Circle of Friends

The Circle of Friends will be a contributing sponsor for the 2024 A Day for Children event being held Saturday, October 19. This health literacy fair showcases resources you can take advantage of on campus via NSU Health as well as a number of community providers. 
Interested in being a sponsor?  Contact Lilly Valiente, 954-262-4578.

On Tuesday, June 11, 2024 Julia "Ju" Berrios, the founder of the SANARTE Foundation along with the Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine hosted the Luncheon with Dr. Nancy Klimas. Dr. Nancy Klimas is the Director of the Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine at Nova Southeastern University. Klimas has 40 years of professional experience and has achieved international recognition for her research and clinical efforts in multi-symptom disorders, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), Gulf War illness (GWI), fibromyalgia, and most recently Long COVID. She founded the NSU Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, where she directs a group of eighteen remarkable interdisciplinary scientists and clinicians who are working together from bedside to bench and back to bedside, working to discover and implement innovative strategies that effectively treat or prevent these disabling chronic illnesses, while training the next generation of clinicians and scientists. While at the event, attendees also could view and learn more about the art featured at the Sanarte x Inim Exhibit: Awaken Your Soul- Mindfulness. Attendees could also purchase the artwork on exhibit, with their purchase being tax deductible, and a portion of the proceeds disbursed to fund the continued research undertaken by Dr. Nancy Klimas and the Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine (INIM) here at Nova Southeastern University.

In honor of National Home Ownership Month in June, NSU Alvin Sherman Library hosted their second Annual Housing Summit on Saturday, June 22, 2024.

Since 2020, NSU's programming has provided over 6000+ patrons with financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and workforce development education, and we are proud to continue this tradition with the Housing Summit.

Attendees learned valuable information such as: "What Do I need to Know about Buying A Home For The First Time?", "What Kind of Mortgage Do I need?", and "Budgeting & Credit Tips for Buying a Home".

After the Housing Summit, attendees could join us for a showing of clips from Showering Love, a documentary film about the Showering Love charitable organization, and a candid discussion with Jeannie Albright, a former member of the homeless population and CEO of Showering Love.

"Hero of a Thousand Faces" is a project that aims to highlight the lives of Black men and challenge stereotypes. It seeks to educate the public through the stories of heroes who have made significant contributions. The project was produced by Michael Anderson, an Emmy Award-winning editor with over 23 years of experience in digital media and broadcast television, and Gabriel Andrews, a high school teacher who taught robotics to kids from diverse backgrounds. View Past Recordings Here George Gadson (03/6/2024) Rashad Thomas (04/17/2024) Cilk McSweeney (5/15/2024)  

Circle of Friends invites you to join us at our VIP Opening Reception for the "Photography of Marc Hauser" Event In addition to enjoying wine and hors d'oeuvres, you can view the amazing photography of iconic American photographer Marc Hauser.  

SANARTE Foundation, together with NSU's Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine (INIM) and the Alvin Sherman Library, welcome you to the Awaken Your Soul – Mindfulness exhibit. It is our sincere hope that you will enjoy an artistic awakening and healing experience.

Visitors to this VIP Reception enjoyed the work of a bevy of talented artists such as Ely Phenix , Stan Adard, and Carmen Cólogan among many others, all the while sipping wine and nibbling on hors d'oeuvres

This exhibit was years in the making, a product of a collaborative effort between medical researchers and professionals and SANARTE Foundation's founder, Julia "JU" Berrios, all committed to creating a bridge between medical science and fine art. Other collaborative artists have joined in this vision and hope to contribute their work in the hopes of making a difference in the lives of those suffering from debilitating and chronic medical conditions.

SANARTE's collection, Awaken Your Soul - Mindfulness provides a platform to showcase the works of its founder JU and the works and achievements of the collaborative artists participating in this exhibit, and celebrates their unique contributions to the art world, both here and abroad.

On Tuesday, July 9, 2024, we held the "Photography of Marc Hauser" Opening Reception. The event was held to commemorate the opening of the "Photography of Marc Hauser" Exhibit that ran in the Adolfo and Marisela Cotilla Gallery from June 30 to August 25. The event also served as an opportunity to honor David L. Husman, who has generously donated his entire collection of negatives and photographs from iconic American photographer Marc Hauser. Marc Hauser (1952–2018), an iconic Chicago photographer, is best known for his honest and compelling black-and-white celebrity portraitures, Hauser's most famous work occurred during the 1980s and 90s, when he photographed celebrities like Woody Allen, John Belushi, Eric Clapton, Cindy Crawford, Mick Jagger, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, and others.

