Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards

6 Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography Maria A. Behnam-Terneus , D.O. (B.S. ’05, D.O. ’09), is a pediatric hospitalist at Miami Children’s Health System, where she serves as the associate program director of the pediatric residency program and the pediatric hospitalist fellowship. She is also the attending physician for patients at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. She supervises residents, fellows, and medical students and assists with the coordination, organization, evaluation, and mentorship of the residency program. She serves in numerous professional associations, teaches, and presents research in her field. Reflecting on her years at NSU, Behnam-Terneus credits the many student activities and opportunities to participate and serve with helping her to develop the leadership skills she uses today. “As an undergraduate at NSU, I was involved in various extracurricular activities, which gave me the opportunities to develop strong leadership skills and participate in student government, sorority life, and academic organizations. The ability to learn and grow from those experiences has helped me in pursuing leadership and mentoring roles in my profession,” she said. “Some of my fondest memories are from my sorority. I was actively involved in my sorority, Phi Sigma Sigma, and also in the fraternity and sorority system, which helped me develop lifetime relationships, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, professionalism, and volunteering opportunities from which I have wonderful memories of my college years.” As an NSU student, Behnam-Terneus was the recipient of the 2009 Morton and Mary Smith Achievement Award bestowed to the student exhibiting quality levels of service and leadership, scholarship, integrity, and personal growth. Behnam-Terneus enjoys mentoring undergraduate students pursuing medicine. Her future goals include pursuing a master’s degree in medical education and continuing medical research. “I am very blessed to have a wonderful family who have helped me to achieve my goals and dreams throughout my long and continuing professional education.” H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship Lynne Wines , B.S. (’87), is preparing to enter Harvard University as an Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow for 2016. “The purpose of the fellowship is to pursue social change. I am working with a business partner on creating the Neurodiversity Institute,” Wines said. “Its mission is to create awareness, advancement, education, and employment for the millions of neurodiverse individuals aging out of childhood—and the accompanying support mechanisms—and into adulthood, which provides very little support. We want to educate leaders, educators, and employers on the benefits of hiring the neurodiverse.” Wines has held leadership and chief executive positions within the financial services industry, including president and chief executive officer at First Southern Bank in Boca Raton, president and chief operating officer at CNL Bank in Orlando, president and chief executive officer of commercial banking for South Florida at Colonial Bank, and president and chief executive officer at Union Bank of Florida. She is a board member at BankUnited and serves on the bank’s audit and risk committee. She also is a board member of Broward Workshop and a former board member of the Florida Bankers Association in Tallahassee, Florida. Wines is the recipient of several awards, including the 2015 United Way Magnolia Leadership Award. She was named one of the Top 10 CEOs in Palm Beach County by the South Florida Business Journal and one of the 25 Most Powerful Women to Watch by U.S. Bankers. “I attended several schools as I was earning my business degree while working full time. When I finally found NSU, I knew I was where I belonged. The professors were engaging and challenging, yet understanding of students who had other obligations while attending school. They were intent on seeing us succeed and helping us find the right career path.” Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award Winners