FIU Magazine Fall 2022

Under the shade of 150 umbrellas – representing the more than 150,000 alumni (more than half of FIU’s total 290,000 graduates) who live and work in South Florida, students and faculty came out to South Beach in a show of the real impact that Miami’s public research university makes in the region. To learn how FIU continues that same impact throughout the state, the nation and the world, scan the code.

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YOU SEE

GRADS WHO REP THE BEST OF US Meet five alumni who do FIU proud.

DESIGNING FOR TOMORROW

Architecture alumni and students create for a sustainable world.

NEW DOC IN CHARGE

The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine dean has big plans.

COLOMBIA CONNECTION

Stempel College takes an international approach to public health.

THE FUTURE IN GOOD HANDS

Three students share their thoughts on the world they will inherit.

TRAVEL IN THE TIME OF CLIMATE CHANGE

It’s sink or swim for a tourism industry looking to reroute.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

A new dean aims for the top.

DATA WHISPERERS

Business analytics students tell the stories behind the numbers.

FROM U.N. TO UNIVERSITY

Global goals and FIU research dovetail in support of humanity.

HER SPORT, HER STORY

Women’s athletics at FIU claims a long line of standouts.

YEARS AND COUNTING

A look back at five decades of excellence.

FROM THE EDITOR

As FIU marks a milestone year, we remember the hundreds who laid the groundwork for 50 years of nonstop growth and success. They built a university that today stands among the largest in the nation and powers an entire region.

Betty Perry, FIU’s first first lady (who in 1974 became an alumna), arrived in South Florida in 1969 with visionary founding president Charles E. “Chuck” Perry. Integral to the life of the developing institution, she recently recalled the early days.

“Chuck had a very good team of people who moved there at the same time we did. They were as dedicated and spent as many hours working as Chuck. Those people, and many, many others afterwards, really gave their lives to that project. I’m very proud to say I knew a lot of them.”

A half-century later, the FIU community shares Mrs. Perry’s awe over what those pioneers accomplished. “It was pretty much a miracle from the very first second,” she said of a seemingly impossible task. Not so much as an old desk greeted the first president when he arrived on a barren campus. Today, students take their places in auditoriums equipped with the latest technology. They learn from professors who conduct world-impacting research. They graduate to jobs that put them at the forefront of their professions. As alumni, they step up to leadership positions, invent new solutions and attract attention for their feats of creative expression.

And they remember where they got their start.

To Mrs. Perry and the countless many whose collective legacy has unfolded in the most remarkable way, thank you.

Forever grateful,

Alexandra Pecharich

Founders still on the job 50 years later: Left-right, seated: Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver, Susan Himburg, Maida Watson; standing: Florentin Maurasse, Stephen Fain, Rocco Angelo

Look up! It’s a 60-foot-tall panther in Miami’s artsy Wynwood neighborhood. The eyepopping mural enhances a newly established FIU facility that features design studios along with exhibition and performance spaces to enrich student learning and experiences. It is supported by a public-private partnership between the College of Architecture, Communication + The Arts and patron Moishe Mana. Alumnus Nate Dee ’02, MS ’08 created the colorful stunner, one of many large-scale outdoor works he has painted locally and abroad.

Interim President

Kenneth A. Jessell

FIU Board of Trustees

Dean C. Colson, Chair

Rogelio Tovar, ’92, MAcc ’94, Vice Chair

Cesar L. Alvarez

Jose J. Armas

Deanne Butchey Ph.D. ’05

Carlos A. Duart ’94, MAcc ‘99

Natasha Lowell Cristhofer Lugo T. Gene Prescott

Chanel T. Rowe ’14

Marc D. Sarnoff Carlos Trujillo

FIU MAGAZINE

Strategic Communications, Government and External Affairs

Michelle L. Palacio ’03

Senior Vice President

Anthony Rionda ’09, MPA ’11, JD ’21

Associate Vice President

Karen Cochrane

Assistant Vice President Alexandra Pecharich Editor

Aileen Solá-Trautmann MSM ’18 Art Director

Contributing writers

JoAnn Adkins

Christine Calvo ’16, MS ’19

Lauren Comander David Drucker ’18

Stephanie Rendon ’11

Gisela Valencia ’15, MA ’19

Photographers

Carl-Frederick Francois ’16, MS ’17 Christopher Necuze ’11, MS ’20 Margarita Rentis ’17

Copyright 2022, Florida International University. FIU Magazine is published by the Florida International University Division of Strategic Communications, Government and External Affairs and distributed free of charge to alumni, faculty and friends of the university. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. To reach us, call 305-348-7235.

Alumni Office: Write to Office of Alumni Relations at MMC MARC 510, Miami, FL 33199, or call 305-348-3334 or toll-free at 800-FIU-ALUM. Visit fiualumni.com.

Change of Address: Please send updated address information to FIU University Advancement, MARC 5th Floor, Miami, FL 33199 or by email to pecharic@fiu.edu.

Letters to the Editor: FIU Magazine welcomes letters to the editor regarding magazine content. Send your letters via email to pecharic@fiu.edu or mail to FIU Magazine, Division of Strategic Communications, Government and External Affairs, MMC PC 515, Miami, FL 33199. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. All letters should include the writer’s full name and daytime phone number. Alumni, please include your degree and year of graduation.

Power couple: Betty and Charles Perry in 1972 with a plaque listing FIU’s founders Photo courtesy of FIU Special Collections and University Archives

FIU RIDES THE TIDE OF THE NATION’S MOST RELEVANT RANKINGS

Days before its 50th anniversary, the university learned it had won the triple crown: high standing in three distinctive, respected national rankings.

FIU has earned near-simultaneous recognition from three national rankings organizations in a confirmation of what the university has shown for years: excellence in research can go hand in hand with graduating students from all economic strata.

In mid-September, U.S. News & World Report elevated FIU to No. 72 in the nation among public universities. The annual ranking is considered the gold standard and one that FIU has climbed steadily, and quickly, since first landing on the list in the 1980s. FIU is the fastest-rising in U.S. public university rankings, having jumped 62 spots in the past 10 years.

On top of that accomplishment, FIU has made headlines for its high placement on two other lists — alongside institutions such as Princeton, Stanford and MIT — that observers increasingly call “the rankings that matter.” They take into account not only high levels of research but also an institution’s capacity to advance individuals’ socioeconomic status, or “social mobility,” through education and opportunities.

“FIU continues to reach new heights in both academic and research excellence,” says FIU Interim President Kenneth A. Jessell. “With every success, we renew our commitment to our faculty, staff, students and community.”

Forbes magazine wrote about the ranking compiled by Degree Choices, which uses government data to calculate the economic return on graduates’ investment in their college education. FIU took the No. 23 spot among all U.S. universities for the short time graduates need — just 13 months — to recoup their financial investment. The ranking considers tuition affordability, low student debt and individuals’ ability to secure good-paying jobs after earning degrees. The good news for FIU comes at a time when college-loan repayment has been identified nationally as an increasing burden.

Washington Monthly’s college guide places FIU No. 32 nationally in its annual ranking, which examines institutions’ contributions to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research and opportunities for public service. In releasing the rankings, Washington Monthly’s Kevin Carey wrote, “America needs a different definition of higher education excellence ... that measures what colleges do for their country, instead of for themselves.”

Carey explained that the publication looks not at endowments but instead “measures how often students give to their communities by volunteering, starting public service careers and enrolling in the

Peace Corps and ROTC.” He also decried prestigious institutions’ limiting admissions to “rich valedictorians” and extolled instead helping students of limited economic means “start their lives and careers with a high-quality degree.”

At FIU, students who qualify for federal scholarship funds — typically those whose family income falls below $20,000 — represent nearly half of its undergraduate enrollment but the largest percentage of those who graduate in four years.

In the midst of 50th anniversary celebrations, the university continues to double down on its core mission: to provide students of all backgrounds with a ticket to a better life while addressing the mostpressing problems facing the community, the nation and the world.

“America needs a different definition of higher education excellence, one that empowers public institutions at the expense of elites, instead of the other way around, one that measures what colleges do for their country, instead of for themselves. Instead of rating colleges by wealth, fame and exclusivity, we prize social mobility, public service and research.”

— Washington Monthly, August 2022

Work in areas such as environmental resilience, neurodegenerative disease and antenna technologies for use by the Air Force, for example, has received wide attention while attracting millions of dollars in research funding from federal agencies. The university has also taken the lead in areas such as childhood mental health disorders, marine biology and cybersecurity.

FIU’s research prowess is captured in its designation as a Carnegie “R1” research university, the highest category of doctoral-granting institutions, which puts FIU among the top 3% of the nation’s colleges and universities.

