ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT
FY2021
page 2 // FY 2021 Annual Impact Report
MESSAGE FROM
THE FAU FOUNDATION
Christopher J. Delisio
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
and CEO of the FAU Foundation, Inc.
Steve Schmidt
Chair of the FAU Foundation, Inc.
Board of Directors
Dear Friends of FAU,
Sixty years ago, Florida Atlantic University was founded as a new kind of American university,
one that would deliberately throw off the ivy-covered trappings of the past and invent better
ways of making higher education available to those who sought it. Three years later, when
construction was completed and FAU was ready to open its doors, then-President of the
United States Lyndon B. Johnson gave inspirational opening remarks that spoke to that
mission, saying, “A great challenge awaits you and this faculty. You’re starting here today
new, which I think gives you innite opportunity.”
In this year’s Annual Impact Report, you’ll learn how donors have helped us answer President
Johnson’s challenge by addressing today’s most pressing issues, from education to healthcare
to the environment.
As FAU celebrates this monumental anniversary, now is the time to show the world our
potential, expand our community impact and unleash our solutions to benet the greater
good. You have helped fuel powerful possibilities for our students, faculty and staff — even
amidst the ongoing challenges of our current times. Thank you for all you have helped
accomplish. Your generosity keeps us lled with hope for the next 60 years and beyond.
Yours in Philanthropy,
Florida Atlantic University Foundation, Inc. // page 3
FAU FOUNDATION ENDOWMENT
$285,475,353
TOTAL VALUE
AS OF JUNE 30, 2021
533
ENDOWED
FUNDS
$5,734,818
FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
AND WAIVER FUNDS
WERE DISTRIBUTED TO FAU STUDENTS
2,524
FAU STUDENTS
RECEIVED FINANCIAL SUPPORT
FROM THE FOUNDATION
$
57.5 MILLION
Highest Fundraising Total in FAU History
by the numbers
FY2021 IMPACT
6,124
DONORS
GENEROUSLY
GAVE TO FAU
3,065
FAU ALUMNI
MADE GIFTS
409
FAU FACULTY
& STAFF
MADE GIFTS
566
STUDENTS
DONATED TO THE
SENIOR CLASS GIFT
page 4 // FY 2021 Annual Impact Report
KURT & MARILYN WALLACH
Putting Values into Action
Having lost family members during the Holocaust, Kurt and Marilyn Wallach shared a lifelong
commitment to ensuring the lessons of this horric event in our world’s history remain relevant.
Thanks to an historic $20 million gift from the couple in November 2020 — the largest in school
history — FAU will become the epicenter for intercultural dialogue and education in the greater
South Florida region, empowering the next generation of change makers, as the home of the Kurt
and Marilyn Wallach Institute for Holocaust and Jewish Studies.
The Wallach Institute will include a building on FAU’s Boca Raton campus that will serve as the hub
for study of the Holocaust and Jewish Studies, human rights education and leadership training, and
will encourage enhanced collaborations to strengthen the prominence of these programs. It will
also memorialize the six million Jews and other victims of the Holocaust, honor its survivors, and
bring together interfaith and interethnic programs. While Kurt Wallach passed away in September
2021, the Institute will no doubt carry on his legacy.
“We are honored and grateful for Kurt and Marilyn Wallach’s enormous generosity,” said FAU
President John Kelly. “This historic gift will ensure that through education, we will continue to build
bridges of understanding and empathy for generations to come.”
PHILANTHROPY IN PARADISE
We speak for those who cannot speak,
and we remember all the victims,
including our family members, who
perished needlessly. No one should
ever be subjected to such horror. We
hope that through the education we
can provide that lives will be saved
and history will not be repeated.”
Kurt Wallach
Florida Atlantic University Foundation, Inc. // page 5
ARTHUR GUTTERMAN
Fighting Hatred with Education
As generations of Holocaust survivors are no
longer able to tell their stories, education is more
important than ever. That is why FAU established
the Center for Holocaust and Human Rights
Education on its Boca Raton campus in 1996 — to
prepare school district professionals and support
staff to implement Florida’s statute requiring
instruction of the Holocaust.
In September 2020, the Dorothy F. Schmidt
College of Arts and Letters announced a multi-
million dollar gift from Arthur Gutterman to name
the Arthur and Emalie Gutterman Family Center
for Holocaust and Human Rights Education on
FAU’s Boca Raton campus.
