FIU Magazine - Fall 2010 - Are you ready for some football?

M a g a z i n e FALL 2010

#25 Jonathan Cyprien

Give Back. Connect. Enjoy.

Sam Jackson MPA ’90

Eric Feldman FIU student ambassador Sharon Fine ’99 Member of the FIU Alumni Association Board

Frank Peña ’99 Marly Quincoces ’06, MS ’08

Build something larger than yourself. Give back and increase the value of your degree while having a great time. Be a part of a community that educates, participates and engages with your fellow alumni and current students. Create connections everywhere. This is what it means to be a member of the FIU Alumni Association, your Panther Network.

www.fiualumni.com/join 305-FIU-ALUM

M

aga

z

ine

FALL 2010 Volume 20

On the Cover 24

In This Issue

03 Letters to the Editor

32 Bringing Back the Music The FIU Marching Band is back with a new sound, a new look and a new attitude.

04 President’s Corner 05 In Brief Meet two alumni innovators recognized as the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Technology Leaders of the Year.

08 Hope for Haiti

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Sophomore defensive back Jonathan Cyprien was a natural in front of the camera when FIU Magazine organized a photo shoot with a group of players and photographer Ivan Santiago. He’s a rising star who played in all 12 games and recorded 78 tackles last season.

He’s also on the Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll. Inside, we tell you about Cyprien and some of the team’s other playmakers. And starting on page 29, Coach Mario Cristobal will tell you how he’s prepared the team for the 2010 season by emphasizing discipline, accountability and mental toughness.

Restoring Haiti’s libraries and supporting the University of Haiti are among the initiatives FIU has undertaken in its commitment to rebuilding efforts in Haiti.

12 Building for the Future A team of FIU students and faculty are competing in the 2011 Solar Decathlon to create the country’s best solar-powered house

36 Leading by Example FIU’s volleyball team heads into the 2010 season with new leaders determined to build on last season’s record success.

38 Softball team marks record-setting season The team made a huge step forward in 2010, advancing further than any other Panther athletic squad.

40 Athletics Roundup 41 Alumni News Meet your Alumni Association’s new president and board members.

14 Celebrating Excellence FIU honors distinguished alumni and faculty at the 9th Annual Torch Awards Gala.

46 Class Notes 48 Alumni Profile: Sidney Drake ’09 The recent graduate leads by example and gives back to the First Generation Scholarship Fund.

18 Discover the Magic of Miami In her new book, professor Marilys Nepomechie takes us on an architectural tour of Miami.

49 VIP Will Trueba, Esq. ’90

10 20 33 44

56 and Counting

Savoring Success

Homecoming Preview

Summer Fun

Garrett Wittels’ 56-game hitting streak, second all-time in Division I baseball, electrified the FIU community, South Florida and baseball fans.

Award-winning chef Allen Susser ’78 has perfected a winning recipe for life in and out of the kitchen.

Everyone is invited to a free, live concert with Lifehouse before the Homecoming matchup against the University of Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 6.

The 8th annual FIU Scholarship Fishing Tournament makes a difference in students’ lives while it brings alumni together for a day of sun and fun.

M

aga

z

ine

FALL 2010 Volume 20

Letter from the Editor Panthers on the Rise

FIU Magazine Editorial Advisory Board

Few things can catapult a university into the national spotlight and build pride like sports.

Caesar Abishdid Director of External Programs College of Engineering and Computing

This spring, FIU baseball made the university proud with its Sun Belt Conference win and the national media coverage of our star baseball player, Garrett Wittels. His dazzling 56-game hitting streak won him a nomination for ESPN’s Best Male College Athlete of the Year. I met Wittels soon after the baseball season ended and he spoke of his pride in FIU and his willingness to do all he can to promote the university. Wittels is Worlds Ahead in athletics, academics and his sincere dedication to our university.

I have been equally impressed by the hard work and commitment of our FIU football players as they prepare for the 2010 season. Thanks to Head Football Coach Mario Cristobal, I spent time with some of the players this summer.

I saw how they spent their summer getting up before dawn for grueling, hours-long workouts every day. I arrived one July morning at the FIU Fieldhouse at 5:30 a.m. to watch the morning workouts, intending to be there early. Instead, I found the parking lot already full and the gym bustling.

By 5:45, nearly every member of the football team was there, fired up and ready to go, even though these morning workouts were voluntary.

We decided to bulk up our football coverage in this issue of FIU Magazine so we brought on FIU alumnus and sportswriter Julian Kasdin ’07. Inside, he’s giving us a look at what’s new this season and some of the players you’ll be hearing about.

Magazine Art Director Aileen Solá-Trautmann and I assembled a group of football players for a half-day photo shoot in the fieldhouse. Just as they did in their workouts, the players gave it their all, bringing energy and humor to a tedious morning of multiple uniform changes, posing this way and that way and trying new things. In front of the camera, we asked the players to show us how they’re feeling about this season. Every one of them put on their game face – intense, fearless and driven.

I know we’ll see that game face out on the field this fall. I hope you will be there to support our football team starting on Sept. 11 against Rutgers.

I’m going to sign off with a Cristobal truism: Panthers on the RISE!

See you at the stadium,

Deborah O’Neil MA ’09

Fred Blevens Professor and Honors College Fellow School of Journalism and Mass Communication

FIU MAGAZINE

Executive Committee

Sandra B. Gonzalez-Levy

Joaquín “Jack” F. González ’97

Senior Vice President External Relations

Terry Witherell

President

Gonzalo Acevedo ’91

Associate Vice President External Relations

Vice-President

Bill Draughon

Secretary

Associate Vice President Luis Casas Alumni Relations Director of Marketing, Communications & Recruiting Karen Cochrane College of Business Administration Director News and Communications Dr. Gisela Casines Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

Deborah O’Neil MA ’09

Dr. Carol Damian Professor of Art History Director and Chief Curator, Frost Art Museum

Martin Haro ’05

Dr. Stephen Fain Professor Emeritus, College of Education

FIU 2010-’11 Alumni Association Board

Division of External Relations

Editor, FIU Magazine Associate Editor

Aileen Solá-Trautmann Art Director

Ariana Fajardo, Esq. ’93 Sharon Fine ’99 Treasurer

Gabriel Albelo ’93 Parliamentarian

Ralph Rosado, BA ’96, MA ’03 Governmental Relations Officer

José M. Pérez de Corcho ’93 Past President Officers

Gus Alfonso ’02 Chi Ali ’00 Sissi Aguila ’99, MA ’08 Paul Dodson Stewart L. Appelrouth ’80 Assistant Athletic Director for Maegan M. Azpiazu Lilian I. Chiu ’00 Media Relations Martin Haro ’05 Raymond del Rey, CBA ’97 Dr. Larry Lunsford Julian Kasdin ’07 Isabel C. Díaz, Esq. ’01 Associate Vice President for Student Affairs José Manuel Díaz ’86 Photographers University Ombudsman Marlon Font ’04 Greg Clark Michelle Mason, Esq. Anastasia Garcia ’89 Samuel Lewis Associate Dean for Admissions Dr. Jason Scott Hamilton ’89 ’93 and Student Services, Eduardo Merille ’97, MBA ’00 Carlos H. Hernández ’97 College of Law Chris Necuze Jorge F. Hernández ’95 Rafael Paz, Esq. Gloria O’Connell Associate General Counsel, Eduardo Hondal ’88 ’00 Ivan Santiago Florida International University Samuel C. Jackson MPA ’90 Roy Viera Dania Rivero Michael P. Maher ’97 Senior Director Ana L. Martínez, C.P.A. ’92 FIU Board of Trustees Annual Giving and Donor Relations Michael R. Méndez ’03 Michael M. Adler Alberto Padrón ’98, MBA ’09 Jessica Siskind Cesar L. Alvarez Director of Development Frank Javier Peña ’99 Jorge L. Arrizurieta School of Hospitality and Tourism Enrique Piñeiro ’03 Thomas Breslin Management Justo Luis Pozo ’80 Joseph L. Caruncho ’81 Mary Sudasassi Francisco Ramos Jr., Esq. ’93 Director of Public Relations, Albert E. Dotson Sr. College of Nursing and Health Alicia María Robles ’98 S. Lawrence Kahn III Sciences Jose Roces ’03 R. Kirk Landon Dr. Jonathan Tubman A. Celina Saucedo ’99 Miriam López Associate Vice President Carlos E. Velazco ’06 Albert Maury ’96, ’02 for Research Dr. Susan Webster ’87 Associate Dean, University Claudia Puig Graduate School Anthony Rionda Writers

WRGP Radiate FM: FIU Student Radio is broadcast north of Kendall on 95.3 FM, south of Kendall on 88.1 FM and 96.9 FM in North Miami and South Broward.

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.

Copyright 2010, Florida International University. FIU Magazine is published by the Florida International University Division of External Relations and distributed free of charge to alumni, faculty and friends of the university. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Change of Address: Please send updated address information to FIU Office of Alumni Relations, MARC 510, Miami, FL, 33199 or by e-mail to alumni@fiu.edu.

10747_02/10

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

3

Letters to the editor

We heard lots of positive feedback after our last issue, which outlined our

campaign to define FIU. The

Worlds Ahead message of exceeding expectations and creating new possibilities has taken hold of the FIU community.

Check out our new Worlds Ahead website at worldsahead.fiu.edu. And keep your feedback coming!

Worlds Ahead magazine

We are Worlds Ahead

I have read the FI-Who issue of the magazine from cover to cover, and think it’s the best ever in memory. “Worlds Ahead” is well done, and article after article fits the theme very well. Outstanding!

I’m in Charlotte, N.C. enroute to Newark, NJ. I’ve invested the layover time consuming the latest issue of FIU Magazine. I’ve been to Dubai, Haiti, Colombia, Germany, The Netherlands, China and Japan, and I’m still not done with the magazine!

Keep up the good work.

Dr. James A. Mau Tallahassee, Fla. FIU Acting Provost 1990-’91 Provost and Vice President 1992-’98

I thought I knew FIU. After reading this issue, it’s clear we are ’Worlds Ahead’ of even my uber-rosy vision of our fine institution.

Giving “International” meaning This is to compliment the latest issue of the FIU Magazine. I was especially pleased to read Dr. Chantalle Verna’s articulate, insightful article on Haiti. I came across a book by Madison Smartt Bell titled All Souls’ Rising a few years ago and have been recommending it to anyone who is interested in history.

When the earthquake in Haiti occurred in January it was with tremendous sadness that I began to recall the history of Haiti of 200 years ago and its contributions to the subsequent history of a nation that has been so exploited from within and without. I have worked with Haitian immigrants during my time in South Florida and found them to be a delightful, hardworking group of people.

I was pleased to read about the Digital Library of the Caribbean and FIU’s participation in a project to preserve Haiti’s libraries and archives.

I feel that it is important to retain this information for present and future generations. We will continue to make diplomatic and economic errors in our ignorance of a culture and its history.

It is with pleasure that I see the strides that FIU has been making in looking to expand relationships that make the word International have real meaning.

Elizabeth Mooney ’81 Weston, W.Va.

My ability to expand on the FIU story has grown leaps and bounds thanks to this issue. I really hope the person sitting next to me on the last leg of my trip is ready for the amazing story I’m about to share with them.

I just hope I can fit it all in to the 90-minute flight.

Kudos to all those involved in putting this powerful magazine together.

We are all better Panthers for it.

As always, Go FIU! Alberto Padron ’98, MBA ’09 Alumni Association Board member Haiti help appreciated I really appreciate the help and efforts that FIU has made with the Haitian community. I’m glad I was able to see a glance of that when I volunteer to translate for the Haitian detainees at the Pompano facility, those detainees have been released. What a miracle that was. Thank you, thank you and thank you for your tireless efforts.

God bless you all.

Maculeuse Michel, volunteer North Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Letters to the Editor: FIU Magazine welcomes letters to the editor regarding magazine content. Send your letters via e-mail to alumni@fiu.edu, by fax to 305-348-3247 or mail to FIU Magazine, Division of External Relations, 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.

Tell us what you think of FIU Magazine Do you devour every word? Or just look at the photos? Want more sports? Or more arts?

We want to know what you think. Please take a few moments to complete our FIU Magazine and Communications survey.

go.fiu.edu/magazinesurvey

4

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

President’s Corner Mark B. Rosenberg

Many reasons to show your FIU Pride I recently had the pleasure of meeting Stephanie, Michelle and Kristen Ferrare, triplets who graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami and started classes at FIU this fall. The Ferrare sisters are just three of the many students who have put their faith in FIU to give them a cuttingedge, 21st century education that will provide them with the tools they need to compete in the global marketplace.

Close to 150,000 students have likewise entrusted their education to FIU over the past four decades and thousands of hard-working students, the best and the brightest, continue to enroll at our university, confident that an FIU degree is their key to success.

I am proud to lead an institution that has played such an important role in transforming lives. Every member of the FIU family – students, alumni, faculty, staff, family and friends – should be proud as well.

We have so many reasons – just look at FIU alumna Carmen Reinhart ’78, who was recently featured in The New York Times for her pathbreaking research. Her latest book, This Time is Different, (co-authored with Kenneth Rogoff), is a highly acclaimed examination of the history of economic crisis and collapse. The Times called her “…the most influential female economist in the world.”

Or look at how Garrett Wittels, a top student and athlete, put FIU in newspapers, television and computers across the nation last spring as he pursued the NCAA Division I hit streak record. During an incredible season in which our baseball team won the Sun Belt Conference Championship, Garrett racked up an amazing 56-game streak. I hope to see all of you in the baseball stands next season as he continues to chase the record!

I encourage everyone who loves FIU as much as I do to show your pride.

Tell your FIU story! Tell the story of how the great education you received at FIU prepared you for a competitive career. Tell the story of how an FIU education impacted the life of a loved one. Tell the story of how working FIU is proud to welcome the Ferrare triplets to the incoming freshmen class: Stephanie, Michelle, and Kristen visited with FIU President Mark Rosenberg with their father, David, this spring.

at FIU has empowered you to make a difference. Tell the story of how a professor made a difference in your life.

Show your pride! Buy an FIU license plate and show this community that FIU is thousands strong. Wear your FIU t-shirts and hats.

Encourage the stores in your neighborhood to carry FIU gear.

Live as a proud FIU Panther! Join our Alumni Association. If you are already a member, become a lifetime member! Participate in the many events we have on our campuses – games, lectures, exhibits, and performances. Pantherize your business.

Homecoming is a great time to come back to FIU and see how much we’ve grown. We’re planning Homecoming celebrations from Nov. 1 to Nov. 6 that will be bigger and better than ever. I want to see you back on campus and I want to see you on Nov. 6 cheering our Panthers to victory during our Homecoming football game.

Join me in sending a message about how proud we are of our university! Go Panthers!

