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Adrian Gonzalez, President B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 2017 FIU-CEC Dean's Leadership Council Meyer Sarshalom, Vice President B.S. Electrical Engineering, 2008 Master of Business Administration, 2011

1970s Daniel Morcate ’78, an award-winning journalist, celebrated his 32nd year at Univision, where he is chief newsroom editor. Morcate, also a columnist at El Nuevo Herald, was previously an adjunct professor at the University of Miami, an editorial board member at The Miami Herald and news director for radio station WRHC Cadena Azul.

Steven Wendroff ’79 recently sold his San Diego accounting practice to a regional firm. Wendroff opened his first office in 1986 with one employee. The practice now has 15 financial specialists and works with 1,500 clients across the nation.

1980s Layne Batt ’80 has been a part of the video broadcasting and production industry for more than 30 years. Batt started his career at a local Miami station and today is video production and post-production specialist. He has earned 13 Emmy Awards for production.

Nancy Esteves ’81 celebrated 10 years in her role as publisher at Caribbean Publishing Group, which produces bilingual community magazine Hola Latinos. The publication is distributed throughout MiamiDade and Broward counties.

Joseph Mellia ’86, general manager of the Envoy Hotel in Boston, was recognized by HHM Hospitality as the company’s 2019 General Manager of the Year. His efforts in helping the property build revenue since its opening in 2015, as well as his dedication and passionate spirit, earned him the distinction, which put him first among 100 company professionals across 115 properties.

Joseph Rooney MS ’89 in 2018 was named president of American College Dublin, an Irish-American university in Dublin that offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees accredited in the United States. He has served as a dean at Lynn University in Boca Raton and on the boards of several other academic institutions.

1990s Thomas “Tom” Jelke ’90 was recently elected grand president of the national board of directors of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He has served on the board since 2009, including two years as grand secretary, and has held a number of local volunteer roles, especially with his home chapter at FIU.

Javier Rodriguez ’94 marked one year working independently as a marketing consultant and creative designer. The journalism alumnus has 20 years of experience as a media professional.

Judith Berson-Levinson, Ed.D. ’97, a retired college administrator at Broward College, published “South Beach at War: Sun, Sand & Soldiers during WWII.” She tells the story of the years 1942-1945, when half a million men took over South Beach’s hotels, theaters, restaurants, beaches and golf courses while undergoing training by the Army Air Forces Technical Training Command. The book shares the stories of the veterans and residents against the backdrop of war.

Barbara Fernandez ’97 is now a partner-in-charge at the Miami office of law firm Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP. Fernandez joined the firm in 2002 as an associate and focuses on consumer financial services and class action litigation. Her clients include lending institutions, debt collection agencies, loan servicing institutions, debt buyers and lawyers. A broadcast journalism alumna, Fernandez is also an adjunct professor at FIU Law.

Mireidy Fernandez ’98 was promoted to research analyst at the Miami-Dade County Office of the Commission Auditor. She works on public policy legislation auditing for the Board of County Commissioners. Fernandez previously served as senior planner and governmental facilities coordinator for the county’s Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources. A communications alumna, Fernandez earned a master’s in public policy and a Ph.D. in psychology from other institutions.

2000s Carlos Blanco ’00 was recently promoted to systems engineering manager at Boeing’s commercial airplane division in support of the company’s digital and modelbased engineering transformation. Blanco has been at Boeing for 19 years and was previously a cabin lighting systems lead engineer for the company’s presidential airplane program, which helps develop the latest generation of aircraft to support the President of the United States.

Stanley Schachne MS ’02, president of Schachne Architects & Builders, Inc., and his partner Donna Schachne were recognized for four of their renovations last year. Qualified Remodeler Magazine awarded them two National Master Design Awards and a Chrysalis Award for projects in Davie and Hollywood, Florida, while the Fort Lauderdale chapter of the American Institute of Architects recognized them for their renovation of an oceanview condominium.

Edmond Kenny ’03 was named vice president of advancement at Kentucky Wesleyan College. Kenny, who has been at the university since 2016, previously served as interim vice president, executive director of external relations and senior director of alumni relations. He previously worked at Saint Leo University in Tampa and at Nova Southeastern University, where he earned a master’s in education and sports management.

Jill Levenson Ph.D. ’03, a professor of social work at Barry University, was named to the list of the top 100 most influential contemporary social work faculty in the country by the Journal of Social Service Research. Levenson has published more than 100 articles on policies and clinical interventions designed to prevent sexual abuse, including projects funded by the National Institutes of Justice and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

Mighty mahi mahi: 12-year-old Angel Palacios participated in the FIU Alumni Association’s 17th annual fishing tournament. The future Panther’s angling prowess paid off as he and his young teammates won the top prize in the junior category. Fisherfolk on more than two dozen boats participated in the event, which raised $10,000.

Continued

Juan D’Arce Jr. ’05 was appointed to the Miami-Dade County 2020 Mayor’s Census Task Force and represents the interests of Hispanics for the 2020 Census. He was recently awarded membership to the Florida Association of Private Investigators.