The university’s steep upward trajectory belies its short history and reflects an unstoppable spirit that fuels its forward movement.

“By looking to the future with the same passion, commitment and foresight as our university founders, we have become one of the most innovative public universities in the country and a leader in 21st-century higher education,” says Elizabeth M. Béjar, FIU’s interim provost, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “We deliver a first-rate education and a highly respected degree at a remarkable value, delivering on the promise of higher education.”•

ON THE PROWL

FIU RESEARCH EN ROUTE TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

An innovation out of the College of Engineering and Computing could be key to humanity’s heading back to the Moon long-term.

Professor Arvind Agarwal chairs the department of mechanical and materials engineering and directs the lab that developed a new coating to protect machinery for use on the lunar surface — think rovers and excavators — against radiation levels up to 1,000 times greater than on Earth. Such energy, particularly when acting upon mechanical pivot joints, can significantly shorten service life.

A sample of the coating will be tested beginning this fall at the International Space Station. Astronauts will return the material six months later for analysis by FIU and NASA laboratories.

Positive results are expected to benefit future space missions. The research may also yield commercial implications here on Earth for industries that use technology under extreme conditions, such as for nuclear waste containment.

FIRST OF ITS KIND STUDY: ADHD MEDICINE DOES NOT IMPROVE LEARNING

Researchers behind a groundbreaking study at the Center for Children and Families at FIU have concluded that drugs administered to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and teens have no effect on how much they learn in the classroom. Approximately 10% of children in the U.S. are diagnosed with ADHD, and more than 90% of them are prescribed stimulant medication.

The findings counter an understanding among doctors, teachers and parents that those with ADHD perform better in class while on prescription drugs like Adderall, Ritalin and others. And while medication can help a child behave better in school, that does not translate into higher academic achievement.

“Physicians and educators have held the belief that medication helps children with ADHD learn because they complete more seatwork and spend more time on-task when medicated,” said William E. Pelham Jr., distinguished university professor and the center’s director. He is senior author of the decade-long randomized study of 173 children between the ages of 7 and 12 with ADHD. “Unfortunately, we found that medication had no impact on learning of actual curriculum content.”

Previous work by Pelham, a pioneer in ADHD research and treatment, has found that behavioral therapy — when used first — is less expensive and more effective than medication.

STUDY REVEALS HOW DDT EXPOSURE MAY CAUSE ALZHEIMER’S

A study led by FIU researchers reveals a specific mechanism that may explain the association between the pesticide DDT and Alzheimer’s disease. The research shows how the chemical compound — banned in the United States since 1972 — causes so-called sodium channels in the nervous system to remain open. The latter leads to an increased firing of neurons and release of amyloid-beta peptides, which form the characteristic plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.

Most investigations to date have focused on genetic causes of the disease, but such genes are rare, says Jason Richardson, a professor in the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work and the leader, in 2014, of a multi-university team that presented evidence linking the pesticide to the debilitating illness. Researchers now have demonstrated that administration of a particular neurotoxin hampers production of the amyloid precursor protein, a finding that Richardson says could lead to therapies. People with high exposure to DDT between the 1940s and early 1970s are now at an age typically associated with onset of the memory-destroying disease.

FIU SETS STATE RECORDS FOR HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES

The Florida Small Business Development Center at FIU’s College of Business has been recognized as the state’s best.

More than 30 professionals work for FIU’s center, which serves Miami-Dade and Monroe counties and offers no-cost consulting around topics such as market analysis, business strategy and financial management. In 2021, FIU’s center assisted a record 2,050 clients over some 20,660 consulting hours. The center also led the state network in the amount of capital it helped clients secure ($117 million) and the number of businesses it helped launch (114). The nine-member Florida SBDC Network is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the State of Florida and other private and public partners.

EXPERTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL, PUBLIC HEALTH LAW JOIN FACULTY

In keeping with FIU’s research prowess in environmental resilience and public health, the College of Law has recruited new faculty whose work will provide legal context around subjects of increasingly critical importance. In addition to a law degree, each holds a doctorate in their chosen fields of expertise and can address the technical aspects of the subject matter they teach and write about.

Taleed El- Sabawi specializes in addiction and mental health policy, politics and law. She has written extensively on public discourse surrounding opioid overdose deaths, regulation of substances and the financing of addiction treatment and has co-authored a model law that creates health crisis response teams. She holds a Ph.D. in public health and health services management and policy.

John “Alex” Erwin teaches and conducts research in the fields of environmental and natural resources law. Combining his legal training with his background as a wildlife biologist, he has conducted research in conservation management through the lens of genetics and evolutionary biology and recently published a piece in the Cornell Law Review on the topic of genetic engineering and the Endangered Species Act. He holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in genetics.

Amber Polk focuses her research on rights-based environmentalism as a legal, political, and moral movement. She has written about the current administration’s executive orders on the environment. She holds a Ph.D. in philosophy.

“The addition of faculty in these fields rounds out both the law school’s and the university’s commitments to intensive study on the most pressing issues our nation faces,” says law school Dean Antony Page. “Their work will inform our students’ understanding as well as contribute to growing research in areas of law that are rapidly evolving.”

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF INVENTORS NAMES NEW MEMBERS FROM FIU

Four faculty from the College of Engineering & Computing have been named senior members of the National Academy of Inventors, bringing the university’s total of senior member to seven and academy fellows to 10. They join eight faculty who belong to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The newest inductees:

Bilal El-Zahab, who with his team holds licensed patents on lithium-air and lithium-sulfur batteries that boost both energy storage and battery life cycles;

Stavros

Georgakopoulos, who has developed a variety of antennas, including compact, folding “origami” electromagnetic systems for deployment in next-generation Air Force and Department of Defense systems;

Chunlei Wang, who has developed fabrication methods for building novel microand nanostructures for electronics, energy storage and biosensing applications;

Vadym Drozd, who works in the areas of carbon dioxide capture and sequestration and low-dimensional nanomaterials for energy storage and biomedical applications.

ON THE PROWL

THE FUTURE OF NURSING IN FLORIDA SECURED WITH NEW FUNDING

In a state projected to see a shortage of nearly 60,000 nursing professionals by 2035, some good news heralds a way forward: The Florida legislature has taken steps to increase the number of new nurses educated in the state’s public universities. And a private hospital organization likewise has prioritized that goal with a donation to FIU.

Strict faculty-to- student ratios set by law to ensure high-level training meant that FIU’s Dean Ora Strickland of the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences needed more teachers in the classroom to support an expansion in enrollment. Executives with provider HCA Florida Healthcare understood the value of preserving the nursing pipeline and have contributed $1.5 million to help increase recruitment for FIU’s Nurse Educator programs to expand the number of registered nurses qualified to teach.

“The sobering fact is that without enough nurse educators today, there will be fewer nurses for tomorrow. HCA Healthcare shares our purpose and has stepped up to the plate to grow a robust nursing faculty pipeline through FIU,” Strickland says.

The dean and her team had previously met with the Florida Association of Colleges of Nursing and members of the Florida Hospital Association, and they reached out to colleagues, CEOs, chief nursing officers across Florida and members of the Florida House of Representatives to advocate for greater public funding at Florida’s state nursing schools to hire the needed educators. Those efforts and others paid off when the legislature appropriated $40 million for State University System nursing programs. FIU will use its share to hire additional faculty and increase enrollment by 50%.

FINTASTIC TV: SHARK EXPERTS COMMAND A NATIONAL AUDIENCE

FIU scientists made a splash during National Geographic’s SharkFest 2022. Seven faculty and students appeared in programs on topics such as newly discovered species, a seeming increase in sharks attacking boats and a search for the world’s biggest hammerhead.

The in-depth look at the greatest predator on Earth brought together FIU’s researchers at the forefront of global investigation, much of it led by Mike Heithaus, executive dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, and Yannis Papastamatiou, a professor of biological sciences.

ALUMNI SHARE PULITZER PRIZE FOR CONDO COLLAPSE COVERAGE

Six alumni, together with additional colleagues at the Miami Herald, have won a Pulitzer Prize in the Breaking News category for their work in collectively reporting on the 2021 Surfside, Florida, condominium building collapse that claimed 98 lives.

Reporters worked around the clock for days to capture the enormity of the tragedy, one of the deadliest building failures in modern history. The FIU alumni who were part of the winning team include Daniel Chang ’94, Howard Cohen '90, Jeff Kleinman ’86, Michelle Marchante ’19, Alex Mena ’99 and Carli Teproff ’03.

“We truly put our heart and soul into informing our community from every single angle,” Marchante said. “I feel honored that our work was recognized.”

