Connecting Parents To UM

UMAA Revamps Parents Program

Imagine a parent getting a welcome call from parents of current students, conveying information and enthusiasm about their child's upcoming attendance at the University of Miami. Imagine parents from the same geographical areas at Summer Sendoff events, meeting and connecting with alumni and other parents and students. Imagine the power and influence of a good number of our 8,000 parents working together to help support University of Miami initiatives and goals. That is the mission of the Parents Program.

Though the UM Parents Program has been in place for more than a decade, the UMAA has renewed the commitment to involving parents by creating a full-time staff for fundraising initiatives, and taking a greater role in events like Family Weekend, Homecoming and Commencement. The UMAA hopes to enhance the involvement of parents, increase their support and improve communication to maintain a tight and close community at the University of Miami.

For more information on the Parent's Program, please contact Arthur Lyons, M.B.A. '91, at 1-866-UMALUMS

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UM Grads Face Rats, Tarantulas, Helicopters

Law School Alumni Season Premiere Winners on NBC's Fear Factor

Angela Nolfi (left) and Zach Cohen talk to Fear Factor host Joe Rogan before dangling from a helicopter at 400 ft. (Photo courtesy of NBC.com)

Most graduates of the University of Miami School of Law look forward to making a million dollars through billable hours, but two UM grads decided to do it crawling through rat and spider infested tunnels. Zach Cohen, J.D. '04, and Angela Nolfi, J.D. '05 were contestants on the NBC game show Fear Factor with the potential of winning a million dollars in a "heist" involving helicopters and foot-long rodents.

Among the death-defying stunts the best friends had to do were flying 90 m.p.h. hanging from a cargo net on a helicopter. "I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the helicopter stunt," said Angela. "I never thought I could ever go sky-diving or anything like that, but now I really want to!"

After crawling through a vent shaft rife with spider webs, sewage, rats, and spiders, Zach and Angela made it to the final stunt — a sunken armored car filled with gold coins and bars. At the end, Zach and Angela walked away with $275,000 and a trip to Universal Studios, Orlando!

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Alumnus Receives Literature Fellowship

Terrence Cheng, M.F.A. '97, has recently received a $20,000 Literature Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts to continue work on his third novel. Cheng is an up-and-coming author, receiving critical acclaim for his first novel, Sons of Heaven, which centered around the the events of Tiananmen Square in 1989. He is currently completing his second novel, Deep in the Mountains, and has begun writing his third. During his time at the University of Miami, he was a James Michener Fellow. The 2006 Literature Fellowships recognize the following writers of prose, encouraging the production of new work by affording these writers the time and means to write.

Briefly Noted

Kirk Malloy, B.S. '88, was promoted to Vice President of Customer Solutions and Quality at San Diego based firm, Illumina.
Suzanne Kores, M.F.A. '82, was promoted to Associate Director of Development at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens in Coral Gables.
Jacquelyn Schultes, B.S.C. '05, joined the Washington Bureau of FOX News at the assignment desk.
Kimberly Kolback, J.D. '86, moderated a panel at the 17th Annual Southern Regional Entertainment and Sports Law Conference and 11th Annual Intellectual Property Law Institute in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Brenda Brown, B.B.A. '86, was promoted to Director of Financial Aid at the University of Miami School of Law.
Albert Bordas, Esq., M.B.A. '95, M.S.I.E. '96, has opened a firm handling patent, trademark, and copyright legal matters.
Alan Rosen, B.S. '49, has been nominated as the chairperson for Managed Care Ombudsman Committee for the State of Florida.

UM Aging Expert Receives Prestigious Government Appointment

Carl Eisdorfer, Ph.D., M.D., Knight Professor and director of the University of Miami Center on Aging, has been invited to serve on the National Advisory Council on Aging by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt.

The National Advisory Council on Aging is part of the National Institutes of Health’s National Research Advisory Councils, which consult and offer advice to the director of the National Institutes of Health and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. More specifically, the National Advisory Council on Aging makes recommendations to the National Institute on Aging – part of the NIH -- on such matters as biomedical, social and behavioral research and training as well as other programs as they relate to either the aging process or to the diseases and special problems and needs of the aged.