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

Gerald Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines; FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg; School of Hospitality Interim Dean Joan Remington; Linda Coll, director of Carnival Foundation; Richard Brilliant, vice president and chief audit executive of Carnival Corporation; and Jim Berra, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Carnival Corporation.

5

in brief The student health fee also increased by $16 a semester. Parking fee increased 5 percent across the board. For students, this represents a $4 increase per semester. n

Doctoral student, alum win technology prizes

Hospitality breaks ground on Carnival Student Center Construction began in April on the new Carnival Student Center at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. The project was made possible by a gift from Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines and its parent company, Carnival Corporation.

Located at the Biscayne Bay Campus, the 2,600-square-foot space will be completely renovated and repurposed to create a formal and informal gathering for students.

Carnival’s gift also included an endowment for scholarships, which will increase once matched by the state.

Scheduled to open at the end of this year, the Carnival Student Center will be used as a place for students to gather and meet, as well as work in one of several fully equipped conference rooms. n

Tuition and fees increasing in 2010-’11 Students will see increases in tuition and fees in the upcoming academic year. The FIU Board of Trustees approved a measure in June that sets

undergraduate tuition at $117.67 per credit hour, an increase of $15.34 per credit hour.

Nationally, the average cost per credit hour is approximately $275.

“The tuition increase will help to keep our doors open and will provide funds for new faculty and advisors needed to offer the courses and provide the guidance to ensure quality education and timely graduation for our students,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg.

A portion of the funds collected as a result of the increase will be set aside for need-based financial aid. FIU is expected to award $310 million in financial aid, including loans – $23 million more than was awarded last year.

Law and medicine tuition also increased by 15 percent, while other graduate programs saw a 10 percent increase.

The tuition increases, together with increased enrollment, are projected to raise approximately $20 million a year. These funds will be used to hire new faculty members, increase the number of academic advisors and invest in student support services, including the library.

Two FIU innovators were recognized this spring as Technology Leaders of the Year by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.

FIU engineering doctoral student Fausto Fleites Fausto Fleites ’09 ’09 was awarded Top Technology Student of the Year. Alumnus Albert Santalo MBA ’97, president and CEO of CareCloud in Miami and a Lifetime Alumni Association Albert Santalo MBA ’97 member, won the Best Up & Coming Technology Innovator prize.

Fleites recently completed his first year as a Ph.D. student in FIU’s College of Engineering and Computing. He was recognized for his work as the leader of the graduate students working on the Florida Public Hurricane Loss Model, a project funded by the state of Florida that projects hurricane losses incurred by insurance companies. It is the only public model whose assumptions and calculations are transparent and open to public analysis.

Santalo founded CareCloud in 2009 with the vision of becoming a healthcare information technology leader focused on eliminating the waste and inefficiency in the healthcare industry today. He is the recipient of the 2004 FIU Alumni Association Charles E. Perry Visionary Torch Award for outstanding alumni and was inducted into the FIU Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in 2006. n

6

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

in brief Dimitri Foster enjoys lunch with FIU junior advertising major Danielle Foster at the new Chili’s.

New restaurants add flavor to FIU Chili’s Too, Moe’s and Papa John’s are just a few of the restaurants that arrived on the MMC campus this summer, offering a host of new dining options.

Chili’s Too opened in the Graham Center in July with indoor and outdoor seating for more than 300. The restaurant serves beer, wine and signature drinks. Everyone is required to show identification and wear a wristband to order drinks.

The restaurant offers a Chili’s To Go service with quick, convenient parking for pick-up behind the Graham Center next to the loading docks. It is open late on weeknights for parties and beginning in the fall, it will open on Saturdays.

The other new restaurants are located in PG5 Market Station, the new parking garage on the north side of campus along S.W. 8th Street. In addition to Moe’s and Papa John’s,

Market Station also has Dunkin’ Donuts, Chick-Fil-A and Salad Creations. Opening later this fall is Freshens, which serves yogurt and smoothies.

The ground floor of the seven-story parking garage will feature a dining hub with indoor and outdoor seating for 310 and a CyberCafé with wi-fi and televisions.

In addition, Market Station has three classrooms for up to 360 students. The classrooms are state-of-the-art with big screens for distance learning and stadium seating. The upper levels will have 2,000 parking spaces. n

SJMC students launch Liberty City news section When 17 students in a School of Journalism and Mass Communication reporting class learned they would spend the spring semester covering Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood, some were excited.

Others were nervous.

Reflecting on their time writing for the newly-created “Liberty City Link,” many called the experience life-changing. The class

was “one of the best experiences so far in my college career,” says senior Alexandra Martinez.

“Liberty City Link” began as a pilot project in professor Neil Reisner’s Print News Reporting class aimed at letting students learn how to report on the streets in a place where they might not ordinarily go or feel comfortable.

It quickly morphed into a partnership with the South Florida Times, a weekly paper serving South Florida’s African-American and Caribbean communities. The newspaper devotes a full page to stories that students write for what they now call “The Link.” The project demonstrates how journalism can empower residents while equipping students with the skills needed to accurately cover a diverse community.

With the exception of Reisner’s guidance and editorial support, “The Link” is staffed entirely by SJMC undergrads. The mostly Hispanic students in the class say it taught them how to find stories and report and write them on their own.

Robert Beatty, publisher and owner of the Times, says that one of the exciting aspects of “Liberty City Link” is that it exposes students to, “hard-core journalism, real-life journalism in the real world.”

In fact, the initial class of “Link” reporters found the work so gratifying that many stayed on through the summer as South Florida Times interns to contribute stories and work with students enrolled in Reisner’s summer reporting class.

Mark Fitzgerald, editor-in-chief of Editor & Publisher, one of the news industry’s top magazines, referred to the partnership as a “liberating experience” for the young journalists. Fitzgerald featured “Liberty City Link” in the magazine’s April issue, highlighting the positive impact it has on the community and its residents, many of whom feel marginalized by mainstream media. n

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

7

in brief gift to build a four-story astronomy observing platform that will benefit 700 students, expand teaching facilities and allow increased community outreach programs.

Despite these successes, some projects related to university infrastructure and the Miami-Dade County Health Department were not approved. n Stocker Astro Science Center

Neuroscience and AstroScience centers win state dollars The Florida Legislature supported several crucial FIU projects in the new state budget. The budget for FY 2010-’11 signed by Gov. Charlie Crist includes $17.6 million for a Student Support Complex that will consolidate admissions, financial aid, advising and veterans’ services for FIU students. Another $3.5 million was provided for an FIU Neuroscience Center that will meet critical needs in the areas of diagnosis, treatment, research and education for chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

The budget also includes $1.6 million for the Stocker AstroScience Center at FIU, funding that will complement an $800,000

College of Business expanding focus on green management Bloomberg Business Week asked senior business students nationwide to grade their business programs from A-F in 12 specialty areas. The results: the College of Business Administration captured an impressive seventh-place standing in sustainability.

But the college is just getting started. An expansion to the curriculum and increased journal submissions are among the areas that are expected to grow. In addition, existing events, such as an annual Green Supply Chain Management Forum, offered through the college’s Ryder Center for Supply Chain Management, enable students to broaden their knowledge.

“When I created a green management course, I knew it would be cutting edge

and timely, but I had no idea it would be so well received,” said Constance Bates, one of the faculty members of the Department of Management and International Business who revamped the business school’s green management track in 2009. “I taught the course for the first time this spring. The 60 students went out to the community where each group audited a real business and developed a green plan for each.”

She and colleagues Ronnie Silverblatt and Jack Kleban have already written two articles and delivered a paper on green curriculum issues to enable FIU Business to become Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)-certified to teach in the area.

For Executive Dean Joyce J. Elam, the recognition is both an affirmation and a spur to do even more.

“This exceptionally high ranking adds to our motivation to launch additional ‘green’ innovations in our undergraduate program, such as building on our strengths and reputation in entrepreneurship,” she said.

The survey also ranked the college in the top 25 in the specialty areas of operations management and marketing. n

Hands-on science education wins $1 million boost For more than eight years, the Department of Physics has taken a novel approach to teaching science. Called Modeling Instruction, students do hands-on projects that allow them to learn science by being scientists. So instead of simply memorizing the momentum equation, they collide cars and collect data to understand it. Rather than just reading about electricity, they use magnets to generate voltage and study it.

As a result, the number of physics majors has more than quadrupled, while student learning also has improved significantly.

Now, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute has awarded FIU $1 million to expand its approach to physics education. With the

grant, the College of Arts & Sciences will expand the Modeling Instruction concept to introductory biology and chemistry.

“Instead of lecturing at students, we want them to be scientific about their education,” said physics professor Laird Kramer. “Instead of telling us what they read in a book, we expect them to show us evidence of what they’ve learned.”

The grant is designed to help universities develop creative, research-based courses, give students more hands-on experiences in lab settings and improve science teaching. Nearly 200 research universities were invited to apply for grants this year; 50 were awarded. n

FIU physics professor Laird Kramer teaches magnetic induction as part of a Modeling Instruction-based course.

8

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

HOPE Haiti ƒor

FIU focuses on long-term solutions for Haiti’s future Legal Services

“I literally took what I was learning in school and used it in my business at the same time.”

— Robert Bell

HEalth FIU physician Dr. Pilar Martin has made numerous trips to Haiti, where she has a longstanding relationship with RoseMina de Diegue Orphanage in Port Au Prince. While there, Dr. Martin has delivered relief supplies and provided medical care in orphanages, tent cities and at various clinics.

FIU’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences alumni and faculty have been working with organizations such as the Haitian American Nurses Association to re-establish nursing education and provide nursing primary care. The college is collaborating with the University of Haiti in the development of instructional infrastructure, faculty and curriculum for programs in nursing and physical therapy. Most recently, FIU participated in the first international symposium organized by the Haiti Nursing Foundation on “The Future of Nursing Education in Haiti.”

FIU’s Carlos A. Costa Immigration and Human Rights Clinic in the College of Law organized and led several training sessions to educate students, faculty and community members on how to appropriately fill out the complicated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) form. The clinic, which is led by professor Troy Elder, then paired the trained volunteers with non-profit organizations throughout South Florida that were holding free TPS clinics for Haitians living in the United States. The FIU clinic also helped several other non-profits and area law schools to recruit trained Creole-speaking volunteers to man their TPS clinics so that as many eligible Haitians as possible could apply for TPS.

BUSINESS Nine students in the College of Business Administration’s master’s of international business program, under the supervision of Associate Dean Jerry Haar, have identified five Haitian industries that have great prospects for increasing exports. The team has assessed the strengths and weaknesses of these industries and identified U.S. wholesalers and retailers in these industries that may be interested in importing products from Haiti. Haar’s students recently received funding from CBA Executive Dean Joyce Elam to travel to Haiti to assist – under the guidance of Matthias Pierre, a Haitian entrepreneur – 10 companies in taking advantage of the export opportunities the team has identified.

Volunteering The university’s Hope for Haiti Task Force involves more than 100 participants from across the university led by Senior Vice President for External Relations Sandra Gonzalez-Levy. The task force meets monthly to coordinate the university’s efforts.

The university has mobilized more than 270 volunteer Creolespeaking interpreters to assist community organizations in need of translation assistance. The volunteers are a mix of students, faculty, alumni and community members. Among the projects the translators have been involved with: translating during registration of Haitians for Temporary Protected Status and translating materials to instruct Haitians on how to fit prosthetic devices on amputees.

Students in the College of Education have been tutoring displaced students in several schools of the Miami-Dade County Public School System.

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

9

Art The Frost Art Museum is making plans to donate pieces of Haitian art from its collection back to Haiti to help restore

the country’s cultural heritage. Many of the country’s most significant collections and works of art were destroyed in the

earthquake. The Frost has more than 400 pieces of Haitian art. During the summer, the museum showcased select pieces

from the collection in an exhibit named, “Tap-Tap: Celebrating the Art of Haiti.” The Frost plans to travel the exhibit to locations where people are not familiar with Haitian art. Later, when Haitian cultural institutes are ready, the museum will return some of the pieces to Haiti. To further rebuild Haiti’s cultural patrimony, the Frost is gathering information from collections all over Florida and the South to create a registry of Haitian art.

Rebuilding Professor Emel Ganapati in the Department of Public Administration has received a National Science Foundation grant to study the housing recovery process in the Petionville, Delmas and Canape Vert communities. In May, his team spent 11 days in Haiti conducting interviews and focus groups with Haitian citizens and policy makers. They will return this fall to continue research.

Professor Sylvan Jolibois in the College of Engineering and Computing served on a field reconnaissance team in Haiti for the Earthquake Engineering Research Institutes.

The teams are made up of scientists and engineers who are dispatched to disaster areas to survey damage.

Libraries The FIU Libraries and the Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC), a consortium administered by the Latin American and Caribbean Center and FIU Libraries, are leading the Protecting Haitian Patrimony Initiative to help Haiti’s libraries and archives protect their collections and support the preservation of Haitian heritage. The Protecting Haitian Patrimony Initiative, involving numerous universities and nonprofit partners, has raised more than $8,000 to restore and rebuild libraries in Haiti. In February and June, dLOC coordinator, Brooke Wooldridge, traveled to Haiti to assist the libraries and archives in planning the next phase of recovery. The initiative is working to raise awareness, financial resources and in-kind donations, and to partner with the Hiaitian libraries on grants to further strengthen the collections.

Education FIU recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Haiti for long-term educational cooperation and support.

The University of Haiti, the country’s largest institution for higher education, suffered catastrophic damage in the earthquake, with 80 percent of its facilities destroyed. In the agreement, FIU and the University of Haiti commit to exploring the development of educational programs, research, online courses and help with the curriculum.

This summer, FIU’s Latin American and Caribbean Center in the School of International and Public Affairs hosted one of the largest Haitian Summer Institutes since the program began in 1997. A number of the 26 participants in the six-week program were professionals who completed the program and headed directly to Haiti for relief and reconstruction work. This year’s program featured intensive Haitian Creole language training at the basic, intermediate and advanced levels and seminars on Haitian history and culture.

The Latin American and Caribbean Center is hosting University of Haiti professor Watson Denis as a visiting professor for Summer 2010 through Spring 2011. Denis is a scholar of Haitian thought, international relations and Caribbean history. While at FIU, he is continuing his research on earthquakes in Haiti and the Dominican Republic and their impact on education, economic development and decentralization. He is also serving as an advisor to FIU students working on Haiti and supporting Haiti-related LACC initiatives, including helping LACC strengthen its partnerships in Haiti and the diaspora.

10

Florida International University Magazine

56 and counting

FIU’s Garrett Wittels is just two games shy of tying the Division I all-time hit streak record

Photo by Samuel Lewis

FALL 2010

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

By Sissi Aguila ’99, MA ’08

It was his first homerun of the season. Teammates had been teasing Garrett Wittels for weeks. He’d had a hit in 36 straight games. Amazing.

