FAU | Page 3 | Your Delray Boca

24 November, 2014 0 Comments

FAU Scientists Focus On Macular Degeneration

November 24, 2014 By David Reeves Leave a Comment

Research at FAU is focused on saving eyesight.

While oxygen is essential to our planet’s life force and the way we function and stay healthy, high concentrations referred to as oxidative stress may very well be the cause of more than 70 widely-spread diseases such as cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and eye diseases including macular degeneration.

Scientists at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, as well as the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, have found that sulindac, a known anti-inflammatory drug, can protect against oxidative damage due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the primary causes of vision loss in the elderly. Their findings were released today in an article titled “Pharmacological protection of retinal pigmented epithelial cells by sulindac involves PPAR-α” in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“What happens in age-related macular degeneration is that the retinal pigmented epithelial or RPE cells, which are essential to nourishing the retinal cells, are damaged by oxidative stress,” said Herbert Weissbach, Ph.D., director and distinguished research professor in the Center for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology within the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. “Our studies show that sulindac can protect RPE cells in culture against oxidative damage, suggesting that it could be an inexpensive and relatively non-toxic therapeutic approach for treating age-related macular degeneration.”

Oxidative stress is mainly due to the imbalance between the free radicals produced within our bodies from the oxygen that we breathe in and the ability of the body to counteract or detoxify their harmful effects through neutralization by “antioxidants systems.” This imbalance is the underlying basis of oxidative stress. Oxygen free radicals can also be produced by environmental agents including air pollution, radiation, cigarette smoking, excess stress and increased exposure to sunlight.

Many older people develop macular degeneration as part of the body’s natural aging process. There are different kinds of macular problems, but the most common is age-related macular degeneration. AMD affects the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. AMD gradually destroys sharp, central vision, which is needed for seeing objects clearly and for common daily tasks such as reading and driving. Currently, no cures exist for the majority of age-related macular degeneration cases.

29 September, 2014 0 Comments

FAU’s Promise

September 29, 2014 By Jeff Perlman Leave a Comment

Football is only one part of the FAU vision for greatness

We went to the FAU football game Saturday and it was great.
A 41-37 thriller won by the Owls.
I’m embarrassed to say it was the first time I attended a game. I love football and FAU and I’ve had my share of opportunities but we just never seemed to go.
But when Beth Johnston, a dear friend who works for FAU, arranged for a Delray day and a spot in the President’s suite alongside friends we just had to go. I’m glad we did.
The new stadium is beautiful.

The sight lines are great and the atmosphere is terrific. It’s college football and you get swept up in the excitement.
The crowd was fair, not empty but not filled either, but those who attended seemed to be having a wonderful time. Still, the program has some work to do in order to fill 30,000 seats. It’s important that they get there and it will be a landmark day for our community when it happens. And I think it will.
In addition to football, the afternoon was a primer on FAU. Beth is a great host and a passionate professional she wasn’t going to let this opportunity to connect people to FAU pass.

We started the afternoon with some FAU trivia that focused on the university’s academic accomplishments; which are surprising and considerable.
Over the course of the game we had a chance to mingle with President Kelly and his wife, FAU Board Chair Anthony Barbar and the newly appointed director of public leadership among others from the school and foundation. It was an enlightening experience and President Kelly and his team exude vision, confidence and ambition. They yearn to be a top 25 university, a place of national significance and they seem to have a plan and a laser like focus to achieve that lofty goal.
We should not only be rooting for that to happen we ought to be involved in making it so. Because if FAU thrives and excels it’s good for all of us, especially it’s host city Boca and it’s neighbor Delray.
It’s also good for our kids and community. Businesses will have an educated workforce, entrepreneurs may decide to stay and others will locate here because of FAU’s research, resources and energy.
A great university is a valuable calling card and amenity for a region.
In my few minutes with President Kelly we discussed his tenure at Clemson and it’s impact on Greenville and the region which was significant. He’s enamored with Delray and is clearly reaching out for closer ties. So is Jorge Calzadilla, the recently hired VP of Public Service who did magnificent things for children in Clemson’s service area. Mr. Calzadilla also mentioned a desire to focus FAU’s resources on community issues especially those relating to children and families. This is an opportunity that city officials in Delray would be wise to embrace.
Chairman Barbar also sees the new administration as an amazing opportunity to fulfill FAU’s potential to impact the region. He and other business leaders recently travelled to Raleigh NC where they saw the power of three great universities to drive innovation and economic development in the Research Triangle area.

