FGCU

On December 3, FGCU’s Bower School of Music & the Arts performed its annual Christmas extravaganza, “Joyful & Triumphant” at Moorings Presbyterian Church in Naples. The concert will be broadcast during Christmas week on WGCU HD TV and WGCU FM Radio.

A chance cheek swab for Gift of Life, lead a student to donate a stem cells to a cancer patient. Four years later, the donor and the recipient met mid-court at a Florida Gulf Coast University basketball game.

Karl Smesko, the founding coach of the FGCU women's basketball program, left in November to take a job coaching the WNBA's Atlanta Dream. Chelsea Lyles, a former FGCU player and longtime assistant coach, was tapped to be the team's new coach.

Use of technology and growing more on less land are major keys to survival for the Florida agriculture industry.

Here in Southwest Florida about 30% of the population is 60 and older. That translates to about 1.3 million people, and this population and percentage is growing. Demographic trends show an expected 38% increase in adults over 60 by 2040 and a 62% increase in adults over 70 by that same year. While southwest Florida has been a destination for older people when they retire for decades, this area’s aging population is chronically underserved. We learn about the work being done to address the need at Florida Gulf Coast University’s still relatively new Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging.

Adaptive Sports Day was a chance for people with disabilities to try out various athletic activities.

A group was told to stop using the FGCU logo and other branding in promoting a political event that occurred on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Budding actor Chase Dillon was in discussions last week with local filmmaker Curtis Collins regarding the latter’s latest project, “Loyal to the Game.” He’s also considering relocating his Youth Humanitarian Awards to FGCU. Learn why in this story.

A federal appeals court Wednesday said a former Florida Gulf Coast University student cannot remain anonymous in a lawsuit he filed against the school after being disciplined for sexual harassment.The former student filed the lawsuit against the university as “John Doe” and argued that an investigation into allegations that he had non-consensual sex with another student was a “sham” and that he was a victim of discrimination, according to arguments filed by his attorneys at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

FGCU’s Softball team will help build three homes this weekend in Lehigh Acres in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties. The team works on Habitat projects multiple times a year.Head Coach David Deiros has maintained a relationship with the organization for 15 years. Miguel Fernandez, a late Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry County board member and father of a FGCU Softball alumni encouraged the team to help back in 2009.