The gift will provide current and future K–12
teacher training and professional development,
including curriculum advancement, seminars, and
teacher travel to Israel and Eastern Europe to visit
museums and sites of the Holocaust; enhanced
collaborations with Hebrew University and other
academic and/or research institutions based in
Israel; lectures and guest speakers; community
outreach programs, and student international
study and intern abroad opportunities.
“This signicant and permanent funding will
allow us to ensure the invaluable lessons of
the Holocaust will combat the ignorance, fear
and distrust that breeds hatred and violence.
Current and future generations of teachers will
promote dignity in our schools and human rights
lessons essential to our past — and our future”
said Michael J. Horswell, dean of the Dorothy F.
Schmidt College of Arts and Letters.
I am constantly amazed at the
passion of these deserving
teachers and what they give their
students every day through their
work. I am happy to do my part
to help continue the vital work
of FAU’s Center that benets
teachers and students today and
now, for generations to come.”
Arthur Gutterman
DAVID J.S. NICHOLSON
Research, Education and Discovery
The brain is what makes us human and is the
source of our individuality. It forms our thoughts,
passions, hopes and dreams, and is constantly
changing. Every time we think and interact
with others, our brain is altered in complex, yet
marvelous ways.
Florida is the new center for the life sciences in
the United States, and FAU‘s Jupiter Campus is
the home of two of the world’s leading research
organizations: The Scripps Research Institute and
the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience.
To capitalize on this convergence of intellectual
excellence, the new FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain
Institute will provide a state-of-the-art venue for
facilitating inter-institute research opportunities.
The Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute is made
possible through a generous $10 million gift
from David J.S. Nicholson, which expands on an
initial investment from the State of Florida of $35
million, built to foster state-of-the-art research
that, while emblematic of the exciting growth of
South Florida, can touch all corners of the world.
Under the leadership of Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D.,
executive director, Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute,
David J.S. Nicholson Distinguished Professor
in Neuroscience and Professor of Biomedical
Science of the Charles E. Schmidt College of
Medicine, this 58,000-square-foot research space
will make lasting contributions to Florida’s life
sciences core and its Jupiter neuroscience hub.
Within its walls, cutting-edge basic science
research will examine the underpinnings
of a variety of brain disorders, including
autism, Alzheimer’s disease, addiction and
neuroinammation. With expanded space
for collaborative research, there is greater
opportunity to capitalize on increased federal
funding from entities such as the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science
Foundation (NSF), along with private entities
looking to provide research grants and gifts to
impact brain science and health.
The Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute also will
drive increased enrollment of superior students
in the elds of neurobiology, bioengineering,
bioinformatics, chemistry, computational biology,
genetics and engineering.
Job creation is another attractive outcome of this
endeavor. The new facility will aim to support
20 principal investigators and faculty, a similar
number of research faculty and postdoctoral
students, and approximately 100 high school,
undergraduate and graduate students per year,
who will each engage in technologically advanced
research training.
“The new building, and the exciting research
and education it makes possible, will leave an
indelible mark on our University, our community,
and our eld that we will all be proud to say, ‘we
were there when it happened,’” said Blakely. “Mr.
Nicholson’s gift will ensure for years to come that
we can attract the world’s brightest scientists and
students to Palm Beach County.”
page 6 // FY 2021 Annual Impact Report
PHILANTHROPY IN PARADISE
Florida Atlantic University Foundation, Inc. // page 7
The biggest scientic challenge of today is to gain a better
understanding of the most complex computer ever found, the human
brain. Understanding will beget solutions to neurodegenerative
diseases which are rampant and plague most families.”
David J.S. Nicholson
page 8 // FY 2021 Annual Impact Report
A.D. HENDERSON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL & FAU HIGH SCHOOL
Let’s Build This Together
Let’s Build This Together is the rst campaign of its kind in the 50-year history of A.D. Henderson
University School and FAU High School. The campaign will distinguish FAU Lab Schools as an
incubator for the STEM workforce and researchers of tomorrow, while being a driving force for
social mobility and economic development.
The reimagined campus will provide state-of-the-art facilities to house the school’s world-class
educational models, producing a blueprint on how to re-engineer Pre-K – 20 education by scaling
its proven platform throughout our state and nation.
To date, Let’s Build This Together has secured over $50 million in public and private funding,
closing in on its $54 million campaign goal. As a result of this success, the school broke ground in
the spring of 2021 to replace the original buildings with a two-story, cutting-edge K–8 school and a
multiuse athletic complex, with a grand opening planned for August 2022.
