Donna Shalala

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Donna Shalala
5th President of the University of Miami
In office 2001 – present
Preceded by	Edward T. Foote II
18th Secretary of Health and Human Services
In office January 22, 1993 – January 20, 2001
Preceded by	Louis W. Sullivan
Succeeded by	Tommy Thompson
Born	February 14, 1941 (1941-02-14) (age 68) Cleveland, Ohio
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Western College for Women Syracuse University
Religion	Roman Catholic

Donna Edna Shalala (surname pronounced /ʃəˈleɪlə/ shə-LAY-lə; born February 14, 1941) has served as president of the University of Miami, a private university in Coral Gables, Florida, since 2001.

Prior to her appointment as University of Miami President, she served for eight years as Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Clinton.

She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, by President George W. Bush in June 2008.

[edit] Early life

Shalala was born in Cleveland, Ohio to Lebanese immigrant parents and has a twin sister, Diane Fritel. She graduated from West Tech High School and received her bachelor's degree in 1962 from Western College for Women (which, in 1976, was merged with Miami University in Oxford, Ohio).

She served as a volunteer in the Peace Corps in Iran from 1962 to 1964, where she worked with other volunteers to construct an agricultural college.^[1]

She received a Master's and then, in 1970, a Doctorate degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.

[edit] Academic career

Shalala began her teaching career as a political science professor at Baruch College (part of CUNY), where she also was a member of the American Federation of Teachers union. In 1972, Shalala became a professor of politics and education at Teachers College, Columbia University, a job she held until 1979. Concurrently, from 1977 to 1980, she served as the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Carter administration.

Shalala's first experience with academic administration came in 1980 when she became the 10th President of Hunter College, serving in this capacity until 1988.

She next served as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Under her chancellorship and with her support, the University adopted a broad speech code subjecting students to disciplinary action for communications that were perceived as hate speech. That speech code was later found unconstitutional by a federal judge.^[2] Also while chancellor, Shalala supported passage of a revised faculty speech code broadly restricting "harmful" speech in both "noninstructional" and "instructional" settings. The faculty speech code was abolished ten years later, after a number of professors were investigated for alleged or suspected violations.^[3]

[edit] Secretary of Health and Human Services

Following a year serving as Chair of the Children's Defense Fund (1992–1993), Shalala was appointed United States Secretary of Health and Human Services in 1993 by President Bill Clinton. She served in this role for all eight years of his administration, becoming the nation's longest serving HHS Secretary. In 1996, Shalala was the first female designated survivor during President Clinton's State of the Union address.

In her role as HHS Secretary, Shalala frequently drew criticism for her positions, which were seen by some as too liberal. The Washington Post labeled her "one of the most controversial Clinton Cabinet nominees." ^[4] She was also also known for her fervent anti-drug stance. She was the first Arab-American to serve in a Cabinet position.

[edit] University of Miami

Shalala created a UM fundraising campaign called "Momentum," designed to raise UM's endowment from approximately $750 million to $1 billion; the goal was later increased to $1.25 billion by the end of 2007.

Every spring semester at the University of Miami, Shalala teaches a course covering the United States healthcare system, drawing on her expertise after serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

In the fall of 2007, Shalala was tapped into the Iron Arrow Honor Society, the highest honor attained at the University of Miami.

[edit] Custodial wages strike

Shalala was criticized for her handling of a nationally-publicized custodial workers' strike at the University of Miami which lasted from February 28 to May 1, 2006. Critics said that UM's custodial workers were among the lowest paid university-based custodians in the nation and were not earning a living wage until the strike prompted Shalala to raise wages. Shalala was also criticized for living in luxury while the custodians did not even have health insurance.^[5] Shalala criticized union organizer's tactics, including a sit-in that she said prevented students from attending classes.^[5]

[edit] Co-chair of Presidential Commission

On March 6, 2007 President George W. Bush named Shalala and Bob Dole to head a presidential commission called the President's Commission On Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors. The commission was formed in response to a growing outcry over the care of wounded outpatient soldiers.

