Golden Ibis Society and Audrey R. Finkelstein UM Experience unite for Homecoming

The Audrey R. Finkelstein UM Experience and the Golden Ibis Society are combining forces for Alumni Weekend and Homecoming to deliver two exciting, new lectures by renowned faculty members. The event will take place on Friday, November 4, at the Lakeside Village Expo.
UMX banner

Professor Windy Dees, a sports marketing expert and director of the graduate program for sport administration at the School of Education and Human Development, and Professor Firdaus Dhabhar, director of the laboratory of stress and resilience in health and healing at the Miller School of Medicine, will present talks titled “Show me the money! NIL and the business behind college sports” and “Harnessing good stress and minimizing bad stress for health and well-being,” respectively.

With a doctoral degree in sport management, a master’s degree in sport management, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and communications, Dees, a former All-American tennis player, has dedicated herself to sports marketing.

She has been published in a multitude of sport management and marketing journals and texts, including Bleacher Report, Forbes, Variety Magazine, the Associated Press, and ESPN. She is also the co-host of the Mindin’ Our Business podcast on Five Reasons Sports Network with the Miami Heat’s Jason Jackson. In her talk, she will examine brand personality, brand awareness, effective event sponsorships, and more.

Professor Dhabhar directs the Miller School of Medicine’s Scholarly Concentration in Mind-Body Medicine. He was the first to discover the mechanisms by which short-term stress physiology may enhance the body’s immune system during a fight-or-flight response. This led him to investigate the relationship between stress and our innate survival systems.

In his lecture, Dhabhar will present his findings, outlining methods of harnessing “good stress” as a natural health and healing tool in conjunction with/addition to the preventative and curative treatments that modern and traditional medicine can offer.

Attendees will also hear from President Julio Frenk; Devang Desai, A.B. ’97, J.D. ’03, president of the University of Miami Alumni Board of Directors and member of the University Board of Trustees; and Dan Radakovich, vice president and director of athletics. The program will conclude with a performance by the Biscaydence Student Acapella Group.

The UM Experience (UMX) was created through a generous endowment by the late Audrey R. Finkelstein, A.B. ’38, to offer alumni the opportunity to return to campus to hear thought-provoking discussions led by distinguished University of Miami faculty.

The Golden Ibis Society, established by the late Ruth Linder Sutton, A.B. ’30, works to reunite and forge strong connections among alumni through ongoing engagement with the University.

Click here to register for Golden Ibis Society Celebration and Audrey R. Finkelstein UM Experience.