Q: What exactly does the position as Resident Coordinator entail?

The primary job of a RC is to administrate the building, handling everything from loan key inventories, to room switches, to keeping an eye on the facilities in the building. All RCs essentially function as satellite offices for the dean … noise violations, drugs, alcohol, missing persons, fights, fires etc. They supervise the resident assistants in the building, ranging from 13-22, and the administrative assistant for the building. They serve in a duty rotation providing crisis response for on-campus residents.
Collaboratively with the faculty, they help plan and implement programming in the building to facilitate the intellectual and psychosocial development of students. Facilitate opportunities for our students to get to know the faculty in the building and build relationships. Essentially, RC functions as a part of a team for the building that includes professional staff, faculty and of course, student staff, that functions to provide the best overall environment for student success.

Q: What is the best part of your job? The worst?

Best: Supervising the staff and any opportunity I have to interact with the students. I have been blessed with an incredible staff of committed servant-leaders. Further, part of our job is the expectation that our apartments will be open for students to have places to program, to congregate, to meet. My apartment was used a lot and it’s great.
Also, the opportunity to help people start to figure out what they’re capable of and then give people the tools to recognize their own unique potential. I also appreciate the opportunity to work with Maryann & Frank Barber, Faculty Masters in Hecht Residential College. They epitomize faculty commitment to students with unparalleled energy and passion.
Worst: Any time I don’t have the opportunity to interact with the students.

Q: What is the craziest thing you’ve ever heard as RC?

To protect identities, I will relay to you incidents that have happened at a variety of schools where I have worked. Once a live chicken got loose in my building. I have had some students running some rather scandalous businesses from their rooms. Students that smoke marijuana in their room and then get caught because they go to smoke a cigarette outside because they didn’t want the cigarette smell in their room.
Some roommate conflicts are crazy – some that can’t have a speck of light in their room and they duct taped the door shut at night so that no light can get in.

Q: What’s the dumbest question you’ve ever been asked by an incoming freshman?

People will come to our front desk and ask what the number for 8-CARE is. We’ve had students that got caught drinking alcohol in their rooms say “Can I finish this first?”.
We had some folks throwing stuff out of a window and asking “What does it matter if it didn’t hit anybody”. “Where can I get a good ID?” comes up a lot the first year students. If not, we have even had some residents ask their RA if they could borrow their ID to go out for that night.

Q. What do you think is the greatest misconception new students have when coming to UM?

One of the biggest ones from my perspective is that they have to fit in to this Miami image – whatever they define that image to be, because they feel it is a pretty place with pretty people. The transition contributes to the extreme examples of substance abuse, high-risk behaviors like sexual assaults, eating disorders, etc. I think that one of the misconceptions is that everyone that goes here is very well-off financially. And I think that one of the biggest sources of conflict we find in the residence halls is the issue of socio-economics.

Ah, dorm life. Rolling out of bed and strolling to class, easy computer access, clean showers and home-cooked meals courtesy of Chartwells. And how about an organized trip to the Everglades for some alligator wrestling? Or an art deco tour of South Beach, or a snorkeling trip in the Keys? Maybe all students think all they need is a comfortable, quiet place to study. But for students planning to live on campus this coming year, they’re in for this and much more.
When freshmen arrive on campus on opening day of the residence halls, they can expect long lines for the elevators, because everyone else is moving in as well. But they shouldn’t get discouraged, because these long waits offer the first opportunity to meet new people. Students in the residence halls can easily make friends in college the first week of school before classes even begin just by socializing with residents in their hall.
Once students get into their rooms, it’s a good idea to make sure everything’s in order first, then check in with their Resident Assistant. After that, they can start unpacking and get to know their new roommate.
The goal of the residential colleges is to promote a positive environment for personal, social, and cognitive growth by offering a good balance between extracurricular activities and educational needs. For this reason, Faculty Families and Residence Coordinators, in conjunction with all the Resident Assistants, host many fun and exciting activities in their on-site apartments. Floor dinners, movie nights after a hard week of studies and field trips are often on the social agenda. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, snorkeling trips to John Pennekamp State Park on Key Largo and South Beach art deco tours have all been recent organized outings.
“While we have other goals as well – community-building, community service, and just plain fun – the central mission of the Colleges is to convince students that learning shouldn’t stop at the classroom door,” said Law School Professor Michael Fischl, the faculty “Master” of Pearson Residential College.
Athletic events are also a big thing, as are intramural team sports and other forms of inter-College competition. But if all that activity doesn’t sound appealing, there are quiet study lounges located throughout every residential college. These lounges are open 24/7, so even last-minute procrastinators can study in peace.
Essentially, students can be as involved as they want to be in their residence halls – the opportunities are there and waiting to be discovered. For more information, contact the Department of Residence Halls at 305-284-4505. Visit www.miami.edu/futurecanes for a list of items to bring, an interactive Flash site called Sebastian’s Room, and much more.