STUDENT ERECTS “WALL OF HOPE” IN UKRAINE

A senior hospitality management major made his way from Miami earlier this year to the heart of war-torn Ukraine in a display of compassion amid unthinkable horror.

Leo Soto erected two memorials to the victims of Russian aggression, one in Ukraine and the other in Poland, where millions of refugees have fled in the wake of attacks on their homeland. The year before, Soto had established such a gathering place — complete with fresh bouquets and photos — to help residents grieve those who perished in the Surfside, Florida, residential tower collapse. Doing the same in a country under siege presented unique logistical challenges.

“This is about giving the community a place to come together and mourn loss,” Soto says. “I’m honored I was able to bring some sense of comfort.”

Ora Strickland

MARINE SCIENTISTS IN ACTION

ALUMNI OF DISTINCTION

FIU graduates lead in every field and across every sector. They have harnessed innovation to build unique companies, risen to positions of influence, contributed to the greater good through advocacy and governance, made news with their artistic pursuits and generally distinguished themselves for ideas and actions worth celebrating. Meet five — each one representing a different decade — who have mounted the national stage. They are among the 290,000 Panthers that collectively have a positive impact on the world.

ALUMNI OF DISTINCTION

Carmen M. Reinhart Chief Economist

World Bank

THE ULTIMATE NUMBERS PERSON, A CHAMPION FOR GLOBAL PROSPERITY

One of the most powerful economists in the world jumpstarted her career with a bachelor’s degree from FIU. Cuban-born, Miami-raised Carmen M. Reinhart ’75 is chief economist of the World Bank, an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries to alleviate poverty. She assumed the role at the height of the global pandemic and a time of unprecedented financial crisis.

An expert in international finance and macroeconomics, she is ranked among the top economists worldwide based on publications — including the best-selling, co-authored “This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Recurring Financial Folly,” translated into 20 languages — on topics such as exchange rate policy, banking and sovereign debt crises.

Reinhart has been listed among the Most Influential 50 in Finance by Bloomberg Markets, the Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine and the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds by Thomson Reuters. She serves on the advisory panels of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the International Monetary Fund and in the 1980s was chief economist and a vice president at a global investment firm. She holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and is a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School.

“I had a very positive experience at FIU. It helped me prepare for graduate school. I have very fond memories. I had wonderful professors.”

Photo: Martha Stewart /

Harvard Kennedy School

ALUMNI OF DISTINCTION

The Hon. Barbara Lagoa

United States Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

A JURIST BREAKING BARRIERS

The Hon. Barbara Lagoa ‘89 has ridden an English degree from FIU, along with a juris doctorate from Columbia, to a career of impressive firsts. The South Florida native of Cuban heritage is the first Hispanic woman appointed to the Florida Supreme Court, the first Hispanic woman appointed to Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal and the first Hispanic woman appointed chief judge of the latter.

Prior to ascending to the bench, the justice worked as an attorney in the Miami office of multinational firm Greenberg Traurig in the areas of employment discrimination, business torts, securities litigation, construction litigation and insurance coverage disputes. In 2003, she joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and tried numerous criminal jury trials, including drug conspiracies and Hobbs Act violations and handled a significant number of appeals.

Today, Lagoa continues a relationship with FIU through past service on the Alumni Association and participation on the university’s presidential search committee.

“FIU provided me not only with a solid academic foundation, but also with mentors who helped me identify the opportunities that education offered. Although FIU, like Miami, is relatively young, it has gained national and international recognition as a center of excellence, and I look forward to the next chapter in this dynamic institution’s history.”

ALUMNI OF DISTINCTION

Danny Pino Television and Film Actor’96

A LUMINARY OF THE SCREEN

TV and film star Danny Pino ’96 has earned acclaim for masterfully inhabiting the roles of Detective Scotty Valens in “Cold Case” and Detective Nick Amaro in “Law & Order: SVU” as well as the head of a drug cartel in current hit “Mayans M.C.”

The alumnus cut his chops on stage at FIU and has since made a name for himself as both a leading man and a devoted Panther.

Active professionally for more than two decades and with appearances in dozens of programs and movies, Pino knows the value of a strong start. He credits his theater professors, among them recently retired 40-year veteran Phillip Church, for teaching him how to turn disappointment into a catalyst for success. A proponent of increasing minority representation in drama — he suggests that viewers take some responsibility for making their wishes known regarding diverse casting — the Cuban American actor twice has received the Hispanic-focused Imagen Award for his work. He has returned to campus over the years to serve as grand marshal of the homecoming parade and to speak with FIU students about getting ahead in life.

“My time studying at FIU was formative. I carry valuable lessons learned from our outstanding professors in addition to the inspired and brave work of my talented classmates. I am forever grateful for the foundation FIU provided.”

AN IMAGINATION ON FIRE

The path to New York Times bestselling author status began for Dennis Lehane MFA ’01 when he enrolled in FIU’s nationally ranked Creative Writing Program. He credits one professor in particular with teaching him all that he now knows about plot, something he says had never come naturally. That last fact might surprise fans of his more than a dozen novels, among them mysteries and crime thrillers.

Lehane can also credit FIU faculty for pushing him to his first big success, “Mystic River,” on which the 2003 movie starring Sean Penn is based. When professors suggested that one of the short stories in Lehane’s master’s thesis needed a small tweak, he instead reworked the piece into a book over the next seven years before returning to campus to drop it off and collect a diploma.

Lehane’s 25-year career includes writing for several cable television series (he earned awards for his work for HBO) as well as screenplays. Once encouraged by his parents to seek employment as a utility worker or letter carrier, the Boston native has admitted to having talent only for making things up — much to the delight of readers and viewers.

“I looked into graduate school and decided to go for it. It was a way to hide from the world for an extra two years. It also helped me work on my craft. I felt like I wouldn’t have gotten published without FIU."

ALUMNI OF DISTINCTION

Dennis Lehane Novelist and Screenwriter

OF DISTINCTION

Desmond Meade Executive Director

AN UNEXPECTED VOICE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR

Desmond Meade JD ’14 landed on Time magazine’s list of 100 Most Influential People and was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow following his successful efforts to gain passage of a referendum in Florida to restore voting rights to some 1.4 million ex-felons.

The initiative garnered a decisive majority, with citizens overwhelmingly saying “yes” to second chances, as Meade explains it. And the previously imprisoned, subject to “a lifetime ban on the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness” — as Meade describes their limited access to housing, jobs and other opportunities — could finally look forward to re-engaging in civil society.

It was a victory not only for a disenfranchised population but for a man who, through counseling and medical services, had found his way to rising above substance abuse, chronic homelessness and lockup to pursue education at the highest levels.

“When I got that [acceptance] letter from FIU, oh my God, it just broke me down. I thought it was poetic because this was the same community in which I was at my lowest.

To be able to get accepted into this law school, I think, was so redeeming.”

A NEW GENERATION OF PANTHERS CAPTURES ATTENTION 5 UNDER 35

The FIU Alumni Association earlier this year announced its inaugural class of “5 under 35.” Nominated by their peers and selected by a university-wide committee from a pool of more than 200 submissions, these honorees represent younger graduates who are attracting attention for their service and expertise.

”Our goal as an Alumni Association is to engage Panthers with their alma mater and recognize them for their accomplishments beyond FIU,” says Sara DuCuennois, recently named chief alumni officer. “Our Young Alumni Network’s 5 Under 35 recognizes the most recent generation of FIU graduates who are already leaving their mark on the world and at FIU.”

ALEJANDRO ARIAS ‘09

An attorney and partner at Holland & Knight, Arias focuses on land use and zoning matters. He is involved in numerous professional and community organizations, among them Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida, for which he sits on the board of directors. In 2021, he was recognized by Holland & Knight with the “Pro Bono All-Star” designation.

JOHNATHAN CYPRIEN ’12

Cyprien is a strong safety in the NFL, currently a free agent. Following a prodigious career as an FIU student-athlete, he was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cyprien remains involved in the South Florida community through efforts that benefit at-risk youth, and he co-founded an organization to provide FIU student-athletes with resources and support to be successful during and beyond college.

ANDREA HEADLEY MS ’15, PH.D. ’18

Headley is an assistant professor at Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy and a visiting scholar of Race, Policing and Crime at the National Police Foundation. Her research examines ways

to create a more effective and equitable criminal justice system and has been widely shared through journals, conferences and media outlets such as ABC, CBS and PBS.

HECTOR MUJICA ’11

Mujica leads the $100 million economic opportunity portfolio of Google’s charitable arm, which offers grants and technical expertise to underserved communities as well as a “career accelerator” that helps a wide swath of people — including those from rural areas and those without high school diplomas — attain skills through training, coaching and mentoring for well-paying jobs in the fast-growing digital economy.

