February 8, 2008

University of Miami Reaches $1.4 Billion Milestone
First Billion Dollar Campaign in the State of Florida

Related Links Read Momentum campaign coverage from The Miami Herald (February 8, 2008): UM fundraising drive brings in $1.4 billion  Visit the Momentum campaign Web site

Coral Gables, FL (February 8, 2007) – Scholarships, research facilities, world-renowned scholars and leaders, building projects, medical milestones, arts and culture, athletics, library collections, connectivity to the University of Miami – all of these describe the record-setting $1.4 billion raised for Momentum: The Campaign for the University of Miami.

The campaign was launched in 2003 at a time when the national economy was on a downturn.  This challenge did not discourage University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala from embarking on this endeavor.  She and the UM Board of Trustees shared the vision and commitment to raise the quality of this institution and to position it as one of the nation’s elite teaching and research universities.  The result is a capital campaign that surpassed its original $1 billion goal 18 months ahead of schedule in early 2006.   

“We might have been deterred by the uncertain economic climate, but it was UM’s time to launch this campaign,” said UM President Donna E. Shalala.  “The University, our Board of Trustees, under Dean Colson’s leadership, realized that our supporters would make it happen – and they succeeded in a way that no one expected.” 

UM supporters, including UM trustees, alumni, former student-athletes, faculty and staff, friends of the University, as well as the community at large all made a difference in taking this campaign and the University to the next level.

“The Momentum Campaign is about the more than 130,000 donors that made a commitment and, in turn, made a difference in the future of the University of Miami and of South Florida,” said UM Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs Sergio M. Gonzalez.  “At the end of the day, this campaign was about people and enhancing the quality of life of students, patients, and the residents of South Florida and beyond.”   

The Momentum campaign has transformed a dream for the University into a tangible reality for years to come.  Virtually every facet of University life has felt the impact of the Momentum campaign – facilities have been built, world-renowned faculty and key administrators have been recruited, student scholarships have expanded and the University’s national ranking in the US News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” has risen 14 spots in the last five years from 66^th to 52^nd.

“The remarkable success of the Momentum campaign has fueled a sweeping transformation throughout our institution.  It has been the catalyst of one of our most dynamic periods,” stated Shalala.  “Everywhere you look the University is being reinvigorated and transformed, and we are taking advantage of this momentum to further accelerate our progress.” 

The Momentum campaign has already begun to reshape the University’s landscape in very concrete ways. Some of the much-needed facilities that have opened their doors since the beginning of the campaign include: The M. Christine Schwartz Center for Nursing and Health Studies, the Jorge M. Perez Architecture Center, University Village, the Marta and Austin Weeks Music Library and Technology Center, the School of Communication International Building, and the Kosar/Epstein Faculty Office Wing at the School of Business Administration.  With nearly $20 million raised toward the new Robert and Judi Prokop Newman Alumni Center, the groundbreaking was recently held on UM’s Coral Gables campus for this “home away from home” for alumni and friends. A new Student Activities Center and renovated Whitten University Center are planned as part of the campaign’s mission to enhance the students’ on-campus experience. At the Miller School of Medicine, researchers and clinicians have already settled into the new Clinical Research Building, which opened in late 2006, and the Biomedical Research Building is presently under construction.

“The Momentum Campaign established a platform for UM to achieve even more excellence in academic and research endeavors, and I am confident that we are well positioned for this exciting future,” said Gonzalez. 

The University of Miami became the first university to reach the record-setting billion dollar milestone in the state of Florida and one of the youngest in the nation to embark on this endeavor.  Of the 56 Universities that have run billion dollar campaigns, UM is one of only four Universities established in the 20^th Century and the only private University to achieve this high mark.

To learn more about how Momentum: The Campaign for the University of Miami has transformed the University, visit www.miami.edu/campaign.

Momentum: The Campaign for the University of Miami is a billion-dollar effort to accelerate progress; empower learning and discovery; and intensify the University’s impact on people in the city, across the country and around the world.

The University of Miami’s mission is to educate and nurture students, to create knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to excellence and proud of the diversity of our University family, we strive to develop future leaders of our nation and the world.  www.miami.edu

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Media Contact: 
Karla V. Hernandez
khernandez@miami.edu
305.284.5500