The folks in Raleigh have a significant head start but there is no barrier to this region becoming world class as well –provided we knock down some parochial walls that exist between counties, cities, other institutions and business organizations.
The moment is here because in our backyard we also have a terrific university in Lynn with an international student body, a visionary president and faculty and a dynamic business school and curriculum. We just have to work together, root for one another, make some strategic investments, get involved and yes attend a few games.
The future will thank us if we do.

26 September, 2014 0 Comments

Weekend Best Bets: Owls Football & Jazz

September 26, 2014 By Jeff Perlman Leave a Comment

Jazz at the Arts Garage

The weekend is here…

Our two recommendations:

Jowee Omicil @ The Arts Garage

Who: JOWEE OMICIL

What: JAZZ

Where: Arts Garage

When: Fri, Sep 26, 8:00PM

Born in Canada to Haitian parents, Jowee has been called “the future of Haitian Jazz Music…” While he plays everything from the saxophone to the flute and even the piccolo, Jowee is also a composer, producer, arranger, vocalist, band leader, and music instructor. He has collaborated with artists like Kenny Garrett, Roy Hargrove, Richard Bona, and Wyclef Jean. In 2010 he performed at the White House for President Obama’s inaugural observation of Haitian Flag Day. Don’t miss him!

Visit www.artsgarage.org for more information.

FAU Football

Come see the Owls take on Texas-San Antonio at Schnellenger Field.

Kick off is 5 p.m.

Sometimes at yourdelrayboca we enjoy boasting. So if you go, look for us in the president’s box. That’s right, we live it up around these parts. Thanks to our friend Beth Johnston, of course.

The Roadrunners are 1-2, the Owls are 1-3 but we smell a victory.

15 September, 2014 0 Comments

FAU Celebrates $3.5 Million Grant: Will Produce Computer Science & Engineering Grads

September 15, 2014 By David Reeves Leave a Comment

FAU seeks to align graduates with business needs

FAU recently hosted a celebration of the rollout of the Florida Board of Governors’ Targeted Educational Attainment (TEAm) grant program.

The Board of Governors awarded FAU, Broward College (BC) and Palm Beach State College (PBSC) a $3.5 million state grant through the TEAm program — an ambitious effort to align university and college degrees with the state’s future workforce needs — to create an accelerated pipeline for students in the economically important fields of computer science and computer engineering.

FAU, BC and PBSC created the Computer Accelerated Pipeline to Unlock Regional Excellence (CAPTURE) program to address the need for computer-related workforce development in South Florida, providing superior learning and professional development opportunities for more than 400 anticipated new students. The three institutions are collaborating on developing a hybrid curriculum to address workforce needs.

“We expect this program to significantly increase the number of well-qualified computer professionals available for employment in a wide variety of local businesses,” said FAU President John Kelly. “We hope to be able to replicate this approach in other fields of study that have an escalating need for highly skilled employees.”

The proposed curriculum is innovative and includes new and existing courses offered by the three institutions, taught by faculty who are leaders in the computer technology field. The number of bachelor degrees in computer science and computer engineering will be increased by the FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science, and graduates of the state colleges will be offered seamless admission to FAU. Students will be drawn into the pipeline from the three institutions’ existing student bodies, employees of major corporations and graduating high school students in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

“The program stresses breadth, depth and flexibility,” said Palm Beach State College President Dennis Gallon. “Although all students will be required to satisfy core requirements, they will have the ability to choose tracks and electives in accordance with their needs and interests.”

Practical training will be provided through internships in industry and government agencies, providing early exposure to the computer technology sector.

