March 2010
Vol. 2, No. 2
H O N O R S / S W E E T W A T E R
P A R T N E R S H I P
L A U N C H E D
The Honors College is proud to announce its new partnership with the City of Sweetwater. The goals of this collaborative community service program are to engage Honors College students in a variety of projects that improve the quality of life of Sweetwater residents as well as provide students with opportunities to develop leadership skills, practice civic engagement, and learn about the governance of a small city. The partnership consists of four different components or teams of Honors students participating in different facets of the Sweetwater community. The Honors College Governmental Team, which will include students from Honors Professor Frederick Blevens‘s news literacy class, will orient and train community organizers, develop volunteer recruitment plans and intern in various Sweetwater government offices. The Honors Pre-Law Community will assist with the census and offer citizenship application classes for residents. The Honors Education Team will provide tutoring and plan artistic, cultural and Dean Lesley A. Northup with Sweetwater Mayor Manny athletic events for Sweetwater Elementary students, while the Senior Partnership Maroño (right) and his chief of staff Frank Lago (left) Team will visit with and organize activities for senior citizens and the Green Team will spearhead recycling, conservation, and community beautification projects.
3 + 3
P R E - L A W
P R O G R A M
In early November, Honors College Dean Lesley A. Northup and College of Law Dean Alex Acosta announced the creation of the FIU Honors College Accelerated Law Program (HCAP). Under this program, Honors students would enter the FIU College of Law after their junior year, allowing them to earn both a Bachelors degree and a J.D. in six years. This is the first accelerated, degree-earning program between the Honors College and another FIU college. The inaugural class of Honors College seniors will begin the program in fall 2010. Applicants must have a minimum 3.5 grade point average, an LSAT score of 155, and must have completed all requirements in their majors except electives before entering the College of Law. ―Honors students are uniquely positioned to apply successfully for the program,‖ said Dean Northup. ―Our students are not only high academic achievers, but they tend to be committed early to their career goals and to have the maturity to handle the rigors of attending law school.‖ The College of Law‘s Dean Acosta said, ―The Honors College provides applicants who are not only highly accomplished, but also represent the diversity we are building in the law school.‖ The FIU College of Law emphasizes preparation of students for the ethical and effective general practice of law, community service, and international and comparative law. Graduates from the FIU College of Law achieved the highest percentage among graduates of the state‘s ten law schools passing the Florida bar exam in February 2009, according to the Florida Bar Association. FIU Honors College Fellow and law professor Scott Fingerhut has been appointed Honors Director of Pre-law Programs. Fingerhut offers a wealth of knowledge and experience as a practicing attorney and mentor to aspiring lawyers. He will serve as liaison between the two colleges and oversee the new Honors College Pre-Law Community, a student organization that will provide specialized internship and community service opportunities, exposure to legal research skills, and preparation for applying to and attending the College of Law.
P a g e
2
G R A H A M
D I S C U S S E S
H E A L T H
O F
N A T I O N
Garth Graham, Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Assistant Secretary of Minority Health, spoke on October 29 at the fall 2009 Honors College Excellence Lecture in the College of Business Complex at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus (MMC). Graham presented ―Health Care for Underserved Communities,‖ emphasizing the need for government to adopt health care reforms that positively impact at-risk minority communities, whose life expectancy is substantially lower than the national average. He highlighted that minority groups have greater disease incidences, lower medical outcomes and higher health care costs than the general population. ―I make sure that my department considers minority and underserved communities across the nation when implementing policy,‖ said Graham during his introduction. A 1997 graduate of the Honors College, Graham is a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and serves as a visiting scientist at Harvard‘s School of Public Health. He has received numerous awards for his leadership and service in promoting health and is the founder of the Boston Men‘s Cardiovascular Health Project, a project that seeks to identify why there is decreased adherence to adequate diet and exercise among African American men.
