Ask, and Ye Shall Receive

would like to give you some nice feedback on how well the University of Miami runs. At a luncheon honoring the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation, my husband, Steven Pabalan, and I sat next to Sergio Gonzalez, vice president for university advancement. We asked him if there was any way he could arrange for University of Miami engineering students to look at our busy oncology-hematology practice and make suggestions on how to improve flow.

Weeks later, I received a call from Shihab Asfour, chair of the Department of Industrial Engineering (see “Better, Stronger, Faster,” winter 2005). He said there were three students—Jacqueline Beato, Jimmy Greer, and Kevin Sur—who could work in our practice. They spent more than 450 hours putting together a presentation of our practice and ways to improve our business operations. They were extremely well mannered, and we were quite impressed with how well they got to know our practice and with the recommendations they made.

As a neighbor of the University of Miami and an alumna of the medical school, I can tell you that UM is increasingly making a connection with the community, and we appreciate it! I am sure you are proud.

Grace Wang Pabalan, M.D. ’76
Miami, Florida

Symbol of Pride and Gratitude

want to communicate to the University of Miami community how grateful I am to this institution, for it has provided me with the means to begin a new life and satisfy many of my biggest dreams.

I left Havana, Cuba, during the rafter exodus of 1994. After spending nine difficult months at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, I arrived in Miami. I decided that continuing my education would help me adjust to my new life as quickly as possible, but I knew that I would have to work full time to finance my basic needs and my goal of buying a home. I obtained employment at the University in 1997, and it was the best thing that could have happened to me after arriving in this country.

Thanks to UM, I have had a steady source of income for eight of the ten years I have lived in the United States. This income, coupled with the financial discipline my father instilled in me, allowed me to purchase a home with him in 1998 and with my wife in 2003. More importantly, the University’s tuition remission benefit enabled me to complete my bachelor’s degree as well as my master’s degree, which I just earned this May. My undergraduate education and my employment with the University were instrumental in my passing all four parts of the CPA examination on my first seating in 2003.

I wear my official University of Miami class ring with a lot of pride. It represents not only my education but also the institution that has come to mean so much to me.

Abel L. Fernandez, B.B.A. ’03, M.P.R.A. ’05
Hialeah Gardens,Florida

FIRST WORDS

The Changing Landscape

ong after it sheltered the brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha, the School of Nursing, and the UM Employee Assistance Program, 1540 Corniche Avenue was command central for Miami magazine and other fruits of University Communications. This issue of Miami magazine is the first produced in brand-new environs—the ninth floor of the Gables One Tower, overlooking the sprawling Coral Gables campus. A forest of greenery dominates the vista, sprinkled with the hallmark buildings and facilities that sustain an ever-more-impressive cadre of people and programs.

Back on ground level, the Corniche Building surrenders its turf to the University Village student apartments, as fond memories segue into anticipation for the future. President Donna E. Shalala is leading an unprecedented construction phase that spans all University campuses, but its impact is more than concrete. The physical changes on our campuses, and in surrounding communities as well, are indicative of the University’s ignited drive for excellence. Change is not always easy, but complacency is not an option for an academic powerhouse.

With each issue of Miami magazine, we aim to give you a sense of the excitement surrounding this epoch of progress. If it has been years since your last visit to the University, things today might look a bit different to you. But when you return here and it still feels like home, then we’ve done our job.

— Meredith Danton, Editor

China: A Voice from Washington

enjoyed reading “Enter the Dragon” (spring 2005), the article about the risks and benefits of doing business in China. As deputy assistant secretary for manufacturing at the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration, I hear from manufacturers regularly about the challenges and opportunities they encounter in the China market. Having led industry trade missions and policy meetings in China, I can attest to the strong interest on both sides in improving commercial ties and to the considerable issues that remain to be addressed.

As a UM alumnus, I want to be sure your readers know about the many U.S. government programs available to help companies get started in China and overcome any obstacles they may encounter there. The Department of Commerce has China- specific and industry experts in Washington and has posted more than 100 staff members in China to assist U.S. companies. Information about these resources is available through the portal www.export.gov. The American Embassy in China also has a Web site (www.usembassy-china.org.cn) with a new “IPR Toolkit” that helps U.S. companies protect their intellectual property rights. I hope this information will be helpful.

Joseph H. Bogosian, J.D. ’92
Washington, D.C.

The Memories March On

hank you for publishing the excellent letters from Harold J. Hall and John Wilmott in the winter 2005 issue (“Cymbals of Leadership”). My wife and I were among the hundreds of fortunate young people who passed through the “World War II shacks” of the Band of the Hour during the zenith years of Fred McCall and “Uncle” Henry Fillmore.

During those years, the U.S. State Department asked the University to send the band on several trips to Central America as ambassadors of goodwill. I went on three trips to El Salvador from 1953 to 1955 and on one to Guatemala in 1954, when the government was suppressing a Communist insurrection. These were eye-opening experiences for college kids at the time. We marched in parades, performed at soccer games, visited schools, met government officials, had fun, got scared, and were welcomed warmly by the people.

We are all grateful to the University of Miami and the Band of the Hour for giving us rich experiences and fond memories that still glow a half century later.

Joe Henjum, B.M. ’56, and JoAnne Thomas Henjum
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Letters:
We welcome your letters. All letters must be signed (your name will not be printed if you so request in writing) and may be edited for clarity and space.Address letters to:

Meredith Danton
Miami magazine
P.O. Box 248105
Coral Gables, FL 33124
E-mail: mdanton@miami.edu