News from Momentum2: The Breakthrough Campaign for the University of Miami
Fall 2014
COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE
The Lennar Foundation Medical Center A $50 million lead naming gift transforms the UHealth at Coral Gables ambulatory center into The Lennar Foundation Medical Center, which will deliver breakthrough health care to South Florida starting in 2016.
T
he Lennar Foundation, the charitable arm of the Lennar Corporation, one including specialty care by the renowned Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center of the nation’s largest builders of quality homes, has given a lead gift of and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, ranked the No. 1 eye hospital in the nation for $50 million to name the UHealth at Coral Gables ambulatory center. the past 11 years. The facility will also include urgent care, outpatient surgery, A ceremonial groundbreaking men’s and women’s health, sports event for The Lennar Foundation Medical medicine, physical therapy, diagnostic Center took place October 23. imaging, radiation oncology, and other To be located on the University of UHealth subspecialties. Miami Coral Gables campus, this “This extraordinary gift will enable us 200,000-square-foot outpatient center to provide world-class health care in a will provide easy access to UHealth’s convenient location for our community, leading physicians for surrounding employees, and students,” said UM communities as well as UM students, President Donna E. Shalala. faculty, and staff. It is scheduled to be The LEED-certified outpatient facility, completed in the fall of 2016. designed by architects Perkins+Will, “Lennar was born 60 years ago, in will be located at 5550 Ponce de 1954, building homes in the South Dade Leon Boulevard, a short walk from the community,” said Marshall Ames, University Metrorail station. The center chairman of The Lennar Foundation. will be connected to an adjacent “Our first office was in a home we built 1,000-space parking garage by a on Coral Way and SW 87th Avenue. covered pedestrian bridge. Our roots, and our home office, have “This gift from The Lennar Foundation UM held a ceremonial groundbreaking on October 23, 2014 for The Lennar Foundation been here for all of those 60 years. Our will impact health and medicine across Medical Center, scheduled to open on the Coral Gables campus in 2016. From left to founder, Leonard Miller, for whom the all of South Florida,” said Pascal J. right are Lennar Foundation trustees Waynewright Malcolm; Allan Pekor; Marshall Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine is Goldschmidt, M.D., senior vice president Ames, foundation chairman; and Shelly Rubin; UM President Donna E. Shalala; Lennar Foundation trustee Stuart A. Miller, J.D. ’82, who chairs the UM Board of named, created The Lennar Foundation for medical affairs and dean of the Trustees; Pascal J. Goldschmidt, dean of the Miller School of Medicine; Joe Natoli, UM in 1989 with the express purpose of Miller School of Medicine, and CEO of senior vice president for business and finance and chief financial officer; and Thomas giving back to the communities where UHealth. “Every patient in South Florida J. LeBlanc, UM executive vice president and provost. we have built homes, the communities will benefit from improved care as a that helped us become the company we result of this visionary gift. This facility are. It is therefore somewhat full circle that today, at The Lennar Foundation Medical will host the best doctors and nurses in the region, and they will deliver the most Center, we can help the residents of South Dade receive quality medical care right advanced health care for South Florida and beyond.” here in their community.” “We are grateful to The Lennar Foundation for this commitment to improve health The Lennar Foundation Medical Center will deliver premier services of the UM care for the community as well as the University community,” said Sergio M. Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and the University of Miami Health System, Gonzalez, UM senior vice president for University Advancement and External Affairs.
Transformative Health Care The work of our physicians and faculty is shaping patient care now and for the future.
Gifts Focus on Breast Cancer and Substance Abuse
From left are Barth Green, M.D., Joe Sakic, Bill Simon, Bill Cowher, Hakeem Olajuwon, Nick Buoniconti, Calvin Hill, Lauryn Williams, B.B.A. ’05, Pedro Martinez, Grant Hill, Warren Sapp, Erik Compton, and Marc Buoniconti, A.B. ’94, (center, front) at the 29th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner at The Waldorf Astoria. (Photo courtesy of The Buoniconti Fund)
Sports Legends Dinner Shines Celebrities, sports legends, corporate leaders and more joined NFL Hall of Famer and UM Trustee Nick Buoniconti, his son Marc, a UM trustee and alumnus, and event Chair Mark Dalton as they hosted a sold-out crowd in celebration of the 29th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner at New York’s famed Waldorf Astoria on September 29. The dinner paid tribute to philanthropic heroes and sports icons who inspire and motivate those affected by spinal cord injuries, and raised important funds for research and The Christine E. Lynn Human Clinical Trial Initiative at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. “We are changing medical history with five FDA-approved clinical trials including a revolutionary clinical trial transplanting human Schwann cells to treat patients with acute and chronic spinal cord injuries,” said Nick Buoniconti, founder of The Buoniconti Fund.
