Illuminate: Stories of Inspiration and Impact at the University of Miami Summer 2023

Students shine brightly

How philanthropy sparks opportunity, fuels success, and elevates the student experience.

Bright horizons, boundless opportunity

This spring marked several firsts at the University of Miami.

Our men’s and women’s basketball teams led us on historic NCAA runs, reaching for the first time the Final Four and Elite Eight, respectively, and igniting excitement on campus and among alumni and ’Canes fans across the country.

Ninety-eight percent of the Miller School of Medicine’s Class of 2023 received matches—the most in the school’s history and above the national average of 92–95 percent.

On June 1, we were invited to join the distinguished American Association of Universities (AAU), becoming one of only 71 member institutions that embody the gold standard of North American higher education.

These achievements, and many more spotlighted in these pages, are powered by you, our donors. Your generosity creates a world of possibilities, from opening doors to opportunity for our students through new scholarships to expanding horizons through reimagined classrooms and enhanced scholarly resources.

On behalf of a grateful U, we thank you for fueling sustained scientific, clinical, scholarly, artistic, athletic, and educational excellence. You help us shine brighter.

President Julio Frenk

Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

Joshua M. Friedman

Associate Vice President, Campaign and Strategic Initiatives

Darlene Rebello-Rao

Executive Director, Development Communications

Tamara Klingler

Senior Director, Development Communications

Maria Aizcorbe

Julie Levin

Director, Development Communications

Pamela Edward

Priyanka Sinha

Senior Art Director

Sau Ping Choi

Editor

Pamela Edward

Contributors

Jenny Abreu

Stacey Bomser

Steven Boxall

Benjamin Estrada

Jenny Hudak

Joshua M. Friedman, CFRE Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

Jeanne Krull

Maeve McQueeny

David Menconi

Lynn Parks

Sonya Revell

Robin Shear

David Sutta

Debby Teich

Richard Westlund

Illuminate is published by the University of Miami Division of Development and Alumni Relations. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Comments and opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Miami or Illuminate staff.

©2023 University of Miami, an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All rights reserved.

STORIES OF INSPIRATION AND IMPACT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

A maestro’s collection

During his conducting career, Gerard Schwarz amassed a large, artistically significant collection of printed music, all bearing his performance notations. Now, he has given that repertoire to the Frost School of Music for the benefit of future generations of music students and scholars.

In his studio in the Patricia Louise Frost Music Studios, Gerard Schwarz—acclaimed conductor, distinguished professor of music, conducting, and orchestral studies at the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music, and music director of the Frost Symphony Orchestra—opens the score for a violin part from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.”

He points out the penciled-in markings. “For example, there’s a V. That means you start up-bow [bowing upward],” he says. “Then there’s another V, which means you continue up-bow, then there’s what looks like an upside-down U with corners, a down-bow sign.”

Marking orchestra parts—to indicate bowing direction or changes in tempo, for example—is standard practice among composers, conductors, and musicians. As Schwarz explains, it’s how conductors convey their artistic vision and interpretation of the music to the ensembles they lead and the students they teach.

After nearly 50 years of collecting scores and putting his own artistic imprint on them, Schwarz has donated his collection to the Frost School. Valued at more than $1.24 million, the Schwarz Collection encompasses the pantheon of 18th and 19th century European composers.

Shelton G. “Shelly” Berg, dean of the Frost School, said that the Schwarz Collection would accrue huge benefits to the school. “Gerard Schwarz’s library is filled with priceless annotation for study and performance and is a huge repository of great symphonic music, from standard repertoire to new works commissioned for Maestro Schwarz,” Berg says.

Schwarz began studying piano at the age of 5, and soon focused on the trumpet. He joined the New York Philharmonic in 1972 as co-principal trumpet, a position he held until 1977. It was

during this time that he seriously began to study parts used by different conductors.

“I spent a lot of time in the New York Philharmonic library, looking at parts that different conductors used and what markings they put in, and why,” he recalls. “Then, when I started conducting, I thought, ‘I should probably get my own parts and make sure they are marked appropriately, that everything coincides with my interpretive ideas.”

Schwarz joined the Frost School faculty in 2019, attracted by Berg’s vision, and became the inaugural holder of the Schwarz-Benaroya Endowed Chair in Conducting and Orchestral Activities in 2021. Under his tutelage, the Frost Symphony Orchestra has grown immensely in stature.

Schwarz also serves as music director of the All-Star Orchestra, Eastern Music Festival, Palm Beach Symphony, and Mozart Orchestra of New York, and is conductor emeritus of the Mostly Mozart Festival and conductor laureate of the Seattle Symphony. He has received numerous accolades, including Emmy awards and Grammy nominations; American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Awards; and the Ditson Conductor’s Award. He was the first American named Conductor of the Year by Musical America magazine and has received numerous honorary doctorates.

“Marking orchestra parts is how conductors convey their artistic vision and interpretation of the music.”

A tribute to extraordinary women

mother drummed into us how lucky we were to have a place to go after school, but in the end, we were boys and occasionally prone to mischief,” recalls Richard de Villiers, who is the older by three years. “We were the only little kids running around the library.”

The two would eventually take advantage of the tuition remission benefits for employees and get their degrees from the University— Reggie in finance and Richard in political science. Reggie has gone on to a career in investment banking, while Richard has enjoyed a long tenure working for Miami-Dade County at PortMiami. Neither has forgotten their library roots, and now they are paying it forward.

“My mother left her family behind in Cuba, so the Richter Library became her family,” says Reggie. “She was part of an extraordinary generation of Cuban women who made such a difference at the library that I wanted to find a way to honor their contributions.”

For brothers Reggie and Richard de Villiers, their childhood playground was the Otto G. Richter Library.

“Our parents and our aunt came to Miami from Cuba with nothing and with no other family, so when we were in grade school, there was limited money for after-school care and [nobody] to look after us because both our parents had to work,” says Reggie de Villiers, incoming chair of the University Libraries dean’s advisory committee.

“Our mother, Mercedes, was part of a group of Cuban women hired by the University in the mid-1960s to work in the library. She worked in the cataloging department while our aunt worked in the binding department. It’s a

job my mother held for 46 years before retiring at age 81. Unfortunately, she passed away two years later,” he adds.

Gladys Gomez-Rossie was part of that same group. “The University was opening its doors and offering jobs to those arriving from Cuba in the 1960s,” says Gomez-Rossie. “It just so happened that many Cuban women ended up in the library, and then they would tell their friends, and they would get jobs, and it just grew. We looked out for one another and especially for Mercy and her boys.”

The boys would show up at the library every day after school, do their homework, and then hang around until their mom finished work. “We tried to be respectful because my

Reggie has made a gift to create the University Libraries Archives Management Endowment, to support a processing archivist position in the manuscripts and archives management department, working primarily with the Cuban Heritage Collection (CHC).

“Reggie de Villiers’s gift honors not just his mother, but the dedication and professionalism of an entire generation of Cuban Americans,” says Charles Eckman, dean and University librarian. “Their work across the libraries was an important contributor to our emergence as a major research library during the 1970s and 1980s.”

