José Azel

José Azel is a senior research associate at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami. He left Cuba in 1961 as a 13-year-old political exile in what has been dubbed Operation Pedro Pan--the largest unaccompanied child refugee movement in the history of the Western Hemisphere. Dr. Azel was one of the founders of Pediatrix Medical Group, a provider of pediatric specialty services, and served as its first chief financial officer. He co-founded and serves as board chairman of Children's Center for Development and Behavior, an organization that provides therapies for children with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders. Dr. Azel was an adjunct professor of international business at the School of Business Administration, University of Miami. He holds undergraduate and master's degrees in business administration and a PhD in international affairs from the University of Miami.