DCC V: A Bike Ride for a Special Cause A spectacular two-day bike event, The Dolphins Cycling Challenge V, which benefits the critical lifesaving mission of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, will take place on February 7-8, 2015. Hosted by the University of Miami and Miami Dolphins, the event—which also includes a 5K run/walk— provides a safe environment for riders and promotes exercise and healthy habits. Since the inaugural ride in 2010, the DCC has raised nearly $7 million in support of novel approaches to cancer research and advances in critical care for South Florida patients and their families. Last year, about 2,500 riders raised $3.1 million for Sylvester. To join Team UM Sylvester, register at www.ridedcc.com.
“This very generous gift will significantly advance our efforts to provide the finest patient-centered care; compassionate and effective treatments driven by innovative research,” said Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., director of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. The Tina Posner Substance Abuse Education and Treatment Fund will benefit the mission of the Sandler Center to better educate students about the negative consequences of alcohol and drug use, and lower the rate of substance abuse. “We are most grateful that this incredible gift will allow the University to enhance its efforts and remain a leader in drug and alcohol education and awareness,” said Patricia A. Whitely, vice president for student affairs.
UNDERSTANDING AGING AND MEMORY
Scholarships for Nursing The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has provided the School of Nursing and Health Studies more than $700,000 for scholarships to students in the Accelerated B.S.N. program. The school provides all New Careers in Nursing Scholars with a pre-immersion curriculum, mentoring, tutoring, and leadership training to help them succeed in the program.
Eye Institute Tops Rankings Again For the 11th consecutive year, the Miller School of Medicine’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has been ranked the nation’s best in ophthalmology by U.S. News & World Report. Bascom Palmer has received the No. 1 ranking a total of 13 times and has been in the top two since the annual rankings began 25 years ago. “This ranking is a testament to the incomparable excellence and dedication found at every level at Bascom Palmer,” said Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., senior vice president for Medical Affairs and dean of the Miller School and CEO of UHealth. The Bascom Palmer team is recognized as an international leader in every subspecialty in ophthalmology. Faculty and staff have made notable contributions in the fields of macular degeneration, retinal surgery, glaucoma, infections and inflammations, corneal surgery, Lasik, cataract surgery, neuro-ophthalmology, plastic surgery, pediatrics, and cancers.
Two generous contributions totaling $4.675 million are being made to the University of Miami from the Trust of Gail S. Posner, who was a longtime resident of Miami Beach. A gift of $3.3 million will create the new Gail S. Posner Pavilion for Breast Cancer Care at the Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute in the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. In addition, an endowed gift of $1.375 million will create the “Tina Posner Substance Abuse Education and Treatment Fund”—named in memory of Posner’s daughter—to improve treatment and awareness of substance abuse through the Sandler Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Education in the Division of Student Affairs.
The McKnight Brain Research Foundation has made an impactful $2 million gift to the Miller School of Medicine to establish the Evelyn F. McKnight Endowed Chair for Learning and Memory in Aging, with the purpose of supporting medical research of the brain to alleviate age-related memory loss. The inaugural chair holder will be Clinton Wright, M.D., M.S., scientific director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute. “This gift complements, and reinforces, the strong research partnership with the University of Miami, which began with a gift of $5 million in 2002, and was matched by the University, leading to the establishment of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute,” said J. Lee Dockery, M.D., trustee of the McKnight Brain Research Foundation. The $2 million gift from the McKnight Foundation matches a 2013 grant provided by the Bernard and Alexandria Schoninger Foundation, Inc. The Schoninger Foundation’s funds were used to endow the Alexandria and Bernard Schoninger Professorship in Memory Disorders in the Department of Neurology.
HISTORIC CANCER RESEARCH GIFT
Eduardo C. Alfonso, M.D., professor and chairman of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.
The Pap Corps, Champions for Cancer Research, continued its incredible philanthropy in 2014, contributing $4.5 million—its largest gift ever— to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Presented at The Pap Corps President’s Meeting at the Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton in May, the gift is part of the group’s $25 million commitment to Momentum2. Since it began under the leadership of five women, the organization has donated more than $50 million to cancer research.