In recognition of the gift, the colonnade in the library will be named the Mercedes V. de Villiers Colonnade. In addition, a plaque will be installed in the library that pays tribute to the legacy of these extraordinary women.

Reggie de Villiers’s gift to create an archives management endowment at the Richter Library pays tribute to his mother and the other Cuban immigrant women who found work—and family— at the University of Miami.

Reggie, left, and Richard de Villiers with their mother, Mercedes, who worked at the Otto G. Richter Library for 46 years.

Classrooms,reimagined

chief academic technology officer. From its inception, PETAL was designed to translate empirical research into strategies that would put the University in the vanguard of advancing the art of teaching and the science of learning.

PETAL has now received a major boost from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation: a $5 million grant to establish the Ilene M. Dresner Endowed Fund for Educational Innovation. This gift will enable the platform to evolve into an institution-wide ecosystem that addresses teaching challenges, incubates solutions, and communicates them throughout the University’s campuses and in the higher education community.

With the arrival of Julio Frenk as president in 2015, the University of Miami set in motion a process to transform course delivery and classroom design. This transformation—to improve student engagement, integrate technology with pedagogy, and reimagine classrooms for the 21st century—is a strategic priority for the University.

The Platform for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (PETAL) launched in 2019 under the leadership of Laura KohnWood, dean of the School of Education and Human Development, and Allan Gyorke, assistant provost for educational innovation and

The fund’s name honors the late Ilene Dresner, a 1969 graduate of the School of Education and Human Development. Dresner’s husband, Bruce Dresner, B.A. ’69, sits on the foundation’s board and has a long history of engagement and support with the University.

“I have always championed the immense potential of the University of Miami to pioneer educational innovations that foster student success,” Frenk says. “This transformative investment by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation will significantly strengthen our efforts to incubate, disseminate, advance, and recognize excellence in teaching and learning across our three campuses.”

The University of Miami aims to transform and elevate postsecondary education. A $5 million grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation will strengthen those efforts.

Kathi Kern

Laura Kohn-Wood

Kohn-Wood explains: “The idea behind PETAL was related to what I think is the strength of a place like the University of Miami—moderately sized, but also a Research One institution with 12 schools and colleges, nine of which have undergraduates.”

“It is critical that the University ensures that students have the kinds of classroom experiences that enhance their learning. And this is done through having excellent teachers,” she continues. “On the flip side, in Ph.D. programs, nobody really teaches you how to be a great teacher. We assumed for many years that good teachers are born, not made, and that’s not true. The research shows that you can absolutely help people to be good teachers.”

As Kohn-Wood points out, good teaching means much more than simply standing in front of a class with a PowerPoint and talking— and that moving beyond that model can be challenging for teachers and students alike. “It’s a lot easier to default to what we know, and part of the culture building relies on creating a different kind of academic experience for students that goes beyond just content delivery,” she notes. “It’s about engaging the students in a shared learning experience that activates the content.”

Since its inception, PETAL has collaborated with partners across the University to host workshops, learning groups, and speaker series. It also provides faculty members with an online repository of teaching and learning resources and sponsors awards that recognize excellence in teaching.

In 2022, PETAL took a major step forward with the arrival of historian Kathi Kern, the inaugural vice provost for educational innovation, who also joined the College of Arts and Sciences as professor of religious studies.

Kern was previously at the University of Kentucky, where she taught for 30 years, putting teaching innovations into practice in her classes. In 2010, she founded a teaching and learning center that, in her words, “became a crucial campus resource for faculty development.”

Like Kohn-Wood, Kern is mindful of

the challenges inherent in creating a lasting culture of instructional experimentation, but she is excited about the partnership with the foundation and what it will enable the University to do. The Endowed Fund for Educational Innovation will provide support to elevate faculty teaching and student learning— in perpetuity.

Kern says she was drawn to Miami by the Roadmap to Our New Century, the University’s strategic plan as it approaches its centennial in 2025. “I was persuaded that this is a university with an appetite to innovate,” she says. “I see this as an opportunity to actualize those elements of the roadmap that focus on incubation,” she adds.

“The model for teaching and learning centers has evolved since they first started in the 1990s,” Kern continues. “PETAL is a more flexible model that brings together and coordinates different resources for teachers. My goal is to build on everything that Dean Kohn-Wood and Assistant Provost Gyorke have done and continue to foster a culture of academic innovation in the classroom that addresses what our students and faculty need right now.”

The ideas that Kern envisions incubating might include new ways of assessing students’ mastery of course content or ways to manage the impact on the pedagogy of generative artificial intelligence systems, like ChatGPT—a

particularly pressing concern for faculty.

Part of the gift will fund a distinguished presidential scholar position for PETAL. “We will seek out national or international experts on particular issues, like generative AI,” Kern explains. “We will open it to the campus community and have a core group of faculty who want to study with that person for a year in a faculty learning community. The goal is to generate new strategies that we can incubate and study, see what we’ve learned, and carry those lessons back to schools, colleges, and departments.”

Kern believes that good teaching starts with good course design. “It’s about bridging gaps. Here I am with all my disciplinary expertise as a scholar, and here is where my novice learner is, or my early major, or my senior capstone,” she says. “How can I design a journey for them that will enable their mastery of the concepts and skills they need? I really think that if we don’t engage students in producing some of the knowledge themselves, we’ve lost an opportunity.”

“We started PETAL with a working group of faculty,” Kohn-Wood recalls. “We piloted some ideas and adjusted as we went. This gift will allow us to institutionalize the idea that to be a faculty member at the University of Miami means that you will be an excellent teacher— you will know how to optimize the classroom experience for your students.”

“It’s about engaging the students in a shared learning experience that activates the content.”

Laura Kohn-Wood, Dean of the School of Education and Human Development

ChangePowerLives The UNLEASHING OPPORTUNITY

An aspiring medical anthropologist who has risen above the circumstances of her upbringing to find her place in the world.

An up-and-coming singer who delves into her Puerto Rican heritage to create a fresh new take on Latin popular music.

A budding biomedical engineer who found inspiration in the COVID pandemic—and now wants to give back.

A dynamic violinist whose performances evoke the culture of his war-torn homeland.

A future educator whose passion for learning finds countless outlets, in her degree program and beyond.

These University of Miami students—and many more—are here thanks to the individuals and organizations whose generosity helps our students overcome financial obstacles to enrollment.

In the following pages, we celebrate the students whose life trajectories are changed for the better through acts of philanthropy and the donors who bring these brighter opportunities within reach.

“I hope I can achieve everything I want in life, and someday help other students to pursue their dreams, too. Without my scholarship, it would not be possible—I am forever grateful.”

Kostiantyn Lukyniuk

Graduate scholarship recipient, Frost School of Music

Behind every gift of a scholarship is a young person with academic dreams and career ambitions.

EXPRESSING GRATITUDE

Each spring, the University of Miami community gathers to thank the donors whose generosity makes attendance at the U possible for thousands of young people.

