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Florida International University Magazine
SUMMER 2007
Florida International University
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volume 15
SUMMER 2007
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03 In Brief
25 A New Playbook
As part of its 25-year anniversary, the FIU College of Nursing honored its Top 25 outstanding alumni this spring.
06 The Classes You Always Wanted to Take
26 Alumni News
FIU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute offers a variety of fun and interesting classes for personal growth and education.
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10 A Sweeter Fuel Option for Florida
Exploring Light and Dark Artist and MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship winner Teresita Fernandez ’90 has achieved national recognition for her artwork. The larger-than-life sculpture created by Fernandez beckons you to look again as she explores themes of light and dark and the act of looking. She was photographed by Angel Valentin this spring while serving as an artist-in-residence at FIU.
Head Football Coach Mario Cristobal issues a rallying cry to the 2007 Golden Panther players: “You’re gonna find a way to win.”
Scientists at FIU’s Applied Research Center are looking to Florida sugarcane as a new renewable energy source for the future.
12 Faculty Profile: Dr. John Rock For the new dean of the College of Medicine, caring for the total patient means being truthful and culturally sensitive.
The Alumni Association celebrates record growth at its annual meeting, while one of its new programs captures a national award.
28 The Summer 2007 Top 10 In a new FIU Magazine feature, we give you 10 great reasons to “Feel the Pride.”
30 Class Notes 33 VIP Gayle Bainbridge ’75 says a great university can only flourish with alumni support.
18 Torch Award Winners Burn Bright More than 400 alumni, friends and family gathered at FIU for the 6th Annual Torch Gala to honor outstanding university alumni. Among the special guests was alumnus Andy Señor, who held a starring role in the Broadway musical “Rent.”
in the next issue
Hurricane Research FIU is emerging as a national leader in hurricane research. With an infusion of $18 million from the state this year, the International Hurricane Research Center is making plans for a state-of-the-art operations center and an upgrade to the “Wall of Wind.” This first-of-its-kind technology will be able to simulate a Category Four hurricane for research purposes. The projects are the latest developments in this critical area of scientific research at FIU.
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Wartime Nursing
The Virginia Tech Tragedy
Professor Jerry Hogan returns to FIU after serving in Iraq as the medical crew director of an aeromedical evacuation team.
In the aftermath of the massacre at Virginia Tech, representatives from across the university came together for a roundtable discussion of student mental health issues, safety and university responsibilities.
Passion for Education Drives Marylu Miller ’90 An FIU alumna with a passion for art and education gives a gift of more than $1 million to FIU for a new scholarship fund.
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Florida International University
volume 15
from the editor Dear Readers, Now that some months have passed, the tragedy at Virginia Tech has dropped from the headlines. However, its impact on higher education has been profound. The killing of students and faculty at Virginia Tech has raised important questions regarding student mental health issues, campus safety and institutional responsibility. Because of the threat of natural disasters that comes with being in Miami, Florida International University has long been attuned to emergency preparedness. Nonetheless, we made improvements in our emergency planning and infrastructure. Our students gathered to voice their sadness and solidarity with fellow students in Virginia. And here at FIU Magazine, we decided to bring together a group of thoughtful and knowledgeable individuals to talk about the impact of the tragedy on our university. Each of our panelists emphasized the importance of students finding support and friendship on campus, whether with another student or with a faculty member. There is an important message here. As an institution we need to continue to create opportunities for students to have positive social and intellectual interactions. That requires us all – parents, faculty, students and alumni – to be engaged. On many fronts, FIU already excels at this. Inside you will read how student mentoring is a central pillar of the pedagogical approach of the new dean of the College of Medicine. Our Alumni Association hosts events throughout the year that foster connections between graduates and students. And outstanding individual graduates like artist Teresita Fernandez routinely give back to their alma mater, as she did this spring serving as an artist-inresidence and working with FIU art students. Virginia Tech reminds us that no university can claim to be immune from tragedy. However, we can strive for prevention by building a strong and supportive FIU community. Best wishes,
FIU Magazine Editorial Advisory Board Cathy Ahles
Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Cathy Akens
Assistant VP Student Affairs Biscayne Bay Campus
Patricia Alvarez
Director, Sponsored Research and Training
Pietro Bonacossa
Associate Director, Credit Programs College of Continuing and Professional Studies
Dr. Gisela Casines
Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Carol Damian
Professor of Art History, School of Art and Art History
Rafael Paz
Associate General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel
Dr. Stephen Fain
Professor Emeritus, College of Education
FIU MAGAZINE Division of External Relations
Sandra B. Gonzalez-Levy Vice President University and Community Relations
Terry Witherell
William R. Trueba, Jr., Esq. ’90 President
Jose M. Perez de Corcho ’93 Vice President
Bill Draughon
Secretary
Associate Vice President Alumni Relations
Karen Cochrane
Raymond del Rey ’97 George B. Brackett Jr. ’76 & ’77 Treasurer
Associate Director Editorial Services
Samuel C. Jackson ’97
Deborah O’Neil
Ty N. Javellana, CPA ’88, MST ’98
Editor, FIU Magazine
Aileen Solá Art Director
Parliamentarian Past President
Officers
Gabriel Albelo ’93 Writers
Stewart L. Appelrouth MS ’80
Karen Cochrane
José Manuel Díaz ’86
Bryan Gilmer
Cynthia J. Dienstag, Esq. ’84
Dan Grech
Ramón Ferrán ’79
Sara LaJeunesse
Joaquín “Jack” F. González ’98
Martin Haro ’05
Dr. Jason Scout Hamilton ’89, MS ’93
Assistant Dean of Marketing, Photographers Communication, and Publications Gloria O’Connell College of Business Administration Ivan Santiago Associate Vice President for Student Affairs University Ombudsman
Executive Committee
Associate Vice President External Relations
Dr. Sally Gallion
Dr. Larry Lunsford
Florida International University 2007-08 Alumni Association Board
Michael Upright Angel Valentin
Carlos H. Hernández ’97 Michael R. Méndez ’03 Raúl Pérez Ballaga, Esq.’97 Justo Luis Pozo ’80 Dr. Susan Webster ’87
Maya Plentz Fagundes
Associate Director of Communications and Public Relations College of Engineering and Computing
William Trueba, Esq.
President, FIU Alumni Association
Dr. Robert Wolff
Deborah O’Neil
Letters to the Editor: FIU Magazine welcomes letters to the editor regarding magazine content. Send your letters via email to alumni@fiu.edu, by fax to 305-348-3247 or mail to FIU Magazine, Division of External Relations, UP 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. Change of Address: Please send updated address information to FIU Office of Alumni Relations, MARC 510, Miami, FL, 33199 or by email to alumni@fiu.edu. FIU Magazine online: Visit http://news.fiu.edu/fiumag/index.html
Associate Dean College of Education
Alumni Office: FIU Office of Alumni Relations, UP MARC 510, Miami, FL 33199. Or call 305-348-3334 or toll free at 800-FIU-ALUM. Visit the Alumni Relations website at: http://fiualumni.com for the latest news and alumni events. To receive the monthly electronic alumni newsletter, NOW@FIU, sign up at http://www.fiualumni.com/mailing_list.htm. Gifts to FIU: Contact University Advancement at 305-348-6298 or visit: http://advancement.fiu. edu/giving.htm Copyright 2007, 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. 9162_7/07
SUMMER 2007 Florida International University Magazine
in brief China engineering program graduates first class Eighty-four students from FIU’s College of Engineering and Computing program in China received master’s degrees in electrical engineering in the program’s first graduation ceremony in March. Dean Vish Prasad welcomed the graduating class, saying, “I am extremely proud of this program and of the hard work and dedication all of you have demonstrated.” The College of Engineering and Computing has forged numerous alliances with institutions abroad, involving their faculty and students in collaborative research and training programs. The partnership between the College of Engineering and Computing at FIU and the College of Software at Beihang University (Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics) began in May 2005 with 42 students. The program has continued to grow – 63 more students have enrolled since 2006 and 82 new students began in May 2007. n
Swimmer reaches NCAA Championships Twenty-one-yearold sophomore Sara Giovannoni recently swam her way to an FIU first: She became the first Golden Panther in the four-year history of the swimming and diving program to reach the NCAA Championships. Giovannoni was one of 36 swimmers who participated in the 200-yard breaststroke – her
signature event – at the competition among the country’s best collegiate swimmers at the University of Minnesota. She broke her own school record (2:14.81) and finished 18th in the 200-yard breaststroke at the competition, touching the wall in 2:14.38. “I feel happy,” Giovannoni said. “I trained really hard to make the cut, but it was still unexpected. It made me proud that I went and also that I improved my time, so it was a good experience.” “Sara was phenomenal,” swimming head coach Noemi Zaharia said. “She did great, but just her being at the NCAA Championships is a tremendous accomplishment as a sophomore. This is a huge stepping stone for our program.” n
FIU poll reveals new attitudes toward Cuba FIU’s eighth poll on the political attitudes of Cuban Americans in South Florida shows that expectations for change on the island remain guarded while an increasing number support a dialogue with the Cuban government. The survey was conducted by the Institute for Public Opinion Research and the Cuban Research Institute, and co-sponsored by the Cuba Study Group with support from the Brookings Institution. Approximately 1,000 randomly selected Cuban-American respondents were polled in Miami-Dade County on March 26, 2007. Among this year’s findings:
• Although only 23.6 percent feel that the embargo has worked well, 57.5 percent expressed support for its continuation, down from 66 percent in the 2004 poll. Approximately 71.7 percent support the sale of medicine to the people on the island, 62 percent would favor the sale of food to Cuba and 34 percent support the expansion of existing agricultural relations with the island. Similarly, 55.2 percent would support allowing unrestricted travel to Cuba. • Approximately 64 percent of the respondents would like to return to the 2003 policies governing travel and remittances. n
New Jewish Center opens for students More than 3,000 Jewish students at FIU will now have a home away from home at the new Chabad Jewish Student Center. The home, located half a mile east of University Park at 10031 SW 15th Terrace, will be open to anyone interested in the Jewish faith. The new center will be known as “Tabacinic Chabad House” in honor of Moshe Tabacinic, a Bal Harbour philanthropist whose generous contribution made the house possible. Only eight universities in Florida have Chabad student centers. To learn more, visit http://www.chabadfiu.com. n
• Approximately 17 percent of respondents feel that changes will occur within one year and 46 percent anticipate that major changes are more than one year but less than five years away. • Approximately 65 percent of respondents signal that they would support a dialogue with the Cuban government, up from 55.6 percent in the 2004 Cuba poll.
Moshe Tabacinic writes a letter in the new Torah scroll with the help of the scribe, Rabbi Moshe Klein, as Rabbi Levi Friedman (standing) and Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yona Metzger (seated, left) look on at the FIU Chabad Jewish Student Center’s House dedication and Torah completion ceremony. Photo courtesy of Chabad FIU
Florida International University Magazine
SUMMER 2007
in brief Alumna awarded prestigious fellowships This summer, Michelle Zapiain ’07 will work as an intern in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of State as the first student in Florida to win a prestigious Pamela Harriman Foreign Service Fellowship. The 22-year-old international relations and economics double major and Honors College graduate also earned a Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship. The highly selective Harriman Fellowship is offered annually to three outstanding undergraduates from across the nation; Zapiain is the first recipient of the award from a Florida university. She attended FIU on a Presidential Scholarship and graduated with a 3.957 grade point average. “I am so happy about it,” she said. “I was selected for this great, full-time, unpaid internship, but I thought I may have to pass on it. It’s awesome that now I don’t have to.” She will receive $5,000 to cover her housing and living expenses in Washington, D.C. She
is looking forward to the internship in the Department of State, where she will work in the counter-terrorist office “I’d like to do analytical work in the Middle East,” Zapiain said. “The conflict is such an immediate issue and there’s a great need for people to research and learn about it. It’s a really challenging topic because there’s a lot of ground to cover, especially after September 11.” n
SJMC writing center opens with new grant The Scripps Howard Foundation has awarded FIU’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication a three-year $150,000 grant for a writing center. Judith Clabes, president and CEO of the Scripps Howard Foundation, was impressed with the school’s model for teaching and grammar and felt that the vision for the writing center reflected the foundation’s desire to strengthen the writing and literacy skills of students. The Writing Center, which opened in March on the Biscayne Bay Campus, is a free resource offering students coaching and editing
support from writing consultants who will be drawn from SJMC instructors and graduate students. It will include one-on-one tutoring, small group workshops, literary resources and a weekly online chat room. n
SOBE raises $1.5 million for School of Hospitality The 2007 Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival netted $1.5 million for FIU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Festival director Lee Brian Schrager presented a check to Joseph West, dean of the school, during a ceremony in May at the Biscayne Bay Campus. The majority of the dollars will be used for the expansion of the school’s dining room into a full-service teaching restaurant. The funds also support the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center at FIU, as well as scholarships for students who demonstrate exceptional performance while volunteering at the festival. The 2008 festival will be held Feb. 21-24 and tickets go on sale in October. n
College of Nursing recognizes Top 25 Outstanding Alumni The Top 25 nursing graduates include:
1. John O. Alvarez ’03 of Miami, surgical cardiac critical care/ admissions nurse at Cedars Medical Center. 2. Christina A. Asch ’84 of Titusville, an adult nurse practitioner at Brevard Skin & Cancer Center. The FIU College of Nursing honored its Top 25 outstanding alumni this spring as part of its 25-year anniversary. The black tie gala at Doral Golf Club was part of a year-long campaign of activities, programs and events reflecting on the college’s quarter century of growth and impact on health care in South Florida. “These 25 individuals are just a small representation of the thousands of alumni who are admirably, compassionately and successfully serving throughout our South Florida community,” said Dean Divina Grossman.
