UM President Donna E. Shalala talks with students at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Mahoney-Pearson DIning Hall while sampling some of the cuisine.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony at the grand opening of the new Mahoney-Pearson Dining Hall Friday served as the appetizer to a buffet of new offerings for students, a “fusion” of dining options for those on the go and those wanting a comfortable sit-down experience.

The overhaul, part of the University of Miami’s Dining Master Plan, provides healthy foods with ample variety, along with an atmosphere of inviting seating, recharging stations for portable devices, interactive digital signage, and a kiosk that offers nutritional information and the locations of other on-campus dining facilities. Read the full story

William D. Walker, dean emeritus and former University librarian who transformed the University of Miami Libraries by expanding and enhancing collections and introducing new technologies to help students, faculty members, and visitors in their research endeavors, received a Faculty Senate Special Award on August 28 during the first Senate meeting of the 2013-14 academic year. The Faculty Senate honored Walker last spring at its annual awards ceremony, but he was not able to attend. Above: Walker, center, receives his award from Faculty Senate Chair Richard Williamson and UM President Donna E. Shalala.

Former Hurricanes head coach Howard Schnellenberger, who led Miami to its first football national championship in 1983, holds aloft a crystal trophy representing the team’s historic title-winning season. Schnellenberger and several of his former players—including Albert Bentley, left, and Jay Brophy, right—gathered August 30 at UM’s Theodore G. Schwartz and Todd G. Schwartz Center for Athletic Excellence for a reunion of the ’83 championship squad, which was honored at the UM-FAU game that Friday. For the latest on Hurricanes football, click here.

Register for the Dolphins Cycling Challenge as a rider, spin-a-thon participant, or virtual rider by Wednesday, September 18 and be entered to win two tickets to the Miami Dolphins home opener against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, September 22.

The University of Miami will host the UM DCC Spin-a-Thon, now open to faculty and staff, in conjunction with this year’s Dolphins Cycling Challenge (DCC). This year’s UM DCC Spin-a-Thon will be held on the new University Center Patio on Wednesday, October 23, from 6 to 9 p.m. Each registered participant will be provided a stationary bike to join the instructor-led spin-a-thon. Riders will receive a gift bag, T-shirt, and food voucher for the University Rathskeller. Riders will also be eligible for prizes. Faculty and staff can compete against one another individually or in teams to win prizes that will be awarded to the top fundraisers—all while making a difference in the fight against cancer. For more information and registration instructions, email [email protected].

The University of Miami will continue to pay half of the $150 registration fee for faculty and staff who sign up to ride in the fourth annual Dolphins Cycling Challenge as part of Team UM Sylvester. To take advantage of this special offer, send an email to [email protected] with your name, department, and telephone number.

Faculty and staff can also register to fundraise as a virtual rider, or can sign-up to volunteer during DCC weekend. Email [email protected] for registration instructions and information on volunteering in the DCC.

The 2013 Dolphins Cycling Challenge, a two-day tri-county cycling event that benefits the lifesaving research and treatment programs at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, is scheduled for November 2 and 3, with routes ranging from 13 to 170 miles.

For more information on the Dolphins Cycling Challenge, visit ridedcc.com.

Celebrating the 2013 Batchelor Award are, from left, Dean Pascal J. Goldschmidt, recipient Michael S. Kapiloff, UM President Donna E. Shalala, and Judy Schaechter, interim chair of pediatrics.

Michael S. Kapiloff, a pediatrician who for 18 years has devoted his expertise and energies to developing drug therapies for intractable heart diseases, is the recipient of the prestigious 2013 Micah Batchelor Award for Excellence in Children’s Health Research for a research proposal that could lead to new treatments for a number of cardiovascular disorders. Read the full story