“One of the most helpful features of the program is the system of shared advising, which will keep students on track,” said Broward College President J. David Armstrong Jr. “Students will be able to take courses at the colleges and FAU simultaneously to hasten their progress toward graduation.”

The TEAm grant awards follow more than 18 months of work by The Commission on Florida Higher Education Access and Attainment, a coalition of education, business and legislative leaders that identified the largest gaps between bachelor’s degree production and job needs. The effort marks an unprecedented level of collaboration between elected leaders, universities, state colleges and the business community. The project is supported by the Florida Board of Governors.

25 August, 2014 1 Comment

FAU Football Honors Founder of Program

August 25, 2014 By Jeff Perlman 1 Comment

Homage to Howard

Howard Schnellenberger built his legendary coaching career and was the driving force that helped Florida Atlantic University build a football stadium. Now, the field on which the Owls play their home games will bear the name of one of college football’s most accomplished program-builders.

The field at FAU Stadium on the University’s Boca Raton campus will be named Howard Schnellenberger Field, honoring the man who coached the Owls during their first 11 seasons and retired after the 2011 campaign with 158 victories during 27 years as a head coach at four Football Bowl Subdivision institutions.

FAU’s Board of Trustees approved the new field name during a conference call on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

“I am humbled beyond belief that the University would bestow this great honor on the Schnellenberger family, and me personally,” said Schnellenberger. “This is probably the highlight of my coaching career. Thanks to the FAU Board of Trustees, the University, the fans, the players and the coaches that were an integral part of this.”

A ceremony to honor Schnellenberger will be held prior to the Owls’ first home game of the season at FAU Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13. FAU President John Kelly also will make a special presentation at halftime. FAU hosts Tulsa, with the kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. It will be the fourth season for the Owls in the 29,419-seat on-campus stadium.

“Coach Schnellenberger is a legend – a true visionary who always will be synonymous with FAU football,” said FAU President John Kelly. “The University, the community, and fans of college football everywhere look to Coach as the consummate leader, and are thankful for all he has done for the sport. I know FAU will always remember this as we cheer our team on the beautiful field that will forever bear his name.”

Schnellenberger welcomed the idea of bringing football to FAU in 1998. During his tenure as FAU’s coach, the Owls garnered two bowl victories and one Sun Belt Conference championship. Twenty of his FAU players have signed professional contracts, with five drafted by the National Football League.

An assistant coach on the Miami Dolphins’ 1972 undefeated Super Bowl championship team, Schnellenberger made his greatest mark in the collegiate ranks. His career has been highly chronicled throughout the years, from winning the first national championship as coach at the University of Miami in 1983 to ushering the University of Louisville program from near obscurity to a top 20 national ranking. Schnellenberger went 6-0 as a head coach in bowl games, the most bowl victories for a coach with a perfect record.

After reaching the goal of bringing football to FAU – the Owls played its inaugural season in 1999 – Schnellenberger embarked on the challenge of getting a stadium built in order to move the program to the next level. FAU Stadium opened on Oct. 15, 2011, with the Owls hosting Western Kentucky. The open-air stadium features 6,000 premium seats, including 24 suites, 26 loge boxes, 1,000 premier club seats and 4,000 priority club seats.

“ We are thankful we have the opportunity to honor Coach Schnellenberger with the naming of our football field,” said Pat Chun, FAU’s vice president and director of athletics. “As our first football coach, he forever changed Florida Atlantic University. To permanently honor Coach Schnellenberger will serve as a great reminder to all who enter our stadium of his vision, impact and legacy.”

Schnellenberger played for Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Kentucky and served as an assistant to Bryant at the University of Alabama. He was an assistant to NFL Hall of Fame coaches George Allen (Los Angeles Rams) and Don Shula (Dolphins), and served as head coach of the Baltimore Colts during the 1973 season and of three games in 1974.

