Email Class Notes to [email protected].

Stanley O. Epstein, B.B.A. ’51, was a member of the Phi Sigma Delta fraternity, which later merged with Zeta Beta Tau. “When the fraternities had musical competitions, ZBT always won,” he recalls. “Why? Jerry Herman was a member.” Epstein earned his J.D. from the University of Southern California in 1961. Though he is retired from the full-time practice of law, he retains his license to practice. He is enjoying life in Southern California and involved in various organizations.
Stanley Mesh, A.B. ’53, after practicing as a CPA in Florida, has retired and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to be near family.
Simon Zayon, B.B.A. ’52, a World War II veteran and proud American, is the youngest and sole survivor of four first-generation American-born brothers raised in Philadelphia, all of whom served in the United States Armed Service during WWII. The Zayon family was recently entered into the Congressional Record in Philadelphia for its three-generation, 100-year wartime service in the U.S.
Bernard Kulchin, A.B. ’54, B.Ed. ’55, was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the San Diego Society of Human Resources Management and now serves on the Board of Trustees of the San Diego Public Library Foundation. He is a director of San Diego Habitat for Humanity and the Youth Symphony.
Donald Gunn, B.B.A. ’58, has lived in Arizona since retiring from Pulitzer newspapers in 1992 as vice president and general manager. “I play golf and bridge and have a beer now and then,” says Gunn, who recently turned 86.

Ronald “Ronnie” Schneider, B.B.A. ’65, executive producer of Gimme Shelter, which featured the Rolling Stones, will produce The Beautiful People, a short UM “Freedom Film” starring Alan Frankel. The film centers on the prejudices between a hippie and a wealthy boy.
Richard Milstein, A.B. ’68, J.D. ’73, received a Legal Luminary award from the Dade County Bar Association in the Probate and Estate Planning category. Milstein concentrates on family law, including high-conflict and complex trust, probate, and guardianship matters. A Florida Bar elder law expert, certified mediator, and champion of human rights and equality, Milstein has devoted years of practice to protecting the civil rights of individuals and all aspects of life for the elderly, children, alternative families, and same-sex couples.
Edward Tassinari, M.A. ’69, Ph.D. ’82, has been promoted to professor of history at SUNY (State University of New York) Maritime College.

Robert Grand, B.S. ’70, an optometric physician, recently published his debut children’s picture book, The Cosmic Carrot: A Journey to Wellness, Clear Vision and Nutrition. The illustrated book, available on Amazon, chronicles a boy’s journey to good nutrition and the dedicated eye doctor who brings his world into clear focus.
Glenda H. Kaplan, B.Ed. ’71, is retired from pet food marketing and “breeding and showing Scotties.” She read about UPup in Miami magazine and was inspired to become a financial donor. “I even got a few of my UM classmates to donate!” she says.
Diane Daughetee Huff, B.Ed. ’72, is retired from teaching high school health and physical education. She teaches a free yoga class every week at her church.
Steven A. Sutnick, A.B. ’72, recently retired after 32 years as a dentist, 34 years as a commercial pilot and flight instructor, and five years as a Florida Highway Patrol auxiliary trooper.
Roy Berger, A.B. ’74, president of MedjetAssist, has written Big League Dream. He describes the book as “like sitting with the players and hearing stories from the talented few who earned the shot to play while the rest of us could only watch from the stands.” The book can be found on Amazon.
James Giermanski, Ph.D. ’75, retired from the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI, is an expert on security operations in the global supply chain. A frequent commentator on container security and weapons defense, he taught at Texas A&M University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is a visiting scholar at the Air Force Doctrine Development and Education Center.
Charles Messing, M.S. ’75, Ph.D. ’79, participated in a three-week expedition as science co-lead aboard the NOAA research ship Okeanos Explorer, using the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Deep Discoverer to explore deep-sea environments of the Gulf of Mexico.
Laurie Anton, B.M. ’79, was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in Nashville and sworn in to the U.S. Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Her Nashville-based practice focuses on entertainment law and intellectual property law.
Jacqueline Lee, A.B. ’79, is worship leader, vocalist, and pianist for Holy Cross Lutheran Church in South Daytona, Florida. In addition, she was recently elected to the office of chaplain.
Alan Matarasso, M.D. ’79, is clinical professor of surgery at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He is president-elect of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

C.T. Gregoire, B.Ed. ’80, retired from a distinguished career in the U.S. Marine Corps as a veteran of Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and the Afghanistan War. During his last deployment, he served under Secretary of Defense General James Mattis in a NATO billet and within a counterinsurgency group under General David Petraeus. Gregoire is also retired from his position as a police sergeant at the Miami Police Department.
Eshan Kibria, M.B.A. ’80, M.S.C.E. ’80, is a board-certified clinician, author, researcher, and educator in neurology in Naples. He conducts a free clinic in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and maintains active medical and professional engineer licenses in Florida.
Muriel Efron, J.D. ’81, retired in 1992 from her position as law librarian at Greenberg Traurig. She has since stayed active in legal library circles, consulting in locales ranging from Australia to Bermuda and helping to set up the law library at the University of Haifa in Israel. She also worked part time for the West Palm Beach office of Greenberg Traurig and “received a W2 form at age 89.” Now 92, she lives in Israel and enjoys keeping up with news from the U.
David Diamond, A.B. ’82, M.B.A. ’84, president of the Northern Trust Company of Delaware, was elected a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a Delaware limited-purpose trust company. Previously, Diamond was an attorney with Gordon, Fournaris & Mammerella, where he focused on distinctive aspects of Delaware trust law.
Mark Altschul, J.D. ’84, was elected president of Gesher Shalom Synagogue of Fort Lee, New Jersey.
Guillermo de Aranzabal Agudo, M.B.A. ’84, a vice president of the University of Miami Alumni Association, is a vintner whose 2008 Viña Ardanza was selected as a 2017 editor’s pick by Food and Wine magazine.
Maria Alonso, B.S.I.E. ’86, is the new president and CEO of United Way of Miami-Dade. Previously she served as senior vice president and marketing manager with Bank of America.
Jacqueline Del Rosario, A.B. ’86, is the author of Marriage Blueprint. Available on Amazon, the book is suitable for married couples who wish to improve their relationships as well as for singles who are seeking suitable mates.
Kimberly Kolbeck, J.D. ’86, who has her own law practice, moderated the webcast “Handling Your Sports Client’s Legal Needs” with attorney Alan Fertel, sponsored by the Florida Bar Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section. She also co-moderated a panel about endorsement and sponsorship deals during the American Bar Association’s 29th Annual North American Law Summit, held in November 2017 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Laird A. Lile, LL.M. ’87, a board-certified wills, trusts, and estates attorney in Naples, has been elected to a seventh consecutive two-year term on the Board of Governors for The Florida Bar, representing the 20th Judicial Circuit. Lile recently was named chairman of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Political Action Committee and has been appointed to the Florida Bar’s Strategic Planning Priority Subgroup. He was recently named for the 23rd consecutive year among the Best Lawyers in America 2018.
Tom Graybill, B.S. ’88, has produced a documentary about the plot to steal Elvis Presley’s body with fellow alumnus Dick Arlett, B.S. ’60, a longtime television producer still working in the industry. The two are working on a feature film about the story with a third UM alumnus, Arthur Bernstein, A.B. ’00, producer of Walt Before Mickey, American Brawler, and Swing State, among other credits. “The Elvis Presley grave-robbing plot is incredible,” Graybill says, “and the story of how three ’Canes from different generations got connected is pretty interesting, too.”
David Ryon, M.D. ’88, has been elected president of medical staff at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana. A director of Deaconess Health, he is medical director for patient safety at Deaconess, where he practices pulmonary and critical care medicine.
Johnny C. Taylor Jr., B.S.C. ’89, who served as CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which has helped more than 300,000 African-American students go to college, joined Jeanne Allen for an interview published in The Daily Signal. Taylor is now president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management.

James Peet, A.B. ’90, is the author of Surveyor. Available on Amazon, the novel tells the story of a young man who signs up to explore parallel Earths—then gets caught in a shadowy organization’s attempt to destroy the portals that make such journeys possible.
Alan Knitowski, B.S.I.E. ’91, is founder and CEO of the enterprise mobile software company Phunware, which recently announced a new partnership with worldwide technology leader Cisco Meraki. Through the initiative, businesses can offer high-capacity, high-speed cloud-managed wireless as well as rich mobile experiences for end customers.
Justin Elegant, A.B. ’93, J.D.’96, has joined the dispute resolution team of Florida law firm Berger Singerman, bringing more than two decades of legal expertise and philanthropic involvement to his new role. He devotes his practice to complex civil trial and appellate litigation, including multifaceted commercial, real estate, and insurance-related disputes.
Joseph Sendra, B.S.I.E. ’93, M.B.A. ’97, is worldwide vice president for manufacturing and engineering technology at Johnson & Johnson. He is one of three alumni who helped to make the College of Engineering’s new 3D Printing Collaborative Laboratory a reality.
Maribel Caridad Perez Wadsworth, B.S.C. ’93, has been named president of USA Today Network, where she previously served as chief transformation officer. Wadsworth’s responsibilities include strategy and operations for the company’s award-winning portfolio of media brands, local news, and niche content brands, such as its For The Win sports site and the Grateful Ventures lifestyle sites. Wadsworth serves also as associate publisher of USA Today. She was recently selected to serve on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Brian Bieber, J.D. ’94, a partner at GrayRobinson, P.A., in Miami, Florida, was elected to the Board of Governors for the American Board of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Bieber is a member of the Dade County Bar Association and has been admitted to the Florida Bar, The New York Bar, and the District of Columbia Bar. He has successfully challenged, by way of appeal, the ability of Florida law enforcement personnel to collect DNA samples from convicted felons who are no longer being supervised by the state.
Corey B. Collins, J.D. ’95, recently published his first novel, The Thanks You Get. Collins describes the South Florida-based mystery as “an exploration of human behavior and the driving force behind people’s actions.” Collins has practiced law in South Florida since receiving his UM law degree. He chairs the board of directors of the James B. Collins Memorial Fund and serves on the board of directors of the St. John Community Development Corporation. He has completed four marathons and 11 half marathons.
Alexis Gonzalez, B.B.A. ’95, and J.D. ’99, managing shareholder of AG LAW, was appointed to serve on Miami-Dade County’s Small Business Enterprise Advisory Board.
Afi Johnson-Parris, B.B.A. ’95, an expert in presentation of child custody, equitable distribution, and divorce cases in court, was invited to teach at the Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute in Boulder, Colorado. Johnson was included by U.S. News & World Report among its 2018 Best Lawyers in America. While attending the University of Miami, she was on a ROTC scholarship and later served as an officer in the Air Force.
Roy Weinfeld, J.D. ’95, a lease litigation attorney, presented a two-part introduction to commercial eviction law to the Miami Association of Realtors, with one session held in Miami Springs and the other in Fort Lauderdale.
Brian Lawlor, M.B.A. ’96, is now president of E.W. Scripps Company. In addition to the company’s 33 television stations and 34 radio stations, Lawlor is responsible for the stations’ local digital operations and the four Katz multicast networks.
James Taintor, B.S. ’96, M.B.A. ’99, who has a diverse background in professional leadership, has published his first book, Building Authentic Confidence in Children. The book sheds light on the U.S. educational system’s deficiency in instilling the self-belief, fearlessness, perseverance, and drive that are essential to young people’s growth and success.
Durée Mellion Ross, B.A. ’97, is president and founder of Fort Lauderdale-based full-service public relations, marketing, and special events firm Durée & Company, Inc., winner of a national 2017 Bulldog Stars of PR Awards from Bulldog Reporter. The firm won silver in the Small Agency (fewer than 50 employees) category. Ross, who graduated with a double major in broadcast journalism and sociology, has been a guest lecturer for several classes in the School of Communication.
Paula Phillips, J.D. ’97, and Jane Muir, J.D. ’09, are partners in the women-owned business, transactional, trial, and appellate law firm Phillips & Muir, PA, in Miami, Florida. Phillips was the student speaker at the 1997 commencement ceremony during which she received her law degree, cum laude. The two met when Phillips coached Muir in a negotiation competition; Muir’s team was the first to go to the ABA National Negotiation Competition since Phillips’s team represented the U. Muir’s father, William T. “Toby” Muir, and her brother, William D. “Douglas” Muir, also earned law degrees at the University.
Dolly Hernandez, B.B.A. ’98, J.D. ’01, has joined the law firm of Richard Greer, P.A., as counsel with a focus on complex marital and family law cases. She has also been admitted to practice law in Florida state courts and in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Darren Haimer, B.B.A. ’99 and M.B.A. ’04, has been named vice president of advertising and general manager at the Bradenton Herald. Haimer began his career in the media industry during his undergraduate years, selling advertising for the Miami Hurricane newspaper.
Lawrence Jonas, B.Sc. ’99, is a line producer at DreamWorks Animation Television. He received two Daytime Emmy Nominations for his Netflix series Trollhunters and DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge.