When the word Miami is spoken, many people think of car theft, vandalism and assault. But UM’s Department of Public Safety works hard to make everyone at UM has an enjoyable experience.
The DPS is working constantly to improve the safety on campus. The campus’ many Blue Light Telephones can be easily identified on campus by their blue neon lights above the telephone poles. If anyone gets lost, needs assistance or would like an escort, these phones are available for those reasons. The DPS can immediately identify the caller’s location, and can have an officer anywhere in minutes.
Also, UM has an auto-theft program available to all students. The DS will engrave the car’s Vehicle Identification Number into the car’s windows, a free service to UM’s student and employees.
Adopt-A-Cop is a resident focus program. There are four UM police officers that are hired to patrol their individual residence halls. These cops are available for assistance whenever needed.
There is also a UM motorist assistance program that can give students’ dead batteries a jump, lend a gallon or two of gas for an empty tank, help get keys locked inside the car or assist with other minor car problems.
Public Safety also provides an escort upon request for students who wish to be accompanied to different areas throughout campus at night. Many students take advantage of this service during late-night study sessions, for the trip to and from the library.
Additionally, programs such as Rape Aggression Defense [RAD] are periodicaslly offered by Public Safety. RAD is a reality based self-defense program for women in which a certified instructor teaches a course, including awareness, prevention, avoidance and several self-defense techniques.
For more information on the services offered by Public Safety or to request an escort, call 305-284-6666.

Everyone has heard of fifth-year seniors on campus, but UM student Capt. Robert Henin holds the record for being the only 50th-year senior, continuing to take classes at UM long after graduating.
Among Henin’s many accomplishments, he is a Guinness World Record holder for the more than 1,000 hotel baggage labels that he has collected over the years; he has a street in France named for him; he has traveled 20,000 miles in 26 days for a mere $380; and he has recently published a novel entitled One Joy Equals Two Sorrows.
“Everything in the novel happened to me or somebody I knew,” Henin said. “I felt that these stories had to be told.”
Henin also served as a captain in the infantry during World War II, where he earned three purple hearts and a badge of courage for heroism in combat. He was injured in three different countries by a machine gun, a mortar shell and a hand grenade.
In 1966, Henin ran for the Florida State legislature but came in second. He also owns an oil well in Florida, though it’s currently inactive. “I’ll show you a picture of me standing next to the oil coming out of the ground,” Henin said.
Henin received his undergraduate degree in medical technology in 1953 from UM. He has since taken more than 49 courses. “My favorite subjects are history, religion and astronomy – I’m fascinated by space,” he said.
Henin was also married for 18 years before his wife passed away from cancer. He never had any children. “That’s the one thing I never got to do,” he said.
Henin says he wants to pass on his knowledge to younger students. “Have fun. The learning will come,” he said. “Retain the beautiful memories of your college years – all the nutty things you can think to do, do them now, but don’t hurt anyone in the process.”
Someday you’ll look back and you won’t remember 90 percent of the things you learned in college, but you’ll remember the time you jumped into the lake in your bra and panties,” Henin said.
Henin summed up the most important things he’s learned in life to a few short sentences.
“Never underestimate your enemies. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you are the center of the universe,” he said. “Always be your own stepping stones.”

