CAMPAIGN IMPACT REPORT
ME S S EGE F R O M TH E P RE S I D EN T
A CELEBRATION OF IMPACT Dear Friends, FIU’s Next Horizon campaign has come to a successful conclusion. This could only have happened with the incredible dedication, hard work, and generosity of our university community, alumni, donors, and partners. Our university has raised nearly $850 million for student success, research excellence, and community impact during the campaign, exceeding the $750 million fundraising goal by almost $100 million. Tremendous strides and accomplishments were made during the campaign. We raised funds for scholarships of all kinds— particularly for our first-generation students—improved our four-year graduation rates and reduced the cost of attendance. We began construction on new facilities and spaces that will set the stage for the next 50 years at FIU. We supported new, cutting-edge academic programs in high demand by both students and employers. And we attracted and retained faculty and staff at our incredible research university. FIU is better and bolder than ever before. I have no doubt that investments made through the Next Horizon campaign have played a transformative role—fostering innovation, accelerating our rise, and fueling forward-thinking people, programs, and research. I thank our leadership volunteers across the university and the volunteer campaign steering committee, especially the honorary chair and co-chairs, for their leadership and unwavering support. I thank our faculty and staff for their commitment and hard work attracting and stewarding campaign gifts. And I thank our donors and partners, whose generosity has made possible the great stories of impact you will read about in this report. The Next Horizon campaign has set the stage for a new era of philanthropy at FIU, focusing on scholarships, advancing our successful efforts supporting student success and research preeminence, and strengthening affinity and alumni engagement. Sincerely,
Kenneth A. Jessell President
VOLUNTEER CAMPAIGN STEERING COMMITTEE We are grateful for the following leadership volunteers for their service on the Next Horizon campaign steering committee and for their generous giving in support of key initiatives in student success, research excellence, and community impact: HONORARY CHAIR Herbert A. Wertheim, OD, ScD ’96, MD ’13 CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS Burt Cabañas ’76 Chad Moss ’94 Albert Taño, MD Debbie Taño CAMPAIGN STEERING COMMITTEE Michael M. Adler Cesar L. Alvarez, Esq. Tony L. Argiz ’74, CPA ’76 Darlene M. Boytell-Pérez, ARNP ’89, MSN ’96 Richard Brilliant, MS ’93 Tom M. Cornish ’85 Phillip A. G. Frost, MD, ScD ’93 Gerald C. Grant, Jr., ’78, MBA ’89 Kimberly J. Green, DPS ’11 Steven J. Green, LLD ’09 Tibor Hollo Albert Maury, BBA ’96, BAcc ’02 Justo L. Pozo, CPA ’80 We also recognize the service of the late R. Kirk Landon on the campaign steering committee.
FIU has raised nearly $850 million through the Next Horizon, the $750 Million Campaign for FIU. This tremendous support is indicative of your belief in our FIU and those we serve. We have made FIU history because of you!
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Campaign Overview Testimonials
Student Success Research Excellence Community Impact Campaign Giving at a Glance Transformational Donors Message from the FIU Foundation
CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW NEARLY
850M
$
in gifts and commitments, exceeding the $750M campaign goal (campaign closed June 30, 2023)
319M
$
raised for student success
$
raised for scholarships
135.3M
raised for research excellence
222%
576
endowment growth: from $95M market value (FY 2010) to $306M market value (end of FY 2023)
new endowments created (86% increase since FY 2010)
83.8M
$
in alumni giving
281.6M
$
2
120.4M
$
$
36.1M
raised through the Ignite faculty and staff giving campaign
raised for capital purposes: outright gifts supporting FIU’s financial or physical infrastructure. Includes $168.4M for endowments, $73.4M for buildings, and a $40M gift from MacKenzie Scott for student success.
INNOVATION ENGINEERING COMPLEX
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major facilities in progress, renovated, or opened during the Next Horizon campaign
Under construction
STEVEN J. GREEN SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS, “WEST WING” (RIGHT) Completed Fall 2023
TRISH AND DAN BELL CHAPEL Groundbreaking, April 2023
INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TROPICAL BOTANY
HERBERT AND NICOLE WERTHEIM PERFORMING ARTS CENTER ROTUNDA
Located at The Kampong in Coconut Grove
COMING SOON TO MODESTO A. MAIDIQUE CAMPUS • FIU CASACUBA • ALUMNI CENTER
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TESTIM O NIALS 4
MUSEUMS
THE CAMPAIGN LIFTED FIU, CONTRIBUTING TO ITS RISE AND REPUTATION.
TEST IMONIALS ALUMNI
FASTEST-RISING in public university rankings over the past 10 years (U.S. News & World Report, 2015-2024) 5
TESTIM O NIALS
INTERNATIONAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
RISING TO GREATER HEIGHTS
“The Green Family Foundation’s investments in FIU are helping to create a more just, peaceful, and prosperous world. The new building at the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs will provide training for future leaders to help unite our hemisphere, create interdisciplinary collaboration with global impact through the Kimberly Green Latin American & Caribbean Center’s initiatives, and foster community engagement through the Dorothea Green Lecture Series events. Through its work, the Green School is forming deep local and global relationships essential to ensuring a better world for all. If someone really wants to see the impact of investing in a university, FIU is certainly the place to do it.” —Kimberly Green, DPS ’11 President, Green Family Foundation
“We are grateful for the generous investment from Ambassador Steven J. Green, Dorothea Green, Dr. Kimberly Green, and the Green Family Foundation to make a second building— the new ‘west wing’ of the Green School—a reality. By bringing together most of our eight departments and 17 centers, institutes, and programs under one roof, it will nurture more collaboration among students and faculty and advance learning, research, and scholarship. Over the years, the Greens’ transformational support has enabled our School to join the ranks of the foremost schools of its type around the world.” —Dr. Shlomi Dinar, Dean, Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs In 2015, the Green Family Foundation made a gift naming the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs. Their investment funded construction of a second Green School building, which opened in fall 2023. The remaining funds provided endowment support to the Kimberly Green Latin American & Caribbean Center, student scholarships, and the Dorothea Green Lecture Series. This transformational investment played a role in the Green School’s becoming a full member of the distinguished Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) in 2021, one of only 38 schools in the world (along with Stanford, Princeton, and Georgetown, among others) and the only one in Florida.
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MUSIC AND JOURNALISM
REVOLUTIONARY GIFTS
“We are grateful to the many College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA) donors and alumni who have made the Next Horizon campaign a great success for our College. Two investments in particular made giving history at CARTA and were the largest of their kind in the State University System of Florida—one naming the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts and the other the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media. With these revolutionary gifts, our programs will become national models for music and journalism education. This support provides new scholarship opportunities, enhances facilities, and modernizes the curriculum with new technological resources. In addition, these campaign investments continue CARTA’s successful history of stewarding personal and philanthropic relationships to best serve our world-class students and programs.“ —Brian Schriner, Dean, College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts
EVOLUTION OF AN EXTRAORDINARY UNIVERSITY
“I am delighted to invest in the evolution of this extraordinary university’s programs and the vibrant communities it serves so well. FIU reflects the diversity and promise of our times. This gift will enable the university to continue its unique trajectory and further enhance its graduates’ success.“ —Lee Caplin, Entrepreneur, Executive Producer of the Sony Pictures Academy Award-nominated feature film Ali and Producer of the HBO multi-Emmy Award-winning television series True Detective A naming gift from Gita and Lee Caplin established the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media within the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA). A previous campaign gift from the Caplins created the Immersive Studio for Altered Reality (iSTAR) at CARTA, exposing students to Extended Reality (XR) technologies, including virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. At iSTAR, students learn how to develop and test immersive XR experiences. The Caplins’ transformative investments are positioning FIU on the cutting edge of journalism and media education and research.
