FAU students win money for business plans
Le Spa and Strategic Points LLC each won $5,000 on Wednesday, March 31 for their business plans. They were announced as winners for the 2004 Business Plan Competition. The InternetCoast Institute’s Adams Center for IT Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital in FAU’s College of Business along with the Stiles-Nicholson Foundation made the announcement.
Each company that entered the competition had to have at least one current FAU student play a major role within the company. That didn’t prevent business plans from being made by alumni, faculty, staff or other local community members. A panel of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists judged the companies.
The Le Spa business plan was for a day spa and retail boutique. The idea was created by Crystal and Frank Prescuitti who want to bring a more European atmosphere into the day spa in hopes of bringing more balance into the lives of clients. Mrs. Prescuitti is a student in the college of business’ MBA program. They won the general business category.
Strategic Points LLC is an online service provider which offers web service to improve customer satisfaction using web session analysis, cognitive archetyping, and the delivery of LiveHelp, coupons, up-selling and cross-selling.
For more information on the business plan competition, contact Bob Keltie, assistant director of the Adams Center, at 561/297-3177.
FAU students work to feed the hungry
FAU students Yara Sandoval and Frank Rodriguez along with other FAU students at the Campus Volunteer Center are preparing for the annual Summer Food Service Program. The program provides nutritionally balanced meals for nine summer camps in Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach and Delray Beach from June through August. The meals are free of charge to all children enrolled at the qualifying campsites.
The program targets areas where 50 percent or more of the children qualify for free or reduced-price meals during the school year. Its goal is to relieve some of the burden of the families by providing meals to children who would normally get meals for free at school.
The camps participating this year include: Carver Estates Youth Program, the Drug Abuse Foundation, G.A.T.E. Salvation Army, Milagro Center, Mt. Olive Christian School, Lois Martin Community Center, New Pines Neighborhood Center, Youth Activity Center and West Side Park Recreational Center.
The program is partially funded by a grant from the Florida Department of Education; however, it only covers 70 percent of the cost. The additional funding comes from sponsors who are local businesses, restaurants and private individuals.
The program manager at FAU is James Engle, the coordinator of the Dr. Daniel B. Weppner Campus Volunteer Center. Sandoval and Rodriguez are in charge of overseeing the university’s compliance with all the state and federal guidelines.
There is an account for this program at the FAU Foundation for those interested in donating. Checks can be made payable to the FAU Foundation / Summer Food Program and can be sent to: FAU Volunteer Center, UC 207, 777 Glades Rd., Boca Raton, FL 33431.
For more details on how to enroll a child at a camp sponsored by this program or to find out how you can support this program, please call the FAU Campus Volunteer Center at 561-297-3607.
Brogan to host luncheon in June
FAU president Frank T. Brogan is slated to be the keynote speaker at a luncheon honoring those who help foster regional thinking in southeast Florida on Friday, June 11. Brogan will also discuss how FAU helps develop the southeast Florida community. One of his main points will focus on Scripps in terms of its effects, locally and nationally.
The luncheon is hosted by the South Florida Regional Resource Center and the Catanese Center for Urban & Environmental Solutions at FAU. The SFRRC along with the Collins Center for Public Policy, Inc. and the South Florida Treasure Coast Regional Planning Councils assist neighborhood, city, county and civic organizations with local needs. Also, the SFRRC’s goal is to foster a spirit of cooperation among other organizations, both public and private regional entities, to maximize their productivity.
The luncheon will be held Friday, June 11 at 12 p.m. at the Westin Hotel at 400 Corporate Boulevard, Ft. Lauderdale. To register visit www.sfrrc.net or contact George Gadson at 954/762-5623. There is a $50 registration fee and a $100 fee to nominate an individual or project for an award. All proceeds will be used to cover program expenses and to educate South Florida’s leaders.
Spend a summer by the sea and earn FAU credits
FAU and the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution are teaming up to offer summer courses in Fort Pierce by the Indian River Lagoon. Summer by the Sea courses will be Marine Mammal Biology and Medicine and Eutrophication in the Marine Environment offered in Summer A, May 10-June 21.
Summer B courses, June 23-August 6 are Global Change and the Marine Environment and Marine Drug Discovery. All are 3-credit lecture courses and the last course is a 1-credit lab.
Along with activities like seining, sieving, snorkeling, and boat trips students learn about coastal habitats such as sea grass meadows, mangrove forests, salt marshes and so on.
Harbor Branch’s teaching facility, the Johnson Education Center, is equipped with a 350-seat auditorium, classrooms, a computer lab and more.
Summer by the Sea is for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. There are prerequisites.
For more information about Summer by the Sea, contact Olga Kay, assistant registrar at 772/873-3306.
For more information on Harbor Branch, call the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Marine Education Office at 772/465-2400 ext 500.