Devi Sridhar, an eighteen-year-old UM senior, is the youngest-ever recipient of the prestigious Rhodes Scholar award, the first recipient from UM since 1987.
“It was a little unexpected,” Sridhar said about winning the award. “When I heard I won, I just went blank… Even when I was a regional finalist I didn’t even think I had a shot.”
Yet Sridhar’s many accomplishments made her an ideal recipient. Among her many achievements, Sridhar is an accomplished violinist and a ranked tennis player. She is also fluent in five languages and has written a children’s book with her siblings titled, Puzzle Your Way Through Indian Mythology.
Criteria for winning the award includes a high level of academic achievement, integrity of character, a spirit of unselfishness, respect for others, a potential for leadership and physical vigor. The Rhodes Trust pays all college and university fees, provides a stipend to cover necessary expenses while in residence in Oxford, as well as during vacations and transportation to and from England.
Sridhar and 31 other Rhodes Scholars from the U.S. joined an international group of scholars, chosen from 18 other jurisdictions around the world. Sridhar, who graduated in May with a degree in biology, plans to pursue either a master’s degree in economics or neuroscience while at Oxford.
“I’m so proud of Devi being selected as a Rhodes Scholar,” UM President Donna E. Shalala said. “She has accomplished so much for someone her young age. Her outstanding academic record, combined with her musical and linguistic talents and concern for children unquestionably satisfies the Rhodes criteria for leadership and character.”
Sridhar attributes much of her motivation to her supportive parents and competitive siblings.
“Every single person in my family is always trying to be the best,” Sridhar said. “My parents both gave me a lot of attention and support. Whenever I developed interest in things, they always gave me the opportunity to do them.”
While still at UM, Sridhar worked with Shalala, who served as Secretary of Health and Human Services under the Clinton administration.
“We spent some time this spring exploring issues of health policy,” Shalala said to the Associated Press [AP]. “Who knows, she might be the secretary of Health and Human Services someday.”

Not many students are aware that UM has a marine school, but the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science [RSMAS] is the university’s graduate school for the marine sciences, as well as one of the premier oceanographic research and education institutions in the nation.
RSMAS is located on a 16-acre campus on Virginia Key in Miami, and is the only subtropical applied and basic marine and atmospheric research institute of its kind in the continental U.S.
With more than 100 Ph.D. faculty members, 150 graduate students and 250 support staff comprising the academic community, there are numerous opportunities for multi-disciplinary research and interaction in applied marine physics, marine and atmospheric chemistry, marine biology and fisheries, marine geology and geophysics, meteorology and physical oceanography, and marine affairs and policy.
There are unique opportunities available for graduate students, such as being a researcher onboard Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, the first-ever cruise ship outfitted with high-tech ocean and atmospheric instruments and science labs. Undergraduate students can participate in Rosenstiel’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program, which allows them to experience graduate level research and school. Through excellence in research and education, the Rosenstiel School is helping to further education in the areas of fisheries, oceans and human health, hurricane warnings, climate change and coral reefs.
For more information, visit www.rsmas.miami.edu or call Sacheen Tavares at 305-361-4629.

