tide. Your University is fully committed to being at the forefront of this critically important campaign. ®
Frank T. Brogan ’81 PRESIDENT
TM
Janette Robbins SENIOR EDITOR & WRITER
Linda Holtz R E S E A RC H E D I TO R
Jane Regan GRAPHIC DESIGN
Jennifer Tyson PRINTER
JKG Group A D M I N I S T R AT I O N
Randy Talbot Executive Vice President, University Advancement Executive Director, FAU Foundation, Inc.
The editorial staff invites you to send comments, letters and editorial contributions relating to Florida Atlantic University or the content of the magazine. Submissions will be reviewed and may be modified according to editorial standards. The editorial staff is not responsible for loss of or damage to any material received.
All correspondence should be sent to:
legacy FAU Division of University Advancement 777 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431 legacy @fau.edu or 561.297.2890 (fax)
legacy is published twice each year by the Division of University Advancement of Florida Atlantic University and the FAU Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the editorial team and contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the University or Foundation.
ADDRESS CHANGES
should be submitted to: alumni.affairs @ fau.edu 561.297.2026 (fax) 888. FAU. ALUM (toll-free) or FAU Office of Alumni Relations 777 Glades Road Boca Raton, FL 33431
Recycled - 10% post consumer waste
legacy
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
A Magazine for Alumni and Friends
SUMMER 2008
cover story
10 Creating a Greener World
FAU is making strides toward a healthier environment through green buildings, research and educational programs.
2
2 National Spotlight Shines on FAU FAU hosts presidential primary debate 4 Alumni Catch Bowl Fever Owls win first bowl game
4
6 Around the University Davie student union opens, Helen Thomas and Jane Goodall visit and more 8 Making Waves Gabe Somarriba’s inspiring life 14 Bring it Home Plans underway for Innovation Village 16 Research News FAU Jupiter becomes new home to Max Planck Institute
29
18 Faces of FAU The adventures of FAU swim coach Steve Eckelkamp 20 Owl Notes Outstanding Owl, alumni profiles, owls in print and in memoriam 29 Philanthropy Spotlight Minette Hoffheimer’s Artful Memories
Florida Atlantic University 1
FAU Shines In The MTAUT D T EHNOT RRAENP O AR NT DELRUSZMDAATVTI LHAO R A N A N D L U Z D A V I L A BY B Y S
TH H C CO ON NT TR R II B BU UT T II O ON NS S F FR RO OM M K K II M MB BE ER R LY LY C CO ON NR RO OY Y A AN ND D K K II M MB BE ER R LY LY J JA AC C LY LY N N K KR RE E II D DL LE ER R W II T W
January as the the UniUniJanuary 2008 2008 proved proved to to be be one one of of the the most most exciting exciting times times in in FAU’s FAU’s history, history as versity hosted hosted aa Republican Republican presidential presidential primary primary debate. debate. Welcoming Welcoming the the candidates candidates to to versity the Boca Boca Raton Raton campus, campus, FAU FAU of of fered fered its its student student body body an an unparalleled unparalleled opportunity opportunity to to the be part part of of aa long-honored long-honored political political process. process. In In preparation preparation for for the the debate, debate, the the University University be hosted “Join “Join It” It” events, events, aa week-long week-long series series of of civic civic engagement engagement activities activities that that included included hosted the Student Student Government Government Mock Mock Debate, Debate, seminars, seminars, voter voter registration registration drives drives and and aa the live comedy comedy show show — — part part of of Comedy Comedy Central’s Central’s Indecision Indecision 2008 2008 Tour. Tour. A A reception reception hosted hosted live by President President Frank BroganT.preceded the debate, were Parties held forwere students by Brogan ’81 precededand the Watch debate,Parties and Watch held and faculty during the debate. With more than 400 members of the media reporting for students and faculty during the debate. With more than 400 members of the from the campus,from FAU the gained national media reporting campus, FAUrecognition. gained national recognition. Members of the FAU community got a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the making of a live, nationally broadcast television event. Students, faculty and staff worked side-by-side with news teams as the Boca Raton campus became a media hub for journalists. The Student Union became the epicenter of all related activities, while the Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium was established as the site for the debate. The Grand Palm Room was transformed into a media filing center for print journalists. With working space for 250 reporters, the filing room provided wireless Internet access allowing stories to be submitted instantly. A lucky group of six student volunteers worked as assistants on the set of the MSNBC news commentary show “Hardball with Chris Matthews.” The
2 legacy summer 2008 2008 spring/summer
students helped build an outdoor set in front of the Student Support Services building. Kimberly Conroy, a communications major in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, had the unique opportunity to sit in Matthews’ seat and test out his microphone and earpiece. “I felt like a celebrity sitting in his chair and conversing via satellite with the NBC crew at the main headquarters in New York,” said Conroy. “It was then that I realized how difficult his job is. Not only is he getting directions through his earpiece, but he also has to read off a teleprompter and look completely natural in front of the camera.” NBC’s live national coverage began Thursday morning with White House Correspondent David Gregory reporting for “The Today Show” in front of an FAU sign. “Nightly News with Brian Williams,” was broadcast later that night from the Kaye auditorium. Meanwhile,
Spotlight A B O V E : The morning after the the debate, debate, MSNBC’s MSNBC’s
Joe” broadcast broadcastlive livefrom fromthe thedebate debatesite site at at “Morning Joe” Hosts Mika (left to Brzezinski right) Mika andBrzezinski Joe Scarborough and Joetalked FAU. Hosts NBC political talked correspondent with NBC political Davidcorrespondent Shuster and with Scarborough Shuster and Frank President Brogan Brogan during aduring segment a about FAU DavidPresident Florida’s segment about role inFlorida’s the 2008role election in the (left 2008toelection. right). BELOW: NBC News Chief ChiefWhite WhiteHouse HouseCorrespondent Correspondent
Gregory conducted conducted an anon-air on-airroundtable roundtablepolitical politiDavid Gregory priorprior to the to debate the debate broadcast broadcast with FAU with FAU discussion cal discussion (leftO’Brien, to right)Rolando Kris O’Brien, Herrera, Rolando Tony Arserio Herrera, students Kris and TonyBen Arserio Wacks and(left BentoWacks. right).
A B O V E : All five Republican presidential candidates — (left to right) Gov. Mitt Romney, Sen. John McCain, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Rep. Ron Paul and Gov. Mike Huckabee — participated in the debate at FAU, which was the last debate before the Florida primary election on Jan. 29.
Matthews hosted the first of three Hardball shows on MSNBC. He was met with a cheering crowd of students, faculty, staff and visitors waving Owl signs. As Matthews opened his second Hardball show, hundreds of debate ticketholders were filing into the auditorium waiting for the proceedings to begin. Co-moderated by Williams and “Meet the Press” host Tim Russert, the coverage started at 9 p.m. More than 2.6 milllion people viewed the debate. Students and staff on the Boca Raton campus who did not have tickets to the debate, attended a Watch Party in the Lifelong Learning Center auditorium. After the debate, students exchanged thoughts and opinions on the candidates and the issues. Some were satisfied with what they heard, others were left with questions. “I’m not sure why they didn’t hit on such an important topic as outrageous mortgages, especially when they’re here in South Florida,” Samantha Miller says. “Home buyers are having to give back houses they bought because their mortgages have skyrocketed. This is important to me as a Floridian.” At 7a.m. on Friday, the “Morning Joe” show gave FAU one more opportunity
to take the spotlight. Owl fans gathered in front of the Student Support Services building once again, this time to catch a glimpse of hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. President Brogan greeted the crowd and crew with coffee and donuts before being interviewed by Scarborough. The debate and the events surrounding it added up to a triumph for FAU, giving students and members of the community a close-up look at an important part of the electoral process and garnering the University an unprecedented amount of national publicity. The debate was the most watched cable news program in the country on the night it aired. The debate was presented by Leadership Florida, the Florida Press Association and Florida Public Broadcasting Service, Inc. and televised by NBC and MSNBC. The generous sponsors who made it possible for FAU to host the debate included the GEO Group, Office Depot, JM Family Enterprises, Inc., Woolbright Development Inc., AutoNation, the Caron Foundation, the Alan B. Larkin Symposium on the American Presidency, Gunster, Yoakley & Stewar t, P. A . and The Pugliese Company. FAU is also grateful to the following sponsors for their in-kind contributions: Dell Computers, JKG Group, PaeTec, Residence Inn, Toshiba and Chart wells.
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, host of “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” broadcast his show live from FAU prior to the debate. Matthews also moderated postdebate coverage from from his his on-site studio studio outside outside the FAU Student Union.
After welcoming the audience in the debate hall, President Brogan and his wife Mrs. Courtney Brogan surprised two attendees at the Official Watch Party by swapping seats with them. The lucky FAU student and staff member attended the debate while the Brogans joined the Watch Party with more than 400 other attendees.
Florida Atlantic University 3
Pat and John Eddinger’s Scrapbook
is given
ard Schnellenberger A B O V E : Coach How football team won the FAU a victory ride after the 7. e, Friday, Dec. 21, 200 New Orleans Bowl gam
AM FA U F O O T B A L L T E L G A ME W INS F IR S T B OW over the Memphis Tigers at the
in spectacular 4 4-27 w ’ ls w O ng posure for FAU and ti ex gh al Fi e on ti th na d With te ve co e ew Orleans Bowl cam ar-old football proye nve se ’s U 2007 R & L Carriers N FA s. ok the NC A A history bo hnellenberger, has Sc d ar ow H ch a prestigious place in oa C me. ership of legendary in and win a bowl ga ay gram, under the lead pl er ev to am te up st startproduced the younge
Memories of Our Trip to the New Orleans Bowl As FAU alumni, my wife Pat and I are so excited to be in New Orleans for the Owls’ very first bowl game! Entering the Superdome, we’re overcome with bowl “fever.” The view is great from our seats in the 12th row on the 45-yard line. We can see everything including the jumbo TV screens at the ends of the stadium.
of the cheerleading and dance teams and the marching band. All the FAU fans around us go crazy as our team invades the field. Can you believe it? We’re in New Orleans to watch FAU in a bowl game!
On the opening kickoff Dilvory Edgecomb has a great runback and Rusty Smith passes for a first down Suddenly the FAU flag bearers on the first play. The Memphis crowd and Owsley, the school mascot, run becomes quiet as Rusty completes onto the field followed by members the drive with a touchdown pass
4 legacy summer 2008
to Charles Pierre. It’s always great to start out with a touchdown. Memphis answers with a touchdown on their first drive and we know we’ve got a game! We go to halftime with a 10-point lead. Everyone is happy and talking about how well the offense is playing and how great Rusty is passing.
Memphis opens the third quarter with a long drive and scores a touchdown. At 30-27, I’m getting a little nervous.
leave and all the noise is coming from the FAU side of the field. Our defense is playing great and shutting down Memphis on every series.
After a couple of scoreless drives, we block a Memphis punt and recover the ball on the 19-yard line. Everyone is going wild. Rusty throws a touchdown pass to Jason Harmon and the place erupts.
The Owls win their very first bowl game and we watch as the team gets the trophy at mid-field. No one leaves. It’s like a big FAU family with everyone hugging and jumping up and down, patting each other on the back. Rusty is named MVP of the game to a host of cheers.
Late in the third quarter the Memphis quarterback drops back to pass, can’t find a receiver, tries to run and gets injured when he is tackled from behind. The secondstring quarterback doesn’t complete a pass and they have to punt. Now the FAU fans are really excited. High fives after every pass completion and we have a fan leading “first and ten” cheers after every first down. As the third quarter ends, the Memphis fans start to
As we walk out, the vendors in the stadium are selling FAU Bowl Champion t-shirts, so we buy two. We head off to a victory party hosted by an FAU alumnus. What a great night. We’re so inspired by our team that we’re making plans to go to the opening game next year in Austin, Texas. ... See you there!
The Eddingers at the 2007 New Orleans Bowl (above), and on the FAU campus in 1969 (right).