"This is a very important opportunity to help with the research agenda in the field of aging and human development, both from a research and a training point of view, and to help stimulate new initiatives within the mandate of the National Institute on Aging is very exciting," said Dr. Eisdorfer, whose term on the council runs until Dec. 31, 2009.

Women's Basketball Contenders in ACC

Denson Named ACC Rookie of the Week on Jan. 9

The University of Miami Lady Hurricanes are off to a fantastic start in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 12-4 record overall, marking one of the best starts in school history, including an upset win over #25 Ole Miss. Being led by senior forward Tamara James with 21 points per game, the Lady Hurricanes rank in the top 15 teams in the nation in scoring, averaging 77.5 points per game. With only a loss to #4 North Carolina, the 'Canes are tied for third in the ACC with a 2-1 record and are predicted to be on the bubble for the NCAA tournament in March.

Freshman center Brittany Denson was the first player in UM history to earn ACC Rookie of the Week honors for her performance against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on January 5, where she dropped 16 points and pulled down seven rebounds. The Lady Hurricanes next see action tonight as they host Boston College at the BankUnited Center, 7:00 p.m. tip off.

Seeing the Impact of a Miami Education

Michael Halleran

This week I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with alumni in West Palm Beach at the New Dean's Reception sponsored by the University of Miami Alumni Association.  On a windy evening, more than 150 alums attended the event. 

They came for the camaraderie of fellow alums and catching up with classmates, and they came to hear about what was new at the U. 

They represented classes from the ’50s and ’60s and as recent as 2004. 

They represented a wonderfully wide swathe of professions—doctors and designers, nurses and lawyers, teachers and engineers.  Each had taken a unique path and each was eager to share their experiences. 

What struck me among the different stories was the common element of how UM had made a difference in their lives—and how proud they were to be UM alums. 

I believe that the success of a UM education is best measured not a few months or even a few years after graduation. 

A UM education prepares young men and women to make a difference in the world over the course of a life and its full impact is judged incrementally over time.  And so when I meet with alumni at various stages in life’s career and hear them enthusiastically describe the teachers, courses, and classmates who had profound impacts on them, I know that a UM education has achieved its goal. 

Our alumni are also our best ambassadors—both to the world beyond the campus and back to our current students, who see in them the possibilities that await them.  

Michael Halleran, Ph.D., is the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Miami.

The UMAA will be hosting New Deans Receptions in Tampa, Boston, Chicago, Seattle and San Francisco throughout the spring. Contact the UMAA at 1-866-UMALUMS or visit www.miami.edu/alumni for more information.

•School of Architecture
•College of Arts and Sciences
•School of Business Administration
•School of Communication
•Division of Continuing
and International Education
•School of Education
•College of Engineering
•Graduate School
•School of Law
•Miller School of Medicine
•Frost School of Music
•School of Nursing
•Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
•Division of Student Affairs

Gonzalez Certified as Commercial Real Estate Professional

Betty Gonzalez, B.B.A. 87, has been awarded the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation by the CCIM Institute.

The designation is awarded to commercial real estate professionals upon completion of graduate-level class work and a level of qualifying experience. Areas of study include financial, market, user-decision, and investment analysis. Only six percent of the estimated 125,000 commercial real estate professionals hold the CCIM designation.

Ms. Gonzalez is also a member of the grievance committee for the REALTORS Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches.

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Local Publisher Selected for Super Bowl Committee

Ron Mann, B.A. '86, was recently asked to join the 2007 South Florida Super Bowl XLI Host Committee. The committee is charged with the local coordination of the Super Bowl which will be at Dolphins Stadium on February 4, 2007. Mr. Mann is the publisher and president of SouthFloridaCEO magazine, and was also recently elected to the Board of the Miami City Club.

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Attention UM Athletes!

The University of Miami Alumni Association is looking to hear from former Varsity athletes from all sports for an upcoming feature. If you were a former Hurricane, please contact us at alumniweb@miami.edu with details of where life has taken you and your memorable experiences being a collegiate athlete. Your story may be featured in a future edition of @Miami. Thank you!