Andres Dominguez ’08, MST ’12 was promoted to director in the Tax and Accounting Department at MBAF’s Miami office. He provides tax planning, compliance and reporting services for domestic and international clients.

2010s Andres Betancourt ’10 is president of Saferite Solutions, a safety-product distribution company that works with general contractors nationwide to provide personal protective equipment and safety training to workers on job sites. He started the business in his mother’s garage and today has 50 employees in three offices and five mobile stores.

Save the Date: Torch Awards Gala March 28, 2020 JW Marriott Marquis Miami

Gabriela Rosell ’10 and Christopher Gilbert ’10 were married in January in a very-FIU ceremony that included another 9 alumni in the bridal party, among them sisters Carla Rosell ’03 and Cristina Rosell ’05. The couple met through the English Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta, at FIU and live in Coral Gables.

George Quiroz ’11 , management supervisor at international ad agency DAVID The Agency, recently celebrated his first anniversary at the company. The agency created three of this year’s Super Bowl ads, including an AnheuserBusch commercial.

Praew Chantarasinlapin MS ’13, Ph.D. ’17 celebrated two years of working as an instructor at Chulalongkorn University in her native Bangkok, Thailand. Chantarasinlapin attended FIU as part of her country’s research initiatives to prepare nutrition students for academic careers.

Bianca CampuzanoBlanco ’15 was named executive director of the Miami Finance Forum, a nonprofit corporation that offers networking opportunities to South Florida’s leading finance professionals. Blanco has experience in marketing, communications, event planning, sponsorship development, advertising and social media. She previously served as a marketing coordinator with IberiaBank.

Adrianne Gonzalez ’17, former daily producer and co-anchor at WLRN Public Radio, South Florida’s NPR station, recently started a new position at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music as a communications specialist. Gonzalez is now also continuing her education with a master’s program in media management from the university.

John Kett ’17 marked his third work anniversary at PepsiCo-Frito Lay’s Global Snacks Culinary Team in Dallas. He joined the company as an intern in 2015 and was hired full-time as a research and development chef six months later.

Geri Satin Ph.D. ’17 is a founding partner of Focus Litigation Consulting and was recently featured in the Daily Business Review. The article details how the legal psychologist and her company partner advise clients on jury selection based on evidence from mock trials and focus groups.

Erica Jones MPA ’18 was promoted to impact director of the South region at City Year Miami, where she has worked for five years. The nonprofit organization teams up with public schools to help at-risk students successfully graduate through tutoring and mentoring.

Victoria Padin ’18 and Pedro Beltran ’19 tied the knot on August 12, 2019, weeks before Beltran headed to Marine officer training in Virginia. Padin remained temporarily in Miami as she worked to complete a master’s of nursing at UM.

In Memoriam Reina Beades ’06 MS ’10, program manager for FIU’s Southeast Environmental Research Center, began at FIU in 2005 in the Division of Human Resources Management. Her most recent supervisor, Jessie Guevara, said Beades was “passionate and strong. Her positivity and outlook on life motivated everyone around her to exude that same positivity. She was thoughtful, resourceful, and always there to help. We will all miss her dearly.”

Judith A. Blucker arrived at FIU in 1972 as a founding member of the education faculty and went on to serve as a respected administrator. Her 35-year career at FIU has been described as legendary. A former collegiate athlete, she provided the impetus to create women’s teams at FIU and went on to coach volleyball and softball. As executive vice provost, she was instrumental in establishing FIU’s academic programs in Broward County. Even after retirement, she remained in close contact with the university and established a scholarship endowment benefitting female student-athletes and, more recently, endowed a $1 million scholarship within the Green School in honor of her late brother.

Erskine Sylvester Dottin, emeritus professor of education, joined FIU in 1992 and notably established the first Faculty Learning Community, designed to promote collaboration among professors. He authored six books, several book chapters and many research articles that were published in well regarded journals. His work on humanistic education and habits of mind are his legacy. He retired in 2015.

Robert L. Frye, former associate director of student conduct and conflict resolution within the Division of Academic & Student Affairs, always made student success his number one priority. His team remembers him as a kind and fair mentor deeply invested in the development of students. Frye’s supervisor, Bronwen Bares Pelaez, said of the 20-year employee: “Rob’s commitment to his students from the classroom to the intramural field and beyond, and his steady approach to his work are examples of his dedicated service to FIU.”

Arthur Heise joined FIU in 1984 after a varied career as an executive officer at the library of the U.S. Air Force Academy, a reporter at the Buffalo Evening News and a journalist with the Associated Press. At FIU he established a program to teach journalism in Latin America, for which he secured an $18 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development. He was appointed founding dean of FIU’s journalism school in 1991 and was most proud to see six of his students go on to win Pulitzer Prizes. He retired in 2003.

Alfie Justiz worked in the Wellness and Recreation Center at BBC for 25 years and will be remembered for his smile and can-do attitude. The center’s director, Elias W. Bardawil, recalled “a dependable and committed individual who had a grand zest for life. He cared about his friends and colleagues and always shared his passion for family. He was well-loved and respected for his dedicated service to our students."