RESOUNDING IMPACT
“The Wertheim gift to the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts and the Wertheim Marching Band will have a lasting and meaningful impact on the success of our programs. As we continue to grow our brand and develop new and exciting degrees, our students, faculty, staff, and community will all see the profound impact that gifts such as this can have. Thank you to Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim for this wonderful gift!!” —Professor Barry W. Bernhardt, Director of Bands, Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts In 2020, the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation made a gift naming the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts. This celebrated gift builds on the Wertheim Family’s prior investments in the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center (The Wertheim) and the Sydell Ida Wertheim Concert Organ. Students will benefit from expanded academic programs in music business and arts in medicine, scholarships, and a new café and gathering space at The Wertheim. 7
TESTIM O NIALS
ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING
ELEVATING COMPUTER SCIENCE
“Since the Knight Foundation’s investment in computer science in 2021, 24 new faculty have joined the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, augmenting subject matter expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, deep learning, big data, high-performance computing, and cybersecurity. These experts and the fresh teaching methods they bring are enhancing the high-quality engineering curriculum FIU offers and elevating its already renowned research profile. Investments like the Knight Foundation’s ensure our graduates are strongly positioned to contribute and thrive when they enter the workforce upon graduation.” —John L. Volakis, Dean, College of Engineering & Computing A naming gift from the Knight Foundation in 2021 has bolstered FIU’s computer science programs and research and branded the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences. Funding supports hiring 20 new tenure-track faculty experts and 20 new teaching faculty and reimagining the computer science curriculum. This gift raises FIU’s profile as a techsector partner and talent pipeline for the region and the nation.
HOSPITALITY EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION
Alumnus John McKibbon ’75 (right) and his wife, Letitia (left), with Chaplin School Associate Dean Rocco Angelo (center) celebrating Angelo’s 90th birthday in 2021. At the celebration, the McKibbons announced a gift to the Chaplin School to create the McKibbon ’75 Alumni Experience, enhance alumni outreach through the McKibbon ’75 Alumni Center, and fund scholarships, fellowships, and a professorship.
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“The generosity of our donors such as Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits, John and Letitia McKibbon, Marriott Foundation, Bacardi USA, Badía Spices, Carnival Foundation, Wine Spectator, Café Bustelo, and Burt Cabañas during the campaign has been truly transformative for the Chaplin School. Their gifts have enabled us to achieve bold and ambitious goals, from expanding our facilities and programs to attracting world-class faculty and students. But more than that, these gifts have brought together a community of supporters who share our vision for hospitality excellence and innovation. Together, we are creating one-of-a-kind programs, advancing big ideas, and shaping the future of the hospitality industry.” —Michael Cheng, PhD, CHE, Dean, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
FOR 20+ YEARS, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF®) has benefitted Chaplin School students, faculty, and facilities.
MUSEUMS
SHARING JEWISH HERITAGE WITH FUTURE GENERATIONS
“The Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU, like FIU’s other museums, relies on the generosity of the community to continue to thrive. The support of our donors has been instrumental in ensuring we provide quality, insightful, and powerful programming for our visitors, grow our expansive collection of objects, and modernize our Museum with new technology to benefit all attendees. Gifts from our passionate and tight-knit community, like one this year from Elliot Stone, a thirdgeneration Jewish Miami Beach resident whose grandfather built the Blackstone Hotel and whose father was one of only two Jewish U.S. senators from Florida, and his wife Bonnie Sockel-Stone have helped us make transformative changes and fill in the gaps in our core exhibition. Their gift is created in honor of Elliot’s parents and is dedicated to his children, so that they and their peers may enjoy our Museum for generations to come. We are grateful to Elliot and Bonnie—and all of our donors over the years—for the continued support of our mission to advance the understanding and appreciation of Jewish culture and preserve and share the history and stories of Jewish life in Florida.” —Susan Gladstone Pasternack, Executive Director, Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU As president of the Jewish Museum of Florida, Inc., Elliot Stone was instrumental in donating the Museum facilities and its collections to FIU in 2012. Elliot Stone and Bonnie Sockel-Stone have since made gifts to support a reimagining of the Museum’s core exhibit. During the campaign, Elliot Stone established the Senator Richard B. Stone Public Policy Scholarship Endowment, named in honor of his late father, who served Florida as a U.S. senator and the nation as an ambassador, and also made a gift in support of the Opa-Locka Partners for the Future Scholarship Endowment. In 2022, Stone funded a buoy for the FIU Institute of Environment’s Biscayne Bay and Florida Bay monitoring system. Named in recognition of his gift, the Royal Castle Companies & Singer Management LLC Buoy collects, analyzes, and transmits real-time data on water conditions back to FIU as part of FIU’s efforts to protect and preserve these waters.
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TESTIM O NIALS
MUSEUMS
GIFTS TO THE ARTS ENRICH LIVES
“As the Director of the Frost Art Museum, I have seen firsthand how philanthropy has changed our institution and impacted the broader community. With the support of generous donors, we have offered a wide array of exhibitions, educational programs, and events. Philanthropy gives us the means to expand our collection, maintain our facilities, and engage with audiences from all backgrounds. By giving back to the Frost, our donors have helped enrich the lives of students, faculty, and community members through the arts and humanities.” —Jordana Pomeroy, Director, Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum During the Campaign for FIU, which closed in 2001, generous giving by Patricia and Phillip Frost, MD, ScD ’93, helped fund the Museum’s current building. The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum was named in recognition of their giving.
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AT THE WOLFSONIAN
“With the Knight Foundation’s Museum of Ideas funding, The Wolfsonian–FIU has achieved a digital transformation, expanding content, access, and awareness of our vast collections. As we look to the future, Knight Foundation funding will drive interactives and other uses of the digital assets and experiences we have created. Two Knight Digital Lab and Resource Centers will serve as spaces in the Museum building for exploration and experimentation, production hubs for digital content, and portals for students and the public to gain deeper access to the Museum collections.” —Casey Steadman, Director, The Wolfsonian–FIU Mitchell “Micky” Wolfson, Jr., donated his 100,000-piece collection and The Wolfsonian museum to FIU in 1997. The collection currently contains more than 200,000 objects.
With Knight Foundation funding, The Wolfsonian created an interactive rotary payphone to share profound snippets from recorded interviews with founder Mitchell “Micky” Wolfson, Jr. Just Dial M for Micky.
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ALUMNI
ROI IN A LAW DEGREE
“I believe that any donor that is considering donating to FIU’s programs double down on that because the return on that is priceless.” —Desmond Meade, JD ’14, President and Executive Director, Florida Rights Restoration Coalition In 2023, the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, led by alumnus Meade, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for its role in restoring voting rights to more than 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions. Meade is a graduate of the FIU College of Law.
PANTHER PHILANTHROPISTS’ SUCCESS STARTED AT FIU
“Carlos and I credit our success to our origins at FIU and are committed to ensuring future generations of students are afforded the opportunity of an incredible education and life-changing experience.” —Tina Vidal-Duart ’02, MIB ’04, CEO, CDR Health, Inc., Executive Vice President, CDR Maguire, Inc. Tina Vidal-Duart and her husband, Carlos Duart ’94, MST ’99, established two scholarship endowments at the FIU Honors College, Vidal-Duart’s alma mater, and contributed to the Chip Cassidy Distinguished Professorship in the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management’s wine studies program, among other giving to FIU. Highly engaged Panthers, the couple has served in various leadership roles at FIU. Tina Vidal-Duart is now an FIU Foundation board member, and Carlos Duart helps lead FIU’s Board of Trustees as vice-chair. 11
TESTIM O NIALS 12
MUSEUMS
DONOR SUPPORT BOLSTERED FIU’S LEADERSHIP IN STUDENT SUCCESS.
