Donna Shalala building on University of Miami achievements
From bioscience to athletics, the University of Miami can't seem to stay out of the spotlight lately. It's become a magnet for top-notch leaders of various fields and ranks 52nd on U.S. News & World Report's list of top national universities. In five years, the school raised a record $1.4 billion during its Momentum campaign. Another five- to seven-year fundraising drive is in the works.
Leading the charge is Donna E. Shalala, the university's president of seven years. Moving forward, she aims to solidify UM as one of the nation's great research universities by continuing to recruit cream-of-the-crop faculty and by building new facilities, she says.
In a major move to grow its already acclaimed medical program, UM recently bought Cedars Medical Center. Ms. Shalala plans also to take advantage of Miami's international offerings and further globalize the undergraduate experience.
A former US secretary of health and human services, she has no political aspirations for the upcoming administration but would serve on national commissions if asked, she says, because "anything I can do to help the country, I'm happy to do." President Bush last year appointed Dr. Shalala co-chair of the Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors.
She was interviewed in her Coral Gables office by Miami Today staff writer Risa Polansky.
This is an excerpt from the weekly profile article published in Miami Today. To read the entire article in full, order this issue or subscribe to the print edition of Miami Today. |
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