H O N O R S
C O L L E G E
C O L L O Q U I A
S E R I E S
FIU Journalism and Mass Communications Associate Professor Jane Daugherty lectured on ―TMI, NEN‖ (Too Much Information, Not Enough News) for the first colloquium of the fall 2009 semester at the Biscayne Bay Campus on September 22nd. Daugherty discussed her most recent research on how students obtain news and the proliferation of different news options. She found that students have a cynical view of the mainstream press because of the perceived notion that traditional media is often not balanced. As a result, students have shifted to alternative forms of news on the Internet, such as blogs and viral video. She ended her lecture by challenging the audience to become more responsible in researching facts before drawing definite conclusions about news items. ―News is relevant and crucial to all citizens living in a democracy. To quote Eleanor Roosevelt, ‗We shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die‘," said Daugherty. On October 1st, FIU Psychology Professor and Honors Fellow Bennett Schwartz gave the second fall Honors Colloquium on ―Principles of Memory Improvement" to a packed room of Honors students at MMC eager to learn tips on how to improve their study habits. Schwartz‘s learning-improvement strategy was based on several fundamental tools, including meta-memory (thinking about how you remember and learn), spaced-out learning (as opposed to cramming the night before an exam), and mnemonic aids. He also examined popular myths, such as the supposed benefit of memoryenhancing drugs, dismissing the claims as false or exaggerated. Following the lecture, Schwartz and students engaged in discussion regarding individuals with seemingly superhuman memorization or recall abilities and how any person can enhance his or her own abilities to tap into the full potential of memory. FIU Sociology Professor and Latin American Studies expert Marifeli Perez-Stable was the speaker at the final Honors College Colloquium of fall 2009. The topic of her talk was ―Intimate Enemies: The United States and Cuba after the Cold War.‖ The event was held on November 19 at MMC. Perez-Stable gave a brief overview of the evolution of the Cuban government since Fidel Castro‘s takeover in 1959. She discussed Cuba‘s relationship with the US, contrasting the generally more open approach of the Clinton administration with the more restrictive policy of the Bush years, as well as providing her recommendations on how the Obama administration should handle relations with Cuba. She also stressed that for the Cuban people and nation to survive and thrive in a future, post-Castro era, Cuba must learn to stand on its own two feet without relying on the US or any other foreign power.
V o l .
2 ,
N o .
2
P a g e
T H R E E
N E W
C A B
3
M E M B E R S Three prominent South Florida leaders have been appointed to the Honors College Community Advisory Board. Ricky Arriola, Renier Diaz de la Portilla and Gustavo Martinez Pandiani began their terms in January. They join a dynamic board of community leaders who work to support the students, mission and programs of the FIU Honors College.
Arriola is the CEO of Inktel Direct, a leading outsource provider of direct marketing services. He has been actively involved with the Honors College for the past two years, serving as host for 25 students in the Fall Renier Diaz de la Portilla Ricky Arriola Gustavo Martinez Pandiani 2007 ―Dinner with Future Leaders‖ and as keynote speaker at the spring 2008 Awards Assembly. Diaz de la Portilla represents District 5 on the Miami-Dade County Public School Board. As a member of the Florida House of Representatives in 2001, he was assigned by Speaker Tom Feeney to chair the Education Innovation Committee, where he helped revise Florida‘s Education Code. Martinez Pandiani is the Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Argentina in Miami. As a career diplomat, he has represented Argentina in several missions and consular posts abroad. He has taught at the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires and is the author of numerous books, including Political Marketing: Campaigns, Media and Electoral Strategies and Homo Zapping: Politics, Lies and Video, Politics, Media and Audiences. His daughter Tathiana is a freshman in the Honors College.
H E R N A N D E Z - L I C H T L
L E A V E S
C A B
Our sincere gratitude goes out to Javier Hernandez-Lichtl, Chief Executive Officer of South Miami Hospital, for his service to the Honors College Community Advisory Board (CAB). He has served as a CAB member since 2006 and has been instrumental in developing the relationships between Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF) and the Honors College. Hernandez-Lichtl also contributed to the Honors College by sharing his time and expertise. He brought our students together with top leaders of BHSF as part of our Dinner with Student Leaders program in 2006 and 2008. As part of that program, Honors College students get a chance to meet community leaders over an informal meal and a casual conversation. In addition to social events, BHSF sponsored the Garth Graham Excellence Lecture and our Honors College Polo shirts. We wish Hernandez-Lichtl much success in his new role as CEO of West Kendall Baptist Hospital!
U . S .