Students meet their scholarship donors—an interaction that is as meaningful to the donors as it is to those who benefit from their support.

Students also speak of how scholarships enable them to give free rein to their aspirations, of how being at the University brings a sense of belonging, and of their profound gratitude to the donors.

At the 2023 celebration, Melanie Sousa Del Hierro, a rising junior majoring in anthropology and Native American and global

Indigenous studies, recounts how navigating her lived history used to make her feel like she didn’t belong in higher education.

Having faced financial insecurity, abuse, and identity challenges growing up, Sousa Del Hierro—a recipient of the George W. Jenkins Scholarship—credits the process of applying as “the first thing that forced me to piece all of those things together.”

She eventually understood that overcoming adversity was integral to her journey toward a career in medical anthropology.

“I study what I do, and with the passion that I do, because of who I am,” Sousa Del Hierro says. “[The scholarship] brought together students with gut-wrenching stories, and told them they would not only be supported, but prioritized [and] celebrated.”

Logan Beatty, a Stamps Scholar and biomedical engineering rising senior, noted that it was a combination of his love of biology in high school, enrolling at the University during the COVID pandemic, and his experience doing research in a mechanobiology lab that led him to his chosen field of study.

“I would never have had the ability to come to the University of Miami and find my passions,” he says, referring to his scholarship

support. Beatty points out that he is now able to give back to the community that has uplifted him “by donating to scholarships for future generations of ’Canes.’’

Also in the spotlight was Kostiantyn Lukyniuk, a master’s student in the Frost School of Music. Early in 2022, Lukyniuk auditioned for the instrumental performance program, then returned home to Ukraine to await the outcome. Two weeks later, the war began. Shortly thereafter, Lukyniuk received notice of his acceptance—and scholarship—allowing him to continue advancing his education and pursuing his passion.

Lukyniuk thanked the University and the donors who made his journey possible before treating them to a vibrant violin performance inspired by his Eastern European heritage.

“Philanthropy is a word whose Greek roots translate to the ‘love of humanity,’” explained President Julio Frenk, and “it is this love that enables students to transform their lives and communities through education supported by scholarships.”

MELANIE SOUSA DEL HIERRO Junior, College of Arts and Sciences George W. Jenkins

Scholar

LOGAN BEATTY Senior, College of Engineering Stamps Scholar

CELEBRATING GENEROSITY

Paying it forward

Triple ’Cane Charles J. Foschini is making sure that students pursuing degrees in commercial real estate have the same opportunities he was given to receive scholarship assistance for their education. His gift has created the Charles J. Foschini Endowed Commercial Real Estate Scholarship.

“As a scholarship recipient for each of my degrees, I understood the value of an education and am inspired to advance that experience and success to students at the University of Miami,” says Foschini.

The scholarship will support students pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in finance at the Patti and Allan Herbert Business School, students in the School of Law pursuing concentrations in real estate law or real property development, and students in the master of real estate development and urbanism (MRED+U) in the School of Architecture.

Professor of Finance Andrea Heuson has worked closely with Foschini on several initiatives and is grateful for his generosity toward finance students.

“Charles Foschini is generous with his time, talent, and treasure,” says Heuson, who is also academic director of real estate programs. “He serves on the MRED+U real estate advisory board and was one of the first people to join Miami Herbert’s Real Estate mentorship program. He has also long been a resource for internships and full-time career opportunities.”

Encouraging future generations

Cantor Karen Blum’s childhood prowess at the piano led to an audition at the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music.

“When I finished, one of the professors stood up and said, ‘Welcome to the University of Miami,’” Blum says. “I received a full scholarship, an amazing opportunity for a girl who, coming from a family with no means to pay for college, was able to learn and perfect my skills in ways I could not have imagined. Grateful does not begin to describe my appreciation.”

It’s that same gratitude that led Blum to include the University in her estate plans to establish The Cantor Karen Blum Classical Piano Scholarship Endowment, which will provide financial assistance to Frost School students studying the classical piano.

“This gift is my way of paying it forward,” says Blum. “I feel as though I am giving back, no matter how large or small the gift may be, by providing future generations of talented pianists, who may also have wonderful accompanying and sight-reading abilities, the

Recent scholarship donors reflect on why they give, while the dean of the school that is the beneficiary of a scholarship gift speaks of the impact on her students and profession.

Charles J. Foschini

Cantor Karen Blum

opportunity to study piano (with the greatest experts), wherever it may lead them.”

“It’s my time to give back”

Jorge Ramos began his career in Mexico City before moving to Los Angeles to work for a Spanish-language television network. The budding journalist relied heavily on others for support when starting anew in the United States.

“It would have been impossible for me to succeed in this country without the help of other people,” he points out.

Ramos arrived in Miami in 1986 as an anchor for Univision Network, where he has since become one of the most recognizable faces in journalism. To supplement his reporting on immigration and international affairs, he pursued a master’s degree in international studies at the College of Arts and Sciences.

“I was covering a lot of international conflicts and I realized that I needed more academic support for what I was doing,” he says. “I needed the background, I needed the history, I needed the guidance so I could add depth to the work I was doing.”

Now, Ramos has given back to his alma mater in appreciation of the support he received decades ago that helped catapult his career in journalism.

With the Jorge Ramos Endowed Scholarship in Communication, Ramos hopes to support journalism students on their journey to becoming storytellers and truth seekers.

“It is important to support journalists like me,” Ramos says. “Many people helped me when I came to this country and helped me thrive in this country, [including] teachers and students at the University of Miami. Now, it’s my time to give back.”

Tackling the nursing shortage

The Hearst Foundations have long supported the academic mission of the School of Nursing and Health Studies, from the William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship to the naming of the William Randolph Hearst Operating Room in the school’s Simulation Hospital.

Now in the face of a nationwide nursing shortage, the foundations have once again stepped up, with a grant to support scholarships for nursing students enrolled in the school’s accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program.

This intensive three-semester program prepares students who already hold four-year undergraduate degrees in another discipline to enter the workforce as nursing professionals within a year. The program’s exceptional growth since its inception in 2013—a 70 percent increase in enrollment—has taxed the school’s ability to help meet students’ demonstrated financial need. Cost is frequently a barrier to enrollment.

Scholarship support is critical, as students often have exhausted eligibility for financial aid while earning prior degrees. And because the compressed timeframe of the accelerated academic curriculum is especially demanding, students are required to enroll full-time. Their ability to work outside of the classroom to offset tuition costs is limited.

“This generous gift from the Hearst Foundations will significantly expand our ability to provide tuition assistance to an increasingly competitive and talented pool of applicants to our accelerated nursing program,” says Dean and Professor Cindy L. Munro.

“The vast majority of our accelerated nursing program students find employment quickly upon graduation. The return on investment for the students and for our community is high, but access to this opportunity is the key,” Munro adds.

Jorge Ramos

ENDURING PHILANTHROPIC SPIRIT

Marta Weeks Wulf, University of Miami trustee emerita, has enhanced virtually every corner of the University. Scholarship recipients from the Frost School of Music reflect on the transformative impact of her philanthropy.