A.D. Henderson & FAU High School will now increase the overall campaign goal and continue to
raise funds for subsequent phases of construction. Phase II will include a STEM center, AquaScience
Center, Institute for Biodesign, and Center for Teacher Training. Phase III will focus on the arts and
complete the campaign with an innovative Center for Visual and Performing Arts.
“These upgraded facilities will provide state-of-the-art, industry-standard spaces that will ignite
students’ natural curiosity, hands-on and virtual investigations, STEM activities and a variety of
teacher supports to bring the excitement of education to life,” said Joel Herbst, superintendent
of schools. “Our educators will be empowered with the skills and resources they need to deliver
dynamic instruction with a program focused on STEM essentials.”
The success of this campaign is due to the boundless generosity of the schools’ friends, alumni
and community members. Lead donors Daniel and Debra Cane kicked off the campaign with a
transformative gift of $1 million to name The Cane Institute for Advanced Technologies, which
serves as the epicenter for STEM education and technology transfer for A.D. Henderson & FAU
High School. The Cane family’s generosity paved the way for other generous supporters to
champion the school’s efforts, including Wayne Jr., and Fonda Huizenga, who also supported the
campaign with a transformational leadership gift of $1 million.
Thanks to the Cane family, the Huizenga family and the support of all donors, A.D. Henderson
& FAU High School are building extraordinary facilities and programs that will impact countless
students and educators across the country for years to come.
PHILANTHROPY IN PARADISE
Florida Atlantic University Foundation, Inc. // page 9
Modern education needs to do more than simply convey
knowledge — it should create sparks of inspiration that
ignite our curiosity and drive us to innovate. The Cane
Institute for Advanced Technologies at A.D. Henderson
and FAU High School provides the raw materials,
guidance and encouragement so that tomorrow’s leaders
can solve today’s challenges. The Cane Institute’s home
in the new facility will be an epicenter of innovation and
a model for how schools worldwide can revolutionize
STEM education through state-of-the-art technology,
programs and friendly competition.”
Dan Cane, Parent, Lead Donor, Founder of The Cane
Institute for Advanced Technologies, and CEO &
Co-Founder of Modernizing Medicine
Daniel E.* and Debra L. Cane
H. Wayne Huizenga, Jr.,
and Fonda Huizenga
Bradley M. Levine* and Dr. Melissa A.
Friedman-Levine
Todd and Elycia* Morris
Jon ’01,’02 and Melissa Cipyak
Drew ’04 and Cata Lackner
Bernard and Sylvie Godin
Valerie J. Bristor, Ph.D.
The A.D. Henderson Foundation
Brett and Jennifer Frankel
Eileen S. Gold
David and Alyssa Goldfarb
Steven and Avi Gold
Ernest and Donna McMullen ’94
Helen M. Salzberg
Nic DeSiato and Kimberly A. Rosemurgy,
ADHUS ’94
Dr. Joel and Julie Herbst
Alexander S. Rosemurgy II,
ADHUS ’88
Mickey and Katie Zitzmann
Alex and Julie Candia
Keith Koenig – City Furniture
Dr. Ashish and Kavita Sahai
Justin, ADHUS ’92, and
Krista Jugs
Steve and Kelly Bethke
Kevin and Susan Vance
Andrew Hunter and
Paige Kornblue
Mary K. Oxley Foundation
Jamie and Tricia Bayardelle
Dr. Ralph Zagha and
Dr. Stacy Frankel
Cedrick and Zarifa Reynolds
Andrew, ADHUS ’00, and
Megan DiDomenico
Jessica Meith ’14,’17,’21 and
Jason Heithoff ’08,’12
Jonathan Claussen and
Allison Lane
Michael Swisher and
Dr. Wincie R. Lau-Swisher
Anonymous (4)
*FAU Board of Trustees
Let’s Build This Together
Capital Campaign Major Donors
page 10 // FY 2021 Annual Impact Report
GIVING IN ACTION
TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF THE ARTS
Myrna Gordon Skurnick Theatre Lab Playwriting Program and
Creative Writing MFA Fellows // Dorothy F. Schmidt Arts & Letters
Vision: Lead, innovate and educate in the creative and performing arts
Support: Myrna Gordon Skurnick
Myrna Skurnick developed a love of the theater at an early age. Now, generous support from
Skurnick to FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters will ensure future generations of
playwrights and writers will get to nurture their own love of the craft. Skurnick’s gift establishes the
“Myrna Gordon Skurnick Theatre Lab Playwriting Program and Creative Writing MFA Fellows,”
as well as a future endowment to fund this collaborative initiative in perpetuity. To honor this
commitment, a dedicated space located just outside the theatre was named the “Myrna Gordon
Skurnick Writing Nest at Theatre Lab” as an inspirational site for writers of all ages and genres.