Eddie Dabdoub, A.B. ’00, J.D. ’07, is a successful disability insurance lawyer practicing in Coral Gables, Florida, who specializes in cases he describes as “hard-fought and complex.” The firm recently won a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit that Dabdoub describes as a “victory not just for women but for anyone who has had a pre-existing condition leading to another disabling condition.”
Steven Gonzalez, A.B. ’00, a partner at Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial, has been listed in Best Lawyers in America 2018.
Jeanette Rodriguez, B.F.A. ’00, was promoted to art director of Barnes & Noble’s Digital Experience Team in 2017.
Daniel Washo, M.M. ’00, is the president of KDW Consulting, providing sales and marketing expertise for technology, consumer electronics, and retail channel. He is the author of The Heart of Success, a self-improvement book combining personal anecdotes and research. He is also the producer of the songs “For You” and “Heart of Gold.”
Tamara Beliard Rodriguez, B.B.A. ’01, a Haitian-born author, mother, and breast cancer survivor, recently wrote a children’s book on cancer, Hair to the Queen. The book encourages adults to discuss cancer with children in a simple, tender way through the story of 7-year-old Corazon, who plans a surprise for her mother as she courageously battles cancer.
Mark Black, J.D. ’01, M.A. ’02, was promoted to brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve, where he is currently serving as deputy commanding general of the 108th Training Command. In civilian life, he served as a prosecutor at the county and state level.
Richard Montes de Oca, J.D. ’01, a managing partner at MDO Partners, closed on a transaction that created the South Beach restaurant Stubborn Seed. It is the first of two new restaurants that formalize the partnership between Grove Bay Hospitality Group and Top Chef Season 13 winner Jeremy Ford.
Lisa Brunette, M.F.A. ’02, recently launched her latest game, Sender Unknown: The Woods, a collaboration with Daily Magic Productions. Brunette, a journalist and fiction author, has been credited as writer/designer on hundreds of games. She is currently visiting professor of games and game design at Webster University.
Ramon Vega-Dorticos, B.B.A. ’02, LL.M. ’10, has been nominated by the governor of Puerto Rico and confirmed to the board of directors of the Instituto de Cultura de Puerto Rico.
Gil Acevedo, LL.M. ’04, a shareholder at Fowler White Burnett, was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2018 Best Lawyers in America, in the area of real estate law. Acevedo represents clients from various industries in connection with commercial and residential real estate matters. He is a director of the Greater Miami Aviation Association and a member of the Florida Bar’s Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section.
Monique Hays, J.D. ’04, has joined Goldstein & McClintock, LLP, to lead the firm’s expansion. Her focus is on complex aspects of business transactions, commercial litigation, and corporate restructuring. Hays has extensive experience advising fiduciaries, corporate and nonprofit boards, entrepreneurs, and companies, with a practice in director, officer, and member fiduciary liability claims litigation. An active philanthropist, she has been recognized by the United Way of Miami-Dade as one of its Young Leaders.
Adam Levin, B.M. ’04, has been named the managing attorney for the Northeast Georgia Regional Capital Defender, where he defends trial level capital cases.
Michael Nolasco, B.F.A.’04, and Laura Nolasco, B.B.A. ’04, opened an advertising and design agency called Beach Lion Studios, specializing in advertising campaigns and branding; Mike is the creative director, and Laura is the managing director.
Raju Parakkal, M.A. ’04, received the President’s Award for Excellence at Philadelphia University “In Recognition of Extraordinary Scholarship and Academic Accomplishment” in April 2017. Last fall he was awarded tenure and promoted to associate of International Relations at PhilaU.
Emily Caldarelli, B.S.Ed. ’05, is the newest recipient of the prestigious Milken Educator Award. Her honor includes a $25,000 prize, public recognition, professional development opportunities, and membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 principals, teachers, and specialists dedicated to strengthening education.
Daniel Pedreira, B.A.I.S. ’06, will begin serving as president of Cuban Heritage, a nonprofit organization that works to preserve Cuban culture and history, in January 2018. Pedreira is the youngest and first U.S.-born president elected in the organization’s 23-year history.
Jessica Colley Clarke, A.B. ’07, is a New York-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, and AFAR magazine.
David Gottesmann, J.D. ’07, has launched a crowdfund campaign for a new app called Perchance. Created to give users a second chance when they had a missed connection, Gottesman says, “It turns the one that got away into THE ONE.” More information about the app is at perchanceapp.com.
Elise Martos, B.B.A. ’07, and Christian Martos, have worked together in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry for ten years. Elise’s father and two siblings are UM alumni, as are two of Christian’s brothers and both of their wives. “The family connection to and legacy with the University is very strong,” says Elise Martos.
Elsa Bolt, B.S.C. ’08 has been promoted to executive news producer at WPLG Local 10 News in South Florida.
Nicholas Nanovic, LL.M.T. ’08, a member of the law firm Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A., presented “Legacy Platz” with David Ellowich, CFP of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation. The presentation addressed risks that threaten a secure retirement, qualified accounts, and estate planning.
Lauren Ordway, A.B. ’08, M.A. ’09, has been named executive director of Dream in Green, a Miami-based nonprofit organization devoted to empowering individuals to respond to climate change and other environmental challenges. Previously she worked in environmental stewardship at Royal Caribbean Cruises.
Maria Ramos-Person, M.B.A. ’08, was named the 2017 Woman of the Year by the Suncoast Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). In her role as physician liaison at Florida Cancer Specialist, she raised more than $108,000 for the LLS.

Karen Barroeta, M.B.A. ’10, previously general manager of Telemundo International, has been named SVP/Marketing and Creative for Telemundo Networks. Based in Miami, she is part of the network’s core content team, leading strategic development and execution of all consumer marketing initiatives across platforms, including media buying and experiential marketing.
Felix Mesa, B.B.A. ’10, M.B.A. ’12, is the new chief operating officer at Bernkopf Goodman LLP. With more than 18 years of law firm experience, Mesa was for the past seven years COO of Kirwan Spellacy & Danner, a multi-office firm with 90 employees. During his tour of duty as a soldier in the United States Army, Mesa was stationed in the U.S. and Europe and deployed during Operation Desert Storm.
Laura Mannering, D.P.T. ’10, has achieved two professional certifications in orthopedics and opened her own practice in Broward County.
Michael Cardozo, A.B. ’11, is founder and owner of a medical cannabis company in Maryland that produces and distributes wholesale cannabis products for over 100 dispensaries, including its own retail store. Cardozo began the firm to help reduce opioid overdose fatalities by expanding availability of cannabis as a safer alternative. He dedicates this note to the memory of his brother Jon, a true ’Cane, loyal friend, and amazing person.
Stanley Linder, B.S.Ed. ’11, chief resident of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Broward Health Medical Center, successfully matched into the Nephrology/Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.
Belinda Merkelis, B.S.M.A.S. ’11, an AmeriCorps volunteer member at the Sea Turtle Center, participated in the Earth Expeditions global field course in India. She studied the ecological, cultural and spiritual landscapes of the Western Ghats, where the fates of people, wildlife, and deities meet in sacred groves and forest temples in India.
Marike Paulsson, LL.M. ’11, director of the International Arbitration Institute and a lecturer at the University of Miami School of Law, was recognized in Washington, D.C., for her new book, The 1958 New York Convention in Action. The book traces the worldwide application of the convention since its creation.
Alexander Nabhan, B.B.A. ’11, a wealth management advisor at Merrill Lynch in Boston, was named to the first-ever Forbes list of “America’s Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors,” which uses a variety of criteria to identify the best forward thinkers in the advisory business. At Merrill Lynch since 2011, Nabhan helps individuals and families manage wealth and achieve their financial goals.
Heath Saunders, B.M. ’11, is playing Jesus in the Chicago Lyric Opera production of Jesus Christ Superstar. He was in the original Broadway cast of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 and recently played Feste in Twelfth Night at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C.
Samantha Bapty, B.S. ’12, and Matthew Shaffery, B.B.A. ’12, M.A.C.C. ’13, were married in October 2017 in Warrenton, Virginia. Several other ’Canes alumni attended the ceremony.
Angie C. Villanueva, A.B. ’12, M.B.A. ’18, was inducted into the Women’s Chamber of Commerce as the treasurer and sponsorship chair.
Trent Saunders, B.M. ’12, is in the ensemble and understudies Aladdin in the original Broadway cast of Disney’s Aladdin, now entering its fourth year.
Alanna Saunders, B.F.A. ’14, is in the original Broadway cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and appeared in NBC’s Peter Pan Live as Tiger Lily.
Thomas Treece, LL.M. ’17, joined Laird A. Lile, PLLC, as resident of law. A member of the Florida Bar and its Young Lawyers Division, he also serves as co-leader of the Education Committee for the Expanded Media of the Tax Section.

Email Class Notes to [email protected]

In Memoriam*

Remembering Three Community Pillars

The University of Miami and the South Florida community lost three of their most passionate champions this spring.
 

Bernyce “Bunny” Shinensky Adler, who served as a trustee of the University of Miami for 34 years, died on March 22, at the age of 93. Elected as a trustee in 1984, Adler became trustee emeritus in 1995. Her tenure on the board included service on the Academic Affairs Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee, and she generously supported various programs throughout the University, including athletics and the Miller School of Medicine. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Adler was a lifetime board member of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, and a member of the Woman’s Board of the Jewish Federations of North America and of the Dade County Public Health Trust. She is survived by three children, seven grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.
 
