Today, the University of Miami turns 99, and I am delighted to kick off a 365-day countdown to our Centennial. As many of you know, reaching this milestone has been a catalyst for progress at the U since the drafting of our strategic plan, the Roadmap to Our New Century.
When the Board of Trustees approved that plan in 2018, when we launched the fundraising Campaign for Our Next Century – EverBrighter, through the unprecedented disruption of a pandemic at the start of this decade, and as challenges and opportunities continue to arise, our North Star has been clear: excellence.
In the pursuit of excellence, together we have:
-
driven a dramatic turnaround of the University of Miami Health System—UHealth—which 9 in 10 of our patients are now likely to recommend;
-
ascended to the Association of American Universities, the top 3% of four-year research institutions;
-
made historic investments to manage through dramatic changes in intercollegiate athletics; and
-
continued to partner with the community to attract, serve, and collaborate with the best and brightest on pressing challenges from cancer to climate change.
In short, we have cemented our place as the leading comprehensive research university in South Florida—one that is not only in Miami but of Miami.
In 2018, we began a tradition of annually reporting on the State of the University. This year, the state of our institution can best be described as sprinting with renewed focus and energy towards the successful culmination of both our strategic plan and our campaign. That is, we are actively strengthening the foundation on which we will continue to thrive, as our founders envisioned, “in perpetuity.”
As we approach our 100th anniversary, I am pleased to announce that we have created a Centennial Honorary Committee. Chaired by Laurie Silvers, whose term as Chair of the University of Miami Board of Trustees will conclude this summer, this group of stakeholders including alumni, students, faculty, staff, and trustees will ensure that we properly leverage this once-in-a lifetime moment to benefit our students, patients, and community.
Beginning this summer, the Committee—supported by a staff Working Group that has been quietly planning behind the scenes for well over a year—will steward marquis events during both Fiscal Year 2025 and Calendar Year 2025 to make the commemoration of our beloved University’s Centennial a resounding success. If you have ideas or questions, we want to hear from you at 100@miami.edu.
In exactly one year, we will celebrate our first and inaugurate our second century, as we remember April 8, 1925—the day the idea of a world class university for a new city of dreamers and doers began evolving into the fulfilled reality and emerging promise that has been built across generations.
We are, now and forevermore, one U. |