Grecia Dianel Rivera Carrasquillo (on the cover), a rising senior in the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music, grew up in Puerto Rico, raised on Latin music and evenings punctuated by the metronomic croak of the beloved coquí frog native to the island.

Although her family wasn’t musical, she dreamed of contributing to her country’s rich musical tapestry. She took whatever music lessons she could and has been writing songs for as long as she can remember.

When the opportunity arose to interview for the Frost School, she jumped at the chance.

Rivera was grateful to secure a scholarship through the generosity of Marta Weeks Wulf, University of Miami trustee emerita. It was precisely the inspiration and support she needed.

Recently, Rivera released her debut Latin pop single, “Hipérbole.” The aspiring singer-songwriter says she’s “excited for what is to come” thanks to her scholarship support.

The daughter of a schoolteacher, Weeks Wulf understood the value of education and the power educational institutions hold

to create more significant opportunities for individuals and the community. That belief led her and her late first husband, L. Austin Weeks, to name and endow two scholarships exclusive to Frost, as well as a third endowed scholarship to assist other aspiring ’Canes more broadly.

For years, Weeks Wulf found great joy in meeting with her scholarship recipients, hearing their stories, and how the scholarship they received was helping them fulfill their dreams of a college education. Now, in her 90s and in declining health, Weeks Wulf no longer meets with the students in person. Yet, the gratitude for her life-changing impact shines in the students who have benefited from her philanthropy.

Thandolwethu Mamba, M.M. ’22, came to Frost from Eswatini, a small country in southern Africa, to work toward an artist diploma in vocal performance.

For Mamba, the scholarship assistance helped him attend auditions and participate in competitions. It enabled him to develop as a singer and an overall artist “without worrying about whether I could afford this education.”

“My dream is to be a Latin singersongwriter and recording artist. Scholarship support gave me that opportunity—and has changed my life.”

Grecia Dianel Rivera Carrasquillo

Mamba won first place in the 2022 Heafner/Williams Vocal Competition, an opera competition to identify and support highly talented vocalists.

For Steven R. Dunn, M.M. ’22, the cost of higher education threatened to place his dream school out of reach.

Today, he is a proud graduate of the Frost School with a degree in media writing and production. An aspiring film composer, his master’s thesis examined the preparation and composition of film scores and their roles in strengthening the overall storytelling.

The scholarship, he says, “changed the trajectory of my life.”

Ella Tomko, B.M. ’22, an accomplished cellist, says her scholarship opened her up to new experiences and valuable lessons that she doubts she could have learned elsewhere, saying, “I’m very thankful for my unique experience here at Frost.”

She and her family were very grateful for the opportunity that her scholarship created for her to develop as a musician. She says, “It’s nice not to worry as much about certain finances; it allows me to focus on my music and art.”

Weeks Wulf’s relationship with the University of Miami spans four decades,

representing tens of millions in giving. She has empowered many students to pursue their educational and professional goals and altered countless futures for the better. Her philanthropy also resulted in the creation of the L. Austin Weeks Center for Recording and Performance, the Marta and Austin Weeks Music Library and Technology Center, the Marta and L. Austin Weeks Music School Fund, the L. Austin Weeks Music Discretionary Fund, and the Weeks Unrestricted Endowment Fund.

“I’ve always told Marta Weeks that she is the heart of the Frost School,” Shelton G. “Shelly” Berg, dean of the Frost School of Music, says. “Her giving transformed our campus and ushered in a period of worldclass facilities. When we needed $1 million to move forward with planning the soon-to-beopen Knight Center for Music Innovation, Marta stepped forward with the funds. The Weeks Scholars program was an engine of our success by providing the resources for top students to attend Frost. Marta Weeks is a very special friend.”

In addition, the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science; the School of Nursing and Health Studies; the Miller School of Medicine; and the Debbie Institute at the Mailman Center for Child Development are beneficiaries of

Weeks Wulf’s generosity.

Weeks Wulf also has established two endowed chairs, the Weeks Chair in Latin American Studies and the Weeks Chair in Marine Geology and Geophysics; created the L. Austin Weeks Family Endowed Urologic Research fund; supported the Foote Fellows fund; made history as the first female chair of the University’s Board of Trustees; and watched two generations of the family become proud ’Canes.

Janie Lobel is a rising senior studying classical voice and hopes to use her degree to work in music education. Her scholarship supports her studies and her passions and interests outside of her music degree, enabling her to take advantage of all the University has to offer.

She is active in organizations across the University and leads the National Association for Music Education chapter at the U.

She would like to say to her generous donor: “I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your generosity means the world to my family and me. I would not be here studying everything I love without your help. I’m accomplishing everything I’ve always wanted, and it’s all thanks to you and your generosity.”

And, if you ask Weeks Wulf what her legacy means to her, she responds humbly: “The pleasure has been all mine.”

Thandolwethu Mamba

Janie Lobel

Ella Tomko

Marta Weeks Wulf and Karleton Wulf

CENTENNIAL Jashodeep Datta

TALENTS

Among the bold ambitions President Julio Frenk set out at his inauguration in 2016 was to increase substantially, with philanthropic support, the number of endowed positions at the University of Miami in anticipation of our centennial in 2025.

An endowed chair is one of the highest academic honors a university can bestow on a member of its faculty. Endowed chairs enhance a university’s ability to attract and retain the best talents and better enable chairholders to advance the frontiers of knowledge and discovery in their respective disciplines.

As the University closed out its most recent fiscal year, the number of Centennial Talents stood at 97. These endowments were funded by individuals and organizations who share President Frenk’s vision of attracting stellar faculty now and in perpetuity.

Spotlighted below are four faculty members installed as endowed chairs to date in 2023—and the donors who made these awards possible.

THE DIMARE FAMILY ENDOWED CHAIR IN IMMUNOTHERAPY

Dr. Datta is a hepatobiliary, pancreatic, and gastrointestinal surgical oncologist at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. His clinical focus is on different surgical techniques for pancreatic and metastatic liver tumors. As associate director of translational research at the Sylvester Pancreatic Cancer Research Institute, he is also a surgeon-scientist studying translational myeloid immunobiology in the pancreatic cancer microenvironment.

The late Paul DiMare, president of seven DiMare family corporations and one of the largest fresh-market tomato growers in the country, served on the University of Miami Board of Trustees for 18 years. In that time, he committed more than $32 million in support of key initiatives at the University, including athletics, the arts, medical research, and education.

In 2014, DiMare and his wife, Swanee, made a transformational gift for medical student scholarships at the Miller School. The DiMare Champions Plaza at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field, where Paul’s son, Gino DiMare, serves as head coach of the Hurricanes baseball team, is named in the family’s honor.

Swanee, along with her and Paul’s sons, Anthony, Paul Jr., Scott, Gino, and James Husk, will continue Paul’s legacy of trailblazing philanthropy through the Paul J. DiMare Foundation.