3. Ivette Baker ’89, MSN ’93 of Miami, an adult nurse practitioner at the FPL Well Clinic and one of the founding nurse practitioners at Camillus House. 4. Doreen K. Coombs ’90 of Miami, a nurse manager in the Nephrology Unit at Mercy Hospital and volunteer for American Diabetes, Heart, Cancer and Arthritis foundations.
5. Valerie Diaz MSN ’03 of Pembroke Pines, a certified registered nurse anesthetist at South Miami Hospital and United States Naval Reservist in the Nurse Corps. 6. Irene Fernandez ’97 of Key West, a registered nurse-surgical operation at DePoo Hospital of Lower Keys Medical Center. 7. Mary K. Fritts MSN ’06 of Coral Springs, a pediatric nurse practitioner at EZ Peds, a Pembroke Pines primary care center for children ages newborn to 22 years. 8. Marjorie Gillespie-Johnson MSN ’96 of Pembroke Pines, a family nurse practitioner at North Broward Hospital District and GeoCare and assistant nursing professor at FIU.
SUMMER 2007 Florida International University Magazine
in brief Alumni honored for business success The College of Business Administration inducted two of its most accomplished alumni into its Entrepreneurship Hall Antonio Argiz ’74 of Fame during the event’s eighth year. The college also presented a third nonalumnus executive with its South Florida Entrepreneur of the Year award. Miriam López The three honorees are Margarita M. Gonzalez ’06, president and chief financial officer, AccuBANKER; Antonio Margarita Gonzalez ’06 L. Argiz ’74, managing partner, Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, LLP; and Miriam López, chairman and CEO of TransAtlantic Bank. Established in 1999, the Hall of Fame induction recognizes two categories of alumni achievement in the business world: 9. Jeffrey Groom ’88 of Miami, assistant director of the Anesthesiology Nursing Program at FIU. 10. Elizabeth Hernandez ’87 of Hallandale, director of the Mercy Hospital School of Practical Nursing. 11. Heather Holder ’91, MSN ’96 of Miramar, a psychiatric emergency assessment evaluator at Memorial Regional Hospital and clinical nursing professor at FIU. 12. Marianne Issa ’06 of Tallahassee, an RN consultant for preparedness, Office of Public Health Nursing at the Florida Department of Health. 13. Bridgette Johnson ’98 of Miramar, an advanced practice
Founder (Entrepreneur) and Builder (Intrapreneur). Gonzalez’s accomplishments as founder of AccuBANKER were honored with the 2007 EHOF Founder Award. AccuBanker provides technology services to retail businesses and financial institutions and conducts business in more than 42 countries, employs 15 people in South Florida, and has a fully staffed sourcing office in China. Argiz received the 2007 EHOF Builder Award for his role in growing Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, an accounting and management firm. Under his leadership, the company has grown from 50 employees to 250 associates and from $8 million in revenues to more than $44 million in 2007. López was selected to receive the 2007 South Florida Entrepreneur of the Year honor. She has served as president and CEO of the bank since her recruitment in 1985. Currently a member of Florida International University’s Board of Trustees, she is a continuing mentor for the local public school system and a tireless community volunteer. n
nurse and nursing education specialist at Mercy Hospital. 14. Kim Jolly ’90, MSN ’93 of Lauderhill, a nurse practitioner in the North Broward Hospital District. 15. Sandra Kreul ’93, MSN ’96 of Valrico, a nurse practitionercoordinator of practice for Benedict S. Maniscalco, MD and chair of Heartbeat International, which provides life-saving devices to indigent populations worldwide. 16. Joanne Kroesen MSN ’99 of Miami, director of Organizational Development and Public/ Community Health Nursing, Miami-Dade County Health Department. 17. Mayra Lima ’93, MSN ’00 of
FIU hurricane research wins state support Florida Gov. Charlie Crist approved more than $18 million in state funding for hurricane research projects at FIU. The new state budget signed in May includes: • $15 million for a building that will house FIU’s International Hurricane Research Center; • $2 million for the “Wall of Wind,” a machine that simulates full-scale hurricane winds and rain to test construction techniques and materials; • and $1.1 million for a public loss computer model that will assist state officials in predicting hurricane damage and setting home insurance rates. “I thank Gov. Crist and the Legislature for investing in such a critical issue for our state,” said FIU President Modesto A. Maidique. “Hurricane damage mitigation is one of the areas where the academic community can make a tremendous difference. n
Pembroke Pines, an advanced family nurse practitioner at Memorial Center Institute/Breast Cancer Center.
21. Rosa Roche ’86, MSN ’94, of Miami, a pediatric nurse practitioner at Miami Children’s Hospital Pulmonology Group.
18. Linda Nylander-Householder MSN ’01 of Miami, a critical care educator and extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation primer/ specialist at Miami Children’s Hospital
22. Dolores S. Serrecchia ’85 of Ft. Lauderdale, clinical director of Jackson Memorial Hospital Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Facility.
19. Joan M. Osborne ’93, MSN ’97 of Davie, director of Clinical Practice & Research/Clinical Education, Broward General Medical Center. 20. J. Craig Phillips MSN ’99 of Oakland Park, clinical nurse specialist and coordinator of Research-Nursing Education & Mental Health Services at Mercy Hospital.
23. Jose Sotomayor ’93 of Miami Beach, founder, president & CEO of Infusion Technologies Health Services, Inc. 24. Angelia Williams-Welsh MSN ’00 of Saginaw, MI, medical services manager, Health Delivery Inc. 25. Maria L. Wood MSN ’97 of Homestead, pediatric intensive care unit director at Miami Children’s Hospital. n
Florida International University Magazine
SUMMER 2007
The Classes You Always Wanted to Take
Baby Boomers take up everything from singing and art history to new languages at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at FIU. By Martin Haro ’05
Student Sallie Reider, a soloist, takes center stage in the Osher Photos by Michael Upright
Lifelong Learning Institute’s “Sing, Sing, Sing” class.
The circumstances surrounding socialite Brandy Fielding’s murder are at the center of a mystery that begs to be solved. There are several suspects, each of whom has the motive, means and opportunity to commit the crime. But who is the real culprit? On a February afternoon, students of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at FIU were on the case, their detective skills coming to work in a class aptly titled “Solve a Mystery!” The offbeat course was one of the many non-credit weekly classes offered by the Institute. Some, like “Computers and the Stock Market” and “Creative Writing Workshop,” are more academically oriented. Others are oneday field trips to such interesting sites as Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and The Wolfsonian-FIU. The classes target retirees and snowbirds and last four or six weeks at a cost of $60 or $90, depending on the length of the course. An annual membership for the 2007-’08 cycle will cost $30 and will entitle participants to take as many classes as they want at a discounted rate. When “Solve a Mystery!” students met in the Kovens Conference Center at Biscayne Bay Campus, they read from a script peppered with clues that shed light on the mystery at hand. The goal was to analyze the information that the script revealed
through the characters’ conversations, media reports and even a cipher that was easy, yet fun to decode (a key to crack it was provided). After forming a series of theories, students such as Natalie Weinstein of Williams Island, and Ellen Abramson, 64, of Keystone Point Island, tried to figure out not only who murdered Brandy Fielding, but also why. They remained focused and sharp, connecting the dots in a goodhumored manner and listening to one another’s insights. In the end, their collaborative and laid-back effort yielded a guilty party. “I love [the Institute’s classes],” Weinstein said. “It’s a good place to come to and it’s nice not to tax my brain on something stressful and solve a mystery or two. I like this.” Everyone plays a part in this scenario. Instructor Barbara Fox encourages students to use different voices for different characters. “The students I’ve met this term have been very willing to participate in the class,” she said. “They really get into it.” “I decided to take this class because it sounded like something different,” Abramson said. “I’m a current events junkie, so this is a nice distraction.” Weinstein and Abramson are two of the students FIU Magazine met in February on a visit to Osher Lifelong Learning Institute classes. Weinstein is a “21-plus” mother of two and grandmother of four. After nearly 50 years living in Westchester, N.Y., where she worked in her husband’s CPA office, she moved to
SUMMER 2007 Florida International University Magazine
Osher Institute instructor Barbara Fox leads her students through a maze of clues during her “Solve a Mystery!’ class at BBC. Photos by Michael Upright
South Florida four years ago. She first heard about the Institute when some Osher instructors attended a cultural night in her community. Abramson, an activist, has longtime ties to FIU: Her son Brian Abramson ’96, MA ’02, JD ’05, a former Student Government Association president, was the first applicant and the first student to commit to the full-time College of Law program. She has been taking classes “on and off for many, many years.” The two agree that the Institute provides a fun alternative to their otherwise busy lives. Aside from going to classes, Weinstein goes to movies and plays and is an avid canasta and poker player; Abramson supports the North Miami Police Department and speaks on their behalf in the City Council. They are, in essence, the target students the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute wishes to attract. Established in 1977 as The Elder’s Institute under The Southeast Center on Aging, the Institute, now under Continuing and Professional Studies (CAPS), has come far in its mission to promote continued personal growth and education. Most recently known as the
Academy for Lifelong Learning, the Institute joined the prestigious network of 112 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes on university campuses across the country thanks to a $100,000 grant the university received in June 2006 from The Bernard Osher Foundation. More than 900 students participated in 153 courses and tours during the 2006-’07 academic year. “The excitement among students for our courses and instructors is palpable,” said Susan Jay Ed.D ’98, director of community outreach and public service in CAPS. “Our students are Baby Boomers and seasoned adults. They are aware of the broad cognitive and societal benefits of personal enrichment programs and our goal is to deliver these benefits.” Jay says that students also have the power to shape the schedule of classes offered in any given term. Through course evaluations, students provide feedback on classes they have just taken – and let the Institute know what sort of classes they would like in the future. “We are definitely responsive to students’ needs,” she said. “For instance, we have offered ‘Art
History’ for as long as we have been open because students continually make it one of the more popular classes. We had 120 students “The enrolled this winter.” excitement The Institute’s diverse selection of classes ranges from a variety of levels among of French, Italian and Spanish, to students “Action with Digital Photography” and “Dutch Cinema.” for our At a class called “Sing, Sing, Sing,” courses and students are encouraged to harmonize instructors is and complement one another. They gleefully cheered as Leonard Tuch, palpable.” 81, a.k.a. “The Crooner,” delivered a — heartfelt rendition of “Day by Day.” Susan Jay, It was a moment in the proverbial director of spotlight that he soaked in with community outreach and humility and a smile. public service, “We don’t have the best voices,” Continuing and Professional Tuch said. “But it’s a fun way to pass Studies the time.” Further spreading the good times that “Sing, Sing, Sing” inspires, the retired Aventura resident and his fellow students visited area nursing homes and condominium buildings to entertain residents as part of the program. It is a class tradition that fits in with the Institute’s commitment to giving back to the community. To learn more about the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at FIU and view its upcoming courses, visit www. caps.fiu.edu/academy. n
SUMMER 2007 Florida International University Magazine
faculty profile
Wartime Nursing FIU professor and Air Force Reservist returns to the classroom after tour in Iraq By Bryan Gilmer