Longtime University of Miami donor Wayne Huizenga died at the age of 80 on March 23. He served on the UM Board of Trustees between 1993 and 2000. Former owner of the Florida Marlins, Florida Panthers, and Miami Dolphins, Huizenga was the only entrepreneur ever to launch three Fortune 500 companies. Born in Evergreen Park, Illinois, he was 25 years old when he started Southern Sanitation Service, the precursor of Waste Management. With proceeds from the sale of Waste Management, Huizenga invested in more than 100 businesses, and went on to found Blockbuster Video and AutoNation. Among South Florida’s top philanthropists, Huizenga and his late wife, Marti, generously supported the University, including athletics and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. He is survived by three children and 11 grandchildren.
 
University of Miami Trustee Emeritus Charles Zwick, the director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget under President Lyndon B. Johnson who engineered the only balanced federal budget until the Clinton administration, died April 20 at the age of 91. After leaving civil service in 1969, Zwick became chairman, president and CEO of Southeast Bank and Southeast Banking Corporation until his retirement in 1991. As a member of the UM Board of Trustees beginning in 1983 and an emeritus trustee since 2000, he served on numerous committees for the board and visiting committees for UM schools and colleges. His generosity to UM includes a gift that named the Charles and Barbara Zwick Reflection Terrace at The Lennar Foundation Medical Center on the Coral Gables campus. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Collingwood Zwick, and two children, Bob Zwick and Janet Zwick (Tom Finch).
 

Former Dean of Students

William “Bill” Sheeder, who served as the University of Miami’s dean of students from 1976 to 1989 and held various other leadership positions at UM before that, died on April 1 in Huntersville, North Carolina. He was 80. Sheeder arrived at UM in 1966 as director of the then-Whitten Student Union. Over the next 23 years, he oversaw everything from campus sports and recreation to the Rathskeller in his role as director of student activities. He became assistant vice president for student affairs in 1973, a title he retained after he was promoted to dean of students in 1976. In that dual position, Sheeder oversaw the Greek system, orientation, student development, and university chaplains. A member of the Iron Arrow Honor Society, Sheeder also served as the University’s ombudsperson, helping students to resolve academic, financial, and personal problems.
 

Transformational Fundraiser, Stalwart Leader

Susan Tamny Jones, whose 20-year career as a transformational fundraiser and beloved colleague at the University of Miami left an indelible mark on the University and its community, died on December 25, 2017. She was 72. With endearing grace, a personal touch, and astute leadership, she served as associate vice president for University Advancement and was instrumental in the success of the University’s two major capital campaigns, Momentum and Momentum 2, which raised more than $3 billion. Her leadership was recognized during her induction into the Iron Arrow Honor Society. She also served on the boards of several local organizations. A native of Maryland, Jones is survived by her husband, Edgar Jones, two sons, and two grandchildren.
 

Longtime University Leader

Cyrus “Russ” Jollivette, J.D. ’80, who served in a number of senior-level positions at the University over a nearly 24-year period, including as executive assistant to President Tad Foote and as vice president for government relations, died on April 30 in Miami at the age of 71. “Dad often said he could not have imagined his time at UM without Russ; he depended on him heavily in all aspects of running the University of Miami,” recalls Foote’s daughter, Julia Foote LeStage. After he left UM, Jollivette went on to a successful career at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida—as group vice president and then senior vice president of public affairs, and later senior vice president of federal government relations. During his stint at the health insurance company, he helped spearhead a generous gift to UM’s School of Nursing and Health Studies for scholarships for minority students. He is survived by a daughter, Lynn Jollivette Johns, and two sisters, Regina Jollivette Frazier and Cleo L. Jollivette.
 
 

