FDU Forward 2025
Pictured with FDU President Michael Avaltroni, center, are honorees, from left, Pete Sacco, Andrea Melchiorre, Steven Kirshblum and Stephen Bozer. (Photo: Elena Mitchell)
June 10, 2025 — Fairleigh Dickinson University announces that the second annual FDU Forward celebration, held Thursday, June 5, on the historic Florham Campus, raised more than $400,000 for student scholarships. The event, themed Honor Our Past, Transform Our Future, brought together alumni, donors, faculty, students, and community leaders for an night of recognition, storytelling, and renewed commitment to the University’s bold vision.
FDU President Michael Avaltroni opened the evening by welcoming guests and acknowledging the vital role of trustees, alumni, and dedicated community members who have championed the University’s mission. He paid a heartfelt tribute to alumna Mary Kay Stratis, BA’69 (Ruth), MAT’71 (Metro), who recently passed away. Stratis was an FDU honorary degree recipient, Division I Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, and a long-time engaged and committed member of FDU’s Board of Trustees. She was a strong believer in the transformational power of education and was a staunch supporter of all things FDU. She and her late husband Elia’s legacy lives on in the scholarships they are providing generations of students at FDU.
The event spotlighted transformational initiatives like the recently launched FDU HealthPath Forward, a strategic endeavor to modernize healthcare education and workforce development through innovation, immersive learning, and community partnerships. Guests were informed of FDU’s new cutting-edge facilities, such as the Dennis Turpan Research and Development Lab and the FDU Health Connected Care & Innovation Lab powered by BD, both tangible bridges to the University’s future.
The evening recognized several distinguished members of the FDU family:
The Lifetime Achievement Award for Service to Health went to alumnus Dr. Steven Kirshblum, BS’81 (Metro), a pioneering expert in spinal cord injury rehabilitation whose work has transformed lives nationally and beyond.
The PINNACLE Society, which recognizes FDU’s most distinguished alumni, welcomed three new inductees: Stephen Bozer, MBA’06 (Metro), a pharmaceutical industry leader, past president of the Alumni Board of Governors, and member of both the Silberman College of Business and School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences advisory boards; Camilla Olson, MBA’80 (Metro), a trailblazing entrepreneur connecting science and art; and Pete Sacco, BSEE’94 (Metro), a visionary technologist advancing AI and cybersecurity.
The FDU Forward Transformational Honoree Award was presented to graduate student Andrea Melchiorre for her passionate advocacy in mental health and philanthropy, especially through FDU’s Transforming College Campuses initiative, which supports student psychological well-being.
Students shared their experiences, with Michael Karros, Pharm.D. and Master of Health Sciences candidate, relating a powerful personal journey of loss, perseverance, and the transformative impact of scholarship support on his academic path.
President Avaltroni reflected on his connection to FDU as both alumnus and parent, emphasizing the University’s enduring ability to change lives despite the challenges facing higher education today. He called on attendees to join FDU’s bold mission to lead the future of higher education. “Friends we are just getting started. Together we can take this University to new heights, and make good on the belief that I had when I first set foot on campus nearly 30 years ago — that we are an institution whose best days still lie ahead.”
The evening concluded with a cocktail and dinner reception, during which donors and supporters were invited to contribute to scholarships, mental health programs, immersive learning, and future innovation at FDU.
Thanks to the generosity of this extraordinary community, the FDU Forward Celebration turned the night into a powerful investment in transforming futures and strengthening the University’s role as a beacon of opportunity.
For those inspired to support FDU Forward Student Scholarships, visit: https://connect.fdu.edu/giving/fduforward