Meet the Eddingers For John and Pat Eddinger, the Boca Raton campus is the place where it all began. These “FAU Sweethearts” met on the tennis courts in 1969. A graduate of the Barry Kaye College of Business, class of ’72, John majored in accounting. After earning his degree, John became a firefighter for the city of Boca Raton. At the time of his retirement in 2005, the 33-year veteran of the fire department was assistant chief of operations. Pat earned her degree from the College of Education in 1969. After raising their children, Pat returned to teaching when she took a position at the First United Methodist Church pre-school in Boca Raton. She retired from the school in 2006 after a 25-year teaching career. With more time for recreation, they enjoy visiting historical sites of interest but especially love traveling for football. They are part of a growing group of loyal FAU fans who know just how to cheer!
Florida Atlantic University 5
AROUND THE UNIVERSITY
Lifelong Learning Society
BY THE NUMBERS
Lifelong Learning courses were first offered in 1980 on the Boca Raton campus. Over the past year 180 courses were scheduled in a program that is without peer. The Barry and Florence Friedberg Lifelong Learning Center was built with gifts from lead benefactors Barry and Florence Friedberg and other members of the Lifelong Learning Society. Members also have contributed more than $2 million to FAU to establish endowed professorships, scholarships, graduate assistant positions and the Center for Teaching Excellence. Contributions from the Elinor Bernon Rosenthal family along with Lifelong Learners from the John D. MacArthur campus in Jupiter helped build the Elinor Bernon Rosenthal Lifelong Learning Complex for FAU Jupiter’s 11-yearold program. Enrollment in the two-year-old Treasure Coast program is expected to top 900 in the coming year.
Heart of Student Life Opens on the Davie Campus Located on the northwest side of the Liberal Arts Building on the Davie campus in Broward county, the new 20,000-square-foot Student Union houses offices for Student Government and campus organizations, a student lounge with computer room, a large multipurpose room for events, health and counseling services, Steve’s Espresso Café and a 5,800-square-foot University bookstore in partnership with Barnes & Noble College Bookstores. “University life is all about serving the needs of students, and that is precisely the mission of this beautiful new facility,” said President Brogan. “Now in addition to benefiting from a first-rate classroom experience, students on the Davie campus have a very special place of their own, where they can gather to study, talk or just relax. The Davie Student Union will rapidly become a focal point of student life.” Planning for the $6 millon Student Union began more than six years ago and was funded through a variety of sources, including the Student CITF (Capital Improvement Trust Fund), auxiliary dollars from previous bookstore sales and auxiliary dollars from student health fees. For more information, contact Marion Merzer, associate dean, Broward student affairs, at 954-236-1235 or mmerzer @ fau.edu.
6 legacy summer 2008
10th College Last fall FAU created its 10th college, the Graduate College. The new college’s mission is to centralize administrative services, from the admissions process to graduation, for graduate students. Located on the Boca Raton campus in the Student Support Services building, the Graduate College is headed by Dr. Barry T. Rosson. FAU is home to more than 3,600 graduate students who major in approximately 80 academic programs. The University offers graduate certificates as well as master’s, specialist’s and doctoral degrees. Students interested in graduate education should visit www.fau.edu/graduate or contact Gregory Gayle at 561-297-1213.
Jane Goodall
Brings Message of Hope More than 1,500 people attended a recent lecture by world-renowned scientist and U.N. Messenger of Peace Jane Goodall, Ph.D., D.B.E. The lecture was part of the 2008 Peaceful World/Peaceful Mind series presented by FAU’s peace studies program in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. Goodall talked of her work at the Gombe Stream Research Center in the United Republic of Tanzania in East Africa where, at the age of 23, she started working with chimpanzees. She now travels an average of 300 days-ayear to visit school children and speak to various groups about the threats facing chimpanzees, other environmental crises and her hope that humankind will ultimately solve the problems it has imposed on the Earth. Goodall continually urges her audiences to effect change through consumer action, lifestyle adjustments and activism. The Peaceful Mind/Peaceful World series is a community outreach initiative sponsored by the Schmidt Family Foundation, with support from the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. For more information on the program or the series, call 561-297-3606.
Klezmer Company Orchestra Releases New CD
This Spring, 2060 students graduated from nine colleges. The graduates represent more than 54 countries. The largest group of alumni came from the Barry Kaye College of Business followed by the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters.
2060
The innovative, critically acclaimed Klezmer Company Orchestra (KCO) celebrated its 11th anniversary earlier this year with the national release of Beyond the Tribes, its debut album that defies classification. With a unique mix of ethnic jazz orchestrations and exotic melodies from around the globe, Beyond the Tribes is an anthology of KCO’s greatest hits. “Every piece we recorded was inspired by an original composition from the library’s music collection,” says Aaron Kula, KCO conductor and director of music collections and performance at FAU Libraries. “The CD should appeal to anyone who thrives on beautiful melody, rich harmony and driving percussion.” KCO, the professional ensemble-in-residence at FAU Libraries, is comprised of nine core soloists, a vocalist and a string section. The out-of-the-box ensemble has performed before thousands at concerts in South Florida and has received rave reviews for its unique style, innovative arrangements and high energy. To experience KCO, find out about upcoming concerts or purchase the CD, go to www.klezmercompany.com.
Alan B. Larkin Symposium Welcomes Helen Thomas Hearst Newspapers columnist Helen Thomas addressed an audience of more than 1,700 people in the Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium on the Boca Raton campus in February. The veteran journalist conveyed stories from a lifetime as a member of the White House press corps, where she covered every U.S. president since John F. Kennedy. She acknowledged her reputation for asking tough questions — a reputation that even made it to Fidel Castro, who, when asked what the difference was between being the leader of America and the leader of Cuba, responded that he didn’t have to answer to Helen Thomas. Thomas’ lecture was part of the Alan B. Larkin Symposium on the American Presidency. Honoring the memory of Alan B. Larkin, this annual symposium focuses on the role of the presidency in shaping diplomatic, political, cultural and social developments in American life. For more information on the series, visit www.fau.edu/larkin.
Florida Atlantic University 7
M A K I N G WAV E S
Gabe Somarriba ’02 A LIFE INSPIRED There was a question that Jose Somarriba was very fond of asking his son Gabe.
baseball
“If today was your last game, how hard would you play?” Years later the question
continues to resonate in Gabe Somarriba’s mind, inspiring him in everything he does. On the baseball field, in the classroom and now as an exercise physiologist, Gabe has always strived to do his best.
A 2002 alumnus of the department of exercise science and health promotion in FAU’s College of Education, Gabe was a member of the FAU baseball team from 1999 through 2002. This outstanding hitter, centerfielder, team captain and holder of the Division I hit-by-pitch record played the game with a genuine selflessness. “In my 33 years of coaching, I consider Gabe Somarriba to be the best kid I have ever worked with,” says FAU base-
8 legacy summer 2008
ball coach Kevin Cooney. “He is the son every father hopes to have and the husband you want for your daughter.” Toward the end of his FAU baseball career, Gabe was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles. Without hesitation, he declined the opportunity. “My father had just been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease,” says Gabe. “There was no question in my mind that I needed to join my family in Miami to care for my Dad.” His father’s battle against Lou Gehrig’s
disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), lasted one year. His death created a void, but Gabe felt comfort in knowing he had been there for his father and his family. Ready to pursue a career in the health care industry, Gabe accepted a position as a research associate and exercise physiologist at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, a Center of Excellence within the department of neurosurgery at the Miller School of
Medicine of the University of Miami. His research on the development of new testing standards for people with spinal cord injuries has appeared in several peerreviewed publications. In 2004 he began a doctoral program in physical therapy at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. The program affords him a flexible schedule of weekend courses at a satellite campus in Boca Raton. He hopes to earn his doctoral degree by the summer of 2009. Currently in the division of pediatric clinical research at the Miller School of Medicine, Gabe directs an NIH-funded research center that tracks cardiovascular risk factors in children with such chronic diseases as HIV, congenital heart disease, cancer, heart transplants and endocrine problems. He is examining how physical activity can improve quality of
“In my 33 years of coaching, I consider Gabe Somarriba to be the best kid I have ever worked with. … He is the son every father hopes to have and the husband you want for your daughter.” KEVIN COONEY
FA U B A S E B A L L C O A C H
life for children with chronic diseases. He hopes as a physical therapist to study and treat patients who have sustained traumatic brain injuries or diseases of the central nervous system, such as ALS. A new generation now calls the FAU baseball diamond home — celebrating wins, experiencing defeats and setting records. But these new players still re-
vere the name Gabe Somarriba. The “Gabe Somarriba Teammate Award” was created only a year after he graduated. He is respected for four seasons of high on-base percentages and dives in the outfield, but, more important, Gabe remains a legend at FAU for his generous spirit and for always working his hardest and his best.
Florida Atlantic University 9
Creating a
GREENER WORLD INTRODUCTION BY
Dr. Leonard Berry, Director, Center for Environmental Studies A growing movement to combat global warming is under way at FAU and at other educational institutions throughout the country. With a focus on South Florida, one of the world’s most vulnerable areas in terms of the potential impact of climate change, FAU faculty, students and staff are working hard to save the environment. Sea level rise, uneven rainfall patterns and bigger storm surges are part of our future. Globally, the atmos-
phere is becoming polluted and natural resources are dwindling — forests are being destroyed and our oceans, rivers and ponds are depleted. As the following stories unfold, you will learn about some of the exciting projects that reflect FAU’s dedication to working toward a greener world. These stories inspire, give us hope and confirm that despite what has happened in the past, the future of our planet is in good hands.
Reducing our Carbon Footprint Through Mission Green s one of more than 500 signatories to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, President Brogan has pledged to lead the University in the steps required to create campus environments that will neutralize greenhouse gas emissions and thus alleviate global warming. This concept is known as climate neutrality. In an effort to fulfill the University’s commitment, President Brogan has established FAU’s first Campus Sustainability Committee, comprised of representatives from the academic, administrative and student populations. This committee is charged with overseeing environmental efforts on all campuses by way of a multi-faceted campaign that has been named “Mission Green.” Dedicated to promoting a culture of sustainability at FAU through education, operations and community engagement, Mission Green demonstrates an overarching resolve to plan for a better tomorrow. Co-chaired by Azita Dashtaki, assistant vice president of facilities planning, and Shannon Clounts, interim director of the office of space utilization and analysis, the Campus Sustainability Committee is at work on many fronts. Subcommittees have been formed in the areas of transportation, academics and research, housing, facilities engineering (including utilities and landscaping), food service and community engagement. The committee has created a timeline that requires a University-wide carbon emissions inventory to be completed by September 2008. During the coming year, the committee will work on developing a plan and identifying a target date for achieving carbon neutrality. Each subcommittee has been challenged to designate three opportunities for improving sustainability.
A
10 legacy summer 2008
“Each of us must ask how our carbon footprint is impacting the planet,” says Dashtaki. “Once determined, we need to collectively minimize carbon emissions through conservation, reduction, alternative energy sources or through agents that offset greenhouse gases.” FAU is already on its way to becoming a role model in the greater community with initiatives to recycle water and waste, retrofit old buildings, construct new “green” buildings with more efficient materials, purchase offsets and make the campuses more amenable to pedestrians and cyclists. As an academic institution, FAU is a repository of research. Many FAU scientists are engaged in environmental studies. Mission Green is committed to consolidating this information and making it more accessible to the public. “Because we are a university, respected for our faculty and our research, we are obliged to take on a leadership role as stewards of the environment,” says Clounts. “Universities have the credibility and power to raise awareness.” The Enviro Club at FAU Jupiter, with a membership of 200 and a core group of 30, is a watchdog group with a deep commitment to introducing and upholding good environmental practices on campus and in the community. Under the leadership of Sarah Fannin (pictured here), a May 2008 graduate of the environmental studies program at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the club gained recognition when it launched a tri-bin recycling program.