C E N T U R Y B A N K P R E S E N T S F I N A N C I A L W O R K S H O P
U.S. Century Bank (USCB) presented a financial workshop for students during an Honors Hour on Tuesday, October 6, at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus (MMC). USCB Vice President and Honors College CAB chair Ruth Jimenez led the session in which over 100 students participated. Jimenez was joined by other bank leaders in a discussion of topics such as the banking system, credit cards, and student loans. John Lopez, Senior Vice President for Branch Administration, led an informative discussion about students and their relationship with money. The event was so popular with the students that USCB will be holding another workshop on March 30. Honors Hours are held each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM at MMC. The programs include lectures, workshops, concerts, presentations on Study Abroad, internship opportunities, and community service information. Honors College student organizations also meet during this time.
V o l .
2 ,
N o .
2
P a g e
D I N N E R
W I T H
F U T U R E
4
L E A D E R S
President Mark B. Rosenberg served as the host of a Dinner with Future Leaders on Wednesday, October 7. Fifteen Honors College students joined the president and his wife Rosalie for a cookout on the patio of Reagan House.―It was an excellent opportunity for the president to meet some of our top students and for those students to learn more about the President and his vision for the university,‖ said Dean Lesley A. Northup. The Dinner with Future Leaders program is designed to introduce Honors College students to leaders in the community over an informal meal. The program is coordinated by Associate Dean JC Espinosa. Previous hosts include Ricky Arriola of Inktel Direct, David Hitt of Banco Popular, educator Camilla Cochrane, Jose Sariego of HBO Latin America, and Baptist Health South Florida. CAB member Orlando Gonzales hosted almost twenty students on Sunday, October 25, for the first Brunch with Future Leaders. The morning event was held at Everglades Residence Hall. Over bagels, hot coffee and orange juice, Gonzales spoke about his experiences at his alma mater, Georgetown University. He also talked about the impact his community service has had on his life and in shaping his interests in fundraising and development, communications, and public relations. Gonzales is the South Florida Account Manager for Jostens Printing and Publishers.
N C H C
I N
W A S H I N G T O N
D . C .
Last October, seven Honors College students, three Honors faculty, and two Honors staff traveled to Washington, D.C., for the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) annual conference. Participants got to visit historical places in the capital, develop networking connections with students and faculty from different universities, hear what other Honors programs and colleges offer, and more importantly, present their work. Two Honors College posters were featured during the poster sessions.―Shapeshifterd‖ by Miryam Rodriguez and Melissa Pita examined the relationship between art and reality, and Philip Gregor presented a poster titled ―Fire Ecosystem Management in the Everglades: The Role of Lightning and ManInduced Fires.‖ The Honors College was also well-represented during the Master Class Showcase, an evening that allows students to present their poetry, drama, music, and dance works. Ernesto Fernandez played the flute and received a standing ovation. Finally, Jairo Pava, Gabriela Garcia-Linares and Ana-Sofia Navarrette hosted a session titled ―Aesthetics and Values: Art‘s Transformative Power.‖ During that presentation, students explained how, through John Bailly‘s upper-division Honors seminar, they curate an art exhibit that challenges social values and allows them to discover and analyze the varied social responses evoked by art. Finally, all students present participated in City-as-Text in Washington, D.C., directed by Honors faculty fellows Devon Graham and Peter Machonis, exploring their surroundings via fact-finding missions to learn about the city.
V o l .
2 ,
N o .
2
P a g e
H O N O R S / A T H L E T I C S
5
P A R T N E R S H I P
The FIU Honors College and the FIU Athletics Department are pleased to announce the launch of a long-term partnership designed to offer student athletes the best of both academics and athletics at FIU. The Honors College currently has nine student athletes, all performing well on their respective teams and excelling in class. We are therefore developing a campaign to identify and recruit other student athletes with the academic potential to benefit from the Honors community. At the end of the fall semester, the Honors College will examine the GPAs of all 130 freshman and sophomore athletes and encourage those meeting the 3.3 GPA requirement to join members of the Honors College. Athletics has fostered this partnership with close cooperation in programs and by supplying T-shirts, pizza parties, and other contributions. The Honors College will also work with the team coaches at recruitment and Honors representatives will be present during official campus visits. Incoming athletes with a 3.5 weighted GPA and 1850 on the SAT will be encouraged to apply. The partnership goes beyond enhancing the academic careers of scholar-athletes. It encourages Honors students to support and appreciate FIU Athletics. Students are participating in ―Honors College Nights‖ at various games and meets, sponsor tailgate parties, and become involved with sports-oriented community service projects through the Honors College – Sweetwater partnership.