Culture of Philanthropy Donor gifts to the University are fueling exploration, knowledge, and change.
Rosenstiel School Celebrates New Facilities As one of the nation’s top research institutions, the University of Miami is deeply involved in searching for new knowledge to benefit society and solve some of the world’s most perplexing mysteries. New facilities and state-of-the-art equipment help our faculty and students shine in their explorations. Consider the Alfred C. Glassell, Jr. SUSTAIN Building and Marine Technology and Life Sciences Seawater Complex at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, which was officially dedicated on October 2. Overlooking Biscayne Bay from its home on Virginia Key, the research complex houses a sophisticated array of laboratories and technical marvels that will assist scientists in their research on hurricanes, coastal structures, marine life, and human health and disease. The Glassell Family Foundation generously provided support for the Alfred C. Glassell, Jr. SUSTAIN (SUrgeSTructure-Atmosphere INteraction) research facility. It’s the only laboratory in the world capable of generating Category 5 hurricane-force winds in a three dimensional test environment. The 38,000-gallon SUSTAIN tank provides scientists and engineers a controlled environment to observe the impact of hurricane-force winds on coastal communities and to study critical air-sea interactions that affect storm intensity. In addition to the Glassell Family Foundation, generous gifts were received from the Marta Weeks Family and The Alfred C. Glassell, Jr. SUSTAIN Building is the only the G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation. laboratory in the world capable of generating Category 5 hurricane-force winds in a test environment. The laboratories housed in the Marine Technology and Life Sciences Seawater Complex—funded through a grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology—are fed by 1,000 gallons of seawater pumped through the system each minute. The 86,000-square-foot LEED-certified facility supports research in marine life science and brings together the Rosenstiel School’s internationally recognized research in tropical marine biology and biomedicine. Not only will researchers The SUSTAIN Building is a 38,000-gallon, study living marine animals, but the facility will enhance the school’s renowned work on coral reef research that assesses and 75-foot-long tank, which will be used to study the rapid intensification of hurricanes. measures the effects of climate change and ocean acidification on global reef-building processes.
Frost School Anticipates Opening
Eye on Athletics WOMEN’S ATHLETICS GETS BOOST UM’s Athletics Department has received its largest single gift to women’s athletics, a contribution that will be used to fund scholarships for women’s basketball student-athletes. Warren and Marilyn Bateman, who split time between Miami and Maggie Valley, North Carolina, made the impactful contribution as part of Coach Katie Meier’s gift challenge, who recently announced plans for a $75,000 contribution to women’s athletics. It creates the Bateman Scholars and will be awarded to two women’s basketball student-athletes. The Batemans are longtime Hurricane Club Golden Canes and supporters of women’s basketball. The Bateman’s gift helped UM Athletics’ Hurricane Club surpass the $100 million mark in giving as part of the Momentum2 campaign.
WALK/RUN TO BENEFIT WOMEN’S ATHLETICS The University of Miami Athletics Department is hosting the first annual Edna C. Shalala 5K Run/Walk event on December 13, 2014 on the Coral Gables campus. Proceeds from the run/walk will benefit women’s athletics at UM and the Edna C. Shalala Fund for Women’s Athletics to honor President Donna E. Shalala’s mother and continue the Hurricanes’ tradition of excellence in women’s sports. Edna Shalala is an ardent sports fan and at one time was a nationally ranked amateur tennis player. Miami sponsors 10 women’s varsity sports, featuring over 200 female student-athletes. Among the 10 women’s sports, the Hurricanes have combined for seven national championships and numerous conference titles. Go to miami5k.com for more information.
There is a symphony of anticipation in the air as construction of the Patricia Louise Frost Music Studios nears completion. Slated to open in early 2015, the energy-efficient LEED Platinum-certified structure will include 82 chamber music and teaching studios, 48 large music studios, and 32 medium-sized studios with superior acoustics and state-of-the-art recording capabilities. The complex is made possible by the generosity of longtime UM philanthropists Patricia Louise Frost and Phillip Frost, a member of the UM Board of Trustees. Other significant gifts have been The Patricia Louise Frost Music Studios is received from the Estate of Jay W. scheduled to open in early 2015. Jensen; Arun and Rummi Sarin; the Estate of Emil and Estelle Gould; and Michael and Lynda Gordon.