Schnellenberger was hired as FAU’s director of football operations on May 1, 1998. He coached FAU’s inaugural game on Sept. 1, 2001, against Slippery Rock at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. Under Schnellenberger’s leadership, the Owls won the New Orleans Bowl in 2007, marking the quickest a program had advanced to a bowl game after moving to Division I-A, which was later renamed the Football Bowl Subdivision. FAU also won the Motor City Bowl the following season.

4 August, 2014 0 Comments

FAU Celebrates New Graduates

August 4, 2014 By David Reeves Leave a Comment

FAU confers another 1,620 degrees tomorrow. There are now 139,000 plus FAU alumni.

Florida Atlantic University will confer more than 1,620 degrees during its summer commencement ceremonies on Tuesday, Aug. 5.

The ceremonies are scheduled for 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. in the Carole and Barry Kaye Auditorium, FAU’s Student Union, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. These students will join more than 139,000 alumni who have graduated from FAU since the university opened its doors in 1964.

Chief Jim Henson, a former tribal chief of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and one of three federally recognized Cherokee tribes in the United States, will receive an honorary doctorate from the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at 9 a.m. A frequent guest lecturer, Henson has taught faculty and students about Native American culture and consulted on research projects. He has also provided valuable collaborative assistance to John Lowe, Ph.D., Wymer distinguished professor of nursing at FAU, in securing a $2.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for a five-year research project to test the effectiveness of the Talking Circle approach in preventing substance abuse among Native American youth.

Arthur Jaffe, 93, dedicated FAU benefactor and founder of the Jaffe Center for Book Arts at FAU’s Wimberly Library, will receive the President’s Distinguished Service Medallion also at 9 a.m. The medallion is awarded to individuals who have rendered service of great value to the University or the community at large.

Florida State Sen. Garrett Richter will serve as the commencement speaker at the 1 p.m. ceremony. Richter is serving in his second term, representing portions of Collier and Lee counties. He was unanimously elected as President Pro Tempore of the Senate in November 2012. He previously served one term in the Florida House of Representatives.

Aaron Higer, a former researcher at the U.S. Geological Survey and a visionary leader in science whose contributions have helped Florida to understand, protect and restore America’s Everglades, will receive an honorary doctorate from the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science at the 5 p.m. commencement ceremony.

Several interesting graduates at the commencement include:

Gabrielle Bush, 18, is one of FAU’s youngest graduates this semester. She will receive a bachelor’s degree in health administration from the College of Business cum laude on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 1 p.m., just three months after graduating from FAU High School. One of nine children, she and two of her sisters are FAU graduates. Her sister, Gisla, led the way when she graduated with honors in 2013 and moved on to a master’s degree program in Urban & Regional Planning. Her sister, Grace, graduated in May at the age of 16 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice a few weeks before graduating from FAU High.

Kalman Fagan is the oldest member of FAU’s summer commencement, at the age of 76.

On Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 5 p.m., he will receive a master’s degree in public administration from the College for Design and Social Inquiry. Four years ago, he completed all requirements at FAU for not just one, but two bachelor’s degrees – one in criminal justice and the other in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in art history. This fall he’ll begin the master’s degree program in music business administration, under the guidance of Michael Zager, FAU’s eminent scholar in the performing arts.

Vincent Byaruhanga, a Catholic priest who serves the Kabale Diocese in Uganda, will graduate with a Ph.D. in public administration on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 5 p.m. from the College for Design and Social Inquiry. He came to FAU in 2009 and decided to focus on the effectiveness of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which had just gone into effect. His analysis of this critical economic stimulus initiative was so incisive that he’s been invited to present his findings at the Southeast Conference for Public Administration, which will be in Atlanta this fall. He’s also preparing two articles for publication in economic journals. Byaruhanga plans on becoming a university professor, either here in America or back in Uganda. Wherever he settles, he intends to establish a nonprofit organization to support the education of orphans and other children in his home village.

21 May, 2014 3 3 Comments

Water Cooler Wednesday: The Speech That Was Never Given

May 21, 2014 By Jeff Perlman 3 Comments

Meet the future and it’s bright

A few weeks ago, my good friend Beth Johnston, asked if I would speak with the students in this year’s YEA class.