TEST IMONIALS ALUMNI
319M
$
raised for student success
120.4M
$
raised for scholarships
40M
$
investment in student success from MacKenzie Scott
3.4M
$
raised for Fostering Panther Pride 13
STU D ENT SUC C ESS
INNOVATION IN TEACHING AND LEARNING THE FIU ROADMAP FOR IMPACTFUL STUDENT SUCCESS
“We take a comprehensive approach to student success and use evidence-based strategies proven to help our students succeed. FIU intentionally develops and adapts best practices in higher education, including targeted scholarships, robust advising, and support for innovation in teaching and learning, to achieve our goals. Campaign investment in these programs has magnified our impact. As an anchor institution, we are acutely aware that student success directly influences the success of the graduate, determines the success of the university, and contributes to the economic growth of our greater community. And if we get it right, future universities will succeed as well, because FIU will provide the roadmap for impactful student success.” —Dr. Elizabeth M. Béjar, Provost, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer, Florida International University
FIU was recertified with the “Seal of Excelencia” for its success in serving Hispanic and Latino students (2022).
SCHOLARSHIPS THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT
“It’s important to see that the gift of giving and education ... multiplies over the years. It’s not just the one or two dollars that you give but how the gift becomes a multiplier in someone’s life, and that’s a real big impact on our community.” —Chad Moss ’94, Executive Vice President, Moss, and Chief Executive Officer, Moss Family Office Worldwide In 2016, alumnus Chad Moss ’94 made a gift through Moss Foundation, Inc., naming the Moss School of Construction, Infrastructure and Sustainability at FIU, supporting scholarships for FIU students and other initiatives, and endowing a chair in construction management.
22,404 students awarded 14
scholarships (since FY 2018)
FIU’S LEADING SCHOLARSHIP DONORS Thank you for fueling our students’ dreams. • Chad Moss ’94 • TheDream.US • Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation • Badía Spices • Carnival Foundation • George & Bernice Cooke Foundation for Women • Green Family Foundation
FIRST-GENERATION SCHOLARSHIPS PROFESSOR GIVES BACK TO SUPPORT FIRST-GENERATION SCHOLARSHIPS, FOSTERING PANTHER PRIDE
As a Panther, a professor of criminology, and a life-long learner, Rosa Chang ’99, ’21, believes in the transformational power of education so much that she’s making it a part of her legacy. By giving a part of her estate—a significant gift for FIU—Chang ensures that firstgeneration scholarships and Fostering Panther Pride, a vital college access program for former foster youth and students experiencing homelessness, will keep going strong. Chang’s motivation to give back stems from her time as an undergraduate student at FIU when she was admitted to the university as a Golden Scholar, an access program designed to prepare first-generation students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. Golden Scholars provided Chang not just with help improving her English skills but also connected her with faculty and university services.
In 2020, Professor Rosa Chang ’99, ’21, Professor of Criminology, won the FIU Faculty Award for Teaching.
Chang hopes that her gift will allow first-generation students like herself to build both knowledge and resiliency so they’re prepared to face challenges both inside and outside of the academy. “By helping these students directly,” Chang says, “FIU motivates me to give back because I want to see these programs continue and become self-sustaining so they can help even more students.” Excerpts from the SOAR campaign story published on givenews.fiu.edu.
ALUMNUS COMES FULL CIRCLE— THE ROSADO FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP
When Tulio Rosado ’99 immigrated to the United States, like so many other newcomers to our nation, he had the desire and determination to seize all the newfound opportunities around him. He realized the key to this was higher education, but that takes time and money, luxuries often lacking for those starting a new life. “I’ve been able to attain many of the goals I set back when I started at FIU in 1995 because I received the economic assistance necessary to attend,” says Rosado, an economics graduate and current financial advisor. “Forming the Rosado Family Scholarship Fund came from the desire to give back and reciprocate the help that I received early in my life.” The fund was started in 2022 and has attracted contributions from other Tulio Rosado, College of Business Dean William Hardin, and Susy donors, including a corporate match from his employer. The scholarships Rosado at an event honoring the Rosado Family Scholarship Fund. support first-generation finance students at the College of Business. The Rosado Family’s goal is to make as much impact as possible with their gift, and because the funds are earmarked for first-generation students, they are eligible for a 2:1 state match. Additionally, since Rosado is an alumnus, his investment is eligible for FIU’s Alumni Challenge, whereby alumni donations qualify to be matched by an anonymous donor’s gift. “I encourage fellow FIU alumni to pay it forward. Brick by brick, FIU has become an outstanding school, and with our help we can contribute to FIU’s pursuit of becoming a top-50 university.”
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STU D ENT SUC C ESS
MUSEUMS
DONOR SUPPORT MADE FIU A FIRST SCHOLARS INSTITUTION.
41.3M
$
supporting first-generation scholarships, including $29.6M in private donations. We are grateful to the state of Florida for its generous support of first-generation scholarships, providing $11.6M in matching funds.
FIRST SCHOLARS INSTITUTION FIU became a First Scholars Institution in 2023, an advanced designation by the Center for First-Generation Student Success. 16
13,005 first-generation scholarships awarded (since FY 2010)
2M
$
raised and committed for first-generation scholarships through the Municipality Campaign, driven by commitments from several local municipalities and matched by donors to first-generation scholarships.
MEETING STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE
GIFTS THAT IMPACT GRADUATION OUTCOMES “Retention and completion grants make a difference in the lives of our students, allowing them to work fewer hours, address emergency expenses that would cause them to stop-out, or afford necessary expenses for their courses. Without the generous gifts from our donors, we would not have been able to support as many students as we have. Students who receive grants find value in the many supports that we offer them, including financial wellness coaching. This type of philanthropy is powerful, as the impact on the student is immediate and contributes to their ability to graduate.” —Dr. Bridgette Cram, Interim Vice President for Innovative Education and Student Success and Co-Executive Director, FIU Center for Community Impact and Public Purpose Donors have contributed over $2.5 million toward completion scholarships during the Next Horizon campaign, with grants to more than 2,250 students and more to come. Thanks to generous funding from the Braman Family Foundation and the Helios Education Foundation supporting completion scholarships, 2,062 students within 30 credits of graduating received a needbased completion scholarship (averaging $1,008 each), financial wellness coaching, and other supports. Of these students, 5 percent are still in school or have applied for graduation, and 94 percent have graduated.
FUEL FOR THE LAST MILE
“It was an honor to be chosen for the Helios Last Mile Scholarship at FIU. I recently earned my bachelor’s degree, majoring in sports management. This scholarship allowed me to focus on my studies and was a stepping stone that helped me earn my bachelor’s degree.” —Elyzer Saint Hilaire ’22 A gift from the Helios Education Foundation in 2020 created the Helios Last Mile Scholarship to help students close to graduation complete the last mile. Among other giving to FIU, the Helios Education Foundation funded summer completion scholarships in 2020 through a partnership with the Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities to help FIU students and those at two other public universities in Florida with expenses not covered by the federally funded CARES Act or traditional financial aid during COVID-19. 17
STU D ENT SUC C ESS
MEETING STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS AND VETERANS
“I applied for the scholarship because of the financial hardships that my mother, father, and I are facing. The funds paid for my tuition, so I was able to allocate other funds to aid my parents.” —Benjamin Wilson, Recipient of the George & Bernice Cooke Scholarship for Military and Veteran Students and Assistant Dedicated Crew Chief at the 482d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Homestead Air Reserve Base. Wilson is also an active member of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program. The George & Bernice Cooke Foundation for Women made a gift to FIU in 2021 to endow scholarships for nontraditional and veteran/military students. During the campaign, FIU has garnered national distinctions for being a military-friendly university.