H O N O R S
A T H L E T I C
In line with the Honors/ Athletics partnership, the Honors College organized two ―volleyball nights‖ on October 6 and 23, during the fall semester to support FIU Athletics and more specifically, Chanel Araujo and Hope Williams, two freshman Honors students on the volleyball team. During the first game night, forty Honors students attended the pregame Everglades Lounge pizza party. On game night two, twenty Honors students enjoyed a pizza party at the U.S. Century Bank Arena, received free FIU Athletics shirts, and supported the team throughout a tense, hard-fought match won after five sets and three hours on the court. After each game, Honors students congratulated and interacted with the volleyball players and coaches. More collaborative Honors/Athletics projects are expected in the coming months.
S T U D E N T
E V E N T S
On September 26, the Honors College held its Third Annual Football Tailgate Party before FIU‘s first game of the season against Toledo University. About 15 Honors students volunteered to help with the set up of the Honors College tent, distribution of food, and clean up afterwards. In all, about 120 Honors College students and 15 Honors faculty and staff attended the event. The first 50 students received free T-shirts donated by the FIU Department of Athle- tics. FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg stopped by and met with students and faculty present at the event.
A T H L E T E
P R O F I L E
Chanel Araujo is an Honors College freshman majoring in international business/business management. She is also part of the FIU Volleyball team. As an out of state student, Chanel is facing many challenges such as adjusting to a new city and state, college life and balancing academics and sports as well as other extracurricular activities. She nonetheless enjoys her new experiences at FIU and in Miami.―I have met some great people through the Honors College and I hope to continue to meet new friends. I enjoy my professors and their openness to all opinions.‖ Chanel intends to graduate from FIU and attend law school. Among her many goals is to indulge her passion for traveling. Chanel says ―I plan to travel extensively because I believe traveling provides knowledge that cannot be found in the classroom.‖
P a g e
6
A M E R I C A S
C O N F E R E N C E
Eleven Honors College students participated in the 13th Annual Americas Conference held September 29-30 at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. The conference, the region‘s premier business and political forum on Latin American and Caribbean issues, is sponsored by The Miami Herald and several partners including FIU. The theme of this year‘s event was ―After the crisis: Emerging challenges and political stability.‖ The students served as note-takers at many of the sessions and helped with media check-in. As part of their volunteer assignments, four students attended former President Bill Clinton‘s speech on Haiti. Clinton is the Special Envoy to Haiti for the United Nations. Other students attended the principal address and luncheon with Dan Restrepo, Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and Senior Director of Western Hemisphere Affairs on the National Security Council.
B E Y O N D
T H E
C L A S S R O O M :
S T U D E N T
S C H O L A R S
Sky Choi made national news when he joined FIU two years ago at age 12 through the dual enrollment program. Choi is what experts call profoundly gifted, a child who scores higher than 99.9% of the population on IQ and achievement tests. By age 3, he could read and write English and Korean, his father‘s native tongue. Sky is majoring in physics and mathematics with an astronomy minor. A third-degree black belt in Taekwondo, he earned a gold medal at the 2009 World Taekwondo Festival in South Korea. He is also the founder of The List Kids (www.thelistkids.org), a nonprofit that assists Iraqi refugee children resettled in the US. Regarding his time at the Honors College, Sky says ―I can't say enough good things about my experience with Honors. Prior to joining Honors, I would have taken a math or science course over a humanities course any day of the week. But the Honors seminars have changed my view. The material is interesting and thought-provoking.‖ Among Sky‘s goals are to become a taekwondo master like his father and earn a PhD in Physics. David Mayett is a senior at FIU with an exemplary record of academic achievements. He received the Academic Excellence Scholarship when he first entered FIU. In fall 2008, he was awarded the S.E.A.G.E.P. (South East Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate) Research Award for his research in gauge theories in physics. In his sophomore year, David received a research internship at Michigan State University where he worked on a theoretical nuclear physics project. He is currently conducting research with his FIU mentor Dr. Rajamani Narayanan. He is responsible for writing the computer code needed to analyze the data gathered for the study. David has been accepted to Syracuse University to pursue a PhD in physics and was awarded a STEM fellowship, which includes a full-tuition scholarship and a stipend. He plans to focus on theoretical particle physics, particularly string theory. Briana Huggins is a senior majoring in international business and finance. She has been a dedicated and active student, both in academic and extracurricular pursuits. In her sophomore year, she participated in the Global Leaddership Service Project (GLSP) in Bangkok, Thailand as Honors Council Representative of the International Business Honor Society (IBHS). While there, she volunteered her time at a daycare center in the disadvantaged community of Klong Toey. The following year, she was elected President of IBHS and helped reshape the organization to better recruit and serve the needs of its members. In her quest for more international opportunities, she also participated in the Honors College‘s Spain Study Abroad program. She subsequently spent the fall of her senior year in the Washington Semester Program at American University in Washington, DC, studying international business, attending foreign policy briefings, and studying Chinese business and culture. Briana is currently a mentor for elementary school girls in the Strong Women Strong Girls program at Sweetwater Elementary and teaches dance at Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church.