ETINOSA OGHOGHO PH.D. ’20

Nigerian-born Oghogho holds a doctorate in public health from FIU with research experience at the World Health Organization in Geneva, making her a passionate advocate for reducing health disparities among underserved populations, particularly in the areas of maternal and child health. She is involved in humanitarian and global health outreach efforts in the United States, Haiti and Nigeria and works as a user experience researcher at Amazon. •

THE ART OF RESILIENCE:

DESIGNING FOR THE FUTURE OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

From devastating hurricanes and wildfires to sea-level rise and extreme heatwaves, Earth is confronting the effects of climate change like never before. Constructing homes, commercial buildings and community spaces in ways that do not further contribute to the growing global problem poses a special challenge for those charged with designing living, working and recreational spaces.

The FIU School of Architecture is tackling the world’s most pressing concerns head-on by training the next generation of skilled, creative and committed architects who understand what is at stake.

The building process — which relies heavily on manufactured materials as well as energy-intensive machinery — generates nearly 40% of global carbon dioxide

emissions, which drives climate change. Additionally, up to 70% of the world’s total waste comes directly from construction activity and, more so, building demolition, further adding to the planet’s increasingly dangerous levels of greenhouse gases.

“The repercussions are tremendous,” says Marilys Nepomechie, associate dean of faculty and program development at the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA) and a distinguished university professor of architecture. “This is the context in which our students are going to be working when they enter our profession. This is our future. Being able to work wisely with this understanding and to manage it well are critical for our ability to move forward as a people, not just as a city or region, but as a global community.”

The nonprofit Architecture 2030, on which Nepomechie served as a task force member, some 16 years ago laid out the ambitious goal of universal carbon-

neutral construction by the end of the current decade. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) responded by challenging architecture firms to commit to net-zero emissions, and more than 1,000 firms have pledged their support.

IN THE CLASSROOM

FIU professors are doing their part by encouraging the rising generation to embrace sustainability. The faculty number international scholars and licensed architects who maintain their own practices, conduct research — often with funding from the likes of the National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy — and work across the globe on a variety of projects in the resilient/ sustainable design space.

These experts teach aspiring professionals the principles that will continue to guide

WALK THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD OF TOMORROW

the industry moving forward, Nepomechie says. “We arm our students with amazing research and critical thinking skills. We also teach students how to visualize the future, using artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality to envision and rethink what’s possible.”

Professor Claudia Busch, for example, tasked students with creating a sustainable, affordable and customizable home design for replication in low-income areas. Students researched and analyzed the use of 3D printing, a fabrication method that many in the industry view as the future of affordable housing. Busch, the co-founder of her own architecture firm, invited clients, developers and industry experts to speak with students and provide feedback. “The projects the students came up with are real-life,” Busch says. “I told them, ‘You are doing something that has meaning.’ We are addressing the future.”

The experience made an impression on graduate student Lila Coffey. “It was eyeopening,” she says. “We were looking at these lofty goals of sustainability and affordability. It made me realize this is

possible. It made me feel excited about the future of architecture.”

Coffey teamed up with fellow grad student Manuela Farnot to design a series of sustainability-focused 3D-printed “shells,” that theoretical clients could choose to incorporate into their homes, each specific to filling a particular need: producing alternative energy, with solar panels and other features incorporated to leverage renewable sources; maximizing capacity for growing vegetables, with support for an exterior vertical garden; and utilizing rainwater for laundering clothes and flushing toilets, with pipes fitted specifically to such purposes.

“The idea was to create an example for communities of how structures like this can be built quickly and affordably,” Farnot says. “The goal was to create homes of the future.”

GRADUATES LEADING THE WAY

Alumni are already ushering in that future. Ana Benatuil M.Arch. ’13, senior project architect and one of eight FIU graduates

who work in the Miami office of global firm Gensler, has made the issue of designing for long-term sea-level rise front and center. She and colleagues secured funding for a project that included working with Nepomechie’s graduate students to create recommendations around challenges facing coastal communities. The resulting published report, “Urban Strategies for Coastal Resilience,” served as the basis for an exhibition at the Miami Center for Architecture and Design.

Benatuil says her education at FIU and the completion (under Nepomechie’s mentorship) of an AIA-award-winning master’s thesis — which examines the impact of sea-level rise on Miami’s architectural landscape — were critical to her evolution as a rising leader in the push to reduce negative impacts on the environment.

“The project I did at FIU took on a life of its own,” she says of its wide interest and potential impact. “FIU introduced me to these topics as a student. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

And with the architects of tomorrow now learning from those on the front lines, things can only look up. •

The urban neighborhood of tomorrow will likely revolve around the need for sustainable, affordable, customizable housing, concepts promoted by faculty and alumni of FIU’s 25-year-old school of architecture, a Top 20 public architecture school as determined by QS World University Rankings.

Life-saving science: Alexander Agoulnik, left, removes frozen human cells from a liquid nitrogen tank for culturing and eventual examination by Joshua Hutcheson.

BIOMEDICAL ADVANCE TARGETS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

A collaboration between researchers at FIU’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and FIU’s College of Engineering & Computing has earned a patent that could potentially revolutionize how heart disease is treated — and even prevent it in those at highest risk. More than one in three deaths in the U.S. are attributed to cardiovascular disease. Geneticist Alexander Agoulnik and biomedical engineer Joshua Hutcheson have developed methods to use a novel compound to treat and prevent vascular calcification, an accumulation of bone-hard calcium in diseased artery walls that can combine with cholesterol. Such a mass can block blood flow, or it can rupture to cause a sudden blood clot, leading to heart attacks and strokes. (Unlike cholesterol plaques, calcification generally has no relation to diet and tends to increase with age.)

The work builds on discoveries each researcher made previously in his respective lab as well as in joint studies with

scientists at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health.

“We know that current treatment methods, such as lipidlowering medications, lower the risk of a cardiovascular event,” Agoulnik said. “However, they do nothing to get rid of existing pathology, and there are currently no effective pharmacotherapies available to prevent or treat vascular calcifications.”

Findings by the pair and postdoctoral associate Hooi Hooi Ng, however, are poised to change that. The researchers are seeking industry partners to move from laboratory investigations to additional studies and clinical trials.

“The goal,” Hutcheson says of the promising approach, “is to return the patient to a normal baseline, or a healthy cardiovascular risk level.”•

DEAN OF MEDICINE MEET THE NEW

South Florida has a reputation for world-class health care, attracting top doctors as well as patients from around the world in pursuit of the latest treatments. Into this exciting mix steps Dr. Juan C. Cendan, newly appointed dean of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and senior vice president for health affairs.

The board-certified general surgeon joined FIU last year as a vice dean and soon after took on the role of interim dean. He has taught on a range of topics, among them cardiovascular shock, disorders of the adrenal glands and obesity. He has mentored students and residents interested in surgical careers and supervised clinical trainees in international health care and medical students on educational exchange in Mexico, Peru and Ethiopia.

How does the spirit of ingenuity that pervades South Florida both complement and drive research in the college of medicine? Collaboration is key. For example, we are partnering with Baptist Health South Florida for a clinical trial to improve the memory and cognition of Alzheimer’s patients using an exciting new technology: low-intensity focused ultrasound. This work is led by two of our faculty members, one of whom is also the chief medical executive at Baptist’s Miami Neuroscience Institute. We also just named a new associate dean for research with the kind of experience needed to help us enhance our basic science research and turn our discoveries into better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases.

FIU has taken a unique approach to educating medical students, one that does not depend on a dedicated teaching hospital. Can you speak to the opportunities this presents? Our curricular model integrates with the community and our many clinical partners. Our students rotate through multiple clinical venues in South Florida, from private practices and community clinics to large hospital systems. And the feedback we get from graduates is that this is very helpful when they enter residency because they feel comfortable wherever they go.

You have expertise in simulation for medical education purposes. What is the role of technology in teaching aspiring doctors? Technology goes hand in hand with medical care, and our students are constantly exposed to it, from electronic medical records to telemedicine and AI. But there is more to training future doctors. And we are national leaders in a paradigm shift in medical education that, instead of basing outcomes just on grades, considers students’ behavior and capacity and their readiness for work. For example, we are one of only 10 medical schools in the country selected by the Association of American Medical Colleges for a pilot program around what are called “entrustable professional activities.” These point to practical approaches to assessing competence in real-world settings and address areas such as history gathering, informed consent, patient safety and interprofessional collaboration.

