Sylvester Installs Two Endowed Chairs as Part of University of Miami's "100 New Talents for 100 Years" Initiative

MIAMI, Feb. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth – the University of Miami Health System, today announced the installment of two new endowed chairs in head and neck oncology. These are the first two chairs of the "100 New Talents for 100 Years" initiative announced by President Julio Frenk at his inauguration address.

The W. Jarrard Goodwin Jr., M.D., Endowed Chair in Head and Neck Oncology Surgery has been established with a gift from the Harcourt M. and Virginia W. Sylvester Foundation and will be held by Donald T. Weed, M.D., Co-Director of the Division of Head and Neck Surgery at Sylvester and professor of otolaryngology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The Virginia M. Horner Endowed Chair in Head and Neck Oncology Research has been established with a gift from Virginia M. Horner and will be held by Francisco J. Civantos, M.D., Co-Director of the Division of Head and Neck Surgery/Otolaryngology, and professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

"We are incredibly grateful for the endowments from the Harcourt M. and Virginia W. Sylvester Foundation and Virginia M. Horner that enabled us to establish these two chairs," said Stephen D. Nimer, Director of Sylvester. "Endowed chairs carry prestige and honor for the chair holders and the people and organizations whose names they carry. They help us advance research and provide exceptional patient care by offering stability through consistent funding. We couldn't be more thankful."

In his January 29 inauguration address, President Frenk laid out the university's defining visions for the future – as a hemispheric, excellent, relevant and exemplary university. The "100 New Talents for 100 Years" initiative is an important milestone for the University of Miami to maintain its status as an excellent university. Between now and 2025, the university hopes to fund 100 new endowed faculty chairs, with a mix of senior, junior and visiting professorships. The infusion of new recruitments to the faculty will help build a critical mass of talent in South Florida. This effort will cover the different fields of research, scholarship, artistic creation and education that the university cultivates.

"Jerry Goodwin has had a tremendous influence on my academic career, and it is deeply meaningful to me to now be associated with his name and his wonderful legacy here at Sylvester," said Weed. "The support that comes with an endowed chair will be instrumental in my being able to conduct research as a clinician and investigator by helping to assure that I will have the time to fully devote myself to these efforts. As our many efforts in research, teaching and even clinical care are becoming increasingly under-funded, the long-term support of an endowed chair is critically necessary for individuals and for departments to be able to advance their clinical, educational and academic missions."

"It is truly an honor to be named the inaugural Virginia M. Horner Endowed Chair in Head and Neck Oncology Research holder at Sylvester," said Civantos.

A ceremony to celebrate the dedication of both endowed chairs will be held on Thursday, February 11, at 6:30 p.m. at the University of Miami Life Science & Technology Park.

About Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth – the University of Miami Health System and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is among the nation's leading cancer centers, and South Florida's only Cancer Center of Excellence. With the combined strength of more than 115 cancer researchers and 130 cancer specialists, Sylvester discovers, develops and delivers more targeted therapies leading to better outcomes – providing the next generation of cancer clinical care – precision cancer medicine – to each patient. Our comprehensive diagnostics coupled with teams of scientific and clinical experts who specialize in just one type of cancer, enable us to better understand each patient's individual cancer and develop treatments that target the cells and genes driving the cancer's growth and survival. At Sylvester, patients have access to more treatment options and more cancer clinical trials than most hospitals in the southeastern United States. To better serve current and future patients, Sylvester has a network of conveniently located outpatient treatment facilities in Miami, Kendall, Hollywood, Plantation, Deerfield Beach and Coral Springs, with plans to open in Coral Gables in 2016. For more information, visit sylvester.org.

SOURCE University of Miami