Front row, from left, FAU President Stacy Volnick, Ph.D., ’87, ’06, ’22; Mitchell Hutchings, D.M.A.; Back row, from left, David Green, interim vice president of institutional advancement at FAU; Justine Avila ’05, chair of the FAU Alumni Association Board; Michael Horswell, Ph.D., dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters; and Stephen D. Engle, Ph.D., associate provost for academic personnel

Florida Atlantic University Alumni and Community Engagement recently hosted its annual Talon Leadership Awards ceremony as part of Homecoming 2024, honoring outstanding faculty, student, alumni and community members. The awards are designed to highlight exceptional leadership and service to FAU.

The President’s Talon Award was awarded to philanthropist Marilyn Wallach. Marilyn and her late husband Kurt Wallach shared a lifelong commitment to Holocaust education, ensuring the lessons of this horrific event remain relevant today and for future generations. In 2020, the Wallachs partnered with FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters on a transformational legacy gift to construct the Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building to serve as the epicenter for intercultural dialogue and education in the greater South Florida region. Additionally, through an estate gift, they will establish the Wallach Institute for Holocaust and Jewish Studies.

FAU President Stacy Volnick, Ph.D., ’87, ’06, ’22, received the Richard L. Schmidt Alumni Talon Award. Volnick is a longtime member of the FAU community with more than 30 years of experience in higher administration. She is a first-generation college graduate and a three-time Owl, receiving her bachelor’s degree in communication, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in educational leadership from FAU. Since 1991, Volnick has served the university in many leadership roles – most recently as chief operating officer, in which she provided leadership and administrative oversight of university operations across FAU’s six campuses. Throughout her tenure, she has played a critical role in streamlining university operations, strengthening institutional partnerships and increasing student success.

The Faculty Talon Award was presented to Michell Hutchings, D.M.A., who serves as artistic director of the FAU Opera Theatre. Working in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, he is also the founder and program faculty leader of the FAU Opera in Italy education abroad program.  Additionally, Hutchings has pioneered innovative projects such as the Music Theatre and New Technologies project and the Casta Diva project, sharing more than $6.9 million in grant awards.

The Student Talon Award was awarded to Zariah Walker, an undergraduate in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. A Kelly/Strul Emerging Scholar recipient, she is majoring in health science with a concentration in behavior and mental health, complemented by minors in psychology and health administration. She is an active member of numerous FAU groups, including the Black Student Union, Community Service Club, and First and Proud.

“These honorees are a testament to who we are as an institution — leaders who pioneer, model the way, and believe in working hard to achieve success,” said Katie G. Burke, Ph.D., ’08, ’10, ’15, ’17, assistant vice president of alumni and community engagement. “I’m so proud and humbled to recognize this exemplary group of Talon honorees for their unwavering dedication of service and leadership. They demonstrate why our university continues an upward trajectory.”

Alumni and Community Engagement also honored student leadership contributions in a separate Parliament of OWLs ceremony, recognizing 27 recent alumni and graduating seniors for their leadership at FAU.

For more information on the Talon Awards, the FAU Alumni Association, or Alumni and Community Engagement, visit faualumni.org.

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