Florida International University in Miami has announced a $10 million gift from Dr. Herbert Wertheim to expand the graduate and research programs at its nursing school, which will be renamed the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences in honor of Wertheim's wife of forty-four years.

The gift from Wertheim will be used to recruit and retain nationally recognized researchers and leaders in nursing and health sciences education, attract and enroll outstanding students in the college's Ph.D. and other doctoral programs, strengthen the school's graduate educational programs, and support the work of the school's faculty and students. In addition, a portion of the gift will be used to establish the Nicole Wertheim Endowment for Nursing and Health Sciences Education and Research and the Nicole Wertheim Nursing and Health Sciences Scholarship Endowment. Nearly three thousand students are currently enrolled at the nursing school.

According to the terms of the gift, the Wertheims' daughters, Erica Wertheim Zohar and Vanessa Von Wertheim, will join the college's advisory board. Both women have extensive business and nursing industry backgrounds. In addition, Nicole Wertheim has been named honorary chairwoman of the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Herbert Wertheim, an inventor, scientist, and educator, joined FIU's board of directors in 1988 and currently serves on its board of trustees. In recognition of a $20 million gift from the Wertheims in 2009, FIU renamed its medical school the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and named Wertheim founding chair of the medical school and a trustee emeritus.

"This gift brings together two important passions of mine: health care and FIU," said Wertheim. "I am a fortunate man to share these passions with my family and be in a position to commemorate that commitment in honor of the love of my life, Nicole. This gift reflects the love we have for our community and is a pledge to create more high-quality health professionals, who will collaborate for the benefit of our community."