The FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (FIU Medicine) held its inaugural Endowed Chairs Ceremony, honoring Amalia Landa-Galindez, M.D., Jennifer Martin, Ph.D., and Stephen Black, Ph.D., whose appointments to endowed chairs represent among the highest honors a university can bestow on its faculty.
Made possible through the generosity of visionary philanthropists, these endowed chairs strengthen the college's mission and create enduring opportunities to advance education, research, and patient care for generations to come.
See more photos from the Endowed Chairs Ceremony.
Amalia Landa-Galindez, M.D.
John and Mary Lou Dasburg Chair in Internal Medicine
Landa-Galindez, chair of the Department of Internal Medicine and an associate professor at FIU Medicine, has served as a clinician, educator and academic leader since joining the college in 2013. She provides primary care through the FIU Health Faculty Group Practice and is affiliated with Baptist Health and Jackson Health System. Recognized for her commitment to medical education, she received the FIU Medicine Excellence in Medical School Teaching Award in 2017 and holds national leadership roles with the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine and the Florida Chapter of the American College of Physicians.
John and Mary Lou Dasburg are philanthropists who support a wide range of charitable initiatives, from healthcare and education to the arts through the Meredyth Anne Dasburg Foundation, established in honor of their late daughter. John Dasburg is the retired chairman and CEO of Astar Air Cargo, Burger King, DHL Airways and Northwest Airlines. The Dasburgs have long shared a commitment to education, community service and expanding opportunities for others. Their connection to FIU Medicine is also personal: their daughter, Dr. Kathryn Dasburg graduated with the college's Class of 2018.
Jennifer Martin, Ph.D.
Leon Medical Centers Eminent Scholar Chair in Geriatrics
Martin is a professor and director of the Benjamín León Jr. Family Center for Geriatric Research and Education at FIU Medicine and serves as senior psychologist and director of the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center at the Miami VA Healthcare System. A licensed clinical psychologist with more than 20 years of experience in geriatrics and veteran-centered research, she studies aging, behavioral sleep medicine and translational research to improve patient care.
Her work has contributed to new treatments for insomnia and expanded access to evidence-based sleep care for older adults and women. She is a past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and received the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health System Impact Award for her research’s impact on the care of veterans with sleep disorders.
Benjamín León Jr., founder of Leon Medical Centers and U.S. ambassador to Spain and Andorra, was among the early visionaries to invest in the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Through Leon Medical Centers, Inc., he established the Eminent Scholar Chair in Geriatrics. The León family's philanthropic support of FIU also includes the Benjamín León Jr. Family Center for Geriatric Research and Education and a gift that established FIU CasaCuba's home in the Benjamín León Jr. Building on FIU's main campus.
Stephen Black, Ph.D.
Dr. Herbert Wertheim Eminent Scholar Chair in Translational Biology and Medicine
Black serves as associate dean for research and a tenured professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at FIU Medicine. He is also director of the Center for Translational Science and associate vice president for translational research at FIU. For more than 30 years, Black has studied pulmonary vascular biology, lung injury and vascular disease. His research has received more than $65 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association and other organizations.
Herbert Wertheim, the college’s namesake, was among the visionary leaders whose philanthropy helped shape FIU’s rise as a major research university. Through a transformative $20 million naming gift, he played a pivotal role in establishing the College of Medicine. The Wertheim family’s philanthropy at FIU also includes this endowed chair, a $10 million naming gift to the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, support for music and art programs and the Wertheim Conservatory.
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