YEA stands for Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a national program sponsored locally by the Boca Chamber of Commerce.

Entrepreneurship is a passion of mine and I am always thrilled and honored to speak to students. I find that I get more from them than I can ever give, so selfishly I agreed in the hopes that I could soak up their energy and enthusiasm. I always like to prepare for speeches, but I rarely follow the script. The best talks are interactive dialogues where you go in directions you never anticipated. Still, I always like to work with a net, so I prepare remarks.

Well, as soon as I went to FAU to meet the budding entrepreneurs, we launched immediately into their ideas, which to be completely honest blew me away. If I were Mark Cuban and this was Shark Tank, I would have happily invested in several of the ideas. The students had worked for 30 weeks on their plans and they were solid, well thought out, innovative and very exciting. And I see lots of pitches.

I am in touch with a few of the young business leaders I met that day. But I never did get to deliver my speech. I thought I’d share it here, but the main take away is we have so much talent in Boca-Delray that we need to mentor, nurture, fund and develop. It would be the best economic development strategy we could ever imagine. Spend an afternoon with young entrepreneurs and you will be sure of our future.

First I want to congratulate you for being entrepreneurs at such a young age…

You have made a very smart and very brave choice…and you are to be congratulated for “getting it” so early in life. Your decision to be an entrepreneur and to participate in the YEA program will pay dividends for you today and throughout your life.

Today, I want to share with you some of my experiences and where I see entrepreneurship going and why I think it is so important for you to continue on this path…

I was 32 before I launched my first entrepreneurial venture—a whole lot older than you are today and I knew a lot less than you.…I started a publishing company in my living room that I later sold to a media company six years after I launched it… without money, a business plan, or an exit strategy.

I made a lot of mistakes….struggled some months to pay the bills…but was never happier in my life and it was then that I realized in my 30s with two kids that I wanted…indeed I needed to be an entrepreneur. But I wish that I had the training that you had…I was a reporter for 12 years before I started my business….and so I thought I know a lot about publications…well I knew how to write and design them…but I knew nothing about sales, circulation, production, advertising or business.

I literally jumped off of a cliff and tried to build an airplane on my way down…

Since that time, I have learned what you have been taught..that it’s helpful to have a business plan and at least some seed capital to get started…that it’s important to know where you want to take your venture before you start…is it something you want to grow and sell or do you want to own and operate the company for a long time? You can always change your mind, but you should have an idea before you start.

I also learned that it is critical to surround yourself with good people…people who work hard, are willing to take risks, people who understand what it takes to succeed, are not afraid to fail because making mistakes and failing is all part of the process of success.

If I can teach kids one thing or if I could change one thing about society it would be that we should overcome our fear of failing…we should celebrate those who are willing to take a risk and value those who make mistakes because that is how you learn…that is how you grow…

In business, it’s important to be with people who are honest…people who will respect your customer’s and your company…people who will be there for you when the going gets rough and it always gets rough…

So how do you do all of this…how do you find key partners, how do you find customers, how do you build a great company…

I think it all starts with culture…you have to treat people well, by respecting them, listening to them and making them feel a part of your mission….when your mission or cause becomes theirs….whether they work for you or they buy from you…you can’t help but succeed.

I am a big believer that learning entrepreneurial skills will serve you regardless of what you do in life.

So if you take this opportunity and go back home and create a business in your garage or your living room like I did, or if you take another path…what you learn here is invaluable.

When I sold my publishing company to BRN Media Group I stayed around for two years to run the business and the Boca News before I helped to sell that newspaper to an investment group.

At that time, I decided to go into local politics and ran for the City Commission in Delray…

My background in business enabled me to approach politics in an entrepreneurial fashion. In fact, I said that we at the city should become civic entrepreneurs…because I believe that government can and should be entrepreneurial.

How can government be entrepreneurial….well it can fight bureaucracy, it can take some risks, it can try to be more business-like in its operations and it can try to deliver services in a more innovative way…

I can argue that government can’t afford not to be entrepreneurial because entrepreneurs are always trying to solve problems more efficiently, less expensively and in a better way.

