By any measure, the University of Miami’s achievements over the past several years have been remarkable.

Yet, says President Julio Frenk, they are dwarfed by the University’s extraordinary, still unrealized potential. “We have an unprecedented opportunity to become a university not just of Miami, not just of this country, but also of the world,” Frenk said in his State of the U address last fall. He urged the University community to pursue this vision with “determination and collaboration” as well as “action and intention.”

To help achieve these goals, Frenk has pledged University investments in infrastructure and people to improve efficiency and strengthen financial sustainability. By the University’s centennial in 2025, its endowment is projected to increase by 50 percent.

DISCOVERY
Seeking to become a leading institution in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), the University has broken ground on a science quad intended to serve as a research hub for the Americas. Also underway: U-LINK (the University of Miami Laboratory for Integrative Knowledge), designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and the 100 Talents initiative to recruit and retain talented faculty members.

HEALTH CARE
Already home to a number of outstanding clinical specialty programs and renowned research institutes, UHealth — University of Miami Health System, will lead the transformation taking place in health care by providing more “destination programs” to attract patients from around the region, the nation, and the hemisphere.

LEADING-EDGE LEARNING
The University, says Frenk, must equip graduates with the skills not only to land rewarding jobs, but to become “constructive members of their communities.” Simulation technologies, innovative educational initiatives, expanded resources for alumni, the recently launched Hemispheric University Consortium, and redesigned physical spaces all support a vibrant learning environment that encourages engagement and innovation. Frenk challenged the University community to help steward our fragile environment through novel solutions that enhance sustainability and conserve resources.

Frenk hailed the University for its diversity and inclusion programs, “creating an environment that fosters bridging, nurtures respect, and provides the space and support for difficult conversations.” He also noted the importance of the University to the economic vitality of South Florida as the region’s second largest nonprofit employer, as a magnet for talented faculty and students from all over the world, and through the beneficial community impacts that are the focus of so much of the University’s scholarly activity.

Frenk acknowledged that, at this point in the University’s own history, and amid the profound changes taking place in higher education, the U’s goals are challenging—and the stakes are high. “But,” he emphasized, “our history, our drive, and our vision have prepared us for this moment.”

The University’s Roadmap to Our New Century will, he concluded, “ultimately make our world better and leave a lasting impact that will endure long after we are gone.”

To view President Frenk’s “State of the U” address, visit news.miami.edu/state-video