Any priorities you care to share? As a medical school, it is critical that we increase our clinical impact in the community. We must grow our health care delivery system by either expanding our own clinic, partnering with local clinical affiliates or both. This will, in turn, help drive our medical education mission and our research enterprise.•

WORLD CENTER

COLOMBIA

FIU is taking its commitment to global health to the next level by establishing the World Center Colombia. The hub brings together faculty and students at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work and universities in that country to advance research throughout the region and beyond.

Colombian native Dr. Carlos Espinal knows the value of collaboration firsthand. As the director of FIU’s Global Health Consortium, which for years has coordinated national and international health initiatives among dozens of partners, he understands the critical nature of the work. Beyond COVID-19, he says, vaccine-preventable illnesses such as whooping cough, meningococcal disease and others pose dangers that respect no borders and demand to be addressed widely.

”These diseases travel with people,” Espinal stresses, so supporting countries with limited resources benefits everyone.

Now FIU has made a move to go even further. By bringing together health researchers from two continents, the hope is to revolutionize preventive measures and treatments for millions, with a special concentration on new areas of study such as those related to the environment and climate change. The newly created World Center Colombia aims to accelerate much-needed investigations in the interest of improved global health.

TACKLING CORONAVIRUS AND SO MUCH MORE

Throughout the ongoing global health crisis, FIU has taken a lead in gathering experts to effectively disseminate information and foster meaningful discussions among the broadest audience of stakeholders. In December of 2021, the university partnered with the Society of Colombian Pediatrics to host an in-person conference in Cartagena. Global health and medical experts, university researchers and government officials convened to share best practices and develop recommendations to boost vaccine coverage in lowand middle-income countries. That followed three virtual conferences over the previous 18 months that saw the participation of thousands who listened to leaders from the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization and other groups exchange strategies to manage complex

challenges around the coronavirus. (Presentations were made in English with simultaneous translation into Spanish.)

Such concentrated activity during the pandemic comes after years of cooperative research between FIU and scientists in Latin America and the Caribbean on a variety of critical health-related areas. Of particular interest have been various scientific investigations related to environmental pollutants’ impact on human well-being.

One that is nearing conclusion is a $3 million project begun in 2019 with the University of Córdoba to evaluate contamination levels of the 400 mile-long Atrato River and the consequence on the surrounding populations. Results from the study, funded by the Colombian government, are forthcoming.

A second project, under the direction of renowned neurotoxicologist Tomás R. Guilarte, dean of the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, has researchers from FIU and in Colombia studying how to counter the effects of lead poisoning among young victims.

”There are estimates that up to 40 percent of the world’s children have learning problems due to lead exposure,” says Guilarte, a celebrated pioneer of research on the subject. “In partnership with Colombian researchers, we are poised to begin work on the development of a simple, effective and safe therapy for such children.”

Later this year, in conjunction with researchers from the University of Cartagena, FIU’s Rajiv Chowdhury aims to begin a new study of the public health impacts of climate change on a coastal population

“They are highly vulnerable for things like saltwater intrusion into their drinking water and rise in environmental air and toxic metals pollutants, each of which has been shown to increase people’s risk of cardiac and neurological conditions,” Chowdhury explains. He will also examine whether a change in climate and environmental factors over time increases the risk of worsening major global health challenges such as antimicrobial resistance.

”We have the right setting, and now we have the right partners,” Chowdhury says of the community of scholars invested in the work.

BRINGING STUDENTS ALONG

Likewise, cooperative efforts in fields such as dietetics and nutrition are taking off. Cristina Palacios, an FIU professor who has worked extensively with the World Health Organization, recently traveled to Colombia to meet her counterparts as well as those in the community

with a stake in improving health outcomes around obesity. She plans to build upon a study she previously published that evaluated obesity prevention programs across 17 Latin American countries.

Working aside Palacios is FIU doctoral student Gabriela Proaño, as well as students and a research director from the University of the Andes. Collectively, the group has access to vast expertise and resources, including data previously unknown to Palacios.

”I feel like we have different pieces of the puzzle,” Palacios says of the expanded team on which she can now rely. ”They are really helping put everything together. It will help us understand the overall picture.”

Graduate student Proaño will use the experience as the basis for her dissertation, and she and Palacios will share their study of effective strategies as well as recommendations with government organizations to inform future nutrition programs

”Any research, especially something that’s global, needs collaboration with people on the ground,” Proaño says. ”The team in Colombia adds such a richness of information and value.”

JUST GETTING STARTED

And therein lies the point of the World Center, concludes Chowdhury, the researcher who is also charged with designing FIU’s global health academic curriculum and cultivating additional global health scientific projects among FIU’s research-focused faculty.

What began years ago as a steady trickle of international engagement over shared interests will soon turn into a flood, he predicts as he speaks of the goals to which the university is committed: ”How do we maximize opportunities and add new dimensions as a team so that there is a constant exchange of expertise between students and faculty?” ”How do we co-design creative programs where we are setting up sustainable research projects?”

And people in Colombia are just as excited.

“Working across borders and finding new ways to improve and save lives means the world to us,” says Luis Jorge Hernandez, director of research and associate professor of the School of Medicine at the University of the Andes. “What greater good than to know we had a hand in delaying diseases or safeguarding the health of millions of people.”•

THE FUTURE OF

Students share their perspectives on the global landscape

AN IDEALIST TAKING ACTION

Looking at the state of the world today, one can easily become discouraged. Yet I take the optimist's approach. My experience while a student at FIU gives me hope that the future will be in good hands so long as people with passion and love keep standing for their truth. Situations that often seem intractable can evolve.

Born in Venezuela of Indian parents, I have been driven to fight for women's rights and equality since the age of 12, when I visited the city of Ajmer in northern India and saw the stark oppression of women there. They lacked the most basic of human rights, among them education and freedom of expression. I have since made it my mission to work on their behalf.

During the summer between my sophomore and junior years, and with the financial support of FIU’s Ruth and Glenn Hamilton Scholarship, I was able to serve as a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a public policy think tank in Washington, D.C., that helped expand my global perspective and taught me how to craft possible solutions to transnational problems. I had the chance to create a policy proposal that focuses on addressing domestic violence against women in South Asia. That work led to my dream internship at a human rights organization called Justice Revival, which aims to give a voice to marginalized communities within the United States.

These first steps have set me on a path through which I hope to inspire others. I want to cause a chain reaction that will produce positive change.

is a senior international relations major. During the summer of 2022, she interned at Freedom House, a nonprofit organization in the nation’s capital that conducts research on and advocates for democracy, political freedom and human rights worldwide.

GEOPOLITICS

A HISTORIAN OPENING ONCE-HIDDEN DOORS

Much attention has been paid in recent years to disinformation in real time, but lack of access to historical information poses another problem that we, in the 21st century, have come to recognize. Fortunately, historians increasingly have an “in” to the past through the growth of digital archives and their own initiative.

As a history student at FIU, I have learned the importance of “digging deep” to uncover truths that might otherwise remain unknown. In one of my courses, I read about, and we discussed, the lawsuit of an attorney seeking public documents regarding decades-old police surveillance activity that were made available only after drawn-out court proceedings.

An understanding that research does not always come easily and that those who undertake it have a duty to follow the evidence, no matter the barriers, has informed my own work. As an Honors College student, I conducted a project that required examining records pertaining to the 20th-century military government of Juan Velasco in Peru. My goal was to highlight the marginalized, mostly women and indigenous people, who did not benefit from the lofty goals and implemented reforms of the revolutionary regime.

I shared my findings in presentations at two conferences, and I wrote an academic article that will be published in the inaugural issue of FIU’s undergraduate research journal.

I am confident that many more individuals will labor to shed light on important gaps in global knowledge. The drive of young scholars and the widening of access to information, particularly through digital archives, will push us toward a more just path.

Hayley Serpa is a 2022 alumna and a continuing member of FIU’s Model United Nations team, for which she serves as a head delegate. Currently working toward a master’s degree in history, she plans to write her thesis about the Peruvian rondas campesinas, peasant resistance groups that rose to prominence in response to communist guerillas in the 1980s.

The late John F. Stack Jr. followed a no-nonsense approach that left success in his trail. During 46 years, the scholar of political science advanced the university through his leadership as the founding dean of the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, his work in helping establish FIU’s law school and his legendary championing of students and alumni. Model United Nations, in particular, commanded his attention for the opportunity to imbue young people with critical thinking skills through simulation, and he was instrumental in FIU’s perennial success as one of the top teams in the country. A current undergraduate recounts his memories of the man.