FAU Takes the LEED AU Boca Raton will soon become the site of the first building in Florida designed to meet the highest level of “green” construction standards and achieve Platinum certification. The 90,000-squarefoot College of Engineering and Computer Science building will provide an environmentally friendly new home for engineering students, faculty and staff. The first phase of a planned complex of engineering buildings on the north side of campus, the facility will be built in compliance with standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System . Upon the building’s completion, FAU will seek LEED Platinum certification, the top level of achievement for high-performance “green” buildings. Presently there are approximately 70 such buildings in the United States. The LEED designation ensures that the building is energy efficient, uses innovative technologies and offers users a clean interior environment. The Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing building was FAU’s first LEED-certified building. At the helm of this initiative is Dr. Karl Stevens, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. He envisions a dynamic space that will attract students by addressing their academic and social needs. Food service venues, meeting rooms, study and workstations, reading lounges and recreational/entertainment areas are all part of the blueprint. Even more important, the building, with its emphasis on energy efficiency, will be a prototype for future buildings both on and off campus. Reflecting the strong local, national and international interest in environmental issues, this project demonstrates the proactive stance that FAU is taking in helping to make a real difference in the way people interact with the world. “Because our college is on the forefront of environmental research, it is important that our new home showcase to the community what we are teaching and learning,” says Stevens. “I think of this building as a living laboratory of ideas. Part of the interior will be left exposed so that vis-
F
TM
®
itors can see all the elements that go into creating an environmentally responsible building.” The Schwab, Twitty and Hanser Architectural Group, with experience in designing other LEED-certified buildings, was selected over 12 other architectural firms. The team will collaborate closely with Henry Kraft of the University’s facilities planning department. Kraft ’99, a graduate of FAU’s College of Architecture, Urban and Public Affairs, will serve as project manager. Construction will be handled by James A. Cummings, Inc., a Perini Corporation. In accordance with the strict criteria that must be met to achieve LEED Platinum certification, the design and construction teams will recycle construction waste, use renewable building products and purchase the majority of building materials from within a 500-mile radius of the Boca Raton campus. An appropriation of $43 million from the state’s Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) program is funding the project. In addition, a $50,000 planning grant for sustainable design was received from The Kresge Foundation Green Building Initiative. Although going “green” is more costly, recent advances in building materials have eased what once was an added financial burden. Determined to earn LEED Platinum certification, Stevens, the architects and Kraft have faced numerous decisions. They chose to build a five-story structure, knowing that a tall, thin building would allow the most natural light to enter. However, because natural light creates heat, special shades had to be fabricated to conserve energy. The building will be outfitted with a state-of-the-art air handling/air cooling system. Solar panels will be located on the roof to provide an energy source. “We are getting ready for a ‘ground greening’ to mark the start of construction in September,” says Stevens. “It once felt that we were shooting for the moon, but we didn’t give up and now it is becoming a reality. As the magnet on my refrigerator says,Think big, and if that doesn’t work, think bigger! ”
Architect’s rendering of engineering complex.
Florida Atlantic University 11
Nurturing an Appreciation of Nature ordered by densely populated urban and suburban West Palm Beach neighborhoods, the 150-acre patch of wilderness that is home to FAU’s Pine Jog Environmental Education Center is abundant with oak hammock, pine flatwoods, sawgrass marsh, fallow fields and ponds. Journeying through this habitat, visitors can’t help but gain a sense of appreciation of the Earth and all that dwells therein. The property, once known as Pine Jog Plantation, was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Alfred G. Kay and used for raising flowers, fruit and vegetables. In 1960, the Kays officially established it as a nature and conservation center. The Florida Audubon Society managed Pine Jog until 1970, when FAU took over its operation. Since 1987, this uniquely valuable and thoroughly authentic slice of “old Florida” has been a unit of FAU’s College of Education. In August 2008, a brand new two-story, 15,000-squarefoot headquarters facility will open its doors at Pine Jog. One of two major additions that are taking shape on a 15acre site within Pine Jog’s borders, it will replace the existing building, which is one of the oldest nature centers in the nation. Designed to qualify for LEED certification, the new facility will house administrative offices and an exhibition gallery. It will also serve as the planning hub for the many ecologically focused programs that have brought Pine Jog well-deserved recognition. As a destination for school field trips, family camp-outs, trail-walking, summer day camp and nature demonstrations, Pine Jog hosts an average of 23,000 children and 15,000 adults and families each year. Public and private school teachers benefit from the professional development opportunities that are available to them through the center’s outstanding range of courses, workshops, seminars and institutes focusing on science, methodology and environmental education. Sharing the 15-acre space with the Pine Jog Environmental Education Center will be a new “green” elementary school, which, when it opens in August, is expected to
B
ABOVE: Architect’s rendering of the Pine Jog Environmental Education Center. AT RIGHT:
12 legacy summer 2008
Children on a field trip learn about the connections between plants and animals and their habitats.
be the first LEED-certified public school in Florida. A four-structure complex with the capacity to serve 970 students, the Pine Jog Elementary School will be owned and operated by the School District of Palm Beach County. “The Pine Jog location will provide these elementary school students with an unmatched outdoor classroom. This rich exposure to nature, coupled with an innovative curriculum, will help students become better stewards of the environment,” says Pat Welch, director of the Pine Jog Environmental Education Center. “This collaboration by a public school, an environmental learning center and a state university is the only venture of its kind in the country.” The FAU Board of Trustees recently approved a new master’s degree program in environmental education in the College of Education. Highly interdisciplinary in its design, this program provides a model for other universities to follow. Students can specialize in one of four tracks — environmental education in the classroom, environmental education for non-school-based educators, sustainable community planning, and nature and education center administration. Pine Jog will offer these graduate students a wealth of applied learning opportunities as they acquire the knowledge they need to become effective champions of the environment.
Dolphin Research Gives Scientists Insight Into the Ef fects of Pollution on Human Health marine life study conducted by scientists at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is revealing disturbing information about the deteriorating condition of the Indian River Lagoon. As director of Harbor Branch’s Program of Marine Mammal Research and Conservation, Dr. Gregory Bossart and a team of 40 scientist-collaborators from around the world are examining how dolphins inhabiting the Indian River Lagoon are sentinels for environmental and human health. The project is funded by money raised through the state of Florida’s specialty license plate program. Bossart earned a doctor of veterinary medicine degree at the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in immunology at Florida International University. It was while he was working as a resident and National Institutes of Health fellow in comparative pathology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine that Bossart began to see the relationship between animal pathology and human disease. In close to 30 years as a veterinarian, pathologist, animal conservationist and researcher, he has investigated and documented diseases in dolphins, manatees and birds. His current focus on marine mammals as sentinel species has enabled him to make groundbreaking correlations between dolphin diseases and emerging illnesses in humans, such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). His research is considered by many to be the most comprehensive study of its kind. As home to one of the continent’s most complicated, unique and diverse ecosystems, Florida’s Indian River Lagoon is a perfect base for Bossart’s research. The lagoon, a network of three inter-related estuaries, winds its way along the Atlantic coast for 168 miles, creating an environment in which seawater mixes with freshwater and attracts more than 4,000 species of plant and animal life. An increase in the human population and over-development of land surrounding the lagoon have compromised its water quality.
A
With poor water circulation, the shallow lagoon and its inhabitants are highly susceptible to the effects of pollution. “Everything that negatively impacts Florida’s coastal ecosystems takes a toll on animal and human health as well,” says Bossart. The lagoon’s bottlenose dolphin community, more than 900 in number, provides Bossart with the perfect species for this kind of research. They are reliable models to study because they typically live from 30 to 50 years, remain in one habitat for life, absorb and concentrate various toxins and have a human-like tendency to develop tumors. Bossart has tracked 240 of these dolphins for the past five years, documenting their social systems, habits and health. He has found that oral and genital tumors are on the rise among them in epidemic proportions. There is also evidence of new strains of the herpes and papilloma viruses, as well as an increase in cases of lobomycosis, a fungal disease that causes skin lesions in dolphins and humans. According to Bossart, these abnormalities are likely indicators of an ecosystem under stress. Even more alarming is the fact that the dolphin population has developed resistance to antibiotics, most likely because of exposure to antibiotic residuals that pollute the water. Adding to this already bleak picture is the fact that the lagoon’s dolphins have extremely high skin and blood levels of mercury, a toxic metal that can lead to developmental and neurological damage in other species. “We haven’t been good stewards of the ocean,” says Bossart. “Our aquatic ecosystems are in danger. We need to try to reverse what we have done. Right now 30 percent of the dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon are diseased, and another 25 percent are possibly diseased. It is in our own best interest to pay attention to this problem — for the sake of the species and for the sake of humans who share the same environment.”
CLOSING BY
The South Florida mega-region, stretching 300 miles from Key West to Vero Beach, includes over 5 million people and is bookended by the Everglades to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The challenge of securing a sustainable future for this region requires educating diverse students, supporting cutting edge research, maintaining community outreach and providing lifelong learning on how to be stewards of this special
place. FAU is uniquely situated to meet this challenge through its widely dispersed campuses, centers of excellence, aspiring faculty and students, and alumni who call South Florida home. FAU’s greatest legacy could be that future generations will look back and salute the initiative, creativity and tenacity of dedicated people who made it their mission to leave this institution and the surrounding ecosystem a more sustainable place. Florida Atlantic University 13
PHOTO BY STEPHEN D. M C CULLOCH
James Murley, Director, Joint Center for Environmental and Urban Problems
BRING IT
HOME It is mid-afternoon on FAU’s Boca Raton campus. The sun is bright but a moist salty breeze keeps the temperature comfortable. Faculty and staff who walk past the landscaped lawn on the west side of the Administration Building notice with amusement a spirited Frisbee match in progress. Having claimed the grassy expanse for their game, the Frisbee-playing students whirl the disc, dive in mid-air and intercept throws. They continue to play until a clear winner emerges, and then, exhausted, the group falls to the lawn. There is no rush to leave campus and head home because for these students the Boca Raton campus is home. AT RIGHT: Architect’s rendering of Innovation Village.
A
lthough conceived close to 45 years ago as an upper-division university for non-residential students, FAU has evolved over time to offer a full range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. In the process it is shedding its original “commuter school” identity. With its residence halls currently operating at full capacity, FAU’s image has begun to evolve. Sightings of Frisbee games, an influx of skateboarders, touch football in front of the biomedical building and the emergence of more casual eateries in and around the cafeteria serve as indicators of the growing population of residential students on the Boca Raton campus. Surveys conducted and compiled by FAU’s Office for Institutional Effectiveness and Analysis suggest that with more oncampus amenities and programs, an even greater number of students would look to FAU as their “first-choice university.” “The research signals a dramatic call to broaden our scope,” says President Brogan. “Our commitment to non-traditional students will remain a hallmark of FAU’s success, but at the same time we are here to answer the needs of a new generation of students who wish to call this campus home.” In response to these findings, the University is embracing a new charge to transform the Boca Raton campus into a more traditional collegiate environment. Set in motion by the FAU Board of Trustees as part of the University’s strate-
14 legacy summer 2008
gic plan, this charge is perhaps best manifested through the plan to build Innovation Village, a mixed-use development that will bring a whole new world of activity to campus. Currently in the concept and design stage, Innovation Village is a striking example of the University’s commitment to improving the quality of student life at FAU. “This project is going to change the face of the University,” says Norman Tripp, former chair of the Board of Trustees and now a member of the Florida Board of Governors. “With its modern suite-style living facilities for students, its corridor of retail and dining establishments and adjacent 30,000-seat football stadium, Innovation Village will be the hub of an unsurpassed campus residential environment.” Slated to occupy a sweep of land just north of the campus’ core pedestrian corridor known as the Breezeway, Innovation Village will be part of a neighborhood that will also house the Marleen and Harold Forkas Alumni Center as well as a student recreation and wellness center. Ample parking for student housing, retail shops and recreation will be provided, and traffic patterns will be addressed. The end result will be a unified, dynamic community that will be a center for student activities and campus life.
live Residence Hall
A 600-bed residence hall will be the first living space in
Innovation Village, with more housing units to follow in the coming years. Currently all residence halls on the Boca Raton campus are filled, and the demand for housing continues to grow. Innovation Village addresses the urgent need to provide more housing. “Right now our 2,400 residential students comprise only 11 percent of the Boca Raton student population,” says Jill Eckardt, director of University Housing. “That figure promises to increase dramatically in the coming years as new residences are built. Looking ahead, Innovation Village may one day be home to 2,600 students, more than double the number of students living on campus today. I believe that by increasing our housing capacity, we are taking a critically important step toward creating a more traditional campus.”
shop Retail Plaza
Another exciting component to Innovation Village will be an assortment of retail establishments that will cater to the University community, including dry cleaners, hairdressers, specialty shops and restaurants. “With the addition of the retail section, students, faculty and staff will be less likely to have to leave campus to fulfill their everyday shopping needs,” says David Kian, FAU’s general counsel.
play Stadium
The centerpiece of Innovation Village will be an open-air, $62 million football stadium/entertainment center that will bring all of the color and excitement of Division I football to Boca Raton. The stadium initiative comes on the heels of FAU’s record-setting victory at the 2007 New Orleans Bowl. The steel-structure stadium will include 24 suites and 1,000 club seats. “A good athletics program is the front porch of any university of stature,” says Director of Athletics Craig Angelos. “With its rapidly growing presence in the collegiate athletics world, FAU is more than ready to have a stadium of its own.” “Innovation Village will serve as an agent of change as we ramp up our efforts to compete with other institutions of higher education,” says Brogan. “It will speak to those students who are looking for a full range of amenities in a 21st century campus setting. With its modern residence and shopping facilities and a stadium that will be second to none, Innovation Village will play a huge role in redefining FAU as a university that offers the best in campus life as well as the best in teaching, research and public service.” Work is now underway to secure funding. Please call Susan Peirce at 561-297-4040 or email speirce @ fau.edu for more information.
