Alec Courtelis Award
Encyclopedia
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
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Overview
Louise Courtelis established the Alec Courtelis Award in honor of husband, a successful businessman and former Chairman of the Florida Board of RegentsFlorida Board of Regents
The Florida Board of Regents was from 1965 to 2001 the governing body for the State University System of Florida, which includes all public universities in the state of Florida, United States. It was created to replace a predecessor body called the Florida Board of Control, which had existed from...
in 1996. This annual award is given every year at the International Student Academics Awards Ceremony to some of the top students at the university.
The individual colleges and departments nominate students based on academic excellence and outstanding contributions to the university. A plaque inscribed with the names of the award recipients is located in the University of Florida International Center
University of Florida International Center
The University of Florida International Center is the University of Florida's research and educational center for international affairs and cultural studies....
at the Hub
The Hub (Gainesville, Florida)
The Hub, formerly known as the UF Bookstore, is a historic building on Stadium Road between Buckman Drive and Fletcher Drive on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. On June 24, 2008, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.Built in...
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The award is given to international students, in recognition of their academic excellence and outstanding contribution to the university and community.
About the Founder
Louise Courtelis is the co-founder of Town and Country Farms in McIntosh, which is one of the largest Arabian horse-racing facility in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Cortelis was previously a teacher at Coral Gables High School
Coral Gables High School
Coral Gables Senior High School is a secondary school located at 450 Bird Road in Coral Gables, Florida, USA.Coral Gables SHS opened its doors in 1950; its architectural design reflects a Spanish influence with its open courtyards adorned with water fountains...
and Notre Dame Academy for Girls. She also served as director of the Arabian Racing Publishing Company, the United Way, and the James Madison Institute
James Madison Institute
The James Madison Institute is a free-market think tank headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida in the United States. It is a member of the State Policy Network.Their views are that "the Institute's ideas are rooted in a belief in the U.S...
. Louise is an alumnus of the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, and has served as a volunteer and fundraiser for a number of different causes. Louise Courtelis has previously served as a member of the University of Florida Board of Trustees
University of Florida Board of Trustees
The University of Florida Board of Trustees is the governing body of the University of Florida, a Flagship University for the State University System of Florida. The University is located in Gainesville, Florida, United States. As of September 1, 2011, the Board includes thirteen members...
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