Dr. Julio Frenk grew up in Mexico and was educated at the University of Michigan. He led an illustrious international career, serving as Mexico’s Minister of Health where he spearheaded significant health care reforms. Subsequently, he worked at the World Health Organization and as an advisor to the Gates Foundation.
Frenk then became the dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.. When I visited Harvard once, his colleague, Professor Fernando Reimers, described him as one of the most strategic and visionary deans Harvard had ever had. Inspired by Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust, Frenk later assumed the presidency of the University of Miami.
Shortly after his inauguration, I began my undergraduate studies at the University of Miami in the fall of 2016. As former president of the Muslim Students Association, I had the opportunity to meet former President Frenk.
The first thing that struck me about Frenk was his brilliant—indeed, genius—mind. His way of thinking is dazzling. He is also an attentive listener, focusing not just on the superficial meanings of words but on the deeper implications behind them.
I met with Frenk a couple of times and was fortunate that he could find time to meet with me—as a UM student or an alumnus, despite his intense schedule. In Frenk I found a visionary, a strategic and inspiring scholar and a leader who leads by example.
During my meetings with Frenk, he shared his philosophy of being generous to strangers, highlighting that Mexico, while not economically wealthy, is rich in its human aspects. I found Frenk to be not only brilliant but also kind—a rare combination in academia.
As a contributing author at Psychology Today, I published two profiles on Frenk titled Generosity to Foreigners: Leading By Example and The Philosophy of Showing Kindness to Strangers. In these articles, I emphasized that Frenk is an exemplary leader who practices what he preaches and a superb scholar who employs his ideas in the real world.
Throughout my journey in higher education, I have met many professors, scholars and leaders, and received much praise for my work. But meeting Frenk was a turning point for me. He gave me the highest vote of confidence, calling me a brilliant student. What made this comment especially impactful was that the praise came from Frenk, someone I greatly admire and appreciate. Frenk is a leader who seeks to uplift people rather than put them down.
In addition to being an exemplary leader and superb scholar, Frenk is also a fine and facile writer. He is bilingual, fluent in both Spanish and English, and reads fiction daily, alternating between the two languages. While I was not an avid fiction reader, Frenk inspired me to start reading the genre. He has published numerous books and journal articles, advancing a mission to bridge higher education, industry and the health sector. He once shared with me that Philip Roth is one of his favorite authors, so I might start there.
At the University of Miami, Frenk proved to be a visionary leader whose philosophy of generosity to strangers and outstanding scholarship will be greatly missed. He emphasizes the importance of leaving a legacy and believes that institutions are the human inventions that enable us to do so. Frenk has indeed left a lasting legacy at the University of Miami—one that will surely inspire his successors to continue his work.
I will always remember my meeting with Frenk and the strong vote of confidence he expressed. I appreciate his open-door policy and his serious commitment to his students. I wish him a successful journey as he takes the helm at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Abdulrahman Bindamnan holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of Miami, a Master of Science in Education (MSEd) from the University of Pennsylvania, and is completing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Minnesota. He is a contributing author at Psychology Today and a regional scholar fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.