David and his wife Cathy developed ties to NSU after Cathy was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2021. They were referred to Eduardo Locatelli, M.D., M.P.H., neurologist and founding director of the NSU Health Neuroscience Institute and ALS Center in 2022.

As a result of NSU Health's care and dedication to taking care of his wife, David Husman began donating generously to the university. The Husmans' contributions to NSU led to their induction into the Fellows Society as Diamond Shark Circle members. In recognition of their transformational gifts, three NSU Health endeavors were named for the Husmans: the David and Cathy Husman Endowed Chair for Neuroscience, the David and Cathy Husman Neuroscience Institute.

Unfortunately, Cathy passed away after succumbing to ALS in 2023. "She was beautiful inside and out," David Husman said. Her legacy lives on as the namesake of NSU Health's Cathy J. Husman ALS Center.

In addition to his investment in NSU Health and his donation of Marc Hauser's complete works to the NSU Farquhar Honors College, David Husman donated his extensive collection of oriental art to NSU, which will be permanently housed in the Cathy J. Husman Fine Arts Gallery in the Alvin Sherman Library (scheduled to open in late-2024).

NSU Alvin Sherman Library was honored to host "Florida's Got The Blues", an exhibit that invites patrons to take an engaging musical journey through the blues heritage of Florida, featuring photos and stories of notable artists and musician. Many notable blues artists had roots in Florida and they are featured in an engaging exhibit that explores topics such as Early Blues, Florida Women and the Blues, Blues Clubs and Jook Joints, Depression Blues and the WPA Recordings, Popular Music and the Blues, and Contemporary Blues. Did you know that the blues artist with the highest number of 78–rpm records was Tampa Red who grew up in Florida? And did you know that Blind Blake–perhaps the greatest ragtime and blues guitarist–is connected with Jacksonville, Florida? These early blues men are just a few of the highlighted artists in this popular exhibit celebrating Florida's blues tradition.

Produced to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, this rich and engaging exhibit explores the struggle of African Americans for equality in Florida from the end of Reconstruction (1877) through the 1970s. It examines the deep history of black activism in the state and reveals the multi-generational effort of men and women whose courage and sacrifice ended centuries of institutionalized racism. Civil Rights in the Sunshine State is one of the first attempts to view the Florida civil rights movement through a statewide lens. From Miami to Tallahassee and St. Petersburg to St. Augustine, the Florida movement is explored at the local, state, and national levels.

• Civil Rights in the Sunshine State: The Lynching of Rubin Stacy Recorded February 15, 2022 Presented by David Kilroy Ph.D., a Professor of History and Chair of the Department of Humanities and Politics at NSU. A native of Dublin, Ireland, his research interests fall broadly within the parameters of U.S. political and cultural engagement on the world stage. According to records maintained by the NAACP, between 1882 and 1968 there were 4,743 documented cases of lynching across the United States, with the majority of victims being African American. A combination of their frequency and the system of white supremacy which condoned these mob killings ensured that most victims were soon forgotten. The case of Rubin Stacy, who was lynched by a mob in 1935 on what is today the corner of Davie Boulevard and SW 31st Avenue, stands out though because it was a recorded in a number of searing photographs taken that day. From the NAACP fliers that used these images in support of its anti-lynching campaign to the recent decision of the City of Fort Lauderdale to rename a stretch of Davie Boulevard in his memory, this talk will revisit the story of Rubin Stacy's murder and photographs which propelled it to national attention.
• Civil Rights in the Sunshine State: Eula Johnson and the Fort Lauderdale Wade-ins Recorded February 18, 2022 Presented by Janay Joseph and Tara Chadwick, History and International Studies Majors in the Department of Humanities and Politics at the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences. Prior to the 1961 Wade-ins on Fort Lauderdale Beach, and a landmark district case, public facilities in Broward county were segregated. Eula Johnson was the first woman president of the Broward chapter of the NAACP. Johnson, along with Dr. Von D. Mizell coordinated and organized a series of protests called the "Wade-ins" in the summer of 1961 to desegregate the beaches. Both faced white supremacist backlash during and after the protests. The City of Fort Lauderdale eventually sued Johnson and Mizell for "disturbing the peace" during their demonstrations. Johnson and Mizell won their case, which set the precedent for the future desegregation of Broward county. This talk will be led by Janay Joseph and Tara Chadwick on Johnson's legacy, and the work that can be done today within our current political climate. A preview of the documentary short film "She Had A Dream: Eula Johnson's Fight to Desegregate Broward County" will also be featured, along with a discussion on the research and production of the film.