NLU Alumni Magazine
NLU Shines in Florida Building out programs and reaching out to alumni By Nicholas A. Love
With new and emerging programs and a renewed effort to engage an enthusiastic alumni community, National Louis University’s successes in Florida have only just begun. NLU’s Florida Regional Center serves a broad group of communities in the Sunshine State, with cohort groups located in Manatee County on the west coast and all the way through to the Orlando area. Karen O’Donnell, Ph.D., who joined NLU this year as the Florida Executive Director, oversees the entire operation of the Florida Regional Center. Sometimes that means going out in the community to build relationships, one of her favorite parts of the job. Other times it means introducing or reviving NLU programs in Florida. New to NLU in Florida is an M.Ed. in Urban Teaching, soon to be offered through the National College of Education. Coming back to Florida is the face-to-face element of the College of Professional Studies and Advancement’s MBA program; a blended version of NLU’s MBA program is being offered this fall. Moving forward on these sorts of program changes adds more value
to NLU’s Florida offerings, benefiting both current and future students.
Dedication to student success and program improvement in the NLU Florida community was on display at the commencement ceremony this past June. Held at The Coliseum, a historic venue located in downtown St. Petersburg, the 90 NLU students who walked in the ceremony included the Florida Regional Center’s first doctoral graduates.
Judah Viola, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Professional Studies and Advancement, explained more of the reasoning behind the MBA program improvements in Florida: “The blended MBA in Florida is taking advantage of the best and most recent learning science by leveraging technology to maximize flexibility and access to content and resources for students when they are available. In addition, by meeting in person monthly, students are able to connect and engage with faculty and fellow students to learn and build their professional network for the future.”
“Your face kind of hurt from smiling so much that night,” said O’Donnell.
It’s the fantastic experiences like commencement that stick with alumni, and translate to the outstanding reputation NLU has among Florida community graduates. O’Donnell has experienced this alumni enthusiasm firsthand, so she’s reaching out to any alumni in the Florida area looking to join an informal advisory board.
In Florida, it seems, there is always something to smile about.
You can watch the Florida graduation ceremony at nl.edu/Florida2015
If you are interested in supporting the work of alumni in Florida, please email Karen O’Donnell at kodonnell1@nl.edu
“Among our alumni we have an outstanding reputation – that’s one of the things that lights me up. Everywhere I go I meet an alum and they can’t stop talking about the wonderful experience they had at NLU.”
- Karen O’Donnell, Ph.D. Florida Executive Director
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