But, he hadn’t been able to hit one out of the ballpark. Then came a 2-1 breaking ball and off it went deep over the left field wall. On April 30, 2010, infielder Wittels broke FIU’s record for consecutive hits and folks started thinking he might just break some NCAA records.

After hit number 42, there was a press conference. Fans wanted to meet the kid from Bay Harbor who was now tied in the fourth longest hitting streak in NCAA Division I history. Interviews on ESPN followed. No sports section was complete without at least a blurb on the new college baseball star.

As the shortstop kept hitting, the team stepped up to the plate, claiming its first Sun Belt Conference Tournament crown since 1999. The boys set SBC Tournament records in hits, runs scored and batting average and gave Wittels the opportunity to inch closer to the record of one of the best college hitters of all time, Robin Ventura. His 1987 record stands at 58 games.

FIU was eliminated at the Coral Gables Regional, but Wittels hit number 56, two shy of Ventura.

The longest hitting streak in the Major Leagues is Joe DiMaggio’s 56, set in 1941. Wittels’ streak is ongoing until the start of the 2011 season in February.

“I try not to think about it,” said Wittels of the streak. “But it’s in the back of my mind.”

The All-American infielder says he’s stayed focused with the advice of his teammates. “They’ve taught me that you can’t let your successes get you too high and your failures too low. You

have to stay even keel the whole time.”

He’s worked with the coaches on technique and at swinging at the right pitches.

“Garrett has a competitive spirit.

He’s tough. He doesn’t let pressure effect him,” said Head Baseball Coach Henry “Turtle” Thomas, of the 20-year-old junior. “He’s shown maturity beyond his years. It goes back to how he was raised by his family. He’s got a great work ethic.”

Wittels’ parents Michael and Lishka, his grandfather Bernardo Bennett, and his little brother and sister often came out to watch him play during the season. “We’re a tight family,” said Wittels. “I like to look up at the stands and know that they’re there rooting for me.”

Wittels’ family played a big part in continuing the hitter’s streak. Baseball is a game of superstitions and Wittels has “a ton.” During the season, his sister, Nataly, 12, or brother, Stephen, 15, would throw a pack of Watermelon Bubblicious gum into the dugout before each game. His uncle, Edgar Bennett, would bring a Jobu doll, the voodoo creation from the movie Major League. Wittels would wear the same shorts, sliding pants and socks (washed, he insists).

And Wittels has not cut his hair since the beginning of the 2010 season.

For now, the high-energy jokester says there are no plans to get rid of the “bird nest,” as his teammates call his locks, until next season.

Superstitions aside, baseball is a game of numbers. Statistics remain more important at the ballpark than in any other major sport. And Wittels’ numbers in 2010 were impressive all around. He had a hit in every game he played last season; a team-high batting average of .413 with 100 hits; and 60 RBI.

“Garrett has a competitive spirit. He doesn’t let pressure effect him.”

— Turtle Thomas, FIU Head Baseball Coach

11

A utility player hitting .246 last season, Wittels became “arguably the most famous player in Div. I baseball, with updates of his streak regularly rolling along the ticker of national sports television stations and Web sites,” said Sports Illustrated writer Joe Lemire.

He was the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, named to the Ping! Baseball All-American First Team and the Louisville Slugger First-Team All-American.

ESPN took note and named Wittels one of five ESPY nominees for Best Male College Athlete. He flew out to Los Angeles and sat in the audience with some of the biggest names in sports.

“I was just so happy to be there,” said Wittels, who walked the red carpet with his sister Eliana, 21. “It’s one of the things I’ve been most excited about since the streak started.”

Wittels’ success has also given FIU some added swagger. There are more than 300 NCAA Division I teams in the country. Because of the streak, FIU dominated NCAA and college baseball headlines for months.

“We’re a young school,” said Thomas. “All our sports are on the rise – our rankings, our academic programs – are on the rise. This is good for FIU.” Wittels, a sports management major on the 2010 Sun Belt Honor Roll, will be eligible for Major League drafts at the end of the 2011 season, but says he has not thought that far ahead yet. He spent June and July in Alaska playing with the Peninsula Oilers in a summer league.

During the off-season, Wittels says he’s trying to get faster and work on agility. Batters have less than a second to decide to hit the ball while at bat. The few who succeed do so on average three out of 10 times. They are considered the game’s greatest players. n

12

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

Building for the Future

FIU students compete to build country’s best solar-powered house

By Martin Haro ‘05

FIU students will compete with 20 universities around the world to build an energy efficient, solar-powered house that will be displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., next fall. The FIU house will be uniquely designed to respond to South Florida’s mercurial tropical weather.

The Solar Decathlon challenges 20 college teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are affordable, energy efficient and attractive. Collegiate teams hail from around the United States and as far away as China, New Zealand and Belgium.

Team FIU consists of approximately 25 student architects, landscape architects, interior designers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, civil/ environmental engineers, construction managers and journalists.

The project involves a team of faculty from three colleges and seven departments.

The winner of the competition is the team that best blends cost effectiveness, consumer appeal and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.

“At the threshold of art and technology, this project places FIU at the forefront of research in sustainable building design –

particularly design focused on the unique conditions of our South Florida environment: the hot, humid, hurricane-prone tropics,” said architecture professor Marilys Nepomechie, who is directing the project. “On the most prominent of international stages, our students are contributing to one of the most

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

13

Left: Team FIU’s solar-powered house is called PerFORM[D]ance because it performs in real time by sensing and responding to the generation and acquisition of energy.

Below, left: The Solar Decathlon Team, First row: Chrissy Perez, Gayluz Rivera, Deana Sritalapat, Susana Neira, professor Marilys Nepomechie, Christina Rodriguez, Tari Pelaez and Isis Fumero. Second row: Andres Pineda, Tyler Schwartz, Mario Menendez, Alvaro Gazo, professor Camilo Rosales, Andy Madonna, Luis Sanchez and Alfonso Rodriguez. Third row: Ed Seymour, JC Gonzalez, Thomas Bryan, professor Eric Peterson, Carlos Romero, Manny Dorticos, Amir Melloul and Susanne Schiffer.

house will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act), it is “Sustainability still sustainably functional.

“Our house doesn’t borrow any and looks energy from the grid,” Neira said. “I don’t often think it acts on a global level, but is still very local, very Miami. The wall go hand in space is minimal – the house is made hand. Our out of a special glass that meets city codes. The material has been the most concept is challenging aspect of the design.” trying to Team FIU’s solar-powered combine house is called PerFORM[D]ance because it performs in real time both by sensing and responding to the elements.” generation and acquisition of energy.

— important conversations of our times: environmental engineering; and The house, in effect, “dances” in Fernando Figueredo of public the design of a truly sustainable response to the external conditions Susana relations and advertising. future for our community.” of its environment and the internal Neira ’09, architecture While faculty members serve as The multi-stage competition began conditions of its use. Examples of this graduate with a grant proposal submitted by advisors, the Solar Decathlon team movement are its movable louvers student FIU faculty to the U.S. Department is primarily a student-led effort, modeled after hurricane shutters. of Energy last November. Having guided by project manager Andrew In fall 2011, PerFORM[D]ance cleared that first hurdle, FIU was Madonna, a graduate student in will be transported in segments invited to enter stage two – a student architecture. The project leadership 1,056 miles from Miami to team includes Manny Dorticos, Isis the National Mall where it will design competition that took place Fumero, Deana Sritalapat, Susana be reassembled for the 10-day this past spring. The competition Neira ’09, Tyler Schwartz, Tari Pelaez, competition and exhibition. More entry submitted by FIU earned the Chrissy Perez and Michele Makovits. than 30,000 people visited the Solar university a place on the National This type of construction – green Decathlon houses each day during Mall in 2011. building – is not necessarily glamorous, the 2009 competition.

The project involves a team The FIU team is seeking sponsors says Neira. “Sustainability and looks of faculty from three colleges from the business community to help don’t often go hand-in-hand. and seven departments: Camilo raise money for the construction, Our concept is trying to combine Rosales, Roberto Rovira, Shahin furnishing and transportation of the both elements.”

Vassigh and Thomas Spiegelhalter, solar house. Sponsorship information The master’s student says that all of architecture; Sarah Sherman can be found by visiting solardecathlon. although the FIU house is small and of interior design; Yimin Zhu fiu.edu or by contacting Marilys. better suited for a young, childless of construction management; Nepomechie@fiu.edu. n couple or an elderly couple (the Girma Bitsuamlak of civil and

14

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

15

Celebrating Excellence

By Deborah O’Neil MA ’09

Alumna Gloria Romero Roses ’92 brought her 11-year-old daughter Alexandra along for a special night at FIU this spring. Romero Roses was among 16 graduates invited back to campus for the annual Alumni Association Torch Awards Gala, a red-carpet dinner and awards ceremony recognizing FIU graduates for professional achievement and distinction.

“It’s just beautiful,” Romero Roses said. “It’s awesome to be able to see what everybody has accomplished over the years.”

And will Alexandra be a Panther one day too?

“I hope so,” said Roses.

Some 400 people attended this year’s gala in the Graham Center Ballrooms. The proceeds of the event raised $70,000 for the FIU Alumni Center.

“Our alumni center will serve as a home away from home for our alumni and friends and we hope we can count on your support to build it,” said FIU President Mark Rosenberg. “Your support is crucial in helping us achieve our vision of FIU as a leading, student-centered urban public research university that is locally and globally engaged.”

Rosenberg praised the award recipients for “showing the world how well we can prepare students.”

Torch winner Lani Kane-Hanan ’87, senior vice president of Marriott Vacation Group International, said FIU graduates rise above the rest in the workplace.

“They are hardworking, willing to learn, appreciative of opportunities,” she said. “I don’t see the depth or breadth of quality elsewhere that I see from FIU. In this economy you have more applicants than positions. That extra bit of dedication makes a difference.”

The gala was a welcome homecoming for KaneHanan, who hadn’t visited FIU’s main campus for more than 20 years.

“It was a good opportunity to meet so many distinguished alumni from FIU,” said KaneHanan. “I was just so impressed with the campus, the buildings. It’s really amazing.” n Continues on next page

16

Florida International University Magazine

Charles Perry Young Alumni Visionary Award Lourdes Carreras-Balepogi ’00 A marketing and public relations manager with almost 10 years of experience, Lourdes Carreras-Balepogi is the founder and president of Chispa Marketing. Her clients include MiamiDade College, Keyes Realtors and the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

Prior to launching Chispa, Balepogi served as director of marketing and communications for FIU’s Eugenio Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center. While at FIU, she was a peer advisor and an active member of Phi Sigma Sigma, Omicron Delta Kappa and Dance Marathon. She is a board member of the West Kendall Business Association and the League Against Cancer.

Outstanding Faculty Award Professor Kathleen K. Blais RN, BSN ’74, MS ’75, ED.D. Dr. Kathy Blais is an associate professor of nursing who first came to FIU as a member of the university’s inaugural class.

She previously practiced nursing at Jackson Memorial and taught at Broward Community College. Blais has held leadership positions in the School of Nursing and the FIU Faculty Senate. She was honored in 1992 with the FIU Excellence in Advising Award and in 1988 with the Excellence in Teaching Award.

A co-author of the widely used Professional Nursing Practice: Concepts and Perspectives, her research investigates medication dosage calculation errors by nursing students.

Community Leadership Award Elizabeth Miranda Hernandez ’80 Elizabeth Hernandez is a community activist whose work for diversity and sensitivity training earned her the 2009 In the Company of Women Award from the MiamiDade County Commission on Women. As an attorney, she focuses on ethic laws governing local officials, land use and zoning law, and Florida constitutional law. Hernandez is chief legal officer for the city of Coral Gables and executive council of the City, County and Local Government Law

FALL 2010

Section of the Florida Bar. The Florida League of Cities named her City Attorney of the Year in 2005. She is a member of the board of directors of South Miami Hospital.

Outstanding Achievement Award Octavio Hernández ’74 A leader in Miami’s banking industry for more than 35 years, Octavio Hernández is vice chairman of the board, president and CEO of U.S. Century Bank. Prior to co-founding U.S. Century, he was president and CEO at First Bank of Miami and Bankers Savings Bank. Under his leadership, U.S. Century has supported FIU through a gift to the Athletics Department resulting in the naming of the university’s arena, and provided student scholarships to the College of Law and the Honors College. Hernández, the 2008 South Florida Chamber of Commerce Banker of the Year, serves on the board of the Florida Bankers Association.

Distinguished Alumna, College of Architecture and The Arts Peggy A. Nolan ’90, MFA ’01 Peggy Nolan is a self-taught photographer and single mother of seven. Her work is collected and exhibited by institutions including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Washington, D.C., National Museum of Women in the Arts. She has won the South Florida Consortium Individual Artist Grant twice and was selected for the Light Work artist-inresidence program. Nolan is a board member and art coordinator for the Lotus House Women’s Shelter in Overtown. In 2008, she was one of 10 female photographers featured in For & About Women, a Sotheby’s portfolio.

Distinguished Alumna, College of Arts and Sciences Dorys Saxlehner ’98 In her role as VP of the nation’s largest provider of education on the U.S. Security Exchange Commission compliance, Dorys Saxlehner travels the world training some of the largest American companies and their executives on

SEC standards. As an undergrad, Saxlehner, a “Marielita,” tutored Hispanic students who struggled with English. A member of the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board, she is working with FIU’s English Department on the first major fundraising effort aimed at English alumni.

Distinguished Alumnus, Athletics Yioset De LaCruz ’99, First elected to office in 2000, and reelected last year with 92 percent of the vote, Hialeah Gardens Mayor Yioset De La Cruz is one of the youngest mayors in Florida. He is the chair of the Intergovernmental Legislative Policy Committee with the Florida League of Cities and a member of the Advocacy Committee and the Federal Action Strike Team, as well as a voting delegate for the Florida League of Cities. Prior to public office, he served as parks director for the city of Sweetwater and played for the Chicago White Sox minor league team.

Distinguished Alumna, College of Business Administration Gloria Romero Roses ’92 Colombian-born real estate businesswoman Gloria Romero Roses has lived and worked in South Florida for more than three decades. Here, she began her career in community association management in the late 1980s, eventually working with several of Miami’s leading developers, such as The Related Group. In 2001, she found success as a freelance project management consultant, working on projects in Florida and Nevada.

Romero is past president of ArtSpring, Inc., a non-profit organization that promotes self-growth and effective life skills among underserved and institutionalized women and girls.

Distinguished Alumna, College of Education Dr. Sharon M. López ’06 As principal of Riverside Elementary Community School, Sharon López helped raise school performance from a low “C” to an “A” in

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

four years. She established the award-winning Riverside Reading Leadership Team, which encourages families to be active readers. In 2007, the Miami-Dade Coalition of Community Education named her Principal of the Year for her work in Miami’s East Little Havana. An instructor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at FIU, López serves in the College of Education Dean’s Advisory Board. A lifetime member of the FIU Alumni Association, she serves on the college’s Alumni Chapter Board.

