NSU’s Health Professions Division Hosts 30th Annual Bal Fantastique

NSU President Dr. George L. Hanbury II, HPD Distinguished Service Award recipient Dr. James Howell, and NSU Health Professions Division Chancellor Dr. Fred Lippman

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – More than 320 community leaders, philanthropists, and Nova Southeastern University (NSU) faculty, students and leadership joined together on March 28, 2015 to celebrate the 30^th Annual Bal Fantastique at Hyatt Regency Pier 66 in Fort Lauderdale.

Hosted by NSU’s Health Professions Division (HPD), guests enjoyed dinner and dancing while supporting a worthy cause. The black-tie event raised funds to support educational and community programs in areas such as osteopathic medicine, optometry, pharmacy, dental medicine, health care sciences, nursing, and medical sciences.

James T. Howell, M.D., M.P.H., was honored with the HPD Distinguished Service Award for his numerous contributions to the health care field and NSU in particular. Howell is assistant dean for professional relations, chair of the Department of Rural and Urban Underserved Medicine, professor of public health, and a disaster and emergency preparedness specialist at NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is also a former secretary of the Florida Department of Health.

“Dr. Howell is deserving of this honor for his lifelong service and dedication as a physician and as an educator of the next generation of health care practitioners,” said Fred Lippman, R.Ph., Ed.D., HPD chancellor. “He is one of the foremost experts in public health in the nation and we are proud to have him on our faculty at NSU.”

Funds raised from Bal Fantastique support programs both within the classroom and in practical settings. In an effort to provide a well-rounded and community-focused educational experience, HPD students have the opportunity to participate in medical outreach programs to the Caribbean, South America and other areas around the world; see patients at NSU’s Health Care Centers; and volunteer their time at numerous free health fairs the university holds for the public.

Sponsors of the event included Adolfo Cotilla, AIA, ACAI Associates; Akhil Agrawal, president, AMD; ANF Group; NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine; Raymond G. Crawford, Crawford Tracey Corporation; Jeff Dixon, JD Backhoe, Inc.; Grycon; Hill York; The Miniaci Family; Panza Maurer; and Geraldine Terry.

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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, NSU is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate and first-professional degrees levels.  An independent, not-for-profit institution with approximately 25,000 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 and 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 one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification. For more information, please visitwww.nova.edu.

Media Contact:

Jeremy Katzman, M.B.A., APR | Office of Public Affairs

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