GETTING STUDENTS WHERE THEY WANT TO BE
NEXT GEN DOCTOR
“This scholarship not only removed an unimaginable financial burden from my family and me, but it also gifted me two irreplaceable people: Dr. James Loewenherz and his wife, Esta Orovitz.” —Melissa Fernandez ’21, Class of 2026, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Melissa Fernandez is the first medical student to receive the James W. Loewenherz, MD, and Family Scholarship, created with a gift from Dr. James W. Loewenherz and his wife, Esta Orovitz, to the College of Medicine in 2022. Esta Orovitz, medical student Melissa Fernandez ’21, Dr. James Loewenherz (left to right)
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GETTING STUDENTS WHERE THEY WANT TO BE
TOMORROW’S NURSE ANESTHETIST
“The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Nurse Anesthesia Program is very strenuous and requires a full-time commitment. This scholarship helps to relieve some of the financial stress of being unable to work while in FIU’s intense program, and it gives me more time to focus on my studies. After graduating from the DNP Nurse Anesthesia Program, I envision working at a high-acuity tertiary hospital, where I can use the tools and the education I gained at FIU to care for my patients safely.” —Gylany Crossman, Graduate student, Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia Program, Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences Gylany Crossman was awarded the Diane Ramy Faulconer ’74, MSM ’74 Graduate Nursing Scholarship in spring 2023. Faulconer has made generous annual gifts to the College to support graduate nursing and health sciences scholarships, among other generous campaign giving.
COFFEE TRADER AND IMPORTER
“From my first day at FIU as a Carnival Gold Scholar until my last day as a postgraduate researcher studying customer coffee perceptions at hotels with Professor Howook Chang, my trip through the Chaplin School was packed! I had opportunities to gain hands-on industry experience, travel via study abroad, and take courses that toured all aspects of hospitality. This was all thanks to the generous fouryear full scholarship I received from the Carnival Foundation. It covered everything, including dorms, giving me the time and funding to explore the world of events and the hospitality industry abroad. And it was at a Carnival Gold Scholars dinner with faculty that Professor Chang and I discovered our shared passion for coffee. I’m now a coffee trader and importer who understands the business of my hospitality customers and green coffee partners.” —Serena Beze ’19, MS ’20, Coffee trader and importer; graduate of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management With generous support from the Carnival Foundation, the Chaplin School has awarded five full-ride scholarships each year to exemplary first-year students seeking a bachelor’s in hospitality management, opening new doors of opportunity for 42 Carnival Gold Scholars since 2014.
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STU D ENT SUC C ESS
GETTING STUDENTS WHERE THEY WANT TO BE ENTREPRENEUR
“Being a Carnival Gold Scholar was life-changing. It not only gave me an education, but it opened doors. The full scholarship meant I didn’t have to worry about finances or take a job to pay my way through school, so I was able to try everything and explore different sectors of hospitality through internships and study abroad. These experiences helped me decide what I wanted to do in hospitality and where my talents and passions could take me. Being a Carnival Gold Scholar also gave me confidence and put me in the room with the right people, including David Grutman. That led to a marketing position with Groot Hospitality and my work at Lemon Pop. I don’t know where I’d be today without that scholarship!” —Leah Esper ’19, MS ’20, Entrepreneur; graduate of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management Leah Esper is the co-founder of Lemon Pop Agency, a social media and creative agency specializing in the hospitality industry. Co-founder Paloma Feldman ’20 is an alumna of the FIU College of Business, and Lemon Pop employs another Chaplin School alumna and Carnival Gold Scholar, Deborah Sanchez, ’18, MS ’19. Go Panthers!
ENGINEER / DESIGNER
“As with most first-generation college students, I faced multiple demands on my time, including dedicating time to achieving academic excellence, participating in volunteer and leadership roles, and taking care of family members. With the support of the Jorge and Darlene Pérez Scholars Scholarship, I was able to focus on my education, grades, internships, and stewardship, all of which have culminated in my current career working with different agencies in the federal government to improve their future business operations. The scholarship also eased my financial burden postgraduation, enabling me to build my skills as a leader, give back to the South Florida community through my role on the Interdisciplinary Engineering Industry Advisory Council, and maintain an active and lasting correspondence with Jorge and Darlene Pérez, who have opened a world of opportunity to me, broadened my knowledge of the arts, and offered their continued mentorship.” —Jaquan Starling ’22, Engineer/designer; graduate of the College of Engineering & Computing and the Honors College, earning a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary engineering and minoring in computer science Jorge M. Pérez and Darlene M. Boytell-Pérez, ARNP ’89, MSN ’96, created the Jorge and Darlene Pérez Scholars Scholarship in 2018 with an endowment gift to the Honors College. Their annual giving also funds the Jorge and Darlene Pérez Excellence Award, given to graduating Honors College seniors distinguished by their academic excellence and commitment to the community. Jorge Pérez and the Related Philanthropic Foundation also made a campaign gift naming and providing endowment support to the Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center, FIU’s economic development think tank. 20
CAREER PLANNING AND PLACEMENT
LAUNCHING LAWYERS
“As an alumnus of FIU Law, I have witnessed firsthand the impacts of my gifts in helping FIU law students acquire high-level job placement with the support they received from the Ovadia Career Planning & Placement Office.” —Abraham S. Ovadia, JD ’09, Founder, Ovadia Law Group, PA In 2013, FIU College of Law alumnus Abraham Ovadia made a gift to the FIU College of Law to enhance its career planning and placement office, which now bears his name. Since then, Ovadia has given to establish the Abraham S. Ovadia Scholarship, which assists promising students from South Florida who have passed their first year of law school and who show an interest in following in Ovadia’s footsteps as leaders and business owners. This scholarship is not only a method for him to uplift students economically but also a way of availing himself to them as a mentor. Support like Ovadia’s has helped FIU Law rise in the rankings—it climbed 38 spots to rank No. 32 among public law schools in U.S. News & World Report 2023-2024 rankings, which now give more weight to critical student outcomes like employment after graduation and bar passage rates.
STUDENT-FOCUSED PARTNERSHIPS BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER THROUGH EVERY CAFECITO
“We are very excited about this partnership with FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and the future FIU CasaCuba, which gives us the opportunity to deepen the connection with the FIU family and the local community. Giving back to the communities we serve through our support of education initiatives while bringing people together through every cafecito is at the core of our Café Bustelo and Pilon brands.” —Eduardo Merino, Senior Brand Manager of Rowland Coffee Brands at J. M. Smucker Co. In 2021, Café Bustelo & Pilon, coffee brands in The J. M. Smucker Co. portfolio, announced a gift to FIU to fund the Café Bustelo® El Café Del Futuro Scholarship for students studying hospitality management, new courses and master classes on the coffee industry at the Chaplin School, and the construction of FIU CasaCuba.
Café Bustelo Scholars Natalia Cordova and Frank Mediavilla Ponce
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STU D ENT SUC C ESS
STUDENT-FOCUSED PARTNERSHIPS INNOVATION IN SPIRITS EDUCATION
“Bacardi’s investment in FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management has led to true impact and a ripple effect in hospitality education, specifically in our unique spirits track. It has allowed us to invest in the latest technology and innovation and has provided faculty and students with new and unexpected opportunities. This partnership has put FIU’s Bacardi Center of Excellence on the world stage and in front of industry leaders, a direct result of the investment and support from this iconic spirits brand.” —Brian P. Connors, MS, CHE, CSW, Senior Director, Global Food & Beverage Innovation, and Founding Faculty Director, Bacardi Center of Excellence, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management Bacardi USA made a gift in 2020 to create the Bacardi Center of Excellence at the Chaplin School and provide programming support to FIU CasaCuba.
“Your cocktail is ready!” Hospitality management student Samantha Wagner ordered a beverage from Cecilia.ai, the Bacardi Center of Excellence’s interactive robotic bartender.
PROGRAMMING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
“The Ferré Family Foundation’s 2021 gift establishing the Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership at FIU addresses the critical need to prepare diverse leaders and changemakers. The Institute also promotes democracy by educating students and the public about the importance of civic engagement, community infrastructure, and social justice. These are issues championed by the late Maurice A. Ferré, Miami’s first Hispanic mayor and its longest-serving mayor (1973–1985). Ferré was a visionary statesman who laid the foundation for the Magic City’s global stature. The Institute’s multidisciplinary academic, research, and community-facing programs build upon FIU’s role as a local anchor institution with expansive regional, state, national, and global impact and influence.”