Florida Atlantic University 15
RESEARCH NEWS
BY G I S E L E G A LO U ST I A N ’81
r
F LOR I DA’ S R E S Attracts World-Class Florida is gaining a reputation as one of the top biotechnology centers in the country, and Florida Atlantic University is at the heart of this activity. For more than four years, FAU has been working closely with some of the world’s biotechnology giants to advance scientific research and maximize the opportunities for economic development in the state. These endeavors have created an environment that is attracting a nucleus of world-class biomedical scientists to Florida’s new research coast.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL
L E F T T O R I G H T: Leonie Schneider, Max Planck Society; Dr. Herbert Jackle, vice president of Max Planck Society; Dr. Rod Murphey, chair of the department of biological sciences in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science; Dr. Arturo Zychlinski, Max Plank Society; Dr. Ramaswamy Narayanan, associate dean of FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science; and Dr. Peter Mombaerts, Max Plank Society, observe FAU graduate student Kim Rowland as she works in the laboratory.
16 legacy summer 2008
esearch E A R C H COA ST Biomedical Scientists The world-renowned Max Planck Society is the latest addition to Florida’s growing biotech cluster. FAU’s Jupiter campus will become home to the first Max Planck Institute in the United States and the 79th worldwide. This biomedical research organization, which is focused in the areas of natural science, the life sciences, the social sciences and the humanities, has an impressive track record in technology transfer and commercialization. Since 1948, the Institute’s researchers have included 17 Nobel Prize winners. The Max Planck Florida Institute’s scientific activities will emphasize bioimaging, which uses optical equipment to produce 3-D images of cells for the rapid translation of basic research into clinical application. Last fall, scientists from the society met with imaging researchers at FAU to discuss joint programs and grant applications. FAU students in interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs such as integrative biology, and complex systems and brain sciences will greatly benefit from collaborative research programs. The framework of the partnership with the Max Planck Society will give FAU a priority academic and research affiliation and provide the University with joint-use facilities, joint faculty appointments and student recruitment opportunities, joint seminars and public forums. “Working together with a world-class institution such as the Max Planck Society will further enhance our ability to attract top-notch faculty and graduate students,” said Dr. Ramaswamy Narayanan, associate dean for research and industrial relations in the Charles E.
Schmidt College of Science. “Furthermore, the presence of the society here is exciting not only for our students, faculty and researchers, but for the community as a whole.” As part of the biotech hub that currently reaches from northern Palm Beach County to Fort Pierce, FAU already has partnerships with Scripps Florida and the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies. This cluster grows stronger with the arrival of the Max
Plank Society. “As the Sunshine State becomes a global leader in medical research and development, higher paying jobs will be created,” said Dr. Michael Moriarty, interim vice president for research at FAU. Max Planck expects to support about 1,824 positions directly and indirectly over a 20-year period, generating $2.4 billion in payroll dollars and adding $5.3 billion to the gross state product.
Florida Atlantic University 17
PHOTO BY TOM ERVIN
FAC E S O F FA U
The Adventures Trading the icy Minnesota tundra for an abundant supply of sunshine and palm trees, Steve Eckelkamp arrived in Florida in 1981 to direct the aquatics program at Indian River Community College (IRCC). A former competitive athlete with a penchant for swimming the freestyle and butterfly, Eckelkamp is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minn. With ample experience coaching swim club teams in the Twin Cities, Eckelkamp approached his first college-level coaching position with enthusiasm.
18 legacy summer 2008
of Coach
Steve Eckelkamp While at IRCC, Eckelkamp trained and recruited some of the top swimmers in the area. He returned to the Twin Cities to enter the graduate program in education at the University of Minnesota and earned his master’s degree in 1989. After being recruited to head FAU’s burgeoning women’s swim team, he once again headed to paradise. FAU’s team had plenty of raw talent and energy, but was in need of Eckelkamp’s strong leadership. He assessed the situation and began the transformation process. Within two years the Lady Owls placed second in their division. Over the next four years the team never finished out of the top three spots. In 1992, Eckelkamp launched a men’s team. With that addition, FAU was elevated to Division I. The men came into their own, and in 1996 ended the season with a No. 20 finish at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship. In his close to 20 years at FAU, building an internationally recognized and respected swimming/diving program, Eckelkamp has coached many formidable competitors. The five-time Women’s Conference Coach of the Year has trained 50 All-Americans from FAU alone and coached 12 Olympic competitors. As coach to breast stroke powerhouse Ellie Weberg and assistant coach to the U.S.A. team, Eckelkamp traveled to Manchester, England, in April for the Short Course World Championships. Weberg, in her fifth year at FAU, is training for the Olympic trials this summer. “If you get on the U.S. team you are one of the 10 best swimmers in the world,” Eckelkamp says. He knows this exposure will bring FAU well-deserved attention and will serve as a magnet for a new crop of solid athletes. “We are only one
of three co-ed collegiate swim programs in the state. Our future is bright and we are definitely a university to be reckoned with.” There is an adventurous side to Eckelkamp that his swimmers seldom see. His 35-day, 11-hour, 23-minute canoe trip along the length of the Mississippi River garnered him and his traveling companion a world speed record in the 1980 Guinness Book of World Records. The pair tried for another Guinness World Record in 1984 when they kayaked on the Amazon River. The alreadyarduous journey nearly proved disastrous when, after a three-day rainstorm, a flash flood wiped out their campsite at the Urabamba tributary and destroyed their gear and kayak. Stranded in the rainforest, the two were rescued by members of an Indian tribe. Over the next three weeks the pair sought refuge in a prison work camp and a Shell Oil research site. They were transported by tug boat to the city of Iquitos, where their adventure in the wild ended. “We had two choices of escape, by river or through the jungle. Without the help we received along the way we would never have survived,” says Eckelkamp. One last expedition took place in
T O P : Steve Eckelkamp kayaking along the inside passage of Alaska. B O T T O M : The Eckelkamp family on a trip to the Kennedy Space Center.
1996 when the two kayaked along the inside passage of Alaska. The two-month leisurely journey took them to Juno, Sitka, Haines, Fairbanks and Anchorage. For Eckelkamp, adventure now takes the form of parenthood. Married since 1998 to Lisa Edwards ’95, a former FAU soccer player, the joy of being Dad to six-year-old Yuri is greater than any river run. Adopted in Russia, Yuri, with his lanky frame, may prove to be a star swimmer someday. The Eckelkamps will leave for Russia soon to adopt their second child … and the team keeps on growing! Florida Atlantic University 19
OWL NOTES
CLASS NOTES
1960s Betty M. Thomas ’66,’79 of Boynton Beach, FL, a retired teacher, principal and civic leader, was recently honored when the Southeast Neighborhood Park in Boynton Beach was renamed the Betty Thomas Neighborhood Park in her honor. A native of Wyoming, Thomas moved to Boynton Beach in 1953. Now 83, Thomas’s 40-year career has made her a community legend.
’66
Dr. Robert C. Maxson ’67 formerly of Long Beach, CA, was appointed president of Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village, NV. In his last position, Maxson was assistant to the chancellor of the California State University System.
’67
Barbara K. Clark ’69 of Hilton Head Island, SC, retired from the low country division of the American Heart Association where she directed corporate relations for the past 10 years. She established, as a volunteer, the division in 1984 and served as its first president. During her tenure at the American Heart Association, Clark raised more than $1.5 million. She continues to head her advertising agency, Ad-Vise, Inc. Steven M. Rosen ’69, ’76 of Miami, FL, has taught in the Miami-Dade Public Schools for 39 years.
’69
1970s John Cantlon, Jr. ’70 of Gainesville, FL, is an online faculty member at the University of Phoenix and a licensed real estate agent. After retiring from Jostens Yearbooks in 2001, he served as yearbook advisor at the University of Florida until 2005. Louise Jones Gopher ’70 of Okeechobee, FL, retired in 2007 as education director for the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Recognized as the first member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida to earn a college degree, Gopher has worked in cultural affairs in an effort to preserve tribal heritage. She received the Westcott Award from Florida State University in acknowledgement of her work in education. Laura B. Martin ’70 of Lauderhill, FL, a teacher, singer and volunteer, was recognized for her many years of service to the organization Charmettes of Broward County.
’70
David S. Fosdick ’71 of Mineral, VA, is an aviation safety inspector who teaches an aviation class at a local high school. Casey L. Gunnell ’71 of Boca Raton, FL, is executive vice president of Calpine Corporation, a public utility company. Prior to joining Calpine in 2006, Gunnell, a certified public accountant, was executive vice president and CFO of a $5 billion auto distribution company. Glenn Hurst ’71 of Daytona Beach, FL, is part of a 35-year-old family business, Hurst’s Shaver Sales and Service. Yvonne O. Robinson ’71 of West Palm Beach, FL, has been an elementary school teacher for 36 years and currently teaches at Banyan Creek Elementary School in Delray Beach.
’71
I. Jeffrey Pheterson ’73 of Boynton Beach, FL, was named managing partner of the West Palm Beach office of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP. With a focus on labor and employment law, he has been an attorney for more than 30 years.
’73
20 legacy summer 2008
Derek Davis ’74 of Miramar, FL, is the curator of the Old Dillard Museum, Fort Lauderdale. Davis was a journalist forThe Miami Times before working in corporate communications for Florida Power & Light. He was a grant writer for the Black Archives, History and Research Foundation of South Florida, and later became that organization’s executive director. In his curatorial role, Davis will ensure that the museum continues to showcase the history of Fort Lauderdale and its relationship with the AfricanAmerican community. The museum was built on the site of Dillard High School. Built in 1907, Dillard High was the area’s first school to be built specifically for African American students. Steven M. Hall ’74 of Binghamton, NY, is a certified public accountant and director of internal audit at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
’74
Charles J. Condon ’75 of Grundy, VA, is the director of the law library at Appalachian School of Law. Previously Condon served as computer services /reference librarian at Northern Illinois University College of Law. In addition to his undergraduate degree, earned at FAU, Condon holds a juris doctorate, a master’s degree in law and a master’s degree in library science. Susan R. Healy ’75 of Bonita Springs, FL, was appointed treasurer of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers and serves as secretary of the Collier County Women’s Bar Association. She is with the law firm of Treiser, Collins and Vernon in Naples. She is married to Darren Rumbold ’82, and their son, William Rumbold, is a student at FAU’s Harriet L.Wilkes Honors College. Vincent C. Mandzak, Jr. ’75 of Redondo Beach, CA, sells cars at Mercedes-Benzes, Beverly Hills. His clients mainly include people from the film and television industry.
’75
Jennifer Braaten ’76, ’87 of Washington, DC, has been president of Ferrum College since 2007. Ferrum’s first female president, Braaten was previously the provost of Lynn University.