Distinguished Alumnus, College of Engineering and Computing Chad Moss ’94 As senior VP of one of Florida’s largest private construction management firms, Chad Moss oversees multiple construction projects, buyout, scheduling, contract management and public relations pursuits. The company, in partnership with Hunt Construction Group, is currently building the Florida Marlins’ new stadium in Little Havana. In 2008 and 2009, Moss won four Florida Sunshine State Safety Recognition Awards for Publix supermarkets and the West Palm Beach U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office. A strong supporter and donor to FIU’s Construction Management Department, he serves on the executive committee of its Industry Advisory Council.

Distinguished Alumna, The Honors College Tina Vidal-Smith ’02, MIB ’04 Tina Vidal-Smith is a founding member of Pacer Corporation, a company specializing in the acquisition and turnaround of financially distressed businesses. Vidal has risen through the ranks since she first joined Pacer’s operations, fulfilling numerous roles, including director of corporate operations, working on marketing efforts and helping to increase revenue from less than $100,000 to approximately $30 million in less than three years, and COO of the non-medical division. She also oversaw the initial rebuilding effort of South Cameron Memorial Hospital in the wake of Hurricane Rita, a $25 million construction project.

Distinguished Alumna, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Lani Kane-Hanan ’87 In her role as senior vice president of Marriott Vacation Club International, Lani Kane-Hanan oversees the company’s resort planning and development, inventory and revenue management and product innovation activities.

Her team supports the Ritz-Carlton Club, Grand Residences and Marriott Vacation Club business lines worldwide. Kane-Hanan was an instructor at FIU and is the chairperson of the American Resort Development Association’s Meetings Committee. She is co-founder and president of Women in the Industry, a national non-profit that works on behalf of women in her field.

Distinguished Alumna, School of Journalism and Mass Communication Annabel Beyra ’93 A public relations manager with almost 20 years of experience, Annabel Beyra has led PR programs for companies in industries including technology and consumer electronics, travel and tourism and health care. In 2005, she was named a South Florida Business Journal Heavy Hitter in Public Relations for her work in creating strategic campaigns that help companies – such as Palm Latin America, Yahoo! and DHL – meet their communications goals. Beyra serves on the board of the Public Relations Society of America, Miami chapter, and will become its president in 2011. She also helped co-found ITWomen, an organization that works on behalf of women in her field.

Distinguished Alumnus, College of Law Timothy M. Ravich ’96 An attorney with Miami’s Clarke, Silvergate & Campbell, P.A., Timothy Ravich specializes in aviation law, class actions, commercial and employment litigation and product liability. Recognized as one of only 33 Florida

17

Bar, board-certified aviation lawyers, he is the immediate past president and CEO of the Dade County Bar Association, as well as an instructor in the FIU College of Law. The author of Aviation Law and National Security After September 11th, Ravich has been named a South Florida Business Journal Leading Lawyer. He also has been elected a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, an honor limited to 1 percent of all attorneys in the United States.

Distinguished Alumnus, College of Nursing and Health Sciences Patrick M. Denis BSN ’93, RN, MBA, CNOR A nurse with more than 16 years of experience, Cmdr.

Patrick Denis was first inspired to join the military after witnessing the U.S. Navy’s response in the wake of Hurricane Andrew. Today, he is deputy director of Training and Education in the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General.

In his role, he oversees the response training of more than 6,500 officers and assists in the development and implementation of training programs to meet mission needs.

Prior to serving in the Navy, he was director of Perioperative Services and Birthing Center for the Indian Health Service, a federal health program for Native Americans.

Distinguished Alumna, Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work Vanessa Mills LPN, BSN, MPH ’04 As executive director of Empower “U,” Inc., a private, non-profit, community-based organization, Vanessa Mills leads her staff in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Miami-Dade. She advocates for and serves individuals who do not have a voice, allowing them to participate in HIV/AIDS services at the community level. The goal is to foster prevention by educating the community, especially minority residents with high infection rates, in the ways of prevention. Mills helps patients newly diagnosed HIV-positive, and those who have lost or never had access to care, connect to health and social services.

18

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

Discover the Magic of

Miami

Architecture professor Marilys Nepomechie writes a comprehensive guide to Miami-Dade’s historic structures and neighborhoods Photos © Steven Brooke.

By Sissi Aguila ’99, MA ’08

Moorish arches and golden domes peak out behind 25-foot palm trees.

Reminiscent of a magnificent palace in North Africa, the thick stucco structure, whimsically painted pink, white and yellow, is actually Opalocka City Hall. Local commuters rush by every day never knowing the history behind the design of the government building. Tourists would never find it on their sightseeing maps.

In her new book, Building Paradise: An Architectural Guide to the Magic City, FIU professor Marilys Nepomechie is helping shed light on the architectural history of more than 700 principal buildings and landscapes in greater Miami, including Opa-locka City Hall.

“I know the city now in ways I didn’t know it before,” said Nepomechie, who spent nearly two years compiling the history and characteristics of contemporary

“At FIU we have sought to create an architectural vocabulary that inspires and draws in prominent architects who have made their mark on Miami and throughout the world.”

— Mark B. Rosenberg, FIU President

structures, landmarks, neighborhoods, historic districts, beaches and parks throughout the county.

One of the most flamboyant buildings in Miami-Dade, Opa-locka City Hall, is the result of a predilection on the part of Miami Land Boom developers for constructing planned, themed cities. Coral Gables, designed in Mediterranean style, and Miami Springs, with buildings in the Pueblo Style, are among the best known of their creations.

Beginning in the 1920s, explained Nepomechie, real estate developers, intent on marketing an exotic tropical paradise, built a number of communities based on themes they thought would attract residents to a new, relatively remote location. “In some respects, Greater Miami was the original Disney World,” she said.

American aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss developed Opa-locka in 1926 based on an Arabian Nights

fantasy, inspired by Tales of the 1001 Nights. “The city is said to have the largest collection of Moorish Revival architecture in the Western Hemisphere,” said Nepomechie.

Opa-locka began as a segregated white settlement. With help from the GI Bill and civil rights activists, African-Americans began to move to the city after WWII. Today, the urban neighborhood is primarily home to African-American and Hispanic residents.

Organized by neighborhood, more than half of the handbook’s entries feature black-and-white photos by award-winning, local photographer Steven Brooke. Brooke is internationally recognized for his work with architecture, landscape and interiors.

Essays by local leaders introduce the guide and add perspective. FIU voices enlisted to help tell Miami’s story include Michael Maunder, former

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

research scientist in the Department of Biology and past executive director of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables; Campbell McGrath, author of eight volumes of poetry and the Philip and Patricia Frost Professor of Creative Writing; and FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg.

In his piece, Rosenberg writes, “At FIU we have sought to create an architectural vocabulary that inspires and draws in prominent architects who have made their mark on Miami and throughout the world.”

Several FIU structures are featured in the guide, including Deuxieme Maison (DM), the university’s second building. Nepomechie tells us that DM was the first of the campus courtyard buildings. Its reliance on exterior circulation and open-air public space set the pattern for many of the academic buildings that followed.

FIU adjunct professor Daisy Alvarez directed the production

of the guide, and FIU students Mauricio Gonzalez ’12, Andrew Santa “We wanted Lucia ’11 and Reynolds Diaz ’11 to look at the helped Nepomechie with layout and architecture created maps for Building Paradise. of our young Ileana Rodriguez ’09, who has since city from graduated from FIU with a degree in architecture, helped with research. a different McGrath contributed an original perspective.” poem, “Another Beautiful Day — in Miami,” initially written to Marilys commemorate the installation of Nepomechie, Rosenberg as fifth president of FIU. architecture professor He writes, “Come back, Henry Flagler and Julia Tuttle and Carl Fisher, come back all you builders and hucksters and immigrant believers. Come back to the intoxicatingly beautiful and complex metropolis you dreamed into being, because tomorrow is sure to be another beautiful day in Miami.”

Nepomechie, whose father, an architect, first practiced in Cuba, has been honored –along with collaborator and FIU landscape architecture

19

professor Marta Canavés– with more than 30 design awards, national and international exhibitions, and wide publication.

Building Paradise was commissioned by the Miami Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The national organization hosted its annual convention in Miami in June. This was the first time the AIA had held its annual meeting in Miami since 1964.

The guide published then barely surpassed 60 pages. Nepomechie’s book is one of only two architectural guides to Miami, and the more comprehensive in range. Both works were published this year.

“We wanted to look at the architecture of our young city from a different perspective,” said Nepomechie, who also included the cultural and natural landscapes of South Florida as essential complements to more than 100 years of building. “The scope of this book is unprecedented.” n

20

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

“I literally took what I was learning in school and used it in my business at the same time.”

— Robert Bell

Savoring success

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

School of Hospitality and Tourism Management grad Allen Susser ’78 sizzles in the kitchen and in his commitment to FIU

By Martin Haro ’05

The first thing chef Allen Susser ’78 ever cooked at his renowned restaurant was swordfish on a wood-burning grill he had brought home after spending a decade in France.

“That grill had tremendous flavor,” he said. “I put a piece of swordfish on it and let its succulent flavors mix with the oak that we used. It was great.”

That was some time in 1986, when he opened the doors of the popular Chef Allen’s in Aventura. More than 20 years later, swordfish still is a staple of Susser’s menu; he serves it with grilled pineapple and watermelon, bathed in a delicious tequila-lime vinaigrette.

Fish is one of the chef ’s favorite things to cook, especially wild fish.

A culinary pioneer Susser is an award-winning industry pioneer in Miami. His is one of the handful of boldface names always mentioned when conversation turns to successful local restaurateurs. Today, the Brooklyn-born graduate of FIU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is one of South Florida’s preeminent chefs, credited as one of the innovators of New World Cuisine.

New World Cuisine is a multiethnic culinary fusion of Floridian, Caribbean, Latino, Asian and African flavors. Thanks to the classically trained chef and some of his local peers like Mark Militello and Norman Van Aken (with whom Susser made up the “Mango Gang”), New World Cuisine was the sensation of the local

culinary scene in the 1990s.

Susser and his restaurant have been praised lavishly throughout his career.

In 1994, he received a James Beard Foundation Award – the Oscars of the culinary world – for Best Chef, Southeast region.

Travel + Leisure called Chef Allen’s “the best restaurant south of New York City” and in 2004, The Miami Herald said Susser and his staff de cuisine “give the loyal clientele superlative quality, every time.”

Susser’s recipe for running a successful restaurant is one that he has perfected over the years. Unlike many of his peers who guard their secrets, he is happy to share.

“At the restaurant, we start early in the morning, usually around 9 or 10. We receive our fresh fish – we favor local and sustainable fish. We talk to our vendors, fishermen and local farmers,” he said. “We change the menu daily – that’s where my inspiration comes from, from seeing what comes in every day.”

A taste for mango Outside the kitchen, Susser works with Share Our Strength, an organization that helps end childhood hunger in South Florida. He also has his own line of sauces (flavors include orange-chipotle and mango ketchup) and finds time to write about the food he loves.

He’s the author of three cookbooks: New World Cuisine and Cookery, The Great Citrus Book and The Great Mango Book.

21

Left: Chef Allen Susser’s curry mussels with mango.

Photos by Greg Clark

“FIU helped me understand everything I needed to understand to be successful.”

— Chef Allen Susser

“Writing is one of my other passions,” he said. “I love to explore the history and the culture and the background of ingredients and find out where they were from and how they were used originally and compare that to how we use them today.”

This curiosity is how he became a big fan of the mango. Susser remembers discovering the fruit in Miami when he started going to FIU. It has been one of his go-to ingredients ever since.

“I found a mango tree in my backyard. I never had that before,” he said. “These mangos were delicious – Continues on next page

22

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

Curry Mussels Serves 4 1 medium shallot, finely diced 2 tablespoons olive oil ¾ cup finely chopped scallions 1 teaspoon minced garlic ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons curry powder 1 small scotch bonnet, seeded & minced 2 pounds fresh mussels, cleaned 1 cup coconut milk 1 tablespoon Pernod 1 cup freshly diced mango To prepare the steaming broth: Sweat the onions in olive oil until softened in a medium stockpot over medium-high heat. Add half of the scallions.

Stir in the garlic, thyme, salt, curry powder, scotch bonnet and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer.

Continued

they were lush and sweet. From then on, I incorporated mango in every recipe I could.”

A real-world education Susser was drawn to Miami and to FIU, a brand new university at the time, first by the weather and the city’s atmosphere. He ultimately stayed in what would become his adopted hometown because he discovered “a passion to share knowledge that the professors and the dean had.”

“I loved what they had to offer,” he said, “A great mix of education and exposure to the industry. That’s what I was looking for, I wanted to be at a place where I would be nurtured and could learn and understand from great professors, but, at the same time, work in the industry.”

All he wanted to do was be in the kitchen and cook, but at FIU he learned that being a chef involves much more than cooking.

“There’s a lot of management, not only of a restaurant but of people as well,” he said. “You have to know how to relate to your staff and to your community. FIU helped me understand everything I needed to understand to be successful.”

Susser, a member of the FIU

“I love to explore the history and the culture and the background of ingredients.”

— Chef Allen Susser

Alumni Association and Torch Award winner, certainly has applied the lessons learned more than 30 years ago. He is welcoming of FIU students and grads. More often than not, there’s an FIU alum in his kitchen. He also has gone back to the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management to teach wine, cooking and management classes.

“We are proud of Allen. He is an outstanding award-winning chef, a businessman and an author but most importantly he is a humanitarian who cares for the community and those less fortunate,” said Rocco Angelo, associate dean of the School of Hospitality. “Although he has a full schedule, Allen never refuses a request to lecture at the school and to share his expertise and experience with the next generation of restaurateurs.”

The chef ’s support of his alma mater includes his founding participation in the one-day Florida Extravaganza at Biscayne Bay Campus almost 10 years ago. That event became the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, which has raised millions of dollars to support student scholarships and programs in the School of Hospitality. n

To steam the mussels: Add the mussels to the hot broth. Stir well, raise the heat to high and cover to steam the mussels open for about 2-3 minutes.

Finish with the remaining scallions, Pernod and fresh-diced mango.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Grapefruit Pesto Serves 4 2 large grapefruits 8 3-oz lamb chops, trimmed 1 teaspoon coarse salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon rosemary ½ teaspoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 bunches flat leaf parsley 3 sprigs mint ½ bunch chives ½ cup pine nuts ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil To prepare the grapefruits: Using a zester, trim about a tablespoon of zest from the skin of one grapefruit and place on the side. Working over a bowl, peel the grapefruit, cutting segments for garnish. Squeeze the remaining grapefruit for juice.