Until the end, we on the Model UN team relied on the wisdom of Dean Stack. While the pandemic and his ongoing illness relegated our interactions to Zoom — on occasion that included as many as 50 of us gathered in the Green School auditorium to watch him on the big screen — Dean Stack never skipped a beat. Advisor to our group for 16 years, he could no longer attend year-round competitive conferences with those of us selected to participate. Instead, he unfailingly connected virtually with us as we went over last-minute strategy in a hotel room somewhere. He would inspire us with a pep talk and reiterate critical basics: remember your world history when negotiating with a hostile government; always act within the parameters of the rules-based international order upon which the United Nations itself operates; and never, ever forget that you are FIU and you are great.

I wanted to meet my mentor in person for the first time and late last year asked to visit him at home. Despite a busy work schedule, he welcomed me and offered life advice: “Pick one or two things at which to excel to avoid doing a lot of things poorly,” he cautioned highly-involved-but-disorganized me. He also shared stories of a boy who, encouraged by his parents, neither a college graduate, rode his love of learning to the heights.

A once-avid traveler with a sharp wit and wicked Boston accent that marked him as a proud Irishman by heritage, Dean Stack in recent years found himself uncharacteristically confined. I hope he knew that even then, weakened physically but never absent, he gave flight to the aspirations of many.

Alexander Sutton is a junior political science major who last year served as a Model UN head delegate.

A FUTURE LAWYER EYEING SEA LEVELS

Living on Miami Beach, I have seen outside my door the frequent flooding wrought by the increasing heights of tides and storm surge.

Tackling the problem of sea level rise and its aftereffects cannot happen in isolation. I learned firsthand how and why countries must work together to plan for an eventuality that could forever change natural as well as human landscapes. This summer I traveled to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, to work as a research assistant for FIU College of Law Professor Charles Jalloh. He is a member of the International Law Commission (ILC), a body of experts from around the world who are elected by the UN General Assembly to develop and codify international law.

By consulting scientists and gathering wide input, the ILC is working to create legal and practical frameworks that address the loss of territory and displacement of populations that low-lying lands will face due to rising seas.

Among the questions the commission grappled with: Does a nation-state retain legal status once a portion of its land becomes submerged or a portion of its population relocates for safety to another country? The Montevideo Convention of 1934 defines a nation-state as necessarily meeting four criteria. What if two of them — a fixed territory and permanent population — no longer exist?

The commission also considered the legal status of the displaced. If people must move as their existing homeland falls prey to the ocean, do they retain their original citizenship? Or do they take on the citizenship of whichever country offers them protection? Such questions might come to a head, sooner rather than later, for several islands of the Pacific.

For me, the experience proved eye-opening in both how such an international body operates and how something that affects me personally might play out globally. In the end, sea level rise will impact us all.

Leslie Gonzalez a third-year FIU law student. For the International Law Commission, she drafted statements on topics such as “Sea Level Rise in Relation to International Law” and “Protection of the Environment in Relation to Armed Conflicts.”•

THE CUTTING EDGE OF HOSPITALITY MAKING TOURISM SUSTAINABLE

Tourism-related travel produces an estimated 8% of the world’s emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas driving climate change. By its very nature, the tourism industry has direct involvement in human activity that is negatively impacting the planet.

Turning that around remains critical to protecting both natural resources as well as economies that rely heavily on hospitality and tourism. Professionals in the field are responding by increasingly embracing ecofriendly practices, and FIU has taken a lead with a new online bachelor’s degree in global sustainable tourism that takes into account seemingly competing interests.

“It’s about the well-being of the planet, the people and the tourists,” Associate Professor Carolin Lusby says. “The philosophical premise of this degree is, in order to survive as an industry, and also keep our quality of life, we need to manage tourism in a whole new way.”

An interdisciplinary collaboration between the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and the College of Arts, Sciences & Education’s Department of Earth & Environment, the program offers courses in environmental sciences designed for those studying the business of hospitality and tourism.

“Tourism is the largest industry in Florida, and it’s important to everybody’s livelihood in the entire state,” says John Buschman, who codirects the program. Notably, the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, which markets the beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel in Florida, as well as the Florida Society for Ethical Ecotourism, which promotes awareness and stewardship of Florida's natural and cultural heritage, wrote letters of support when FIU first proposed the degree.

Students learn to apply skills and lead through advocacy, conservation and community partnerships. ”The degree prepares students for a purpose-driven career that tackles our most pressing problems in a comprehensive, collaborative way,” Lusby explains.

Topics covered include socioeconomic, environmental and cultural impacts with respect to responsible business practices and local governance. David Bray, a professor who specializes in natural resources management, says “the overarching thrust of the program is to teach students how tourism can adapt

to and mitigate climate change and become a key sector in the transition to low-carbon economies.” He adds, “What this does is train a new generation of people who see their career in tourism but are much more deeply informed on the science, the environmental policy and who understand the urgency of doing this.”

Interest in such a sustainability pathway is growing nationally and internationally. Buschman cites organizations like Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International, to which he has taken students on visits to observe sustainability processes, as a forerunner. “Within the last 10 years, the intersection between environmental sciences and hospitality has gained momentum,” he says.

A Green Lodging Trends survey (2019) indicated that 65 percent of hospitality and tourism businesses employ a dedicated sustainability coordinator and as many as 90 percent are conducting staff training in sustainability either with their own staff or through hired consultants and training experts. The types of businesses include tour companies, hotels, airlines, cruise lines, convention and visitors bureaus, theme parks, festivals, destination management companies and transportation companies.

As part of her studies, student Nicole Scott conducted a personal sustainability audit to understand how the products she uses might affect the earth and which might be either expendable or replaceable. It was an exercise she hopes to repeat on a large scale over the course of her future career as she strives to make a positive impact within the field and, by extension, on the world.

“This is one of the only schools in the country that has a program like this,” Scott says of what brought her to FIU. “This was just the absolute perfect blend of hospitality and environment.”•

“THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS A PROGRAM LIKE THIS, THE ABSOLUTE PERFECT BLEND OF HOSPITALITY AND ENVIRONMENT.”

— Nicole Scott

global sustainable tourism major

THE NEW

DEAN OF BUSINESS

One of the world’s top researchers in the field of real estate is now also on top of the College of Business. William G. Hardin has distinguished himself internationally as a leading scholar on real estate investment, foreclosures, corporate governance and related topics, with more than 75 refereed journal articles over an academic career spanning two decades. Now, he’s bringing the same level of introspection — and action! — to the broader goals of FIU Business. At the university since 2006, Hardin served as interim dean for a year while continuing his work as the Ryder Eminent Scholar in the Tibor and Sheila Hollo School of Real Estate, of which he was founding director.

In addition to Top 5 undergraduate and master’s degree programs in international business, what are the biggest positives driving the college? FIU Business produces graduates with sought-after skills, and we are located in an area that allows us to embrace a mix of ethnicities, races and cultures. As I talk to people at business schools elsewhere, I see they’re trying to become more like us because they know that bringing together perspectives based on a range of identities and experiences has value in the world of business. Several senior tech investors have said to me, “We appreciate diversity and knowledge of other cultures as that is a competitive advantage.”

How is it that FIU Business is so successful at keeping up and staying at the forefront of that change? Here’s an example of how we have not had to work to keep up but, instead, have been a leader. I was at a meeting several months ago and someone from arguably a Top 25 business school explained how excited they were about their first online graduate program. Well, we’ve been doing that for 25 years! FIU Business started the university’s online educational programs decades ago and has been educating thousands of working professionals in a way that has made sense for them. The thing is, we at FIU came by it naturally — as a realization of a need, not as an outgrowth of a historic event that forced everyone’s hand.

So, the school is innately innovative. FIU’s been an innovator since it started 50 years ago and largely because we’re unfettered by the kind of legacy that, frankly, can stifle innovation. I’ve seen the frustrations at older schools that may have high standing. Settled comfortably in terms of enrollments and dollars, they’re going to be the last ones that have to change. We at FIU, on the other hand, embrace change because industry and our region demand it. In fast-paced Miami, we at the College of Business have a mindset of finding what works for our students and what works for businesses in the real world.

What are your immediate priorities?

Over the next five years, we’re going to continue to drive new programs related to changes in the business environment and emerging industries, and not just those in booming South Florida and the rest of the state, but in Latin America and well beyond, particularly in Africa, where there are a lot of opportunities.•

“We will land among the Top 50 public business schools. I say that because we’re graduating students with the kinds of skills industry is looking for. We are far surpassing other business schools that show off a nice rank but fail to turn out the majority of their students in four years into a waiting economy. To the challenge of taking the college to the upper echelons, I say, BRING IT ON .”

