Homecoming Week Ends on a High Note
Monday, Nov 01, 2021
Last week we celebrated homecoming with a number of events for 鉴黄师app, alumni, faculty, staff and friends. The week ended on a high note, as 鉴黄师app Football kept its home win streak alive by defeating UTEP on Saturday, 28-25. It was the Owls鈥 12th consecutive win at 鉴黄师app Stadium, and the fifth longest home win streak in the nation.
Another homecoming week tradition is the annual Talon Awards ceremony, which honors faculty, student, alumni and community leadership. Sponsored by the 鉴黄师app Alumni Association and the Homecoming Committee, the Talon Awards have been presented during Homecoming week since 1997.
Dr. Kim Dunn聽received the Faculty Talon Award. She is an associate professor in the School of Accounting and Faculty Senate President. She was the first director of 鉴黄师app鈥檚 Accounting Scholars Program, which has achieved 100% job placement for its graduates since its inception. In 2018, Dr. Dunn founded Champions Empowering Champions, a nonprofit organization working to invest time and resources in college 鉴黄师app that have experienced foster care or homelessness, so they can earn a college degree and begin a successful career.
The Student Talon Award was presented to Tanya Panwala, a third-year student聽in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. Tanya has always been interested in addressing health disparities and advocating for underserved communities, which led to her interest in medicine. She co-directed the Bridge to Medicine program and created a formal mentoring program for high school 鉴黄师app interested in pursuing medicine. Additionally, she serves as a student representative on the Palm Beach County Medical Society鈥檚 Council on Medical Education.
Two-time NFL Pro Bowler Alfred Morris received the Alumni Talon Award. Alfred rushed for 3,829 yards and scored 27 touchdowns during his time at 鉴黄师app. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2012. That year, he set records for rushing yards in a single season and most touchdowns scored by a rookie in a single season. Alfred consistently showed his 鉴黄师app pride in the NFL by flashing 鈥淥wl fingers鈥 every time he reached the end zone. Over the course of nine professional seasons with four teams, he accumulated 6,173 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns.
I had the pleasure of presenting the President鈥檚 Talon Award to the dynamic duo of former Florida House Speaker Pro Tempore MaryLynn Magar and former 鉴黄师app Trustee Robert (Bob) Stilley. Over the years, MaryLynn worked tirelessly to help create a thriving scientific hub at our John D. MacArthur Campus in Jupiter. She successfully fought for, and ignited, numerous initiatives that allowed 鉴黄师app and the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience to grow together as partners. MaryLynn鈥檚 leadership and understanding of the role of 鉴黄师app in the region coincided with more than $70 million in state appropriations. Her husband, Bob, also has been a tireless champion of 鉴黄师app, and especially our Jupiter campus, through his service on our Board of Trustees from 2006 to 2021. During his tenure as chairman of the Board, he earmarked critical funding for the Jupiter campus, and specifically for the burgeoning Life Science Initiative. This provided the boost we needed to turn a very sparsely populated campus into the epicenter of Palm Beach County鈥檚 life sciences corridor. 鉴黄师app truly owes both MaryLynn and Bob a debt of gratitude.
Congratulations again to the 鉴黄师app football team and our 2021 Talon Award honorees!