Nova Southeastern University Names Ricardo Belmar Vice President of Regional Campus Operations

Dr. Richard Davis Returns to Academic Administration at NSU’s Health Professions Division

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ricardo Belmar, M.I.B.A., Vice President, Regional Campus Operations

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University (NSU) President and CEO Dr. George Hanbury recently announced the appointment of Ricardo Belmar, M.I.B.A., as Vice President of the university’s regional campus operations effective Jan. 1, 2016. He follows Vice President Richard Davis, Ed.D, who is returning to an academic administration position in the NSU Health Professions Division.

With its largest campus in Fort Lauderdale/Davie, Florida, NSU has regional campuses in Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami/Kendall, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In his new position, Belmar will provide overall leadership and strategic direction in the planning, development and enrollment management of NSU’s eight regional campuses and its online education programs.

Belmar, who earned his M.I.B.A. in International Business Administration from NSU, has held the role of Director of NSU’s Miami Campus in the Kendall area since 2008 and has been Executive Director for Nova Southeastern University’s Office of Regional Campuses since 2013. In that role, he oversaw the campus operations and program development for NSU’s eight locations throughout Florida and Puerto Rico. Belmar is currently enrolled in the doctoral program at NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education.

“Ricardo’s success in propelling NSU’s Miami/Kendall campus in to the South Florida spotlight and his leadership experience the past several years with all the regional campuses make him the ideal candidate for this position,” said Dr. Hanbury. “I am confident he will ensure that our regional campuses continue to be innovative with both traditional classroom and distance education programs for NSU.”

After earning his degree in hospitality management from Florida International University, Belmar began his career in South Florida working in marketing and sales for Costa Cruise Lines in 1989.  In 1997, he took a role as an Academic Counselor in the Study USA office for the Instituto Chileno Norteamericano de Cultura in Santiago, Chile. His work and experiences there fueled his passion for higher education, and he then took the helm of NSU’s Miami campus.

In 2014 Belmar received the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Hispanic Leadership Higher Education Award, which recognizes individuals who provide excellence in their field in the South Florida Hispanic market through working and volunteering within their community.  He is also a board member for the Greater Kendall Business Association and chairs their Education Committee, as well as serving as a board member for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund’s Miami Advisory Council.

Throughout his 17-year tenure at NSU, Davis modeled success and innovation in the creation and evaluation of traditional classroom and distance education programs, including the development and implementation of more than 20 new programs.

Davis served in the United States Air Force for more than 20 years, including eight years as a physician assistant. He is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants Veterans Caucus, Physician Assistant Education Association, and Florida Academy of Physician Assistants. He has received multiple awards and recognitions, including South Florida Business Journal’s “Healthcare Educator of the Year Award” (2008); American Academy of Physician Assistants Veterans Caucus “Civilian PA of the Year Award” (1995); Arizona State Association of Physician Assistants “Past Presidents Award” (1995), “Service Award” and “PA of the Year Award” (1993-95); and Alabama Society of Physician Assistants “PA of the Year Award” (1993).

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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution with more than 24,000 students, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the  largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu.

December 17, 2015

Julie Spechler, M.A. | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5348 (office) | 954-591-3361 (cell)
julies@nova.edu