To prepare the lamb: Pre-heat the grill on high heat. Season the chops with salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic and grapefruit zest. Drizzle with olive oil. Grill or broil the lamb for 4 minutes on each side, for medium rare, or longer to your liking.

To prepare the grapefruit pesto: Simmer the grapefruit juice in a small saucepot on medium heat until reduced to ½ cup. Remove 6-8 branches of parsley for garnish. Chop the remainder of the leaves with the mint and chives roughly. Using a food processor, puree the green herbs with the pine nuts and crushed red pepper. Add the extra virgin olive oil and the grapefruit syrup in a drizzle into the processor. Serve the pesto on side of the lamb. Garnish with grapefruit segments, roast potatoes and watermelon radishes.

S napshots in E x ce l l ence from U . S . C entury B ank A rena

Drive. Talent. Commitment.

USCB salutes FIU Head Basketball Coach Isiah Thomas as he builds champions on the court and in the classroom. One of the greatest players in NBA history, Coach Thomas continues to bring some of the best and brightest talent in the nation to FIU. The 2010-’11 basketball season opening in November promises to be one of the most exciting in recent FIU history. Through our partnership with FIU, U.S. Century Bank is proud to support FIU’s Athletics programs and advance our shared values of excellence and dedication.

Partners in Education

24

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

FootBa

all 2010

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

25

Florida International University Magazine

Stories by Julian Kasdin ’07 Photos by Ivan Santiago and Gloria O’Connell

The 2010 playmakers

26

FALL 2010

The Face of FIU Football: T.Y. Hilton

Growing Up: Tourek Williams

Junior wide receiver SI Honorable Mention All-American for All Purpose players (2008) Sporting News Freshman All-American Kick Returner (2008) Scout.com Honorable Mention Freshman All-American (2008) Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year (2008) Sporting News Sun Belt Freshman of the Year (2008) Rivals.com Sun Belt Freshman of the Year (2008) First Team All-Conference Kick Returner & All Purpose (2008) SBC First-Team All-Conference (2009) Preseason All-Conference (2010)

Sophomore defensive end When Tourek Williams first set foot on FIU’s campus he was a lanky 6-foot-4 and 228 pounds. Now he tips the scales at 260, a very literal representation of his growth as a player and person since coming to FIU. Williams’ start in football came much later than many of the athletes who have been thrust into similar prominent positions. He waited untill ninth grade and joined junior varsity at Miami Carol City.

Eugene “TY” Hilton wasn’t always fast. “I had enough speed to get away from that guy at that time,” said the junior wide receiver.

But at FIU, he has quickly become one of the most feared receivers and return men in college football.

“I made the team and that same year got moved to varsity,” said the sophomore defensive end. “I didn’t play varsity football until my 11th grade year when I transferred to Miami Norland, and that’s when I realized this was something serious, something I really want to do for the rest of my life.”

Beginning with his breakout freshman year, “Goodbye,” as he is known by his teammates, has been leaving opposing defenses in the dust. Hilton, who is majoring in sports broadcasting, has provided more highlight-reel moments for FIU than any other player and has become the face of FIU football.

At FIU, he’s majoring in sport and fitness studies. Being close to home means that his mother and his brother can attend all his home games. “My mother is a great person, my best friend, my everything,” he said.

Despite nagging injuries last season, TY was still the team’s leading receiver and returner. While at FIU, Hilton has logged 3,551 all-purpose yards, scoring 18 touchdowns, making him one of the most prolific offensive threats in the Sun Belt. His blinding speed – Hilton’s 4.3 40 is the fastest on the team – impresses friend and foe alike. With the help of Coach Scott Satterfield, he looks forward to having his best year yet.

Since coming to FIU, he has taken up the mantle of playmaker. After starting his college career against Alabama, he would go on to block a game tying field goal against Louisiana-Lafayette and earn the team’s second win of the 2009 season.

“His offense is amazing, the routes that we run, the schemes and formations are incredible,” said Hilton of his new coordinator.

Beyond the field, Hilton is a proud father who attributes his attending FIU to his baby boy, who is 2 1/2. “My son was the main reason. I placed two hats on the bed and said, ‘Choose the hat you want your daddy to go to,’ and he chose the FIU hat.”

With next season in mind Williams is “looking forward to winning.”

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

27

In his Blood: Jonathan Cyprien

The Trendsetter: Anthony Gaitor

From the Farm to the City: Brad Serini

Sophomore defensive back

Senior cornerback

Senior offensive lineman

All-Sun Belt Conference Honorable Mention (2009)

First Team All-Sun Belt Conference (2008-’09)

Preseason Rimington Watch List (2010)

Sun Belt Academic Honor Roll (2009-’10)

Miami Herald First Team All-Florida (2008)

Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference (2010)

For some football is a calling, as it has been for sophomore safety Jonathan Cyprien. As long as he can remember he has wanted to play football.

“In elementary school we used to persuade our coach, Mr. Wilson, to play football every day. If he gave us a basketball we’d play football with it, if he gave us a soccer ball we’d play football with it, so he just decided we should play football,” said the 6 foot, 210 pound safety.

Cyprien, who is majoring in physical therapy, was team captain at North Miami Beach Senior High, and an All-Dade 6A selection during his senior year in high school.

“I always thought of myself as a late bloomer, I didn’t really have a chance to play until my senior year and I played really well,” says Cyp, as he is known by his teammates, of that pivotal year in his football career.

Thanks to that senior year, Cyprien was able to earn valuable playing time as a freshman at FIU, appearing in all 12 games and starting seven of them. That playing time paid dividends for the talented safety as he garnered 78 tackles and established himself as a feared member of the secondary.

ESPN.com All-American among Non-BCS Schools (2009) Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference (2010) Sun Belt Academic Honor Roll (2009-’10) It takes courage to be the first to do something. Anthony Gaitor was the first elite high school player to commit to FIU. As Gaitor tells it, “I wanted to set an example. By coming to FIU I feel like I had an opportunity to do that.”

That first major commitment was instrumental in the rapid growth of FIU football.

“He put his foot in the ground and said I’m coming to FIU and created a new pipeline,” said Coach Mario Cristobal of the importance of Gaitor’s choice.

The pipeline that No. 7 created has led to an ever increasing number of All-State signees, as well as All-American and ESPNU 150 players seriously considering FIU as a place to call home.

Gaitor has left an indelible mark on FIU football. He was able to start his freshman year and has collected 145 tackles, nine interceptions, two defensive touchdowns and one sack. He finished 2009 strong with a sixtackle performance against Florida Atlantic.

He is a leader with the courage to take a stand and create a new tradition by being a cornerstone in building a new team.

36 consecutive games started

Most of the players at FIU come from the Southeast. Not Brad Serini, the 6-foot-3, 300 pound center from a small town in New York, charged with leading FIU’s offensive line.

Serini was originally signed to play at Milford Academy in Connecticut, “a prep school for kids that come from really small towns,” Serini tells us.

It is there that Coach Mario Cristobal first noticed the talented offensive lineman, and offered him a scholarship on the spot. Serini, who is noted for his strength, attributes much of his physical prowess to growing up on a farm.

“I always tell everyone I have farm boy strength,” he said.

The senior, whose grandfather, Washington Serini, played professional football for the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, is now taking his position as leader of FIU’s massive offensive line.

“Playing center is very important,” he said.

“I have to make my owns calls, calls for the linemen next to me and change the calls if I see something different. It is difficult but I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

With his senior season just days away, Serini is eagerly awaiting that first snap against Rutgers, and a chance to lead his teammates into the trenches.

GET Your Seat Alumni: Take your seat and cheer your 2010 FIU

football team on to victory. Call today for special alumni deals on season tickets. We’ve got 5 great matchups at home this season: •

Sept. 11 – Rutgers at 8 pm

•

Nov. 6 – University of Louisiana Monroe at 6 pm

• • •

Oct. 9 – Western Kentucky at 3:30 pm Nov. 27 – Arkansas State TBD

Dec. 4 – Middle Tennessee TBD

• Endzone: $40 • Sideline Reserved: $75 for dues paying members $100 for non-members (includes a 1 year membership to the alumni association)

• Club Level: $250 Exclusive alumni rate ($50 savings!)

Includes VIP parking and Stadium Club access

This offer available only by phone at 305-FIU-GAME or in person at the University Credit Union box office located at the West end of FIU Stadium.

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

29

Fourth and one To build a winning football team, Coach Mario Cristobal focuses on discipline, accountability and mental toughness

By Julian Kasdin ‘07

Jonathan Cyprien’s alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. on a June morning, and within minutes he was headed to the first of a summer of voluntary workouts in preparation for the 2010 football season. As the sun came up, Cyprien and his teammates were running the football field hard. Eighteen 110-yard sprints in 14 seconds or less. No stopping. Just a little warmup for two hours of strength and conditioning.

The early wakeups and tough conditioning reflect the high standards Coach Mario Cristobal and the football players have set for themselves. This summer, Cyprien and his teammates traded sleeping in and staying up late for the boot camp of a winning football team.

Continues on next page

30

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

Fourth and one Continued

“It is helping us to be champions,” said Cyprien, a sophomore defensive back. “I give all I’ve got. I want our program to be the best.”

With new training facilities, new coaches, and new players, FIU is quickly developing a true football culture, and this is the year that it will start to show. FIU football has become a program that attracts ESPNU 150 and U.S. Army All-American prospects. As Cristobal begins his fourth year at FIU, it’s clear he’s been focused on not only recruiting, but on building leadership, accountability and discipline among his players.

“Every day is fourth and one. We are going to create a mentality of toughness, of being accountable in the classroom and relentless on the field,” says Cristobal. “We are constantly preparing. We are setting our own footprints.”

Forging New Strategy Leadership in football comes from two sources – the coaches, and working alongside them, senior players who take an active role in shaping the team. This year Cristobal is getting plenty of help from both.

The first-year offensive and defensive coordinators, Scott Satterfield and Geoff Collins, have already made an impact. Collins comes from UCF where he helped UCF’s defense rank No. 1 in C-USA in total defense, rush defense, TFLs and sacks in 2009.

He also served as the Knight’s recruiting coordinator where his 2009 signing class ranked No. 1 in C-USA by Scout.com and No. 1 for non-BCS schools.

At FIU, Collins is creating a more aggressive defense. The addition of players like Jerrico Lee and Isame Faciane will go a long way toward improving the defensive front four, and make players like sophomore linebacker Winston Fraser more effective.

Wayne Times Sophomore wide receiver

Winston Fraser Sophomore linebacker

Satterfield spent 14 years at Appalachian State where he had a top five offense for five consecutive years. During his tenure, he mentored FCS Player of the Year Armanti Edwards and played an integral role in the upset of then-ranked No. 5 University of Michigan.

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

31

2010 Home Game Previews Sept. 11: Rutgers 2009 Season Record: 9-4 (St. Petersburg Bowl victory) Head Coach: Greg Schiano

Satterfield joins the FIU staff after spending last season as the quarterbacks coach/ passing game coordinator for the University of Toledo Rockets. He inherited an offense that in 2008 finished 85th nationally in both pass offense and total offense. Under his guidance, the 2009 Rockets ranked 19th in pass offense and 13th in total offense. This drastic offensive improvement marked one of the largest statistical turnarounds in recent college football history.

At FIU, Satterfield is revamping the offense.

Highly touted junior college offensive lineman Caylin Hauptmann, who was pursued by multiple Pac-10 programs, including UCLA and California, along with seniors Cedric Mack and Brad Serini form a trio of physically mature and experienced offensive linemen that can serve as an anchor for FIU’s new offense.

“The offense is more explosive now,” said Serini.

Building Leaders On both sides of the ball, players feel something different, and it has thrust leaders like Serini and senior corner back Anthony Gaitor into the spotlight. The team’s locker room leaders, said Cristobal, have stepped up to mentor the newest members of FIU’s football family. And after three years, the seniors are hungry to make 2010 the year FIU Football breaks through.

“We are highly motivated,” Gaitor said. “We know we have a talented team and we work every day to outwork our opponents. Get ready for a show.”

Having strong leaders has made a difference for FIU on the recruiting front. It began with Gaitor, who “put his foot in the ground and said I’m coming to FIU,” says Cristobal. The Panthers have now witnessed the signing of U.S. Army All-American Larvez “Pooh Bear” Mars, and an ESPNU 150 player in Willis Wright.

T.Y. Hilton was instrumental in convincing Wright, his former teammate, to play at FIU instead of Nebraska, West Virginia or Miami.

Wright told ESPN he had great visits to the other schools, but “FIU was especially great.” The ESNPU No. 19 wide receiver in

the nation added, “I just want to be a part of something that’s in the process of being built rather than something that has already been built.”

“It is going to be great knowing the things he is bringing to the table,” Hilton said. “It is going to be amazing being back on the same team.”

Training to Win Recruiting and shaping top-notch athletes requires the right kind of training facilities and conditioning program. FIU now has both.

With the completion of its 14,000-square-foot strength and conditioning center, FIU for the first time in Cristobal’s tenure has a weight room to train in this offseason. FIU’s training facilities can now compete with Florida State, Miami, USF and UCF. “You can now train an entire athletic program and develop that functional strength and explosiveness you need as a football player,” Cristobal said. “A particular defensive lineman can get another 200 reps a week on any developmental exercise that can help him become a better player. These reps really add up and make a significant difference.”

Strength and Conditioning Coach Roderick Moore, “is pushing guys to the limit,” said Hilton. “We are getting bigger, stronger and faster.” For instance, sophomore defensive end Tourek Williams came in at 228 pounds immediately jumped to 248 and expects to start the season at 260.

“Coach Moore does a real good job of pushing you,” Williams said. “He just works you to your max potential. “ The team has more guys squatting in the 500-pound range, benching more than 300 and 400 pounds, power cleaning 300 or more pounds, and an ever increasing number with coveted low 40 running times. As a result, the Panthers have seen tremendous improvements during the offseason.

For the up and coming players like Cyprien, this year provides another opportunity to capture the Sun Belt crown and go to a bowl game. That’s why Cyprien sees those wakeup calls as a challenge to “push myself to do my best.” For them, this is the year. n

The Scarlet Knight offense is led by QB Tom Savage, WR Mohamed Sanu, and RB Joe Martinek. Savage threw for 2,211 yards on his way to earning Freshman All-America honors. Sanu caught 51 passes for 639 yards and running back Joe Martinek amassed 967 yards rushing with nine touchdowns. Last season, the Rutgers defense led the country in tackles for loss and finished second in turnover margin. They are led by DT Scott Vallone who earned Freshman All-American honors last year. Linebackers Antonio Lowery (55 tackles, 1 interception) and Steve Beaucharnais (36 tackles) will look to provide veteran leadership to a young defense.

