Thomas Edison State University (TESU) honored long-time TESU Foundation Board Member, Ahmed Azmy, Ph.D., and his wife, Nadia, by renaming the Kelsey Complex Great Hall the Dr. Ahmed & Nadia Azmy Great Hall. At the dedication ceremony on June 5, TESU recognized the couple’s support and their body of giving, advocacy, and commitment to TESU’s mission.
“The dedication of the TESU’s Great Hall is an acknowledgement of Dr. and Mrs. Azmy’s mutual devotion to the University, their decades of philanthropic support and a celebration of our shared goals for the community we serve,” noted Merodie A. Hancock, Ph.D., president of the University. “Dr. Azmy is a quiet leader who has made a decisive mark on our institution with his generosity, advocacy and wisdom. He has helped grow our institution in many ways, from funding scholarships and academic program development to his leadership on the Foundation Board.”
Azmy joined the TESU Foundation Board in 2004 and has served on the Gala Committee (now the Impact Awards Committee) since 2006.
“I am grateful, humbled and honored to have the Great Hall bear our name. I feel privileged to serve with fellow Foundation Board members in guiding and supporting this remarkable institution and look forward to our continued work,” noted Azmy. “I applaud the leadership of Dr. Hancock and her staff for their work and extend my gratitude to my dear friends and family members who came from far and near to attend today’s event.”
Spanning a distinguished 40 years, Azmy’s architectural endeavors have ranged from cultural centers, corporate headquarters, and community spaces in the U.S., to urban plans and development projects in the Middle East. During his career, he was instrumental in the global growth of CUH2A, an international architectural and engineering firm based in Princeton, NJ. Later, he served as an urban design consultant for the United Nations. In 1990, he founded HACBM Architects Engineers Planners in Lawrenceville, NJ, before launching Azmy Architects, a Princeton Junction, NJ, firm specializing in architectural design, project management, urban design, site planning, interior design, construction administration, and master planning.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Ain Shams University, Cairo Egypt; a master’s in architecture and a master’s in city planning from the University of Pennsylvania; and both a master of fine arts and a doctorate in architecture from Princeton University. The couple lives in Pennington, NJ.
“His passion for what we do is contagious and his commitment to TESU and to higher education has inspired us all,” Hancock added. “He has always said that an education is the one thing that no one can take from you. Through the Azmys’ devotion to our mission, they have helped innumerable students make degree completion an inviolable reality. Having their name associated with one of our most traveled and recognizable spaces symbolizes the profound impact they continue to have on the University. Their legacy will continue to inspire and foster an engaged University community for years to come.”
Learn more about the ways TESU builds meaningful and lasting relationships with alumni, friends, and supporters who believe that education can transform lives by visiting tesu.edu/advancement.