Big Insights

FIU PREPARES STUDENTS TO LEAD IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS

In a world obsessed with collecting information about our every preference and action, those who interpret the resulting treasure trove are in demand across all industries. FIU is leading the way in training the next generation of data sleuths through its booming undergraduate business analytics program. Launched in 2014, the program has hundreds of students taking advantage of a degree that is exploding in popularity nationwide.

“Business analytics help us understand how people operate so we can improve their lives and their businesses,” says Karlene Cousins, professor and chair of the Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics in the College of Business. “In every field, there is a need for professionals who know how to harness that data, clean it, organize it and make sense of it.”

Analysts use data for various reasons, among them to get a picture of what is happening, or might happen, to determine the best way forward. For example, a streaming service wants to understand which genres have the greatest appeal to subscribers to make decisions about inventory, a hotel chain needs to anticipate numbers of guests at a specific location on a given weekend to ensure proper staffing and a transportation company wants to cut costs through better route planning. In each case, extrapolating from the numbers is critical.

Leaders at the College of Business believe so strongly that every student needs a grasp of the concept that even non-majors must take fundamental courses on the topic. (And in the interest of helping students across the entire university round out their resumes, FIU offers noncredit mini-courses to build competency in data interpretation and communication, completion of which confers a micro-credential.)

Majors go deep into the nitty gritty: data extraction, mining, warehouse storage, visualization and artificial intelligence. Oftentimes, students add a second major to narrow their focus, taking, for example, the finance, accounting or marketing route to prepare for careers as business analysts or the study of biology for work as health data analysts.

Whatever their chosen field, successful professionals will have the skills to make data come alive and, therefore, actionable. Storytelling is especially useful when a company needs to understand its target audience to provide the best product or service and how to market it effectively. Personalizing the “typical consumer” by ascribing specific characteristics — 30ish, female, busy professional, for example — provides a human lens through which to wade through nameless, faceless data.

Students hone such storytelling as they complete projects based on real-world data. Professionals from a

variety of industries come to the classroom to share information with teams, who together crunch the numbers and investigate what the numbers could mean for a company looking to retain customers, improve revenue or make decisions about a product line. They present their findings to classmates as they might in a boardroom or on a Zoom full of executive decision makers.

Alumnus Leonardo Cordero ’03, CEO of the global consulting practice and executive think tank wiSource, participates in the teaching and mentoring around the projects because he sees the growing need for solid business analytics professionals.

“Despite the massive acceleration of data availability, many organizations lack the capacity to use it,” Cordero says. “This degree is useful in every business, in every transaction.”

Guy Pavilus ’22 knows firsthand how in demand his skills are. The alumnus was snapped up by the American Welding Society as he was completing a bachelor’s in business analytics and has since chosen to enroll in the business analytics track of FIU’s master’s in data science while he continues working for the 100-year-old organization.

“They needed to get into this century and be digitally fit to succeed,” he says of the national society headquartered in Miami. He’s using technology to aggregate information from various platforms to paint a picture in real time and facilitate nimble financial decision making.

And while Pavilus and others see the value in utilizing numbers to inform the future, he cautions that the human element, for good or for bad, remains integral and cannot be divorced from the process.

“We think that since it’s about data, it’s going to be fair and just, but we forget that algorithms are written by humans,” he says. “We have to be aware of our biases while doing the work. We should be conscious of what we are doing and think about the consequences of what we are putting out.”

With that perspective undergirding the science, a new breed of professional aims to move business forward. •

“We cannot let data alone drive us. To have the best outcome possible, we need the human to understand what the goal is and what we are trying to achieve.”

TEACHING TOMORROW’S DATA ANALYSTS

IMPACT AROUND THE

INTO FIU’S

In 2015, the United Nations announced 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, as a call to action for countries and governments to unite in ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring prosperity for all by the year 2030. Universities, companies, other organizations and individuals all have a role to play.

Nearly every undertaking at FIU — from educating students across a wide, diverse swath and operating sustainably to conducting high-level research — contributes to the global good. FIU’s efforts, through hundreds of on-the-ground projects and thousands of published studies, a large portion of them led by the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, have been recognized as significant in many areas, and many of the SDGs are closely linked to one another. In addition to SDG4, Quality Education, which speaks to the university’s core mission, several others have been addressed with special focus and great success. Named a university of distinction in environmental resilience, FIU has, in particular, advanced the cause of sustainability and found ways to combat climate change. A sampling of these and other successes are described here.

SDG 3

GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Teams in the Robert Stempel School of Public Health & Social Work are tackling the human consequences associated with environmental contaminants. The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine immerses students in the lives of the underserved through the Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP program, which has aspiring physicians providing assistance and connecting families with continuing services. The Biomolecular Sciences Institute is investigating solutions to defeating antibiotic-resistant bacteria and mosquitoborne illnesses.

SDG 6

CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION

FIU researchers have spent more than three decades guiding management, restoration and protection of water resources in and around the Everglades, one of the largest environmental restoration projects on the planet. They provide the science behind federal water quality standards to protect drinking water and have conducted toxicity studies to determine levels of human-made “forever” chemicals polluting groundwater and drinking water.

SDG 11

SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

FIU protects the cultural as well as the physical foundations that define the life of urban centers, twin priorities of SDG 11. Three museums, two of them located in Miami Beach, elevate the arts and celebrate diverse heritage while libraries on two campuses serve as important repositories of local and regional collections of specialized materials and artifacts. Faculty from the College of Communication, Architecture + the Arts, College of Engineering and Computing and College of Arts, Sciences & Education together form the Innovation for Sustainable Built Environments research group.

SDG 13 CLIMATE ACTION

FIU has pledged to accelerate the transition to low-carbon energy while enhancing sustainable and resilient practices as part of its operation. The university has formally committed to support the international climate agreement in the United Nations COP21 climate negotiations in Paris. Through innovations coming out of the Extreme Events Institute and the Institute of Environment, FIU is pioneering new ways to withstand everstronger storms, hold back the rising seas and combat saltwater intrusion.

SDG 14

LIFE BELOW WATER

A team of international researchers led by FIU scientists in 2022 released findings from the first comprehensive survey of the world’s reef shark and ray populations. The information has been amassed in a central database available to all research scientists throughout the world as part of efforts to protect habits and identify dwindling species. In 2020, FIU responded to the declining health of South Florida’s Biscayne Bay. An unprecedented fish die-off brought together university researchers and more than a dozen collaborating organizations to respond to the emergency, which included aerating the water to ensure a successful return to former oxygen levels. Ongoing projects examine the health of the world’s coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves.

SDG 15

LIFE ON LAND

By drawing inspiration from a location with a legacy of scientific exploration and discovery, FIU continues to be Florida’s leader in exploration, conservation and management of tropical plants while focusing on fighting invasive species and preserving tree canopy. Other work addresses issues of biodiversity loss and its effects on food security and the trafficking and conservation of wildlife abroad.

CHAMPIONS OF

OMEN’S

SPORTS

few months before FIU opened in 1972, the landmark civil rights ruling commonly known as Title IX was passed. It prohibits sex-based discrimination by any educational institution or program that receives funding from the federal government. The law protects students in a variety of ways, among them requiring that as many resources be put behind athletics for girls and women as for boys and men. From the start, women at FIU have shown a desire to contribute at the highest levels of sport. Continuing to advance their opportunities at the university remains a priority. “We do have a great history of supporting women’s athletics,” says athletic director Scott Carr, committed to promoting women student-athletes academically and otherwise. “We’re doing everything we can to help them be successful and to have a great experience,” he adds, pointing to a new women’s tennis complex under construction and planned upgrades to the softball team’s facilities. Here follow the stories of Panthers who either had a hand in championing women’s sports or who themselves attained distinction in competition.

A PIONEER FOR EQUITY

When FIU opened with a handful of intercollegiate men’s sports, there were no counterparts for women. Founding faculty member Judith Blucker, a former collegiate athlete and coach, wondered why — and then took action. Backed up by Title IX, Blucker discussed the situation with the administration and helped launch women’s varsity sports at FIU, even coaching the inaugural volleyball and softball teams.

“I was not thinking about what I could accomplish but more concerned with these young women and making sure they got the same opportunities as the men did,” the late Blucker said at the time. “I assumed it should be fair play for everybody.”

GREATEST GOLFER (PICTURED)

Boston native Pat Bradley ’74 earned an associate degree from Miami Dade College before heading to Arizona to continue her studies and pursuit of professional golf. Unexpectedly miserable in the dry desert, she called her old coach, who mentioned that a new school had just opened in South Florida called FIU. “I have to say it was one of the greatest moments of my life,” Bradley remembered of her first meeting with Judith Blucker (see above). And out of that campus visit came great news, the now World Golf Hall of Famer recalled: “There was a team! I was it!” Bradley would go on to win 31 LPGA tour events, including six major championships. She was FIU‘s first studentathlete to earn All-America honors.