In the secondary, safety Joe Lefeged (44 takles, 1 interception) will be the only returning starter.

Oct. 9: Western Kentucky 2009 Season Record: 0-12 Head Coach: Willie Taggart The Hilltoppers return nine starters from a group that averaged over 20 points last season. Leading the offense is sophomore QB Kawaun Jakes, who passed for over 1,500 yards and 9 touchdowns and rushed for 356 yards and five touchdowns in 2009. The running game is spearheaded by junior Bobby Rainey, who ended last season with 939 yards and six touchdowns. The offensive line returns four starters, so expect the Hilltopper offense to rely heavily on the run game. WKU ‘s young defensive unit allowed 39.6 points per game last season, second to last in the nation. However, they are returning nine starters and are implementing a new 4-3 scheme. The Hilltoppers are expecting improvements throughout the entire defense in 2010.

Nov. 6: University of Louisiana-Monroe Homecoming Game 2009 Season Record: 6-6 Head Coach: Todd Berry The Warhawks are returning top playmakers in RB Frank Goodin and QB Trey Revell. Goodin rushed for over 1,100 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Revell had an outstanding year with 1,739 yards passing, 354 yards rushing, and 17 touchdowns. Only four starters return from last season’s defensive unit. DE Troy Evans will be the focal point of the Warhawk’s 3-4 defense. Last season, Evans led the team with 6.5 sacks and accounted for several quarterback pressures. His ability to rush the passer will be essential to the success of their young defense. Senior linebacker Theo Smith is the only returning starter from last season’s dominating linebacker corps.

Smith had 57 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2009.

Nov. 27: Arkansas State 2009 Season Record: 4-8 Head Coach: Steve Roberts The biggest question for ASU is at quarterback. The graduation of Cory Leonard leaves sophomore Ryan Aplin or redshirt freshman Phillip Butterfield as the leading candidates to take over. The new QB will have the luxury of a veteran offensive line. The offensive line was decimated by injuries last season, thus allowing nine players to see starting action. Buffalo Bill’s third round draft pick Alex Carrington leaves big shoes to fill on the defensive line. Last season, the Red Wolves D-Line led a defensive unit that held their opponents to under 125 yards per game and finished first in the conference in scoring defense. ASU returns their top four leading tacklers including middle linebacker DeMario Davis.

Dec. 4: Middle Tennessee State 2009 Season Record: 10-3 (New Orleans Bowl victory) Head Coach: Rick Stockstill One of the most dynamic players in the conference, senior QB Dwight Dasher accounted for 2,789 yards passing and 1,154 yards rushing with a total of 36 touchdowns. He will be accompanied in the backfield by senior RB Phillip Tanner, who rushed for 857 yards and three touchdowns in 2009. Together, Dasher and Tanner will provide the MTSU offense with big play abilities. In the secondary, MTSU is led by First Team All-Sun Belt safety Jeremy Kellem, who had 72 tackles. Senior DE Jamari Lattimore had 47 tackles and 5.5 sacks last season, working alongside DE Chris McCoy. Although McCoy’s departure leaves some questions in the pass rush, Lattimore and senior linebacker Antonio Davis are poised to pick up the slack.

— By Andrew Green

32

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

Bringing Back the Music The FIU Marching Band will return to the spotlight with the home opener against Rutgers Sept. 11

By Martin Haro ’05

The FIU community said the music would not be silenced – and a promise made is a promise kept: The FIU Marching Band will return to FIU this fall.

After statewide budget cuts eliminated the university’s marching band last summer, a movement quickly emerged to bring back the music. Everyone from student leaders to FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg got involved.

“Everyone loves a marching band and we are pleased to be able to give our students an opportunity to participate in such an iconic part of university life,” Rosenberg said.

Through the work of several individuals and groups – including Rosenberg and FIU’s CFO Kenneth Jessell, as well as the External Relations Division, the College of Architecture + The Arts and the School of Music, the Division of Student Affairs, the Student Government Association and corporate and private donations – the band has resumed

operations on an annual budget of approximately $300,000.

“The band came back because of the vision of President Rosenberg,” said Catherine Rand, director of bands. “Having a band creates an atmosphere at the games that we need.

The president understands its importance as much as do the students who campaigned and collected signatures to let everyone know they wanted a band at FIU.” The returning FIU Marching Band is now under the direction of Barry Bernhardt, who recently joined FIU from Southeast Missouri State University. A music educator with more than 25 years of experience, Bernhardt, a trumpeter, is “excited about the team we have in place at FIU. “What we’re trying to accomplish,” he said, “is something new and fresh. We want to create the hottest thing in Florida.

It’ll take some time, but we’re confident it’ll happen sooner rather than later.”

The new band director plans to play music that will appeal primarily to students. Miami’s tropical backdrop also will influence his choice of repertoire, which will include staples from Gloria Estefan and Carlos Santana.

One marked difference between FIU Marching Band 1.0 and 2.0 will be the look performers will sport during shows.

Perry Ellis has donated outfits for the 110-member band, who, at least for the first year, will wear khaki pants and blue guayabera-style shirts. The FIU Bookstore also donated FIU straw hats to top off the new look.

Another difference: The band will be more visible and will help promote FIU spirit not only at sporting events on campus, but also at community events like the Martin Luther King Jr. parade. It also will perform as part of a new tradition, the annual President’s Concert, beginning this year, and will debut the Concert on the Bay at Biscayne Bay Campus. n

Free entry to Panther Pit Tailgates at all home games TAILGATES START 2 HOURS PRIOR TO GAME.

SEPTEMBER 11

OCTOBER 9

NOVEMBER 6

NOVEMBER 27

DECEMBER 4

(HOMECOMING & SILVER PRIDE)

For game tickets and times visit www.fiusports.com or call 305-348-GAME. For more information on tailgates visit www.fiualumni.com/tailgates or call 305-348-3334.

Enjoy music, giveaways, activities for children, visits by our Mascot Roary, the FIU Marching Band & much more.

Located in Lot 6 on the east side of the stadium (across from the student residence halls).

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

33

Homecoming 2010 Bring your family and friends to Homecoming Nov. 6 for a live concert with Lifehouse to kickoff the FIU football game

By Deborah O’Neil MA ’09

FIU will host its biggest ever Homecoming celebration on Nov. 6 with a live concert by Lifehouse and special events designed to bring alumni and parents back to campus.

The 2010 FIU Homecoming and Parent/Family Weekend will feature a slate of family-friendly activities including a parade, a “Calle Ocho” style festival and, of course, football.

Homecoming events will culminate with the football game against the University of LouisianaMonroe at 6 p.m.

The theme for this year’s Homecoming is “See the World Through Blue and Gold,” a spinoff of the university’s Worlds Ahead campaign. Homecoming is an annual tradition of inviting alumni, parents and their families back to campus to build university spirit.

FIU’s Homecoming celebrations have grown every year since the university got a football team in 2002 and opened a new stadium in 2008.

The fun will begin at 11 a.m.

with the opening of the Kiwanis of Little Havana Street Festival next to the stadium with vendors and live performances.

All parents are invited to attend the Parents Weekend Brunch beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the MARC Pavilion.

During the brunch, parents can sign up to attend the Alumni Association tailgate before the game. Parents who stay for the football game will be escorted onto the field to usher in the players at the start of the game.

Parents can visit fiu.edu/~hc for ticket prices and registration for the events.

Also at 11:30 a.m. is the annual Silver Pride Reunion for alumni from the Class of 1985 and earlier.

The Homecoming Parade will begin at 2 p.m., starting at the Ryder Business Building and ending next to the stadium.

At 3 p.m., Billboard Music Awardwinning alt rock band Lifehouse will take the stage next to the stadium for this for a free pre-game concert. The group’s breakout hit “Hanging by a Moment” was the most played radio year’s song of 2001.

Tailgating for Homecoming and all Homecoming home games will be a little different than in years past. The Alumni is “See Association Panther Pit tailgating tent will move to Parking Lot 6 facing the World the residence halls. To bring alumni together, the Panther Pit will be Through Blue surrounded by individual tailgating tents for alumni. If you are interested and Gold.” in renting a tent or if you have your own tent for tailgating, please contact the Alumni Association to reserve a location. The Panther Pit will continue to feature a DJ, bounce houses for kids, FIU giveaways and visits

by Roary, our beloved mascot, the Dazzlers and the Marching Band. n The theme

34

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

Homecoming Day: Saturday, Nov. 6 Silver Pride Alumni Reunion, Class of 1985 and earlier 11:30 a.m. Location TBA. This special event for FIU Alumni from the Class of 1985 and earlier includes a luncheon and the Silver Pride induction ceremony. Call Alumni Relations at 305-348-3334 for ticket information.

Kiwanis of Little Havana Street Festival 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Vendors will be on hand with fun adjacent to the FIU Stadium.

Homecoming Parade 2–3 p.m. The parade will feature floats and appearances by FIU students, faculty and staff.

Panther Pit Tailgate 3 p.m. The Alumni Association tailgate will be in Lot 6 with activities for children, music, free giveaways and visits by Roary and the Marching Band.

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Alumni Tailgate Party 4 p.m. In Lot 6 adjacent to the FIU Stadium.

Homecoming Football Game 6 p.m. Come cheer for the FIU Panthers as they take on the University of LouisianaMonroe at FIU Stadium.

Homecoming Concert with Lifehouse #5 Wayne Times

3 p.m. This free pre-game concert will be adjacent to FIU Stadium.

MONDAY, Nov. 1 Pep Rally Noon – GC Pit, MMC & WUC Panther Square, BBC The Homecoming Pep Rally is the official kickoff event for Homecoming Week. The event will take place at noon in the Graham Center Pit and at noon in the WUC Panther Square at Biscayne Bay Campus.

Panther Prowl Comedy Show: 8 p.m. – U.S. Century Bank Arena, MMC The Panther Prowl comedy show is one of the biggest events and traditions here at FIU. It features top-notch comedians guaranteed to make you laugh. Ticket required for entry to this event. Tickets will be available for pick up at Campus Life located in GC 2240 starting Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Two tickets per valid FIU ID. Limited tickets available for alumni through the Alumni Association at 305-348-3334.

TUESDAY, Nov. 2 Lip Sync / Talent Show 7 p.m. – U.S. Century Bank Arena, MMC Lip Sync is a competition where students gather as a team and prepare their own song/dance/cheer and perform it in front of judges and their peers. The routine they perform must, in some way, relate to the Homecoming theme and exhibit as much school spirit as possible. A valid FIU ID for students and faculty is required for this event.

Alumni can check in at the door.

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 3 SPC Variety Show 7p.m. – Mary Anne Wolfe Theatre, BBC Gather for an evening of hypnotists, spoken word artists, comedians, and so much more.

SPC brings to you its Inaugural Variety Show at the Bay. This is a ticketed event.

Call Campus Life for ticket information at 305-919-5804.

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

35

Lifehouse Pre-grame concert

3 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 4 SGC-BBC Alumni Reunion: 6 p.m. – Wolfe University Center. Contact BBC Campus Life & Orientation for 305-919-5680 for more information.

FIU Theatre presents Rent: Nov. 4-6, 8 p.m. and Nov. 7, 2 p.m.

Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center, Main Stage. Directed by FIU theater alumnus Andy Señor ’97. What do a musician, a filmmaker, a club dancer, and an anarchist have in common? They are all New Yorkers who grab at freedom in a city that wants to beat them down. In the world of Rent, hunger, homelessness, and the HIV virus are ever-present threats. This gritty-musical by Jonathan Larson paints a picture of lives under pressure made sweet by the bonds of friendship in a tightly-knit community. Also playing Nov 11-14 and Nov 18-21.

FRIDAY, Nov. 5 Parent-Family Weekend Ever wonder what it’s like to be an FIU Panther? Come find out! The sixth annual Homecoming and Parent & Family Weekend will be filled with fun opportunities for participants to experience life at FIU. Homecoming and Parent & Family Weekend is a time for you to spend time with students on campus, experience campus activities, meet university staff and faculty and reunite with the Orientation staff. Homecoming and Parent & Family Weekend offers you the opportunity to celebrate your student’s experience at the university and observe the transition they are making to university life. The 2010 Homecoming and Parent & Family Weekend allows parents and families to take part in one of our greatest campus traditions! Join us for a fun-filled weekend, Nov. 5-6. Check fiu.edu/~hc for a schedule of events and ticket information.

Resident Assistant Alumni Reunion 6-8 p.m. – Everglades Lounge. Contact Housing & Residential Life, 305-348-3661 for more information.

Peer Advisor Alumni Reunion 7-9 p.m. – Graham Center Panther Suite. Contact: Office of Orientation and Commuter Student Services at 305-348-6414.

FIU Music Festival 7 p.m. – Between Blue & Gold Garages, MMC. This is a ticketed student event.

One ticket per valid student ID.

**MMC is Modesto Maidique Campus, the main campus on S.W. 107th Avenue **BBC is Biscayne Bay Campus

36

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

Leading by Example

New seniors step forward to lead FIU’s record-setting women’s volleyball team

By Maegan Azpiazu

Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “The strength of the group is the strength of the leaders.”

The FIU volleyball team will put this theory to the test in 2010 as the senior duo of Natalia Valentin and Ines Medved take over the reigns of the Panther squad in hopes of leading FIU to another successful season.

Valentin and Medved make up this year’s senior class and the tandem will be joined by five returning letter winners and an equal number of newcomers on the court this season. The departure of the talented and influential senior class of 2009, which included FIU volleyball’s only four-time AllAmerican Yarimar Rosa, opens the doors for new leadership in 2010.

“Since our team this year is relatively young, Natalia and I will have very important roles as leaders,” said Medved, whose grades earned her a spot on the 2009-’10 Sun Belt Academic Honor Roll. “We also have other returners who are ready to become leaders and help us to support the newcomers.”

Valentin said she welcomes the challenges that will come with spearheading a fresh, new team. She hopes to model Rosa’s leadership, which she demonstrated through her actions.

“It is extremely important for Ines and me to guide this new team and to be patient because we are so young and in a new atmosphere,” said Valentin, “Our leadership as

“We have to be like a family, like one person, and that will be crucial to win the conference tournament and go even further.”

— Natalia Valentin, FIU senior

seniors will be vital for us to achieve our goals this season. Every day will be a challenge to push these young ladies to do their best.”

Three-time SBC Coach of the Year, Danijela Tomic, who enters her sixth year at the helm of the FIU volleyball squad in 2010, has full confidence in her new corps of leaders.

“Ines and Natalia have an important leadership role on this year’s young team,” said Tomic, a lifetime member of the FIU Alumni Association. “They are well-prepared for those roles and they lead by example. Our team is fortunate to have them as its leaders and our newcomers will learn a lot from both of them about our high performance standards that apply to everything our team does.”