John D. Brion, J.D. ’39
Jessie (Osborne) Gustafson, A.B. ’41
S. P. Auerbach, A.B. ’43
Marion (Landers) McCool, B.Ed. ’43
Eleanore S. Besson, A.B. ’44
Jean Sara (Lewis) Mechlouitz, B.Ed. ’46, M.Ed. ’47
Burton Ginsberg, A.B. ’48
Margaret A. (Walthen) James, B.M. ’48
Irene (Wentzel) McLaren, A.B. ’48
Francisco Perez-Ansa, A.B. ’48
Hope Ellen (Tanenbaum)
Rivkind, A.B. ’48
Martha (Upshaw) Robinson, A.B. ’48
Edward Arons, A.B. ’49, J.D. ’52
Richard W. Glasheen, B.S.E.E. ’49
Joan N. (Rodenberg) Leschel, A.B. ’49
Keith D. MacVicar, B.S.M.E. ’49
Allen E. Morrison, B.S. ’49
Suzanne M. Pearl, B.M. ’49
Frank G. Wilson, B.S. ’49,
M.S. ’51, M.D. ’56
William M. Brandon, B.S. ’50
Robert A. Bryan, A.B. ’50
Mortimer Fried, J.D. ’50
Ruth M. (Conover) Gioielli, B.Ed. ’50
Joseph Horwitz, A.B. ’50
John R. Hornick, B.S.E.E. ’50
Henry W. Hurd, B.S.C.E. ’50
Harold P. Kravitz, J.D. ’50
Wilbur S. McDuff, J.D. ’50
Joseph S. Renton, A.B. ’50
John A. Stevens, B.S.C.E. ’50
John W. Casey, A.B. ’51
Kent G. Chetlain, A.B. ’51
John B. Cianciarulo, B.S.E.S. ’51
Donald W. Hulmes, J.D. ’51
Milton Kachman, B.S.E.E. ’51
Edwin Marger, A.B. ’51, J.D. ’53
Samuel Steen, J.D. ’51, LL.M. ’69
Robert K. Wavrek, J.D. ’51
Walter J. Chwalik, B.Ed. ’52
Seymour Greenberg, A.B. ’52
William G. Jacobs, B.Ed. ’52
Edward Jarrett, B.S. ’52
John F. Kellogg, B.S.E.S. ’52
Wilson E. Larkins, B.S.M.E. ’52
Steve Manning, B.S.E.E. ’52
Michael H. Mescon, A.B. ’52, M.Ed. ’53
Elliott P. Moriarty, B.Ed. ’52
Harold Rosen, J.D. ’52
Lory J. Snipes, A.B. ’52
Irene (Gray) Vaught, B.Ed. ’52, M.Ed. ’59
Delores B. Dawson, A.B. ’53
Nancy F. (Merlino) Hafner, B.Ed. ’53
Alberta (Sunshine) Kessler, B.Ed. ’53
James F. Pollack, A.B. ’53, J.D. ’55
Daniel A. Wick, J.D. ’53
Eugene P. Buccilli, B.Ed. ’54
George G. Graham, J.D. ’54
Gustave W. Larson, J.D. ’54
Jerrold R. Laux, A.B. ’54
Edward R. Lloyd, B.S.C.E. ’54
Lillian E. Meyer, B.Ed. ’54,
M.Ed. ’55, Ed.D. ’71
Donald R. Moore, B.S. ’54, Ph.D. ’64
Elsie (Champe) Orr, B.S. ’54
Carol A. (Shuflin) Pappalardo, B.Ed. ’54
Clifford J. Schott, J.D. ’54
Joan C. (Ranson) Steigman, A.B. ’54
Harry H. Topalian, B.S. ’54
Daniel I. Wincor, J.D. ’54
William H. Fisher, A.B. ’55
Owen S. Freed, A.B. ’55, J.D. ’59
Joseph A. Hawkesworth, J.D. ’55
William I. Noble, B.Ed. ’55, M.Ed. ’63
Lloyd Norris, B.S.M.E. ’55
John Relle, A.B. ’55
Sheila (Levine) Erstling, A.B. ’56
Fred C. Hannahs, J.D. ’56
Roland H. Johnson, B.Ed. ’56
Philip F. Ludovici, A.B. ’56, J.D. ’59
David B. Malone, A.B. ’56
Lawrence P. McCollister, B.Ed. ’56
Kenneth L. Ryskamp, J.D. ’56
Mary S. Smith, B.Ed. ’56
Jerome H. Stern, J.D. ’56
John C. Sullivan, J.D. ’56
Alexander Tassos, A.B. ’56
Harvey C. Villa, B.S.C.E. ’56
Luke P. Benson, B.Ed. ’57
James E. Brumbaugh, A.B. ’57
Donald R. Dorshimer, B.Ed. ’57
Charles T. Ellis, M.D. ’57
Douglas E. Hafner, B.Ed. ’57, M.Ed. ’61
Jean F. (Sanzone) Harris, M.Ed. ’57
Stephen G. Jacobson, B.S. ’57
Arthur B. Lee, A.B. ’57
Cornelius J. (Jerome) Smith, J.D. ’57
Joseph Termine, B.S.E.E. ’57
Donald F. Carson, B.S.C.E. ’58
Frank Di Tullio, B.Ed. ’58
Stanley H. Garlitz, B.M. ’58, M.M. ’60
Robert D. Howerton, A.B. ’58
James W. Hunt, B.M. ’58
Irwin Kishner, J.D. ’58
George W. Letchworth, M.D. ’58
Patricia A. (Gerity) Mattson, B.Ed. ’58
David F. O’Connell, B.S.E.E. ’58
Fernando Pacheco, M.D. ’58
Norman G. Reese, J.D. ’58
Donald L. Zaccagnino, B.S. ’58
Helen P. Bell, B.Ed. ’59, M.Ed. ’68
Richard E. Biancardi, B.S.M.E. ’59
Frances (Frome) Corn, B.Ed. ’59
Sheldon Gesenswa, B.S. ’59
Alan H. Gregg, A.B. ’59, Ph.D. ’64
Robert C. Magoon, M.D. ’59
Robert A. Meeth, M.Ed. ’59
David A. Norris, B.S.I.E. ’59
William C. Smith, J.D. ’59
Lois (Isaacs) Stigler, B.Ed. ’59
Ulo Uibopuu, B.S.I.E. ’59
Ted Carageorge, M.A. ’60
C. W. Collins, A.B. ’60
Marvin E. Goldsher, A.B. ’60
Lew I. Leon, B.Ed. ’60, M.Ed. ’62
Robert L. Lessne, B.Ed. ’60
Lois J. (Feuer) Lewin, A.B. ’60, M.S. ’69
Eleanor S. Miller, B.Ed. ’60
Shirley M. (Kettleman) Newman, B.S. ’60, M.Ed. ’66
Judith (Balek) Ritter, A.B. ’60
Joseph Charles Segor, J.D. ’60
Sara B. Stern, B.Ed. ’60
John McCown Blackstock, B.S.E.S. ’61, M.S. ’63
Alvis L. Corum, M.Ed. ’61, Ed.D. ’69
William H. Findley, M.Ed. ’61, Ed.D. ’72
Stanley M. Ersoff, J.D. ’61
Jane M. (Randolph) Jennings, B.Ed. ’61
Miriam S. Frank Major, B.Ed. ’61
William E. Pate, M.D. ’61
LeRoy F. Snyder, B.S.E.E. ’61
Chester E. Trost, M.Ed. ’61
Anne E. Barber, A.B. ’62, M.A. ’68
David C. Byars, B.S.E.E. ’62
William J. Burton, A.B. ’62
Raymond M. Craig, B.S.E.E. ’62
Guy P. DiNatale, B.S.E.E. ’62
Joann Adair (Overman) Jones, A.B. ’62
James T. Locascio, B.S.E.E. ’62
James (Jim) E. Marler, B.S. ’62
John F. Powers, M.D. ’62
Richard Gutting, M.Ed. ’63
Robert F. Hathaway, A.B. ’63
Edmund T. Hittson, A.B. ’63, M.A. ’70
Alan A. Jabbour, A.B. ’63
Theodore W. Jennings, Ph.D. ’63
Mary W. Kessler, B.S.N. ’63
Demetrius F. Kostas, B.S.C.E. ’63
Ellen J. Shaw, B.Ed. ’63
Diane C. Brandt, B.Ed. ’64
Terrence E. D’Avignon, B.S.E.E. ’64
Elvira M. Dopico, C.T.P. ’64
Miriam Gerchakov, A.B. ’64
Gilbert H. Grosvenor, D.L.T. ’64
L.J. Hoffman, A.B. ’64
Honora A. Jaffe, A.B. ’64
Alan K. Lindblom, A.B. ’64
Arnold D. Schatzman, J.D. ’64
Lourdes (Alvina) Burgess, M.S. ’65
Marilyn (Kornstein) Herskowitz, B.Ed. ’65
Walter S. Jolliff, A.B. ’65
Mary C. Koch Youree Richard, B.S.N. ’65
John M. Schwebel, B.Ed. ’65, M.Ed. ’70
Thomas A. Dooling, B.S. ’66
Frank A. Ferren, M.D. ’66
Jose B. Gonzalez, B.S.C.E. ’66
E.B. Hoch, A.B. ’66
Jeanette M. (Ott) McKeachern, B.S.N. ’66
Bertan W. Morrow, M.S. ’66, Ph.D. ’71
M. Lee Pearce, J.D. ’66
Janice M. Revitz, B.Ed. ’66, J.D. ’69
Richard D. Siegel, A.B. ’66
Gail P. (Harris) Vinocur, B.Ed. ’66
Robert J. Walk, A.B. ’66
Robert W. Wilcosky, M.Ed. ’66
William B. Arrington, A.B. ’67
Theodore Z. David, J.D. ’67
Sheridan A. Golin, A.B. ’67
Richard M. Higgins, A.B. ’67
John P. Jett, B.Ed. ’67
Joseph A. Reynolds, A.B. ’67
Marjorie D. Abrams, M.Ed. ’68, Ph.D. ’75
Onelia V. Cerda C.T.P. ’68
Jacinta Cuadrado, C.T.P. ’68
Judy (Amerkan) Jones, B.S.N. ’68
Alfred J. Lozar, M.Ed. ’68
Ronald B. Nelson, B.Ed. ’68
Ann L. (Gutherly) Robinson, M.Ed. ’68
George P. Trodella, A.B. ’68
Ernestine “Tina” (Freeman) Von Gonten, M.Ed. ’68
Julio E. Alvarez, B.S.E.E. ’69
Lawrence J. Boxer, A.B. ’69
Dana C. Ferrell, A.B. ’69, J.D. ’73
Marjorie M. Gross, A.B. ’69
Carl R. Johnson, M.S.E.E. ’69
Lee J. Rickard, B.S. ’69
Robert F. Bouchard, J.D. ’70
Edward P. Guettler, Ph.D. ’70
Ronald A. Maddux, M.D. ’70
Robert “Bob” A. Mann, A.B. ’70
Jay R. Olian, J.D. ’70
Barbara E. (Lawrence) Taylor, M.Ed. ’70
Mildred (Altman) Vinicor,
B.Ed. ’70, M.A. ’72
Douglas A. Bryn, A.B. ’71
David R. Chapman, M.D. ’71
Alan S. Chotiner, J.D. ’71
Bernard F. Cominsky, B.Ed. ’71
Richard P. Cotter, A.B. ’71
Arthur D. Klein, M.D. ’71
Darlene McGovern, B.Ed. ’71
Ruth (Haynes) Sargent, A.B. ’71
Cassandra (Bevier) Schuh, A.B. ’71
H. (Herbert) Allan Shore, J.D. ’71, LL.M.E. ’72
Martha L. Castillo, Ed.D. ’72
Edgar H. Clayton, B.C.S. ’72
Maxine (Alsbrooks) Ford, M.Ed. ’72
Jean (Whobrey) Holden, B.F.A. ’72
Albert C. (Layder) Leader, J.D. ’72
David H. Lerner, B.M. ’72
Bruce E. MacCallum, A.B. ’72
George L. Sharp, A.B. ’72
Gerald L. Solomon, B.Ed. ’72
Julian R. Spradley, J.D. ’72
Louis J. Coelho LL.M.T. ’73
Nancy Sue (Scrinopskie) Epoch, B.M. ’73
Burton H. Fick, B.Ed. ’73
Steven J. Kingsbury, M.S. ’73, Ph.D. ’76
Sharon L. Pioch, B.Ed. ’73
Richard W. Rappaport, J.D. ’73
Jerry B. Schreiber, J.D. ’73
Carl F. Wile, B.S.E.E. ’73
William P. Burns, J.D. ’74
Elton (Toni) K. Caicedo, A.B. ’74, A.B. ’74
Arcie D. Ewell, M.Ed. ’74
Douglas L. Frazier, J.D. ’74
Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat, J.D. ’74
Robin C. Whittaker, M.M. ’74
Anthony Acosta, M.D. ’75
Guy W. Beaven, A.B. ’75
Elizabeth M. Bohn, A.B. ’75, J.D. ’79
Heriberto R. Cabada, F.M.D. ’75
Leslie A. Cooperman, B.Ed. ’75
Robert A. Nicotri, A.B. ’75
Arlyne M. (Gordon) Warshall, J.D. ’75
Allyn W. Conway, A.B. ’76
Dale W. Erwin, A.B. ’76
Bruce H. Randolph, A.B. ’76
David W. Vincent, D.M.A. ’76
John W. Alexander, M.M. ’77
Charles P. Guanci, A.B. ’77
Marjean M. (Koperski) Halopka, M.Ed. ’77
Pamela J. Pujals, A.B. ’77
Sandra A. Schatten, B.Ed. ’77
Alan D. Atlas, J.D. ’78
Marlowe J. Blake, J.D. ’78
John N. Drummond, M.D. ’78
Nga V. Duong, B.S.N. ’78
Fred S. McChesney, J.D. ’78
Abelardo Ruiz, B.Arch. ’78
Susan J. Uscier, M.Ed. ’78
Esmie L. Brown, B.S.Ed. ’79
Scott A. Burin, A.B. ’79
Daniel K. Corbett, J.D. ’79
Maryvonne A. Diaz, C.N.P. ’79
Norman L. Johnson E.D.S. ’79
Polly S. Zaldivar, A.B. ’79
James J. Banek, M.S.Ed. ’80
Walter P. Kubany, M.S. ’80
Carolyn A. Pickard, J.D. ’80
Katie S. (Ingraham) Rashed, B.S.Ed. ’80
Hazel L. Ruffin, M.S.N. ’80
Michael A. Vandetty, J.D. ’80
Diane C. Cohen, B.S.N. ’81
Peter J. deGorter, A.B. ’81
Jeanne M. Martinez, M.S.Ed. ’81
Lisa S. (Novick) Millhauser, J.D. ’81
Julie L. Capps, B.S.Ed. ’82
Joseph S. Greene, A.B. ’82
Shelley J. Kravitz, J.D. ’82
David P. Rowe, J.D. ’82
Linda L. Reel, J.D. ’82
Karen L. Tenne, M.D. ’82
William E. Dellow, J.D. ’83
Charles J. Frank, A.B. ’83
Marcene (Haaland) Rigsby, A.B. ’83
Octavio Tinsly, M.S.Ed. ’83
John H. Franklin, D.D. ’84
Rajiv Khanna, LL.M.G. ’84
Daniel W. McIntyre, LL.M. ’84
Franz F. Springmann, J.D. ’84
Frederik W. van Vonno, J.D. ’85
Carlos J. Ortiz De Valderrama, M.P.A. ’86
Hanna H. Gray, D.H.E. ’86
Carl L. Knopf, M.S.Ed. ’86
Loyce W. Longino, M.S.Ed. ’86, Ph.D. ’97
Beverley E. McDermott, M.A. ’86
Michael E. Radell, J.D. ’86
Lari M. White, B.M. ’88
Alejandro Bonet, B.Arch. ’89
Valienti A. Henry, B.S. ’89
Laura Moolenaar, M.S.Ed. ’89
Steven D. Stokes, J.D. ’90
Joni B. Braunstein Hesch, LL.M.E. ’92
Ladd J. Lissauer, M.S.Ed. ’92
Debra L. Zelman, J.D. ’92
Marilyn A. Anderson, Ph.D. ’93
Kerry Foster, A.B. ’94
Randi T. Arnet, B.S.C. ’95
Gary A. Michak, J.D. ’95
Rebecca D. Morlidge, M.S.Ed. ’96
Ernesto Garcia, B.Arch. ’97
Lashan (Gaskins) Fagan, J.D. ’98
Christopher R. Sweeney,
M.M. ’98, Ph.D. ’02
Alicia U. Stephenson, A.B. ’99
Christopher A. Chopin, J.D. ’01
Christina Martinez-Serrano, M.S.I.E. ’03
Orestes Amador, M.S.Ed. ’04
Justin L. Green, B.S.I.T. ’04
Gipsy Rodriguez, A.B. ’05
Bryan S. Pata, B.L.A. ’07
Silvia J. Rodriguez, B.S.Ed. ’11
Danielle J. Rothstein, A.B. ’14
Jonathan Balan, A.B. ’15

*Names recorded as of April 2, 2018. We research each name in the “In Memoriam” section, but errors can occur. Please email any corrections or clarifications to [email protected] or call 305-284-2872.

The post Class Notes Summer 2018 appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI’S ALMA MATER IS SUNG WITH PRIDE, at homecoming and athletic events and with bittersweet emotion at commencement ceremonies. Yet most of us don’t know anything about its creation by two people who wended very different ways to the University of Miami soon after its founding.

The Tunesmith: Gifted Versatility

Christine Asdurian (a.k.a. Christine Oviatt Asdurian Thompson), M.A. ’27, was a talented pianist from Armenia. Her dramatic life journey began when she was just 3 years old: She recalled being carried by her newly widowed father, a clergyman, across her war-blasted country on a camel in a basket lined with red satin. The two ultimately made it to the United States, but Asdurian’s father died soon after.

At age 7, Asdurian was adopted by two sisters, Sarah A. Thompson and Esther H. Thompson, of Litchfield, Connecticut. Education was a priority for the Thompsons, and Asdurian took full advantage of the opportunities they offered her.

At Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Asdurian earned Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees in 1916 and was voted “most talented” by the senior class. The next year, Asdurian earned a Master of Arts in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University and married William Robert Suda. They had a son
in 1920 but separated soon after.

Christine Asdurian

From 1924 to 1926, Asdurian worked as a pianist for the department store chain Gimbels, performing live throughout the New York tristate area for a regional radio show. Arriving in Miami in 1926 to pursue advanced musical studies at the University of Miami, she studied piano with Earl Chester Smith and was mentored by UM’s first music dean, Bertha Foster. UM’s first president, Bowman F. Ashe, often recruited her to perform at civic functions and donor appreciation events.

The Lyricist: Tone-Deaf but Tireless

Meanwhile, William “Bill” S. Lampe was headed toward his own date with ’Canes destiny.