ordeal and gone back to work at ABC, As the C-17 Globemaster jet doing investigative reporting about prepared to land in Iraq, Major Jerry the medical care provided for veterans Hogan readied his medical crew wounded in Iraq. The to care for the dozens of wounded Hogan disclaims credit for that soldiers who would soon be loaded outcome: “I was in charge in the back deployment into the cargo plane’s cavernous cabin of the airplane,” he says. “I helped was Hogan’s for evacuation to Germany. the critical care air medical transport “On the way down there, we were nurse because that mission was very, second to told we were going to have media on very busy and there were a lot of badly support board” for the return flight, remembers injured people. I did assist in the care, FIU’s director of anesthesiology but I wouldn’t say I was instrumental in U.S. military nursing, a U.S. Air Force reservist their survival.” operations called to active duty as an aeromedical However, Hogan does proudly in the evacuation flight medical crew director. point to this fact: During his tour, “If we had extra seats, we often would from December 2005 to May 2006, Middle East. transport media, because it’s the easiest neither his crew nor any of the other way for them to get downrange and five with which he served lost a single back. So we thought, ‘No big deal.’ ” patient of the hundreds they flew But when ABC World News from Iraq to Landstuhl Regional Tonight co-anchor Bob Woodruff Medical Center in Germany. Hogan and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, came and his team flew 22 missions. on board, they were on stretchers, Hogan remembers the valor of critically wounded. dozens of severely wounded patients he Woodruff was in a coma and on a met on those flights. ventilator. An improvised explosive “To see those young 18-, 19-, 20device, or IED, had exploded along a year-olds, some with injuries that they road outside Baghdad while Woodruff will deal with for the rest of their life was standing in the open hatch of a – that can be burdensome,” he says. tank. The blast hurled rocks into his “A lot of times, all they wanted to do neck and broke open his skull. He was was talk. The one thing I learned never fortunate to survive. to say is, ‘You should be happy you’re “When I first saw him, I literally getting out of the war zone.’ They – let me put it this way: What I saw would say, ‘You don’t understand, I’m of him when I took care of him to letting down my unit. I need to be what I see now is nothing short of there with them.’ ” miraculous,” says Hogan. “He was The deployment was Hogan’s pretty messed up.” second to support U.S. military Indeed, Woodruff has now made operations in the Middle East. From a remarkable recovery, as has Vogt. May to September 2005, he oversaw Woodruff has written Photo by Michael Uprighta book about the aeromedical evacuation operations from
Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. The 45-year-old professor brought decades of military service and civilian nursing experience to both assignments. After becoming a registered nurse at a community college, the Lake Worth, Fla., native got his bachelor’s in nursing from the University of Florida. He was commissioned in the Air Force to pay for his master’s degree to become a nurse anesthetist. Then he served in the Air Force twice as long as required, for seven years, including three and a half at Landstuhl in Germany, getting out in 1999. While he was working clinically in Palm Beach County, FIU faculty recruited him to become a professor in the university’s nurse anesthesia program, which trains nurses to administer anesthesia to patients undergoing surgery or diagnostic procedures. He quickly realized he needed a doctorate, and earned it from the University of Tennessee just weeks before shipping off to Afghanistan. When Hogan returned to FIU from the second tour, he received a promotion to director of the program, despite all of the months he had been away. Back in the classroom, he says he doesn’t bore students telling war stories. “I guess the only thing different is the change in perspective,” Hogan said. “I used to stress out a lot about things, but now I seem to put things in perspective a bit better. It can always be worse than what you currently have.” n Bryan Gilmer is a freelance writer based in Durham, N.C.
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Florida International University Magazine
SUMMER 2007
A Sweeter Fuel Option for Florida FIU scientists are exploring whether sugarcane can be turned into a clean-burning fuel alternative to gasoline. By Sara LaJeunesse
Photos by Ivan Santiago
ethanol is revolutionizing the ethanol The 460,000 acres of sugarcane industry,” said ARC associate director fields that stretch for miles south of George Philippidis, the project’s Lake Okeechobee in Florida hold the principal investigator and an expert in potential to do more than sweeten your the cellulosic ethanol business. “We morning coffee. They might just fuel are determined to make Florida a front your morning drive. runner in cellulosic ethanol production Florida’s energy officials are turning by using local biomass, attracting to researchers at FIU’s Applied Research investment and creating well-paying jobs Center (ARC) and the Florida Crystals in our state.” Corporation (FCC) to explore whether In the long term, FIU can benefit sugarcane bagasse – or the fibrous substantially from this technology residue that remains after the juice is development, Philippidis said, by extracted from stalks of sugarcane – can positioning itself as a leading research be efficiently converted into cellulosic institution in renewable fuels. The ethanol, a clean burning domestic fuel university will be able to attract more source that is widely viewed as the best research dollars, hire new scientists from fuel alternative for reducing gasoline around the country and attract more use and air pollution. If successful, high-caliber students. the process could help Florida The FIU-FCC application was move to the forefront of the selected from more than 130 proposals renewable fuels movement dealing with a variety of renewable by replacing its carbon energy technologies. The team received monoxide and sulfur a grant of nearly $1 million from the dioxide-spewing cars Florida Department of Environmental and SUVs with Protection’s Florida Renewable Energy cleaner burning Technologies Grant Program vehicles. and another $1 million match from “Cellulosic the FCC.
SUMMER 2007 Florida International University Magazine
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Biochemist Vekalet Tek, a researcher in the Energy Division of the Applied Research Center, operates a fermentation reactor where microorganisms are cultivated under optimal conditions to produce renewable fuels, such as ethanol and hydrogen, from sugars.
If successful, the process could help Florida move to the forefront of the renewable
“The collaboration represents a unique public-private partnership with in-depth knowledge of the technology FIU researcher and experience George Philippidis in commercial operations,” said Michael Ohlsen, project manager for Energy Efficiency and Biomass Programs at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Ethanol is an alcohol made from the sugar or starch in plants. It’s the same substance found in alcoholic drinks, yet its uses go beyond fueling spring break revelries to fueling cars and SUVs. A renewable source of fuel, ethanol can be blended with gasoline in various quantities, and can even be used in current vehicles when added to gasoline in amounts up to 10 percent. Car manufacturers are increasingly introducing so-called “Flexible Fuel Vehicles” that are able to run on up to 85 percent ethanol, or E85. Most states in the U.S. already have fuel stations that sell ethanol, especially those in the corn-growing Midwest. That’s because 97 percent of ethanol produced in the U.S. comes from corn.
Sugarcane, however, is more effective than corn at producing ethanol because sugarcane is a higher energy crop. The FIU-FCC project could lead to a greater availability of ethanol in Florida, which currently has only a handful of ethanol-selling stations. Although the entire stock of sugarcane can be used to produce ethanol, the bagasse accounts for slightly more energy than the sugar itself. The FCC generates more than a million tons of bagasse each year, enough to produce from 50-100 million gallons of ethanol. While that’s only a fraction of the amount needed to replace the more than eight billion gallons of gasoline Florida consumes each year, it’s enough to make a dent in consumption if combined with other sources of ethanol, such as woody biomass and citrus peel. The company has typically used its bagasse to generate steam and electricity to run its facilities. When the raw bagasse is used to produce power in this way, the price for one ton of the stuff is about $20. Convert the bagasse to ethanol, though, and the value increases ten-fold. Profits from the product will not be a reality until the multi-step process for converting bagasse to ethanol is
fuels movement.
perfected. First, the cellulose, or raw plant material, must be pretreated with high temperatures and chemicals so it is easier for enzymes to break the cellulose down into its constituent sugars. These simple sugars are then fermented into an ethanol broth, which is then distilled to recover the leftover ethanol. It’s the first step – pretreatment with high temperatures and chemicals – that is the limiting factor. No method has yet been optimized for this vital piece of the process. FIU and the FCC plan to resolve this issue by performing laboratory-scale runs in which they test the effectiveness of various pretreatment processes. Once the team has identified the most efficient process, they will scale the project up to pilot size and determine its commercialization potential. State energy officials are excited about the project because of its tremendous economic potential. They would like to see several bagasse ethanol facilities built in Florida that are capable of producing significant amounts of ethanol. Such a plant could be built in Palm Beach County, adjacent to FCC’s sugar plant. The plant could produce from 50 to 100 million gallons of ethanol annually and provide from 30 to 50 well-paying local jobs. “Such a facility could trigger an influx of investment dollars to the state in the hundreds of millions,” said Ohlsen. But the economic potential of ethanol isn’t the only benefit. The technology will also contribute to better air quality. “Ethanol is cleanerburning than gasoline,” Philippidis said, “so the quality of air in South Florida will improve when ethanol blends are used as fuel.” n Sara LaJeunesse is a freelance science writer based in Miami.
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John
Rock
College of Medicine Dean Dr. John Rock has made a career of mastering complexity. When he was eight years old, the aspiring doctor was introduced to a new culture and language when his family moved from Texas to Mexico, where his father worked as a petroleum engineer. In medical school, he became involved with genetics research, which led to a career specialization in women’s reproductive endocrinology. Prior to coming to FIU, Rock served as CEO of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. While there, he opened a new School of Public Health, cleared $7 million of debt from the medical school and managed a $66.5 million budget cut. All along, Rock has remained a practicing physician and scholar. Today, Rock still travels around the world to perform sensitive pelvic reconstructive surgery. Since arriving at FIU in January, Rock has maintained a breathless schedule, making key hires for top academic posts, leading discussions with the college’s future hospital partners and heading the college’s application for provisional accreditation. He recently talked with FIU Magazine Editor Deborah O’Neil about the path of his career and the type of medical school he is building at FIU. Photo by Gloria L. O’Connell
How did you decide on a career in medicine? I was very interested in biology. When I went to college I became involved in a genetics program at the National Laboratory in Oakridge, Tenn. It was very exciting in terms of studying biological functions. I had my first taste of medical research. In high school, I volunteered at the Veterans Administration and took care of patients on the wards. Early on, I recognized the importance and gratification of having the privilege of taking care of patients.
What was your medical school experience like? I was in New Orleans and I was one of the few who spoke Spanish. I had a lot of Latin patients. I became very sensitive to their frustrations being in a new country not speaking the language. How did you choose women’s reproductive health as a specialization? Being in reproductive genetics in college, it was a natural for me to become interested in reproductive health. When I went to medical school, that was reinforced when I rotated through obstetrics and gynecology. I felt very comfortable and excited about doing my residency in obstetrics and gynecology.
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faculty profile
Caring for the total patient New College of Medicine dean emphasizes the importance of mentoring and developing cultural sensitivity You could have had a successful career as just a physician, what drew you to academics? When I was in my fellowship at Johns Hopkins and became a young faculty member it was enormously exciting. That’s when we were developing incredibly exciting advanced techniques in reproduction – in-vitro fertilization, surgical techniques, micro-surgery, laparoscopic surgery – all these were new. The state of the field was developing and I was right in the middle doing research in those areas. I was teaching young men and women, the future leaders in the field, in fellowships and in residencies.
Truth is power. Often there are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings. It is important not just to work with the patient, but the family so they understand what the issues are.