For Tomic, performance standards apply both on the court and in the classroom.

“The emphasis is on being true student-athletes with the focus on completing their college degrees while playing volleyball at the highest level,” Tomic said. “We have very high expectations for our studentathletes in both of those areas and they are cognizant of the fact that coming into our program, they will be expected to strive for excellence in the classroom and on the court.”

Last season saw FIU put together its most successful campaign in Division I school history. The Panthers compiled an overall record of 32-4 and a perfect Sun Belt Conference record of 17-0, marks

that included a second consecutive SBC regular season title and the program’s second straight and third overall bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 17 wins over league opponents and the 32 overall victories each set school records.

Assembling such an extraordinary campaign requires talent and practice, of course, but teamwork and communication also play significant roles in a team’s success.

“Our teamwork and communication this year have to be 100 times better than any other year I have played here,” said Valentin. “We have to be like a family, like one person, and that will be crucial to win the conference tournament and go even further in the NCAA Tournament.”

Experience is also an important component for triumph. Medved and Valentin each bring that to the table as the two have been significant contributors on the court and look to further their offerings by becoming motivational leaders, as well.

Valentin’s experience is outstanding as she is one of two returning AllAmericans on this year’s squad. Last year saw a program-high as three student-athletes received AVCA All-America Honorable Mention accolades. Valentin, Rosa and rising sophomore Jovana Bjelica became the first trio in FIU volleyball history to earn such honors. n Maegan Azpiazu is an FIU Athletics Media Relations coordinator.

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

FIU Volleyball Coach Danijela Tomic will lead the 2010 team with help from players Ines Medved and Natalia Valentin.

37

38

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

Softball team marks record-setting season

By Maegan Azpiazu

the campaign, including 12 SBC Player The FIU softball team made history or Pitcher of the Week honors and an this past spring, posting a record8-3 victory at No. 4 Florida to mark breaking season and advancing further the program’s first ever win over a topthan any other Panther athletic squad five opponent, as well as McClendon’s to secure the program’s second National 90th career victory.

Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) McClain recorded an FIU singleTournament bid of all-time, as well as season record 56 RBIs, while Barrett “We its first ever post-season victory. posted 240 strikeouts to mark another accomplished single-season best. Barrett graduated En route to a final record of 38-21, the Panthers saw a program-high four great things with 595 strikeouts as she became just student-athletes earn NFCA All-South the second pitcher in FIU history to and truly Region honors as FIU also swept the post 500 K’s for her career. raised the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) postseason FIU’s outstanding season came to awards. In addition, FIU placed five a close with a loss to eventual College bar for FIU student-athletes on all-conference World Series participant Florida, but softball.” squads, including a school record-tying not before the Panthers bounced back four First Team selections, while head from a tough NCAA Tournament — coach Beth McClendon was tabbed opening round loss to UCF by Beth Co-Coach of the Year. The nod marked McClendon, shutting out back-to-back opponents the second of McClendon’s career, as on the same day to earn a spot in the Softball Coach she became just the second FIU softball Regional final. coach to earn such recognition.

In just three seasons at the helm of “I thought 2010 was a huge step the FIU softball team, McClendon has forward for the program,” said put the Panther softball program on the map, with FIU emerging as an elite McClendon. “We accomplished great things and truly raised the bar for FIU team in the Sun Belt Conference and in the nation. While striving to be the softball. The greatest part was that we did it with so many young kids, and best while competing against the best, the future is even brighter.”

McClendon hopes to build upon the First Team All-SBC pick Jessy success of 2010 for years to come.

“In 2011 we will surely miss Kasey Alfonso and SBC Player of the Year Ashley McClain were named to and her veteran leadership but I hope the team will be even stronger, as the the All-South Region First Team while SBC Pitcher of the Year Kasey core group has been to the NCAA Barrett and SBC Freshman of the Tournament and will continue to Year Brie Rojas earned second grow,” said McClendon. “The addition team recognition. Both Barrett and of some key freshmen will really McClain’s post-season SBC honors improve this team as well. The 2010 signing class is an extremely strong marked the first of their kind in FIU softball history, while Rojas became group. The schedule for next season the third FIU softball player to earn is tougher than last year’s and boasts some great competition. It should be an Freshman of the Year honors.

These prestigious awards were not the exciting year for FIU.” only indicators of extraordinary success for the Panthers. FIU saw numerous Maegan Azpiazu is an FIU Athletics media team and individual highs throughout relations coordinator.

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

Photo by Roy Viera

39

FIU’s 2010 softball team, from top: Lauren Spiers ’10, Jackie Tetlow, Patty Zavala, Jen Gniadek, Ashley McClain, Kasey Barrett ’10, Kayla Burri, Jenny Welch, Brie Rojas, Seldi Soberon, Jenny Alfonso and Jessy Alfonso.

Middle: Kelsey Grabiak, Beth Peller and Page Cassady ’10. Bottom: Alexandra Casals and Morgan Huling ’10.

40

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

FIU Athletics Roundup The team finishes the season with four of their final five games on the road, with the lone home contest on Thursday, Oct. 21, against ULM. FIU closes the season against rival FAU, whom the Panthers defeated last season for the regular season title and the school-record breaking ninth conference win. The Sun Belt Tournament will be held at WKU in early November.

Men’s Soccer to face Florida rivals in 2010

Midfielder Cortney Bergin chases down a ball in a matchup against Arkansas.

Women’s soccer to defend SBC Championship

FIU women’s soccer had a breakout season in 2009.

The Panthers, who finished sixth in 2008, became the first team in Sun Belt Conference history to jump from sixth place to first place in back-toback seasons. SBC regular-season champions, the team had the most wins by the program since 2001 and earned four All-Conference first- and secondteam selections. Head coach Thomas Chestnutt was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.

“It’s a fantastic accomplishment,” said Chestnutt of the team’s 10-game winning streak. “As a young team, the first time you win you can easily become complacent, but they kept their heads down and kept playing hard.”

When the hard-charging Panthers return to the field this year, they will be joined by eight new recruits and a

new assistant coach, Kyle Schroeder.

Schroeder joined FIU’s staff in 2009 after spending a year and a half as an assistant coach at WKU, where he also had a successful and decorated playing career as a goalkeeper.

“Kyle’s motivation, skill set and coaching philosophy fits well within our staff,” said Chestnutt. “We’re looking forward to his positive impact on our team now and in the future.”

The team kicks off their 2010 season at home on Aug. 27 against Delaware State.

The following weekend, they continue their home stand, playing Fresno State on Sept. 3 and Robert Morris on Sept. 5.

Conference season opens at home against UALR on Sept. 24 when the Panthers will look to avenge their Sun Belt Tournament first-round loss to the Trojans. FIU takes on Arkansas State on Sept. 26.

In October, the ladies face WKU on Oct. 9 and Middle Tennessee on Oct. 10.

The FIU men’s soccer 2010 schedule features seven home games, including a matchup with 2009 NCAA Quarterfinalist and C-USA defending champion Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

FIU will open the season on the road with a match against Illinois-Chicago on Sept. 3. The Panthers, led by head coach Munga Eketebi, return to Miami for their home opener against the Wisconsin Badgers on Sept 10. After finishing up its two-game home stand with Georgia State (Sept. 12), FIU will tour the state of Florida and take on Jacksonville (Sept.

17), Stetson (Sept. 19) and Florida Gulf Coast (Sept. 24).

The Panthers will kick-off conference play on the road when they face Marshall on Oct. 2. FIU’s trip out of the state of Florida will be a brief one as it will take on UCF in Orlando on Oct. 5 before taking a one-game break from C-USA play to take on rival FAU on Oct. 9 in Boca Raton.

Returning to Miami for the first time in almost a month for a three-game home stand, FIU will take on Memphis (Oct. 12), University of Alabama at Birmingham (Oct. 16) and out of conference opponent Hartwick College on Oct. 22.

FIU will return to the FIU Soccer Stadium to host C-USA defending champion Tulsa on Oct. 30 before finishing up the season against Southern Methodist University on Nov. 5. n

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

41

ALUMNI Photos from top to bottom: 1. The FIU Alumni Association Board. 2. New Alumni Association President Jack Gonzalez greets the crowd at the Annual Meeting. 3. Board member Frank Peña ’99 and Maria D. Garcia ’05, JD ’08. 4. Alumni Relations Associate Vice President Bill Draughon with board members Andrea Celina Saucedo ’99 and Sharon Fine ’99.

Alumni Association annual meeting ushers in new president, board members

By Deborah O’Neil MA ‘09

The FIU Alumni Association welcomed a new president and 10 new board members at this year’s Alumni Association Annual Meeting. Jack Gonzalez ’98 will lead the Alumni Association, taking the reigns from Jose Perez de Corcho ’93.

“I’m very honored and humbled to be the incoming president,” Gonzalez said.

“I’m looking forward to moving ahead with the new Alumni Center and growing membership even more.”

Building a new FIU Alumni Center will be the focus moving forward, said Gonzalez. The Alumni Association is preparing to launch a major fundraising campaign for the new center. “The alumni center is important because it is a home away from home,” Gonzalez said.

President Rosenberg thanked the Alumni Association members for their efforts on

the university’s behalf. He called on alumni to have pride in their degrees, tell the FIU story and support the university.

“We’re going to work very hard in the next few years to make sure the value of your degree gets even higher,” Rosenberg said. “Together we are building something that is very powerful and very important to this community.”

Perez de Corcho said the highlights of the eight years he has spent on the board have been seeing the success of the FIU Fishing Tournament and helping to select the new FIU president. He joked about how his children would occasionally ask him, Dad do you work for FIU? “I know they know the value of giving back,” Perez de Corcho said. “People ask, ‘Why are you so passionate about FIU?’ It’s simple. I wouldn’t have had the success in my life that I have had without FIU.” n

42

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

ALUMNI Photo Gallery

Top: FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg visited China in May and attended the launch of the FIU Alumni China Chapter.

Below (left to right): Representing the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management are Assistant Dean, Tianjin, China, Wenjun Wang; Assistant Dean Mohammed Qureshi; instructor Susan Gladstone ’76; Interim Dean Joan Remington; student Xu Xiaodang; President Rosenberg; professor Yun-Fei Li; alumnus Cheng Hsiao; and a group of students from the FIU Marriott Tianjin China Program.

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

43

On June 5, Alumni Association chapter leaders gathered at FIU to learn more about their roles as advocates for FIU and the Alumni Association. The Alumni Association’s 24 chapters serve as important connections to alumni around the world. The chapter leaders include, front row from left: Michelle Joubert MBA ’10; Summia Chaudhry ’09; Kanchana Marapana; Emy Lou Pesantes ’06, MSW ’07; Wenceslao Fernandez Jr. ’92; Albert Poledri Jr.; Marivi Sanabria ’06; Maria Sanchez ’09; Oscar Gomez ’00, MSF ’05. Back row from left: Heather Radi-Bermudez ’06; Demar Metcalfe ’07; Cedric Bess ’99; Jose Fernandez ’78; Dan Berkovitz ’10; Frank Polack ’86; Vanessa Baldomero ’06; Ed Fischer MS ’96.

Jonathan Cameron ’07, Rocio Perez ’08 and Honors College Associate Dean Juan Carlos Espinosa enjoy themselves at the Honors College Alumni Happy Hour at Grimpa Steakhouse in July.

Frank Ramos ’93, Maria Pereira and Ana Ramos ’93 attended the Honors College Alumni Happy Hour.

44

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

ALUMNI

Summer

By Martin Haro ’05

Bianca Anghel is already anticipating next summer’s 9th Annual FIU Scholarship Fishing Tournament. A Legacy Scholarship ($1,000) recipient this year, the senior special education student – she is graduating this year – looks forward to participating in the event as an alumna in 2011.

“I’m so grateful for this scholarship,” she said. “It’s going to help me continue my education and get my degree.” She is following in the footsteps of her mother, Jackie Anghel-Novick, a 2004 graduate in public administration.

“I’m extremely proud of Bianca,” Anghel-Novick said. “I don’t know what else to say other than she makes me very proud. And, Go FIU!” “I wish I had brought my dad,” Bianca added, looking ahead to next year. “Regardless of where I am next year, we’ll be here again.”

Anghel was among the 13 students who received more than $15,000 in Panther Pride ($750) and Legacy scholarships at the June 19 event, held at Monty’s on South Beach.

Also receiving scholarships from the Alumni Association, in front of approximately 200 members of the

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

Fun

45

Fishing Tournament reels in dollars for student scholarships

More than $15,000 was awarded to this year’s scholarship recipients.

FIU community, were Kevin Gonzalez, Doris Cesar, Summia Chaudry, Daniela Gonzalez, Tara Jafarmadar, Jacky Negret, Giselle Perez, Melissa Pierro, Madison Rodriguez and Melissa Rodriguez. Esperance Ibuka and Alina Quintana were unable to attend.

The fishing tournament is one of the Alumni Association’s most fun traditions. The annual event has raised more than $50,000 for student scholarships since its inception. In 2011, $15,000 will be awarded – an amount that includes the winnings Team Ocean Bank donated back to FIU. Thirty-five boats registered for the tournament this year and, as usual, attendees tried their luck in a raffle featuring prizes such as airline tickets, fishing equipment and FIU gear.

FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg joined in on the afternoon fun with his wife Rosalie. He gave a shout-

Jackie Anghel-Novick ’04 and her daughter Bianca Anghel, recipient of a Legacy Scholarship at the event.

out to baseball coach Henry “Turtle” Thomas, his team and Garrett Wittels for his remarkable 56-game hitting streak. Together with football coach Mario Cristobal, the president also got alumni excited for the upcoming football season.

“Alumni’s support has been awesome,” Cristobal said. “Come Sept. 11 we need to see you out at FIU Stadium. Baseball has set the bar high. Championships are going to start rolling in. Bring all that energy, bring all that noise. Let’s make history.”

This year’s FIU Scholarship Fishing Tournament winners were: • Most Aggregate Dolphin Weight: Team FIU Panther Kings ($2,500 prize and trophy) • Largest Dolphin: Team G&R Marine ($1,000 and large fishing trophy)

• Ladies Catch Largest Dolphin: Team Reel Hard ($500 and trophy) • Largest Fun Fish: Team Zureel ($250) • Junior Catch Largest Dolphin: Team FIU Panther Kings ($100 gift certificate to Dave & Busters and trophy) • 2nd Place Most Aggregate Dolphin Weight: Team Ocean Bank ($500) • 2nd Place Largest Dolphin: Team Fowler White Burnett ($250) • 2nd Place Junior: Team Reel Hard ($50 gift certificate to Dave & Busters). n

46

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 1970s Gerald Grant Jr. ’78, MBA ’89, director of AXA Advisors, LLC’s Financial Planning, South Florida branch, was named to the Orange Bowl Committee’s 2010-2011 class of active members.

