COM Outlook Winter 2019

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 17 as if we were going to be looking for another job someplace if our approach failed,” Melnick revealed. “We had to make this work for us—and we did.” By the late 1980s, the creation of the College of Phar- macy and the College of Optometry, in conjunction with the existing SECOM, led to the State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities according the three colleges university status, prompting the adop- tion of a new name: Southeastern University of the Health Sciences. As a result, in 1988, Melnick gained a new title—executive vice president and provost— as well as increased job responsibilities as additional schools were added throughout the next decade. “My duties included supervising the existing schools and starting new schools by putting the concept together, picking a dean, and supervising the overall process,” Melnick said. “The finances were run by Mort Terry and me, and if you needed a second pencil, you didn’t have to write a requisition or look at a budget. You simply came in and said, ‘I need a pencil.’ We had great control over the money, which is what enabled us to create additional schools.” When Southeastern University of the Health Sciences merged with Nova University in 1994, Melnick didn’t skip a beat, becoming executive vice chancellor and provost of the newly created NSU Health Professions Division. As he neared the age of 80 in 1998, however, Melnick officially retired from his HPD post, although he continued to serve on the NSU Board of Trustees until 2004. No Regrets “I’ve had one of those unusual lives, because I have almost no regrets,” said Melnick, who re- ceived the AOA’s Distinguished Service Certificate in 2002—one of 18 distinguished service awards he received throughout his career. When reminded of his original plan to work with Terry for just two years in the early 1980s before reentering retirement, Melnick smiled and replied, “It was always challenging, interesting, and fascinating, so I didn’t even think of retiring once I got involved. That’s why I kept on going—and I’m glad I did.” † (Significant portions of this article were reprinted from a 2005 COM Outlook interview with Melnick.) “To Dr. Melnick, I say a sincere ‘thank you’ for all you have accomplished for Florida medicine and health care.” — James T. Howell, M.D., M.P.H., assistant dean of professional relations A selection of books authored by Arnold Melnick