’76
Gary D. Alexander ’77 of Palm City, FL, was elected to the board of directors for FIRSTPLUS Financial Group. A certified public accountant, Alexander is president of Treasure Coast Private Equity, LLC. David Nix ’77 of Green Cove Springs, FL, is the first principal at the Coppergate Elementary School, a new school in the Clay County School District. Prior to his current position, Nix was, for 14 years, the principal of Ridge View Elementary School.
’77
Michael Boswell ’78 of Mount Carmel, IL, is postmaster for Effingham. He was the Mount Carmel postmaster for 21 years. Frank Messana ’78 of Margate, FL, is a realtor. Kenneth Nedimyer ’78 of Tavernier, FL, is president of Sea Live Inc., a company that provides healthy, hand-captured Atlantic sea life to public aquariums and home aquarists.
’78
Debbie Berris ’79, ’81 of Greenacres, FL, teaches at the Poinciana Day School in West Palm Beach. Roy Condon ’79 of Plano, TX, is vice president and chief risk officer for the Electronic Data Systems Corporation. Mark Rudnick ’79 of Atlanta, GA, is vice president for marketing for Aaron Rents, Inc.
’79
1980s Roseann Minnet ’80 of Fort Lauderdale, FL, is the mayor of Lauderdale-by-the Sea. She owns Lightseeker, Inc., a lighting design company. John W. Stevens ’80 formerly of Lake Worth, FL, is principal of the Edgartown School on Martha’s Vineyard. He accepted the position in his Massachusetts hometown after 31 years in the School District of Palm Beach County, most recently as principal of Santaluces Community High School in Lantana. Donald Vaughan ’80 of Raleigh, NC, is a freelance writer and writing teacher at a community college.
’80
Oscar Fumagali ’81 of Boca Raton, FL, has been the CFO of the Brightstar Corporation, an electronic instrumentation and controls company, since 2001.
’81 ’82
David C. Jackson ’82 of Boca Raton, FL, senior vice president of Regions Bank, served as a judge for the South Florida Business Journal CFO of the Year Awards. Whitney T. Kraft ’82 of Oakland Park, FL, is director of tennis programs for the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY. He was a 1982 All-American tennis player at FAU. Diane Richard-Allerdyce ’82, ’83 of Delray Beach, FL, is the co-founder, principal and chief academic officer of the Toussaint L’Ouverture High School for Arts and Social Justice in Delray Beach. She has been a professor at Lynn University since 1985. A community activist with a deep interest in educational reform, Allerdyce is a published poet and author of scholarly articles. In addition, she is a certified poetry therapist and on the executive board of the National Association for Poetry Therapy. She was an appointee to the Delray Beach mayor’s Education Board and Public Arts Task Force. Dr. Darren Rumbold ’82, ’90 of Bonita Springs, FL, is an associate professor in the department of marine and ecological sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University. His research interests include landscape ecotoxicology and risk assessment as well as the fate of methylmercury in estuarine and coastal systems. Susan Backman Reynolds ’83 and Alan Reynolds ’84 of Lakeland, FL, are both active in Florida theatre companies. Alan is the director of Theatre Winter Haven, and Susan is a director of the Pied Piper Players of the Lakeland Community Theatre. Amber Bosco ’83 of Key West, FL, is principal of Poinciana Elementary School in Key West, and was selected principal of the year for Monroe County. Lynne Maddox Hawk ’83 of West Palm Beach, FL, has been an education specialist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission for 23 years. She is regional coordinator for the “Hunter Safety” program and state coordinator of the “Becoming an Outdoors Woman” workshop. Jacqueline Parks ’83 of Honeoye Falls, NY, is co-founder and chief technological officer for VoicePort, LLC, an advanced speech recognition system.
’83
Brodie Atwater ’84 of West Palm Beach, FL, was appointed assistant chief of operations for Palm Beach Fire Rescue. Formerly chief of training and safety, Atwater began his career with the Palm Beach Fire-Rescue in 1989 as a firefighter and EMT. Dr. Ronald Marden ’84, ’87 of Boone, NC, is professor of accounting at Appalachian State University. A certified public accountant and certified internal
’84
OUTSTANDING
OWL
auditor, Marden was recognized for his service with the Best Faculty Advisor Award. Francois Mallet ’85 of Nevilly, France, is managing director for Kepler Landsbanki, a European investment bank. He was previously head of Pan European Equity Sales within HSBC CCF Securities. David J. Murphy ’85 of Palo Alto, CA, is senior vice president of a web services and software unit within Hewlett Packard’s imaging and printing group.
’85
Yvonne Bulos Ellis ’86 of Richmond, VA, is president of Sterling Attorney Search Firm, LLC, a recruiting company that places experienced lawyers in permanent legal positions. Mitchell Mongell ’86, ’92 of Walterboro, SC, is president and CEO of Colleton Medical Center. Steve Rios ’86, ’88 of Sunrise, FL, is project director for Miami-based Educate Tomorrow, a non-profit organization that provides mentors for young adults transitioning from foster care. The organization also trains school district personnel and post-secondary staff about the educational needs of youth in foster care.
’86
Connie A. Eckerle ’87 of Jupiter, FL, works for the firm Smolin Lupin where she is responsible for the tax administration of corporate, personal, estate and trust clients, as well as auditing and tax planning. Bradley N. McIver ’87 of Coconut Creek, FL, is a principal with the accounting firm of Goldstein Lewin & Company of Boca Raton. Constance W. Ward ’87, ’91 of Vero Beach, FL, is vice president and senior relationship manager for KeyBank, North Palm Beach.
’87
Dana L. Klein ’88 of Naples, FL, in the real estate field since 1989, opened the firm of Smith-Klein LLC in Naples with her business partner, Ty Smith. Cirabel Lardizabal Olson ’88 of Miami, FL, was named senior director of community relations & multicultural initiatives for Dunkin’ Brands, Inc., the parent company for Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins. A seasoned professional in the foodservice industry, Olson worked for Burger King Corporation for seven years. Thomas C. Lee ’88 of Wellington, FL, was named audit manager for Kane & Company CPAs and Business Advisors. Lee is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Florida Institute of CPAs.
’88
Cindy Gimler Brinker ’89, ’98 of Boynton Beach, FL, was named CFO of puraDYN Filter Technologies, Inc., a company that designs, manufactures and markets the puraDYN bypass oil filtration system. She was previously CFO of Universal Jet Aviation. Virginia Palhof ’89 of Boynton Beach, FL, is a martial arts teacher and owner of a Tae Kwon Do studio in Lake Worth. Last year her studio brought home 41 medals, including 14 golds, at the state Tae Kwon Do Championships in Orlando. Marlene Ross ’89, ’94 of Boynton Beach, FL, was elected city commissioner of Boynton Beach. She has extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, specifically as an educator. She is director of community affairs for WXEL public television and radio in Palm Beach County. Mansfield Willliams ’89 of Hobe Sound, FL, is a statistics expert who teaches courses in data analysis at the University of Florida Fort Pierce campus and at Indian River Community College. He has 30 years experience in the field of education.
’89
Raymond Monteleone ’92
O C C U PAT I O N
Certified Public Accountant Founding Partner, Paladin Global Partners President/CEO, Monteleone & Associates FA U D E G R E E
Master of Business Administration, 1992 BACKGROUND
Raymond Monteleone has been an advisor to businesses for most of his professional life. In 2007, he became a founding partner of Paladin Global Partners, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In this role Monteleone provides creative and unique business solutions for a broad range of start-up and growing companies throughout the world. An expert in strategic management, mergers and acquisitions, compensation, and senior executive mentoring, Monteleone has the ability to understand the needs of his clients and the expertise to execute projects effectively. Monteleone is also president/CEO of Monteleone & Associates, a consulting firm he established in 1988. Well known for his integrity and high standards, Monteleone was appointed in 2003 to the Florida Department of Education (DOE) by then-DOE Commissioner James Horne. In his two years with the DOE, Monteleone served as deputy commissioner/chief operating officer and chief educational financial officer. He managed almost 2,000 employees in 10 divisions. Earlier in his career Monteleone served as chairman of the board/co-chief executive officer of Loren Industries, Inc.; president and COO of First American Railways, Inc.; and vice president of corporate development, planning and administration of Sensormatic. He was also a tax and business consultant to the law firm of Holland & Knight and the accounting firm of Arthur Young & Company. Monteleone attended American University and graduated cum laude from the New York Institute of Technology.
Who inspired you at FAU? Stanley Hille, former dean of the College of Business.
How did FAU impact your career? Earning an MBA at age 42 was an exhilarating and stimulating experience that has helped me as a professional in a variety of ways, particularly when interfacing with clients in the global market. The Barry Kaye College of Business gets better and better every year, and I am so appreciative of everything I learned. A F F I L I AT I O N S
A deep sense of civic involvement is a driving force in Monteleone’s life. His current and previous affiliations reflect his diverse interests: • Member of the FAU National Alumni Association Executive Board • Member of the FAU President’s Community Council • Chairman-elect of the Broward Education Foundation • Supporter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation • Immediate past chair of the FAU Broward Alumni Roundtable • Past chair of FAU’s Barry Kaye College of Business Executive Advisory Board • Past chair of the FAU International Business Executive Advisory Board • Past president and lifetime member of Leadership Broward • Graduate and lifetime member of Leadership Florida • Past board member and current member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants • Past president of the Executive Board of the Broward Chapter of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants AWA R D S • •
CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
•
Named one of Bluegreen’s 2006 Leading Men of the Year by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Named AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association) Florida Executive of the Year in 1995 Named FAU Seaside Shindig Outstanding Alumnus 2008
OUTSTANDING OWLS ARE RECOGNIZED BY THE FAU NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FOR THEIR DEDICATION TO FAU AND THE COMMUNITY.
Florida Atlantic University 21
OWL NOTES
1990s Allen Lindow ’90 of Fort Lauderdale, FL, is vice president for corporate services for the Brenner Real Estate Group. Dr. Joanne Masella ’90, ’94 of Boynton Beach, FL, was named dean of Palm Beach Atlantic University’s school of nursing. She has served in various clinical and academic roles for more than 20 years. Judith Miller ’90 of Fort Pierce, FL, has been president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Lucie County for the past 16 years. She was nationally recognized as one of the top three CEOs for midsized chapters by her organization.
’90
James Hanreck ’91 of Marshallville, OH, is manager of Test/Field Service at Myers Controlled Power in Massillon. Terea Hebert ’91 of Sunrise, FL, is chief operating officer for the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (formerly the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts). Previously she worked as a budget analyst for Miami-Dade County’s office of management and was budget and commercial accounts supervisor for the department of solid waste management. Julie Prewitt Miller ’91, ’96 of Coral Gables, FL, is delivery management director for Avenue A/Razorfish, an interactive services firm in Fort Lauderdale. Debra Snyder ’91 of Fort Pierce, FL, will become principal of the Palm Pointe Educational Research School. This new FAU laboratory charter school in Tradition, is slated to open in time for the beginning of the 2008-09 school year. Snyder, who has 30 years experience in education, currently heads the Frances K. Sweet Elementary School. Soren Spiers ’91 of Port St. Lucie, FL, is regional controller for PGA America. Considered to be the largest working sports organization in the world, it is comprised of more than 28,000 golf professionals. Dr. Robert Watson ’91 of Boca Raton, FL, former FAU professor, has joined the faculty of Lynn University, Boca Raton, as coordinator of the school’s American Studies program.
’91
Frederic Buonincontri ’92 of Tempe, AZ, is president and CEO of Solid State Networks. Tammy Clarke ’92 of Loxahatchee, FL, has been appointed to the American Lung Association’s state board of directors. A CPA since 1998, she is a tax manager at Cass, Levy & Leone. Rizwan Mohammed ’92 of Coconut Creek, FL, is the new president of the Florida Southeast Cricket League. A former cricket player, Mohammed is a senior vice president at Citigroup in Fort Lauderdale. Marjorie Perez ’92 of West Palm Beach, FL, is finance director and deputy manager of the Indian Trail Improvement District of West Palm Beach. Kenneth Sapp ’92 of Plantation, FL, is a senior manager with the accounting firm of CBIZ-South Florida in Boca Raton. He is a CPA with more than 25 years experience in auditing, information technology audit and forensic accounting. Randi Sariol ’92 of Boca Raton, FL, is vice president for Tandem Staffing Solutions, Inc. The firm specializes in temporary staffing and direct placement. She has been in the field for more than 10 years. Laura Sturaitis ’92 of Fort Lauderdale, FL, is senior vice president for media services and product strategy for BusinessWire, a company that disseminates full-text news releases from thousands of companies and organizations worldwide to news media outlets, financial markets, websites and other audiences.
