NSU Horizons Fall 2017

40 NSU HORIZONS In college, she briefly majored in music but “hated the music classes” and quickly “switched back to science,” she said. She earned B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Biological Sciences from Northwestern University in Chicago. One brother became a doctor, the other a lawyer. “My mother was disappointed when I didn’t go for my teaching certificate. All of the women in the family were teachers. And here I am…” To students and colleagues, Dribin is more than a teacher. Many faculty members are her former students. Debra McNally, M.S., an instructor at the College of Medical Sciences, recalls how Dribin has brought her matzo ball soup every Passover for almost 10 years. “Not only is Dr. Dribin a great teacher, she has become my nurturing work mother,” said McNally, who was Dribin’s neuroanatomy student 13 years ago. “There are not many teachers like her. She is very involved in mak- ing sure that things are going favorably for the students, both academically and emotionally.” Dribin’s office is lined with plaques: two Golden Apple Awards, Professor of the Year at the 2010 Student Life Achievement Awards, Professor of the Year in 2006 at the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine. Nicholas Lutfi, D.P.M., a former student of Dribin and now the chair of the College of Medical Sciences’ anatomy department, describes Dribin as “a pillar of strength to all of us … not only one of the most respected members of the faculty core, but also a friend and confi- dant to many of us.” He also said that, “Dr. Dribin has an uncanny power that makes students flock to her for advice or just to chat about life in general. Her students see her as a haven and trust her advice and opinions. She helps her students and most of us in ways in which she is unaware.” Lutfi believes Dribin “has made an impact on students’ lives in many ways by providing support and guidance and by simply caring and lending a listening ear.” In her spare time, Dribin—the brief music major— plays bassoon at the Greater Miami Symphonic Band and the Broward Symphonic Orchestra. She and her husband, Michael, a lawyer, are grandparents. “It’s a humbling experience for me to play an instru- ment,” she said. “There are young kids who play better than me. There are college kids, older people, different ages, and all different backgrounds. It’s a great equalizer.” After more than three decades in the classroom, she is most proud of her students—many of whom have successful careers. She doesn’t know how many have passed through her classroom on their way to bigger things, but estimates in the thousands. Her students’ success makes teaching worthwhile. “It’s my Jewish background; I like to do a mitzvah,” she said with trademark humor. “My first responsibility is to teach students the material. It is worthwhile when I’ve done something to help someone.” n Students have remarked that Lori Dribin’s sense of humor and her habit of learning each person’s name have helped them excel in her difficult class. continued from previous page FACULTY PROFILE