In 1925, Lampe had been a spirited liberal arts student at the University of Pittsburgh when he was expelled two weeks before graduation, says his son Seth Lampe, for too much partying. So Bill Lampe made his way to Miami, driving an old Graham-Paige over 1,600 miles of unmarked dirt roads and, he later told his son, “across the backs of alligators” as he approached the city to join the Miami Herald as a sports writer.

In the summer of 1926, Bill Lampe helped UM promote its first football game, scheduled for September 17. Diving into various PR and administrative roles at the U, says Seth Lampe, “He wrote just about everything, including all the football cheers, program notes, and signage.”

While Seth Lampe recalls that his father “couldn’t carry a tune in a basket,” Bill Lampe wrote the words to the school anthem on the back of an envelope of an overdue bill. He then tapped Asdurian to compose the music.

UM’s first football game was called off when a Category 4 hurricane ravaged the region just as the new university’s first classes were about to begin. The following month, as Miami began its slow recovery from the storm, the U’s Alma Mater was sung for the first time.

Coda: Lives of Varied Accomplishments

Asdurian returned to New York in 1929, resuming her live radio performances until 1931. She stopped playing the piano after a serious back injury but soon found a new outlet for her artistry: designing ballet costumes. She moved to Los Angeles, California, and worked for a time with famed dancer-choreographers David Lichine and Tatiana Riabouchinska.

President Pearson presenting award to Bill Lampe

In 1961, Asdurian wrote to the University of Miami’s second president, Jay F. W. Pearson, to congratulate him on the University’s desegregation and enrollment of more than 70 African-American students. “Do they still sing our Alma Mater?” she asked in closing. Yes, President Pearson assured her, adding “We will always think of you as one of our fine musicians.”

Female students at the Miami Conservatory of Music

Asdurian died in 1963 at the age of 70.

Bill Lampe moved back to Pittsburgh in 1928. He married his college sweetheart, Harriett, and rose through the editorial ranks of the Hearst Corporation to become editor
in charge of special projects.

The company championed the creation of an interstate highway, and Bill Lampe met with President Dwight Eisenhower every week for a year. Thanks in part to those conversations, driving from state to state is now far easier (and less infested with alligators) than it was in Lampe’s day. Later, as an advertising executive in Detroit, he helped to found the PGA.

In 1948, Lampe was named an honorary UM alumnus. Some years later, Lampe was told about a friendly campus debate regarding how to sing the Alma Mater. “What scares me,” he joked, “is that somebody may ask me to write a second verse.” Lampe was named an honorary alumnus of the Band of the Hour, UM’s marching band, in 1990.He died in 1992 at the age of 86.

Engraved in the hearts of the ’Canes family, the Alma Mater is much more than its words and melody; it is a testament to the resilience, talent, and fruitful collaboration of its creators.

Special thanks to: Koichi Tasa/University of Miami Archives and Special Collections; Jeffrey R. Willis/Converse College Archives and Special Collections; Jocelyn Wilk/Columbia University Archives; and Seth Lampe.

The post Harmonic Convergence appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

Students in the U’s Orange Umbrella Consultancy gain career skills by providing communication services to real clients.

By Michael R. Malone
Illustration By Nicole Andujar

“SIX MINUTES ’TIL STATUS REPORT,” a student shouts into the sleek ambiance of the School of Communication’s Koenigsberg and Nadal Interactive Media Center. The heads-up rallies his fellow members of the Orange Umbrella Consultancy, scattered among the center’s low-profile sofas, circular desks, and green-walled cubicles.

The managing director of Orange Umbrella, Melissa Jane “M.J.” Barnes, and her Maltese poodle mix, Captain.

One by one, the students share capsule reports of their progress on a multitude of projects: websites uploaded, videos produced, social media campaigns underway.
Since it launched in January 2017, Orange Umbrella has made pretty good progress itself. Within 18 months of opening for business—shortly after the inauguration of the media center that serves as its home base—the student consultancy had earned about $37,000 in client revenues. It currently serves a sizable roster of clients while providing some 50 students with real-world professional experience.

Though the consultancy is staffed primarily by students across the School of Communication, it is open to any UM student whose academic skills can be used to help fulfill a client’s communication needs.

Students from the Miami Business School, for example, assist with sales, operations, and human resource advisement. Orange Umbrella’s new strategy department is staffed with psychology and marketing majors. To facilitate creative collaboration, the consultancy recently combined its production and creative departments into one that encompasses film, copywriting, photography, and social media.

“The changes opened up our workflow and have elevated the work we can do for clients,” says Barnes. “Now we’re offering concepts grounded in research.”

REDEFINING A COLLEGE CLASS

Participation in Orange Umbrella takes the form of a class of between one and three credits. But with an intensity fueled by urgent business issues and a service portfolio driven by client demand, the consultancy redefines the very notion of a college class. Its products and services track with those found in the professional communication consulting world, including branding, website design, video production, copywriting, and event management.

“We’re able to do that,” says School of Communication Dean Gregory Shepherd, “because we are one of the broadest schools of communication in the country.”

The Interactive Media Center, which provides an environment much like that of a professional agency, is central to Orange Umbrella’s existence and development. “From the get-go,” says Shepherd, “we imagined building out this space as an exciting window on the world that showcases interactivity—and locating the consultancy in a space that feels state of the art.”

Barnes, Orange Umbrella’s founding director, ventured to Miami from Houston, Texas, ten years ago to take a job at Crispin Porter + Bogusky. Her six-plus years with the renowned global advertising agency proved invaluable when she joined the School of Communication as a lecturer two years ago. In fall 2016, Shepherd asked her to help develop the framework for the student consultancy.

After a soft launch, the initiative expanded quickly. “With growth and referrals, we evolved very organically,” Barnes says. “It was nebulous, chaotic, energetic, and amazing.”

Soon it was clear that the consultancy needed a brand identity of its own. The selected name not only references one of the colors that ’Canes bleed and the umbrellas that dot the Gables campus; it also evokes the concept of an overarching entity that connects various endeavors and disciplines.

SAVVY, SATISFIED CLIENTS

Among Orange Umbrella’s early successes was a Kickstarter program for Growers 2 Home that raised $13,000 in a month. When the Doral-based flower importer was seeking to invigorate its marketing efforts, Growers 2 Home business development executive Roberto Reyes reached out to the University through his sister, a UM grad.

Meeting occasionally with Reyes and his colleagues under Barnes’s direction, students including senior Christian Felipe suggested revisions to the Growers 2 Home pricing scheme and developed a new communication strategy that, says Reyes, has helped the firm blossom.

“It’s definitely been a win-win,” Reyes says. “Our partnership complements their coursework. For us, it’s a way to accomplish something important for our business.”

“I’ve gained a lot more experience as a leader,” Felipe says. “I’m doing assignments like those I’ll be doing in the work world.”

Orange Umbrella clients also have included an investment company, The Lennar Foundation Medical Center, a start-up subscription-based box service, and several businesses needing assistance with website redesign, blogs, and social media.

At Orange Umbrella, students work collaboratively in an agency-like atmosphere to provide a growing roster of clients with services ranging from graphic design and copywriting to social media campaigns and market research.

“It’s amazing to work with not only start-up clients and nonprofits but some really thriving businesses that come to the students for help figuring out how they can communicate their business model on social media,” Barnes says.

Ariella St. Rose, a senior, joined Orange Umbrella for some extra learning experiences as she looked ahead to her post-graduation life. She has researched, written, and designed portions of a client’s user interview aimed at increasing engagement. St. Rose also created a QR code and handled print marketing for another—all-new additions to her skill set.

“I have excellent teachers, but this is learning that you couldn’t possibly get in class,” she says. “You don’t know until you go out into the world—things are so much different than you imagine.”

BUILDING ON SUCCESS

While she admits that a consultancy with actual clients can be a bit stressful, St. Rose appreciates the challenge of real deadlines: “When you meet them, it feels like a reward.”

Orange Umbrella clients are reaping the rewards as well. “We successfully wrapped up a number of contracts last semester and have had an influx of inquiries from businesses large and small, as well as from the University president’s office,” says Barnes. A couple of contracts with one new, high-visibility client—boats.com—has led to a very fruitful partnership.

Barnes credits a good part of the consultancy’s success to support from the OU nine-member advisory board—four School of Communication professors and five experienced community members.

“There’s a wealth of interest among people both on and off campus who are willing to give their advice, expertise, and time to help us move forward,” she says. For Dean Shepherd, Orange Umbrella has already far exceeded expectations.

“I sometimes worry that it’s tempting for students to spend too much time in the consultancy,” he says. “They love it—it’s where they want to be. Yet they still have classes to take and other obligations. They have to keep their priorities straight.”

So far, the tradeoff is working. Shepherd credits the students with continuing to foster the work ethic and commitment to excellence the consultancy forged early on. “The quality of the clients and the students’ dedication to the quality of work they’re providing are remarkable,” he says.

“We don’t want to get a lot bigger right now. I’d rather be small and excellent than large and mediocre.”

After all, Shepherd notes, as the students have found in both their client projects and the growth of the consultancy itself, “It takes a lot of effort to build a brand.”

The post Juicing Creativity appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

The research vessel F.G. Walton Smith, owned and operated by the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, is a distinctive resource for scientific expeditions.

By Jessica M. Castillo

Research vessel F.G. Walton Smith

GAZING DOWN INTO THE COBALT-BLUE WATER OF THE ATLANTIC ONE DAY LAST FALL, a group of researchers, students, and guests aboard the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences’ research vessel (R/V) F.G. Walton Smith stood transfixed—partly to restrain their queasiness as the vessel rose and fell through six-foot waves, but mostly to revel in the pod of dolphins frolicking below.

Lillian Custals, M.A.L.S. ’12, assistant scientist in the Rosenstiel School’s Department of Ocean Sciences, cooed a warm greeting to the dolphins as the observers wondered aloud whether their marine companions were of the bottlenose or Atlantic spotted variety.

Custals and the Rosenstiel School researchers aboard are on a biannual expedition to collect deep-sea water that will ultimately help scientists better understand the chemistry of the world’s oceans. They departed at daybreak for this one-day trip to the Gulf Stream, 15 miles east of Key Largo.

At sea for an average of 150 days a year, the 96-foot catamaran is one of 18 research vessels in the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System, a consortium of nearly 60 academic institutions and national laboratories.

At sea for nearly 150 days a year, the F.G. Walton Smith offers undergraduate and graduate marine science students unparalleled research experiences.

“The F.G. Walton Smith is essential to our ability to understand and address issues related to ocean circulation, climate studies, natural hazards, human health and marine ecosystems, and to providing a best-in-class marine science education program for our undergraduate and graduate students,” says Rosenstiel School Dean Roni Avissar.

Its seven-member crew, three of whom live onboard, are part of Rosenstiel’s Marine Operations team, which also includes a fleet of small boats and programs devoted to diving and small boat safety, the Rosenstiel motor pool, and a marine tech program that oversees research equipment on three Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

“We’re here to help the researchers do what they do best, making sure they have what they need to help them conduct their science,” said Marine Operations Director Richard R. Behn, a retired one-star rear admiral from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Corps.

Sampling the Gulf Stream

The samples being collected today are from below the surface of the warm oceanic current, whose steady flow helps ensure relative purity. They will become part of Rosenstiel’s consensus reference material program.