’92
’93
Geoffrey R. Branch ’93 of Boca Raton, FL, won the Palm Beach Post Distinguished Law Officer of 2007 Award. Sharon
22 legacy summer 2008
Leading Florida’s Next Generation Recently appointed chancellor of public schools for the Florida Department of Education, Frances Haithcock ’72 reflects on her 30-year career in the field of education that began in a social studies classroom at Parkway Junior High School in Miami, Florida. With a proclivity for leadership and a willingness to take on new challenges, Haithcock moved confidently within the system, first as a teacher, then as a guidance counselor, a director of guidance and subsequently a high school principal. An undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina prepared Haithcock for classroom teaching, while FAU’s College of Education provided her with a stimulating master’s degree program in guidance and counseling. In 1985, she was appointed north area superintendent for Broward County Public Schools, with 69 elementary, secondary and alternative schools under her jurisdiction. In 1994, she was promoted to deputy superintendent for Broward County Public Schools, a position she held until 2000, when she was recruited by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg (North Carolina) school district to serve as associate superintendent for educational services. During her six-year tenure in this urban district, Haithcock was part of an initiative that brought about a dramatic improvement in student achievement and garnered national recognition. In 2006, Haithcock worked out of New York for the College Board. She remained there for one-and-a-half years until she was named Florida’s chancellor of public schools, with oversight responsibility for all pre-K through 12th grade programs. “Our children are receiving access to rigorous academic opportunities, and, for the first time, Florida is ranked above the national average for quality of education,” says Haithcock. “The 2008 Quality Counts report places Florida among the top 15 school systems in the country. We are rated fourth in the country for the number of students who have taken and passed Advanced Placement tests. Now that we have built our base, it is time to look to the future and plan for the ‘next generation’ to insure that Florida high school graduates will be college-ready and able to meet the demands of a higher-wage, higher-skills workforce.”
Kastelic ’93 of Boca Raton, FL, is director of training for Oasis Outsourcing in West Palm Beach. Jennifer MagrathSinger ’93, ’01 of Wellington, FL, has been a teacher for the School District of Palm Beach County for 10 years. She is currently a reading literacy coach, working towards national board certification. James Oosterhoudt ’93 of Savannah, GA, has relocated to Washington state where he is a program director for The RETEC Group, Inc., a firm providing environmental consulting and information management services for federal, state and local government agencies. Karen Storms ’93, ’96 of Kings Langley, England, is a librarian working as the learning resources facilitator at West Herts College in Hertfordshire. She also co-ordinates the college’s information literacy program serving students and staff at four campuses. She is mar-
ried and has a young daughter. Gina Watts ’93 of Lighthouse Point, FL, was named senior vice president of finance for Cash4Gold and Albar Precious Metal Refining, Inc. Watts previously worked in accounting and financial analysis for Marriott Senior Living. In her new role she will be in charge of financial management of both Cash4Gold and Albar. The companies direct consumers on how they can get cash for jewelry. Darryl Ogden ’94 of Panama City, FL, is an ocean engineer working on autonomous underwater vehicles as part of the Navy’s mine warfare program. He also works as a marine surveyor performing inspections on recreational boats. Christian Rollins ’94, ’97 of Loxahatchee, FL, is vice pres-
’94
ident finance & operations of MediWatch Ltd, a company that focuses on the development of medical products for health care environments. Brock C. Wilbor ’94 of Boca Raton, FL, is the senior vice president of Fifth Third Bank. Robert Billoni ’95 and Cathy Sniegocki Billoni ’97 of Pembroke Pines, FL, have been married for 11 years. Robert is a district chief for Beta Theta Pi and oversees the FAU, FIU, Nova Southeastern University and University of Miami chapters. Cathy was elected to Theta Phi Alpha’s Grand Council serving as national vice president of alumnae. Robert is president of a medical and dental sales company and Cathy is risk manager and business continuity manager for Macy’s corporate office in Miami. Judith Drumm ’95, ’06 of Boynton Beach, FL, is associate professor of nursing at Palm Beach Atlantic University. A nurse educator since 1992, Drumm was department chair of nursing at Palm Beach Community College. She was the clinical coordinator in nursing at South University. While at FAU, Drumm’s doctoral research centered around the caring-based model for nursing education. Marissa Kelley ’95 of Fort Lauderdale, FL, was promoted from associate to shareholder in the Fort Lauderdale office of the law firm of Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A. She received her law degree from Nova Southeastern University. John Pugsley ’95 of Jupiter, FL, has been hired as marketing director for Referred Home Services (RHS) — an online resource directory of home repair contractors in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties. Pugsley is the former director of communications at United Fran-
’95
chise Group where he was responsible for public relations, marketing and advertising. Venetia Tiberi ’95 of Fort Lauderdale, FL, is the director of marketing at Town Center at Boca Raton. Previously she was the assistant director of communications for the city of Weston. Peter Azzarello ’96, ’99 of Woodstock, GA, was named vice president of finance for Inhibitex. Inhibitex is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of products that treat or prevent viruses and bacterial infections including herpes and HIV. Robert Bugg ’96 of Cooper City, FL, is the CFO of the North Broward Medical Center. He was nominated in the Community Service category, for the South Florida Business Journal CFO of the Year Award. Erin Deady ’96 of Lantana, FL, is an attorney and shareholder at Lewis Longman & Walker, P.A., West Palm Beach. Previously she was environmental counsel for Audubon of Florida where she provided policy and legal counsel on such issues as land use and Everglades restoration. Bruce Strickrott ’96 of Woods Hole, MA, pilots undersea vehicles for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
’96
Elizabeth “Betty” Ankrom ’97, ’99 of Hollywood, FL, is the fitness director at ACTS Retirement-Life Communities in Boca Raton. She is a national and world champion weightlifter. Erik Deitsch, ’97, ’00 of Parkland, FL, is the CEO of Nutra Pharma Corp. and its newly incorporated subsidiary company, Designer Diagnostics, Inc. Together the companies
’97
We want to hear from you! Complete our online survey or submit your class notes at www.faualumni.org, email to legacy @ fau.edu or mail to FAU Office of Alumni Relations, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431. Due to space limitations, we are unable to publish every class note we receive.
are dedicated to discovering and marketing new drugs and medical devices, particularly for the management of neurological disorders, cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases. Kathleen Klein ’97 of West Palm Beach, FL, is associate professor of dance and chair of the dance department at Palm Beach Atlantic University, and executive director of Klein Dance, Inc., a school for dance. She is also host of Palm Beach County’s professional modern dance company, Demetrius Klein Dance Company. Wendy Perez ’97 of Miami, FL, is a teacher in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools and an adjunct proCONTINUED ON PAGE 24
Florida Atlantic University 23
OWL NOTES
fessor at Miami-Dade Community College. Michael Sanchez ’97 of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, is enjoying two careers. As a tennis professional, he gives lessons, runs clinics and oversees tennis programs at the PGA National Health and Racquet Club in Palm Beach Gardens. At night he performs with two rock bands at restaurants and music venues throughout the region. Angela SaponeBrunelle ’97, ’07 of Boca Raton, FL, is an associate with the accounting firm of Crowe Chizek and Company, Fort Lauderdale. Christine Antunes Pescatore ’98, ’04 of Royal Palm Beach, FL, was married in June 2007 and is the senior marketing specialist for the IBM Southeast Employees Federal Credit Union in Boca Raton. Richard Gonzalez ’98 of Cambridge, MA, is a lieutenant commander with the U.S. Coast Guard First District, Boston, and will earn his master’s degree in environmental management from Harvard University. Kristen Justice ’98 of Boynton Beach, FL, is the director of clinical information at Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach. Daryl D. Lyon ’98 of Wellington, FL, is the vice president of Grand Bank and Trust of Florida, West Palm Beach. Nicole Marsala ’98 of Coral Springs, FL, history teacher at Coral Springs Middle School, was named Broward Teacher of the Year for 2008. A native of Coral Springs, Marsala attended the very school she has taught in for the past eight years. In 2006, she
’98
was named the state’s history teacher of the year. Paul Tertan ’98 of Plantation, FL, is the audit supervisor with Goldstein Lewin & Co., Boca Raton. Amir Eden ’99 of Boca Raton, FL, is director of student life and experiential education at the Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton. He also serves as the school’s head soccer coach. Jeremy Fedoruk ’99 of Wellington, FL, trains boxers with an emphasis on physiology and weight training. He has trained members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins. Marcia Korow ’99, ’05 of Lake Worth, FL, is a registered nurse who has been published in nursing journals. Patrick Lynn ’99, ’04 of Cooper City, FL, is the police chief in Davie. He is a 24-year veteran from the Pembroke Pines Police Department. Eugenia Millender ’99, ’06 of West Palm Beach, FL, is a registered nurse. A veteran of the U.S. Army, she is working toward a Ph.D. in nursing. She is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. With its West Palm Beach chapter established in 1947, the Delta Dears were early civil rights activists who established a library for African Americans in West Palm Beach at a time when public libraries were closed to African Americans. Carrie Noah ’99 and Jason Silver ’99 of Boca Raton, FL, were married in December 2006. An Alpha Xi Delta, Carrie is a pharmaceutical representative and Jason, a Sigma Phi Epsilon, owns a computer
consulting firm. Joshua Patterson ’99, ’02 of St. Augustine, FL, is a certified hazardous materials manager and serves as vice president and director of Environmental Services, Inc., in St. Augustine.
’99
2000s James Bloomquist ’00 of Wellington, FL, is a senior manager with the accounting firm of KPMG Peat Marwick, LLP. Amanda Bosky ’00 of Palm Springs, FL, is a librarian trainee at Wellington Branch Library where she is involved in promoting reading incentive programs for teenagers. Todd Broder ’00 of Fort Lauderdale, FL, attended medical school at the University of Florida and is in his third year of residency at UF’s Shands Hospital. He plans to follow his residency with a fellowship in forensics. Mark Knight ’00 of Fort Lauderdale, FL, was nominated in the Community Service category, for the South Florida Business Journal CFO of the Year Awards.
’00
Howard Coates ’01 of Wellington, FL, is an attorney and owner of Coates Law Firm. Mark Gierok ’01 of West Palm Beach, FL, has artwork that will be featured at Meyerhoefer Art Gallery, Lake Worth. Amy LaPointe ’01 of Plantation, FL,
’01
owls in print Charles Ghigna ’67, ’70 of Homewood, AL, known by many as Father Goose, is the author of more than 30 books of poetry for children and adults. His two new picture books are Snow Wonder (Random House, 2008) and Score! 50 Poems to Motivate and Inspire (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2008). Joseph Dyson ’74 of Novato, CA, is the author of Never Entertain During Watermelon Season (Lulu, Inc., 2007). This fictionalized story set in 1970s San Francisco, is based on the author’s own experiences as an aspiring standup comedian. Dr. José E. Alvarez ’77, ’81 of Houston, TX, is the co-editor of A Military History of Modern Spain from the Napoleonic Era to the International War on Terror (Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., 2007). Alvarez, an associate professor of history at the University of Houston, examines Spain as a military power in the 19th and 20th centuries, and covers the country’s current-day struggle against terrorism.