S T U D Y
A B R O A D
I N
C H I N A
The Honors College is introducing a new study aboard course in China. The course will be taught at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou— capital city of Zhejiang Province, described by Marco Polo as ―the finest city of the world,‖ and ―The City of Heaven.‖ Students will learn Chinese history and culture by interacting with Chinese students of the host university. Zheijang University is the equivalent of Yale, with a long-standing history of academic excellence. The campus is picturesque and the facilities modern. Guided visits will include going to the West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Dragon Well Tea Plantation, Song Dynasty Theme Park, Six Harmonies Pagoda, and the Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the cities of Hangzhou, Wuzhen, and One Thousand Islands. The director of the travel-study portion of the Honors College China Program is Professor Li Ma, who is the first full-time instructor of Chinese at FIU.
V o l .
2 ,
N o .
2
P a g e
H O N O R S
7
E V E N T S
Top row, left to right : Honors Place students work on their egg drop project; the materials they used; testing the finished projects. 2nd row, l to r: Honors students share their opinions on Honors during Student Fish Bowl; Honors student tutors Sweetwater student in L‘il Abner Mobile Home Park; Students at Honors Football Tailgate; 3rd row, l to r:: Students bearing flags during Honors Convocation parade; student musicians performing South Indian Classical & Middle Eastern music, respectively; 4th row l to r: President & Mrs. Rosenberg interact with students & faculty during Dinner with Future Leaders; student volunteers at Americas Conference; Students, faculty, & staff pose in front of White House during NCHC Conference trip; 5th row, l to r: Volleyball team in position to start match; crowd of Honors students cheers them on and shows their school spirit; Chanel Araujo in mid-serve.
P a g e
8
S T U D E N T S
H E L P
O U T
A T
T H A N K S G I V I N G
E V E N T
Twelve Honors College students served as volunteers at the First Annual L‘il Abner Mobile Home Park Thanksgiving Day Celebration on November 14. Park owner Raul Rodriguez organized the event for the 1,000 low-income families residing in the park, which is located in the City of Sweetwater. The free event included a barbecue, bounce houses, pony rides, live music, alligator shows, a turkey raffle, a toy drive and safety demonstrations by Sweetwater city police. The Honors College students staffed the FIU table and distributed information about the university and the collaborative partnerships between Sweetwater, the Honors College, and the FIU Athletics Department. Students also had a chance to meet the residents and entertain the children at the park. At the event, Rodriguez and FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg announced that the L‘il Abner Foundation would be sponsoring two scholarships to FIU for residents of Sweetwater.
N E W
S T U D E N T - L E D
C H A R I T A B L E
O R G A N I Z A T I O N
A group of Honors College students has formed a new organization called Help Our World (HOW). The group works year-round to raise money and collect donations for trips to Nicaragua, Honduras, and Haiti. HOW is an offshoot of the program December of Dreams, a charitable organization created through a former Honors College service learning project that collects toys and school supplies and distributes them each December to impoverished children in Nicaragua. Five Honors College students joined the organization early last fall and went to Nicaragua during their winter break. Since its inception, thirty-five Honors students have joined the cause, meeting regularly, publicizing the organization, setting up fundraising events, and placing donation boxes throughout the university. In addition to its work abroad, HOW plan to organize community service projects in the City of Sweetwater .