Nathalia L. Meier began her FIU career in July of 2013 as an accountant for the Division of Student Affairs and later worked as associate director for budget and operations at the Wellness and Recreation Center at BBC. “Nathalia was a self-directed, kind, and devoted FIU team member,” says Elias W. Bardawil. “Throughout her tenure at the university, she was ever-present to help her peers when needed. She always had a smile.”

Dan Salzverg, a former assistant general manager of Barnes & Noble at MMC, is remembered for his warm disposition, which made him a dearly beloved member of the FIU family. Serving on the President’s Council, he was an exemplary ambassador for the university and a big supporter of the Fostering Panther Pride program, which assists students who were formerly in foster care or homeless. After retiring, he remained an active Panther by attending football games and volunteering for the annual Ignite faculty and staff fundraising campaign.

Gautam Sen joined the geology faculty in 1984 and established a top-of-the-line experimental lab. One of the first FIU scientists to obtain funding from the National Science Foundation, he played a key role in the department’s establishing a doctoral program in 1994. He left FIU to become a vice provost for research at The American University of Sharjah (UAE) and, later, dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences at Lehman College (CUNY). Sen received many awards from FIU and was made a Life Fellow of the Geological Society of India. Two recurring $500 awards to stimulate excellence among FIU undergraduates have been instituted in his honor.

Patricia Telles-Irvin came to FIU in 1993 as a psychologist and later became the director of FIU’s Counseling and Psychological Services Center. She eventually went on to serve as senior vice president for Student Affairs and Human Resources. The first Hispanic to serve as president of NASPA, the leading national association for student affairs professionals, Telles-Irvin was a mentor, a trailblazer and a great advocate for students at FIU. She would go on, in 2004, to leadership positions at the University of Florida and Northwestern University. “Our world and our FIU are better places because of Patricia,” wrote President Rosenberg at the news of her passing. “Her love for our community and her belief in the goodness of humanity are just two of the many gifts that we will miss.” n

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Left: Warda by Girndiby Jananggoo Butcher Cherel, promised gift of Dennis and Debra Scholl. Center and right: Expulsion 1492 by Mark Podwal, gift of Dr. Paul Drucker.

Collectors find a welcoming home for their priceless treasures A legacy of art and culture

In the heart of a region that is growing in artistic importance on the world stage— Art Basel Miami Beach 2018, for example, drew more than 80,000 visitors to South Florida—FIU has increasingly caught the interest of collectors and aficionados who wish to find a sustainable audience for their prized possessions. Forward-thinking donors have bequeathed works of art, rare artifacts and whole libraries to the university’s three museums with an understanding that they will be cared for and made available for generations to come.

Steven and Dorothea Green, known for their support of academic programming at the eponymously named Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs as well as the FIU Libraries, recently donated art by eighteenth-century French painter CharlesJoseph Natoire to the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum. (The couple also lend their names to an arts lecture series there.)

An appreciation of art is critical if one is to understand the world, Dorothea Green explains, and as such goes hand-in-hand with the Greens’ contributions in support of the social sciences. “It’s important that art be accessible to everyone—students, faculty and the community,” she says. “That’s why we donated the Natoire triptych. We wanted everyone to experience it the same way that we have as a family through the years.”

Dr. Paul Drucker recently contributed 42 works by award-winning artist Mark Podwal to the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU on Miami Beach. Displayed earlier this year at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus, the series provided an opportunity for professor of religious studies Oren Stier to teach about Jewish history to a group of high school students representing Interfaith Youth Miami.

The Wolfsonian-FIU once made history as the largest in-kind gift to a Florida university when its founder Mitchell “Mickey” Wolfson Jr. gave the Miami Beach museum’s building and core collection to FIU. That bountiful generosity has since encouraged others to step forward. New York gallery Historical Design, for example, recently contributed an estimated $2.5 million worth of rare books, research materials and a photo collection that together serve the Wolfsonian-FIU’s mission of illustrating modern social, historical and technological transformations.

Susan Gladstone, executive director of the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, recognizes that donors have truly made FIU an unparalleled repository of art and culture. “The family of FIU museums offers an opportunity to experience an unprecedented, enormously varied wealth of art, history and architecture not available at any other one university in the area,” she says.

That reality would not be possible without the selflessness of those who have chosen to create a forever legacy by sharing their special finds, carefully chosen pieces and meticulously curated collections with the world. Their largesse ensures that the greater community has a chance to appreciate them, faculty can use them as teaching and research tools, and students can view or work with them either on their own or as part of a formal class.

Longtime art collector Dennis Scholl ’77, a seasoned arts executive and entrepreneur who with his wife has donated more than 80 Australian Aboriginal works to the Frost Art Museum, remembers well his first taste of art as a freshman at FIU. His formative introduction—in what was then the university’s one-room gallery in a small corner of one of the few buildings on campus—has had a lifelong impact both professionally and otherwise.

“That opportunity led me to close to 40 years of really joyful personal experience building a number of art collections,” recalls Scholl, a former attorney who has produced arts documentaries and served on the boards of numerous arts institutions.

As the city of Miami continues to grow as an arts capital, FIU will play an ever larger role in that expansion. And donors will undoubtedly be a big reason why. n