The gift broadens the impact of the Theatre Lab by establishing a national playwriting program
with visiting playwrights, commissioning new work, and creating competitive Creative Writing MFA
fellowships that will attract the most talented writers to FAU with unique academic experiences
with the Theatre Lab. Prominent playwrights will work closely with students, present community
workshops and teach as guest instructors through exible residencies. This gift also gives the
Theatre Lab distinction as the only playwriting program in the region connected to an institution of
higher education.
I am thrilled to be able to support
playwriting for students at FAU in such
a unique way. Growing up in London I
was, from the age of four, taken by my
parents to the movies and the theatre.
When I turned 14, I was allowed to
ride the bus by myself to the West End.
I also love to write, including short
stories, memoirs and vignettes, making
my gift especially meaningful both to
me and to the art world.”
Myrna Gordon Skurnick
Florida Atlantic University Foundation, Inc. // page 11
FUELING ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE
Debbie Lindstrom and Bob Sheetz Owls Perch // FAU Athletics
Vision: Strengthen student-athletes on and off the eld
Support: Debbie Lindstrom and Bob Sheetz
Thanks to a $2.5 million gift from Debbie Lindstrom and Bob Sheetz, FAU received a major boost
toward its goal of entering a new era of athletic and academic excellence.
The gift named the Debbie Lindstrom and Bob Sheetz Owls Perch within the Schmidt Family
Complex for Academic Excellence, a cutting-edge, 166,000-square-foot complex that includes an
academic and leadership center, state-of-the-art wellness facilities and a sports medicine center.
Bob and Debbie have served the community as volunteers and philanthropists for many years.
Debbie has served as a dedicated volunteer in FAU’s Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness
Center for more than a decade, and she and Bob named the Bob Sheetz and Debbie Lindstrom
Walkway when the Center expanded their facilities in 2014. In addition, Debbie served on the
Caring Hearts Auxiliary Board for many years and was instrumental in helping to launch the annual
Walk in the Mall, which raises scholarship support for community members in need of the services
We believe in higher education,
believe in supporting our local
community, and believe in the
initiative and leadership Dr. John
Kelly has shown as President at
FAU. We have been encouraged
by the University’s growth and
impressed by the demonstrated
commitment from the community
that Dr. Kelly has fostered.”
Debbie Lindstrom and Bob Sheetz
GIVING IN ACTION
page 12 // FY 2021 Annual Impact Report
I am extremely passionate about
improving the well-being of all,
especially the lives of the students and
faculty at Florida Atlantic University.”
Phyllis Sandler
THE HEART OF SOCIAL WORK
Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work // College of Social Work and
Criminal Justice
Vision: Strengthen FAU’s Social Work program
Support:
Phyllis and Harvey Sandler
Phyllis and the late Harvey Sandler’s compassion and generosity have left a signicant mark upon
FAU. In March 2022, another wave of impact from their generosity will be unveiled as the Phyllis
and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work celebrates the grand reopening of its facilities following
a major renovation — an undertaking made possible by the Sandlers’ transformative $7 million gift
to the school in 2017.
The school is now poised to become a modern, technology-focused learning center that prepares
students to address some of the most signicant challenges confronting our society. The Sandlers’
gift allowed for the renovation and expansion of the school’s facilities, including a state-of-the-
art auditorium, a student study lounge and additional classrooms to accommodate the school’s
growth. The gift also established the Robin Rubin Center for Happiness & Life Enhancement, which
offers free wellness programming to the campus and surrounding communities. The reopening
dedication will jointly celebrate the renovations and the 11th Annual Phyllis Sandler Heart of Social
Work event, which raises funds to support social work students.
Phyllis and Harvey Sandler have established a legacy within the Sandler School of Social Work and
across the University that will, for generations to come, honor their values of helping others and
encouraging them to give back, transforming our communities.
A NEW STANDARD FOR AGING IN PLACE
Ponte Health Fellowship in Healthcare Building and Design Endowed Fund //
School of Architecture
Vision: Galvanize student interest in healthcare architecture
Support: Tabitha Ponte
Inspired by personal healthcare experiences that left her disillusioned with the general design,
environment and functionality of the very places that are created to help people recuperate and
heal, FAU School of Architecture alumna Tabitha Ponte set out to develop a building that could
connect healthcare with supports for body and mind: a vertical medical city.
