Happy Holidays, Owls!

2022 was an incredible year for Florida Atlantic, and I am thankful for all we have to celebrate. From reaching No. 132 on the U.S. News & World Report list of Top Public Schools and No. 72 among the nation’s best public and private universities by Washington Monthly, to receiving the prestigious Degree Completion Award from the Association of Public Land-grant Universities, FAU continues to excel in extraordinary ways.

Making important strides in health care, we launched the FAU Health Network to increase collaboration amongst South Florida’s academic and medical organizations. With 134 community partners now involved with the Network, we are working together to improve health care access and innovation for more than three million residents in Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties.

Another boost to our health care initiatives came in the form of the largest gift in university history, when Ann and John Wood made an estate pledge of $28 million in support of student scholarships for the Charles. E. Schmidt College of Medicine. With their transformative contribution, the Woods are helping to make a debt-free medical education a reality at FAU — allowing future physicians to care for their communities without carrying the financial burden.

We also celebrated:

• The FAU Foundation setting a new fundraising record of $81.24 million from more than 5,330 donors;
• The “Sandy Owls” beach volleyball team ending the season ranked No. 10 in the nation;
• The announcement that Florida Atlantic will officially become a member of the American Athletic Conference in July 2023;
• Receiving a $26 million National Science Foundation grant to establish a groundbreaking Engineering Research Center to advance streetscape technologies;
• The 10^th anniversary of our partnership with the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, and our new joint M.D./Ph.D. neuroscience program;
• FAU’s diplomacy program — currently the top-ranked academic diplomacy program in the country — winning its fifth national title;
• Tom Herman being named Hagerty Family Head Football Coach; and
• Receiving major gifts from Holli Rockwell Trubinsky and Joseph Trubinsky ($10 million), Eleanor Baldwin ($7. 5 million), and Michael and Michelle Hagerty ($5 million).

Earlier this year, I announced that I would be stepping down as president at the end of the 2022 calendar year. As that time has now come, I am filled with a tremendous sense of accomplishment for all that Florida Atlantic and its students have achieved throughout my tenure. It is with great pride that I will continue to advance FAU’s mission as University President Emeritus. In this role, I will focus on attaining the highest and most coveted “Very High Research Activity” status, or R1, by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

Moving into 2023, I am confident that Interim President Stacy Volnick will lead FAU toward new and impressive achievements that will benefit our students and communities alike. I am grateful for her many years of dedication to the university and for her willingness to take on this vital role.

I want to thank FAU’s students, faculty and staff for all their hard work this year, as well as our alumni, friends and elected officials for their ongoing support. Their contributions have made Florida Atlantic the remarkable institution it is today.

I also want to thank my wife, Carolyn, for her invaluable support as First Lady of FAU. Her leadership, encouragement and commitment to our Owl family has left a special impact on the university and its students that will be remembered for years to come.

To the entire FAU community, I extend my warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year.

Go Owls!