Supporting Evidence-Based Therapy Vector Group Ltd. has made a generous commitment to support the innovative clinical research on evidence-based mental health therapy conducted by Daniel Santisteban, a professor in the School of Education and Human Development’s Department of Educational and Psychological Studies. Richard J. Lampen, Vector’s executive vice president and a member of the school’s visiting committee and UM Citizens Board, played an integral role in securing these funds. To date, Vector Group has contributed $280,000 toward the M2 campaign, including gifts to the School of Education and Human Development, the School of Business Administration, and the Citizens Board.
BUSINESS OF SCHOLARSHIP Distinguished alumna Kourtney K. Ratliff, B.B.A. ’03, established the Kourtney K. Ratliff Endowed Scholarship Fund at the School of Business Administration in September 2013 with a generous gift. The scholarships are needbased and will be awarded to one student with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher who are of AfricanAmerican descent and natives of the Midwest. Recipients will be known as Kourtney K. Ratliff Scholars. Currently, Ratliff is a partner at Loop Capital and head of the firm’s Global Equity Division, where she oversees all the division’s institutional new business development, relationship management, and trading with accounts ranging in size from $100 million to $3 trillion.
Hillel Breaks Ground
From left are Jeffrey S. Miller, A.B. ’84, and Debra Braman Wechsler, Hillel at UM Capital Campaign co-chairs; UM President Donna E. Shalala; and Noreen Gordon Sablotsky, chair of UM Hillel’s Board of Directors.
Significant renovations are underway to transform UM Hillel and create the new Braman Miller Center for Jewish Student Life to meet the needs of more than 2,000 Jewish students at the University. Two of Miami’s most distinguished families, the Bramans and the Millers, are making the changes possible through a generous $2.5 million lead naming gift to UM Hillel. After breaking ground in October, the work is expected to be completed in fall 2015.
From Around the Campuses SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Beverly Loftus, president of The Villagers, a local nonprofit group that helps preserve historic sites in the Greater Miami area, recently presented new Dean Rodolphe el-Khoury with a donation to assist with a special project at the school that uses new digital technology to record the potential historical significance of a building. Since 1985, The Villagers has donated more than $140,000 to the school for scholarships and special projects. COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
The University of Miami’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) has received a generous gift from the Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation, a national nonprofit organization founded in 2002 whose aim is to advocate for and create appropriate and maintainable programs and resources that help improve the quality of life for adults living with autism. The gift also results in the naming of CARD’s Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Transition and Adult Programs, which help parents of adults with autism or a related disability. SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION
Television director and producer David Nutter, a former Motion Pictures student who has directed hit television shows including Game of Thrones, Homeland, and Entourage, has given a significant gift to support the School of Communication’s First Feature Film Fund. The fund enables Motion Pictures students to complete a feature-length film while they are at UM, a critical step toward a career in filmmaking. Nutter is an Emmy-award winner who has directed 20 pilots. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
In a generous gift to the College of Engineering, Ryder System, Inc., has created the Ryder System, Inc. Capstone Project Program Fund, which will offer seniors a valuable hands-on experience in a professional setting over the course of two, 14-week semesters. Students will be guided by a faculty mentor and project engineer to create solutions that are feasible within the context of the company’s corporate scope. Ryder is a Miami-based provider of transportation and supply chain management solutions. SCHOOL OF LAW
Miami Law will offer two new scholarships that are being funded through a gift from UM Board of Trustees member, UM Law alumna, and co-founder and president of Hollywood Media Corporation, Laurie S. Silvers, J.D. ’77, and her husband, Mitchell Rubenstein. The couple had previously established the Laurie Silvers and Mitchell Rubenstein Endowed Distinguished Professorship. Silvers said that a “great education creates great opportunities for our students.” UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
The University Libraries have initiated plans to make Richter Library’s Brockway Hall the new home of Special Collections and University Archives. The secure groundfloor space, which currently stores prized and unique collections, will soon be a state-of-the-art facility featuring exhibition spaces, a lecture hall, and a grand reading room. The Brockway renovation will provide ideal public access to the distinctive collections of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the Orange Bowl, Finlay B. Matheson, Pan Am, and many others.
