BGU Confers Honorary Doctorate on Baltimore Philanthropist Toby Mower
BGU Confers Honorary Doctorate on Baltimore Philanthropist Toby Mower
May 18, 2010
BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, May 18, 2010 – Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) awarded a prestigious honorary doctoral degree to philanthropist, retired registered nurse and clinical psychologist, and longtime substance abuse treatment advocate Toby Mower in a ceremony at the University on May 11.
Toby Mower is the founder and a board member of Baltimore’s Jewish Recovery Houses (JRH), whose mission is to assist Jewish men and women in the early stages of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. JRH provides safe, welcoming and compassionate sober living facilities and an environment where the residents can develop the skills they need to live a productive life free from the ravages of addiction.
Toby and her husband Morton have funded several important programs at BGU, including the Toby Mower Nursing Skills Laboratory and the Dr. Morton and Toby Mower Chair in Shock-Wave Studies. They have also provided numerous scholarships in the areas of high-tech and nursing. Both are members of BGU’s international board of governors and the prestigious Ben-Gurion Society.
Toby is a distinguished member of the Baltimore Jewish community, presently sitting on the national and local boards of the Jewish National Fund, as well as the boards of Hadassah of Greater Baltimore, the local chapter of the American Technion Society and the Baltimore Zionist District. In the past, she has served on the board of The Associated Jewish Federation of Baltimore, Beth Am Synagogue and was president and board member of the Sinai Hospital Nurses Alumnae Association.
“I am absolutely thrilled and honored because I love BGU,” she said as she accepted the degree. “Academically, I believe that Ben-Gurion University is one in which state-of-the-art research is done. I am hopeful that research regarding substance abuse and chemical addiction will be pursued by BGU in the near future. I don’t believe there is one among us who has not been affected by this, either through family or friends.”
Toby first learned of BGU when she was invited to an Americans for Ben-Gurion University parlor meeting, and an intern at John Hopkins Hospital who was living with her told Toby that she was a BGU student and would love to go to the meeting. There, the student gave a passionate and enthusiastic talk about the University. It was at this point that the Mowers began contributing and working with BGU. Toby is also impressed by the University’s cooperation with the Jewish National Fund, where she is an advisor to the president and World Chairman’s Council member.
In presenting the honorary degree, Prof. Rivka Carmi, president of BGU said, “It’s an honor to recognize someone who has such a sense of commitment and faith in humanity, who has dedicated her life to helping and supporting others and is a partner in the community-oriented spirit of Beer-Sheva.”
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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