Led by Dennis Hansell, professor and chair of ocean sciences, the initiative builds on Hansell’s earlier work collecting ocean water samples from locations that included 2,600 meters below the surface of the North Atlantic’s Sargasso Sea. These days, Hansell and his colleagues collect water samples in the Florida Straits at depths of up to 700 meters to serve as consensus reference material for the study of dissolved organic carbon in the world’s oceans.

“The concentrations of carbon and dissolved nitrogen in the deep ocean are very constant,” Custals explains. “Changes in these concentrations take thousands of years.”

Treated and placed in vials, the water samples will eventually be shipped from Hansell’s lab to scientists around the world, who buy the material as a reference standard for their own research.

Also on board are Chelsi Lopez, an ocean sciences Ph.D. candidate, and Claudia Alvarez, a research associate in the Department of Marine Biology and Ecology.

Albert Ortiz, a research associate in the Department of Ocean Sciences, has joined the journey to collect and test water samples for phosphorus on behalf of Kim Popendorf, assistant professor of ocean sciences. On the upper deck, he works with Adriana “Andi” Fragola, an M.P.S. student in marine conservation, and Jake Jerome, an administrative assistant at Rosenstiel who recently earned an M.S. in marine affairs and policy. After fashioning hoses and setting up two bins to collect and store the water samples, the three head to the main deck.

There, Jerome works alongside electronics expert Denis Ilias, a 12-year veteran of the Walton Smith crew, to lower an apparatus known as a CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth) rosette into the water at a series of decreasing depths. Once the rosette is in place, Ilias remotely designates the timing as the top and bottom of each of the rosette’s 12 Niskin bottles, designed specifically for this purpose, open and close. As the bottles fill up, electronic instruments measure the salinity, temperature, depth, and concentration of particles in the water column.

Student and faculty researchers aboard the F.G. Walton Smith collect water samples in the Florida Straits at depths of up to 700 meters.

After each submersion, Custals helps her team transfer the water to corresponding color-coded and labeled containers—after first swirling some of each water sample into its designated bottle, then pouring it out. The step ensures that the samples contain only the waters they were drawn from.

As Fragola handles one container, her bicep tattoo of latitude and longitude coordinates becomes visible. The coordinates, she explains, pinpoint the spot where she released leatherback sea turtles in a remote marine sanctuary off the coast of Nicaragua last year.

“It was one of the most transformational experiences of my life,” she says. Fragola’s subsequent proposal to manage the sanctuary received funding from Fabian Cousteau, grandson of the legendary aquatic explorer Jacques Cousteau.

Meanwhile, Marine Operations team members Stewart Bell and Kevin Jones, serving today as acting captain and acting first mate, are roving through the vessel, staying in constant communication with the scientists to ensure that they are reaching their intended cast sites and collecting the water samples and data they need.

On the main deck, clambering in and out of the engine room, Mike Shoup, the ship’s chief engineer, and Carol Mandel, the assistant engineer, make sure that the vessel’s engines are staying cool and running smoothly. Throughout the expedition, the engineers must strain the water that cools the engines and clean the removable cylinders that fill up quickly with seaweed and indiscriminate sea junk.

In the galley, chef Randal Hughes is preparing the day’s third and final meal: tabbouleh salad, barbecued chicken, and tostadas with all the trimmings. Downed with some ginger ale, the almond croissants Hughes made for breakfast help ease some of the guests’ seasickness. But the rough ride barely fazes the crew as they navigate the four- to six-foot waves at a leisurely 10 knots, or about 11.5 miles per hour.
“The ship,” says Bell with a nonchalant shrug, “is very stable.”

A Floating Research Hub

As a shallow-water vessel, the Walton Smith makes it possible for the researchers to navigate into shallow bays and areas. Its three small work boats can be deployed to carry divers to otherwise impassable sites. It can sail without refueling for up to two weeks and desalinize seawater for a constant supply of drinking water.

Thanks to these features and many more, the vessel commands rental fees of $15,000 per day—but it’s available only to scientists seeking to add to our understanding of the world’s oceans.

“The research must be for the sake of contributing to science,” Behn says, “not for commercial or profit-making reasons.”

Scientists from the University of Buffalo and the University of Mississippi spent two weeks in late November and early December, respectively, aboard the Walton Smith to study the impact of hurricanes Irma and Maria on coral reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In 2018 the vessel will host, among others, researchers from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom and the National Science Foundation, exploring a host of oceanographic questions.

Meanwhile, before nightfall, Bell steers the Walton Smith through Government Cut and Fishermans Channel. The boat passes South Beach on the starboard side, Fisher Island on the port side, the glittering downtown skyline straight ahead. Mandel glances appreciatively at the magnificent view as she strains the cooling water for the ship’s engines. Jones prepares the anchor.

With the sun setting and a cool breeze stirring, the ship docks at the Rosenstiel School’s picturesque Virginia Key campus. The scientists, guests, and crew disembark—windswept, sunburned, exhausted, and satisfied by a productive day that will add to our understanding of ocean health.

Gathering their gear and steadying their sea legs, the researchers pause to revel for a moment in the breathtaking views of Biscayne Bay at dusk. Then they turn and lug their troves of data to the lab.

To take an interactive look at the R/V F.G. Walton Smith, watch videos from the research trip, and see photos and polls, go to: https://features.miami.edu/2017/fg-walton-smith/index.html’

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Citizen ’Cane

Reaching Out, Lifting Up

Courtney Cross-Johnson

Recognized by Teach For America during Black History Month this year as one of 13 Black Leaders Who are Shaping the Future of their Communities, Courtney Cross-Johnson, A.B. ’11, sees her years at the U as the catalyst for her service-oriented career.

“The U bred me into a leader,” she says. “There were so many high-caliber individuals around me that I had to step my game up.”

Cross-Johnson clearly rose to the challenge, serving as president of both United Black Students and the National Pan-Hellenic Council during her senior year. She was also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the Yellow Rose Society, Organization for Jamaican Unity, and Order of Omega.

After graduation, Cross-Johnson worked for six years as a teacher in the public school system, honing her understanding of how students learn and, in particular, how to inspire girls and young women. “Students watch the behaviors of the adults around them,” she says, “and I see it as my duty to ensure that we are rearing up the finest young lady bosses around.”

Diversity is a core value at Teach For America, which unites a diverse coalition of change-makers around the goal of educational equity. Just as she did at the U, Cross-Johnson, who serves as manager of the organization’s alumni group, seeks to drive positive change in multiple ways.

A member of the Dallas-Fort Worth Urban League Young Professionals, Cross-Johnson is active in the HERitage Giving Fund, which links black women philanthropists to North Texas nonprofits that serve women and girls. She also volunteers with Black Girls Code-Dallas, an organization that encourages girls to enter STEM fields.

Though her plate is perpetually full to overflowing, “It hardly feels like work,” Cross-Johnson says. “There are so many ways to serve others and to better the community.

“When you find your purpose, you will be able to live out your passion.”

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Citizen ’Cane

Multicultural Maven

Gulnar Vaswani

Gulnar Vaswani, B.B.A. ’91, M.B.A. ’93, specializes in inclusivity—that elusive but essential value that helps today’s multicultural business world hum.

Vaswani travels throughout Asia and the United States consulting with clients that range from Fortune 500 companies to non-governmental organizations and academic institutions. Within these varied settings, she says, “I help leaders understand and embrace cross-cultural dynamics and diversity.”

Though she had previously built a successful career in finance, “Being good at something doesn’t mean that is your purpose,” Vaswani says. “I wanted to do something that was important to me and that could create an impact.”

So she made a leap of faith into her new career about a decade ago. The move turned out to be perfectly timed to capitalize on a growing corporate emphasis on workplace inclusivity.

Today Vaswani performs what she calls “gentle audits” that spur her clients to deeply examine their corporate culture. The process, she says, “forces leadership and management to ask, ‘Are we fully and truly inclusive? Are we indicative of the hemispheric values that we preach?’”

In Asia, Vaswani’s clients are typically regionally based firms hiring U.S. or European employees into their home markets. She also supports multinational corporations in their development of Asian talent. Her efforts are designed to optimize the communication skills and cultural sensitivities of both employees and managers.

“I help bridge the East and West,” Vaswani says. “My work helps to demystify the differences in cultures so that everyone can work as cohesively as possible.”

Vaswani also advises, coaches, trains, and speaks at diversity conferences and serves as a director of the UM Alumni Association.

She credits her parents—economic immigrants from Bombay (modern-day Mumbai) for their powerful commitment to education as “a way to equalize the playing field.

“At the University of Miami, I quickly learned that inclusion, by definition, is an environment where anybody, regardless of race or religion, can succeed if they have the ability to do so.

“The underlying intention of my work,” Vaswani says, “is to connect people and build on similarities rather than focus on differences.”

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Citizen ’Cane

Making Imaginative Leaps into Reality

Rony Abovitz, above, is pioneering a virtual reality technology, below, with the potential to transform entertainment, education, and more.

For Rony Abovitz, B.S.M.E. ’94, M.S.B.E. ’96, technology is a humanistic art fueled by imagination. His father was an Air Force flight engineer, entrepreneur, and inventor; his mother an accomplished painter and educator. All of those impulses found a home in Abovitz. “They were, and still are, one and the same for me,” he says.

This da Vinci-like approach to creativity allowed Abovitz to achieve extraordinary success as a pioneer of surgeon-assisted robotics, then pivot to the founding of Magic Leap, a novel computing platform that seeks to harness the potential of “mixed reality” in applications ranging from entertainment to education.

As a middle schooler, Abovitz moved with his family from Ohio to South Florida, where he discovered an enticing world of outdoor adventures: snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, flying small planes. Enrolling in the UM College of Engineering, Abovitz dreamed of designing jets, developing solar-powered race cars, and becoming an astronaut, an animator, and a ’Canes quarterback (not necessarily in that order). Instead, he became the cartoonist for The Miami Hurricane, a DJ at WVUM, and a javelin thrower on the varsity track and field team—“an unexpectedly cool dream come true.”

Abovitz then turned his focus toward the beneficial potential of the technology-human interface, earning a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and launching the entrepreneurial endeavors that would evolve into MAKO Surgical, manufacturers of the first FDA-cleared robotic surgical system. Nothing left the MAKO shop without passing the ultimate quality check, Abovitz’s “Mom Rule”: “Would you use this on your mom?”

MAKO Surgical went public in 2008 and was acquired in 2013 by Stryker Corp. For the next chapter of his already remarkable life, Abovitz—twice named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum—began pursuing a seamless blend of the digital and physical worlds, inspired in part by vivid memories of his exciting experiences as a new Floridian. “What if,” he recalls wondering, “computing could spill outside the computer?” Such musings ultimately spawned Magic Leap.

The company’s recently unveiled first product, Magic Leap One, combines a headset, pocket-sized computer, and state-of-the-art control technology to meld the real and virtual worlds. The company, which is partnering with the NBA and Turner to create an interactive sports viewing platform, invites developers and creators to share their own ideas for content and applications.

Speaking at the U’s December 2017 graduate-degree commencement ceremony, Abovitz couched his thoughts in a fanciful yet heartfelt letter to the future.

It was a future that had migrated to sustainable energy; ended wars and colonized Mars; mastered the use of artificial intelligence to help people, not replace them; and made powerful commitments to gender rights and equality for all.

