Tomas A. Salerno, M.D.

UM News

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (May 7, 2014)—Tomas A. Salerno, M.D., vice chair of the Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery and chief of cardiothoracic surgery, was elected chair of the Faculty Senate for a one-year term beginning June 1. Salerno, who joined the Miller School faculty in 1999, will succeed Richard Williamson, a professor at the School of Law who stepped down after five terms as chair.

Linda L. Neider, professor in the School of Business Administration who initially began serving in the Senate shortly after joining the UM faculty in 1979, was elected first-vice chair. Sam Terilli, a veteran media lawyer who joined the School of Communication faculty in 2003, was elected to his second term as second vice chair.

Salerno, who has served in the Faculty Senate since 2008, most recently as first vice chair, said he looks forward to uniting faculty from all schools, representing their views, goals and dreams, and promoting their well-being.

Linda L. Neider

“I have been involved in many aspects of faculty life, and in many Senate committees, including Promotion, Personnel and General Welfare, and the Medical School Council, and have most enjoyed interacting with University scholars, and the leadership of the University and the different schools,” Salerno said. “I have been inspired by the legacies of previous Senate chairs, and in this new role, I will do my best to represent faculty, make sure that their voice is heard, and be a strong leader in these challenging times.”

Neider, an expert in leadership and human resources, has served in a variety of administrative roles over the past three decades, including more than 20 years as chair of the School of Business Administration’s Department of Management, and several years as a vice dean. During her Senate service, she has chaired or been a member of a number of  committees, including Academic Standards, Budget and Compensation, Student Affairs, Professional Conduct, and Women and Minorities.

Sam Terilli

Terilli, who practiced media, commercial and employment law for 30 years, including 12 years as general counsel of the Miami Herald Publishing Company, is the incoming chair of the School of Communication’s Department of Journalism and Media Management. In the Senate, he chairs the Ad Hoc Committee on the Miller School of Medicine, and previously chaired two other Senate ad hoc committees—one on the Internal Review Board and the other on revising the rules for early evaluations of deans and other administrators. He also chaired the Administrative Services Committee, and served as a member of the Committee on Professional Conduct and as an academic counsel for faculty.