Judge Phyllis Kotey, clinical professor at FIU College of Law, facilitates the Ferré Institute’s “You Be the Judge” in partnership with the Florida Courts Matter Coalition.
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—Dr. Agatha Caraballo, Director, Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership, Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs The Ferré Family Foundation’s gift created the Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership and supports its programming. In 2022, the Ferré Institute led an array of civic literacy and engagement programs at FIU that contributed to the university’s designation by the Campus Vote Project and NASPA as a voterfriendly campus for students in 2023.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCES
UNDERGRADS SAVE SEA TURTLES
“Funding from the National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation enabled me to conduct habitat surveys, turtle abundance surveys, sighting density analyses, turtle tagging, health assessments, and social surveys of sea turtles on Saona Island, Dominican Republic—as an FIU undergraduate! I’m set to begin a PhD program in biology at FIU in the fall. I will continue studying the in-water behavior of sea turtles on Saona Island..., and FIU undergraduate students will be able to collaborate with me on this project. Truly a full-circle experience!” —Aloyse Abreu, FIU Undergraduate to Graduate Program Fellow The National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation has generously given to the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, including support for undergraduate students participating in internships and research experiences in sea turtle conservation.
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STU D ENT SUC C ESS
FACILITIES GROWING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PLANT SCIENTISTS
“The William R. Kenan, Jr., Charitable Trust has been a transformational supporter of our initiative to build the International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong, a partnership between FIU and the National Tropical Botanical Garden. We have recently opened our beautiful new education and research facility in Coconut Grove. The new facility supported by this visionary gift will enable us to realize our mission to become a global leader in training the next generation of plant scientists, who will mitigate important contemporary challenges, including food security and climate change. The Kenan Charitable Trust’s leadership gift helped us to establish a global hub for environmental science and education in South Florida and beyond.” —Dr. Chris Baraloto, Director, International Center for Tropical Botany (ICTB) at The Kampong of the National Tropical Botanical Garden
The Kampong, the new home for the International Center for Tropical Botany
PREPARING TECH-READY CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS
“In the Trimble Technology Lab, I use SketchUp and other applications to create designs, become acquainted with on-site construction processes, create schedules, make estimates, survey, and identify job site hazards more effectively. These are all very-much-needed skills for a construction management student. I have no doubt that the Trimble Technology Lab will make me stand out from others when I’m searching for a job.” —Sridhar Sadana, Graduate student in the Master of Science in Construction Management Program, Moss School of Construction, Infrastructure and Sustainability The Trimble Technology Lab was made possible through a gift-in-kind in 2021 from renowned industrial technology company Trimble, Inc.
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HIGH-TECH LAB TRAINS MEDICAL STUDENTS
“The Albert and Debbie Tano Medical Simulation Center provides learners with hands-on training opportunities that are difficult or impossible to replicate in real-life clinical settings, such as medical emergencies and procedures.” —Emiri Uchiyama, MD, Director of the Albert and Debbie Tano Medical Simulation Center The Center was named after Dr. Albert Taño and his wife, Debbie, in recognition of their gift to the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. This world-class multidisciplinary training and research facility features a variety of programmable adult and pediatric patient simulators and a standardized patient program with “patient actors” to train medical and physician assistant students.
Medical student training with a patient simulator at the Albert and Debbie Tano Medical Simulation Center
STUDENTS TRAINED FOR THE FUTURE OF HOME HEALTH CARE
“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with students at the Diane Ramy Faulconer Collaborative Advanced Rehabilitation/Research & Education (CARE) Center, as it has enhanced my learning experience and theirs. The CARE Center has a Human Performance Lab for research, a Rehabilitation Lab for manual skills, and the Anatomage (virtual dissection table) for hands-on study of the human body, just to name a few. Having these resources at students’ fingertips creates an environment that helps them succeed in their careers, challenges their intellect, and builds on their skills and knowledge.” Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences leadership with Diane Ramy Faulconer ’74 (third from right) at the Diane Ramy Faulconer CARE Center ribbon-cutting.
—Shianne Carter, Doctor of Physical Therapy student at the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences and CARE Center lab assistant, affectionately known as a “CARE Bear” In 2018, Diane Ramy Faulconer ’74, MSM ’74, a double Panther, invested in the future of home health care, naming the Diane Ramy Faulconer CARE Center, creating a state-of-the-art simulated home environment, and equipping a human performance lab. In 2023, Faulconer made another significant gift, naming the Diane Ramy Faulconer Simulation Teaching and Research (STAR) Centers at FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus and Biscayne Bay Campus. Faulconer also generously supports graduate student scholarships in nursing, health sciences, and business. 25
STU D ENT SUC C ESS
ARTS AND CULTURE
ACCESS TO THE ARTS
“Knowing that our artworks would be available for the students at FIU in perpetuity was a big factor in our decision to donate 200 pieces from our art collection to the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum. University museums have a higher purpose and make artistic opportunities available to a student population that might not otherwise have access to the art world. It was just such an opportunity in my life 45 years ago at the Frost Art Museum that set me off on the path of collecting art and becoming a patron. It changed my life, and for that, I am forever grateful.” —Dennis Scholl ’77 During the campaign, Debra and Dennis Scholl generously donated works of art from their private collection to the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum.
The Inside World: Contemporary Aboriginal Australian Memorial Poles from the Debra and Dennis Scholl Collection. Photograph by Zachary Balber.
A CELIA CRUZ TROVE
“Celia’s most fervent wish was to ensure her legacy lives on for generations. Donating her original musical scores will provide future students with a unique way to study her repertoire—the way she would have done it.” —Omer Pardillo Cid, Executor of the Celia Cruz Estate, donor of Celia Cruz’s score sheets, and Emmy, Grammy, and Latin Grammy Award-winning producer and talent manager This gift enhances the student experience, from those studying at the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts or accessing the Diaz-Ayala Cuban and Latin American Popular Music Collection at FIU Libraries to those who will experience FIU CasaCuba when it opens its doors. The Celia Cruz Music Score Collection contains more than 200 scores and sheet music arrangements of compositions from a variety of genres. Bebo Valdés is among the well-known artists represented in this collection.
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SANCTUARY
Architectural rendering of the Trish and Dan Bell Chapel by architect Gurrimatute
TRISH AND DAN BELL CHAPEL
“The Trish and Dan Bell Chapel is exactly what the community needs. The multi-purpose sanctuary will be open for both religious and non-religious practices. The chapel will help people connect with themselves and disconnect from the stresses of everyday life. It will be an uplifting space for students, faculty, staff, and visitors at the heart of FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus.” —Roselyn Asusta, Liberal studies major (pre-law track, certificates in Italian and pre-law) Philanthropists Trish and Dan Bell have generously given to build a multifaith center for spiritual inquiry at FIU, the Trish and Dan Bell Chapel. 27
DONOR SUPPORT STRENGTHENED FIU’S ROLE AS A TOP RESEARCH UNIVERSITY WITH LOCAL AND GLOBAL IMPACT.
