Ninth Annual Phyllis Sandler Heart of Social Work Event to Recognize Students, Alumni and Palm Beach County Leaders
March 9, 2020 – On Friday, March 27, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) will dually celebrate the grand opening of the newly named Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work and the Ninth Annual Phyllis Sandler Heart of Social Work event, during which select students, alumni and agency partners will be honored for their service contributions to the school, university and the community.
Through the Sandlers’ $7 million gift in 2017, FAU transformed the Sandler School of Social Work into a modern, comprehensive, technology-focused learning center with additional classrooms, a study lounge and computer workspace. The new Robin Rubin Center for Happiness & Life Enhancement offers interactive and supportive programming – including meditation, yoga and guest lectures on a wide range of wellness topics – all geared to enrich, promote and nurture holistic well-being of FAU students, faculty, staff and members of the community.
“The newly renovated space has created a culture of inclusion and cohesiveness for our students, faculty, alumni and clinicians throughout the community,” said Heather Thompson, Ph.D., LCSW, interim director of the Sandler School of Social Work. “There’s a renewed sense of pride, and many are impressed when they see it for the first time.”
Longtime FAU and Boca Raton benefactors, Phyllis and Harvey Sandler were introduced to the social work program through their daughters, Robin Rubin and Amy Ross, who returned to school as adults to earn degrees in social work. Rubin continued her studies at FAU, earning a master’s degree in social work and ultimately becoming an instructor in the School of Social Work.
“Like so many in this field, I want to make a difference in the world and help those less fortunate,” said Rubin, who teaches a class at FAU that helps social work students avoid burn out and lead a more fulfilling life. “I realized early on that I could connect FAU’s social work program with Palm Beach County philanthropists, educating them on the selfless work performed by social workers across South Florida.”
In 2018-19, FAU’s social work student interns provided 181,000 community service hours valued at $7.8 million across more than 250 agencies in South Florida.
In 2012, Rubin launched the Phyllis Sandler Heart of Social Work event to recognize exceptional FAU students, alumni and individuals in the field. Designed to reinforce the massive impact social workers have on the community, the annual event has raised more than $250,000 to date for social work student scholarships. This year’s event will also commemorate the grand opening of the newly renovated Sandler School of Social Work.
The celebration and dedication will undoubtedly be bittersweet, coming just three months after the passing of Mr. Harvey Sandler, the family patriarch.
“He sparked my love for community service, and his gift to FAU made my – and so many future social workers’ – dreams come true,” Rubin said. “My family and I are so proud that Harvey Sandler’s legacy will live on for decades.”
The Sandler School of Social Work helps prepare social workers for clinical community practice while providing the foundation for further professional development and growth. Housed in the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the school offers the largest Bachelor of Social Work program in the state with an average of 600 BSW students enrolled each semester. The school also offers a substantial master’s program and Florida’s first doctorate in social work program, which graduated its inaugural cohort in 2019.
“The Sandlers’ donation will significantly impact our students and the South Florida region for years to come,” said FAU President John Kelly. “In many ways, social workers are the unsung heroes of our community, dedicating their lives to helping our most vulnerable populations. We’re proud to now provide a collaborative, state-of-the-art environment for our students, as well as an inclusive space for alumni and others to attend continuing education workshops, seminars and more.”
For more information, visit cdsi.fau.edu/ssw.
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About the Phyllis & Harvey Sandler School of Social Work
Since 1970, the Sandler School of Social Work has provided well-regarded, highly sought academic degrees known for their ethical, practice-relevant rigor with which our graduates are prepared for employment. With more than 600 enrolled Social Work students, their Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program is the largest in the state of Florida. Master of Social Work (MSW) and BSW graduates of FAU are nationally renowned for their depth of clinical expertise and are in great demand as mental health practitioners and community leaders. In 2016, the school launched its Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) program, the first in the state of Florida. The Sandler School of Social Work employs 33 faculty and 28 adjunct instructors, as well as over 800 active field education instructors across over 200 agency settings in six Florida counties. Additionally, the Sandler School of Social Work has various centers including the Child Welfare Institute, Healthy Aging Academy, Robin Rubin Center for Happiness and Life Enhancement and the Substance Use Disorders and Recovery Research Center.
About The Florida Atlantic University Foundation, Inc.:
The Florida Atlantic University Foundation, Inc. unbridles access to excellence for thousands of the University’s promising people and programs. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the Foundation connects private philanthropy with giving opportunities that advance the University’s mission and strategic plan. Operating under the auspices of the Division of Institutional Advancement, the Foundation also serves as fiduciary, caring for and distributing gift assets in accordance with our donors’ wishes.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit fau.edu.