O V E R T O W N
Y O U T H
C E N T E R
E V E N T
A T
B B C
The Third Annual Overtown Youth Center Lunch-on-the-Bay was held at the Biscayne Bay Campus (BBC) on October 19. The event celebrates the partnership between the Center and the Honors College and its Honors Society, Tau Sigma Alpha. This partnership helps expose high school students to university life by bringing them to campus to participate in programs and lectures on issues of particular significance to them. FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg delivered the keynote address for the event. He spoke of the need for FIU to strengthen its community engagement efforts. The president recognized the students and staff involved in the partnership, including Honors BBC Coordinator Jayne Klein. The event took place at the Wolfe Center Ballroom, named after former FIU president Gregory Wolfe, who was in attendance along with many FIU dignitaries.
G E N I U S
A W A R D
W I N N E R
S P E A K S
Miami-based writer Edwidge Danticat spoke as part of a special Honors College event at BBC‘s Mary Ann Wolfe Theater on September 30. A week earlier, the National Book Critics Circle winner received the highly prestigious MacArthur Foundation ―Genius Award,‖ which came with an unrestricted prize of $500,000. The event consisted of two separate programs. The first was exclusively held with high school students from the Overtown Youth Center (OYC) who had read her book, The Dew Breaker, as part of the reading component of an SAT tutoring program run by BBC Coordinator Jayne Klein and Honors College student volunteers from Tau Sigma Alpha, the Honors BBC student organization. The OYC students were able to ask questions and reflect on personal experiences about reading the book with the author. The second part of the event was an interview by Klein with Danticat about the themes found in her work, which primarily focuses on Haitian politics and culture. A general question and answer session with the general public followed.
V o l .
2 ,
N o .
1
H O N O R S
P a g e
S C H O L A R S H I P
R E C I P I E N T S
Barbara Bader Scholarship This scholarship awards $1,000 to a current Honors College student who has demonstrated financial need and has shown evidence of motivation, character, and potential through community service. Recipients: Veronique Allais, a junior majoring in international business; James Richardson, a senior majoring in international business and human resources management.
Harvey L. Young Family Foundation Scholarship This scholarship awards $2,000 to a current Honors College student with outstanding academic performance who has demonstrated financial need, Florida residency, and evidence of motivation, character, and potential. Recipient: Phoebe Lee, a freshman majoring in biology.
Lucille E. Snaith Memorial Honors College Scholarship This scholarship awards $2,500 to a current Honors College student with outstanding academic performance, who has demonstrated unmet financial need, Florida residency, and evidence of motivation, good character, leadership potential, and community service. Recipients: Gissel Hermida, a junior majoring in biology; Muzammil Ali Khan, a junior majoring in computer science; Cody James Kimmel, a freshman majoring in history.
Sheri Anne Graham Memorial Scholarship This scholarship awards $2,500 to a full-time entering freshman in the Honors College who has achieved a minimum 3.5 high school GPA and intends to major in the arts and sciences. Recipient: Tathiana Martinez Pandiani, a freshman majoring in theatre.
Tony Menendez Computer Scholarship The scholarship awards a laptop computer with all the pertinent programs and IT support from the College‘s computer lab staff when needed. Scholarship candidates are incoming freshmen of the Honors College who have demonstrated academic achievement in high school with a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have established financial need. Recipients: Maria Angarita, a physics major; Gerard Chery, a biology major; Lexa Garvey, undecided major; Stephany Giraldo, a biology major; Michael Magro, a dietetics and nutrition major.
Jordan Castellon & Ricardo LLC Scholarship The scholarship awards $1,000 to an entering or current Honors College student with outstanding academic performance. Priority consideration is given to Honors College students pursuing undergraduate studies in the College of Business Administration. Recipients: Marielys Dominguez, a freshman majoring in accounting; Kyle Weisenberg, a junior majoring in accounting and economics.
9
V o l .
2 ,
N o .
