On October 28, dozens of University of Miami Miller School of Medicine students met with and thanked the donors who support their scholarships during the 2025 Miller School Donors and Scholars Celebration at the Penthouse at Riverside Wharf in Miami.

 Dean Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., emphasized that philanthropic support of Miller School students has helped it become one of the nation’s preeminent medical schools.

“Many of our extraordinarily talented students would not be able to attend the Miller School and experience our novel curriculum, NextGenMD, if it weren’t for your incredible generosity,” said Dean Ford. “You make it possible for our medical students to attend an elite medical school, learn from talented faculty and access brilliant research opportunities.”

Latha Chandran, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., executive dean for education and policy at the Miller School, said donor support helps the school revolutionize the way future physicians are educated, making its graduates among the most sought after in the nation.

“Thanks to the support of all of our donors, our scholars can fulfill their dreams to serve our communities as healers and health care leaders,” said Dr. Chandran, also founding chair and Bernard J. Fogel Chair in Medical Education at the Miller School.

Dean Ford also thanked Swanee DiMare, who established the DiMare Scholarship with her late husband, Paul J. DiMare, a longtime University of Miami trustee and benefactor.

“Your transformative $6 million gift for medical student scholarships, the largest in our school’s history, ensures that the most talented future physicians can pursue their dreams,” Dean Ford said.

Other donors in attendance:

• Jerilynn and Marc Gidney, who are co-directors and co-trustees of the Mrs. Betty Siegel Reader Scholarship,along with their daughter, Candice Gidney, and her husband, co-trustee Jonathan Macy.
• Tatiana Lawer-Garcia, M.D. ’96, and Nelson Garcia, MD ’96, who established The Dr. and Mrs. Nelson Garcia-Morales Endowed Medical Scholarship.
• Sheri Hamersley, M.D. ’90, and Frank Czerwiec, M.D. ’90, who endowed the Bernard J. Fogel, M.D. ’61, Memorial Scholarship.
• Francisco Flores, M.D. ’95, who established the Francisco Flores, M.D., Endowed Scholarship.
• Javier and Elsy Carbot-Flores, both M.D. ’95, who established the Javier Flores, M.D., and Elsy Carbot Flores, M.D., Endowed Scholarship.
• Dr. John T. Macdonald FoundationChair Aldo Busot, John Edward Smith and Laura Russo. The foundation’s decades-long support of the Miller School has included scholarships, the school health initiative in the Department of Pediatrics, the establishment of the Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute and the naming of the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics.
• Kyle Sygall, representing his parents, Paul Sygall, B.S. ‘92, M.D. ‘95, and Stacy Sygall, who established the Sygall Family Endowed Medical Scholarship.
• The Rotary Club of Miami’s Phillip Seipp, Robbin Shelly and Diane Landsberg. The Rotary has funded the Thomas Brown McClelland Scholarship for more than 30 years.
• Jose Garcia, M.D. ’87, chief executive officer of American Care Medical Centers, established the Jose E. Garcia, M.D. ’87, Alzheimer’s Research Fund.

For more information on supporting medical scholars, email Rachel Cameau.