NSU Dental Students Sells DVDs to Raise Money for Special-Needs Children

Geoffrey Morris and Ian Lieberman raise over $6,000 for the Craniofacial Unit at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. — Geoffrey Morris and Ian Lieberman were busy making money over the holidays.

Not for themselves, but for the Craniofacial Unit at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood. They did it by producing and selling DVDs that review anatomical components of the brain, spinal cord and other structures of the central nervous system to other Nova Southeastern University’s Health Professions Division students as a $20 study guide. The 2^nd-year NSU College of Dental Medicine students, with the help of the college’s Oral Maxiofacial Surgery Club, were able to raise over $6,000 for the clinic. The money will be used for dental implants.

Staffed by NSU dental students and faculty, the clinic specializes in helping children with congenital and acquired disorders of the face and jaw. Some of these children were born with cleft palates and cleft lips, while others developed them because of trauma such as auto accidents. The students’ hard-earned money will help patients receive the treatment they so desperately need.

“As health profession students, it’s our desire to help our community,” Morris said. “What better way to use this money then to help disadvantaged children receive dental services. Our little project made the holidays even more special for us.”

Morris said all students enrolled in a medical program at NSU’s Health Professions Division must to take neuroanatomy classes as a mandatory requirement for their programs.

“Since Ian and I have already taken these courses, we had an insight on how to make an effective study guide for other students,” Morris said. “We started the fundraiser and before we knew it, we started making a lot of money.”

“Community support makes a significant difference in our ability to respond to the needs of patients and their families,” said Kevin Janser, a senior vice president and chief development officer for the Memorial Healthcare System, which includes Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. “This gift from the NSU dental students is not only thoughtful, but it will directly impact people’s lives in meaningful ways.  We sincerely appreciate Mr. Morris and  Lieberman’s interest and generosity.”

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About NSU College of Dental Medicine: Students of the college benefit from our state-of-the-art educational and clinical facilities, which feature the latest in computer and video technology, and from our distinguished professors, recruited from throughout the United States. The college’s facilities, faculty, and dynamic curriculum have attracted worldwide attention. Students and professionals have come from very diverse backgrounds to pursue their courses of study at the college, but outstanding instruction and advanced technology are only means to an end. http://dental.nova.edu/

About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 300 beautiful acres in Davie, Florida, Nova Southeastern University is a dynamic fully accredited research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at all levels.  NSU is the eighth largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally with more than 28,000 students. NSU awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification.  www.nova.edu

Media Contact:
Ken Ma, MBA, NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5408 (office), 954-621-7961 (cell), ken.ma@nova.edu