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| (L-R) Dr. Karl K. Stevens, dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science; Eric Alexander; Gerri McPherson, vice president,Treasure Coast Campus; Jack Kelly, vice mayor, City of Port St. Lucie. |
The Treasure Coast campus received a $200,000 gift from Eric Alexander to establish the Eric Alexander Engineering and Computer Science Endowed Scholarship Fund. As an endowment, Alexander’s gift is eligible for a state match of $100,000. This endowment will provide scholarship funds annually to deserving College of Engineering and Computer Science students on the Treasure Coast campus.
“I do not have great personal resources, but I want to leave something that will benefit deserving students from the area who want to attend FAU,” said Alexander, 94, a resident of Port St. Lucie. “I’ve always enjoyed learning and valued the importance of a college degree. Hopefully my gift will inspire others.”
Born in Austria, Alexander was separated from his family prior to World War I. He eventually immigrated to the United States and grew up in New York City. Alexander also attended Princeton University for two years until finances cut his studies short.
“Education is expensive and good students should have the opportunity to succeed. Engineering and computer science are difficult subjects, and students should worry more about their studies and less about tuition,” said Alexander.
Alexander’s career included work as a campus engineer at Fordham University and as a mechanical engineer at the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City. He and his late wife, Ruth, were married 61 years and raised two children. Alexander has two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
“What a privilege it is to have an endowment focused on advancing our engineering programs in engineering and computer science on the Treasure Coast campus,” said Karl K. Stevens, dean of the college of engineering and computer science. “We are grateful to Mr. Alexander for this most generous gift and for the many opportunities it will provide our deserving students.”
“Mr. Alexander has made a gift that will perpetually impact Treasure Coast campus students,” said Gerri McPherson, campus vice president. “His personal gift, combined with the support from the state’s matching program, will leave a lasting legacy on campus for future generations.”
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| (L-R) Treasure Coast campus students Natalie Williams, Holly McNab and Laura Stout with "Gabriel," one of the newly named simulators. "Birtha" was the name chosen for the adult mother simulator and "Elly" was chosen for the infant simulator. |
FAU's Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing faculty recently hosted a naming contest for their newly acquired patient simulators, which provides nursing students at the Treasure Coast campus the opportunity to apply their knowledge of clinical situations in a low-risk, controlled environment.
The state-of-the-art simulators, created by Medical Education Technologies, Inc. (METI), are comprised of life-like manikins that interface with a computer to simulate human responses. The simulators can recognize and respond to nursing interventions and medications, and have many human physical traits such as a heartbeat and pulse. They can also blink, breath and cry. Students can practice many scenarios on the manikins, such as treating a child experiencing an asthma attack and delivering a baby. Renowned medical institutions such as Shands Jacksonville Medical Center and the Mayo Clinic are currently using the same patient simulation technology.
"The simulators create opportunities for our nursing students to experience a variety of simulated nursing situations, including healthcare emergencies, without leaving our classroom," said FAU Associate Professor Dr. Shirley Gordon.
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