Teresita Terron ’79 is founder and president of Creative Beginnings: A Place for Hope, a non-profit organization helping women and their children transition out of homelessness.

Terron received the 2009 Gail A. Hills Award of Excellence in recognition of her scholarship in occupational therapy.

1980s Richard F. Rose MS ’80, professor of commercial music at Miami-Dade College, recently was awarded the Sylvan Meyers Endowed Teaching Chair. Rose’s expertise is frequently sought in the areas of emerging technologies in music production, performance and education.

Joseph Caruncho ’81, CEO of Preferred Care Partners, was named to the Orange Bowl Committee’s 2010-2011 class of active members.

William A. Malec ’82 received the Air Traffic Control Association’s 2009 George W. Kriske Memorial Award recognizing his outstanding career.

Tobi (Cohen) Kosanke ’87, MS ’89 saw her entrepreneurial spirit recognized when her Crazy K Farm was named a double Top 10 business winner in StartupNation.com’s 2009 Home-Based 100 competition. Crazy K Farm, which Kosanke founded after losing her job at an oil company, was singled out in the Recession Busters and Highest Vote-Getters categories.

Elaine L. Andrews ’87 and one of her exhibition entries is featured in a catalog from the National Association of Women Artists.

This catalog is now part of the archive of the Smithsonian and Women’s Art Museum in Washington, D.C.

Braulio L. Baez, Esq. ’88 has joined the law firm of Akerman Senterfitt as counsel in the firm’s Tallahassee office. Baez is a former chairman of the Florida Public Service Commission and has more than 15 years of experience in the areas of energy, telecommunications, cable and utilities regulation and policy.

Julio C. Jaramillo ’88, attorney at law, recently was appointed chair of the Investment Committee for the Florida Bar Foundation.

Jaramillo also has moved his law practice to 7700 N. Kendall Drive, Suite 808, Miami.

1990s Justin A. Horn ’90 was married in March 2009 to Dorrie Zimmerman of Louisville, Ky. Horn is the wine manager for Liquor World LaGrange Road in Louisville and a wine consultant and developer of individual private cellars.

Jose M. Sanchez ’90 has joined the Fort Lauderdale law firm of Atkinson Diner Stone Mankuta & Ploucha, P.A., as an associate in the commercial litigation department.

Matthew Allen MBA ’91, executive vice president and COO of The Related Group, was named to the Orange Bowl Committee’s 2010-2011 class of active members.

Asim Ali ’91 works as an executive vice president for PTCL, Pakistan’s largest fixed line provider.

Hossein Kasmai ’91 is founder and CEO of Guard-A-Kid Franchising Corp., a leading child and family safety company worldwide.

Kasmai’s company has been ranked in the top 500 franchises four years in a row by Entrepreneur magazine and recently was recognized as one of America’s fastest growing franchises, ahead of some of the world’s most well known franchises.

Tim Petrillo ’94, CEO of The Restaurant People/Urban Street Development, was named to the Orange Bowl Committee’s 2010-2011 class of active members.

Martha Vinas ’94, senior vice president and director of client advocacy for Willis Group Holdings’ employee benefits practice in Florida, was named a 2009 “Woman to Watch” by Business Insurance magazine.

Victoria E. Clementoni ’95, MIB ’04 has taken a position as manager of online

and leisure marketing for Sabre Travel Network’s Europe, Middle East and Africa division based in London. Prior to this position, Clementoni served as communications manager for the company’s Latin America division in Dallas.

Sean Kramer ’95 was named executive director of the American Cancer Society for MiamiDade and Monroe counties, effective June 1.

Faith Amon ’96 created Frecklefoot Creative, a boutique ad agency in Orlando, in 2004. This year, Amon entered the company in the Addy Awards for the first time, where the firm won a Gold Addy Award.

Katherine Perez-Rivera ’96, Ph.D. ’01, a licensed psychologist and adjunct professor at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., heads South Jersey Center for Psychological Services, a thriving clinical pediatrics private practice. Perez-Rivera has a 5-year-old daughter who recently began kindergarten, and looks forward to celebrating her 13-year marriage to airline pilot Orlando Rivera.

Consuelo I. Salcedo ’96, a CPA with 13 years of experience in taxation for both private and public companies, is a manager for the Tax Department in the Miami office of Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, LLP. Pedro F. Cevallos ’97 has earned his doctorate in educational leadership from UCLA. Cevallos is an educational consultant who has worked with school districts in Florida, Pennsylvania and California. He currently resides in the Greater Los Angeles area with his wife Lynn, their 3-year-old son Mateo and their 100-pound German shepherd, Halley. The Cevallos are expecting their second child, Maya.

Ozzie A. Farres ’98, a member of Hunton & Williams, LLP’s litigation and intellectual property practice, recently was promoted to counsel within the firm.

Mireidy Fernandez ’98 is pursuing a doctor of psychology degree at the University of the Rockies, in the field of mediation and conflict resolution. Fernandez is a city planner with the City of Naples and previously spent 10 years working as a journalist in South Florida.

How to submit a Class Note: Share your good news with your fellow alumni by filling out an online Class Notes form at fiualumni.com/classnotes.htm. Send us information on recent hires, promotions, awards, career achievements, appointments, births and marriages. You may also fax us your information to 305-348-3636, ATT: Class Notes. Electronic photos can be submitted in jpeg or bitmap format to appear with class notes by e-mailing alumni@fiu.edu. Please indicate in the e-mail which class note the photo should appear with, along with the full names and graduation years of all the individuals who appear in the photo.

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

Eduardo Merille ’97, MBA ’00, director of Marketing & New Media at FIU, and wife Jenifer (class of 2011), welcomed a baby girl on April 24. Mila Juliette, who weighed 7.7 lbs. and measured 20¼ inches, joins big brother Luke, 2.

Alicia M. Robles, Esq. ’98 gave birth to her first baby, Jose Antonio de la Lama III, on Sept. 1, 2009.

Cristine E. O’Hara ’99, MS ’04, an eighth grade language arts teacher at Palmetto Middle School, was named MiamiDade’s 2010 Teacher of the Year at the recent Golden Apple Awards ceremony.

2000s Deshon M. Fox ’00, professional engineer, columnist and the author of The Middle Theory: A Guide to Balance, is president and founder of The Wisdom Tour, a non-profit organization seeking to empower young Bahamians. Fox lives at home in the Bahamas with his wife and two children.

Heather A. B. Harries ’01 and David Harries welcomed their second child, Ryan Tobias, on May 17, 2009.

Marie M. Heriveaux ’01, certified yoga instructor, speaker and author of Mayat’s Healthy & Easy Recipes, runs mayatshealthyrecipes.com.

Heriveaux recently had her glazed kale featured on vegetarianwomen.com.

Jampierre “JP” Mato ’02, MS ’06 and Aimee Elliott ’05 celebrated their first wedding anniversary on March 7. Mato is a clinical instructor with the FIU Anesthesiology Nursing Program and the ANP clinical coordinator at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Ilicenia A. Hernandez ’04 and her husband Gabriel welcomed their first child, Ana Sofia, on Feb. 19, 2009.

Caroline E. Parker ’04 was named the Coral Gables Museum’s first director of programs.

Among Parker’s first tasks was the development of a summer camp for children ages 5-12 and an adult program featuring lectures and evening concerts leading up to the museum’s official grand opening this October.

Shannon Petrick Rodriguez ’04 is a senior district executive with the South Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the recipient of national corporate recognition for instituting a day camp for migrant workers’ children in South Florida. Petrick Rodriguez lives in Homestead with her family.

Javier M. Rodriguez ’04 and Marisabel Armstrong ’05, MIB ’08 were married on Nov. 28, 2009, in Miami. After the nuptials, the couple moved to Bethesda, Md., as a result of a career opportunity.

Nelson Abreu ’07 contributed a chapter to Filter and Reflections: Perspectives on Reality, a book inspired by research of the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research laboratory.

Amelia Gomez ’08 is an account coordinator for bb Public Relations. In her role, Gomez provides marketing, media relations and administrative support to several of the agency’s corporate, consumer and B2B accounts.

Conchita Lundblad Ph.D. ’08, a social worker and an instructor in the FIU School of Social Work, was named assistant vice president of Case Management at ChildNet, the private non-profit created to manage the child welfare system in Broward County.

Richard G. Cuming Ph.D. ’09 recently was named vice president and chief administrative officer for Jackson South Community Hospital, a division of Jackson Health System.

Cuming first joined Jackson Health System as a staff nurse in 1991.

Elicia Egozcue ’09 saw her published article appear in the May 2009 issue of Sigma Theta Tau International’s Reflections. Egozcue’s story, titled “Purpose Out of Pain: Why I Decided to Become a Nurse,” chronicles some of her experiences over four years of medical missions caring for orphaned, abandoned and malnourished children in Guatemala as a volunteer with Misioneros del Camino.

Stephanie (Martinez) Fernandez ’09 and her husband Eduardo welcomed their first child, Eduardo Javier Fernandez, on Jan. 3. The baby boy weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 20.5 inches. The family is doing well and enjoying its new blessing.

**Individuals denoted with a are members of the FIU Alumni Association.

To become a member, please visit the online membership site at web.fiu.edu/alumni/jointoday_form.htm.

47

Vanessa De La Ossa ’09 was chosen from a pool of hundreds of applicants from across the United States to participate in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s nationally recognized and highly competitive nine-month Public Policy Fellowship Program.

Arthur “AJ” Meyer ’09 received the Miami Chamber of Commerce’s HYPE Award for most valuable graduate.

r e h t s n k a P Perm now n ’e o e c n pou

Bubbles ’n Ice The FIU Alumni Association is pleased to announce Bubbles ’n Ice in North Miami Beach as its newest Panther Perk partner.

Panther Partner: Bubbles ’n Ice in North Miami Beach offers 60 flavors of Italian ice plus 30 flavors of bubble tea made with fresh fruits, milk and crushed ice. Bubbles ’n Ice is the place to go for an original and refreshing experience. Sugar and lactose-free options available for both products. Party and catering services offered and free WiFi in the shop.

Located at 3061 N.E. 163rd St., North Miami Beach, 305-940-5001.

Panther Perk: FIU Alumni Association members receive 10 percent off their purchase by presenting their alumni association membership card.

48

Florida International University Magazine

FALL 2010

Alumni Profile: Sidney Drake ’09

First Generation scholarship recipient gives back to FIU

By Martin Haro ’05

Sidney Drake ’09 has pledged $1,000 to support the university’s First Generation Scholarship Fund, from which he benefited while pursuing his degree in sports and recreation management at FIU. The gift is eligible for a state match that will result in a total impact of $2,000.

Drake’s gift will support students who, like him, are the first in their family to attend college and have demonstrated financial need. The First Generation Scholarship Fund was established by the Florida Legislature in 2006 and is the only one of its kind in the United States to match private donations 100 percent. More than 2,100 FIU students have received a First Gen scholarship since 2006.

The need, however, is far greater than available resources – at present, the university has limited scholarship dollars to award to students with financial need. As a result, many talented and highly motivated students with limited resources are forced to attend only part-time or postpone their education altogether. Leveraged by state

matching, gifts to the First Generation Scholarship Fund address a critical need by creating access to higher education.

“I know for a fact that the First Generation Fund directly benefits many students,” Drake said.

Giving back, the 23-year-old Jacksonville native says, was one of the first things he wanted to do after graduating. His generosity is fueled by a strong desire to pay it forward.

It is also another way for this member of the Alumni Association to stay “connected” to an alma mater that has given him so much.

“We’re trying to raise the profile of the university and the value of our degrees,” he said. “If that means I have to give back a few hundred dollars each year, then that’s what I have to do.”

Coming to FIU and qualifying for First Gen aid to pay for tuition and housing, Drake says, was a blessing.

In 2006, he transferred from Jacksonville’s Florida Community College.

The way he sees it, the Magic City – and

FIU – opened up a world of possibility.

“I wouldn’t be in the position I am now without having had the opportunity to come here,” he said. “I’m forever grateful.

I’ve always wanted to be able to be in a position to give back, to say thanks to the people who made it possible for me to graduate from college when it seemed impossible many times.”

At FIU, Drake was actively involved with the Black Student Union and pledged Phi Beta Sigma. He focused on his academics, on becoming the first in his family to earn a college degree, beating his twin sister to the punch.

“Between me and my sister, who is younger than me, I was always the underdog,” he said. “That I finished first is pushing her to finish her degree.”

Today, he is in Orlando, where he is working with a local sports agent he met through one of his fraternity brothers. He is also pursuing a master’s degree in sports leadership and coaching at UCF. His goal is to become a sports agent and develop his own model to make sure his clients get the exposure they need. n

FALL 2010 Florida International University Magazine

49

Very Important Panthers VIP: Will Trueba, Esq. ’90 Profession: Attorney, Founding member of Espinosa | Trueba, PL. FIU degree: Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering, College of

Engineering and Computing.

FIU affiliations: I’m a Lifetime Member of the Alumni Association, as well as a past board member and past president of the association.

I was a faculty scholar and I currently am a guest lecturer at the College of Engineering, as well as an FIU football season ticket holder. I pledged Sigma Phi Epsilon and in 1986, I was the FIU Sunblazer Mascot.

What are your fondest memories of FIU?

My fondest memories include the lasting friendships I made at FIU, the parties in the GC pit and Rathskeller, the study sessions in the engineering labs in the VH Building, working on campus and firing up fans at basketball games as Sunny. My three siblings and I are Panthers, as are our wives. We’re an FIU family.

What advice would you offer your fellow Panthers?

Two kernels of wisdom: First, get involved early on. The more you put into your time at FIU, the greater your experience will be while you receive an excellent education. Even beyond the fond memories, your involvement in extracurricular activities creates relationships that can stay with you a lifetime and lay the foundation for a successful career. FIU offers much to those who wish to partake. Second, stay involved! Support your alma mater. It starts by simply standing up for FIU. Be proud of your FIU education and experience. Support an alumnus. Join the FIU Alumni Association and stay connected.

You have been on the Alumni Association Board for nine years, including two as president. Why do you feel it is important to be involved?

The great professors, administrators and staff at FIU have dedicated themselves to educating more than 160,000 alumni, including me.

My FIU undergraduate experience provided me an excellent formal education, many of the tools to apply that education and some of the relationships to leverage it in the business world. I want to be part of that experience for others.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

Meeting my wonderful wife, Gisela (Class of 1992), an FIU alumna, and together having four beautiful children who happen to be FIU fans. Professionally, starting my own law firm with fellow FIU alumnus, Jorge Espinosa ’82, in 2008. n 1-800-FIU-ALUM 305-348-3334 fiualumni.com

Division of External Relations Modesto A. Maidique Campus, MARC 510 Miami, FL 33199-0001 Change Service Requested

NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID Miami FL PERMIT NO 3675