Jenni Bergal ’93 of Silver Spring, MD, is one of the authors of City Adrift: New Orleans Before and After Katrina (Louisiana State University Press, 2007). With a forward by Dan Rather, this book investigates Hurricane Katrina and the events in its aftermath. Bergal is the supervising senior editor of Weekend Edition Sunday for National Public Radio. Her reports tackle a wide variety of topics and have earned her distinction in the field of journalism. She is the recipient of the Gerald Loeb Award, the Worth Bingham Award and the National Press Club Consumer Journalism Award. She is also a twotime Pulitzer Prize finalist. Nicholas Dan Richie ’97 of Delray Beach, FL, is the author of The Plane to Lisbon: A Travel Memoir (Inkwater Press, 2007). The book is a selection of anecdotes from Richie’s close to 40 years of foreign travel. Marcia Korow ’99, ’05 of Lake Worth, FL, is the author of Nursing Management (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc., 2008). Korow is certified in geriatrics.
Kelly Swanson Ashey ’82 was a wife and mother of two sons when at age 36 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Not surviving to guide her children through adulthood was her greatest fear. Determined to put her experiences of battling cancer on paper, she wrote Forever Mom, The Gift of Eternal Love (Washington Publishers, 2005). The book was published in July 2005, several months after her death. It is a legacy she has left to her husband Mike Ashey ’83, her sons and to all who must face unexpected challenges.
Are you an “Owl In Print” … or do you know of an FAU graduate who is?
David Miller ’84 of Lake Mary, FL, is the author of Awol on the Appalachian Trail (WingSpan Press, 2005). A 2,172-mile hike from Georgia to Maine is the subject of this book.
Please send a message to legacy @ fau.edu or legacy, FAU Office of Alumni Relations, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431.
24 legacy summer 2008
Kimberly A. Zeidner ’04, ’06 of Coral Springs, FL is the author of Climbing Through Windows (Publish America, 2008).
Myra Brandt ’02 of Parkland, FL, is coowner of Boca Cheer Center, a gym that offers cheering and tumbling class to more than 175 students, ages 4 to 18. Jennifer Brin ’02 of Fort Lauderdale, FL, is the director of Florida Women’s Business Center, a small business resource center committed to the development of women in business. Headquartered in Delray Beach, the center is an initiative of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership. Patricia Casdorph ’02 of Port St. Lucie, FL, is manager for banking finance at RSM McGladrey, Inc., of West Palm Beach. Yvonne Elliott ’02 of Greenacres, FL, is vice president and branch manager of Orion Bank, West Palm Beach. Zachery Gardner ’02 of Plantation, FL, is the owner of Sapa, a Thai restaurant in Boca Raton. Karl Miller ’02 of Coral Springs, FL, is the director of corporate risk for the Jarden Corporation, headquartered in Rye, NY, with 25,000 employees worldwide. He served as vice president of the Coral Springs Improvement District and is founder of C3KB Solutions, Inc., an internet company that helps subsidize insurance for lower income individuals in the developing world. Dalia Miodowski-Pearson ’02, ’05 of Boca Raton, FL, is a manager for Florida Audit Practice with RSM McGladrey, Inc. Charles Nothdurft ’02 of Fort Myers, FL, is a residential specialist with Ron Miller Real Estate, LLC, Fort Myers. Rouyi Pan ’02, ’06, ’07 of Boca Raton, FL, is an auditor with the accounting firm of Grau and Associates in Boca Raton. Josiah Strauss ’02, ’05 and Mary MacDonald ’03 of Bryan, TX, were married in 2006. He is a doctoral candidate at Texas A&M University, where he is researching how oceans are being affected by fossil carbon dioxide emissions. She is an environmental educator.
’02
Amed Avila ’03 of Fort Lauderdale, FL, is an investment officer at the mutual fund management company Franklin Templeton Investment. Margaret “Marji” Chapman ’03 of West Palm Beach, FL, started a Socrates Café discussion group at the North County Regional Branch Library in Palm Beach Gardens. Wolodymyr Danylyshyn ’03 of Hollywood, FL, works for Yachting Promotions, Inc., producers of many large-scale events including the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, one of the largest yacht shows in the world. Robert Gibson ’03 of Murfreesboro, TN, was nominated for teacher of the year for Williamson County school district. Joshua Kessler ’03 of Wellington, FL, opened his own video production company, JKI, in June 2007. Racquel McIntosh ’03, ’04 of Margate, FL, is a senior auditor with Grau and Associates, Boca Raton. Ligia “Lee” Munro ’03 of Boca Raton, FL, is the technology
’03
PHOTO BY BOB LASKY
is a teacher and co-owner of S&L Concepts, LLC, maker of ChairHuggers, a buffer between furniture legs and floors. Ana Maria Leon ’01 of Coconut Creek, FL, was named Florida School Counselor for 2007 by the Florida Counseling Association. She designed what has become a nationally recognized, award-winning program, “Passport to Peace,” for elementary school children. She also conducts parent education programs at the Hanley Center. Bruce Moeller ’01 of Sunrise, FL, was appointed interim city manager for the city of Sunrise. He has served as Sunrise’s fire chief since 1997. Chad Muney ’01 of Boca Raton, FL, is an attorney practicing business litigation, construction law, property disputes, and landlord, tenant and first party insurance coverage. Regina Stolpman ’01 of Boynton Beach, FL, is assistant director of the Rehabilitation Center at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach. Krishna Turlapathi ’01 of Boca Raton, FL, is chief technology officer for DataLister, Inc., a division of Risk Metrics.
Following the Bright Lights to Hollywood Marc Macaulay ’81 is not your typical struggling actor living in Hollywood. For one thing, the Holl y wood that he calls home is in Florida, not California. Successful and secure in his career, Macaulay is a “working actor” whose résumé of character roles spans some of the top films and television shows from the last three decades. Macaulay came to FAU’s Boca Raton campus after auditioning for the theatre program in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. The department, then headed by Thurman Stanback, spotlighted such talented faculty members as Jean-Louis Baldet, Joe Conaway and Frances Jellinek Myers. “I immediately liked the feel of the school. Classrooms were not crowded and the student body was diverse,” says Macaulay. “We were given the opportunity to act, build sets, direct sound and light, and manage props.” After graduation, Macaulay was selected to participate in a one-year apprenticeship program at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre in Jupiter, Florida. As one of only 15 chosen from a sea of applicants, Macaulay happily recalls that year as the most intense time of his life. He learned his craft through classes taught by established names in the entertainment industry, including the late actor/director Charles Nelson Reilly. When the year was over, Macaulay left Florida and headed to New York to study acting at the world-renowned HB Studio. Although living in New York City presented Macaulay with his share of challenges, the up-and-coming and often hungry young actor loved being a part of the venerable HB Studio. In 1985, responding to a character actor casting call for a new hit show called “Miami Vice,” Macaulay found himself back in South Florida. He got the part, and by the end of the show’s run in 1989, he had appeared on “Miami Vice” five times in five different roles. “My experience on the ‘Miami Vice’ set taught me that I could carve out a successful career as a character actor by remaining in my home state,” says Macaulay. “Sure, I still travel for some projects, but primarily I am based here and very busy!” Most recently he has played the recurring role of Agent Harris during the debut season of the critically acclaimed television show “Burn Notice” on the USA Network. To see Macaulay’s filmography, go to www.imdb.com.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
Florida Atlantic University 25
OWL NOTES
Practicing the Art of Caring For Vivian Clare ’03, standing still has never been an option. Marriage and motherhood put her professional life on hold, but once she decided to pursue a career in nursing, Clare moved forward with determination and intense dedication. “Nursing seemed like a perfect fit for me,” says Clare. “I knew I wanted to go into a helping profession and nursing offered me a variety of options.” After earning an associate’s degree in nursing from Palm Beach Community College, Clare joined the staff of St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach. For more than 20 years Clare was an integral part of the hospital’s trauma intensive care unit. Despite the demands of her fast-paced job, Clare carved out the time to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Barry University. Moving into an administrative role at St. Mary’s, she served as hospital educator for three years and later as director of the telemetry unit. Her drive to advance in the profession coupled with her desire to learn drew Clare to the graduate program at FAU’s nationally recognized Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. Its humanistic and patient-focused approach to nursing spoke to Clare and for two years she traveled to the Boca Raton campus two nights a week for classes. In 2003 she was awarded a master’s degree in nursing. “This program is wonderful. I was awestruck by the caliber of the professors who truly touched the heart,” says Clare. “What Dean Boykin has done for nursing is immeasurable. Her philosophy of caring, known by nurses throughout the country, is what the profession is all about. Take care of your inner self so you can give back to others.” After 25 years at St. Mary’s, Clare, ready for a new challenge, assumed the position of director of critical care at Columbia Hospital in West Palm Beach. She remained there for two years. In August 2007, she became director of nursing at Jupiter Medical Center. The challenges and responsibilities of her new job have further energized Clare, who plans to begin FAU’s new doctor of nursing practice program this August. Her support of her alma mater is demonstrated in her work as chair of the Nursing Alumni Society. It is not coincidental that two of Clare’s three daughters have FAU ties. Daughter Lisa Sepahi ’94 majored in social work in the College of Architecture, Urban and Public Affairs. She now lives in California with her husband Ali Sepahi ’94, a graduate of the Barry Kaye College of Business. Youngest daughter Amanda Clare is double majoring in political science and communication at the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. “Our academic interests have never overlapped, but my daughters and I share a common appreciation of FAU. This university has done so much for us. I am proud that we are members of the FAU family!”
26 legacy summer 2008
coordinator at St. Andrews School in Boca Raton. David B. Scheirich ’03 of Delray Beach, FL, received his law degree from St. Thomas University Law School. He is an attorney with Felberbaum & Associates, Inc., a real estate firm in Boca Raton. His wife of five years, Janice M. Moore Scheirich ’93, is the town manager for the town of Hillsboro Beach, and is a board member of the FAU National Alumni Association. Linda Smith ’03 of Delray Beach, FL, is associate professor of business at FAU. She also volunteers for the Palm Beach County Literacy Coalition. Jared Allen, ’04 of Edmond, OK, is working in medical sales. As FAU’s first quarterback, he attended the New Orleans Bowl to cheer for the Fighting Owls. Jay C. Murray ’04 of Boca Raton, FL, is a teacher at Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Boynton Beach. Last fall Murray and his students collected more than 4,000 food items for the Food for Families drive. Carlos Valencia ’04 of Boynton Beach, FL, is a senior accountant with Rampell & Rampell of Palm Beach. Allison Walsh ’04 of Plantation, FL, is a library associate in youth services at the Southwest County Regional Library in Boca Raton.
’04
Colleen Gleason ’05 of Lake Worth, FL, was a legislative aide for the Florida House of Representatives last summer and returned to FAU to pursue a master’s degree in public administration. Nilu Jimenez-Ross ’05, ’06 of Boca Raton, FL, teaches sixth grade at McRay Elementary School in Keystone Heights. Tinuade Pena ’05 of Royal Palm Beach, is an engineer with Ernest-Jones Consulting Engineers. Kristen Steele ’05 of Lake Worth, FL, is sales manager for Amelia Island Plantation, Fernandina Beach, where she heads the resort’s agency and wholesale tour sales department.
’05
Victoria Griswold ’06 of West Palm Beach, FL, is the assistant head of the Good Shepherd Episcopal School, Tequesta. Megan LaGala ’06 of Fort Lauderdale, FL, is the youth director at Temple Beth Orr in Coral Springs. Robert List ’06 of Coral Springs, FL, graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center, Cape May, NJ. Dr. Nealie Newberger ’06 of West Palm Beach, FL, is in charge of business development for Sancilio & Company, Inc., a pharmaceutical analysis laboratory that supports high quality drug development. Fermin Presno ’06 of West Palm Beach, FL, is president of the Artists Guild of the Palm Beaches and has a studio in Boca Raton. His photography was featured in the town of South Palm Beach’s art show. Lucas Schipper ’06 of Boynton Beach, FL, is a teacher at Drop Back In Academy, a school designed for high school students who have left the system but wish to return. Joshua W. Shaver ’06 of Stuart, FL, is an assistant account executive with Cotton and Company in Stuart.