James E. Galvin

THE ALEXANDRIA AND BERNARD SCHONINGER ENDOWED CHAIR IN MEMORY DISORDERS

A renowned expert on healthy brain aging, Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy Body dementia, and related disorders, Dr. Galvin is professor of neurology, psychiatry, and behavioral sciences at the Miller School; division chief of cognitive neurology; founding director of the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health; and director and principal

investigator of the Lewy Body Dementia Research Center at the Miller School. Since his arrival at the Miller School in 2020, Dr. Galvin has expanded our understanding of why some populations are at greater risk of memory disorders and which groundbreaking new tests and treatments can improve quality of life for patients.

The late Bernard Schoninger helped design and build thousands of affordable homes for veterans returning from World War II, and later expanded into the construction of shopping complexes. He and his wife, Allie, were a philanthropic force dedicated to medicine and the arts in South Florida.

In the early 2000s the Schoningers made an extraordinary gift of $5 million to support biomedical research at the Miller School. In gratitude, the Schoninger Research Quadrangle was named in the family’s honor. The family went on to make several additional and very generous gifts to support brain health initiatives in the Department of Neurology.

Benjamin Kirtman

THE WILLIAM R. MIDDELTHON III ENDOWED CHAIR IN EARTH SCIENCES

Professor Kirtman is an expert on climate change whose research is designed to understand and predict climate variability and how Earth’s climate will change in response to changes in natural and human-made forces.

Kirtman is professor of atmospheric sciences and associate dean of research at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science; director of the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS); and deputy director of the University’s Institute for Data Science and Computing. He has held a leadership role in the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) and was a coordinating lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group 1–The Physical Science Basis.

William R. Middelthon, an investor and farmer, was born in Gainesville, Florida. His parents moved back to Miami when he was three years old, and he has been a South Florida resident ever since.

In 2010, Middelthon met the late Robert Ginsburg, professor at the Rosenstiel School. Inspired by Ginsburg’s knowledge and humor, as well

as his assertion that funding was vital for research, Middelthon offered Broad Key—with its dock and ocean-to-bay access—for use as the school’s main field station. He has also supported the Aircraft Center for Earth Studies (ACES) and the Helicopter Observation Platform.

His fascination with the science behind the forecasting of natural disasters led him to establish the William R. Middelthon III Endowed Chair in Earth Sciences, in anticipation of continued improvements to weather forecasting that will help businesses, communities, and emergency planners better prepare for potentially catastrophic weather.

Scott E. Sundby

THE ROBERT C. JOSEFSBERG ENDOWED CHAIR IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADVOCACY

Professor Sundby teaches courses in criminal law and procedure. Much of his research has been conducted as part of the National Science Foundation-funded Capital Jury Project, designed to understand how juries decide whether to impose the death penalty.

Sundby oversaw the interviewing of numerous individuals who served on capital juries, half of which returned death sentences. His book,“A Life and Death Decision: A Jury Weighs the Death Penalty,” focuses on the human side of the decision by listening to how different jurors from the same case describe their jury’s decision to impose a death sentence.

As a student at the University of Miami School of Law, David Humphreys was greatly impressed by legendary Miami attorney Robert C. Josefsberg, who encouraged him to pay it forward by supporting others in need of help. Humphreys and his wife, Debra, made a generous donation to the University—the latest in their long-standing support to Miami Law—to establish The Robert C. Josefsberg Endowed Chair in Criminal Justice Advocacy.

David Humphreys is president and chief executive officer of TAMKO Building Products LLC, in Joplin, Missouri, having joined the company in 1989 as general counsel. In 1993, Humphreys and his wife, who is also an attorney, founded the Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School, a pre-K through Grade 12 school in Joplin. Debra Humphreys chairs the school’s board of trustees.

Honoring a life lost too soon

Riley Kogen was only five years old when she passed away suddenly in 2013. Her mother, Ali Nathan, B.Sc. ’03, and grandfather, Bob Denholtz, B.B.A. ’71, have honored Riley’s life by helping other families experiencing health crises and are partnering with their alma mater to deepen their impact.

“Riley was gentle and kind-hearted, with a huge smile and infectious laugh,” says Nathan. “Everyone who met her loved her. We have made it our mission to find ways to honor her unique and special life.”

Riley was born with panhypopituitarism, a rare condition that affects the production of hormones in the pituitary gland. Two days after her fifth birthday, she had a seizure and did not recover. The family donated Riley’s kidneys, saving two women’s lives.

“Riley gave the gift of life to two women, and we wanted to find ways to help more,” says Nathan.

Soon after Riley passed away, the family partnered with the New Jersey Sharing Network Foundation to start Riley’s Dance, which is now a 501(c)(3) organization, to raise funds to support families with health crises and for organ transplantation.

They recently expanded their philanthropy to focus on research into pediatric illnesses being conducted at the Miller School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics.

“Ali and I have always felt a strong connection to the University of Miami, and we wanted to give back both personally and through Riley’s Dance,” says Denholtz, who has served on numerous committees and boards at the University, including his current positions on the President’s Council and the School of Communication Dean’s Advisory Committee. “The Miller School is a perfect fit for us. It is forward-thinking with its innovative research and comprehensive programs. The pediatrics team provides families with all the resources they need in one location.”

Nathan’s vision is to support the Department of Pediatrics because it is there that “life begins.”

“All children should have an opportunity to lead a healthy life and dance, just as my beautiful daughter used to,” she adds.

To mark what would have been Riley’s 14th birthday, Nathan made a $50,000 gift through Riley’s Dance to support five

different areas within pediatrics—in honor of Riley’s five years of life—including the Pediatric Mobile Clinic, pediatric cardiology, pediatric intensive care unit, palliative care, and neonatology.

“We are grateful for the support of Riley’s Dance, which will help us continue to accomplish extraordinary things every day for children of all ages,” says Glenn Flores, M.D., chair of pediatrics, senior associate dean of child health, and the George E. Batchelor Chair in Child Health.

Nathan will also volunteer in pediatric palliative care, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life for patients who are facing life-threatening or life-limiting conditions.

“Ali’s help will be invaluable,” says G. Patricia Cantwell, M.D., professor and chief of the Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics and at the Holtz Children’s Hospital. “She can draw on her knowledge and experience to help patients and their families navigate the complexities of the medical system and cope with their stressful situations, so they can focus on getting their loved ones better.”

Nathan and Denholtz are hoping to inspire others in the University of Miami community and beyond to join their efforts and get involved.

“Riley taught me to never take a single day for granted and live my life to the fullest, and I will always do so in her honor,” Nathan says.

Denholtz adds, “we will forever celebrate her life and ensure her memory lives on.”

Quest for a Parkinson’s cure

As a successful commercial real estate developer, Stephen Bittel, founder and chair of Terranova Corporation, has helped shape the South Florida landscape. His latest endeavor will have an even greater impact.

Bittel’s $1 million gift to the Miller School of Medicine’s Movement Disorders Division in the Department of Neurology promises to accelerate research into a cure for Parkinson’s disease and improve patient care.

