2009 - 2010 Achievements

U.S.News & World Report’s 2010 “America’s Best Colleges” rankings placed UM in the top tier—No. 50 in the nation in the National Universities category, up 17 spots from eight years ago.

Several programs were highly rated in U.S.News & World Report’s annual “America’s Best Graduate Schools” issue. The graduate program at UM’s School of Education was ranked No. 41; the Miller School of Medicine came in at No. 51; the School of Law moved up 11 spots from the previous year, with its graduate program in tax law placed sixth nationwide; and the Department of Psychology’s clinical psychology program ranked 25th out of 206 programs nationwide.

Research and sponsored program expenditures totaled more than $318 million (FY 2009).

More than 40 percent of the new freshmen in fall 2009 graduated in the top 5 percent of their high school class, and almost two-thirds graduated in the top 10 percent. The mean SAT score was 1273.

University of Miami Hospital, the flagship hospital of UHealth–University of Miami Health System, marked its one-year anniversary with a broad expansion of services and facilities. The UHealth Sports Medicine clinic opened and became the official sports medicine provider for the Miami Hurricanes. UHealth, South Florida’s only comprehensive network of university-based physicians and facilities and a national brand that signifies the best in advanced health care, continues to grow throughout the region, offering services at more than two dozen locations.

For the sixth year in a row UM’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute was ranked the No. 1 hospital in the country for ophthalmology in the annual survey of “America’s Best Hospitals” published in U.S.News & World Report. Two other specialties at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center were also ranked as among the nation’s best.

The School of Law welcomed its 11th dean, Patricia D. White, who formerly served with great distinction as dean of Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law. She has been widely recognized for both her intellectual rigor and passionate advocacy of public service.

A renowned climatologist who has studied how Amazon deforestation affects global precipitation patterns, Roni Avissar joined UM from Duke University, where he served as chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, to become the new dean of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

The University’s first Global Business Forum, hosted by the School of Business Administration, was a vibrant success, drawing distinguished business leaders including legendary former General Electric CEO Jack Welch and more than 700 attendees.

The Center for Hemispheric Policy held its fourth annual Latin America Conference—its largest ever—at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Miami.

Despite the nation’s serious economic downturn, UM’s fundraising cash total for fiscal 2009 surpassed $153 million. There was nearly $40 million in new multi-year pledges and bequests, and alumni and parent giving increased. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) recognized the University with its WealthEngine Award for three years of successful educational fundraising.

Researchers moved into the new Biomedical Research Building, a nine-story, 188,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility that is home to the Hussman Institute for Human Genomics and the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute.

Progress continues on the Robert and Judi Prokop Newman Alumni Center, a $24 million, 65,000-square-foot facility scheduled to open in summer 2010 that will celebrate the achievements of graduates and welcome them whenever they return.

Plans are moving forward to break ground on the first phase of the UM Life Science Park. The first building will include 400,000 square feet of wet labs, offices, and shared facilities to be leased by both established and spin-off companies. The project is a major step toward making South Florida a biomedical research powerhouse and a major medical destination.

Further cementing its role as a global leader of the highly influential New Urbanism movement, the School of Architecture launched a trio of innovative programs: the Master of Real Estate Development and Urbanism, Bachelor of Architecture/Master of Business Administration, and Certificate in Historic Preservation.

The College of Arts and Sciences’ Center for the Humanities was established to support humanities, arts, and interpretive social science research and teaching. The center also seeks to nurture an awareness of the importance of the humanities for a more informed understanding of our own and other cultures.

As part of its commitment to deliver cross-disciplinary programs, the School of Business Administration developed a joint M.D./M.B.A. program in partnership with the Miller School of Medicine, a Bachelor of Architecture/M.B.A. program with the School of Architecture, and a Master in Real Estate Development and Urbanism program with the schools of architecture and law. The school also launched its highly regarded Executive MBA program in Puerto Rico.

The School of Communication’s Knight Center for International Media launched its World Cities Anchor Project, whereby faculty and students are building a knowledge base about life and well-being in major cities to help support the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.

The School of Education created the Dunspaugh-Dalton Community and Educational Well-Being Research Center. The center will foster research collaborations between the school and community partners and serve as a resource for new knowledge on research methods and intervention strategies.

The College of Engineering curricula have been updated to prepare students for tomorrow’s global economy, which increasingly utilizes STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—methods in real-time, interactive services. The college was awarded sizeable grants in three critical research areas: technobiology, informatics and risk, and energy efficiency and sustainability.

The Frost School of Music established the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation Music Scholarship Fund. Nineteen Stamps Scholars will enter together, form a chamber ensemble, and continue to learn and perform together for their entire college careers, receiving master-class training from renowned guest artists, entrepreneurial mentorship, and recording and performance opportunities.

The School of Law launched the Health and Elder Law Clinic, which furnishes legal advice and advocacy in areas such as health and elder rights, public benefits, and immigration. The clinic has already successfully represented clients in naturalization proceedings, estate planning, and living wills, as well as Social Security claims.

The Miller School of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University welcomed its first class of 49 internal medicine residents in July 2008. The inaugural group trains at JFK Medical Center in Altantis and the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center.

Researchers at the Hussman Institute for Human Genomics helped to identify the first common genetic risk factor for autism spectrum disorder. They also identified nine genes that may increase susceptibility for Alzheimer’s disease and confirmed a region on chromosome 12q long believed to harbor an Alzheimer’s risk gene.

The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science’s Aquaculture Program is spearheading research and development in the emerging fields of hatchery technology and offshore aquaculture. Through the school’s National Center for Coral Reef Research, more than 50 university-wide scientists are joining forces to study, predict, and mitigate the harmful effects of global climate change on coral reef systems.

The School of Nursing and Health Studies was designated as a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Nursing Collaborating Centre—one of just 11 in the U.S. The school hosted a three-day WHO patient safety conference, and the Pan American Health and Education Foundation funded a partnership to strengthen nurse midwifery education in Haiti.