In a bright room overlooking Biscayne Bay, faculty members, researchers, and donors gathered to celebrate a moment years in the making—rooted in decades of partnership and propelled by a vision for what marine science can mean for human health.
The ceremony, held at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, marked the launch of the Glassell Family Center for Marine Biomedicine and the installation of professor Danielle McDonald as the inaugural Glassell Family Endowed Chair in Marine Biomedicine. The event was also a defining moment for the institution's interdisciplinary research enterprise, made possible by the enduring generosity of the Glassell Family Foundation.
"This center will allow us to save lives, unlock the ocean's secrets, and protect our natural resources," said Dean Roni Avissar.
The Glassell Family Foundation, established by Alfred C. Glassell Jr., has a six-decade history with the Rosenstiel School, beginning in the 1960s with a gift that established the Controlled Environmental Laboratory and numerous field studies on fisheries, propelling the school's role in marine biology and fishery science. That legacy continued with the establishment of the Alfred C. Glassell Jr. SUSTAIN Laboratory, home to one of the world's most advanced wind-wave tanks capable of simulating Category 5 hurricanes.
Representing the foundation were secretary and treasurer Pam Lindberg and vice president Eric Wade, who expressed gratitude and reflected on Glassell's passion for the ocean, science, and education. Lindberg, who worked alongside him for 25 years, recalled his love of fishing, his world-record black marlin catch, and his friendships with figures like Charles Lindbergh and Ernest Hemingway.
"Our mission today remains the same as his: to improve human health through scientific discovery," Lindberg said. "We are thrilled to see the Glassell name associated with biomedical breakthroughs at the Rosenstiel School."
Guillermo "Willy" Prado, interim executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, thanked the Glassell Family Foundation, led by Alfred C. Glassell III, for their philanthropic support and praised McDonald as "an outstanding scholar, teacher, and mentor." He added, "This chair is a great match for her expertise and vision. She's already doing important work, and this support will help take it even further."
A renowned expert in fish physiology and environmental stressors, McDonald has been a member of the Rosenstiel School faculty since 2002. In her remarks, she shared her journey from a visiting graduate student to full professor, tracing her personal and professional growth alongside the foundation's expanding support of the school.
"I'm the second woman in Rosenstiel School history to hold an endowed chair," McDonald said. "I stand here on the shoulders of women and mentors who paved the way—women like Amy Clement, Lisa Beal, and Sharon Smith."
McDonald also unveiled the ambitious scope of the new center, which is already home to 35 faculty members from five schools and colleges across the University. Researchers span disciplines from cancer biology to atmospheric science, exploring novel antibiotics from coral, therapies for stroke using marine organisms, and even the biomedical potential of giant viruses.
"The mission of the center is to connect scientists across fields to catalyze pioneering breakthroughs," McDonald said. "By uniting engineers, biologists, neuroscientists, and public health experts, we are creating something far greater than the sum of our parts."
She also highlighted the National Institutes of Health-funded National Aplysia Resource, the only facility in the world that cultures and raises California sea hares to study aging and memory. This model organism has long advanced the understanding of the human nervous system, contributing to Eric Kandel's Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 2000. It will now be a key part of the center's expanded research efforts.
In attendance was Gracelyn Ham, a research associate at the National Aplysia Resource, who described McDonald as "a joy to be around."
"Her research is incredible, but what stands out even more is how she supports her team, students, and colleagues. It's really inspiring to see her recognized in this way."
