NSU Horizons Spring 2018

14 NSU HORIZONS It’s the cocktail hour and guests are mingling. Everyone is dressed to the nines. Among the many notable faces in the crowd, two find themselves at the center of everyone’s attention. They are Drs. Kiran C. and Pallavi Patel, and they are the recipients of the President’s Award for Excellence in Community Service at this year’s Celebration of Excellence event. The event, which marked its 20th year in January, was hosted by George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D., NSU’s president and CEO. This emerald anniversary edition saw more than 700 friends, family, and supporters of the univer- sity in attendance. Over the years, the event has served as an opportunity to showcase the university, share NSU’s achievements with the community, and discuss the future vision of the university. It has also provided Hanbury with a chance to present the President’s Award for Excellence in Community Service, an award given to an individual, group, or family who demonstrate significant contributions to the community while exemplifying all eight of NSU’s core values. 2018 HONOREES The recipients of this year’s award, cardiologist Dr. Kiran C. Patel, M.D., and his wife, Dr. Pallavi Patel, M.D., a pediatrician, made a commitment of $200 million to the university through the Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel Family Foundation in fall 2017. The commit- ment included a $50-million philan- thropic gift and a $150-million real estate and facility investment in a future education complex that will be part of NSU’s new Tampa Bay Regional Campus. Their gifts will be used to enrich NSU’s ability to educate highly qualified physicians and health care professionals. (For details, visit realizingpotential.nova.edu .) Praise for the Patels is warranted. The Tampa Bay couple have spent their lives creating a legacy of giving—estab- lishing centers and funding programs in health, education, and the arts. Yet their $200-million commitment may be the most impactful of them all. Because of it, NSU and its graduates will be able to change lives by increasing access to medicine and health care, particularly in medically underserved areas. It will also provide educational and employ- BY MERLY MESA (L to R) Dr. Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, NSU’s vice president for advancement and community relations; Walter Banks, Sr., NSU trustee; Frank Buscaglia, The Sansom Foundation; Patels Honored with Community Service