By: Diana Jordan / Staff Writer
The College of Medicine received the largest cash donation in University history.

The $20 million gift, made by Dr. Herbert Wertheim, chairman and CEO of Miami and London-based Brain Power Inc. and well-known University benefactor, is eligible for the state’s Major Gifts Challenge Grant Program, a grant that matches charitable contributions made to public universities, making it a possible $40 million donation for the College of Medicine.

According to a June 12 press release by the Office of Media Relations, the college will be named the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine to recognize the contributions the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation have made to the University.

Additionally, the University’s Board of Trustees voted Wertheim as Founding Chairman of the College of Medicine as well as Trustee Emeritus of the Board of Trustees, a board he served on from 2001 to 2006.

“FIU has been in my heart for more than 20 years and when I look around here and see the amazing accomplishments during that time, I can’t help but want to continue to contribute to this success story,” said Wertheim in a written statement.

According to Wertheim, the commitment the College of Medicine has put forth to educate physicians in South Florida was a factor that carried much weight when deciding to make the donation.

“We are going to be training doctors who know how to help people stay healthy and these doctors are very likely to practice in South Florida because they are from South Florida,” said Wertheim in a written statement.

Eighty percent of the 43 students who will comprise the inaugural class are expected to be Florida residents.

President Modesto A. Maidique expressed his gratitude toward and respect for the philanthropist saying in a written statement, “Dr. Wertheim is a brilliant man with boundless energy and a good heart; I am proud to have our college of medicine bear his name.”

Maidique also expressed confidence in the young program citing the additional $11 million funding the Florida State Legislature granted to the College this year will ensure its success.

The donation will be used for several scholarships and research projects such as the establishment of the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Endowments for Medical Education and Research as well as the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Medical Scholarship Endowment.

Scholarships for students in the College of Medicine as well as others pursuing advanced degrees in fields like engineering will be created by setting aside half of the endowment, which will be funded over the next three years.

A lecture series and healthcare conferences will also be created and funded with the recent donation along with endowed chairs in areas such as neurological aging studies, ophthalmology, optometry, wellness and dietary medicine, medical informatics and preventive medicine.

“Dr. Wertheim’s generous gift will make it possible for our young medical school to function at a high level from day one,” said Dr. John Rock, founding dean and senior vice president for medical affairs for the College of Medicine in a written statement.

Wertheim’s unending support of the University can be traced as far back as 1988 when he joined the FIU Foundation Board of Directors, later becoming the Chairman of the Board. His unwavering support of the College of Medicine began in the early 1990s when he led the early planning stages for the college.