These causes have been close to Bittel’s heart ever since the president of his company, Mindy McIlroy, was diagnosed in 2014. While McIlroy processed this life-changing news, Bittel sprang into action. Within days, Bittel and McIlroy were traveling to see one of the leading neurologists in the field.

With the diagnosis confirmed and a treatment plan in place, the two turned their attention to supporting the Parkinson’s Foundation. McIlroy started by creating a Moving Day team to raise funds, with Bittel pledging to match donations. Independently, Bittel helped fund numerous Parkinson’s Foundation Centers of Excellence. To receive this designation, which the Movement Disorders Division did in 2007, medical centers must meet a wide-ranging and rigorous set of criteria.

“Originally we were focused on people getting diagnosed and getting the proper care,” says Bittel,“I realized [that] if we really wanted to make a difference, we needed to focus on finding a cure, not just supporting patient care.”

That was the catalyst that led Bittel to make his gift to the Movement Disorders Division.

“All the therapeutics deal with the symptoms and not the cause,” Bittel says.“We need to fund efforts that are going to dig into what causes Parkinson’s disease and look for a cure.”

Part of Bittel’s gift will create the Movement Disorders Clinical and Research Support Fund. The remainder will create the Stephen H. Bittel Fellowship in Movement Disorders, which will be awarded annually to a physician who is pursuing subspecialty training in movement disorders.

The funds will be administered by Ihtsham Haq, M.D., chief of the Movement Disorders Division.“We are working on some groundbreaking research that I think could change the way we understand and treat Parkinson’s disease,” says Dr. Haq. “Mr. Bittel has pushed us to pursue ideas we might have otherwise thought impossible.”

“For years, everyone just managed the symptoms, and hoped that someone was going to find a cure. It’s time to stop hoping and start acting,” says Bittel.“This gift is just the beginning.”

When a close colleague received a Parkinson’s diagnosis, Stephen Bittel’s initial focus was on getting her the best care. Now, his gift to the Miller School of Medicine will elevate research in pursuit of a cure.

A mother’s mission

Joy Fishman’s late husband, Jack Fishman, invented naloxone, a lifesaving drug used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Tragically, the drug was not widely available in 2003, when Fishman’s 32-year-old son, Jonathan, died from a heroin overdose. To honor Jonathan’s legacy, and that of her husband, Fishman spends her time advocating for and supporting vulnerable communities with substance use disorders.

“No mother should experience my pain,” says Fishman.“I want to ensure all people who use substances can access the care they need to prevent overdoses and save lives.”

Fishman is an avid supporter of the work of Hansel E. Tookes III, M.P.H. ’09, M.D. ’14, an associate professor at the Miller School of Medicine. As a medical student, Dr. Tookes advocated for the first legal syringe exchange program in Florida, which opened in 2016.

That program, the University of Miami IDEA (Infectious Disease Elimination Act) Exchange, provides new syringes in exchange for used ones and offers harm reduction services to reduce the spread of HIV, hepatitis C, and other bloodborne diseases in Miami-Dade County. The IDEA Exchange also distributes naloxone to participants and their families.

Fishman advocates nationally to raise funds and awareness for the

IDEA Exchange and is working to make naloxone more readily available. (In March, the Food and Drug Administration approved an over-the counter naloxone nasal spray.) With her involvement, the IDEA Exchange has helped reduce the number of overdose deaths and new HIV cases in Miami-Dade County.

“This vulnerable population desperately needs options and places to turn for help,” says Fishman, who is known as Mama Joy by IDEA program staff and participants.“Every life is worth saving.”

With Fishman’s involvement, the IDEA Exchange has helped reduce the number of overdose deaths and new HIV cases in Miami-Dade County, which has the highest number of new cases nationwide.“Joy has given selflessly to IDEA in memory of Jonathan and the other people we have lost too soon,” says Dr. Tookes, medical director of the IDEA Exchange.“She is kind, generous, and an integral founding member of our program.”

A devastating family tragedy has driven Joy Fishman to work to prevent overdose deaths, through support of a pioneering program at the Miller School.

Dr. Hansel Tookes and Joy Fishman

A family matter

As siblings, co-founders of a leading health care technology company, and ’Cane parents, Arlene Lo and Sal Lo are big believers in maintaining family ties. It’s a feeling that they instill at their company, Jorie Healthcare Partners, and that prompted them to make a generous gift to the University’s School of Nursing and Health Studies.

“My brother Sal and I both have children attending the U, and we share an especially strong connection to the University as ’Cane parents that we look forward to strengthening for years to come,” says the company’s co-founder Arlene Lo.

“As a family-owned business, we also establish close working relationships with employees, clients, and partners alike, reflecting our core personal and business values. We found that same familial spirit permeates the incredible work taking place at the School of Nursing and Health Studies under the leadership of Dean Cindy Munro,” Lo adds.

The gift from Jorie Healthcare Partners will create The Jorie Healthcare Partners Biobehavioral Research Laboratory

Endowed Fund. The endowment will fuel research innovations at the school through an enhanced laboratory serving students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty.

In recognition of the gift, the cuttingedge, 1,100-square-foot facility in the M. Christine Schwartz Center for Nursing and Health Studies on the Coral Gables campus

will be named The Jorie Healthcare Partners Biobehavioral Research Laboratory.

The laboratory includes a cell culture room, microscopy room, and wet laboratory space where investigators can test biomarkers, perform cell and bacterial cultures, study phenomena using preclinical models, work with human subjects, and much more.

The Jorie Healthcare Partners endowment will provide a stable source of funds to support research activities, personnel, supplies, and equipment for the laboratory, as well as future renovations and the already-planned 400-square-foot expansion project that will increase the laboratory’s footprint to 1,500 square feet.

The gift’s inclusion of an “endowment accelerator” will provide immediate access to current-use funds to extend the work of the laboratory without delay, allowing for an

immediate positive impact from the gift while the endowment threshold is being fulfilled.

“This extraordinary gift from Jorie Healthcare Partners will supercharge the capacity of the laboratory and strengthen the research experience for students, postdocs, and faculty for decades to come,” says Dean and Professor Cindy L. Munro. “The endowment ensures that the lab is forever outfitted with the equipment and resources to conduct groundbreaking, world-class scientific research that will drive advances in holistic, patientcentered health care.”

The laboratory will attract topflight faculty and postdoctoral fellows; facilitate research collaborations with renowned scholars, practitioners, and external partners in industry and academia; and support emergent lines of research in a wide range of critical areas.

Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, Jorie Healthcare Partners is an industry leader in health care technology. Its team of innovators and entrepreneurs is pioneering work in robotic process automation, data analysis integration, revenue cycle management, business process re-engineering, and holistic practice management.

“Jorie Healthcare Partners’ tremendous generosity will benefit the lives of countless families, students, and health care professionals across Florida and the nation,” says Dean Munro. “We will educate the next generation of health care researchers, bridge existing gaps in knowledge, and promote collective wellness.”

Arlene Lo and her brother, Sal Lo, have built a successful health care business with a strong family ethos. That same spirit prompted them to partner with the School of Nursing and Health Studies to fuel biobehavioral research breakthroughs.

