NSU Horizons Spring 2013

NSU’s annual Celebration of Excellence honored five people with the inaugural President’s Award for Excellence in Community Service. The awards were given earlier this year to those who demonstrated significant contributions to the community and exemplify one of NSU’s eight core values: community. The awards were presented to an NSU alumnus; a student; and members of the faculty, the staff, and the South Florida community. Artist, scientist, and researcher Guy Harvey, Ph.D., received the Community Leader Award. “This award defines what it means to be an outstanding citizen and member of the NSU community,” said George Hanbury, Nova Southeastern University president and chief executive officer. COMMUNITY LEADER AWARD Guy Harvey , Ph.D. Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (see profile on page 24) ALUMNI AWARD T. David Long , B.S. H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship Long is the president of Miller Electric Company, one of the largest electrical contractors in the nation, based in Jacksonville, Florida. His commitment to community is evident through his dedication to various organizations, having served as president and board member of the National Leukemia Society and as vice president and executive board member of the Dreams Come True Foundation. He is also a trustee of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and an executive committee member of the Gator Bowl Association. FACULTY AWARD Elaine M. Wallace , D.O., M.S., M.S., M.S. College of Osteopathic Medicine The executive associate dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine at NSU, Wallace has founded and participated in medical missions around the world. She started NSU’s medical outreach trip to Ecuador, which serves 400 to 2,000 patients each trip. Other countries where she has conducted medical missions include Peru, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Argentina. She is passion- ate about community service and, since joining the faculty, helped add a community service requirement to NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. STAFF AWARD Susan Kabot , Ed.D., CCC-SLP Mailman Segal Center for Human Development Kabot is actively involved at the local, state, and national levels in improving the lives of individuals with autism, their families, and the professionals who support them. The executive director of NSU’s Autism Institute and a nation- ally renowned advocate, Kabot has spent more than 25 years at the university developing and directing programs. She leads NSU’s Interdisciplinary Council for the Study of Autism, which brings together more than 40 people from an array of disciplines at NSU, working toward creating a multidisciplinary, col- laborative group with expertise in all areas of autism treatment. STUDENT AWARD Walter Upshaw H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship A student in the M.B.A. in Finance degree program, Upshaw received the Student of the Year award in April 2012. He has been the Student Government Association president and involved in the Tampa Bay community through his work with Relay for Life and the Tampa Bay Black Chamber of Commerce. PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE HONOREES top photo : Guy Harvey accepts his award. Jacqueline Travisano, NSU executive vice president and COO, and George Hanbury, NSU president and CEO, are seated. bottom photo : Left to right: Walter Upshaw, Brian Kabot (accepting for Susan Kabot), Jacqueline Travisano, Guy Harvey, George Hanbury, Elaine Wallace, and T. David Long 23 HORIZONS