So we tried some things…we teamed up with local businesses and residents to imagine a better downtown and came up with policies…rules that would encourage businesses to open their stores and restaurants downtown. We learned that parking rules often discouraged businesses from opening so we made them more flexible and the businesses came. We worked with the restaurants to allow tables on the street and it encouraged more restaurants to locate downtown. We took risks on events and festivals to market our city and added career programs to our high school using city employees as teachers to give our kids more options and opportunity.

We also changed our mindset…where sometimes cities are afraid to say yes and develop an attitude of how may I stop you…we decided to partner with businesses and say how may I help you…this sounds simple and it is…but it’s also powerful because it sends a message to people like you…entrepreneurs that Delray is a friendly place to do business and that we want to see you succeed and will help in any way we can.

So entrepreneurial skills are really helpful in any part of your life…the skills work in public service, they work if you go into education or the non-profit field and they work even if you’re an employee because an entrepreneurial employee will find new ways to profit, new ways to problem solve and new ways to delight customers.

So I am confident you will look back on this experience as being a reason why you succeed in the future.

And speaking of the future, it is my dream that some of you will build great entrepreneurial ventures right here in Boca or Delray…I hope you will take what you are learning and apply it to solving problems all over the world, but also here at home and that you will base your businesses here and give back by serving the community, donating to worthy causes and creating jobs for others.

27 February, 2014 0 Comments

Weekend Best Bets: St. Vincent Festival & The Next Big Thing

February 27, 2014 By Jeff Perlman Leave a Comment

The annual St. Vincent Festival offers a weekend of day and night fun.

St. Vincent Ferrer Festival

It may just be the feel good event of the year. The annual St. Vincent Ferrer Festival runs from Feb 28 – Mar 2 on the grounds of the church at 840 George Bush Blvd.

Rides, carnival games, beer, music, food, a Friday fish fry and a rummage sale—you won’t believe it.

You are also likely to see half the town at the festival over the weekend so be sure to say hello to your friends.

Entertainment highlights this year includes: Scott Ringersen’s “Elvis”, Jason Colannino, The Long Run, Gray Lily, the great Rod MacDonald, Randy Bernsen, Billy Sansone, Echoes of Erin and more.

For tickets and more information visit https://www.festivaldelray.com/

Sotheby’s Appraisal Day

Do you have a keepsake that you think may be worth something?
Maybe, an antique piece of furniture or jewelry that might just be the key to a life in the Turks and Caicos?

Well, you might want to attend Sotheby’s Appraisal Day March 1 at FAU’s student union.

The event runs from 9am-2:30pm.

There is a $45 per item fee for a professional, verbal appraisal.

Renowned Experts from Sotheby’s will be on hand to offer appraisals of art, antiques, jewelry and more.

International art experts Tom Denzler, Cynthia Volk, and Jan Willem van Haaren of Sotheby’s New York will be on hand to provide verbal appraisals of estimated value for American and European paintings, drawings, sculpture, prints, Asian items, decorative arts and European furniture. Noted Florida art, antique, and jewelry experts Russ Kodner, Craig Patrick, and Kevin Taylor of Kodner Galleries in Dania Beach; Albert Levy of A.B. Levy’s in Palm Beach; and Rico Baca of Palm Beach Modern Auctions in West Palm Beach will be available for verbal appraisals of estimated value for art, American folk art, antiques, decorative arts, jewelry, and vintage items.

“This is an exciting opportunity for anyone interested in finding out the value of a piece of art, jewelry or furniture they may have inherited or purchased,” said David Miller, a member of FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters Advisory Board, and appraisal expert. “It is rare for such an occasion to meet with an esteemed Sotheby’s authority. They and our renowned Florida-based specialists have generously offered their time and expertise for a great cause— supporting student scholarships at FAU. They are also offering their services at a considerable discount.”