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135.3M
$
raised for research excellence
University of Distinction FIU named a university of distinction in environmental resilience by the Florida Board of Governors
282M
$
in R&D expenditures (FY 2022), 138% growth since 2012
16 new professorships and chairs established
Carnegie R1 FIU has been designated an R1 research university for Very High Research Activity since 2015
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RESEARC H EXC EL L ENC E
IMPACT ON CONSERVATION UNDER WATER AND AROUND THE WORLD
A crew of NASA and European Space Agency astronauts trains at Medina Aquarius, the underwater research lab funded by the Medina Family Foundation and located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
“The campaign support we have received from the Medina Family Foundation, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and The Batchelor Foundation has allowed us to make the kind of impact in conservation that a university can only dream of. The gift from the Medina Family, establishing the Medina Aquarius Program, helped to save and further our one-of-a-kind underwater marine research lab while establishing an education and outreach program that reaches millions of kids each year—all while doing critical science and training. The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation gifts have helped create a global shark collaborative network and survey that has underpinned national and international protections for these critical species. It has also provided critical support to researchers embarking on the bold initiative to save the world’s most trafficked wild mammal—the pangolin. And The Batchelor Foundation has united conservation leaders, students, and researchers to recover critical species and biodiversity-rich ecosystems by providing funding that established FIU’s Tropical Conservation Institute—a global hub for saving and recovering populations of endangered species.” —Dr. Mike Heithaus, Executive Dean, College of Arts, Sciences & Education
PAUL G. ALLEN FAMILY FOUNDATION HELPS TURN DATA INTO ACTION
In a world of scarce resources, data must inform decision. In the case of illegal wildlife trafficking, a bad decision can be disastrous. Realizing this, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation began funding Global FinPrint in 2015, so FIU researchers could lead a global collaboration to measure where reef sharks are at greatest risk and where they are functionally extinct, and to benchmark the status of reef sharks around the world. With 371 reefs surveyed in 58 countries, the data is unprecedented in quality and quantity. Now, researchers at the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, along with partner institutions including Oxford University, are able to expand White-bellied pangolin. Photo courtesy of ZSL. this sort of comprehensive data collecting to the pangolin, a scale-covered animal considered the world’s most-trafficked mammal, again thanks to the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. All eight pangolin species are listed as Vulnerable to Critically Endangered. Operation Pangolin aims to compile and study data and use the resulting information to inform conservation strategies and protect the pangolin from illegal trafficking. This six-year collaborative effort is currently focusing on pangolin populations in Africa with plans to expand into Asia. In addition to learning about the behaviors of this unusual and poorly studied animal, Operation Pangolin will increase awareness of this creature’s plight and of the devastating effects of the illegal wildlife trade. 30
COMPUTER SCIENCE
KNIGHT FOUNDATION FUNDS INFUSION OF NEW TECH FACULTY
The Knight Foundation’s $10 million campaign investment in FIU’s School of Computing and Information Sciences, together with FIU funding, will add 20 new tenure-track and 20 new teaching faculty to the School by 2031. Those new hires will double the School faculty, adding teaching talent in emerging as well as applied technology and research expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, big data, highperformance computing, and cybersecurity. The Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, named in recognition of this transformational gift, has already seen tremendous impacts since 2021. In less than three years, 24 new faculty have joined the School, meeting teaching demands arising from 19 percent annual increases in computer science headcounts and contributing to an 87 percent increase in research expenditures (from $6.1 million in FY 2021 to $11.5 million in FY 2023). Ranked No. 43 in the United States for R&D expenditures in computer and information sciences (NSF HERD, FY 2021), FIU is poised for research growth in the coming years. Adding to its research faculty will also help the Knight School address the national shortage of computer science PhDs—future faculty—arising from rapid growth in tech occupation employment, demand for undergraduate computer science degrees, and PhD defection to industry, among other factors. Tenure-track faculty members supervise PhDs and drive graduate degree production.
A new Knight School faculty member, Dr. Christian Poellabauer received a grant from the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in 2021 for the proposal, “Personalized Mobility Interventions Using Smart Sensor Resources for Lower-limb Prostheses Users.” Photo courtesy of Shirley Ryan Ability Lab.
Doubling down on equipping future graduates and faculty for roles in MiamiTech, the region’s burgeoning global tech economy, and U.S. industry and the academy, the Knight School asks, “How can we help?”
FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE PROSECUTORIAL REFORM
“My John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation research grants have allowed my team to build a national research and technical assistance project on prosecutorial reform focusing on transparency, racial justice, and data-informed decision-making. With the MacArthur Foundation’s investments in the Prosecutorial Performance Indicators Project since 2017, we have been able to partner with more than 25 large prosecutorial offices nationwide to ensure more just and equitable outcomes for the communities they serve.” —Dr. Besiki Luka Kutateladze, Associate Professor, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, and Associate Director for Prosecution and Courts at the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy MacArthur Foundation’s Director of Criminal Justice Laurie Garduque speaking with Prosecutorial Performance Indicators (PPI) Project founder Besiki Luka Kutateladze and FIU’s Senior Vice President for Research and Economic Development Andrés Gil at the PPI Project conference at FIU in March 2022
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RESEARC H EXC EL L ENC E
THE GLOBAL MUSLIM EXPERIENCE INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF ISLAM
“The gift by the Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Foundation to establish the Mohsin & Fauzia Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies at FIU has been transformational. Without their gift, as well as the support of other donors, the Center wouldn’t exist in the way that it does today. Their generosity has allowed us to make progress toward our ambitious vision of becoming an international center for the study of Islam and the global Muslim experience. The Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Foundation’s investment has supported both faculty and student research and graduate student scholarships. It has also supported programming such as guest lectures, community outreach, scholarly conferences, and our signature Ramadan Interfaith Iftar Dinner.” —Mohamed K. Ghumrawi ’11, MA ’17, PhD ’22, Affiliate Faculty, Mohsin & Fauzia Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies, Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
Jaffer Center faculty, affiliated faculty, and community partners from the Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations (COSMOS) at the FIU Annual Interfaith Iftar Dinner, hosted by the Jaffer Center in observance of Ramadan
A generous gift from the Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Foundation established the Mohsin & Fauzia Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies at FIU in 2017, among other campaign giving by the Jaffer Family.
REAL ESTATE RESEARCH REAL IMPACT
“Tibor Hollo has been a leader in the development of modern Miami, and the Tibor and Sheila School of Real Estate at FIU has experienced tremendous quality improvement and growth since it was named by the Hollo Family and funded by the Hollo endowment. Today, we are clearly one of the top real estate schools in the U.S. and in the world.” —Dr. Eli Beracha, Director, Tibor and Sheila Hollo School of Real Estate, FIU College of Business Tibor Hollo and his wife, Sheila, expanded real estate education at the College of Business with a gift naming the Tibor and Sheila Hollo School of Real Estate in 2012. Funding continues to support real estate faculty, academics, and programming. FIU is consistently ranked No. 1 globally in real estate research in the Real Estate Academic Leadership (REAL) Rankings, reflecting the School’s extensive publications in the field from 2018 to 2022 (Journal of Real Estate Literature). Dr. Eli Beracha at the Tibor and Sheila Hollo School of Real Estate’s REact2022 Real Estate Conference
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WOMEN IN COMMUNICATION
ADVANCING EQUITY AND INCLUSION
“It is important that we have a gender balance in all the forms in which we communicate information so that we can build a more equitable and inclusive society. The work of our Center has impacted the professional lives of women in communication and the very fabric of society for a decade.” —Dr. Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver, Founding Executive Director of the Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Center for the Advancement of Women in Communication, College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the Center is supported by giving from Dr. Kopenhaver and other generous donors. There are now three Kopenhaver satellite centers at universities in New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and Missouri. The centers advance women in communication through research, training, workshops, mentoring, a national conference, and fellowship programs.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
FIU’S ART + DESIGN INCUBATOR BLOSSOMS
“Since its creation in 2017, the Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator has provided a brave and challenging environment for more than 80 early-career creatives to meet society’s most pressing challenges using their imaginations, leadership skills, and entrepreneurial energies.” — Jacek J. Kolasiński, MFA, PhD, Director, Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator, College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts Investments from the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation established this novel business incubator focused on arts and design and have continued to fund it during the campaign.
Ratcliffe Incubator’s Dimitry Saïd Chamy introduces Lemon Yellow’s Erika Morales for her talk on branding.
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DONOR SUPPORT ENRICHED, HEALED, AND PROSPERED OUR COMMUNITY.
