Donna Shalala

Donna Edna Shalala (born February 14, 1941) is a college administrator and former United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Since 2001, she has been president of the University of Miami.

Early life

Shalala was born in Cleveland, Ohio to James and Edna Shalala. She graduated from West Tech High School and received her bachelors degree in 1962 from Western College for Women (now part of Miami University). Shortly after its creation, she served in the Peace Corps in Iran from 1962 to 1964.

She received masters and doctorate degrees from Syracuse University.

Career

After obtaining her doctorate from Syracuse University in 1970, Shalala taught politics at Baruch College (part of CUNY). In 1972, Shalala became a professor of politics and education at Columbia University, a job she held until 1979.

While still a professor at Columbia, she served from 1977 to 1980 as the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Carter administration.

She entered academic administration in 1980 when Hunter College named her as its president. She served as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin from 1987 to 1993.

Secretary of Health and Human Services

President Bill Clinton appointed Shalala United States Secretary of Health and Human Services in 1993. She served in this role for eight years, becoming the nation's longest serving HHS Secretary.

In this role, Shalala frequently drew criticism from political conservatives and moderates for her liberal positions. Shalala was also known for her fervent anti-drug stance, saying: "Marijuana is illegal, dangerous, unhealthy, and wrong," though a number of conservatives considered the Clinton administration's anti-drug policies weak.

University of Miami

In early 2006, the university was involved in a custodial workers' strike, a dispute between the university's then non-unionized custodial workers (now represented by the SEIU labor union) and the university's contractor, UNICCO. The strike, which lasted from February 28 to May 1, 2006, generated extensive campus and off-campus criticism of UM and UNICCO's labor relationship with its UM-based custodians. Shalala drew criticism from some striking workers and protesters for appearing to take the side of UM's contractor on how a union vote should be taken.

Personal

Shalala is an Arab American of Lebanese ancestry. She has never been married.

External links

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