The commission includes seven other members, ranging from injured war veterans to the wife of a wounded staff sergeant who suffered burns across 70 percent of his body. Demands for corrective action arose after the Washington Post exposed living conditions in a decrepit Army-owned building just outside Walter Reed Hospital and highlighted obstacles and delays in the treatment of soldiers who suffered serious injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan.^[6] The commission subsequently issued several recommendations for improvement of these facilities.

[edit] Civic activities

Shalala serves on the board of the Albert Shanker Institute, a small, three-member staff organization named for the former head of the American Federation of Teachers. She is an honorary board member of the American Iranian Council, an organization that seeks to promote closer U.S. relations with Iran.^[7] She is also a member on the board of directors for Gannett Company.

v • d • e United States Secretaries of Health and Human Services (previously United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare) Secretaries of Heath, Education, and Welfare Hobby • Folsom • Flemming • Ribicoff • Celebrezze • Gardner • Cohen • Finch • Richardson • Weinberger • Mathews • Califano • Harris Secretaries of Health and Human Services Harris • Schweiker • Heckler • Bowen • Sullivan • Shalala • Thompson • Leavitt • Sebelius

v • d • e Cabinet of President Bill Clinton (1993 – 2001)   Cabinet Secretary of State Warren Christopher (1993 – 1997) • Madeleine Albright (1997 – 2001) Secretary of the Treasury Lloyd Bentsen (1993 – 1994) • Robert Rubin (1995 – 1999) • Lawrence Summers (1999 – 2001) Secretary of Defense Les Aspin (1993 – 1994) • William Perry (1994 – 1997) • William Cohen (1997 – 2001) Attorney General Janet Reno (1993 – 2001) Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt (1993 – 2001) Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy (1993 – 1994) • Dan Glickman (1994 – 2001) Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown (1993 – 1996) • Mickey Kantor (1996 – 1997) • William Daley (1997 – 2000) • Norman Mineta (2000 – 2001) Secretary of Labor Robert Reich (1993 – 1997) • Alexis Herman (1997 – 2001) Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala (1993 – 2001) Secretary of Education Richard Riley (1993 – 2001) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros (1993 – 1997) • Andrew Cuomo (1997 – 2001) Secretary of Transportation Federico Peña (1993 – 1997) • Rodney Slater (1997 – 2001) Secretary of Energy Hazel O'Leary (1993 – 1997) • Federico Peña (1997 – 1998) • Bill Richardson (1998 – 2001) Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jesse Brown (1993 – 1997) • Togo West (1998 – 2000) • Hershel Gober (acting) (2000 – 2001)   Cabinet-level Vice President Al Gore (1993 – 2001) White House Chief of Staff Mack McLarty (1993 – 1994) • Leon Panetta (1994 – 1997) • Erskine Bowles (1997 – 1998) • John Podesta (1998 – 2001) Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Carol Browner (1993 – 2001) Ambassador to the United Nations Madeleine Korbel Albright (1993 – 1997) • Bill Richardson (1997 – 1998) • Richard Holbrooke (1999 – 2001) Director of the Office of Management and Budget Leon Panetta (1993 – 1994) • Alice Rivlin (1994 – 1996) • Franklin Raines (1996 – 1998) • Jacob Lew (1998 – 2001) Director of National Drug Control Policy Lee Brown (1993 – 1995) • Barry McCaffrey (1996 – 2001) Trade Representative Mickey Kantor (1993 – 1997) • Charlene Barshefsky (1997 – 2001) Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency James Lee Witt (1996 – 2001) Director of Central Intelligence John M. Deutch (1995 – 1996) • George Tenet (1997 - 2001) Administrator of the Small Business Administration Philip Lader (1994 – 1997) • Aída Álvarez (1997 - 2001)

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Donna Shalala biography at the University of Miami Web Site.
• "America's Best Leaders: Q&A with Donna Shalala, President of the University of Miami, U.S. News & World Report, October 22, 2005.