WHY WE GIVE

As a biology major at the University, Sandra Aronberg, B.S. ’73, a retired physician and public health expert, spent a lot of time “sloshing around the Everglades,” as she puts it. Her undergraduate experiences stay with her, more than 50 years later.

There was the time she was working on a study that examined how using controlled burns could reduce the impact of wildfires on the Everglades. “We actually participated in fighting the fires,” she recalls. “I can’t even imagine what liability waivers would be necessary now!”

There were the trips in an old biology department truck to the Miami Seaquarium to obtain filtered seawater needed for research. And the “exotic orchid or two” that Aronberg’s undergraduate advisor, famed botanist Calaway Dodson, would bring back from his world travels as gifts for Aronberg’s mother.

The sense of belonging she found drives her giving. With only two exceptions, she has made an annual gift to the Department of Biology every year since 1981. “There was a great family feel to the department and the people I worked with at the time,” Aronberg says. “And it played a huge role in shaping my life and career. Miami taught me dedication, time management, teamwork, and perseverance.”

yet his passion for his first love, photography, never faltered. Although photography became his hobby rather than his primary occupation, he took it very seriously. As early as his teenage years, Burris was making unconventional works of surreal, abstract photographic art.

In recent years, Burris began to reflect on what his long-term legacy might be. At the urging of close friends and fellow ’Canes, he decided to give back to the University by creating the Michael R. Burris Art and Art History Innovation Endowment, with a planned bequest of $500,000.

The endowment will support students and faculty in the Department of Art and Art History with “a wide range of exciting academic experiences,” says Burris. “An endowment lasts a long time. Making something that will be a marker of my existence 15 or 20 years from now is a wonderful thought to me.”

Had it not been for her undergraduate tuition scholarship, Camila Cote, B.B.A. ’94, never would have become a Hurricane.

Michael Burris, B.B.A. ’71, who retired several years ago after a successful business career, is proof that it’s never too late to pursue a deeply rooted passion.

Burris graduated from Miami Herbert,

Cote is on the executive committee of the Citizens Board and is a member of the Miami Herbert Business School Dean’s Advisory Council. She was also a member of the Accounting Advisory Council for many years and is proud of the cluster of data analytics courses that are included in the school’s master’s programs in accountancy and taxation, which were conceived during her time on the Advisory Council. She was instrumental in establishing the EY Scholars in Accounting scholarship, and during her time as managing partner at EY’s Miami office, the EY Scholars scholarship was endowed.

“I’ve been a donor since graduation,” she says. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity I was given and feel passionate about the opportunity being given to others. I’m a firm believer in paying it forward and being active, not just with my checkbook but with my time.”

“Miami taught me dedication, time management, teamwork, and perseverance.”

“A wonderful thought to me.”

“I’m a firm believer in paying it forward.”

Three University of Miami alumni reflect on why they give back to their alma mater.

A catalyst for change

better outcomes, and our Game Changer Vehicle helps us reach people where they are in the community so we can positively impact their health,” explains Stephen Nimer, M.D., director of Sylvester, executive dean for research, Oscar de la Renta Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and professor of medicine, biochemistry, and molecular biology at the Miller School. “The gift from Hilary and Dave Gershman will also go toward funding culturally tailored, evidence-based cancer education for diverse communities across the region.”

The fund will also assist the work of Erin Kobetz, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate director of population sciences and cancer disparity at Sylvester, the John K. and Judy H. Schulte Senior Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and vice provost for research and scholarship at the University of Miami.

“Our hope is that in some small way, our gift can help Dr. Kobetz realize her goals of bringing health care to underserved communities,” says Hilary. “She’s special in the way she thinks and wants to get things done.”

For Dave and Hilary Gershman, access to health care is something they will never take for granted, particularly since Dave was injured after he was hit by a large landscape truck while walking almost two years ago.

“We felt really grateful and fortunate, and you don’t often feel that way when something bad happens to you,” Hilary Gershman says. “But the University of Miami Health System physicians were right there to help get us immediate access to excellent health care. We felt very lucky.”

The South Florida couple has decided to pay that gratitude forward by making a $1 million gift to benefit the research of the physicians who helped them, but also to help those who are not as fortunate gain better access to health care in Miami.

“We’ve always known Miami is a city of

extremes, with plenty of people who have no access to health care,” Dave Gershman says. “We wanted to do something to help change that dynamic.”

The larger portion of the gift will be used to create the Sylvester Community Outreach and Engagement Fund at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. The fund will support health equity initiatives across Sylvester, including Sylvester’s Game Changer mobile unit, which brings cancer screenings and health information to underserved communities across South Florida.

First launched in 2018, the Game Changer has two private rooms for consultation and screening, as well as a multimedia area for patient education about cancer-related topics.

“Early cancer detection is crucial to

“I’m grateful for Hilary and Dave’s generosity and vision,” says Dr. Kobetz. “Their investment will help close gaps in health care access and provide an opportunity for the most vulnerable in our South Florida community.”

The gift from the Gershmans is also benefiting the research of Michael Peleg, D.M.D., chief of the Division of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery in the DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, and David J. Arnold, M.D., chief of the Division of Head and Neck Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology. Both physicians were instrumental in Dave Gershman’s care following his accident.

“Without these two doctors, Dave would not have made the full recovery that he enjoys today,” says Hilary. “We are eternally grateful to the University of Miami.”

Gratitude to UHealth for the care he received after a devastating accident has inspired Dave Gershman and his wife, Hilary, to help close the gaps in access to health care.

A beacon of hope

The 13th annual Dolphins Challenge Cancer (DCC XIII) was one for the record books. Under sunny late-February skies, 5,641 cyclists, runners, walkers, and volunteers raised more than $10 million—a record—for lifesaving research at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. • Since its inception, the DCC has raised $64 million, making it the National Football League’s largest fundraising event and bringing renewed hope to cancer patients and their families—and renewed purpose to those who have lost loved ones to the deadly disease.

Driving positive change

The Decentralized Digital Fabrication project aims to expand access to the School of Architecture’s B.E. and W.R. Fabrication Lab by increasing the lab’s capacity and bringing its tools—including laser cutters, 3D printers, and a robotic arm—outside the lab on moveable fabrication carts to users across the University, as well as to K-12 schools.

First Star Academy UM is a collaboration between First Star, a program for youth in grades 9-12 in the foster care system; Citrus Family Care Network, Miami-Dade County’s lead foster care agency; and the Schools of Law and Education and Human Development. Students work with these teens—who are among the most neglected and at-risk of the high school population—to help them get on a path to college.

Ana VeigaMilton, B.S.E.E. ’87, J.D. ’93, outgoing chair of the Changemakers Committee and member of the University’s Board of Trustees, praises the quality of the submissions. “It is a joy and honor to chair this committee and to be in direct contact with students who are doing these amazing things at the University,” she says.

University of Miami students frequently find inventive, impactful ways to serve the South Florida community. They collaborate with faculty and each other on projects that, with support from alumni and friends, can bring lasting benefits to the people they serve.