Many new students have been seeing the same family physician for many years, so it’s not unusual for them to be hesitant about receiving medical care at an unfamiliar location. Fortunately, the staff of the Student Health Center goes out of their way to make students feel comfortable.
Most full-time students, all international students and all other students who have paid the University Fee are eligible for care at the Health Center. Most routine services are available at no charge. Medical care is provided by board certified physicians, physician’s assistants, and nurse practitioners who are available to diagnose and treat minor injuries and provide care for many acute and chronic illnesses.
In addition to providing primary care services, the Health Center provides, specialty care including women’s health and orthopedics, x-ray, lab services, advice on health related issues and referral to outside medical specialists when necessary. Students do not need an appointment to see one of the primary care providers. Waiting times are generally shortest in the early morning.
The Pharmacy is conveniently located on the second floor of the Health Center. The friendly staff can fill prescriptions for students while they wait, although many students prefer to drop off their prescriptions and come back after class to pick up their medication. The Pharmacy accepts many insurance plans and can fill most prescriptions written by out-of-town and other off campus providers. Various over-the counter medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, condoms, and other products are also available at competitive rates. The pharmacy accepts Master Card, Visa, checks, cash and Cane Cards.
All students are required to obtain adequate health insurance while attending the University. The annual premium for the health insurance plan offered through the Health Center is added to each student’s fees. Students DO NOT need to be enrolled in the Health Center sponsored insurance plan to receive care. Domestic students with alternative health insurance coverage may request a fee waiver by completing a Cancellation Form at or prior to registration. The deadlines to submit a waiver request are September 15 for the fall semester and February 15 for the spring semester.
New students also need to provide proof of immunization against measles and rubella by submitting an Immunization Compliance form to the Health Center prior to registration. In addition to the required immunizations, immunizations against hepatitis B, varicella (chicken pox) and diphtheria/tetanus are recommended. International students must also submit proof of tuberculosis testing [PPD] within 12 months prior to registration.
Students should also be informed about the availability of immunization against meningococcal meningitis, a rare but potentially fatal bacterial infection that appears to be more common among college students who live on campus. The State of Florida requires that all students living in on-campus housing either document receipt of both meningitis and hepatitis B immunization, or sign a waiver stating that they have received relevant information and have chosen not to be vaccinated. Additional information about this requirement is available from the Department of Residence Halls.
The Health Center staff is happy to assist students with any of their medical needs or address any insurance questions. Additional information is available at www.miami.edu/student-health, or can be obtained by contacting the Student Health Center at studenthealth@miami.edu or (305) 284-5927.

