NSU Horizons Spring 2017

30 NSU HORIZONS NSU Honors 12 Graduates NSU’s annual Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards recognizes alumni who have made out- standing contributions to their professions and communities and are committed to advancing the university’s values and goals. The awards are the most prestigious honor that NSU presents its graduates. Listed are the 12 outstanding graduates who were honored during NSU’s Homecoming in November 2016. ABRAHAM S. FISCHLER COLLEGE OF EDUCATION Gayle Carson , Ed.D. (’82), is an adviser and coach to CEOs and entrepreneurial managers worldwide as president of Carson Research Center. Carson holds designations as a certified speaking professional and a certified management consultant, the highest certifications in their fields. A member of NSU’s Ambassadors Board since 2012, Carson is cofounder of the Internet Association of Information Marketers and a recipient of the Best Seller Quill Award. She currently hosts a dozen radio shows per month and is the founder of sobradionetwork.com . Carson has received numerous peer honors. She is cited in more than 50 Who’s Who books and has been featured in USA Today , The Wall Street Journal , Readers Diges t, the Larry King radio show, and on several television networks. A year after moving to Miami—where she secured her first job—Carson bought the business from her boss and diversified its sales base from one to seven divisions. While serving as CEO, she received her doctoral degree at NSU and eventually sold her business for more than 20 times its initial value. COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES Sheela VanHoose , B.A. (’09), is the director of government affairs and public policy at Charter Schools USA (CSUSA), a Fort Lauderdale-based education management company where she oversees local and state government affairs in Florida. Prior to joining CSUSA in 2015, VanHoose was the director of legislative affairs for Broward County Public Schools. She worked for three years in the administration of Florida Governor Rick Scott, where she served as director of scheduling and advancement and as a special assistant/regional representa- tive to the governor. VanHoose recently served on the board of the North Broward Hospital District. An English major at NSU, VanHoose was active in the Student Government Association and College Republicans. She was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society. She is a second-degree black belt champion and a former member of the U.S. National Karate Team. VanHoose participated in Leadership Broward’s Class of XXXIV and serves on the boards of the Broward County Boys and Girls Club, Children’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center, Broward Days, and the Village Square—Broward College. COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE, HALMOS COLLEGE OF NATURAL SCIENCES AND OCEANOGRAPHY Theodore Kerry Chamberlain , B.S. (’07), D.M.D. (’10), is a practitioner and owner of Chamberlain General and Sedation Dentistry in Clearwater, Florida. Chamberlain received his Bachelor of Science in Biology and was a member of NSU’s Honors Program prior to continuing his studies at NSU’s College of Dental Medicine. He completed his postdoctoral general practice residency at The Ohio State University, then returned to Florida and opened his dental practice. One of his proudest accomplishments is founding Believe in Smiles, a not-for-profit foundation that strives to perform pro bono dental work to those in need. With a fellowship status in the Academy of General Dentistry, Chamberlain is a member of the Oral Cancer Foundation. He is also a board of trustee member at UPARC Foundation, a member of the Skip Cline Society, and active with organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Special Olympics Dental Workshop. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING Laura L. Downey , Ph.D. (’15), is chief of applied architecture at the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, where her work in systems, applications, information/data, security, and networking helps support national transportation safety. With a doctoral degree from NSU in information systems, Downey has more than 20 years of experience as a senior researcher and technology professional. Her expertise and research focus on