“You must truly care about your patients and
and they gain insights. It’s a quality that is acquired through the entire experience of medical education because you become involved with your patients’ challenges. You start to see other ways and other values. That is so important when you deal with a diverse population. Your values may not be their values. How can you meaningfully care unless you understand?
their well Have you ever cried over a patient? being and Oh yes, certainly. All of us can understand become emotional about our patients. your They are important to us and we share in their pain. responsibility What are you looking for in clinical faculty members? as a How do you handle patient Men and women who are well situations where there is trained, committed to caring for physician nothing to be done? those who can least afford to take for the care You are honest and sensitive, but care of themselves and who have had of the total you can’t try to protect the patient’s life experiences that symbolize their feelings because you may, in fact, hurt caring and sensitivity toward this patient.” Given your specialty, you’ve the patient. So I think knowledge is unique, diverse community. I’m also — had a career working with important. I tend to be as truthful as looking for a commitment to a high Dr. John Rock young women facing physical I possibly can. level of education for our students. dean, College of and emotional distress. Medicine Yes. Professionalism is an important Can you teach those “people How hard will it be to find part of those qualities that make a skills” in a medical school? that combination? good physician. Fundamentally, you Absolutely. You can teach and also I think there are many men and must truly care about your patients you can mentor. You can be culturally women who are committed to this and their well being and understand sensitive and recognize the power of and would flourish in this unique your responsibility as a physician for diversity. environment. This is a wonderful the care of the total patient. cultural environment. What a How do you teach great opportunity to really make a How do you deal with those students to be caring and national statement. emotional impacts? compassionate? The shock of discovery of serious Some of it is innate and some of Do you have a sense you are health problems is always difficult it is acquired. It is so important to making history? for young women. Often, it just what we do as physicians that we talk We all do. The entire faculty are comes out of the blue. You work about it, we teach it. Also, young participating in this venture. It’s a with the family, you work together. students observe us as physicians university-wide experience. n Photo by Michael Upright
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SUMMER 2007
By Dan Grech
Photo by Angel Valentin
Every artist must face down the blank canvas. For sculptor Teresita Fernandez, that moment came again in early April, when she walked into her freshly emptied Brooklyn studio. “It’s almost like being face to face with yourself,” she said of the studio’s white-washed walls, its uncluttered concrete floor. “It’s like, ‘Now what do I do?’” Fernandez had just opened an incandescent solo show at the Lehmann Maupin Gallery in Manhattan – her first gallery exhibition since winning the exalted MacArthur “Genius” grant in 2005. The show featured five new works, large-scale explorations of light and dark and the act of looking, themes that have run through much of her work. In the gallery, her work is highly
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“Seattle Cloud Cover,” laminated glass with photographic design interlayer, 9’6” x 200’ x 6’3”, commissioned by the Seattle Art Museum for the Olympic Sculpture Park. Courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York.
construct a boat out of cardboard and glue that could navigate a lake. Her work reflects this diverse education: it combines a painter’s sensibility, an architect’s eye, an engineer’s precision. Recognition did not come easily. “I don’t believe in luck,” she said. “I believe in hard work, a track record, building up to something. For many years I didn’t sell anything. But I still made art.” At age 39, Fernandez has built up to this: two dozen solo exhibitions, three dozen more group exhibitions, shows in Asia and Europe and the Middle East. A family: video artist husband Tom Downs, six-year-old son Caspian and three-year-old daughter Cypress. A glass-walled overpass the length of a city block called “Seattle Cloud Cover” in the city’s new Olympic Sculpture Park, in which she is the youngest artist featured. This spring, Fernandez was honored with an FIU Medallion recognizing her artistic accomplishments. And, of course, a MacArthur Fellowship with its $500,000 dollar prize. “The MacArthur bought me time,” she said. “I could show less. I could make something that doesn’t matter if it sells. I could make a 700-pound monster that doesn’t fit in anybody’s home because I had to see it.” She’s referring to her recent work “Ink Mirror (Landscape),” a 10foot black mirror made of polished
fiberglass lying in what appears to be a bed of snow. The piece, as well as to come to some others in her recent exhibition, may end up in a museum – the dream terms with destination for any work. Fernandez is not thinking about the silence of destinations, however, when she a day in the unlocks the metal door of her studio. studio sitting She’s been reading through her notebooks in search of an idea that will with your spark her next project. Her projects own ideas.” always start from ideas, not images. — A few years back, during a visit to Rome, she was captivated by the act Teresita Fernandez ’90 of looking up at a church dome. She researched the way Baroque painters rendered ceilings, a technique called “Sotto in su” – Italian for “seen from below.” That exploration ended in an aluminum cloud. Past ideas have transformed to sand, fire and water. When Fernandez embarks on a new project, more is at stake than her reputation. She spends tens of thousands of her own dollars on each work: on custom-made materials, on consultants and engineers and architects – whatever it takes to realize her vision. “I don’t think of it as a risk,” she said. “I think of it as an investment in my ideas. I do it because I believe in it.” n “You have
Dan Grech is the Americas correspondent for Marketplace, the public radio business news show produced by American Public Media. He teaches writing at the Florida Center for the Literary Arts.
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The 6th Annual Torch Awards Gala comes home to FIU to celebrate alumni accomplishments By Martin Haro ’05
Nearly 450 alumni, family and friends came together in March to attend the 6th Annual Torch Awards Gala at University Park. The signature event of the FIU Alumni Association, the Torch Awards recognize the positive actions of alumni for their profession, community and university. The event was staged on campus this year in the Graham Center Ballroom. “I am glad to host this event at University Park because I imagine many of our alumni have not seen the campus for years,” said President Modesto A. Maidique. “I hope you will be impressed by the changes and tremendous growth that is happening here.” Indeed, many of the guests, such as honorees Ivette M. Lirio ’96, MS ’00, and Nicholas G. Bustle MIB ’88, could not help but marvel at the beauty of the campus – and reminisce about the time they spent at FIU. “Look at it; it’s beautiful,” Lirio said. “It’s exciting to be back and look back and meet the other recipients and remember together. It’s nice.” This year’s celebration featured a special performance by Andy Señor, Jr., an alumnus of the Theatre Department and former co-star in the hit Broadway play “Rent.” The awards this year honored a longtime and award-winning Miami-Dade teacher, the president of entertainment of a national television network and the chief operating officer of a North Carolina hospital, among others. Each received a hand-blown glass sculpture of a flame to symbolize their success. “It’s very thoughtful,” said David M. Callejo Perez ’93, Ed.D. ’00. “It’s really something to be invited back to be honored by your alma mater. It means a lot. It means you’re doing something right.” Callejo, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice at West Virginia University, received the Charles E. Perry Award at the ceremony, which is given to the alumnus who
has made great strides in the early stages of his or her career. He received the award from Betty Perry ’74, wife of FIU’s late founding president Charles E. Perry. “This is a fantastic event and I am thrilled to be here,” Perry said. “I enjoy presenting this award in honor of my husband, and I hope to continue to do so for many years.” Jason Scott Hamilton ’89, MS ’93, associate director of the university’s Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program, was awarded the FIU Service Award. “I’m very proud to be a Golden Panther and a lifetime member of the Alumni Association,” he said. “I met my wife at FIU, so FIU has been good to me. I’m appreciative of the award and I hope I can use it to show my students in psychology and the McNair program the importance of giving back and helping our community grow.” Chair of the Torch Committee was Cynthia Dienstag P.A. ’83. Presenting sponsors was Wachovia Bank and supporting sponsors were The Miami Herald, Bacardi, Geico, Preferred Care Partners, Afrodita’s Garden at FIU, Appelrouth, Farah & Co, Banco Popular, Turnberry Associates, Kane & Co., P.A., and Bennett A. Bramson. The animated crowd – dressed to the nines for the occasion – had a fun time dancing to live music. Also worthy of celebration was the fact that in the last year, Alumni Association membership passed the 12,000 mark. “From my vantage point, I see the relationship between this university and our alumni growing stronger every day,” said Bill Draughon, associate vice president of Alumni Relations. “Your financial support of FIU, your contributions of time and lessons learned and your extraordinary response to our alumni programs has helped propel us to new heights.”
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Top Row: Dr. David M. Callejo Perez ’93, Ed.D ’00; Richard J. Gannotta ’91; Bennett A. Bramson ’83, MPA ’87; Dr. James F. O’Brien ’92; Philip S.Goldfarb ’79; Honorable Cecilia M. Altonaga ’83; Bottom Row: Nicholas G. Bustle MIB ’88; Professor David W. Lee; Rep. Anitere Flores ’97; Monte E. Kane MS ’82; Ivette M. Lirio ’96, MS ’00; Gonzalo A. Acevedo ’91; Penny Parham MS ’97; Dr. Jason Scott Hamilton ’89, MS ’93; Not Pictured: Robin Fraser ’89; Dawn Ostroff ’80; Danny Pino ’96.
1. From left: Olga Altonaga, Gaby Mencio, George Mencio and Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga ’83; 2. From left: Professor David W. Lee, Richard J. Gannotta ’91, Nicholas G. Bustle MIB ’88; 3. From left: Harriet Carter and Irma Becerra-Fernandez Ph.D ’94; 4. From left: Dr. Steven M. Fain, Coach Karl Kremser, Dr. Laura Blitzer; 5. From left: Barry Johnson, Provost Ronald Berkman, Marian Davis and Board of Trustees Chairman David R. Parker; 6. From left: Jorge Gonzalez and Bill Draughon; 7. From left: President Modesto A. Maidique, Nancy Maidique ’03, Joseph L. Caruncho ’81, Cynthia Fernandez; 8. From left: Brian D. Abramson, Esq. ’96, MA ’02, JD ’05, Cynthia Dienstag, P.A. ’83, Jason Scott Hamilton ’89 MS ’93, Shirley Lowe.
Outstanding Achievement Award Monte E. Kane MS ’82 founded Kane & Company, a leading South Florida accounting and consulting firm. In 2004, the co-author of the AICPA Accounting and Audit guide for Common Interest Realty Associations was named a Heavy Hitter in Finance by the South Florida Business Journal. In 2006, he was selected for The Key Partners Award. Kane founded the Florida Institute of CPAs 1040K Run and Fitness Walk, created in memory of Lewis Davis, Miami-Dade’s first African-American CPA.
Outstanding Faculty Award David Lee is an award-winning professor and chairman of the Department of Biological Sciences. He is a leading tropical biologist and has published widely in top academic journals. A longtime faculty member, Lee has been instrumental in establishing the university as a top research institution. In the 1980s, he helped develop a research relationship with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. He has served on FIU’s Athletic and University Environmental councils, established the Landscape Advisory Committee and was elected to the Faculty Senate numerous times.
Charles E. Perry Visionary Award David M. Callejo Perez ’93, Ed.D. ’00, coordinates the doctoral program in curriculum and instruction at West Virginia University and is an education policy and evaluation consultant for rural school districts in Nebraska, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. A respected historian of education and curriculum theorist, Callejo Perez has authored one book, co-edited two others, and published several chapters in books, as well as dozens of peer-reviewed articles and academic papers.
Community Leadership Award Bennett A. Bramson ’83, MPA ’87 is the founder of DevelopMentors, Inc., a Colorado firm that provides administrative advice to numerous non-profit organizations throughout the country. Prior to shifting his focus to freelance consulting, Bramson was executive director of Aspen Youth Experience, an organization that empowers at-risk teens and young adults. An award-winning teacher, he has been honored by Johnson & Wales University, Lehrman Day School and Nautilus Junior High School. He is a lifetime member of the FIU Alumni Association.
FIU Service Award Jason Scott Hamilton ’89, MS ’93 is associate director of FIU’s Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program. A clinical psychologist who understands the college experience, Hamilton helps guide the preparation of under-represented minorities for advanced graduate education. His awards include FIU’s 2006 Faculty Advisor of the Year award, Palmetto Middle School’s 1991 Rookie Teacher of the Year for Exceptional Education Award and the Carlin Foundation’s 2001 Making a Difference Award.
Posthumous Outstanding Career Achievement Award Maria Amelia Orth ’78, MS’ 81 was a third-generation FIU alumna. Teaching was her passion until her death in December 2003. The former principal of Gratigny Elementary was instrumental in creating a full-service medical center where children and their families can see a dentist, doctor or speak with a social worker. Throughout her 25year career, she received dozens of honors and awards – beginning with a Teacher of the Year Award in her very first year of teaching.
