A Foundational Gift
In a heartfelt gesture rooted in personal legacy and a vision for transformative health care, Carlos Duart ’94, MS ’99 and Tina Vidal-Duart ’02, MS ’04 have pledged a $1 million gift to the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
This significant donation aims to bolster the college’s burgeoning partnership with Baptist Health, advancing medical research and addressing critical health care challenges in South Florida and beyond.
Chair of the FIU Board of Trustees, Duart is a proud FIU alumnus and CEO of CDR Enterprises. He attributes his deep connection to the university to his family’s history. Both of his parents, Cuban exiles, attended FIU, with his father balancing a business and family while earning his degree and his mother ultimately becoming a public school teacher.
“FIU has changed our family trajectory for generations to come,” Duart says. “It has shaped this community and created a legacy of excellence. “FIU gave me opportunities I couldn’t find elsewhere,” Vidal-Duart adds, reflecting on her decision to attend FIU’s prestigious international business program over other scholarship offers.
The Duarts’ gift is not just a financial contribution but a catalyst for change, particularly through FIU’s partnership with Baptist Health. Vidal-Duart, CEO of CDR Health Care, is excited about the partnership’s potential to tackle pressing health care issues, especially for Miami’s aging population and immigrant communities.
“We see FIU’s research capabilities as a way to address rare medical conditions and create a pipeline for students to solve these challenges,” she says.
Her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing Florida’s infectious disease field hospital system, underscores her commitment to innovative health care solutions.
The collaboration with Baptist Health aims to elevate FIU’s medical research to a national stage, with ambitions to establish a leading cancer institute and develop cutting-edge medical devices. Duart envisions FIU rivaling institutions like MD Anderson or Sloan Kettering, focusing on breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s and cancer research.
“This partnership can improve patient outcomes and create high-paying jobs by retaining graduates in South Florida,” he says. The economic ripple effect, he notes, will expand access to health care resources and position FIU as a global leader, particularly in Latin America.
Beyond the financial impact, the Duarts hope their gift will inspire philanthropy, especially within the Hispanic community.
“We want to lead by example and shift cultural perceptions about giving back,” Vidal-Duart says.
Their contribution is intended to accelerate FIU’s growth, enhance its research capabilities, and attract further support to transform health care through precision medicine.
Duart echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of collaboration with Baptist Health to bring innovative concepts to life. “This is about building a legacy of impact,” he says.
The Duarts’ ties to FIU run deep. Duart, a member of FIU’s Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame and recipient of the Outstanding Alumnus Medallion, has served on the FIU Foundation board, while Vidal-Duart served on the Foundation Board of Directors and received FIU’s Torch Award. She has also been involved with the FIU Honors College Advisory Board and the Chaplin School of Hospitality’s Vidal-Duart Wine Studies Program. Their shared commitment to their alma mater reflects a belief in its potential to drive change.
The Duarts’ donation stands as a testament to their vision for a healthier future. By investing in the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and its partnership with Baptist Health, they hope not only to honor their family’s legacy but also to pave the way for groundbreaking advancements in health care.
The couple’s gift is a call to action, urging others to join them in transforming lives through education and innovation.