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78.3M
$
raised for FIU museums, enhancing the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, The Wolfsonian–FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU
Empowered learners with disabilities through new FIU Embrace initiatives
Expanded our reach serving more households through Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP
Trained 1,400 residents in the Certificate Program in Construction Trades
Detected advanced breast cancer through the Linda Fenner 3D Mobile Mammography Center
2.2M
$
raised in pandemic relief to help cities in crisis
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C O M M U N I T Y I M PA C T
ARTS OUTREACH
MUSEUMS ARE THE LUNGS OF A COMMUNITY
“Thanks to the Rubin-Ladd Foundation, I completed a paid internship at the Frost Art Museum. As a first-generation Cuban student living alone and taking a full schedule of classes, it would not have been possible to juggle an unpaid internship and a job. As a student docent intern, I engaged in outreach to K-12 students at the Frost and in their schools, expanding access to the arts among students of all ages, languages, and backgrounds. Museums like the Frost are the lungs of a community, creating a cycle of inhaling and exhaling knowledge of art and culture.” —Christopher Carlos Montejo, Double major in computer science and philosophy, with a minor in psychology The Rubin-Ladd Foundation’s generous gift to the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum in 2020 created the Rubin-Ladd Student Docent Internship Program, supporting a robust cadre of student docents focused on exposing students from local schools and FIU to the visual arts world and museums.
Rubin-Ladd Student Docent Intern Christopher Carlos Montejo
BUSSES TO THE ARTS
“The Frost Art Museum’s educational art programs support our mission and amplify our reach in many communities. One of the most significant barriers for our local schools and their students to experience culture is transportation funding. One museum visit can impact a child forever. Knowing that we have the philanthropic support to provide transportation for school groups that have never visited an art museum makes my job worthwhile.” —Miriam Machado, Director of Education and National Museum Education Art Educator 2023, Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum
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MUSEUMS
GIFTING THE MISSING LINK
“Micky Wolfson has assembled one of the most important collections in the museum world. The Wolfsonian’s collection is incredibly intuitive, meaningful, and vast. However, the one significant missing link in this spectacular and allencompassing collection was jewelry. Jewelry and how it connectively fits into the design dialogue and collection of The Wolfsonian is what guided me in launching an initiative to help build a meaningful collection of jewelry for The Wolfsonian. My gift on behalf of Historical Design adds 275 pieces of jewelry spanning the late 19th century through the 20th century to The Wolfsonian’s expansive collections.” —Daniel Morris, Owner, Historical Design, New York An exhibition featuring the jewelry collection and decorative arts will debut in fall 2024. Recent campaign gifts have enabled The Wolfsonian–FIU to provide richer context about material culture and the complex ways politics, persuasion, travel, tourism, and social forces have shaped our lives. Building upon the work of founder Mitchell “Micky” Wolfson, Jr., new donors have gifted tightly focused collections that fill critical gaps, enhancing our collective understanding of the lessons and artifacts of the modern age.
The Wolfsonian
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C O M M U N I T Y I M PA C T
MUSEUMS
CasaCuba will be a high-tech portal where visitors experience powerful immigrant and exile stories and the cultural riches of Cuba
BUILDING A HOME FOR CUBA STORIES
“Among other things, CasaCuba is a tribute to the countless Cubans who did not live to see their dream of a democratic Cuba fulfilled. Now more than ever, we need a home to tell their story—a story of sacrifice, dedication, and perseverance. CasaCuba is that home.” —Jorge Más, Chairman of the Board and Co-founder, MasTec, Inc.; founding member of the FIU CasaCuba Board of Advisors In 2021, the Más Family Foundation made a generous gift to support the construction and mission of CasaCuba. The 57,000-square-foot facility on FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus will integrate the latest technology to provide a multisensory experience of Cuban heritage. “To provide this community with a singular, permanent space open to the public, where Cuban Americans in Miami and everywhere can tell their stories, is an ambitious goal but one that we have no doubt can and will be achieved. The story of Cuban Americans in South Florida is filled with inspiring examples of resilience, prosperity, and generosity. Thanks to the campaign support of our visionary donors, we have written the bold opening for FIU CasaCuba’s next great chapter.” —Lili Betancourt Space ’00, Director of Development (2019), Executive Director (2023), FIU CasaCuba
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HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
ADDRESSING THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH IN OUR COMMUNITY
“At Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP, we believe that improving health outcomes for vulnerable communities requires focusing on social determinants of health and meaningful community engagement. Our program provides critical health services and resources to individuals and families in the catchment area of South Miami Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital. In addition, it offers a unique opportunity for students to learn from and work alongside community members. By building trust and addressing the root causes of health disparities, we are improving health outcomes and creating a pipeline of future health care providers committed to serving their community’s needs. We are grateful for the support of Baptist Health, whose investment has enabled us to expand our reach and continue positively impacting the health and well-being of those we serve.” —David R. Brown, MD, Chief of the Division of Family and Community Medicine, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Dr. Brown leads Green Family Foundation Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP) and was instrumental in establishing the West Kendall Baptist/FIU Family Medicine Residency. Before the Next Horizon campaign was launched, in 2009, Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP was established with a generous gift from the Green Family Foundation and challenge grants from The Batchelor Foundation. With these donors leading the way, many generous donors have since propelled this innovative approach to socially conscious medical education and health care delivery further. During the campaign, Baptist Health expanded Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP to neighborhoods in South Miami. Baptist Health and the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine recently announced plans to expand undergraduate and graduate medical education programs, develop clinical and teaching facilities, grow faculty-physician practices, and deepen capabilities around pioneering research.
Mobile Health Center Operations Manager Gabriela Gonzalez, a paramedic, takes the pulse of Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP patient Esperanza Selaya in South Miami.
DETECTED ADVANCED BREAST CANCER
“I had no idea I could have cancer. If I had not had that mammography, I would have died.” —Gabriela Sierra, Breast cancer survivor and patient of the Linda Fenner 3D Mobile Mammography Center Campaign gifts made by the Braman Family Charitable Foundation and The Batchelor Foundation to the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine launched the Center in 2014 to provide access to screening mammograms in communities with an incidence of advanced breast cancer. 39
C O M M U N I T Y I M PA C T
HEALTH AND WELL-BEING NURSING CARE FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES
“The generous funding of my Endowed Chair in Prevention and Family Health by Dr. and Mrs. Wertheim has enabled me to continue my work with rural communities to bring forensic nursing care for victims of sexual assault, health promotion in primary care clinics, and increased vaccine education to rural counties across the state of Florida.” —Tami L. Thomas, PhD, RN, APRN-CPNP, FAANP, FAAN Dr. Tami Thomas is the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Endowed Chair in Prevention and Family Health, Associate Dean of Research and Faculty Development, PhD Program Director, and Director of the HRSA-funded Regionally Underserved Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (RUSANE) program. In 2013, the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation made a gift to name the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences and form three endowed chairs: the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Endowed Chair in Prevention and Family Health (held by Dr. Thomas), the Dr. Vanessa Wertheim Endowed Chair in Chronic Disease Prevention and Care (held by Dr. Trudy Gaillard, Associate Professor), and the Erica Wertheim Zohar Endowed Chair in Community Mental Health (held by Dr. Ellen Leslie Brown, Associate Professor, Graduate Nursing). The last two chairs are named in honor of Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim’s two daughters. The support has enabled these faculty to conduct research and publish their work while serving in advisory roles and on councils. Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim
CANCER RESEARCH FORGING THE FUTURE: DEVELOPING PERSONALIZED TREATMENTS FOR CANCER PATIENTS
The leading-edge research of FIU faculty member Dr. Diana Azzam is advancing the field of personalized cancer treatment. Dr. Azzam’s work aims to deliver tailored medical treatments based on a patient’s cancer genomic profile and drug response— an approach she calls “functional precision medicine”—by matching the patient and the cancer with the most effective personalized treatment to improve outcomes. For more than a decade, she has focused on the development of novel and more effective approaches for cancers that are difficult to treat. Dr. Azzam is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work. During the campaign, Dr. Azzam received a grant from the Scott R. MacKenzie Foundation for research on the efficacy of a series of clinically approved compounds on tumor tissue samples. She also received grants from the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation and the Community Foundation of Broward and a grant from the Florida Department of Health Live Like Bella Pediatric Cancer Research Initiative for two studies with pediatric cancer patients at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Dr. Diana Azzam
Excerpts from the SOAR campaign story published on givenews.fiu.edu 40
MATERNAL CARE FOR BLACK WOMEN
Black Mothers Care Plan Master Trainer and Executive Director of the Southern Birth Justice Network Jamarah Amani presents “Transforming Health in Miami through Midwife and Doula Care” at the YWCA Downtown/Overtown Center on January 7, 2023.
