The Center for Computational Science (CCS), the Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and the Graduate School have teamed up to offer Software Carpentry Workshop in PYTHON and R, two-day workshops that provide the basic computing skills and best practices needed to be productive in a small research team. The format is a mixture of short seminars and hands-on practical exercises, and participants are encouraged to help one another and apply what they have learned to their own research problems during and between sessions. Bring your own laptop (any OS).

R WORKSHOP will be held on Monday, March 14 and Tuesday, March 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Shalala Student Center, Senate Room. To register, please visit http://ccs.miami.edu/save-the-dates-314-15-for-our-next-software-carpentry-r-workshop/.

PYTHON WORKSHOP will be held on Monday, March 28 and Tuesday, March 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Newman Alumni Center, Executive Conference Room. To register, please visit http://ccs.miami.edu/save-the-dates-328-29-for-our-next-software-carpentry-python-workshop/.

Both workshops are capped at 30 participants and offered on a first-come first-served basis. Please do not register for both unless you need both Python and R for your research. If you are not sure which you need first, or for  more information, please visit the CCS Workshops webpage at http://ccs.miami.edu/training-and-outreach/workshops/.

UM News

Guillermo “Willy” Prado

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (February 1, 2016)—The University of Miami has appointed UM alumnus Guillermo “Willy” Prado, the Leonard M. Miller Professor of Public Health Sciences and the director of the Division of Prevention Science and Community Health at the Miller School of Medicine, as the new dean of the Graduate School, effective immediately.

“Dr. Prado is well positioned to raise the Graduate School at UM to a new level of excellence, thanks to his passion as a researcher and educator,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Thomas J. LeBlanc.

As dean of the Graduate School, Prado will work in partnership with the deans of the schools and colleges to support and develop strategies for attracting the next generation of scientists and researchers to graduate education at the University of Miami.

He will specifically manage the process of external program reviews and new program proposals, oversee the selection process for University of Miami graduate fellowships, chair the Graduate Council meetings, and meet regularly with graduate program directors, among other duties.

“This appointment is particularly meaningful to me because the University of Miami has been my academic home for 15 years, inclusive of my graduate training,” said Prado, who earned his Ph.D. in epidemiology and public health in 2005 and his Master of Science in statistics in 2000. “My plan is to work collaboratively with University leadership, graduate program directors, and the rest of the University community to continue to increase the quality of graduate education for our students.”

Prado joined the UM faculty in 2007. In the areas of research, he has served as principal investigator of approximately $10 million of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. He also has served in the roles of mentor and co-investigator of approximately $60 million of NIH and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funding, including a leadership role on two NIH-funded center grants.

His research has appeared in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, including The Journal of the American Medical Association, Pediatrics, American Journal of Public Health, and American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

During his tenure, Prado has led the development of the Ph.D. program in Prevention Science and Community Health, as well as redesigned the epidemiology doctoral program. Having taught more than 10 graduate courses in prevention science, epidemiology, and biostatistics at UM, Prado has mentored many junior faculty, post-doctoral students, and graduate students.

As chief of the Division of Prevention Science and Community Health since 2013, Prado has overseen a research program endowment of $375,000. Before that, he led the Ph.D. in Epidemiology Doctoral Program and served as acting chief of the Division of Epidemiology.

John L. Bixby, vice provost for research and professor of pharmacology and neurological surgery, chaired the search committee for the Graduate School dean and describes Prado as the “best of the best.” Noting that Prado will play a key role in UM’s progress in education and research, Bixby said, “Even among a number of highly impressive applicants who interacted with the Search Committee, Willy’s personality, accomplishments, and insight stood out. I am personally delighted that he will be our next dean.”

“Willy is an extraordinarily bright, dedicated public health researcher whose enthusiasm for his work is infectious,” said José Szapocznik, chairman of the Department of Public Health Sciences, who recruited Prado to the faculty after he completed his doctoral degree. “His work in prevention science has made him a superstar at UM and in the national scientific community.”