All appraisals are verbal only, and are $45 per item. Photographs of larger pieces of furniture are acceptable in place of having the item on site at FAU. All proceeds from the event will benefit the FAU student scholarship fund.

For information, call 561-297-2337 or email Gail Vorsas at gvorsas@fau.edu.

Fighting Over Beverley

Off-Broadway South Florida, Theatre at Arts Garage brings you “Fighting Over Beverley.”

A love triangle that began in the heat of battle during WWII explodes 52 years later in this romantic comedy as two fighter pilots renew their fighting over Beverley.

The Israel Horovitz play runs February 28 – March 23. Wednesday – Friday 7:30 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 2 p.m.

Mr. Horovitz has written over 70 plays, several of which have been translated into as many as 30 languages and performed worldwide. His play “Line” is now in its 39th year of continuous performance off-Broadway. If you want to meet the playwright there is an wine reception opening night.

For ticket information visit www.artsgarage.org

Heart and Soul of Delray Beach

If you want to see the next big thing, mark your calendar for Saturday, March 1 at 9 p.m. and head to Delray’s Arts Garage.

Referred to as the next Jennifer Hudson, Micailah Lockhart is the “Salt & Soul of Delray Beach”.

Her vocals ignite the stage and blow audiences away. Winner of the Project Ship regional talent competition, her reviews were unanimous… Micailah is the next big thing!

Micailah has participated in many acting showcases, and was cast as Ruth in Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in The Sun” Directed by Garry Q. Lewis. She also received straight superiors on her performance at Thespian District’s Individual Events, Won $10,000 aboard Celebration Cruise Line, and a $1,000 scholarship from Hurst Chapel’s “Sing Your Way Into College”. She dreams of becoming a signed recording artist, but lives by the quote “God’s will is the way” meaning when God is ready for her dreams to come true, it will happen.

Catch her live and local.

Visit www.artsgarage.org for tickets.

14 February, 2014 0 Comments

Young Scientists Meet in Boca This Weekend

February 14, 2014 By David Reeves Leave a Comment

FAU event attracts serious young talent.

The best young scientific talent in South Florida will be in Boca Raton this weekend.

Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science will host its seventh annual southeast Florida regional competition for the Science Olympiad on Saturday, Feb. 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the science and engineering buildings and general classrooms, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. A closing awards ceremony will begin at 4:15 p.m. on the administration building lawn.

More than 700 middle and high school students from 10 middle and 38 high schools from Palm Beach, Broward, Lee, Martin and Miami-Dade counties are scheduled to compete.

The events in the competition are developed and judged by FAU professors, as well as undergraduate and graduate students. A wide variety of topics in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines are covered, including anatomy, astronomy, water quality, entomology, math, simple and complex machines and more. Students work in teams of two or more in lab-based events conducting experiments, in knowledge-based events, in taking written tests on research materials, and in engineering-based events building devices that accomplish a task.

Science Olympiad is a national, nonprofit organization begun in 1984 by K-12 science teachers to improve the quality of science education and foster a love of science among students. Teams from all 50 states participate in the Science Olympiad, one of the premier science competitions in the nation. Students who win at the regional competitions advance to the state tournament, and those winners compete at the national tournament. The winners of the 2013 FAU regional competition were Boca Raton Community High School and Archimedean Middle Conservatory in Miami. Both schools, along with Archimedean Upper Conservatory, were finalists in the state competition and advanced to the national Science Olympiad competition in May 2013.

Sponsors for this year’s event include Mathnasium, the Stuyvesant High School Alumni Association of South Florida and PersonalLoans.com.

For more information, contact Paige Garrido at 561-297-4526 (office), 954-415-1268 (cell) or pgarrido@fau.edu, or visit: www.science.fau.edu/scienceolympiad/.

8 November, 2013 0 Comments

FAU Marks Global Entrepreneurship Week

November 8, 2013 By David Reeves Leave a Comment

Entrepreneurship is the answer

Florida Atlantic University’s Adams Center for Entrepreneurship within the College of Business will celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week beginning Monday, Nov. 18 through Sunday, Nov. 24, at FAU’s Boca Raton campus, 777 Glades Road.

