Transformational Gift to Support NSU Health’s ALS Association Certified Treatment Center of Excellence
FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. – For David Husman, it’s personal.
Because of a family situation, Mr. Husman and his wife, Cathy, came to discover Nova Southeastern University (NSU). They were referred to Eduardo Locatelli, M.D., M.P.H., neurologist and founding director of NSU Health’s Neuroscience Institute and the NSU Health ALS Association Certified Treatment Center of Excellence. That’s because Cathy was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
David and Cathy Husman
It was Mr. Husman and his wife’s experience interacting with Dr. Locatelli and his staff that endeared the Husman family to NSU and is the driving force for their support of the university.
“Dr. Locatelli is a true scientist,” Husman said. “He’s not financially motivated. He is a true humanitarian. What he did to treat my wife was more than exemplary, and I have full confidence in his leadership of the ALS Center at NSU.”
Sadly, Mrs. Husman succumbed to the disease, but her spirit will live on in the work her husband will now support at NSU.
“She was beautiful inside and out,” David Husman said.
David Husman has pledged $10 million to support and enhance the NSU Health ALS Association Certified Treatment Center of Excellence and its research into the disease. The $10 million gift to NSU is one of the single largest in the university’s history, and immediately makes Mr. Husman the newest Diamond Shark member (there are only eight previous members whose philanthropic support of NSU put them in this rarest of rare category). The funds Mr. Husman has pledged will support ongoing research at the NSU Health Neuroscience Institute as well as result in the following:
- Naming the David and Cathy Husman Neuroscience Institute at NSU Health;
- Naming of the NSU Health Cathy J. Husman ALS Center; and
- Creation of the David and Cathy Husman Endowed Chair for Neuroscience.
Born and reared in Chicago, David Husman, J.D., is the founder and chairman of Heartland Real Estate Partners and has more than 65 years of real estate, banking, and principal investing experience.
He attended the University of Illinois at Navy Pier and graduated from law school at DePaul University. Husman was also a co-founder and former board member of both the Affiliated Bank Group and MB Financial, Inc., one of the largest commercial banks in Chicago, which later became Fifth Third Bank.
David Husman met his wife, Cathy, in 2000 and the couple were married in Chicago, Illinois in 2003. Cathy Husman, mother to one daughter, served as executive vice president for the Hard Rock Cafes. She later owned and operated two prominent restaurants in Chicago: Old Carolina Crab House and Widow Newton’s Tavern.
After getting married, the couple were inseparable – they traveled extensively, visiting 57 countries. They worked together in the real estate industry and enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren.
Philanthropically, Husman is a benefactor of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He donated the Yitzhak Rabin Science Building to the university in memory of his parents, Irving and Gertrude Husman. David and Cathy also donated the Husman Promenade, located in the university quadrangle in Mount Scopus, Israel.
David Husman can now add NSU to the list of organizations near and dear to his heart.
“At present, I am dedicated to helping to find a cure for ALS, as well as other neurological diseases,” Husman said. “It is my main goal.”
The transformational gift from David Husman is a major step in NSU’s Campaign to Preeminence, with a goal of reaching a cumulative external funding total of $1 billion by 2025. With this gift, which brings the total to more than $870 million, Mr. Husman will be inducted into the NSU Shark Circle and honored at the university’s 2024 Celebration of Excellence gala.
Be sure to sign up for NSU’s RSS feed so you don’t miss any of our news releases, guest editorials and other announcements. Please sign up HERE. You can also follow us on Twitter @NSUNews.
###
About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): At NSU, students don’t just get an education, they get the competitive edge they need for real careers, real contributions and real life. A dynamic, private research university, NSU is providing high-quality educational and research programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree levels. Established in 1964, the university includes 14 colleges, the “theme park” for start-ups, scale-ups , and entrepreneurs, the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation, the 215,000-square-foot Center for Collaborative Research, the private PK1-12 grade University School, the world-class NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, and the Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center, one of Florida’s largest public libraries. NSU students learn at our campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, and online globally. With more than 200,000 alumni across the globe, the reach of the NSU community is worldwide. Classified as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 59 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. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information.