2
P a g e
P A C K E D
H O U S E
A T
1 0
C O N V O C A T I O N
Over six hundred Honors College students, representing almost three quarters of the student body, participated in the Ninth Annual Honors College Convocation on October 15, 2009. Students wearing their new Honors College polo shirts and carrying the flags of their countries or states of origin marched throughout the Modesto A. Maidique Campus for the traditional Parade of Nations and States. Following the parade, the ceremony, held in the Graham Center Ballrooms, was attended by a record number of faculty, staff, students and distinguished guests. The first speaker was Undergraduate Education Dean Douglas Robertson, who advised the student audience through his personal stories and poetry to live a life based on inter-dependence, contemplation, direction, and preparation. After the speech, Honors College Dean Lesley A. Northup and City of Sweetwater Mayor Manny Maroño unveiled a sweeping community partnership that promised to improve the city‘s quality of life while training Honors College students as future leaders. In his keynote address, Honors College Fellow and Artist John Bailly urged students to critically inquire into and dissect unfamiliar ideas in and outside of the classroom while maintaining the level of excellence found in the Honors College. The event also featured an eclectic array of student musical performances, ranging from South Indian Classical music and Middle Eastern fusion to Latin jazz. At the end of the ceremony, Honors College scholarship awardees and Convocation contest winners were recognized for their academic and creative excellence.
S T U D E N T
A C H I E V E M E N T S H I G H L I G H T E D A T A W A R D S A S S E M B L Y The 2009 Fall Awards Assembly was held on December 4, 2009, at the Graham Center Ballrooms to recognize the Honors College summer and fall graduating seniors. Honors College student Sarena Bahad served as the mistress of ceremonies. Dean Lesley A. Northup welcomed the 28 graduating seniors and their families. Assistant Dean Jose Rodriguez delivered the keynote speech, advising students by reflecting on his life and past experiences. He encouraged the graduating seniors to pursue their dreams. Dean Northup and Associate Dean Juan Carlos Espinosa presented the graduates with certificates, medallions and tassels.
S U M M E R
Summer 2009 Jason Allen Erika Arriola Veronica Bilbao Jennifer Borges Yamaris Diaz Kimberly Engelhardt Karissa Lopez Raissa Molina Ana Ortega Daniel Peña Nestor Perez Andres Ramos Anthony Rionda Olga Santiago
&
F A L L
H O N O R S
Camilla Vidal Natalie Zamora Fall 2009 Andrea Aghlaghanian Paul Ashe Danielle Baiz Markes Brown* Sudanee Campbell* Carla Cao Gabriela Cardona Gisselle Carrasco Leilani Chirino Laura Davis Marika Delos Reyes
C O L L E G E
Marilyn Dominguez Kristen Ellenberger Boris Escalona Natalia Escobar Jamilla Espinosa Gisell Fiat Alessandra Giffuni Juli Gonzalez Elizabeth Jovel Andrew Lepage Maria Luque Bela Malacsina Natalie Marin Carlos Nuñez Jessica Okaty
G R A D U A T E S
Lucia Orozco Lisette Perez Osman Perez Carlos Prays Roxanna Rasekhi Alejandra Reboso Jordan Ricketts Andres Rodriguez Corazon Rodriguez Rodney Rosello Jessica Sanchez Kimberly Schmidt Camilo Silva Kevin Smith Mirtha Soto
Valerie Trueba Patricia Tumelty Sol Velasquez Michael Zecca
* Phi Beta Kappa inductees
P a g e
1 1
F A C U L T Y
S P O T L I G H T : B I O L O G I S T C O N S E R V A T I O N I S T
&
Devon Graham has dedicated his professional career to educating people about and preserving the natural world. This passion is evident in the Honors College course he has taught for over 11 years with Peter Machonis, ―The Everglades: From Beginning to End?‖ The course, which meets in the Everglades National Park instead of a classroom, focuses not only on the history and ecology of the park but also on political and artistic responses to its conservation and purpose. Originally intended to be a one-time offering, the publicity and interest generated by the Everglades class among students and park personnel led to its becoming a permanent course. To expand his teaching and research repertoire, Graham attended a faculty institute offered by the National Collegiate Honors Council and subsequently co-organized his own faculty institutes in Miami and the Everglades. He also applied these new skills in the development of yet another Honors College offering, the Peruvian Amazon Study Abroad Program. Co-led by environmental scientist Jim Riach, students in this course undertake a research project while visiting and learning about the Amazon ecosystem and its inhabitants. On what makes Honors a standout program, Graham cites the fact that the Honors College really strives to make the Honors "experience" a unique and valuable one for students. ―Whether in taking students to regional or national conventions, supporting student research and creative endeavors through the Student Research and Awards Initiative (SRAI), or getting students involved with the community, these are the sorts of experiences and opportunities that set the Honors College and its students apart. I'm fortunate to be a part of it all.‖ In addition to teaching, Graham currently spends considerable time in Peru working with service, educational and research groups such as Project Amazonas.
