NSU CDM Lasting Impressions Fall 2018

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 17 “When I arrived here, there was no biopsy service, so I created it,” she said. “I joined forces with Dr. Diane Stern, the most famous oral and maxillofacial pathologist in the world, I believe.” Stern, she explained, had been running a private biopsy practice. Today, NSU’s CDM is still the only biopsy service in South Florida, reviewing approximately 2,000 biopsies every year. Diane Stern, D.D.S., a professor in the Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, remembers when she met Velez. “She impressed me as being conscientious, hard-working, and empathetic,” Stern said. The two began working together when Stern semi-retired. “It was then, at the beginning of 2003, that I joined Dr. Velez. We worked together all the succeeding years in perfect harmony—and early on in extremely close quarters. There was never a cross word, despite the fact that we may have disagreed on a diagnosis from time to time,” Stern said. “We had great respect for each other. When your col- league is a tireless worker who is extremely conscientious in addition to being a kind, empathetic, and all-around great human being, how can things not go well? I only wish our association could have gone on for many years,” she added. Through the years, Velez’s passion for pathology also became evident in the extensive grants, research, and awards she received, and the vast number of presentations and publications in her name. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and a Fellow of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. She also has been honored with the CDM Professor of the Year Award in 2013 and the Students’ Choice D3 Most Valuable Professor Award in 2015. In addition to seeing patients and screening more than half of the biopsies, Velez handled administrative work for the department and taught five classes. Michael Siegel, D.D.S., M.S., chair of the Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, lauded Velez’s contributions to the CDM and the entire university. “Dr. Ines Velez [was] an extraordinary faculty member. She [was] a joy to work with each day as she utilized her unique talents and compassion to enable the growth of our students, patients, and faculty members—including me. She [was] a treasured resource within our department, as well as within the CDM and the community,” he said. Siegel had more praise for his former colleague. “Dr. Velez [had] highly sought-after clinical skills in addition to her laboratory and basic science acumen. She epitomized the NSU Core Values of being the consummate academician, while being student-centered at every level of the academic ladder. She continually strove for excellence in every academic endeavor. Dr. Velez set the bar for each of our students and faculty and staff members to strive to emulate. She embodied the intellect, work ethic, compassion, and academic perspective that any chair would seek in any faculty member at any level.” For Velez, her service to the CDM and the students was simply a duty born out of her belief that pathology is one of the most important parts of the college. “We save lives. We diagnose cancer and try to decrease suffering from horrible lesions in the mouth,” she said. “One of the first things I “She epitomized the NSU Core Values…while being student-centered at every level of the academic ladder.” —Michael Siegel, D.D.S., M.S. continued from page 15 Ines Velez was passionate about research.