Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim and the Herbert & Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation gave a $50 million gift that catalyzed a $300 million public-private partnership, leveraging support from the state, the university and from private donors to bring about the biggest transformation in the history of our college.

State University System of Florida Chancellor Marshall M. Criser III aptly summed up the feeling of everyone on that pivotal day when he said that the Wertheims had created an unparalleled opportunity to reimagine how we prepare students for a field that improves the lives of each and every citizen, and our growing economy based on science and technology. University of Florida President Kent Fuchs also paid tribute to the impact of Dr. Wertheim’s gift – he remarked that Herbie’s gift has shown us that an individual can make a difference that will endure. Today, we continue to uphold his vision and passion for transforming the world through engineering education, research and development.

As we embark on making the Wertheim Transformation a reality, we are filled with excitement over the path and possibilities this vision has brought us. Great strides have already been made in critical areas of success, including student enrollment, research awards and faculty hires, the talent pipeline, invention patents and disclosures, and diversity and inclusion. For all of these metrics, we have set higher benchmarks not only for ourselves, but for our peer institutions to follow. In many ways, we continue to be the trailblazer.