N E W
M E M B E R
O F
H O N O R S
C O L L E G E
S T A F F
Kanchana Marapana joined the Honors College in October as a Program Assistant. She works with Associate Dean JC Espinosa on development, fundraising initiatives and Honors College Alumni relations. She assists with the implementation of Honors College programs and serves as the liaison for relations between the Honors College and Community Advisory Board. Kanchana was born and raised in Sri Lanka and migrated to the United States in 1998. She graduated from Vassar College in New York with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. Kanchana moved to Florida in 2006. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in International Administration at the University of Miami. Prior to joining FIU, Kanchana worked at Miami Dade College as a part-time Administrative Coordinator and Academic Advisor.
A L U M N I
P R O F I L E
Honors College graduate Tina M. Vidal-Smith is currently vice president of business development at Pacer Corporation, a company that acquires and turns around financially distressed businesses in several industries. She oversees the evaluation of mergers and acquisitions and executes integration strategies for facilities acquired by Pacer. Vidal-Smith has been working for Pacer Corporation since its inception. She previously served as Pacer‘s chief operating officer to assist with the acquisition and integration of non-medical facilities. She also served as Pacer‘s director of corporate operations, where she oversaw the development of the corporate office and Pacer‘s facilities, developed marketing initiatives, and managed the initial rebuild effort of South Cameron Memorial Hospital after the facility was destroyed by Hurricane Rita in 2005. Vidal-Smith graduated from FIU with a Bachelor‘s Degree in international business and marketing in 2002 and a Master‘s Degree in international business in 2004. As an Honors College student, she participated in the 2000 Spain Study Abroad program. That same year she started working with the chief of staff in the FIU‘s President‘s office. ―They were very impressed by her professionalism and maturity as a young student,‖ said Sharon Placide, former Honors College Spain Study Abroad Director and Assistant Dean of Student Services. After two years she was promoted to executive secretary, working in the office of the Board of Trustees.
NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID MIAMI, FL PERMIT NO 3675
The Honors College Modesto A. Maidique Campus, DM 233 Miami, FL 33199 honors@fiu.edu 305-348-4100 Change Service Requested
P a g e
1 2
H O N O R S
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
C H A P T E R
R E V I V E D
The Honors College is pleased to announce the formation of a new FIU Honors College Alumni Chapter. If you are not a member of the FIU Alumni Association, here are some benefits of joining:
support the mission and students of the Honors College
have an opportunity to meet and network with other FIU alumni
receive invitations to alumni mixers, concerts, exhibitions, lectures, tailgate parties and other special events
receive Summa Cum Laude, the Honors College newsletter
If you are already a member and want to become more active, consider joining the FIU Honors College Alumni Chapter board. To join the alumni chapter or become a member of our Community Advisory Board, please contact Kanchana Marapana at 305-3484100 or email at kmarapan@fiu.edu. For more information, please visit http://honors.fiu.edu/alumni/
S A V E
T H E
D A T E
Aesthetics & Values Class Exhibition
Professor John Bailly/ A & V Honors Class & Artists
March 9-April 18, 2010
Frost Art Museum
Honors College/Sweetwater Cultural Evening
Honors Leadership Class/ Sweetwater Elementary Students
April 7, 2010 7:00-9:00PM
Claude & Mildred Pepper Senior Center
Vice President Andres Gil Keynote Speaker
April 13, 2010 9:00AM-5:00PM
Graham Center Ballrooms
Graduation Awards Assembly
Alumna Tina Vidal-Smith Keynote Speaker
April 15, 2010 6:00-9:00PM
Graham Center Ballrooms
Aesthetics & Values Class Panel Presentation
Professor John Bailly/ A & V Honors Class Students
April 16, 2010 3:00-5:00PM
Frost Art Museum
Dean Lesley A. Northup Honors College
April 22, 2010 4:00-6:00PM
Graham Center 243
SRAI Research Conference
Honors College Freshman Reception
Editors: Juan Carlos Espinosa, Juan C. Lopez, Leif Elliott, and Kanchana Marapana. For more information about newsletter content or upcoming events, please call 305-348-4100 or visit http://honors.fiu.edu.