Global Entrepreneurship Week is an international celebration of the innovators and job creators that launch startups in which ideas come to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare. “Startup Weekend Boca Raton” anchors the celebratory week with a weekend event where entrepreneurs, developers, marketers and innovative thinkers team up to create startup ventures.

The following events offer FAU students, faculty and the greater FAU community opportunities to explore their potential as entrepreneurs and innovators:

2014 FAU Business Plan Competition – Meet the Winners and Entrepreneurs-in-Residence

Monday, Nov. 18, at 4 p.m.

This informative workshop provides attendees tips on how to register for the 2014 FAU Business Plan Competition, how to access business plan development and startup resources, and offers the opportunity to meet previous competition winners and the Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, highly experienced and successful executives, entrepreneurs, engineers and attorneys who provide guidance to FAU Business Plan Competition participants. Register today at www.fauwinners.eventbrite.com.

______________________________________________________________________________

Making Social Media Make Money

Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 5:30 p.m.

Social media has become a critical part of marketing for businesses and individuals. There are now more than 42 million Facebook fan pages offering unprecedented marketing opportunities. YouTube is one of the top websites in the world and individuals are using new marketing vehicles to make millions from their personal expertise. Jay Berkowitz, founder and CEO of Ten Golden Rules, will explore real case studies from 10 businesses and individuals who have used social media to deliver bottom-line profitability for themselves and their businesses. Register today at fausocialmedia.eventbrite.com.

______________________________________________________________________________

IBM SME Tookit for Entrepreneurs

Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 9 a.m.

IBM is a global institution embracing innovation. The IBM SME (Small Medium Enterprise) Toolkit is a free program that enables entrepreneurs and small businesses to learn how to implement the sustainable business management practices needed for growth in areas such as finance, accounting, international business, marketing and human resources. IBM Engineers will present this workshop and answer your IBM SME Toolkit questions. Register today at fauibm.eventbrite.com.

______________________________________________________________________________

Executive Forum Speaker Series: Scott H. Adams

Thursday, Nov. 21 at 5:30 p.m.

The Executive Forum Speaker Series is designed to provide the wealth of knowledge and experience of inspirational leaders and executives from a wide variety of businesses and industries. The speakers present a brief overview of their businesses, as well as specific professional experiences, followed by a discussion of key issues facing their industries in the current business and economic climate. This session features Scott H. Adams, founder of the FAU Adams Center for Entrepreneurship, a successful and innovative leader in the business community and an enthusiastic advocate of entrepreneurship and innovation. Adams will discuss strengthening the links between education, research, and the development of future business enterprises. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with one of FAU’s most successful graduates. View the Executive Forum Speaker schedule and register at business.fau.edu/executiveforum.

______________________________________________________________________________

Entrepreneur Boot Camp: Special ‘Pitch’ Session

Friday, Nov. 22 at 9 a.m.

Entrepreneur Boot Camp is a fast-paced, 30-hour certificate course designed to help aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs develop an effective business plan utilizing business development fundamentals. FAU students, alumni, faculty/staff and the greater FAU community are welcome to attend this session to learn more about Entrepreneur Boot Camp and hear aspiring entrepreneurs make their pitch. Register today at faubootcamp.eventbrite.com.

______________________________________________________________________________

Startup Weekend Boca Raton

Friday, Nov. 22-Sunday, Nov. 24

Startup Weekend is an exciting 54-hour weekend event open to students of all disciplines, FAU alumni and members of the FAU community. It begins with an idea, then teams of entrepreneurs, developers, marketers and innovative thinkers assemble to develop startup ventures. If you’re an “idea person,” entrepreneur, startup enthusiast, passionate about social change, or up for a life-changing weekend, Startup Weekend Boca Raton is for you. Register at bocaraton.startupweekend.org.

For more information on Global Entrepreneur Week, contact Maggie Kelly at 561-297-0927 or mkelly42@fau.edu, or visit business.fau.edu/gew.