Bernard “Bernie” Fogel, M.D. ’61, a transformative leader of the Miller School of Medicine, served as its dean from 1981 to 1995. During his 14-year tenure, he spearheaded a major expansion of the school and redefined its mission to include a fourth pillar: community service.

Dr. Fogel remained deeply engaged with the school for another decade after stepping down, serving as an adviser, mentor and fundraiser.

“He helped put us on the national stage,” said John G. Clarkson, M.D. ’68, who succeeded Dr. Fogel as dean. “During his time, we became an important institution for AIDS research, diabetes research and cancer research.”

Born in the Bronx, New York, in 1936, Dr. Fogel moved to Miami as a child. He was heavily influenced by the way his father, who ran the Cakemaster Bakery near Coral Gables, treated Black members of their community: Despite the era’s racial segregation, his father hired Black employees and even bailed them out of jail when necessary. That example of compassion and justice shaped Dr. Fogel’s lifelong commitment to community.

Dr. Fogel founded the Miller School’s Health Careers Motivation Program, which continues to help students explore the medical profession and become competitive applicants to medical school. His emphasis on community service led to health fairs in underserved neighborhoods, staffed by faculty and students alike.

He earned both his bachelor’s and medical degrees from the University of Miami. A pediatrician by training, Dr. Fogel later led the Division of Neonatology. In 1967, he and his neonatology colleagues performed the first successful thymus transplant on a 6-week-old infant with DiGeorge syndrome.

Dr. Fogel passed away in 2022 at the age of 85. As dean, he was known as a bridge-builder. He strengthened the partnership between the University of Miami and the Jackson Health System — one of the few enduring collaborations between a private university and a public hospital — and oversaw the launch of numerous new programs that expanded the school’s reach and impact.