As to how to turn that utopian vision into reality, “We can make this world better by filling it with our creative imagination and sharing it,” he told the newly minted graduates. “You don’t need all the answers. You’ll find everything you need along the way.

“Go save the world. It’s why you were born.”

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Band of the Hour to celebrate 85th reunion

Band of the Hour.

It may be called the UM Band of the Hour, but its legacy of rousing music and ’Canes spirit spans decades. The UM Band of the Hour Alumni Reunion, held as part of this fall’s Alumni Weekend, Nov. 1-3, 2018, will celebrate the band’s 85th year.

Events include an alumni dinner, participation with the current Frost Band of the Hour on and off the field at the UM versus Duke game, a parade, and the Hall of Fame get-together. A special event will honor the 40th reunion of the 1979 Mirage Bowl, which pitted the U against Notre Dame in Tokyo, Japan.

Band of the Hour.

Alumni band members are welcome to make plans to attend the festivities. For additional information, contact Rick Veingrad, president of the Band of the Hour Association of Alumni and Friends, at 954-472-4010 or [email protected].

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Nine accomplished young people from one extended family have embraced UM

Left to right, triplets Carlos, Andres, and Mikel Juan Panek

It all started with Aunt Monica. The Madrid physician would bring her nieces and nephews with her on vacations to South Florida, including tours of the University of Miami.

“We never knew why or when she fell in love with UM, just that she was so fond of it,” Alessia Juan Martinuzzi, one of those nieces, recalls. “Every summer we’d spend a good portion of our time walking around and learning about the campus, and we were blown away by it.”

The children thought Monica was joking when, during one of those South Florida sojourns, she suggested that they all attend the University of Miami. Then Fabiana, the oldest, applied to and was accepted by the University, launching a family tradition that has seen nine youthful members of the Juan family—all from Spain—matriculate at and/or graduate from the U.

Fabiana, B.S. ’13, is now a medical student at Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Alessia, B.S.E.E. ’15, works for 300 Engineering Group. Sister Lara and a cousin, Manuel, also have UM diplomas hanging on their walls.

Five Juan family members are current UM students: Alessia’s brother, Diego, and four cousins—Manuela and triplets Andres, Carlos, and Mikel Juan Panek. Andres is an economics major, Carlos is a licensed pilot majoring in aerospace engineering, and Mikel is studying industrial engineering and economics. They do just about everything together, from studying and kiteboarding, and they have also done volunteer work in Central America and the Caribbean through the Butler Center for Service and Leadership.

On pace to graduate in May 2019, the three young men look forward to walking together at Commencement—and to seeing future Juan family members follow in their footsteps.

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The art of alumnus Xavier Cortada illuminates science and inspires action

Xavier Cortada, A.B. ’86, M.P.A. ’91, J.D. ’91

With its drug wars, riots, and mass infusions of Cuban refugees, the 1980s Miami in which Xavier Cortada came of age was the ideal breeding ground for a globally renowned artist whose work embodies his longstanding advocacy on behalf of social justice and environmental protection.

“I grew up in an urban landscape surrounded by societal ills and, along the way, found institutions that helped address those ills,” says Cortada, A.B. ’86, M.P.A. ’91, J.D. ’91. “The one that has my eternal gratitude is the University of Miami.”

A New York-born Cuban-American, Cortada was a student at Miami Senior High when he won a Silver Knight Award for service to the community that ranged from running blood drives to manning Goodwill trucks. He then spent ten years earning three degrees—and engaging in a whirlwind of extracurricular activities—at UM. As an undergraduate student, Cortada conducted cardiology research, served as a student representative on the University’s Board of Trustees, was vice president of the Biology Club, and was tapped into Iron Arrow and other honor societies. He also danced his way to second place in a Mr. UM contest clad in a toga and sombrero.

As a graduate student in public affairs and law, Cortada served as national vice chair of the American Bar Association and chair of Miami’s Youth Task Force. He also ran for the Florida House of Representatives. Juan Carlos Espinosa, a volunteer for the victor, Fran Bohnsack, would years later become Cortada’s husband.

Artistic Destiny
Cortada left his law school clerkship at a prestigious Miami firm to help build and lead an adolescent drug rehab center, Regis House. After passing the bar, he was tapped by UM clinical psychologist José Szapocznik to become a research assistant professor and director of the Juvenile Violence and Delinquency Prevention Programs. The role led to speaking and teaching engagements around the world—and an existential awakening.

“I was 30 years old, standing near the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, asking myself, ‘Am I an artist, an academic, or an attorney?’” Cortada recalls. A few months later, he had answered the question in colorful fashion by completing his first commission, “Hand in Hand,” a vibrant mural urging the multicultural community of Leadville, Colorado, to embrace its diversity. Others followed—championing peace in Cyprus and Northern Ireland, child welfare in South America, juvenile justice in Miami-Dade County, action against AIDS in Geneva and South Africa, and minority homeownership at the White House.

Cortada describes his work as “participatory art,” designed to pique curiosity and inspire action. “Most of what I do,” he says, “is slow activism, building a cadre of citizens who are more science literate and more loving and supportive with one another as we face the greatest challenge of our time.”

Creative Approach to Climate Change
That challenge, says Cortada, is sea level rise. If current trends continue, he notes, “it’s inevitable that every piece I created for this town will be under water.” But he is committed to reversing those trends through both action and art. In his Reclamation Project, for example, thousands of mangrove seedlings were collected, then nurtured in museums, shops, and other public spaces—spawning eight new acres of mangroves in Biscayne Bay.

While Cortada’s works exploring environmental degradation, endangered species, and the passage of time have appeared on every continent, as well as the North Pole, he never really left the U. He was an adjunct professor in pediatrics, psychiatry, and biology for many years, and has worked with UM students on participatory art projects. An artist in residence at Florida International University since 2011, he was appointed this year to the UM Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Cortada is currently working with the Alumni Association’s First Black Graduates Project to help plan a tribute wall on campus to honor black history and inclusion at the University (see “Envisioning a Tribute to Black Alumni,” page 6). He has donated dozens of works to the University, including “Flight of the Ibis,” a striking digital tapestry in the Shalala Student Center.

Much as mangroves foster new life, Cortada considers his career to be rooted in his experiences as a UM student leader. “The mangrove called the University of Miami,” he says, “allowed this ibis to grow and take flight.”

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New acclaim for famed ’Canes

Jerry Herman

Multi-Grammy- and Tony-winning composer and lyricist Jerry Herman, A.B. ’53, has achieved yet another milestone in his boffo Broadway career. The 2017 Tony-winning revival of Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler grossed more than $73.5 million in its eight-month run, repeatedly breaking house records at the Shubert Theatre. The production was nominated for ten Tony Awards and won four, including best musical revival. Bernadette Peters is now starring as Dolly.

With a theatrical career spanning 60 years and hits ranging from Mame to La Cage aux Folles, Herman received the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre in 2009. In 2010 Herman was honored at the annual Kennedy Center Honors Ceremony, which spotlights the careers of artists whose talent and ingenuity have enriched our nation’s cultural life.

Gloria Estefan, A.B. ’78, honorary D.M.A. ’93, and seven-time Grammy-winner, was among the artists honored at the 40th Kennedy Center ceremony on December 3, 2017. On Your Feet!, the musical created by Estefan and her husband, Emilio, honorary D.M.A. ’01, enjoyed a successful Broadway run and is now on an international tour. Nominated for a 2016 Tony Award in the best choreography category, the show won Outer Critics and Theater World Awards.

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UMTV airs its first-ever series designed to showcase the experience and excellence of black students

Students Rachel Smith and Kristion Matas create, produce, and host UMTV’s The Culture.

Smith and sophomore motion picture major Kristion Matas had worked on other shows for UMTV, the University’s award-winning, student-run television station which operates out of the School of Communication and broadcasts locally in Coral Gables and online. It was while sitting together at a UMTV meeting that they first discussed their longing for more diversity reflected in the station’s staff and topics.

“We don’t see as much coverage of the United Black Students events, the African Students Union events, the Caribbean Students Association, or the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and we felt like that was something that was missing; we wanted to highlight them,” Matas says.

Matas and Smith soon began developing a concept for a show highlighting the black experience at UM. They began shaping elements like “Roundtable,” partially modeled after TV One’s Sister Circle, and “Athletic Aesthetic,” inspired by Smith’s interest in sports. Throughout their preproduction research, they were surprised to see how few programs had black voices represented.

“There are not a lot of shows that talk about what’s going on in the black community, which is why representation matters so much,” Smith says. “For me, growing up seeing black journalists on TV lets you know that you can do something too.”

They began pitching the concept to anyone who would listen, but things really started moving when the show’s faculty advisor, Winston Warrior, B.B.A. ’93, M.B.A. ’96, got involved.

“The University has always embraced difference, so when I think about what the show is trying to do, which is create a black voice and a vehicle by which black kids can express themselves, see themselves on TV, and have stories that can relate directly to their experience, it makes absolute sense,” Warrior says. A lecturer in the School of Communication, Warrior says he sees the same fire in Matas and Smith that he had as a student leader and does all he can to advocate on behalf of the show.

With Warrior’s support, executive producers Matas and Smith received the green light to film a pilot, but immediately they encountered an unexpected obstacle: a lack of interested students with broadcast experience.

“That is one of the unique parts of the show, that most of our cast and crew are not in the School of Communication,” Smith says.
While having a team of students from different disciplines introduces some production challenges, it also enriches the working environment. More experienced crew members have been helping newbies learn the equipment and broadcast workflow.

Production crew member Morgan Threatt, a freshman broadcast journalism and public relations major, loves that The Culture is not hesitant to cover controversial topics that may make people uncomfortable, but through these conversations the show is educating students and debunking misconceptions. Thus far, the students have tackled topics ranging from gun violence to the wage gap to Beyoncé.

The crew recently completed production of the fourth episode of The Culture, which is among seven programs airing on UMTV. A fluctuating cohort of roughly 100 students at UMTV produces content that ranges from a live weekly newscast to a late-night comedy sketch to two Spanish-language programs.
“We want [The Culture] to be around as long as UMTV is around, Matas says, “and we want other schools to pick up on it and follow in our footsteps because we feel there needs to be an environment for students of color to talk about issues that affect them—and be taken seriously.”

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Avenue Q co-creator encourages musical theatre students with souvenirs of his success

Broadway composer and writer Jeff Marx arrived at the University of Miami carrying a black duffle bag. Its contents—“Nicky,” a puppet from his Tony Award-winning musical, Avenue Q—thrilled the musical theatre students who had gathered to hear about Marx’s experiences in the industry and his suggestions for success. One elated senior who held and operated Nicky called it a “life-changing moment.”

Marx, who grew up in Hollywood, Florida, explained to the rapt group why he never gave up despite discouragement and setbacks. He recalled a moment during his sophomore year of college, when “one of the teachers sat with me and said, ‘I’m going to be frank with you: you have no talent and you’re never going to make it, so I suggest you find something else to do.’ That was pretty devastating.”

Marx shifted his aspirations to entertainment law, and it was in law school in New York City that he began collaborating with Robert Lopez to create Avenue Q. When Marx pulled his Tony Award from the duffel bag, the students took turns holding and taking selfies with the prized statuette.

“Even if you’re not a great singer or dancer, there are many ways to work on Broadway shows or musicals,” he told the students. “My advice is to take an inventory what you’re good at and what you can do with your talents.”