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Distinguished Alumnus, College of Arts and Sciences Gonzalo A. Acevedo ’91 is senior vice president and manager for HSBC Private Bank, where he leads a team of financial experts who provide solutions for high-net worth individuals and their families. Acevedo is chairman of the Board of Advisors at the FIU College of Arts and Sciences, a member of the Board of Directors at the Bass Museum of Art and a volunteer for Kids and the Power of Work School Program. Distinguished Alumna, College of Law Cecilia M. Altonaga ’83 is a federal judge at the U.S. District Court in Miami. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at FIU, as well as a certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. She was the first Cuban-American woman to be appointed a federal judge in the United States. Altonaga is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council and mentors law students. She was presented with the 2006 Enma Tarafa Legal Excellence Award by the FIU College of Law. Distinguished Alumnus, College of Business Administration Nicholas G. Bustle MIB ’88 is city president of Miami and Private Wealth Management Line of Business manager for Sun Trust Bank. A member of the FIU College of Business Administration’s Dean’s Council, he helped secure renewed sponsorship and create interest among corporations for FIU’s Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame program. Bustle serves on the Board of Directors of the Beacon Council, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Jackson Memorial Foundation and Community Partnership for Homeless. Distinguished Alumna, Honors College Anitere Flores, Esq. ’97 is a Florida State Representative who recently authored the First Generation Scholarship bill, which offers financial assistance to undergraduate students who are first in their families to attend college. Flores is former director of state relations for FIU and continues to advocate for higher learning as director of community and civic partnerships for the university. Flores is also a member of the Honors College’s Community Advisory Board.
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Distinguished Alumnus, Athletics Robin L. Fraser ’89 is director of coaching for the Arizona Futbol Club. In 1988 he competed with the U.S. Olympic soccer team in the President’s Cup in Korea. During his 10-year professional soccer career, Fraser was one of only two players to win Major League Soccer’s Defender of the Year award twice, and was a fivetime member of the MLS Best XI. Retired since 2005, today he helps others advance in the sport. Distinguished Alumnus, College of Nursing and Health Sciences Richard J. Gannotta ’91 is chief operating officer at Duke Raleigh Hospital in North Carolina, where he guides hospital programs and growth. He is a consulting adjunct faculty member at the Duke School of Nursing, a 1996 J&J Wharton School Fellow and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He serves on the Advisory Board for the Wharton School, the North Carolina Hospital Association and the N.C. Center for Nursing Workforce Development. Distinguished Alumnus, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Philip S. Goldfarb ’79 is president and chief operating officer for Turnberry Associates, one of the nation’s leading real estate development and management firms. A hospitality industry veteran, Goldfarb also heads the firm’s retail and office divisions. Goldfarb sits on the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management’s Industry Advisory Board, which provides counsel to the dean in matters relating to the curriculum, career placement for students and graduates and fund raising. Distinguished Alumna, College of Education Ivette M. Lirio ’96, MS ’00 teaches physical education at Barbara Goleman Senior High in Miami. She also teaches adult education courses and serves as sponsor and advisor for the Students Against Destructive Decisions Club. Lirio was appointed to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 2002. She received Dade County Sallie Mae Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award in 1998, Exceptional Student Education Recognition Award in 2002 and Goleman’s Teacher of the Year Award in 2004.
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Distinguished Alumnus, College of Engineering and Computing James F. O’Brien ’92 is associate computer science professor at University of California at Berkeley. O’Brien conducts computer graphics research with an emphasis on simulation and motion-capture techniques. His algorithms are used in some PlayStation 2 software and at Pixar. In 2004, Technology Review magazine said O’Brien was among the world’s top 100 technology innovators. In 2005, Time magazine named him “one of the world’s top experts on how to make computers simulate complex physical systems.” Distinguished Alumna, School of Journalism and Mass Communication Dawn Ostroff ’80 is president of entertainment of the CW Network. She began her broadcast career at a Miami radio station at age 16. Three years later, she had earned a bachelor’s degree in her field and was working for the CBS “All News” radio station. Jobs developing programs at Disney, 20th Century Fox, Lifetime and UPN earned Ostroff her stripes as a risk-taker and set the stage for her current position. Distinguished Alumna, Stempel School of Public Health Penny Parham MS ’97 is administrative director of Miami-Dade County’s Department of Food and Nutrition. Parham established a free breakfast program for county students, improving the nutritional quality of products sold under the vending machine contracts and implemented a summer training program for food service employees. She serves on the Community Council for Sister to Sister National Women’s Heart Day, and twice received the USDA Best Practice Award for Promoting a Healthy School Environment. Distinguished Alumnus, College of Architecture and the Arts Danny Pino ’96 is an actor and plays a detective on CBS’ “Cold Case.” He was a drug lord on “The Shield,” and appeared in the films “Flicka” and “The Lost City.” When not acting, Pino serves as spokesperson for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), a program that aids children in foster care court. He and his wife, Lilly Pino ’97, are founding members of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the FIU College of Architecture and the Arts. n
By Martin Haro ’05
Years ago when he was an FIU student, Andy Señor, Jr., worked in the Graham Center Ballroom as a peer advisor. Ten years later, the 32-year-old returned, this time to entertain a crowd of nearly 500 at the 6th Annual Torch Awards Gala at University Park. “It was a lot of fun,” he said on the phone a couple of weeks later. “I spent a lot of time in the Graham Center Ballroom, so it was very nice to be invited back to perform there and share with everyone what I have been up to.” Señor performed two songs, guitar in hand, during the course of the evening – a cover of “Love Song” and his own “It’s You.” The singer-songwriter is no stranger to the stage. In 1997, during his last semester as a theatre major at FIU, Señor landed the role of Angel, a drag queen dying of AIDS, in the Broadway production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical play Rent. For three years he performed in the Los Angeles, London and New York shows. “Playing Angel absolutely changed my life,” he said. “It has taught me every human attribute essential to life. Angel is so loving, patient, kind, loyal and giving. He’s like my best friend, a person I know so well.” Aside from his work on stage, Señor has also performed in film and television. He had a small role in “Dummy,” a movie starring Adam Brody and Milla Jovovich, appeared in one episode of the TV show “Ed” and most recently completed work on an independent film called “Lola.” He picked up the guitar following a leave from “Rent,” during which he went backpacking through Europe. “I’d never been able to write music in my life, but I started writing music,” he said. “If I had not left the show, I would have never found this gift.” Señor currently is focusing on his music career and has been working with a high school in the Bronx to create a musical based upon the students’ poems and spoken-word materials. n
SUMMER 2007 Florida International University Magazine
Describe your reaction to what happened at Virginia Tech. Hernandez: It hits home, knowing that it’s your age group, knowing that situations like that could occur anywhere, could occur here.
incident.” You don’t automatically assume that someone is going to go out and just randomly attack people.
What kinds of questions did you find yourself asking? Nowell: Mine wasn’t a question as much as thinking we probably would have reacted very similarly because it seemed like it was a “domestic
students misbehaving in the classroom. The reaction that I saw here seemed to be a lot more fear from faculty this time around than in the past. Faculty and deans’ offices were asking for someone to go and speak with their
“Students
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staff regarding dealing with student misbehavior in classrooms.
have some
To what extent is it the Lazarus: I was wondering about how the students would perceive their own responsibility university’s responsibility safety. The data is pretty clear. We have to reach out to deal with student mental health issues? about 17 million students that go to to each other Trueba: It seems that there was a college every year, and the likelihood Lunsford: I was shocked… of actually being murdered on campus and that was combination of things that went on surprised…saddened by what occurred. in this particular incident that sent would probably average to about 15 or something Something like that hits home when up some red flags that some people 20 murders on campus every year. The you work in education. You can sense that I did observed and reported, but nothing chances of being killed on campus are what individuals are going through. I happened to prevent the incident very remote, about one in a million. experience have friends who work there, and of from occurring. But certainly, when a course, I work closely with students Hernandez: In a sense you feel, here at FIU.” student exhibits certain behaviors that and knew the emotions that students “What if that were to happen here?” are very anti-social or out of the norm, — would be going through. When Columbine happened and I it signals that there are problems that Will Trueba ’90 was in middle school, we had copycats need to be investigated by counselors president, Lazarus: I was certainly saddened by every day until the last day of school. FIU Alumni or a mentoring program. this event. Even though the country Association You become afraid. So, I wondered, was very shocked, I wasn’t particularly “What are we doing so that students surprised because of what I’ve seen Is that the university’s don’t feel like that?” since Columbine, which happened responsibility or the parents’? in 1999. That is, our nation has not Nowell: We did not have a Trueba: To some extent it is the responded particularly well. The U.S. significant increase in the number of parent’s responsibility, but when a Surgeon General has reported that students calling in. Typically, we do student goes away to a university, they one out of every five students needs not have a large number of students are sort of independent. some mental health support to better coming in unless it’s a more personal succeed in school. I really see that our impact on their lives. And nowadays Nowell: The university can’t do it young people are emotionally out of alone. We need parents to get involved with cell phones and text messaging whack. I think our nation needs to in a way that will help the students talk and e-mails, there is a huge support focus on the emotional well-being of about their problems. system with their parents being able our nation’s youth. to just pick up the phone and ask, Lazarus: I think it’s very important “Where are you? Are you safe?” A few Trueba: My initial reaction was to share support, be nurturing, be days after the event, there was good horror. I was reflecting back on what flexible, provide options and help student support and participation it was like being at the university and students engage in problem solving. in a candlelight vigil sponsored by thinking how horrible it must be It is important to have students look Student Affairs. to be one of those students in those at what steps they can take, how they circumstances. And then my second can help themselves. The majority of thought was, although my children are Larry, as someone who deals students who have mental health issues still in grade school, what I would feel regularly with students in are certainly not violent, nor are they like as a parent having a child at the delusional. They are not going to go distress, how safe do you feel? university and being helpless, unable to campus and shoot up a university. Lunsford: I feel safe on campus, to respond to them right away or know definitely. We deal with many students We don’t necessarily need be in fear of what their circumstances were. individuals with mental health issues or with issues and problems. I get lots stigmatize them in any way. of calls from faculty worried about Nowell: Most of the students who have some sort of diagnosis have a learning disability. That’s the largest group of students on college campuses who have psychological problems.
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Lazarus: But also depression is very significant on campus. Anxiety disorders are also an epidemic. Fifteen percent of all college students identify themselves in terms of being depressed, and one out of 10 college students have considered suicide sometime during the course of their college career. Do the students come here depressed or become depressed after they arrive? Lazarus: The suicide rate of college students is significantly less than the same age group outside college. There are counseling centers so people who need help have a place to go to get help. Also they are more connected with other people; they have hope in terms of the future, even though a lot of them do get overwhelmed. I teach graduate students and quite often they are working full-time and they are taking courses all semester, so they don’t have any room in their lives for things to go wrong. I’ll ask them, “How many of you are feeling highly anxious?” Every student raises their hand. “How many people here have felt overwhelmed in the last week?” Every student raises their hand. And then I ask, “How many felt super overwhelmed?” And then they raise their feet too. Nowell: They are in school and working. Our students have family, health or financial issues and they are not dealing with their own anxiety or depression. When we do see students, most of the time they don’t come in because there is just one thing that is bothering them. They come in because there are many things going on. They are very resilient. They are intelligent and determined. They want to graduate. Lunsford: Going back to the question, Do we have a responsibility as a university? I think we do. Student
SUMMER 2007
Affairs would call it “the duty to care.” We should care about our students, “The their welfare, both in and outside university of the classroom. I would rather see us err on the side of caution if we can’t do have to call the police or have an it alone. instructor call the police. I have dealt with many who refuse to file a police We need report out of fear for retaliation and parents to then it drags on for months and get involved months and the behavior doesn’t stop. And I believe that’s when someone in a way else should get involved and make that will help something happen before we see it students talk reach a crisis situation. about their problems.” — Cheryl Singleton Nowell, director, FIU Counseling & Psychological Services Center
Marbely, do you feel cared for at FIU? Hernandez: I have to say yes. My mom says I have two families because this is my second home. I have a lot of faculty that I’ve been close to. Last year when I was a peer advisor we would talk about the Counseling Center. I would say, “It’s okay, you can go there.” We’d try to take the stigma out of it.
How important is it to maintain public access at FIU? Trueba: I think it’s critical that it remains open. I went to both a private school and also a public school, and both campuses were substantially open to anyone pretty much at all hours. This is an invaluable resource for the whole community. When I reflect on what happed at Virginia Tech, there is not a whole lot that can be done in terms of security to prevent that from happening. Hernandez: I think the openness is what makes it a university. I think I would personally feel more afraid if I had to always go through a metal detector.