For the last 25 years, the Citizens Board has supported such projects through its Changemakers Student Fund. Each year, the Changemakers Committee reviews project proposals submitted by students, faculty, and staff across the institution.

The three 2023 finalists bring essential health screenings and referrals to residents living in low-income neighborhoods; expand digital fabrication technology and makerdriven learning to a broader community; and tutor, mentor, and coach teens in the

foster care system through a rigorous college preparatory program.

The $50,000 Citizens Board Sebastian’s Hero Award went to the Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Department of Community Service (DOCS). Staffed primarily by Miller School of Medicine student volunteers, DOCS operates health fairs in many of South Florida’s most medically underserved areas, providing health screenings and serving as portals for access to care for patients identified as needing medical follow-up.

The two recipients of the $15,000 ’Cane Crusader Award were Decentralized Digital Fabrication, from the School of Architecture, and First Star Academy UM, from the School of Law and the School of Education and Human Development.

Carlos Guzman, B.B.A. ’84, immediate past president of the Citizens Board, emphasizes how the board members, through their dues and other financial support, create and enhance opportunities for students.

“I always say at Citizens Board events that students are the reason we are here,” he says. “And we know how critical it is to the experience and journey of our University of Miami students to get these opportunities and be granted these awards.”

The Citizens Board comprises more than 230 South Florida business and civic leaders who support the University’s priorities while also serving as its ambassadors to the community. Since its inception, the Citizens Board has raised an estimated $454 million for the University.

The Changemakers Student Fund, created by the University of Miami Citizens Board, supports student projects with the potential to drive positive change in the community.

From left: Ana VeigaMilton, B.S.E.E. ’87, J.D. ’93, Changemakers Committee outgoing chair; Miller School of Medicine students Emily Swafford, Ankit Shah, and Victoria Gabor of Wolfson DOCS; and Carlos Guzman, B.B.A. ’84, Citizens Board immediate past president.

Alumni in the limelight

In presenting to the Blochs a replica of the iconic bronze statue of Sebastian the Ibis that stands in front of the Newman Alumni Center, Josh Friedman, senior vice president of development and alumni relations, remarked, “StuBloch’s and Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch’s vision and generosity made this lecture series possible. [DALS] not only recognizes the excellence of our alumni by shining a light on their professional achievements, it also reflects the light of this University, and it demonstrates the Blochs’ belief in the transformative power of education.”

In the six decades since he graduated from the University of Miami, Stuart M. Bloch, or “StuBloch,” and his wife, Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch, have lived lives of service, advocacy, and barrier-breaking achievement. Throughout, they have been steadfast champions of the University and its alumni.

By the time he graduated in 1964, StuBloch, a tireless campus leader as an undergraduate, had been inducted into Iron Arrow, served as president of his fraternity, interned at the Peace Corps as special assistant to its then-director, Sargent Shriver, and represented the University at the 1963 March on Washington.

He considers his most significant achievement his 54-year marriage to Julia Chang Bloch, whom he met while a law student at Harvard, and whose distinguished career in public service culminated in her appointment as Ambassador to Nepal in 1989, making her the first Asian-American in U.S. history to hold such rank.

In 1995, the Blochs made a gift to the University to establish the Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series (DALS). Their goal was to create a forum to highlight the wealth of talent, accomplishment, and social and cultural impact of the University and its alumni. During the spring 2023 edition of DALS came the announcement of a $1 million bequest from the Blochs to strengthen the DALS endowment.

Before the presentation, the DALS audiences—in person and virtual—were treated to a rollicking conversation with Tony Award-winning Broadway producer Kenneth Greenblatt, B.B.A. ’68, who received the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Greenblatt traced his journey from New York to Miami, where he studied business and earned the only wrestling varsity letter ever awarded by the U, then back to New York, where he followed his father into the textile business before producing his first Broadway show in 1981.

That production, “Nine,” won the Tony for best musical, a feat Greenblatt repeated in 1984 with “La Cage aux Folles,” whose co-author was University of Miami alumnus Jerry Herman. Greenblatt won his third Tony, for best musical revival, for the 2005 production of “La Cage aux Folles.”

Greenblatt thanked the Blochs for their support of the lecture series. “It means so much to me, because I can do this in front of my family and friends, and it is an honor,” he said.

For his part, StuBloch said that the evening was a perfect example of what he and Ambassador Bloch were trying to achieve with DALS. “As we grant these awards, it makes alumni know they went to a university they can be proud of, and it lets students know that they went to a university where they can achieve something significant. And it lets those who are thinking about [coming here] that Miami is the place to go—they produce great people.”

Alumnus Stuart M. Bloch (aka “StuBloch”) and his wife, Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch, affirmed their longtime commitment to the University of Miami with a bequest to secure the future of the Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series.

Ever Brighter Volunteer Leaders

CHAIR, EVER BRIGHTER

Stuart A. Miller, J.D. ’82

CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Laurie S. Silvers, B.A. ’74, J.D. ’77

ALUMNI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Devang B. Desai, B.A. ’97, J.D. ’03

CITIZENS BOARD

Ana VeigaMilton, B.S.E.E. ’87, J.D. ’93

PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL

Daniel R. Smith, B.B.A. ’89

Unit Volunteer Leaders

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

Bernardo M. Fort-Brescia

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Tracey Berkowitz

Clint Bridges

ATHLETICS

Jeff Brown, B.B.A. ’81

BASCOM PALMER EYE INSTITUTE

Ronald Stone, B.B.A. ’73

M. Anthony Burns

Virgil Sklar, M.D. ’80

Eugene Stearns

Jonathan P. Vilma, B.B.A. ’04

MIAMI HERBERT BUSINESS SCHOOL

Andrew Unanue, B.B.A. ’91

SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

Kim Manna, B.B.A. ’88

Bill O’Dowd

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Pending

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Alan Sirkin, B.S.C.E. ’67

FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Jeffrey Miller, B.A. ’84

SCHOOL OF LAW

Aaron S. Podhurst

Carolyn Lamm, J.D. ’73

Peter Prieto, J.D. ’85

Harley Tropin, J.D. ’77

LOWE ART MUSEUM

Peter Zubizarreta, ’93

MILLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Louise O’Brien

Cathy Siegel Weiss

SCHOOL OF NURSING AND HEALTH STUDIES

Oscar R. Morales, B.S. ’75, M.D. ’79

ROSENSTIEL SCHOOL OF MARINE, ATMOSPHERIC, AND EARTH SCIENCE

Paola Saiontz

Steve Saiontz, M.B.A. ’83, M.P.S. ’13

Wanda Zaiser

SYLVESTER COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER

Adam E. Carlin, M.B.A. ’94

Miguel G. Farra, J.D. ’79

Jayne S. Malfitano

UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Aida Levitan, B.A. ’69

Margarita Tonkinson, M.P.A. ’86

THE ULTIMATE HOME GAME Watch Party

Hurricane pride galvanized nearly 3,500 fans at a watch party at the Watsco Center, as the men’s basketball team made its Final Four debut.