Fast Facts Rankings Points of Pride & Latest News
QUICKVIEW FALL 2019
Multimillion-dollar grant supports Parkinson’s research
FIU currently has 15 programs ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the Top 50 nationally among all public universities and has achieved numerous other Top 50 rankings. mobility impact on students #12 social source: U.S. News & World Report production among #15 patent public universities
source: National Academy of Inventors and Intellectual Property Owners Association
Wertheim College of Nursing #35 Nicole and Health Sciences source: U.S. News & World Report
university #43 public source: Washington Monthly engineering #44 Biomedical source: U.S. News & World Report of Law #47 College source: U.S. News & World Report Stempel College of Public Health #48 Robert and Social Work source: U.S. News & World Report
Be WorldsAhead
Happy hackers set a record Some 800 students of all academic backgrounds and skill levels from FIU and other universities met at the largest hackathon ever held in Florida. They gathered for 36 hours at FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus (some staying all night, others leaving for a little shuteye before returning in the morning) to get the latest industry updates and solve problems using technology. Among the many activities, they attended software and cybersecurity workshops, developed games and examined the underlying systems that power popular apps. The massive event was organized by FIU’s chapter of the national technology honor society with guidance from faculty and staff in the College of Engineering & Computing (and the generosity of sponsors such as JP Morgan Chase and others). The 500-strong group is dedicated to forming an active community of computing students and helping its members find great jobs.
news.fiu.edu
Model United Nations team makes history FIU’s Model United Nations team has been named No. 1 in North America. Besting teams from Georgetown, Harvard and the University of Chicago, FIU continued its decade-long streak as the top team in Florida and the top public university team in the country. Popular around the world, Model UN puts students in the roles of delegates to the United Nations. Participating in competitive simulations, they debate real-world issues and are judged on strategy and tactics, analytical thinking and teamwork. FIU currently counts about 75 members who take turns competing. “Our students gain invaluable experience as leaders, negotiators, consensus builders and critical thinkers,” says John F. Stack Jr., dean of the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs. “The success they have in Model UN translates into success in life and in their careers.
modelun.fiu.edu
New degree tackles district challenges FIU has launched a customized doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy studies to respond to urgent issues facing Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), America’s fourthlargest school district. Faculty in the College of Arts, Sciences & Education worked closely with M-DCPS to redesign the doctoral degree to focus on specific challenges impacting education today in South Florida, such as teacher retention, limited family involvement and curriculum issues. The 72-credit-hour program can be completed in seven semesters. Topics covered include educational policy, applications of educational psychology, and education research and data analysis.
case.fiu.edu
Business program earns #2 ranking FIU’s undergraduate international business program is ranked No. 2 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its 2020 Best Colleges rankings. The program jumped four spots from the previous year and for the sixth consecutive year remains in the publication’s Top 10 standings. The ranking is based on the college’s national and global reputation for international business education. “FIU Business has been committed to excellence in international business education and research for many years and we’re delighted to see the undergraduate program receive its highest ranking yet,” said Dean Joanne Li. “This ranking is a testament to the strength of our faculty members and the academic programs we offer in this area.”
business.fiu.edu
A donor’s legacy celebrated The Wolfsonian-FIU is honoring the legacy of founder Mitchell “Micky” Wolfson Jr. with a yearlong exhibition at the Miami Beach museum. “A Universe of Things: Micky Wolfson Collects” marks the man’s 80th birthday by spotlighting 100 finds from his seven decades of thoughtful acquisition. Featured is Wolfson’s first purchase at age 12—an edition of Samuel Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” printed in 1875—as well as other articles that reflect the scope of his lifelong curiosity. Wolfson in 1997 donated to FIU an estimated 80,000-piece collection, as well as the Art Deco building in which it is housed, to create an enduring center for education and research. The museum’s holdings—which include works on paper, appliances and furniture, sculpture and more—focus on North American and European decorative arts, propaganda, architecture and industrial and graphic design dating from 1850 to 1950.
wolfsonian.org
nexthorizon.fiu.edu
$6.6M to study Parkinson’s disease The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has awarded Kim Tieu (pictured above, right), chair of the department of Environmental Health Sciences in the Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, a $6.6 million grant to study how brain cells die in Parkinson’s disease and to develop effective drug therapies for the condition. Parkinson’s is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease in the world and affects more than 10 million people. It involves the breakdown or death of a specific type of neuron in the brain, which leads to a decrease in the chemical dopamine and results in movement impairment. “We know that the environment plays a crucial role in overall health, including the brain, and that exposures to environmental toxicants, most likely in combination with an individual’s genetic makeup, may lead to all sorts of diseases, including Parkinson’s,” said Tieu, a researcher with the Brain, Behavior and the Environment Program.
beyondpossible.fiu.edu
Harnessing the power of automation An interdisciplinary team of FIU researchers has been awarded a $1 million grant through the National Science Foundation’s Convergence Accelerator program to evaluate the automation needs of the architecture, engineering and construction industries and develop a training program in partnership with several local firms and global industry experts. The project is led by professor Shahin Vassigh from the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts and involves faculty from across the university. “The global economy is rapidly being reshaped by the use of sophisticated machines that enhance human dexterity, visual perception, speed and strength,” he said. “This project will help us increase employment opportunities and improve regional industry competitiveness.”
carta.fiu.edu
Taking the measure of a tree’s value Biologist Christopher Baraloto in the College of Arts, Sciences & Education is leading the Miami Urban ReLeaf Coalition, a network of local government and community partners mapping and monitoring trees in Miami’s verdant enclaves. The initiative recently launched in the Coconut Grove neighborhood, where the researchers are calculating how much carbon trees remove from the air and studying their possible medicinal value. The team is determining how much shade each tree provides and estimating residential savings in cooling costs as well as looking at how much mitigation the trees’ roots provide for flooding and even sea level rise. Knowing that all trees are not created equal, they also tally the negatives: Does the tree produce messy fruits? Might it fall during a storm? Do its roots threaten infrastructure? Is it a nonnative species? Is it invasive? “All citizens with whom we have spoken agree that this is vital work that needs to be completed as soon as possible,” said Baraloto, who has everyday citizens helping him with the work through an app. City officials will use the data to determine which trees merit protection and which trees should replace those that fall in a hurricane or are removed during construction projects.
case.fiu.edu
A “disastrous” hands-on experience FIU’s Academy of International Disaster Preparedness conducted its annual disaster field exercise for students in the disaster management graduate program—the only such program in the United States that provides a practical experience. The three-day, two-night event had 45 students undertaking hands-on operations during which they were responsible for assessing the situation and collecting data, building their own camps and ensuring basic safety conditions as they entertained a frightening reality that played out on the university’s Biscayne Bay Campus: an earthquake in a fictional country that may have caused a radioactive spill with the potential to affect millions. “By creating this scenario and having our students live in it for three days, we are allowing them to test their skills and stretch their personal limitations,” said Dulce Suarez, assistant director of the academy. “That is how we ensure that our graduates are prepared to help individuals and communities once they are really on the scene.”
aidp.fiu.edu
R1 58,000 10,000+ 235,000+ 200+ $ 1.5B $ 196M 11 18 2016
Research 1 Carnegie Classification Doctoral University—Highest Research Activity Enrollment Employees (faculty, staff, administrators) Alumni
Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs
Annual budget Total research expenditures in FY 2017-2018
Colleges and schools including Medicine and Law Division 1A sports teams Year in which FIU was designated an Ashoka University Changemaker Campus, one of 45 in the world
fiu.edu
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FIU Division of External Relations, Strategic Communications and Marketing Modesto A. Maidique Campus, PC 515, Miami, FL 33199