IMPROVING BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH: MIDWIVES AND DOULAS
Maternal death rates in the United States have risen significantly since 2000, with Black non-Hispanic women suffering the highest rates of preventable maternal mortality, two times higher than white women. In MiamiDade County, these rates are even higher as Black mothers die from pregnancy-related causes at rates greater than three times higher than white mothers. Black women also face the most significant risk of unfavorable birth outcomes, including preterm birth, fetal mortality, and infant mortality, factors compounded by the lack of Medicaid in the postpartum period, where nearly half of maternal deaths occur within the first year after Medicaid coverage is suspended. Out of this context, the Black Mothers Care Plan at FIU—a collaborative initiative of the FIU Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, The Gathering Place, Southern Birth Justice Network, and Metro Mommy Agency—was born. Dr. Okezi Otovo, Associate Professor of History and African and African Diaspora Studies and an affiliate of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies at FIU, leads the program as its principal investigator. According to Dr. Otovo, the Black Mothers Care Plan is “establishing a community model of care that truly centers Black birthing persons” while also helping “change the cultures, norms, and practices of care, institutionalizing additional supports and liberating Black maternal health from preventable risk, illnesses, and trauma.” At its core, the program provides Black birthing persons with information that encourages patientcentered decision-making in prenatal, birthing, and postpartum care. With support from a TD Charitable Foundation grant, the Black Mothers Care Plan has expanded its community education series on Black Maternal Health and Wellness. These workshops, led by Black doulas, were launched in 2022 to provide a conduit for Black mothers to access prenatal, birthing, and postpartum doula care and the Medicaid benefits, extended in Florida from 60 days to 12 months postpartum in 2022, that cover them. Midwives and doulas are associated with improved prenatal, birthing, and postpartum outcomes. They are also part of a rich cultural legacy in African American history.
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C O M M U N I T Y I M PA C T
DISASTER RESILIENCE
COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITIES
“Neighborhoods and communities are the heart of disaster resilience, and improving their preparedness and bounceback capabilities requires listening to their leaders and co-designing solutions that will work for them. The Mellon Foundation’s support of FIU’s Race, Risk, and Resilience: Building a Local-to-Global Commons for Justice project has placed neighborhood and community resilience at the forefront of its efforts in helping forge lasting communityuniversity collaborations that work toward practical and long-term solutions.”
Dandrese Clay and Dandrese Clay, Jr., second- and thirdgeneration Bahamians and residents of West Grove, met with project researchers and a photographer as part of their research into the history of West Grove.
—Dr. Richard S. Olson, Director, Extreme Events Institute; Director, International Hurricane Research Center; Distinguished University Professor, Department of Politics & International Relations, Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded a grant to FIU’s Extreme Events Institute for the Race, Risk, and Resilience project in 2020.
PANDEMIC RELIEF
HELPING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH CRISIS
“When COVID-19 started and we shut down our stores, at that point, we were at 75 employees, and we went down to five. It was traumatic. FIU was a life raft. The FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management gave us a grant. It makes me want to cry. It was such a wonderful moment. I used that money to pay for my employee payroll.” —Misha Kuryla, MIB ’04, owner, Misha’s Cupcakes During COVID-19, Misha’s Cupcakes received a grant from the SOBEWFF® & FIU Chaplin School Hospitality Industry Relief Fund.
$2.2M raised in pandemic relief
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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
CHANGING LIVES ONE TRADE AT A TIME
“A two-year grant from the Lennar Foundation launched the Certificate Program in Construction Trades. That grant planted a seed that, six years later, has yielded tremendous fruit for the community. FIU launched the program with 39 students, teaching them construction trades and helping them find jobs. We have since trained over 1,400 participants and grown our cohorts to as high as 282 participants. Our free program is offered to people experiencing homelessness, returning citizens, veterans, people aging out of foster care, women who have been victims of abusive relationships, and anyone who does not have the means to pursue an education on their own or an interest in obtaining a BA but who has the desire to create a future for themselves and their families.” —Dr. José A. Faria, Moss Endowed Chair, Moss Department of Construction Management, Moss School of Construction, Infrastructure and Sustainability The Certificate Program in Construction Trades has attracted more than $5 million in funding since the program was established in 2018. This successful program is helping residents find construction jobs, meeting the local construction industry’s workforce needs, and providing a model program for the state and nation.
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CAMPAIGN GIVING AT A GLANCE
Nearly
Over
460,000
128,000
total gifts were made
supporters contributed
103
120,145
donors made a gift of $1M or more
first-time donors participated
228.1M
$ $
Corporations
331.5M Individuals
$849.5M 83.8M
$
Alumni
76.6M
$
129.5M
$
Foundations
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Organizations
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FIU’S TRANSFORMATIONAL DONORS In 2019, the FIU Foundation unveiled a Donor Wall in the MARC Building Lobby recognizing donors with cumulative giving of $1M+. In 2023, we unveiled a second Transformational Donor Wall to honor these donors with cumulative giving of $12M to $100M+: Mitchell “Micky” Wolfson, Jr. Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation MacKenzie Scott The Green Family Foundation The Chaplin Family The Knight Foundation The Batchelor Foundation Chad Moss ’94 Trish and Dan Bell Baptist Health Gita and Lee Caplin
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“Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the campaign has positioned FIU as a university that clears hurdles and exceeds milestones scarcely imagined possible 50 short years ago.”
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MESSAGE FROM THE F I U F O U N D AT I O N On behalf of the FIU Foundation, we are pleased to be able to thank you all for the stellar successes of the Next Horizon campaign. We are grateful to have been a part of FIU history, and we recognize and celebrate the deep commitment of a community dedicated to improving our world through the power of public higher education. We would first like to recognize FIU’s fifth president, Dr. Mark B. Rosenberg, who, at his inauguration in 2009, announced the ambitious Next Horizon campaign to raise $750 million for FIU. We are also very thankful for the support of FIU’s sixth president, Dr. Kenneth A. Jessell, who took over leadership of the campaign in 2022. We thank Howard R. Lipman, former senior vice president for Advancement and CEO of the FIU Foundation, and the FIU Foundation staff who dedicated themselves to the campaign from its 2009 beginning through its 2019 public launch and its 2023 close, taking it well beyond its initial goal. None of this would have been possible without our Board of Directors and the many leadership volunteers across the university, especially in our colleges and units. We are grateful for your engagement, dedication, and vision. We especially want to recognize the Foundation board chairs who served during the campaign: Humberto “Burt” Cabañas ’76, Thomas M. Cornish ’85, and Richard Brilliant ’93. Thank you for your Panther commitment, guidance, and perseverance. We are also indebted to the university’s Board of Trustees, who have been invaluable partners in helping steer us toward success. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the campaign has positioned FIU as a university that clears hurdles and exceeds milestones scarcely imagined possible 50 short years ago. We are grateful to be leading the Foundation through its next great chapter. Sincerely,
Adalio T. Sanchez ’87 Chairperson, FIU Foundation Board
Pablo G. Ortiz, EdD Interim SVP, Advancement, and CEO, FIU Foundation
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Biscayne Bay Campus
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