FAU's Madden Center Named Oasis of Excellence
The Madden Center for Value Creation at Florida Atlantic University was named an Oasis of Excellence by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA).
The Madden Center for Value Creation at Florida Atlantic University was named an Oasis of Excellence by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA).
The center, launched a year ago to give FAU students a foundation in understanding value creation, is now the third center at the university to receive the designation. It joins the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship , which was named in 2019, and the Phil Smith Center for Free Enterprise , awarded in 2020.
“We admire ACTA’s important work in universities across the country, and are honored to be recognized for our commitment to high academic standards, free inquiry, and donor integrity,” said Siri Terjesen , Ph.D., an associate dean in FAU's College of Business and executive director of the center.
Founded with the help of a donation from independent researcher and author Bartley J. Madden, the center focuses on value creation as an essential concept for succeeding in business and teaching students to become value creators themselves. The Madden Center also runs programs that allow students to take part in research and hosts various scholars and conferences.
“In just one year, the Madden Center has launched a free certificate in value creation (currently with over 1,400 students), hosted twelve research conferences, organized a biotech and longevity conference, offered civics training to incarcerated persons in South Florida, and hosted many elected political leaders in the Florida state government and U.S. Congress,” Terjesen said of the center’s achievements.
The ACTA, based in Washington D.C., is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to academic freedom, academic excellence and accountability in higher education. The Oases of Excellence program was started in 2014 to award outstanding programs at universities and colleges throughout the country that introduce their students to diverse opinions, American heritage and the fundamental arts and sciences.
The project now has more than 80 programs at various institutions and is a critical resource for alumni and donors who want to support a well-rounded liberal arts education.
"ACTA is a national leader in their mission to join students and alumni with leading research centers at top universities," said Daniel Gropper , Ph.D., dean of FAU’s College of Business . "We are very pleased to be recognized for a third center at FAU that enhances our students' education and builds opportunities for our faculty."
-FAU-
Latest Research
- FAU CARD Releases Free Water Safety Guide for Children with AutismDrowning is the top cause of unintentional death for children aged 1 to 4 in Florida, and autism increases the risk. FAU's CARD is offering a free guide to help protect children with autism from drowning.
- Fewer Parasites in Indian River Lagoon Signal Big Ecosystem ProblemsFAU Harbor Branch researchers used parasite data to assess the ecological health of Florida's Indian River Lagoon, which has suffered from pollution and algal blooms, damaging habitats like seagrass beds.
- BEPI Poll: Hispanic Economic Outlook Drops Amid Tariffs, Rising PricesAs households face increasing prices for goods and talk of new tariffs, Hispanic optimism in the economy waned in the first quarter of 2025, according to a poll from BEPI at Florida Atlantic University.
- FAU Joins First Global Effort to Map Microplastics in Ocean SystemsAn FAU researcher joins an international team of scientists who have moved beyond "scratching the ocean's surface," marking a turning point in understanding microplastics' path through critical ocean systems.
- FAU CA-AI Lands $2.1M to Form New U.S. Air Force Center of ExcellenceTo address critical U.S. Air Force communications needs, FAU engineering's CA-AI has received a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Air Force Research Laboratory.
- Nursing 2025: No Relief as Burnout, Stress and Staffing Woes PersistA new national survey from Cross Country and FAU of 2,600 nurses and nursing students paints a sobering picture of a profession at a breaking point and an urgent call to action.