FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla., May 14, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- South Florida philanthropists Martin and Gail Press share a lifelong love of reading and libraries. On Monday, May 14, they will perpetuate these passions among Nova Southeastern University students by naming the Martin and Gail Press Health Professions Division (HPD) Library in a special ceremony at the Terry Building on the University’s main campus, 3200 S. University Drive, Davie, at 5:30 p.m.
The couple met in college at Hofstra University where the library played an important role in their blossoming relationship. Mrs. Gail Press spent her career as a reading specialist. She started at Carol City High School motivating some of the toughest students to enjoy reading, before becoming a full-time professor at Miami-Dade College for over thirty years. She has dedicated her life to education.
Mr. Martin Press is an attorney with the law firm of Gunster, one of Florida’s oldest and largest full-service business law firms. He was the first board certified tax attorney in the State of Florida and has had a long, successful legal career focused on international tax law, federal and state tax controversies and estate planning. Mr. Press is often invited to speak on tax matters at some of the most recognized industry organizations and appears frequently in national media as a tax expert. He has been one of the leading tax litigators in the United States, appearing before the U.S. Supreme Court and receiving an honorable mention as Tax Person of the Year in the United States, as named by Tax Analysts, a non-profit tax publisher in 2014.
Over the past decade, he has been involved with NSU, dedicating much of his time and energy to the University’s Board of Trustees. For more than 15 years, Mr. Press served as both chairman and vice-chairman of the NSU Shepard Broad College of Law’s Board of Governors.
The Presses were recently on campus on a Saturday night, stopping by the HPD library. “We were so impressed with what an active and vibrant place it was,” explained Mr. Press. “We saw students who were studying to be nurses, physical therapists, physician assistants, doctors of osteopathic medicine and so many other health specialties. Gail and I knew immediately that our support would impact these students, as well as people throughout Florida.”
“Gail and Martin’s commitment to the HPD library will enable even more students to have the resources they need as they embark on critical careers in health care,” said NSU President Dr. George L. Hanbury. “There isn’t a better legacy than helping students learn so they can heal others.”
NSU’s Health Professions Division trains students in concert with other health profession students so that the various disciplines will learn to work together as a team for the good of the public's health. During their didactic work, students share campus facilities and, in some cases, have combined classes. In their clinical experiences, they work together in facilities operated by the University.
About the Martin and Gail Press Health Professions Division LibraryThe library has been designated as a Resource Library for the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM). On a day-to-day basis, it supports approximately 7,800 HPD students and 1,600 faculty members, clinicians and medical researchers. The library’s professional reference and instruction librarians provide individualized service and serve as subject specialists and liaisons for HPD’s eight colleges.
Technology adds a great deal to the learning process, according to Kaye Robertson, Executive Director of the HPD Library. “The library’s 3D printing lab supports ongoing research and has played a key role in actual dental trauma surgery. Virtual reality software gives students a better grasp of the human anatomy and even enables them to practice patient interactions.”
Beyond NSU
The Presses have a long history of supporting the community. Mr. Press is the founder and former president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Tax Council. In addition, he has traveled the world in the name of humanity, visiting communities in Havana, Odessa and other parts of Eastern Europe. He serves on the National Council of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and has served as President of the Jewish Federation of Fort Lauderdale.
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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, NSU is ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s Top 200 National Research Universities and is a dynamic, private research university providing high-quality educational and research programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. Established in 1964, NSU now includes 16 colleges, the 215,000-square-foot Center for Collaborative Research, a private JK-12 grade school, the Mailman Segal Center for Human Development with specialists in Autism, the world-class NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, and the Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center, which is Florida’s largest public library. NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu.
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