Horizons Fall 2016

52 NSU HORIZONS A BENCHMARK FOR SCHOLARSHIPS BY OLINE H. COGDILL The metal benches placed around NSU campuses offer students more than just a place to take a break between classes or meet with friends. Those benches now are a way to increase NSU student scholarships. More than 50 benches at NSU’s Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus, as well as 15 at the Palm Beach Campus and 2 at the Orlando Campus, are available for sponsorship, with the proceeds going to the President’s Scholarship Fund. The donor may designate a specific NSU college to receive the student scholarships. A group, individual, or even a class can dedicate a bench. Linda C. Niessen, D.M.D., M.P.H., M.P.P., dean of NSU’s College of Dental Medicine (CDM), was the first person at the university to donate to the President’s Scholarship Fund by sponsoring a named bench. A plaque on the bench acknowledges Niessen’s gift in honor of the CDM, making the dental college the first to have a dedicated bench at NSU. “Sponsoring a bench is just one of the many ways that individuals can show their support for the CDM. It’s more than just putting a small dedication sign on the bench—it signifies the meaningful education and research being done here,” said Niessen. The bench dedication project is part of NSU’s Realizing Potential Campaign, which will raise $250 million by Dec- ember 2020. Gift opportunities include $2,500 to dedicate a one-person bench outside the Health Professions Division’s (HPD) Terry Building; $5,000 to dedicate an existing bench at the Fort Lauderdale/Davie, Orlando, or Palm Beach campuses; $10,000 to dedicate and place a new bench at any NSU college, facility, or campus; and $20,000 to dedicate a crescent of 5 benches outside the HPD’s Terry Building. “We wanted to find a way to enhance our campuses while celebrating people and milestones that are a part of our university. Naming a bench provides our donors with a place to reflect and remember a person or occasion significant to them, while providing a beautiful spot to rest and enjoy their surroundings. We hope this will become a great tradition and that soon all 50 benches will be named and connected to someone special,” said Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, Ph.D., NSU’s vice president for Advancement and Community Relations. For more information on dedicating a bench, call Jason Lyons at (954) 262-2127, email tributegiving@nova.edu , or visit nova.edu/giving/tributes . n NSU dental students Leydy Toribio Fabelo, left, and Alan Seidenfeld relax on the dedicated bench outside the CDM’s walkway.