The Florida State University Alumni Association celebrated Homecoming 2017 with its annual Homecoming Awards Breakfast Nov. 18, recognizing the accomplishments of notable alumni and faculty.
The awards presented at the event included the FSU Alumni Association’s Bernard F. Sliger Award, the FSU Alumni Association and Omicron Delta Kappa’s Grads Made Good Awards, the Garnet and Gold Key’s Ross Oglesby Award and the Friends of the Florida State University Libraries Alumni Award for Distinguished Writing.
“These notable alumni have distinguished themselves by pushing boundaries and redefining standards within their respective fields,” said Scott Atwell, president and CEO of the FSU Alumni Association. “Their work is a testament to the values of Florida State University.”
Charles “Chuck” Ehrhardt received the Bernard F. Sliger Award, which honors a member of the university community whose service has dramatically furthered the university’s mission.
Ehrhardt joined the founding faculty of Florida State’s College of Law in 1967. Though he had never taught law, the dean recognized his promise. Since then, Ehrhardt has become one of the most highly revered law professors in the country.
Shortly after he was hired, FSU alumnus and Florida Governor Reubin Askew appointed Ehrhardt to the Florida Law Revision Council, where he quickly became the state’s go-to expert on trial evidence. He literally wrote the book on the subject and has been cited on the subject by appellate courts more than 500 times.
Ehrhardt served on the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and on the faculties of the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, and the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D.C. He has received the highest honors from The Florida Academy of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Florida Board of Trial Advocates.
He also served as chair of Florida State’s Athletic Board for nearly 20 years and was elected president of the ACC’s faculty representatives.
After serving as the Ladd Professor of Evidence for 35 years, Ehrhardt earned emeritus status in 2007. He continues to teach evidence courses at the College of Law that he has seen grow into one of the most respected in America.
The Grads Made Good Awards, chosen by the FSU Alumni Association and the leadership honor society Omicron Delta Kappa, were presented to the following alumni for outstanding success in their fields:
Dulcidio de la Guardia (B.S. ’84) graduated from the FSU College of Business and returned to Panama to begin a business career with the Panamanian Stock Exchange. He then moved into banking and investments and became a leader in corporate banking and wealth management.
De la Guardia has established himself as a finance guru and currently serves as the Minister of Economy and Finance of Panama. Thanks to de la Guardia’s expertise and the expanded Panama Canal receiving new traffic, the country has been among the fastest-growing and best managed in Latin America.
Damon Andrew (Ph.D. ‘04) has spent his career making a mark on higher education as an administrator and a scholar. He earned his Ph.D. in sport management from FSU in 2004, and four years later, became the youngest dean at any of the major four-year universities in America at Troy University.
He then became the youngest dean at a major research university when he accepted the opportunity to serve as dean of the College of Human Sciences and Education at Louisiana State University.
As a scholar, Andrew authored the first applied research methods textbook in the field of sport management and contributed more than 240 peer-reviewed publications and presentations. His research interests focus on leadership, the attraction of sport for stakeholders and the effective integration of individuals with disabilities into the sporting environment.
Sandra Dunbar (B.S. ‘72) has made immeasurable contributions to the advancement of nursing research and clinical practice as an outstanding nurse clinician, researcher and educator.
She has spent her career challenging conventional approaches and forging new frontiers in nursing knowledge that improve clinical practices and patient outcomes. She is a pioneer and nationally respected scientist and educator in cardiovascular health and disease. Dunbar is dedicated to making a difference for patients with complex cardiovascular disease through cutting-edge research, education and clinical practice.
She currently serves as associate dean of academic advancement at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing along with many leadership positions within the school and the broader health care community.
For more information about the FSU Alumni Association and the Homecoming Awards Breakfast, visit alumni.fsu.edu.