The Otto G. Richter Library, the UM’s core documentary research and study resource center, has recently completed an exciting set of improvements. After $17.5 million worth of major renovations finished in the Spring of 2003, library facilities are now more useful, accessible, and comfortable.
The Dr. Maxwell and Reva B. Dauer Clock Tower is the library’s first dramatic new architectural addition since the building was erected in 1962. The main stairwell is located inside the Dauer Clock Tower. The tower adds energy efficiency to the library with its hurricane-proof glass facade, and provides a breathtaking view of the campus green and colonnade of palms.
Physically impaired patrons will find the renovated Richter Library more easily accessible. An adaptive technology suite was added in addition to the electronic entrance doors and wheel chair ramps that lead into the library. General additions include 13 group study rooms, which provide places for students to work together on the first and second floors.
More attractive interiors and redesigned spaces are also abundant. Notably, comfortable chairs have been added throughout the library. The Meyer Gold Reading Lounge provides a living-room-like atmosphere and features recently acquired books while the William H. Walker, Jr. Reading Area offers a quiet place to peruse journals and magazines.
In keeping with its mission, the Richter Library expanded its research facilities adding the $5 million Robert C. Goizueta Pavilion, completed in Fall 2002, which houses the Cuban Heritage Collection. This collection contains the most in-depth material on Cuban exiles and Cuban-Americans found in the world. The dedication on January 28, 2003 was a major event for the library. President Shalala thanked the donors and underscored the importance of the collection for the South Florida community and for researchers worldwide.
The library has also added new electronic facilities. With the new Information Commons on the first floor, completed in Spring 2003, the library now has 128 computers and 10 printers for students to use free of charge. The most important features of the Information Commons are the quality of service provided there and the convenient location and easily accessible computers. The area is staffed by both Research and Educational Services librarians and Information Technology User Assistants, allowing patrons to instantly obtain technical and research assistance. The first, second and third floors of the library are part of the University’s wireless network and enable students who have registered their laptops with the UM Department of Telecommunications to access the Internet without a phone line.
The renovated third floor is the home of the Information Literacy Lab. Funded by a gift from the University of Miami Alumni Association, the lab is a state-of-the-art instruction facility designed and operated to support the Library’s mission of teaching research skills that encourage and support critical thinking and lifelong learning, key components to information literacy. The third floor also houses the Digital Media Lab which provides media equipment, including software and computers to create information with digital and video content, web design, animation, photo design, video editing, and DVD creation. User assistants are available to help with the equipment. Students wishing to use the equipment in the lab may do so by appointment.
The new additions enhance Richter’s status among its peer research libraries. A member of the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Research Libraries, and the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, the Richter Library houses 1.8 million volumes, more than half of the University’s total collection. As the largest library in the University system, the Richter Library houses collections to serve all disciplines in arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. In addition, the building serves as a Federal Depository Library, where millions of U.S. federal government publications augment the library’s holdings. Richter also collects documents from international organizations such as the World Bank, United Nations, and Organizations for Economic Cooperation and Development. Richter’s branch libraries include the Paul Buisson Reference Library at the School of Architecture, the Judi Prokop Newman
Information Resource Center at the School of Business, and the Albert Pick Music Library. Other University libraries are Calder Library serving the medical school campus, the Rosential School Library serving the Key Biscayne campus and the University of Miami Law Library on the Coral Gables campus.
The University Libraries’ web site serves as the access point for the University’s vast collection of electronic resources. The homepage, often the first point of contact a student has with the library, offers easy site navigation and utilizes a new Flash-based technology. The Richter Library is one of the first research libraries in North America to implement the technology. The home page also links students to valuable services such as Electronic Reserves and Interlibrary Loan. Easily accessible both on and off-campus, students use Electronic Reserves to access required reading materials for class.
Through the Interlibrary Loan service, items not owned by the University Libraries are borrowed from other libraries. Many articles requested can be delivered electronically. through the Internet. An online chat service offering research assistance is available in the as is SFX software, an innovation that provides faster, more efficient access to online information.
For more information, visit http://www.library.miami.edu or call 305-284-2210.

Whether it’s attending meetings with student organizations and administrative units, eating lunch with students while they voice their concerns about the university, or taking her daughter to International Week, Dr. Pat Whitely’s life is anything but ordinary.
“Everyday is different. No two days are ever the same,” Whitely said. “The job is intellectually and politically challenging.”
“I try to be a good role model. Hopefully I’m seen as down to earth,” Whitely said. “I try not to be someone who hides behind the position.”
With the position comes a lot of power, including being the chief appellate officer for the university.
“A lot of what I do is make good decisions for the students,” Whitely said. “There is a lot of problem solving in the job. I like being the person who could potentially sway a decision. I like being able to push the straw a little bit more.”
Currently, Whitely is in charge of 15 separate departments, including Residence Halls and Wellness and Recreation.
“I try not to have a really busy day. I try to be in my office as much as possible,” Whitely said.
In between meetings, Dr. Whitely checks her voicemail, email, makes a couple of telephone calls and reads through stacks of invitations to UM affiliated events.
In her spare time Whitely enjoys working out and playing racquetball.
“Exercise is important because the better that I take care of myself, the more energy I have, which helps me do my job better,” Whitely said.
Despite her busy and often times hectic days, Whitely enjoys every minute.
“I’m a hurricane and I’m proud to be one,” Whitely said.

