FAU's Madden Center Named Oasis of Excellence
The Madden Center for Value Creation at Florida Atlantic University was named an Oasis of Excellence by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA).
The Madden Center for Value Creation at Florida Atlantic University was named an Oasis of Excellence by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA).
The center, launched a year ago to give FAU students a foundation in understanding value creation, is now the third center at the university to receive the designation. It joins the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship , which was named in 2019, and the Phil Smith Center for Free Enterprise , awarded in 2020.
“We admire ACTA’s important work in universities across the country, and are honored to be recognized for our commitment to high academic standards, free inquiry, and donor integrity,” said Siri Terjesen , Ph.D., an associate dean in FAU's College of Business and executive director of the center.
Founded with the help of a donation from independent researcher and author Bartley J. Madden, the center focuses on value creation as an essential concept for succeeding in business and teaching students to become value creators themselves. The Madden Center also runs programs that allow students to take part in research and hosts various scholars and conferences.
“In just one year, the Madden Center has launched a free certificate in value creation (currently with over 1,400 students), hosted twelve research conferences, organized a biotech and longevity conference, offered civics training to incarcerated persons in South Florida, and hosted many elected political leaders in the Florida state government and U.S. Congress,” Terjesen said of the center’s achievements.
The ACTA, based in Washington D.C., is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to academic freedom, academic excellence and accountability in higher education. The Oases of Excellence program was started in 2014 to award outstanding programs at universities and colleges throughout the country that introduce their students to diverse opinions, American heritage and the fundamental arts and sciences.
The project now has more than 80 programs at various institutions and is a critical resource for alumni and donors who want to support a well-rounded liberal arts education.
"ACTA is a national leader in their mission to join students and alumni with leading research centers at top universities," said Daniel Gropper , Ph.D., dean of FAU’s College of Business . "We are very pleased to be recognized for a third center at FAU that enhances our students' education and builds opportunities for our faculty."
-FAU-
Latest News Desk
- The Jerusalem Ballet Comes to Florida AtlanticFlorida Atlantic University's Department of Theatre and Dance in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters presents the Jerusalem Ballet
- FAU/Baptist Health AI Spine Model Could Transform Back Pain TreatmentLower back pain is a leading cause of disability. To address this, researchers created a groundbreaking AI system that automates personalized lumbar spine modeling for more accurate diagnosis and treatment.
- Researchers Show How Healthy Habits Can Improve Cognitive DeclineFAU Schmidt College of Medicine researchers say cognitive decline is not inevitable with age and that up to 45% of dementia risk is linked to modifiable factors like poor diet, inactivity and isolation.
- FAU Career Center Awarded 2025 'Best of Florida'Florida Atlantic University's Career Center has been named 2025 "Best of Florida" for College & Career Planning Services, as part of The Guide to Florida's annual reader awards.
- FAU Hosts 'Arreva's Driven by Cause Summit' Philanthropy Summit
- FAU High School Merit Scholars on the RiseThe class of 2026 at FAU High School continues to exemplify outstanding academic achievements, with 23 seniors named as National Merit Scholar semifinalists, and 43 designated as "commended students."