’06
Deborah Almeida ’07 of Coconut Creek, FL, is owner of Uhma Spa & Shop, the first all-green spa in Miami Beach. Almeida said she first got interested in organic living when she was 17 years old and suffering from a digestive problem. Elizabeth Artiles ’07 of West Palm Beach, FL, is the administration services supervisor at AmCOMP, Inc., North Palm Beach. The firm is an insurance holding company focused exclusively on addressing issues surrounding workers’ compensation insurance. Michael Bonomo ’07 of Fort Lauderdale, FL, is a physician practice manager for St. Mary’s and Good Samaritan Medical Centers in West Palm Beach. Pamela M. Brown ’07 of Fort Lauderdale, FL, is the executive director of Leadership Anne Arundel, a Maryland-based, non-profit organization that provides
’07
The Hungry Owl Copies are $20 each, available in the administration bldg., Rm 201, on the Boca Raton campus or online at fauf.fau.edu/cookbook (add $4 for postage and handling if ordering online). All proceeds go to support FAU academic and research programs.
UNIVERSITY CLUB COOKBOOK IS ON SALE NOW! education and leadership training. Samantha Curry ’07 of Royal Palm Beach, FL, is the administrative services manager for the Indian Trail Improvement District, West Palm Beach. Mark Davies ’07 of Jupiter, FL, is vice president of Erdene Material Corporation, a subsidiary of Erdene Gold, Inc., a diversified mineral company. He works in West Palm Beach where the Nova Scotia-based firm maintains a satellite office. Brett Jackowski ’07 of Key West, FL, has become a professional mixed martial arts boxer, winning his debut match against an opponent who was an eight-time Golden Gloves boxer and two-time member of the Junior Olympic boxing team. Melissa Lomax ’07 of Cocoa Beach, FL, is an engineer with Existing Structures Engineering, Inc. Danielle Nastri ’07 of Lake Worth, FL, won the United States division of the “Design Against Fur” poster competition. Rebecca Redman ’07 of Hobe Sound, FL, is a staff accountant with Keefe, McCullough & Co., Fort Lauderdale.
Kurt Higgins, Jr. ’84, January 29, 2008, Boca Raton, FL Annette Haines Guinta ’85, June 26, 2007, Pensacola, FL James Bannatyne ’89, August 21, 2007, Palm Beach Gardens, FL Karen Yii Ligare ’89, ’93, August 1, 2007, Hobe Sound, FL Janet Holt ’91, August 12, 2007, Davie, FL Linda Deery ’92, June 2, 2007, Delray Beach, FL Scott Kropornicki ’92, July 28, 2007, Boca Raton, FL Christopher Altimari ’94, January 31, 2008, Boynton Beach, FL John Damian Dymtrow ’95, October 15, 2007, Boca Raton, FL Michelle Lawless ’97, October 27, 2007, Sunrise, FL Penny Brighton ’99, ’07, August 2, 2007, Fort Pierce, FL Douglas Burris ’99, September 23, 2007, Sewell, NJ Graham Moody ’01, September 10, 2007, Fort Lauderdale, FL Catherine Tyler ’03, August 18, 2007, Lake Orion, MI Beatriz Gonzalez ’07, October 21, 2007, Boca Raton, FL
IN MEMORIAM
Faculty and Staff Alumni James Davis ’66, August 16, 2007, Fort Lauderdale, FL Robert Selwa ’66, December 16, 2007, Daytona Beach, FL Jesse Williams ’66, October 2, 2007, Stuart, FL Elizabeth M. Anderson ’67, January 18, 2008, Linn, MO Ann Butterfield ’67, June 7, 2007, San Antonio, TX Martha DeRoma ’67, August 5, 2007, Greenacres, FL James Giles ’67, January 2, 2008, Titusville, FL Thomas Jones ’67, September 23, 2007, Exeter, ME Alan B. Callaway ’68,’71, February 7, 2008, Tallahassee, FL Lillian Spencer Carwithen ’69, November 23, 2007, Fort Pierce, FL Robert Clark ’69, December 4, 2007, Jacksonville, FL Barbara Scott ’69, November 11, 2007, Fort Pierce, FL Arthur Berni ’70, November 25, 2007, Islamorada, FL Ruth Rogers ’70, ’71, November 3, 2007, Miami, FL Nancy Beck Stewart ’71, February 9, 2007, Pembroke Pines, FL John Madigan ’72, July 3, 2007, Tallahassee, FL David Hartlep ’74, August 6, 2007, Statesboro, GA Jerry Beggs ’75, February 8, 2008, Bryant, AR Kevin Johnston ’75, September 24, 2007, Port St. Lucie, FL Edward Zita ’75, July 13, 2007, Vero Beach, FL Clarinda Mira-Hardin ’76, ’79, January 6, 2008, West Palm Beach, FL Donna Hicks ’77, August 10, 2007, San Jose, CA D’aun Marie Brummell-Rockwell ’79, July 25, 2007, West Palm Beach, FL Steven Trivette ’79, November 25, 2007, Houston, TX Laura Cavedo ’80, August 30, 2007, Afton, VA Judy Lungren ’80, December 13, 2007, Salem, NY John Schurman ’80, January 10, 2008, Midland, MI Ruth Newman ’82, July 4, 2007, Orlando, FL
Donna Cooper of Boca Raton, FL, died on July 15, 2007, at the age of 60. She worked at FAU for 22 years, first in the Controller’s Office and then in 2003 in the Barry Kaye College of Business. Rita Crowell of Deerfield Beach, FL, died on January 25, 2008. An FAU retiree, she had worked in the Barry Kaye College of Business. Richard Griffin of Oklahoma City, OK, died on February 10, 2008, at the age of 77. He had a long career as a U.S. Army officer and later in higher education. He served as director of admissions at FAU. Frederick Gordon Harold of Boca Raton, FL, died on February 8, 2008, at the age of 70. He was an associate professor. Christian Kraft of Boca Raton, FL, died on December 3, 2007, at the age of 76. He retired from FAU’s Campus Security. Robert Stetson of Boca Raton, FL, died in June, 2007, at the age of 75. One of FAU’s founding faculty, he was an authority on electron physics. While at FAU he directed the South Regional Center for Excellence in Mathematics, Science, Computers and Technology. He also directed sponsored research and the Faculty Scholars Program, was acting dean of undergraduate studies and served as special assistant to the vice president for academic affairs for lower-division planning. He played a major role in expanding FAU to a full, four-year institution.
SUHEYLA GENCSOY Respected philanthropist and longtime FAU Foundation Board member Suheyla “Sue” Gencsoy died on April 14, 2008. She was preceded in death by her husband, Tahsin Gencsoy. Born in Istanbul to a prominent family of lawyers, military leaders and statesmen, Sue was exposed early on to the virtues of public service. This commitment to community was a driving force throughout her life in her “adopted” home of Fort Lauderdale. One of the founders of the Turkish American Business, Education and Cultural Development Committee (TABEC), Sue served as that organization’s president. In an effort to bridge East and West through higher education, research and interpersonal exchanges, she worked tirelessly to obtain support from the Republic of Turkey and from private gifts to establish the Kenan Evren Chair in Turkish Business Studies Professorship within FAU’s Barry Kaye College of Business. This chair, valued at $1 million with state matching gifts, is helping to link FAU to one of the fastest growing super-economies in Mediterranean Southern Europe.
DAMION MARX PHILIP HEIDEMANN GARETH AKERMAN On March 13, three members of the FAU community were killed in the crash of a small plane as they were conducting research on wading bird colonies in Lake Okeechobee. Doctoral student Damion Marx, 35; master’s degree student Philip Heidemann, 43; and laboratory technician Gareth Akerman, 36, were members of Dr. Dale Gawlik’s biology lab in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. The University community was stunned and deeply saddened by their loss. At a standing-roomonly memorial service held on the Boca Raton campus on March 24, Student Body President Tony Teixeira praised them for doing “the world’s work” by choosing to devote themselves to the important field of environmental science. Damion and Philip were awarded their degrees posthumously at the May 2 commencement ceremony. The University has established the Akerman/ Heidemann/Marx Memorial Teaching Assistantship and Scholarship Fund as a tribute to all three of the researchers. Donations can be made online by going to fauf.fau.edu.
Owl Notes compiled by Marlene Smith.
Florida Atlantic University 27
O FAU N AT ION A L ALUM NI A SSOC I ATION O
Honors Distinguished Alumni During a ceremony at the Eleanor R. Baldwin House on May 1, Mary E. Wood ’76, was inducted into the FAU National Alumni Association (FAUNA A) Hall of Fame. She is vice president and controller of AES Corporation, a $14 billion global power company headquartered in Arlington, Va. Wood’s interest in various public causes is reflected in her involvement on numerous non-profit boards, including the FAUNAA Board. “FAU provided me with the foundation I needed for success in a challenging career that has spanned more than 30 years. My education literally opened the door to a diverse world of opportunities,” said Wood. Distinguished alumni from eight of FAU’s colleges were also recognized for their outstanding accomplishments, exceptional service and commitment to their profession or to the community.
Hall of Fame Inductee Mary E. Wood, BBA ’76 Vice President/Controller The AES Corporation
Distinguished Alumni of the Colleges Mark Greenwald, MJPM ’01 College of Architecture, Urban and Public Af fairs Linda A. Alley, BA ’94 Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters Robert L. Forde, Jr., BA ’74, MBA ’79 Barry Kaye College of Business Louise Crocco, BS ’69 College of Education Richard C. Asher, BS ’67 College of Engineering and Computer Science
Dr. Gail Mitchell, BSN ’84 Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Dr. Caula A. Beyl, BS ’73 Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
28 legacy summer 2008
ABOVE:
(front) Mary E. Wood, BBA ’76; (second row, from left) Robert L. Forde, Jr., BA ’74, MBA ’79; Linda A. Alley, BA ’94; (third row, from left) Louise Crocco, BS ’69; Dr. Gail Mitchell, BSN ’84; Mark Greenwald, MJPM ’01; (fourth row, from left) Dr. Caula A. Beyl, BS ’73; Autumn S. Widdoes, BA ’03, ’03; (top row)C.Richard Richard Asher, C. BSAsher, ’67 BS ’67
PHOTO BY LARRY MILLER
Autumn S. Widdoes, BA ’03 Harriet L.Wilkes Honors College
P H I L A N T H R O PY SPOTLIGHT
MINETTE HOFFHEIMER’S
artful memories Stars and a Purple Heart during his military service. He worked in foundry supplies for most of his career and was a dedicated volunteer for underprivileged youth and seniors. When Arthur was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1997, Minette turned to the Mae Volen Senior Center in Boca Raton for assistance. It was there that she met art instructor Pat Saidon and learned about the amazing benefits of art therapy. Pat would go on to become an integral part of FAU’s Artful Memories program. “Pat was wonderful with Arthur,” says Minette. “I knew when I began this endeavor that I had to have her join us.” Artful Memories classes allow students to move beyond difficulties with words and speech and reach a place where they can communicate their thoughts through painting. Pat believes music is an important part of that experience. She explains that it helps create a relaxing and nonthreatening environment where the stu-
dents can escape from their daily stresses and frustrations. “Teaching this class has been the best thing that could ever happen to me as an artist,” says Pat. “I can see the transformation on their faces. It is like we have released a cork from a bottle of champagne. It’s pure energy that flows out in the form of art. Their joy bubbles over and you cannot help but be moved by the experience.” The Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center welcomes more than 10,000 visitors each year. The center is dedicated to providing compassionate services and innovative programs for individuals experiencing memory loss and to supporting and nurturing their families. For more information about the programs of the Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center, call 561-297- 0502. If you are interested in donor opportunities, call 561-297-0506. PHOTO BY JEFFREY THOLL
Minette Hoffheimer could not have imagined how many lives she would touch when she established the Artful Memories program to honor her late husband Arthur (Bud) Hoffheimer. Begun in 2004, at the Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, the Artful Memories program offers therapy through art classes to individuals who are experiencing memory loss, including those with Alzheimer’s disease. “I am so thankful to FAU for welcoming us into its community and allowing this program to flourish” says Minette. “It has been incredibly rewarding to know that I have made a difference in the lives of other families that are going through the same struggle.” The Artful Memories program is a fitting tribute to a humanitarian who led an extraordinary life. As a World War II paratrooper Arthur parachuted into Normandy on D-Day. He earned two Bronze
Florida Atlantic University 29
University Advancement 777 Glades Road Boca Raton, FL 33431- 0991
NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE
PAID BOCA RATON, FL PERMIT 813