Prado replaces M. Brian Blake, who was named provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Drexel University last spring. In the interim, Angel Kaifer, professor of chemistry and senior associate dean for research and graduate education in the UM College of Arts and Sciences, served as dean.

UM News

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (November 5, 2015) — In recognition of its outstanding scholarly achievements and promotion of diversity and excellence in graduate education, the University of Miami has been recognized as an institutional member—the first in Florida—of the prestigious Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society.

Founded by Yale and Howard universities in 2005, the society was named for Edward A. Bouchet (1852-1918), who in 1876, became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in any discipline from an American university. Also one of the first African Americans to be elected to Phi Beta Kappa, he was only the sixth person in the western hemisphere to earn a doctorate  in physics.

The Bouchet Society seeks to develop a network of preeminent scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support, and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service and advocacy for students and postdocs who traditionally have been underrepresented in the academy. In the spirit of Bouchet’s commitment to these pursuits both in and outside the academic realm, honor society fellows bearing his name also exhibit these qualities.

Bouchet fellows are inducted into the society at the annual Bouchet Conference on Diversity in Graduate Education in the spring at Yale. All fellows participate in ongoing professional development opportunities through the Graduate School.

The Fall Graduate Faculty Meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 27, at 3 p.m. at the School of Nursing and Health Studies’ M. Christine Schwartz Center for Nursing Education, third floor, room 329.  Should you have any questions, please contact Maria Torres at [email protected] or 305-284-4154.

UM News

M. Brian Blake

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (April 17, 2015) – M. Brian Blake, Ph.D., who always had the best interests of students and faculty in mind during his three years as UM’s vice provost for academic affairs and dean of the Graduate School, is stepping down to become the next provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Drexel University beginning August 1.

“In his brief time at UM, Brian Blake has had a significant impact on several dimensions,” said UM Executive Vice President and Provost Thomas J. LeBlanc. “As dean of the Graduate School, he has been a prominent spokesperson for the role of graduate education, the quality of graduate programs, and for the interests of graduate students. As vice provost for academic affairs, he has led efforts to strengthen and diversify the faculty and train the next generation of academic leaders. He leaves the University of Miami stronger for his efforts, and we all wish him well in his new role as provost.”

Blake arrived at UM in the summer of 2012 from the University of Notre Dame, where he was a professor of computer science and engineering and associate dean of engineering, research, and graduate studies.

“Who could ask for more superb mentors and friends than President Shalala and Provost LeBlanc or a more exciting and rewarding community of students, faculty, and staff?” said Blake. “Our family will truly miss daily life at the U, but we do plan to keep our lifelong friendships. From a professional perspective, the decision to move is bittersweet and reflects my desire to help craft a narrative much like President Shalala at an institution like Drexel, for which I have natural affinities.”

As dean of UM’s Graduate School, he oversaw more than 160 graduate programs in 11 schools and colleges serving more than 5,700 students, with an overall tuition-based budget of approximately $73 million. Under his leadership, UM established first-of-their-kind interdisciplinary graduate programs across its three campuses and launched graduate initiatives in China, Italy, Jamaica, and Spain. Blake also led the development of the Distinction and Diversity initiative for graduate education and research, with goals including enhanced research outcomes for students and junior faculty, elevated visibility for graduate education, and leveraging the diversity of UM’s programs and community.

His UM position of vice provost for academic affairs involved University-wide faculty enhancement efforts. He set policy for research programs in many academic disciplines on the Coral Gables campus, including arts and sciences, business, communication, education, engineering, law, nursing, and more. Blake also led task forces that assessed faculty recruitment efforts and the University climate in regards to diversity for both students and faculty, and for tenured and non-tenure-track faculty. With support from a group of graduate student leaders, he oversaw the creation of the “Research Intersections” forum for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty to share their work with each other and pursue interdisciplinary research.

At Drexel, Blake will be the institution’s highest-ranking academic officer.