Major changes are already underway for the School of Nursing as UM announced in April 2003 that Nilda Peragallo, R.N., Dr.P.H., FAAN will be the new dean of the school.
An internationally recognized researcher on HIV and AIDS among Hispanic populations, Dr. Peragallo will take on her new role this summer where she will also have a faculty appointment at the School of Medicine.
“Professor Peragallo is an accomplished scholar who will strengthen the research activities of the School of Nursing,” UM President Donna E. Shalala said in a news release. “Her areas of expertise and leadership make her a great fit for the University of Miami and for our community.”
Before coming to Miami, Dr. Peragallo taught as an associate professor at the School of Nursing at the University of Maryland and served as interim chair of the Department of Behavioral and Community Nursing. She also taught at the nursing schools at University of Illinois, University of Pennsylvania and University of Central Florida.
A native of Chile, she graduated in 1984 with a doctorate from the University of Texas School of Public Health. Her accomplishments include being a Fellow American Academy of Nursing [FAAN] member and serving as President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses. She was also a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Nurse Scholar while at the University of Pennsylvania from 1989-91.
Dr. Peragallo was present on campus Apr. 28 as the School of Nursing broke ground on its new home, the $19 million state-of-the-art M. Christine Schwartz Center for Nursing Education, which is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2004.
“I am thrilled to be joining the University of Miami at such an opportune time,” Dr. Peragallo said in a news release. “I look forward to working and doing research in a diverse community.”

The Whitten University Center [UC] is a place for recreational opportunities, relaxation, food services, meeting rooms, outdoor gathering places and ATMs, among other things. Most students pass this building everyday on their way to class.
Currently, the UC is in the first stages of planning for an expansion and renovation. Students, staff and faculty have already had an opportunity to participate in on-line surveys and focus groups with consultants from Brailsford and Dunlavey, the firm which was instrumental in the planning for the Wellness Center ten years ago.
“Results of those UC surveys and focus groups will be a starting point for further analysis and planning,” Walker said. “We want to make sure that students, alumni, faculty, and staff all have a chance to help define the future of this important facility.”
“Over the years, students and staff have been very creative in adapting spaces built for the 60s to the needs of the 80s, 90s and today, but there is a limit to what can be done,” Dan Westbrook, associate director for the UC, said. “The UC is past due for a review of its services and facilities, and we are really looking forward to this opportunity to work together in planning a modern student center.”
During this summer, the consultants presented their findings to UM administration. Their report emphasized comparisons between the UC and student unions on other campuses, as well as defining unique needs for this campus as determined by the surveys and focus groups.
Currently, the most critical needs are being identified, and once that is established, architects will work together with UM to identify the best ways – renovations, additions, or new construction – to address the campus community’s requirements.
“It promises to be an exciting time,” Westbrook said. “Major construction and renovation usually only happens every 30 or 40 years, so the students and staff who collaborate on this project will truly have contributed something special to UM.”
Currently, the UC is home to the Force Five Convenience Store [C-Store] and the Storm Surge Caf

Community service can be addictive. The feeling of seeing the difference students have made in other people’s lives is the most unbelievable feeling around.
The William R. Butler Volunteer Services Center has a lot to offer new students, and this year will be particularly exciting.
The VSC’s mission is to actively promote the inclusion of community service in every facet of the university experience. The center offers students the opportunity to begin community service, or to continue in community service similar to that which they’ve have already done. With a database of more than 450 community agencies, the VSC can connect students to a variety of placements addressing a spectrum of social issues. The center also has a helpful staff to assist in the placement process to help students find the perfect volunteer setting.
The VSC is also home to more than 25 student-run volunteer organizations and programming boards. Their focuses run the whole gamut of service, from poverty and environmental issues to cancer awareness and AIDS/HIV awareness.
Student organizations are always looking for new faces, and many of the organizations will work around student schedules.
The VSC also features a tracking system that helps students keep track of the hours they have volunteered at UM. The center’s staff creates the file, updates the forms and writes letters at the students’ request stating how much and what type of community service they have completed. Students only need to turn in a simple form.
For more information, stop by the Butler Volunteer Services Center in room 240 of the UC, or call 305-284-GIVE.