WOMAN AD

In 1979 Nancy Olson became FIU’s first, and to date, only female athletic director, a rarity in the nation back then. During her tenure, she hired key people, petitioned for Division I status for the baseball program and watched men’s soccer become NCAA champions. Most ambitiously, perhaps, she started FIU’s men’s basketball team from scratch, a move designed “to grow the athletic program and get some notoriety,” she recalled. She hired one of the first black coaches to serve at a non-HBCU and then set about finding a space in which to play home games. “All we had was a ‘tin gym,’” she said of an old airplane hangar on campus in which practices took place. So

the team headed to a local high school, and the undaunted Olson set about securing funding to build FIU’s arena.

EUROPEAN PRODIGY

Hungarian powerhouse Andrea Nagy ’95 played FIU hoops from 1991 to 1995 and is considered one of the greats in school history. Recruited from Budapest by the legendary Cindy Russo (see below), she helped the Panthers to two NCAA Tournament appearances. Nagy has 1,165 career assists, a number that ranks first in FIU history and second in NCAA history. Her 1,812 career points rank her fifth in FIU history. Nagy went on to seven professional seasons, completing her career with the WNBA as a point guard.

It was a remarkable journey for a woman who had picked up basketball at age 9 and initially headed to FIU battling fears. “I was going somewhere I didn’t know anybody,” Nagy recalled of the plane trip she took alone to Miami. “I didn’t know the language. I didn’t know the culture. I had no friends over there. So it was pretty scary.”

INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS

When Tayna Lawrence ’98 took to the starting blocks in the 100-meter sprint at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, a TV announcer back in the United States informed American audiences that the track favorite had attended Florida International University. Running for her native Jamaica, lightning-fast Lawrence undoubtedly had the whole of Miami-Dade County cheering her to the finish. She earned a silver medal in the event and would claim a second days later in the 4x100 relay and, eventually, a gold in the same relay four years later in Athens.

KILLER ON THE COURT (PICTURED)

Yarimar Rosa ’10 had her volleyball jersey retired by FIU following a college career that saw the Panther become the university’s only four-time All-American and its all-time leader in kills (2,083) along with a slew of other impressive rankings. Arguably the best player in the program’s history, she relied heavily on fellow-Puerto Rican teammate Natalia Valentin ‘11. The pair had an oversized role in helping FIU reach the NCAA Tournament two years in a row.

“HOLY COLEY” (PICTURED)

Basketball standout Jerica Coley ‘14, MS ’16 is FIU’s all-time leading scorer, male or female. She is one of only 13 players in NCAA Women’s Basketball history to record 3,000 points or more in a career, and she ranks seventh all-time among NCAA career Division I scoring leaders. She is a three-time Associated Press All-America honoree and finished on a 63-game double-figure scoring streak. Despite a heavy travel and practice schedule, Coley maintained a high GPA and went on to earn a master’s degree in nutrition at FIU.

A LEGENDARY LEADER Cindy Russo guided women’s basketball as head coach for a whopping 36 years and retired in January 2015 as the most successful coach in FIU history and one of the great women’s basketball coaches of all time. She led the Panthers to 22 consecutive winning seasons, eight regular season conference titles, seven conference championships and six NCAA Tournament appearances. Her total 707 wins (667 at FIU) rank in the Top 25 on the all-time Division I women’s basketball wins list. “I had the chance to come in and make a mark on this university,” she said. “It’s a priceless feeling, being able to make a difference in these young women’s lives and seeing them go out and be successful and positive contributors in the world.”

A COMMITTED COACH Beach volleyball coach and assistant athletic director Rita Buck-Crockett has spent 10 years at FIU, formerly heading both the indoor and beach teams. Notably, in 2018 Buck-Crockett led the indoor program to its first-ever Conference USA Championship finals appearance and the beach program to its first-ever NCAA Championship bid. A Volleyball Hall of Famer and a two-time Olympian, Buck-Crockett is all about helping student-athletes grow into broadly capable individuals, wherever they go in life. “Sport is a very valuable instrument to learn comradery, empathy, teamwork, discipline, responsibility, how to handle pressure, how to take defeat and how to be passionate about something you love,” she said. “Sport helps you to learn how to see the bigger picture, and most of all to work hard for your goals.”•

Evolution of a university

Fifty years ago, FIU rose up at the edge of the Florida Everglades to become one of the largest research universities in the country. From its very start, FIU has stepped up to meet the moment, to give wings to the ambitions of individuals while serving the goals and ideals of a region and state intent on greatness. Today, FIU stands as an example of how dedication, determination and dreams together conquer all.

June 22, 1965

Florida Senate Bill 711 establishes a public university in Miami-Dade, the state’s largest county, which for years had seen residents’ higher education stop at the community college level for lack of access to an affordable option to continue. The legislation made possible a twoyear, upper-division institution.

1972

In a ceremony just days before starting classes with the largest opening-day university enrollment in U.S. history, President Perry and students gathered on the steps of newly completed Primera Casa to dedicate a bronze plaque enumerating the university’s goals.

1979

Former diplomat Gregory Wolfe takes office as FIU’s third president, accepting the reins from Harold B. Crosby, who had agreed to a three-year term. Wolfe prioritized student life through the building of residence halls and hosting of cultural events.

1986

Havana-born, MITeducated engineer and businessman Modesto “Mitch”

Maidique accepts the presidency of FIU. During what would become a record 23-year tenure, he oversaw the doubling of enrollment, the addition of several key academic units and a growing national reputation.

January 25, 1971

Under Charles Perry, then the youngest individual in the country ever named university president, FIU hosts an official groundbreaking to signify the forward movement of a campus that had recently functioned as an executive airport.

1977

The Biscayne Bay Campus in North Miami opens for classes, soon becoming the permanent home of FIU’s nationally ranked hospitality, marine biology and creative writing programs.

1981

With state approval, FIU for the first time admits freshmen to campus, ending its status as an upper-division-only institution. New students sported t-shirts with a clever play on words — “FirstClass First Class” — to drive home just how

1992

A tumultuous year for South Florida — Hurricane Andrew devastated the community and pushed back the start of classes throughout the county, including at FIU — coincided with an unforgettable triumph for the university when thenPresident George H.W. Bush addressed graduating students with a remarkable recognition of the school:

“It is one of the 50 largest universities in the United States of America, and a quality one at that. I can tell you this, they won’t be asking, ‘F-I-Who?’ anymore.”

1997

Visionary Micky Wolfson makes the largest in-kind gift in Florida history when he donates a breathtaking Mediterranean Revival building on Miami Beach and a priceless 70,000item collection to create The Wolfsonian-FIU. Within the next 15 years, FIU would build the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum and accept leadership of the Jewish Museum of Florida.

2OO9

Aspiring doctors walk through the halls of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine on the first day of classes, a historic event made possible by university and community leaders who for years argued the case for a public medical school.

Mark B. Rosenberg, who had begun his academic career as a professor at the university 33 years earlier and served as FIU provost as well as chancellor of the State University System, becomes the university’s fifth leader.

2O12

The College of Engineering & Computing blows the minds of researchers, state building inspectors, construction company executives and others with the unveiling of its NSFfunded Wall of Wind, the largest hurricane simulator on a college campus, for testing construction materials under controlled conditions, research that has contributed to strengthening building codes throughout the state.

2o15

FIU is recognized as one of the top research-producing universities in the country with designation as a Carnegie “R1” research university, putting FIU among a select 3% of U.S. universities.

After years of concerted lobbying efforts, including by many alumni, the College of Law welcomes its inaugural class of students, an occasion made possible with the approval of the state legislature two years earlier.

Football fans pack a sold-out campus stadium to watch FIU’s NCAA gridiron debut.

2o1o

A study reports that FIU has an economic impact on the regional economy of more than $5 billion, a figure that has continued to grow exponentially.

FIU rallies to win its first football bowl game, in Detroit.

2o14

Aquarius Reef Base comes back to life under the stewardship of FIU. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had plans to decommission the world’s only undersea research lab when FIU stepped in to keep it operational as a vital facility for scientific inquiry and training.

Capping its first 50 years, the university inaugurates its Center for Translational Science in Port St. Lucie, Florida — a high tech hub for accelerating the development of life-saving drugs — and FIU becomes the fastest-rising institution of the last 10 years in U.S. News & World Report public university rankings.

WATCH FOUNDER CHARLES PERRY