FIU President Jeanette M. Nuñez sent the following message to the university community on Saturday, April 25:
Dear FIU family,
It is with deep sadness that I share the passing of Nicole Wertheim, a remarkable champion and benefactor of FIU whose compassion, generosity, and vision have left an indelible mark on our university and our community.
At the center of Nicole's life was her family. A devoted mother and grandmother, she took immense pride in her daughters, Erica Wertheim Zohar and Dr. Vanessa Wertheim, and found her greatest joy in her four grandchildren. It was through this lens of family and the generations to come that Nicole viewed her role in the world, approaching every challenge with a nurturing spirit and a deep desire to build a better future.
Nicole co-founded the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation in 1977 and served as its Vice Chair, dedicating nearly half a century to impactful philanthropy and community service. Her giving reflected a holistic vision of education and society, one that recognized how health, science, culture, and the arts are deeply interconnected. She understood, perhaps better than anyone, that a university is not made of buildings, but of the students, faculty, and scholars who bring them to life.
Her transformative legacy is physically etched into our landscape: the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center, the School of Music, and the Wertheim Conservatory. Her support also strengthened doctoral fellowships, faculty endowments, and scholarships which have elevated FIU's standing in healthcare education, research, and the creative disciplines across South Florida and beyond.
Nursing, in particular, was always close to Nicole's heart. Her daughter Vanessa's own path as a nurse gave Nicole a firsthand window into the vital importance of the profession, inspiring her to become one of the country's most significant advocates for nursing education. In recognition of that commitment, FIU proudly nominated her in 2023 for induction as an honorary member of Sigma Theta Tau International, the Honor Society of Nursing, a rare tribute reserved for those whose dedication to the field transcends the ordinary.
What set Nicole apart was not the scale of her generosity but the sincerity of her presence. She was never transactional. She showed up. During a recent visit scheduled as a brief meet-and-greet with our Nicole Wertheim Scholars, what should have been 20 minutes turned into hours. Nicole sat with nursing and medical students late into the afternoon, listening to their stories and offering encouragement that can quietly change the trajectory of a young professional's life. Every student in that room left differently than they arrived.
Nicole believed deeply in the power of education, research, and the arts to transform lives. Her legacy will endure in the programs she championed, the students she inspired, and the faculty and scholars whose work continues to advance FIU's mission for generations to come.
We extend our deepest condolences to Erica, Vanessa, and her four grandchildren. Today, as we walk our halls, we see her vision everywhere.
She will be deeply missed, but her grace remains a permanent part of the FIU spirit.
For those who wish to share a message of remembrance, please visit her memorial page: Nicole Wertheim Memorial Page.
She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.
Sincerely,
Jeanette M. Nuñez
President