M2U Fall 2014 Editor Peter E. Howard Sr. Graphic Designer Kevin Corrales, B.F.A. ’05 Contributors Maite Alvarez Annette Herrera Maria Olga Aizcorbe, A.B. ’73 Senior Vice President, University Advancement and External Affairs Sergio M. Gonzalez
Associate Vice President, Central Development Naomi Nixon Executive Director, Stewardship and Development Communications Darlene Rebello-Rao Vice President, University Communications Jacqueline Menendez, A.B. ’83 Assistant Vice President, Communications and Marketing Todd Ellenberg
Division of University Advancement and External Affairs Newman Alumni Center 6200 San Amaro Drive, Suite 300 Coral Gables, FL 33146 Phone: 305-284-4443 Email: give@miami.edu Web: miami.edu/advancement
C A M PA I G N L E A D E R S
CAMPAIGN CHAIRS
Jayne and Leonard Abess CAMPAIGN VICE CHAIRS
Tracey and Bruce Berkowitz Joanne, D.N.P. ‘13, and Eddie Dauer, B.S.E.E. ’72, M.D. ’75, M.S.B.E. ’01 Swanee and Paul DiMare Ana and Joe Echevarria, B.B.A. ’78 Dany Garcia-Rienzi, B.B.A. ’92, and Dwayne Johnson, B.G.S. ’95 Christine and Ted Schwartz Penny and E. Roe Stamps SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Co-Chairs Jorge M. Perez Gilberto Neves
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Co-Chairs Frances Aldrich Sevilla-Sacasa, A.B. ’77 James A. Kushlan, B.S. ’69, M.S. ’72, Ph.D. ’74 SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
National Chair Patrick K. Barron, B.B.A. ’75
SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION
Chair Robert A. Mann, A.B. ’70
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Chair Hilarie Bass, J.D. ’81
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Chair Ana VeigaMilton, B.S.E.E. ’87, J.D. ’93 Co-Chairs Laura Coulter-Jones, B.B.A. ’80, M.B.A. ’90 Carmen Gonzalez-Sanfeliu Sal Jurado, B.S.C.E. ’73, M.S.C.E. ’76 SCHOOL OF LAW
Chair Wayne E. Chaplin, B.B.A. ’79, J.D. ’82 Vice Chairs Larry J. Hoffman, J.D. ’54 Carolyn B. Lamm, J.D. ’73 LEONARD M. MILLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Chair Stuart Miller, J.D. ’82
PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Chair David Weaver
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND HEALTH STUDIES
Co-Chairs Pam Garrison Maria Lamas Shojaee, A.B. ’85, M.B.A. ’12
ROSENSTIEL SCHOOL OF MARINE AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE
Chair Steve Saiontz, M.B.A. ’84, M.P.S. ’12
DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Chair Paul DiMare
UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
Co-Chairs Fred Camner, J.D. ’69 Mitchell Kaplan, M.S.Ed. ’80 CITIZENS BOARD
Chair Al Vara, B.S.E.E. ’79, M.S.E.E. ’85
Newman Challenge Success Initiated by Robert Newman, Hon. ’08, and Judi Prokop Newman, B.B.A. ’63, the Newman Alumni Loyalty Challenge aimed to inspire other ’Canes to follow a longstanding tradition of sustained philanthropic support. The Newmans pledged $500,000 toward merit-based scholarships if 10,700 alumni donors renewed their gifts during the 2014 fiscal year. Thanks to an overwhelming response from our alumni community, the University achieved the Newman Alumni Loyalty Challenge. Across all demographics, alumni rose to the occasion. Judi Prokop Newman knows how impactful a scholarship gift can be. It helped her complete her degree, and she has been grateful ever since.
The Story Thus Far Thanks to the generous support of donors like you, the $1.6 billion Momentum2 campaign is making a dramatic impact on the U.
$1.4 billion in donations / 228 donations of $1 million or more / 59 new endowed scholarships to help attract talented students / 26 endowed chairs and professorships to support recruitment of outstanding research faculty / 19 new and renovated facilities to advance sophisticated research and enhance the campus experience
Division of University Advancement Newman Alumni Center 6200 San Amaro Drive, Suite 300 Coral Gables, Florida 33146
Nonprofit Organizatipon U.S. Postage PAID Miami, FL Permit No. 438
Thank you! Your generous gifts fund life-changing opportunities for bright young scholars, state-of-the-art educational resources, leading-edge health care, pioneering research, innovative community-building, and much more. Many thanks for your support!
Commitment to Excellence
Learn more about the many exciting recent activities and achievements at the University of Miami in the pages inside.