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Felicia Marie Knaul leads landmark study of unmet global need for pain relief

Felicia Marie Knaul and Silvia Allende, director of the Palliative Care Clinic at Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCAN), comfort a patient during a visit.

Each year, some 61 million people around the world suffer from life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses. More than 80 percent of them have little or no access to palliative care or pain relief. The vast majority of them live in low- and middle-income countries where off-patent morphine is rarely available—and often five times more expensive than in wealthier nations.

These and other insights into the urgent global need for palliative healthcare were unveiled at the University of Miami in April at the Global Launch Symposium of “The Lancet Commission Report: Alleviating the Access Abyss in Palliative Care—an imperative of universal health coverage.”

Published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet, the landmark report documented the findings of the three-year global initiative, led by the University of Miami in collaboration with Harvard University. The commission was chaired by Felicia Marie Knaul, director of UM’s Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas and professor of public health sciences at the Miller School of Medicine. The report, reflecting the findings of more than 60 experts and researchers working in 25 countries, was coauthored by UM President Julio Frenk.

“The global pain crisis can be remedied quickly and effectively,” Knaul told more than 200 symposium attendees. “We have the right tools and knowledge, and the cost of the solution is minimal.”

The commission’s goal is to make an essential package of palliative care—medicine, equipment, and trained caregivers—available to all by the year 2030. At the center of the package is immediate release, oral, and injectable morphine. In high-income countries, a pain-relieving dose costs 3 cents per 10 mg. In low-income nations, the same morphine cost 16 cents where and when it is available.

“If low- and middle-income countries could obtain morphine at the same price as rich countries, the annual global price tag for closing the gap in access to morphine would be $145 million, a fraction of the cost of running a medium-sized U.S. hospital,” said Knaul, who brought the commission to UM after its start at the Harvard Global Equity Initiative.

UM will continue to lead these efforts, with a particular focus on the Americas.

“I have experienced the pain of cancer,” said Knaul. “I have accompanied a loved one dying in the pain of cancer. No human being should go through this without pain medicine.”

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UM students honor lives lost in Parkland and lead advocacy for gun safety

The February 14 slayings of 17 students and educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School in Parkland, Florida, hit the ’Canes community hard—and none felt the impact more acutely than UM students who are alumni of the stricken high school. They channeled their pain into action, leading a vigil at The Rock on February 20 to honor the lives of the victims.

UM senior Maya Lubarsky opened the solemn ceremony. “My teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas taught me that I had a voice,” she told the gathering of several hundred, “and tonight I’m using it to honor those lost in this senseless attack.” Alex Margetts, also a senior and MSD alumnus, read out the victims’ names, his voice breaking, as fellow MSD alumni lit candles.

Patricia A. Whitely, vice president for student affairs, praised the alumni for coordinating the vigil. She also remembered the heroism of MSD geography teacher Scott Beigel, who had studied education at UM and was killed while protecting students.

Junior Catherine De Freitas, student government vice president, said she had always been inspired by the Mahatma Gandhi maxim emblazoned on the walls at MSD: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Lubarsky and several other students then took that wish beyond the campus, making time in packed schedules to help organize and lead the March for Our Lives rally on Miami Beach on March 24. “This cause is personal to me, but it is also a cause to honor lives lost in all forms of gun violence,” Lubarsky said.

“I was so emotional and angry about what happened,” said UM freshman and MSD alumna Makayla Manning, “and the amount of support we received was heartwarming.

“Speaking before almost 5,000 people who came to show their respect for my high school and to support this cause was a uniting and amazing experience.”

The post Not Lost in Vain appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

Students create a multisensory, multimedia tunnel to shed light on oppression

Each room told a different story, using videos, social media posts, and other interactive displays to get their narratives across. Like the 25-year-old woman abducted on her way to work in Yunnan, China, and sold into sexual slavery, and the 50-year-old Christian convert murdered by suspected Islamic militants while doing mission work in India.

Along with the stories came alarming statistics. Like one sexual assault occurring every 107 seconds in the United States each year and that cars and trucks account for nearly one-fifth of the nation’s CO2 emissions.

But the light at the end of a tunnel rife with examples of oppression and intractable problems would come in the form of a discussion on how to overcome and correct such injustices and obstacles. “Education and awareness,” said one woman, as she sat in a circle of about 20 University of Miami students who had just completed a tour of UM’s Tunnel of Oppression.

Held for three days this January in the Shalala Student Center’s Grand Ballroom, which was modified to include rooms separated by curtains, the annual multisensory exhibit challenged perceptions about such issues as racism, sexual violence, human trafficking, religion, climate change, poverty, and LGBTQ marginalization. References to the #MeToo movement and President Trump’s remarks about immigrants could be found in some of the rooms.

“But regardless of who is president, there’s still going to be racism, there’s still going to be homophobia and transphobia,” said senior Ryan Kesselring, the social justice education coordinator at the Butler Center for Service and Leadership, which sponsors the tunnel.

“Through a lens that allows one to examine topics either up close or from a distance, we try to incorporate different levels of issues, whether they exist on campus, in the Miami area, or on a national and international front,” Kesselring added. “It’s one of the few events on campus that allows students to address such a broad base of issues.”

Student volunteers begin planning for the tunnel in the fall, meeting with the different UM student organizations that decide the concepts for each room.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to come together each year and create a space around issues they’re passionate about,” said Andrew Wiemer, director of the Butler Center.

“I’ve always been passionate about the environment, but now I’m even more so after taking the tour,” said Amanda Chamberlain, a senior public relations major, just after she experienced the exhibit. “It’s inspired me to become a nicer, more understanding person.”

The post Out of the Darkness appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

UM names nation’s first endowed chair for the study of atheism and secularism

Over the course of history, religious differences have provoked debate, disagreement, and deadly conflicts. Today, however, religious faith is in worldwide decline. As a National Geographic report put it, the world’s newest religion is “No Religion.”

To explore the profound implications of this trend, the University of Miami created the Appignani Foundation Chair for the Study of Atheism, Humanism, and Secular Ethics—the first such chair in the country.

“Atheism is a philosophical position to be explored and analyzed, and this chair will add to an already established discourse,” says Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Jeffrey Duerk.

Made possible by a $2.2 million gift from the Louis J. Appignani Foundation, the position advances President Julio Frenk’s initiative to create 100 endowed chairs by the University’s centennial.

Anjan Chakravartty, a professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame who also directs the John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values, joins UM as the new chair on July 1.

“The U.S. is currently polarized in so many dimensions,” says Otávio Bueno, chair of philosophy. “In addition to his outstanding philosophical research, Professor Chakravartty is extremely kind and non-defensive as he brings people together to examine the relevant issues from multiple points of view.”

“The University of Miami seems the perfect place where this kind of mandate might flourish, given the wonderful diversity of students who come from so many different parts of the world,” says Chakravartty, who is already planning a fall 2018 course on science and humanism.

“As ever greater numbers of people identify with a more secular understanding of the world, it’s important that we think about what that means, and how we’re going to organize our society and live with each other.”

The post Enhancing Philosophical Discourse appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

University of Miami co-leads launch of Sunshine State Digital Network

To expand access to its extraordinary collections, University of Miami Libraries (UML) has in recent years not only digitized thousands of its holdings but uploaded them to the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).

DPLA increases the visibility and searchability of art works, archival documents, and artifacts that reside in organizations ranging from community historical societies to massive cultural institutions. Search queries on the DPLA site return results from multiple institutions, revealing novel connections and sparking new insights.

To assist fellow Florida cultural, historical, and educational institutions seeking to share digital assets on DPLA, UML recently joined forces with the library systems of Florida International University and Florida State University to launch the Sunshine State Digital Network (SSDN). As the Florida portal for DPLA, SSDN provides guidance and technical training.

“Through SSDN, we are enabling collections across the state to publish their unique holdings on the DPLA platform,” says Charles Eckman, dean of University of Miami Libraries and University librarian. “It’s all about fostering discovery and innovation through enhanced access, which is central to our mission and vision.”

To learn more about SSDN, visit sunshinestatedigitalnetwork.org. Explore the DPLA website at dp.la.

The post UML Expands Florida Presence in National Digital Trove appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

Richter Library’s Learning Commons is a one-stop shop for student services and technology resources

University of Miami students who need help with writing an essay, solving a differential equation, analyzing and managing data, or completing a class assignment—or who simply seek a congenial setting for collaborating with classmates—are finding all of these things and more at the Learning Commons.

The Learning Commons consolidates academic services previously scattered across campus into a “one-stop shop” for students in a magnetic central location that Dean of Libraries Charles Eckman likens to “a campus Switzerland”—the Otto G. Richter Library.

Kelly Miller, the Libraries’ associate dean for learning and research services, describes the Learning Commons as “a hub for learning new skills and technologies and for interacting with other people in a shared community space.”

The Writing Center, Math Lab, and UM Information Technology’s Student Technology Help Desk are now all based at the Learning Commons, housed in a dedicated space on the Richter’s first floor. Additional resources include the University’s GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Lab, Data Services, Digital Humanities division, Learning and Research Services, and tutoring from the Camner Center for Academic Resources. Students also have access to technologies such as 3D printers and video production equipment.

Formally launched this spring after being piloted over the past year, the Commons is already a big hit with students—and new features are still being rolled out.

Though the learning commons concept is a growing trend in higher education, the University’s approach to creating a robust centralized student resource goes far beyond that found on many other campuses. “I like to believe we’re doing something that’s going to be emulated elsewhere,” says Eckman, “and I think we’re doing it really well.”

To find out more about the Learning Commons, visit library.miami.edu/learningcommons.

The post For the Common Good appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.

New outdoor BuildLab shelters architecture students creating large-scale projects

Architecture students celebrate the opening of the B.E. & W.R. Miller BuildLab.

Students in Professor Rocco Ceo and Jim Adamson’s Design-Build Studio have typically been exposed not only to inspiring ideas, but the vagaries of heat, humidity, and rain. The tarps and canopies used from time to time by Ceo and Adamson, the School of Architecture’s Miller Design-Build Critic and cofounder (with Ceo) of the Design-Build program, could only do so much to repel the elements—and were difficult to store, to boot.

But the subtropical South Florida climate is no longer a concern for the class, thanks to the new B.E. & W.R. Miller BuildLab. Designed by Ceo, the open-air, covered structure features ample space and a louver system to regulate temperatures.

“We work with electrical tools and other equipment that don’t mix well with rain and standing water,” says Ceo. “This structure was badly needed.”
A naming gift from W. Robert “Bob” Miller, B.S. ’77, chairman of the Miami-based construction firm First Florida, along with contributions from Coastal Construction and other donors, made the BuildLab possible. Miller, who earned an architectural engineering degree at UM, named the facility in honor of his late father, who founded First Florida in 1963 to build Burger King restaurants around the U.S.

The BuildLab allows the students to interact with materials and consider construction details as they create projects ranging from sustainable eco-tents to mobile restroom facilities. “We provide design and construction services for nonprofit community groups that wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford them,” says Ceo.

The new facility is right in sync with an exploding interest in design-build in architectural schools nationwide. “People are into making things,” Adamson says, “and there are limits to what you can make on a computer.”

The post They’ve Got It Covered appeared first on University of Miami: Miami Magazine.