What should FIU learn from Virginia Tech? Lunsford: We need to be alert and examine our handling of situations and not be afraid to get involved when we need to be. We can’t live our life in fear. And Phil said chances are one in a million. I believe we need to assure Trueba: I think the other interesting parents, staff and faculty that we will thing, from my perspective, and I do the best we can but there are no studied engineering, is there were a lot absolutes that we can guarantee. of foreign students in my class. They didn’t have the same support system Hernandez: I’d like to see us have that students who come from the local workshops, have faculty be more community have. Students have some expressive toward students. responsibility to reach out to each Nowell: I think there is going to other and that was something that I be much more dialogue about mental did experience here at FIU. health as a university-wide issue, as a Lazarus: Will is on to something. community issue. What I hope comes Our program has about 60 students. out of this is the understanding that And we have a school psychology most people who have psychological student association called SPSA. We problems are very intelligent, capable really work to make sure all students students who do succeed. I hope there are members of that association and is not a backlash against people with they connect with everyone else. In psychological problems because most of June or July, we’ll have a meeting with the time, those students do persevere. all the incoming students and then the To read more of the FIU Magazine students who have been there previous roundtable discussion on the Virginia Tech years will take on mentoring roles for tragedy, go to www.fiualumni.com. n all the first-year students.
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After an off-season filled with change, FIU football gears up for a season of high expectations. By Karen Cochrane
and a strong work ethic,” said Football head coach Mario Cristobal paced before Pelegrin. “Last year’s team was his players, his words gathering momentum with each missing both intangibles.” decisive step. “This thing now is for real. It’s live,” he said On the first day of spring in an impassioned speech before the annual spring game practice this year, Pelegrin in April. “You’re gonna scratch, you’re gonna claw, you’re witnessed an incident that gonna find a way to win. That’s your assignment every illustrates the tenor of the new single time.” era. The reporter observed one Near the end of his speech, and in a moment that was of the players walking lazily to a reported widely in the local media, FIU’s first-year head drill. One of the assistant coaches coach held up an empty picture frame that had the words witnessed the lack of effort and “2007 Sun Belt Champions” running across the bottom. instructed the player to jog to and from “Somebody’s going to be in this picture. That’s gotta drills. The coach ended his rebuke with, be us,” Cristobal said, his voice raw with emotion. “Don’t “Those days are over, son!” tell me we can’t do that. Don’t tell me we can’t outwork Among Golden Panther diehards, “T.D.A.O.S.” has everybody. And it starts tonight.” become the unofficial slogan of a rejuvenated FIU Athletics Cristobal allowed his speech to be videotaped for a program and its marquee sport, football. As the football segment on WSVN Channel 7’s Sports Xtra! The message team and fans gear up for a tough season opener against delivered to his players and the program’s growing legion of Penn State in Happy Valley on Sept. 1, the anticipation and fans was unmistakable: This is a new era of FIU football. excitement are nearly palpable. There’s no question that Cristobal and his staff have “That’s why you play football. For the challenge,” infused new life into football operations. But will it translate said Cristobal in the Sports Xtra! interview. The 36-yearinto wins on the football field? That remains to be seen, but, old coach, who joked that he “didn’t know how much in many ways, the season is already a success. Cristobal’s experience” Penn State head coach Joe Paterno had in arrival has created a buzz about FIU football not heard college football, said he and his team are respectful of the since the program’s inaugural game in 2002. team’s history but not intimidated. Attendance at this year’s spring game was more “It’s our time to build our own football program,” said than 2,400 – a record for FIU. More than $50 million in Cristobal. “And that’s what we’re going to do.” n renovations is transforming FIU’s on-campus stadium, just in time for the 2008 football season. And The Miami 2007 Golden Panthers Football Schedule Herald’s “Golden Panther Prowl” blog, written by Call 305-348-4263 to order your tickets or for more information. sportswriter Pete Pelegrin, has quickly become one of the most popular blogs on the Herald web site, Sept. 1 at Penn State Oct. 20 at Louisiana-Monroe with readers from eight states, Puerto Rico and England weighing in on the future of FIU athletics. Sept. 8 vs. MARYLAND Oct. 27 at Arkansas A 1996 graduate of FIU, Pelegrin has formed a Sept. 15 at Miami (Fla.) Nov. 3 at Arkansas State visceral connection with FIU fans hungry for a Sept. 22 at Kansas Nov. 17 vs. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE winning program. Pelegrin thinks they’ll get it with Sept. 29 at Middle Tennessee State Nov. 24 vs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC the new football coaching staff and administration. Oct. 6 vs. TROY Dec. 1 vs. NORTH TEXAS “Mario & Company bring two huge intangibles that are necessary for any football team: discipline Home games are in BOLD CAPS. All home games in the 2007 season will kick-off at 7 p.m. in the Orange Bowl.
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SUMMER 2007
ALUMNI A Message from Alumni Association President Will Trueba, Jr., Esq. ’90
Dear FIU Alumni and Friends of the University: Now is the time to wear your Blue & Gold proudly. Return to FIU and support our university. If not you and I, then who? Our FIU administrators, faculty and students and our Florida legislators have given us an opportunity to take FIU from good to great. The university is laying out an exciting roadmap for the future and now we, the alumni, family and friends of FIU, must help make the transition. Whether you love the arts, support a particular college or enjoy cheering on your team, there are numerous opportunities to get involved in taking FIU to the top: volunteer on an advisory board, consider FIU when making philanthropic decisions, purchase season tickets for FIU teams, support FIU athletics, attend an FIU performing arts event, give consideration to an FIU alumna or alumnus when making employment decisions, contribute to the FIU First Generation Scholarship Fund, become a College of Medicine Founder, attend the annual FIU Torch Awards Gala, give to the annual fund, and invite family and friends to an FIU event. The FIU Alumni Association has pledged to be a Founder of the FIU College of Medicine and your alumni association Board of Directors has supported the construction of the new FIU stadium through the purchase of the new club-level seating and season tickets. However, our alma mater needs everyone’s involvement to succeed at the highest level. Greatness will not be achieved without support from the community – especially support from alumni. Today, FIU receives insufficient state funding to support all of the degree programs, infrastructure costs, maintenance, student programming, athletics and other activities that make FIU an integral and thriving part of our community. FIU, through the leadership of the FIU Foundation Board of Directors, relies on the generosity of individuals (and the companies they lead), many of whom are not even alumni, to support our alma mater to make up the needed funding. Over time, it will be incumbent upon the alumni to take greater responsibility in financially supporting FIU as well. FIU alumni number more than 120,000, the majority of whom reside in South Florida. Add to that family and friends, and the potential becomes overwhelming. Now is the time to realize that potential. Support FIU. For ideas on how, visit www.fifty.fiu.edu. In the Spirit of Blue & Gold,
William R. Trueba, Jr.
Panther Sites FIU alumni and friends took a private tour of Ephesus, Turkey, one of the best preserved ancient cities in the Mediterranean during the Golden Panther Getaways Oceania Cruise from Athens to Venice. They showed off their Panther Pride in front of the nearly 2,000-year-old Library of Celsus.
The new Alumni Association Board of Directors (back row, from left) Samuel Jackson ‘97, parliamentarian; George B. Brackett, Jr., ‘76 ‘77, treasurer; Ramon Ferran ‘79, officer; FIU President Modesto A. Maidique; Bill Draughon, executive director; Michael R. Mendez ‘03, officer; Gabriel Albelo ‘93, officer. Front from left: William R. Trueba, Jr. ‘90, president; Cynthia J. Dienstag ‘84, officer; Susan Webster ‘87, officer; Jason Scott Hamilton ‘89, MS ‘93, officer.
Alumni celebrate year of record growth Nearly 200 alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of FIU came together on May 31 for the Alumni Association Annual Meeting at University House. The Alumni Association has been enjoying strong growth for the past year, said Bill Draughon, associate vice president of Alumni Relations. Total membership at the end of May was more than 12,000, 24 percent above the association’s goal of 10,000 while alumni membership has surpassed 10,000, 21 percent above its goal of 8,370. Recently, Alumni Relations was ranked fifth in the country for membership growth over the last year, surpassed only by Big Ten universities. FIU’s Alumni Association was also ranked No. 1 in membership percentage growth during the past five years. Along with membership growth, the Alumni Association has also been expanding and enhancing its programs and events. In the past year, more than 21,000 alumni participated in 86 programs and events through the Alumni Association. FIU President Modesto A. Maidique praised the success of the Alumni Association. “Their efforts are creating a community of support that is unparalleled in FIU’s history,” he said. Alumni Association members Ramon Ferran ’79 and Jason Scott Hamilton ’89, MS ’93 were sworn in as the newest members of
When you travel, remember to demonstrate your Panther Pride with an FIU t-shirt, cap, flag or the FIU Magazine and you may appear in Panther Sites. Send your high resolution (300 dpi) photographs with a complete description to alumni@fiu.edu.
SUMMER 2007 Florida International University Magazine
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Feel the Pride the Alumni Association Board of Directors. They join Gabriel Albelo ’93, Stewart L. Appelrouth ’80, José Manuel Díaz ’86, Cynthia J. Dienstag ’84, Joaquin F. Gonzalez ’98, Carlos H. Hernandez ’97, Michael R. Mendez ’03, Justo Luis Pozo ’80, Raul Perez Ballaga ’97 and Susan Webster ’87. Dienstag, a lifetime Alumni Association member, says she attends every year not just “because it is required as a board member, but really because it is my pleasure.” “To attend and elicit people to become more active within the university, with fundraising, is something I enjoy doing,” she said. n
Grad Send-Off event wins national award FIU’s Commencement Grad Send-Off event received national recognition from the Council for Advancement and the Support of Education (CASE), earning a bronze medal in the Alumni Relations Programs category. Sixty-four entries were judged in this competition and one overall grand gold medal, two gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals were awarded. “This is an honor and true reflection of all the hard work we do in Advancement and Alumni Relations,” said Assistant Executive Director Duane Wiles. At Grad Send-Off, students can take care of all their graduation needs in one stop, from purchasing their regalia to picking up their commencement tickets. More than 3,000 students attended our 2005-2006 Grad Send-Off. For more information about Grad Send-Off visit www.fiualumni.com. n
Join us at Penn State for Panther Pit Tailgate FIU is taking Panther Pride to Penn State on Sept. 1. The prowl begins two-and-ahalf hours prior to kickoff. The Panther Pit Tailgate will be located inside of our private tent on the outdoor track just below Beaver Stadium. The Tailgate includes live entertainment, buffet and beverage service, including beer and wine. The cost is $45 per person and does Winning first place at the Golf Tournament was Bill Hansen Catering & Friends, from left, John McPhee, not include transportation. RSVP and David Josefsberg, Bill Hansen MS ’80 and Phil Josephson. prepayment must be received by Wednesday, Aug. 29 to guarantee admittance. Please Tournament raises spirits, RSVP to fiualumnievents@hotmail.com. scholarship dollars In-state alumni (Florida) must be season One hundred golfers and nearly 50 family ticket holders in order to purchase tickets for and friends enjoyed a fun-filled day of golf Penn State. Out-of-state alumni can purchase and fundraising for student scholarships at away-game tickets based on availability and the 11th Annual FIU Golf Tournament at will have a limit of four. You will be able to the Doral Golf Resort & Spa on May 18. pick up your tickets on the day of the game at Participants enjoyed a sunny morning will call, with your ID. For more information of golf and received golfer bags filled with or to order your football tickets please call goodies such as a shirt, cap, golf balls and 305-348-4263 or 866-FIU-GAME. n more. They gathered in one of the resort’s ballrooms overlooking the green for a postGolden Panthers drafted tournament awards ceremony with great by Ravens, Vikings food and drinks, featuring a silent auction Two former Golden for items like a five-day Carnival cruise in the Panthers have become the owner’s suite; a seven-days, six-nights trip for first FIU football players two to Hawaii; and a VIP trip to Napa Valley, drafted into the National as well as more than two dozen raffle gifts. Football League. Antwan “I’ve had a wonderful time,” said alumnus Barnes was selected by the Jeff Miller, a first-time attendee. “I played Baltimore Ravens as an outside with Dean Joe West and his wife Elizabeth, linebacker as the 134th overall pick I made some new friends and I won a lot of in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL prizes in the raffle. It’s great to give back to Draft in April. Four hours later, the university.” former wide receiver Chandler Williams Bill Draughon, associate joined him as an NFL draftee, going to the vice president of Alumni Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round. Relations, thanked the Barnes, a 2006 first-team All-Sun Belt crowd for their continued Conference selection and Lombardi Award support of the tournament nominee, ended his FIU playing career with and of the association’s 224 career tackles, becoming only the sixth initiatives in scholarship Golden Panther ever with 200 or more tackles. fundraising. Williams was a 2006 second-team This year’s first-place winner All-Sun Belt Conference selection and was the Bill Hansen Catering & ranked ninth nationally. n Friends team (Bill Hansen MS ’80,
Qualified individuals with disabilities as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act who need special accommodations for any FIU-sponsored event can request assistance by calling the phone number listed for the function or via Florida Relay Service at 1-800-955-8771. Requests must be made five working days before the event.