And thanks to her $500,000 gift to establish the Ponte Health Fellowship in Healthcare Building
and Design Endowed Fund — the largest in the School’s history — FAU architecture students will
be able to join this innovative effort, which will include residences, an urban farm and retail outlets,
in addition to a medical center and pharmacy. Starting in the summer of 2022, the fellowship offers
the opportunity for rsthand experience as an intern on Ponte Health’s project site. The fellows
will benet greatly under the direction of Ponte, CEO and founder of Ponte Health, whose vast
experience in design, construction and development will provide vital training and mentoring to
prepare the students for the workforce and career in the eld of healthcare architecture.
Florida Atlantic University Foundation, Inc. // page 13
Buildings should be dynamic,
and through that, they become
an integral part of the healthcare
team for patients.”
Tabitha Ponte ‘o8
page 14 // FY 2021 Annual Impact Report
GIFTS OF NOTE
THE HOWARD SCHNELLENBERGER
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND
On March 27, 2021, legendary FAU Football
Coach Howard Schnellenberger passed away.
Schnellenberger was hired by FAU to build a
football program from scratch, eventually leading
the Owls to two bowl wins. He also oversaw
the opening of the FAU Stadium in 2011, and
the eld was named after him in 2014. His
legacy will further live on through the Howard
Schnellenberger Endowed Scholarship Fund,
established to provide scholarship support to
student-athletes who show determination and
commitment in the FAU football program.
CELEBRATING OCEAN SCIENCE FOR A BETTER WORLD:
50 YEARS OF HARBOR BRANCH
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Florida Atlantic University Harbor
Branch Oceanographic Institute. Founded in 1971 in the spirit of ocean
exploration, Harbor Branch is driven by a rich history of world-class research
dedicated to marine ecosystem conservation, ocean and human health,
aquaculture innovation and food security,
technological innovation and national defense.
Throughout that time, Harbor Branch’s work has
been buoyed by the generosity of dedicated
donors who have become a part of its storied
legacy. In celebration of this milestone
anniversary, the institute will host a series of
events throughout 2021 and 2022.
Florida Atlantic University Foundation, Inc. // page 15
KELLY-STRUL EMERGING
SCHOLARS PROGRAM
This past June, the Kelly-Strul Emerging Scholars Program
awarded scholarships for 17 Florida high school seniors to
attend FAU in the 2021-2022 academic year. Established in
2017 by Boca Raton philanthropists Aubrey and Sally Strul
and FAU President John Kelly and First Lady Carolyn Kelly,
the program provides full scholarships to rst-generation
Florida students, including tuition, housing and books, with
the goal of helping local students graduate from college
debt-free. The program is further supported by gifts from
donors throughout the FAU community.
ROBERT A. WOOD FAU MEDICAL
SCHOLARS FUND
Thanks to a $400,000 gift from Ann and John Wood, the Charles
E. Schmidt College of Medicine will be able to open the doors
to a college education for even more students. Made in memory
of the Woods’ son Robert, the Robert A. Wood FAU Medical
Scholars Fund will support 10 medical students through all four
years of medical school. The Woods attended the College’s
White Coats Ceremony pre-reception in August 2021, where
they were able to meet the scholarship recipients in person.
DONORS PROVIDE WHITE COATS TO
CHRISTINE E. LYNN COLLEGE OF
NURSING STUDENTS
As a symbol of the start of the nursing journey, the white
coat conrms a commitment to compassion, humanism and
professionalism within the eld. To celebrate this momentous
occasion, FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing held a White
Coat Ceremony for its more than 200 freshmen, accelerated and
part-time working professional nursing students. To help students
boldly step into nursing during such challenging times, more than
50 donors joined together to gift a white coat to each student.
FAU Foundation, Inc.
777 Glades Road
AD 10, Suite 247
Boca Raton, FL 33431
fauf.fau.edu
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
The Florida Atlantic University Foundation,
Inc. unleashes access to excellence for
thousands of the University’s promising people
and programs. As a 501(c)(3) non-prot
organization, the Foundation connects private
philanthropy with opportunities to advance
the University’s strategic mission and plan.
Operating under the auspices of the Division of
Institutional Advancement, the Foundation also
serves as a duciary, caring for and distributing
gifts in accordance with our donors’ wishes.
