Q&A with Carlos Langoni

Interview with Carlos Langoni, FSU Panama program rector

By Audrey Caraher

Carlos Langoni, during a trip to Paestum, Italy.

Where did you grow up? Are you a U.S. citizen, a citizen of Panama, or both?

I grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where I was born. I got my undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Rio de Janeiro and then my master’s degree in industrial engineering, also from Pontificia Universidad Catolica. While working on my master’s, I met my wife, Lilibeth, who also received a master’s degree in the same program. We became good friends, and after a very short dating period, we decided to get married. She is from Panama, so my first international experience was a trip to Panama. So, what was initially planned to be a simple visit to get to know her family and her country later became our wedding trip.

We married in Panama and then went back to Rio to complete our degrees. From there, lots of things happened. Our first son was born, I applied and was accepted to a doctoral program in industrial engineering at Texas A&M University, both of us completed our master’s program [at Pontifica Universidad], and in the fall of 1981, we moved to Texas. While working on my doctoral degree, my second son was born. We left the U.S. in the spring of 1987. While in Brazil, a change was still taking place, from a military dictatorship to a newly restored democracy, and the economic conditions were not the most favorable. A highly depreciated currency and very limited opportunities drove us to deciding to go to Panama. This explains how we ended up in Panama.

How did you get to where you are today? From industrial engineering to professor to Panama interim rector to permanent rector, how would you explain this shift?

So here we are, beginning of 1987, trying to build our future as a family in Panama. Immediately after my arrival, I learned of possible teaching opportunities in American institutions that had a presence in Panama. One of them was Florida State University, which had had a presence in Panama since 1957, offering educational opportunities to U.S. military personnel, civilians, and local Panamanians. After a couple of semesters trying with different institutions, I realized that my future was with FSU. So I quit my teaching with other institutions and started teaching full time for FSU.

At the beginning, most of my teaching was in mathematics. In 1989, with the implementation of a new degree program in computer science, I was offered a full-time position to support the new program. From then on, I taught several courses in the areas of mathematics, computer science, and statistics. At the same time, I became involved in the administrative aspects of the program, assisting with everything from student advising and registration, to curriculum development and course scheduling. In 1996 I was appointed associate director for academics. After the transition from being an institution supported by a contract with the U.S. Army to a self-supporting institution, new leadership was chosen and the title of the highest authority changed from “director” to “rector.” So, at that time my title changed to “vice rector for academic affairs.”

At the beginning of 2003, the newly appointed rector resigned, and we went through a difficult transition period. That’s when I became interim rector, and a search for a new rector began. At the end of a nine-month search, my name surfaced among the top three candidates and, soon after, I was offered the position of rector of FSU Panama. I still remember my conversation with Dr. [James] Pitts when I told him I was still having second thoughts about accepting the position. He asked me to give it a try and if, after a few years I did not feel comfortable, it was OK. Well, I believe it worked—I’ve been the rector since then.

How do you use your background in engineering and the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields to connect to your position at the Panama campus? Did you ever consider staying in the private sector?

I believe until I decided to go to graduate school, I had no plans for a career in academia. I started acquiring a taste for academia while working on my master’s, when I was given an opportunity to become a teaching assistant and eventually an instructor. After that, I really never had any thoughts about leaving academia.

When you first began at the Panama campus, did you foresee yourself becoming rector? What made you decide to pursue your position?

No, not at all. When I began, I was 100% focused on the teaching. Everything came naturally and gradually, little by little getting involved in the planning, and then the decision-making. For quite some time, I was able to balance between academics and administration. It was not until about five years ago when I became a full-time administrator.

Your campus has students attending from over 30 different countries. How do you ensure student success in mingling with each other from such different backgrounds?

Most of our students come from Latin America. Of course, there are cultural differences, even inside that group, but there are more similarities. Catering for the other groups, like U.S. students and Europeans, is a little more challenging. What makes it easier is that, among those, they all come to Panama with the excitement of immersing themselves into something new that they are eager to discover and, most of the times, they come with an open mind. It’s a matter of controlling that excitement, assisting them through the process of adapting to a new society, a new culture. That’s why having an open mind is essential for their success, the willingness to accept that others may think differently from you, yet you can learn something from them.

Carlos Langoni with students from the Panama campus Environmental Club.

What is the current enrollment at FSU-ROP, and how many of those students are study abroad students from FSU’s Tallahassee campus?

The current enrollment at FSU-Panama ranges between 400 to 480 students. Of those, only a few are from the Tallahassee campus. This fall we have only six; usually it ranges between six to 20.

What impact have your students had on you?

Dealing with students as a teacher, as a counselor, as a mentor has helped me to be more tolerant. It also helped me be more appreciative of the need to find alternative ways to get ideas across and to find a balance between challenging the more talented students but, at the same time, being supportive of others who might face difficulties.

How do you help integrate the Spanish language into students’ lives in a manner that allows them to go forth into the local Panama community successfully?

This is a natural process, and it depends greatly on their desire to immerse themselves into the Spanish language. Of course, one thing that works toward their advantage is that the non-Spanish-speaking community is the minority. The ones who don’t speak Spanish are almost forced to make an effort to speak, at least a little, of the local language. Most of their classmates speak Spanish, in many cases, even their roommates speak Spanish. In the past, I had students who used to visit my office, and I would assign them some reading, like newspaper articles and magazines. Then in the following week we would discuss their readings.

What are the biggest impacts you have made on the campus? What changes do you still wish to make?

When I was appointed interim rector, bringing stability to the campus. Then, when I was ratified as rector at the end of the search, and the years that followed, leading the university in the transition to the new campus in the City of Knowledge and overseeing the construction of the new building in the City of Knowledge. Still pending in our list are improvements to the library facilities, securing additional space for the English Language Program, and for a student life center.

What is your ultimate goal for the FSU-ROP campus?

Securing a permanent campus for FSU in the Republic of Panama and making sure that the program remains viable for many years to come.

The U.S. invaded Panama in 1989, leading to Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega’s ouster. How did that affect the FSU-ROP campus?

That, of course, was a difficult period—actually, the two-year period preceding the invasion, living under an anti-democratic military regime and the constant confrontations between the Noriega regime and the U.S. that followed. I think the excitement of having Noriega out of the picture is what prevailed. The campus life was gradually restored to normalcy within a one-year period.

What hobbies and pastimes do you enjoy?

By far, the most enjoyable hobby nowadays is being a grandpa. I absolutely love spending time with my grandchildren [Gustavo and Fabiana], so that’s what I do whenever possible.

Carlos Langoni in a playground with his grandchildren Fabiana and Gustavo.

Could you describe the Panama program in one sentence?

Diversity.

Is there anything that you would like to add?

I would only add that I absolutely love my job—I wouldn’t do anything differently. I’m very grateful to FSU for all of the opportunities given to me, as well as for the opportunity to have my three sons [Gustavo, Diego, and Rodrigo] graduate as Seminoles.

A Langoni family picture taken in Monserrat, Spain, during a family trip in 2017. In the lower left is Carlos Langoni’s son Gustavo, Gustavo’s wife Arlen, and their son Gustavo. Carlos’s wife Lilibeth is seated in the front. Another son, Diego, holds his daughter Fabiana, with his wife Silvia in the back. Carlos’s third son, Rodrigo, stands between his girlfriend Alejandra and Carlos.