Florida International University Magazine SUMMER 2007 28 UPCOMING EVENTS<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Alumni Events
2007 Trail of the Torch
CBA Alumni Circle Community Event
ALUMNI
When: Saturday, Nov. 3, all day Where: TBA Contact: Call 305-348-4227 or e-mail catoggio@fiu.edu
When: Thursday, Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m. Where: University Park Housing Quad Contact: Sean Kramer at kramers@fiu.edu or 305-348-2238
Penn State Tailgate When: Saturday, Sept. 1. RSVP and prepayment by Aug. 29. Where: At Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, inside the FIU private tent on the outdoor track Contact: Call 305-348-4263 or 866-FIU-GAME for tickets. Cost is $45 and does not include transportation. Florida alumni must be season ticket holders. Out-of-state alumni limited to four tickets.
D.C. Alumni Chapter Meeting When: Saturday, Sept. 15 Where: Leesburg, Va. Contact: Ricardo A. Lasso, Esq. ’92, chapter president, at ralasso@lassoandlasson.com
Alumni Career Fair & Graduate School EXPO When: September 27, 2007 Where: TBD Contact: Sean Kramer at kramers@fiu.edu or 305-348-2238
Parent & Family Weekend When: Friday-Sunday, Oct. 5-7 Where: University Park Contact: Anna Cuba de la Fe at 305-348-6414
Silver Pride Reunion 1972-1982 Join your fellow Golden Panthers as we celebrate 25 years since graduation and be inducted into the Silver Pride. The Silver Pride Classes of 1972-1981 are invited back to campus to celebrate the Class of 1982. When: Saturday, Oct. 6; 11:00 a.m. - Silver Pride Induction Ceremony & Brunch; 1:15 p.m. - campus tours; 2 p.m. - meetings with schools and colleges; 4:30 p.m. Tailgate at the Orange Bowl; 7 p.m. FIU vs. Troy Football Game Where: Induction Ceremony, brunch, campus tours and meetings at University Park. Tailgate and football game at the Orange Bowl Contact: Email: fiualumnievents@hotmail.com, call 305-348-3334 or 1-800-FIU-ALUM
1. College of Law graduates just led all universities in the state in the pass rate for the Bar Exam. 2. FIU students raised $86,135 for the Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation during the annual Dance Marathon in March. 3. FIU recently ranked among the best values in public higher education in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. 4. The Student Alumni Association has more than 2,000 dues-paying
University Events
South Florida CEO Speaker Series, featuring Angel Medina BBA ’92 When: Wednesday, Sept. 5, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Where: Regions Bank - Coral Gables (2800 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, 15th floor, Coral Gables, FL 33134) Admission is free for members, $10 for non-members. Contact: Call 305-348-0421 or e-mail zoeleal@fiu.edu
Football game: FIU vs. Miami When: Saturday, Sept. 15 Where: Orange Bowl Contact: For tickets and more information, call 305-348-3334 or the FIU Ticket Office toll free at 1-866-FIU-GAME or 305-348-4263 in Miami-Dade County
Emilio Sánchez Award Finalists Art Exhibition When: Through Sept. 16 Where: The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, PC 110 at UP Contact: Call 305-348-2890 or visit www.frostartmuseum.org
FIU Music Festival 2007 When: Oct. 20-Nov. 17 Where: Wertheim Performing Arts Center Concert Hall at UP Contact: Call 305-348-1998 or visit www.fiu.edu/~music
Wolfsonian Exhibition: “Agitated Images: John Heartfield & German Photomontage, 1920-1938” When: Thursday, Sept. 20. through Feb. 10, 2008 Where: The Wolfsonian-FIU (1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139) Contact: Call 305-531-1001 or visit www.wolfsonian.org
members and is the largest student organization at FIU. 5. The College of Business’ international business program is ranked #7 in the U.S. 6. FIU will welcome the most valedictorians from Miami-Dade high schools in its history this fall. 7. FIU is the youngest university to have been awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s most distinguished academic honor society.
John McPhee, Phil Josephson and David Josefsberg), followed by the Preferred Care team (Juan Caruncho, Roy Florez, Peter Setzer and Dr. Carlos Ramirez) in second place and the University Credit Union team (Tom Moyer, Bob Griffith, Tom Donaudy and Doug Timmons) in third. Four lucky golfers had the chance to hit a hole-in-one for the chance to win $1 million sponsored by ICC (Insurance Corporate Consultants). Another holein-one opportunity had a grand prize of a brand new Infiniti, sponsored by Warren Henry Automobiles, Inc. n
Academic transcripts available online FIU alumni can now access official transcripts online. Florida International University complies with all federal regulations regarding the release of student education records as established by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). An academic transcript is a permanent record of each credit course a student enrolled in during his/her tenure at Florida International University. It lists the course numbers, titles, credits (including transfer credits) and the grades. Transcripts requested either on-line or by mail will not be released if a student has any outstanding financial obligations with the University. To request your transcript visit www.fiu.edu/orgs/register/. n
8. FIU recently ranked third in the nation for granting bachelor’s degrees to minorities. 9. The university has an economic impact of $1.7 billion on the local economy. 10. The FIU School of Nursing initiated the country’s first foreign-educated physicians to nursing program. n
SUMMER 2007 Florida International University Magazine
Alumnus Andy Garcia, Danny Pino ’96 and Juan Bueno, dean of the FIU College of Architecture and the Arts, took part in an alumni reception in Beverly Hills.
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Feel the Pride a chapter, organize special events and make the alumni reunion a yearly tradition. This year’s distinguished alumni speaker was Javier Rodriguez ’90, the MDX executive director. He was named the 2005 Engineer of the Year by the Cuban-American Association of Civil Engineers. Duane Wiles, assistant executive director of the FIU Alumni Association, spoke about the requirements for the creation of an Alumni Chapter and offered the alumni office’s assistance in the creation of the chapter. Professors Caesar Abi and Berrin Tansel conducted a raffle with many valuable gifts of FIU gear provided by the FIU Alumni Association. Professor Walter Tang gave the closing remarks, and continued the tradition of charming all attendees with his singing skills. n
Stars headline L.A. alumni reception Nearly 100 alumni, friends, and guests joined FIU’s Alumni Association and Chivas® for an exclusive Southern California Reception at The Chivas Studio in Beverly Hills on March 24. The night was filled with special guests. Alumnus Andy Garcia, actor and director, presented his friend and colleague Danny Pino ’96, lead actor in CBS’ “Cold Case,” with the Distinguished Alumni Torch Award for the College of Architecture and the Arts. Also, Sandra Rodriguez Barron MFA ’03 performed an exciting reading from her novel, “The Heiress of Water.” Complimentary Chivas® cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, raffle prizes, and the latest university updates were provided for all to enjoy. It was a memorable night for all who attended. If you live in the Los Angeles area and are interested in helping us develop a Greater L.A. Area Alumni Chapter, please contact L.A. area resident Cecilia Min ’95, ’99 at ceciliawu74@hotmail.com. n
Alumni travel the Path of the Phoenicians The 10-day Path of the Phoenicians cruise from Athens to Venice departed on April 27 hosted by Mrs. Betty Perry, former First Lady of FIU and the wife of the University’s
founding president, the late Charles E. Perry. More than 38 FIU alumni and friends attended and had the opportunity to follow ancient trade routes through the eastern Mediterranean and Greek Isles, travel the romantic waterways of Venice in a private gondola, and see one of the world’s best Roman ruins in Ephesus. Be a part of FIU’s newest program, called Golden Panther Getaways, offering alumni and friends of the university the opportunity to enjoy world travel, fellowship and lifelong learning. For more information on these Golden Panther Getaways, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 305-348-3334 or 800-FIU-ALUM. n
Engineering grads gather for reunion On April 7, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering held its Second Alumni Reunion and Banquet. Department chair Amir Mirmiran opened the event, followed by welcoming remarks from the Associate Dean David Shen. Mirmiran provided an overview of the state of the department and last year’s accomplishments. He also highlighted the importance of creating an alumni chapter to maintain a strong relationship between the department and its alumni. He encouraged the attendees to form
Alumnus Brendan Foulkes ’78, Rocco M. Angelo, associate dean and alumni advisor of the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and Renee Mckinney ’78 took part in the first alumni gathering in the Bahamas.
New alumni chapter established in Bahamas The FIU Alumni Association, in partnership with the Office of Admissions, established the university’s first International Alumni Chapter in Nassau this May. The Bahamas Alumni Chapter was formed under the leadership and guidance of Brendan Foulkes ’78, a graduate of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. The chapter will provide opportunities for FIU alumni living in the Bahamas to network and provide continued support of FIU’s core objectives. If you are interested in getting involved in the chapter, contact Brendan Foulkes at brendanfoulkes@yahoo.com or 242-326-8881. n
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ALUMNI CLASS NOTES 1970s Carlos A. Migoya ’74, MBA ’76 recently moved to New York to oversee Wachovia’s Atlantic region’s operations. Susan J. Fixel ’78 started embellishing women’s T-shirts and tank tops in her Weston home in 2001. Today her Bejeweled by Susan Fixel designs have been sported by celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. The brand, which is laden with handset Swarovski crystals and priced for high-end buyers, is sold in more than 1,000 luxury retail and department stores and 32 countries. Total retail sales reached $35 million in 2005. Paul L. Jones CPA ’78 is an adjunct professor teaching real estate in the Department of Finance of the College of Business Administration at FIU. He is the founder of the Real Estate Alumni Affinity Council and president of the Coral Gables-based Pyramid Realty Group, Inc. Steven G. Marton ’78 has been hired as group president of Office Products, reporting directly to the company’s CEO. In this position, Marton leads the company’s $1.7 billion global office products business, which includes well-known brands such as Sharpie and Paper Mate. Jose E. Sirven Esq. ’78 is an attorney/partner at Holland & Knight. Sirven credits his accounting major with helping him in his legal career and helping him speak the same language as his business clients. Donald J. Butler ’79, a Rachlin Cohen & Holtz LLP partner, serves on the FIU College of Business Administration Accounting Advisory Board. Butler believes his role is to help ensure the program continues to produce top-notch accounting students prepared to meet the demands of the workplace. Ramon Ferran Jr. ’79, senior vice president of corporate lending at TotalBank, has been elected to the FIU Alumni Association Board of Directors.
1980s Stewart Appelrouth MS ’80 has been appointed to the FIU College of Law Dean’s Advisory Council.
