UM President Donna E. Shalala Accepts Dole Leadership Prize

University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala accepted the 2009 Dole Leadership Prize on Monday, September 28, becoming the first woman to receive the award. | more

Achieving the Promise of Greatness  

The University of Miami is on the fast track, accelerating progress throughout the institution.

Excellence in the classroom, pioneering research in laboratories, and service in the community—as well as our championship feats in athletics and the achievements of alumni—extend the boundaries of new knowledge, enhance quality of life, and drive our advancement as a major research university. The exceptional contributions of our talented and energetic students, world-class faculty, administrators, and friends, are both a source and reflection of substantial influence, inspiration, and greatness.

There has never been a more dynamic period at the University of Miami as we take steps to achieve lofty goals—and our efforts are paying off. Key measures of quality are rising to record levels. There were 21,750 applications for 2000 slots in the fall 2009 freshman class. The mean SAT scores and high school GPAs for entering freshmen were the highest ever. Sponsored research expenditures for fiscal year 2009 were more than $320 million, representing more than 2,500 sponsored grants and contracts. The University continues to rise in U.S.News & World Report’s prestigious “Best Colleges” rankings, moving into the top tier at No. 50 in its 2010 rankings, up from No. 51 last year. This continues the steady upward trend that reflects the University’s accelerating progress—it has moved up 17 spots from eight years ago.

The UM community is working together to create a university where education is second to none, groundbreaking research flourishes, and patient care eases pain and suffering. The support of our alumni and friends makes this possible.

We continue to build on the remarkable success of Momentum: The Campaign for the University of Miami which closed in 2007 and raised $1.4 billion from more than 131,000 donors. Momentum has been the catalyst of one of our most dynamic periods, and continued generous support from alumni and friends has fueled a sweeping transformation throughout our institution. Everywhere you look the University is being reinvigorated—thanks to this investment in our students, faculty, programs, and facilities—and we are taking advantage of this momentum to further accelerate our progress.

This is an exciting time to be a Miami Hurricane—we are on the move.

Donna E. Shalala
President