1990s Joseph L. Caruncho, Sr. Esq. ’81 was featured in Miami Today in February for establishing the first PSO (provider-sponsored organization) in Florida and the country’s third PSO, a Medicare-Plus health plan owned by physicians providing health care. Until recently, Caruncho was a member of the FIU Alumni Association Board of Directors, but now serves on the FIU Foundation Board of Directors, as well as of the FIU College of Business Administration Dean’s Council. Olga M. Garay ’82, former director of the arts program for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and currently a consultant to New York arts institutions, has been appointed general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the city’s top public arts post. Garay will oversee the development of a new cultural master plan for the city. Della J. Nelson ’83, MPA ’87 recently completed her Ph.D. in exceptional student education and teaches at the Cushman School. Nelson works with children who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities. Daniel Acevedo ’86, MS ’92 has been named senior credit manager at Great Florida Bank. Francis A. Hondal ’87, MBA ’94 has been named regional vice president and head of insurance services for Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada at American Express. Hondal has been with American Express since 1992 and most recently served as vice president and general manager for American Express’ International Dollar Card in Latin America and the Caribbean. Edward V. Gannon ’88 is a forensic accountant, principal and director of litigation consulting at Kaufman, Rossin & Co. George Garcia ’88 has joined architectural firm Edwards and Kelcey as associate vice president/senior project manager. Garcia will manage the civil-engineering group and will be a member of the Florida airports group. Monica V. Matlis ’89 headed a team from Johnson & Johnson Belgium that was awarded a coveted Ergo Cup at the Applied Ergonomics Conference in Dallas, Texas. The team, which was honored in the Engineering/Ergonomist-based Workplace Solution category of the competition, was recognized for its innovative ergonomics resolution of a complex problem. The team topped a field of 28 international companies in earning the honor.
Frank Gonzalez CPA ’90, a partner at Morrison, Brown, Argiz, & Farra, has been selected as a new FIU College of Business Administration Alumni Circle member. Dina J. Allende ’91 runs her own public relations business, Dina Allende Public Relations, in Miami. Allende works with a variety of clients, including Trump International and Sonesta Resorts. Marilyn Estevez ’91 works at Barry University as an English and foreign language instructor. Estevez has won two Apple awards, which are given by the Golden Apple Foundation to honor leading educators. Howard M. Shore ’91, MBA ’96, a College of Business Alumni Circle member, and Pablo J. Perez MS ’93 recently announced that Elite Advisory Group is changing its corporate name to Active Group, Inc., to reflect the next stage in the evolution of their firm. Sonia Diaz-Del Oro ’92, a training and development manager at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., has been selected as a new College of Business Alumni Circle member. Ramon M. Flores ’92 has been named administrator of WillowBrooke Court, the skilled nursing care center located on the campus of St. Andrews Estates, an ACTS Retirement-Life Community in Boca Raton, Fla. Antonio M. Giro CPA ’93, M.Acc. ’95 is senior manager of audit and enterprise risk services for Deloitte. Suzanne E. Morrison-Williams ’93 has been promoted to assistant dean of academic affairs at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Andrea S. Phillips-Lopez ’93 works for NBC 6 WTVJ as assignment editor. Phillips-Lopez was awarded a Heroes Award along with other assignment editors for assistance provided to the Miami-Dade Police in capturing a suspected rapist. Emil Sotolongo ’93 has been named audit supervisor at Coral Gables-based accounting firm Jordan Castellon Ricardo LLC. Jacqueline Calderin, Esq. ’94 has been made partner of the Miami office of the law firm Kluger Peretz Kaplan & Berlin. Alfredo A. Lardizabal, Jr. ’94 is vice president of sales for MIC Food. Edith I. McClintock ’94, MS ’00 has accepted a position with the City of Miami’s Office of Sustainable Initiatives. McClintock has served as executive director of Citizens for a Better South Florida for the last three years.
**Individuals denoted with a are members of the FIU Alumni Association. To become a member, please visit the online membership site at: https://web.fiu.edu/alumni/jointoday_form.htm
SUMMER 2007 Florida International University Magazine
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Feel the Pride Susana G. Cetta ’95 has joined Palmer Trinity School as the director of parent relations. Cetta comes to Palmer Trinity from Kids Hope United - Florida region, where she served as director of operations. She also is a member of the board of directors for Neat Stuff, a nonprofit organization that provides new clothing to 8,000 needy children in Miami each year. Benjamin Diaz III ’95, MST ’96, managing director with Alvarez & Marsal Tax Advisory Services, LLC, has been selected as a new College of Business Alumni Circle member. Jorge N. De La Torre ’96 is a partner for De La Torre, Taraboulos & Company, a firm started in 1994 by three FIU School of Accounting graduates. Cynthia P. Snyder (Rossie) ’96 recently married Marc Snyder. The couple lives in Deerfield Beach, Fla. Lourdes M. Camps ’97 has been appointed Hialeah Hospital’s chief nursing officer. Previously, Camps had been director of nursing at the hospital. Dayne Del Valle ’97, MBA ’00 has been named chief financial officer of Century Homebuilders. Del Valle previously was chief financial officer at EFC Holdings. Anna M. Hernandez Esq. ’97, an attorney at Pathman Lewis, was re-elected for a two-year term to the board of directors of the Cuban American Bar Association. Hernandez also was elected secretary for this year. Albert Santalo ’97 is the president and CEO of Avisena, a firm that assists health care organizations in collecting more money using technology. The company was honored with the prestigious South Florida Business Journal 2006 Business of the Year Award for health services.
Francisco J. Ruiz, Jr. ’99, MPA ’02 opened his own production company, PR Racing Inc, five years ago. The company owns and produces more than 13 events throughout the year in the South Florida area, including the ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon and the Escape to Miami Triathlon.
2000s Audie W. Alsopp MS ’00 has been named tax manager at the Coral Gables-based accounting firm Jordan Castellon Ricardo LLC. Alsopp is a certified public accountant and a member of several associations, including the National Association of Security Dealers. Demian M. Bellumio ’00 is the chief executive officer of Hoodiny Entertainment Group, parent company of elhood.com. Jose L. Izquierdo ’00, a registered nurse, was appointed director of Emergency Room Services at North Shore Medical Center. Ana E. Escobar ’01 was married to husband Gabriel Couriel in September of 2005. She works in the pharmacy at Cedars Medical Center.
William P. Roberts ’01 was named Lake County Teacher of the Year in February. Malachi D. Smith ’01 won the Dub Poet of the Year Award at the inaugural Joe Higgs Music Awards. The event was held at Biscayne Bay Campus’ Kovens Conference Center.
Rochelle M. Lightfoot-Austin ’98 donated a kidney in January to Gwendolyn Amica through UM/Jackson Memorial Hospital’s organ donor program. Both donor and recipient thank God for the success of both surgeries and are recuperating well.
Anthony D. Gagliano MFA ’02, had his new mystery novel praised in a roundup of good summer reading in the June 1 New York Times. The Times reviewer, Janet Maslin, said Gagliano’s “Straits of Fortune” was a “memorably crisp debut. . .rich with the requisite heat and duplicity.”
Diego Mendez-Carbajo MA ’98, Ph.D. ’00 received tenure and was promoted to associate professor of economics from assistant professor at Illinois Wesleyan University.
Richard A. Pollack MSF ’02 is the director in charge of forensic and valuation services at Berkowitz Dick Pollack & Brant, which recently hosted an FIU Alumni Day.
Francisco B. Monjarrez ’98, MSW ’01 has been named executive director of the board of directors of nonprofit Neat Stuff. Monjarrez is responsible for the overall operations of the organization. He lives in Miami.
Aravinthan Arunachalam ’03 presented a paper titled “Intraperiod Valuation and Coupon Payments: Solution to a Paradox” at the Association of Global Business meeting at the Wyndham Resorts in Miami Beach last November. Arunachalam is completing his final semester of coursework in the Ph.D. program in finance in the College of Business Administration.
Heather S. Jamieson ’99 has been promoted to director of consumer and relationship marketing at Nova Southeastern University’s Fischler School of Education.
Clarita Choy Pearson ’03 and fellow alumna Judith Ramos ’06 have formed CJ Construction & Renovations, Inc., a general contracting company based in Miami and specializing in residential and commercial construction. Prior to forming their contracting company, Ramos, of Hialeah, worked as an engineer for Brice Southern, Inc. Pearson, of High Pines, founded a successful bookkeeping firm and also worked for a major South Florida plumbing contractor. Sean Paul Gazitua ’04 has been promoted to director of logistics by the logistics infrastructure company WTDC. John Czelusniak ’06 works at IL Progetto Design as creative director under the direction of Katrina Campins, former contestant on the hit TV show, “The Apprentice.” Juan Carlos Mendoza ’06, a former president of the Financial Management Association, works as a credit analyst at Commerce Bank and goes to school part time. Alexis J. Nogueras MBA ’06 walked away a 2006 winner at the first annual Florida Collegiate Business Plan Competition thanks to his plan for G-Force Tools – ergonomically designed lawn and garden tools featuring a lighter shaft and more comfortable grip.
Panther Perks: Panther Partner: American Airlines Vacations, a leader in the travel industry. Panther Perk: AAVacations.com is pleased to provide FIU Alumni Association members with a discount benefit. FIU Alumni Association members are entitled to a 10 percent discount on air and a 5 percent discount on land. Your discount will be reflected on the vacations price quote page. Please note: AAVacations.com does not offer an “air only” option. How to Take Advantage: This special rate is offered online only and can be accessed by visiting http://www.aavacations.com/ default.asp?CORP=FIUALUM. In order to obtain your discount, you must include your AAdvantage number. If you do not have an AAdvantage number, you may enroll in the AAdvantage program at AA.com. For more information on becoming a dues paying member of the FIU Alumni Association visit www. fiualumni.com.
How to submit a Class Note: Share your good news with your fellow alumni by filling out an online Class Notes form at http://www.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 emailing alumni@fiu.edu. Please indicate in the email which class note the photo should appear with, along with the full names and class years of all the individuals who appear in the photo.
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Florida International University Magazine
SUMMER 2007
donor profile: Marylu Miller ’90
Passion for education drives FIU alumna’s philanthropy By Deborah O’Neil
In the sunset of a successful career that began in fashion merchandising and ended in insurance, Marylu Miller found herself browsing through an FIU catalogue. Her husband Greg, a retired airline pilot, had casually suggested she renew a longtime dream of studying art. Miller had earned an associate’s degree at Miami-Dade College, but, like many people, her job as the vice president of Casualty Underwriting was too demanding to permit her time to go back to school. The FIU catalogue intrigued her. There were classes on art history, western and Indian art and something called Dada, which she had never heard of. So, Miller enrolled with no real plan other than to enjoy herself. Slowly, however, the rigor of the academics took on greater importance. She got a C on her first paper. “My professor took the time to show me how to do it properly,” Miller said. “That was great. I have used that same system ever since and graduated cum laude.” In 1990, at age 54, Miller graduated from FIU with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies and visual art. She has put her education to
use in a new post-career career, volunteering as an art docent in Prescott, Ariz. The docents visit Prescott area elementary schools, teaching children about art. Miller teaches third, fourth and fifth graders – some 750 students a year – about the art of ancient Greece and Rome; Hopi, Navajo and Yavapai; art and the architecture of Native American homes. In order to become a docent, Miller completed a year’s worth of training and had to give a graduation talk. She did hers on the Dada movement. Miller’s passion for learning has now come full circle. In October 2006, Miller included FIU as a beneficiary of her estate. The proceeds in excess of $1 million will create a substantial endowment for a new scholarship fund, the Mary L. Miller ’90 Scholarship Endowment. Her husband has done the same at his alma mater, Bradley University. “We’re getting to the stage in life where we have to decide what is going to happen to our money,” Miller said. “We felt the best thing that could be done for the world was to leave it to education.” The new FIU scholarship will fully fund the four-year education of a freshman each year. Miller cherishes the idea of giving someone the opportunity to experience the
same sense of accomplishment that took her years to realize. “I want them to give it to someone they think is really worthy, someone who really wants an education and wouldn’t be able to get it unless I helped them,” Miller said. “I would like someone to have the opportunity to go to school without having to worry about paying the rent or buying books or paying tuition.” Miller’s gift represents the largest estate commitment ever made by an alumnus to FIU. “Marylu is such a wonderful example to other alumni,” said Alumni Relations Associate Vice President Bill Draughon, who visited her recently in Arizona. “Her volunteerism in the schools and philanthropic spirit are making a difference for so many young people today and in the future.” These days, Miller and her husband split their time between the home she designed in Prescott and a mountain retreat in Colorado. In May, Miller’s passion for education was rewarded yet again. The Prescott Art Docents, affiliated with the Phoenix Art Museum, honored her as Docent of the Year. n