On 30th anniversary of Armenian earthquake, alumnus and donor recognized by ambassador for service as disaster responder

On December 7, 1988, a magnitude-6.8 earthquake rocked Armenia, leaving 25,000 dead (with estimates ranging as high as 50,000) and hundreds of thousands homeless. In an unprecedented move, the Soviet Union, of which Armenia was then a member, called for help from the international community in the wake of the disaster. Days later, alumnus Raul […]

Top FIU benefactor inducted into Inventors Hall of Fame

Decades ago, Dr. Herbert Wertheim turned his early ideas for inventions into prototypes using Maxwell House coffee cans as chemistry beakers. An optometrist and the founder and CEO of Brain Power Inc., he was the first
 to discover and produce ultraviolet light dye absorbers for eyeglass lenses, an innovation that has helped millions avoid cataracts […]

Family impacted by autism funds program to develop leaders, research in caring for developmentally disabled adults

Local doctors Jeffrey Simmons and Yolangel Hernandez Suarez have made a $2 million gift to FIU to establish the Simmons+Hernandez Suarez Fellowship Program at FIU Embrace. The fellowship will support professionals who take an interdisciplinary approach to solving the complex and multi-faceted issues facing adults with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. One and two-year fellowships […]

Construction school officially renamed in honor of alumnus Chad Moss ’94

In recognition of a landmark contribution to FIU, the College of Engineering & Computing’s school of construction has been renamed in honor of alumnus Chad Moss ’94. The Moss School of Construction, Infrastructure and Sustainability was recently unveiled at a ceremony at the Engineering Center and commemorates a $10 million donation to the school made […]

Introducing: First-generation student Justyce Pinkney

Senior psychology major Justyce Pinkney plans to earn a Ph.D. To get there, she has spent the last two summers conducting research as an undergraduate through the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program and working as an after-school counselor for The Barnyard, a nonprofit organization in Miami that serves low-income children and their parents. But […]

Mellon Foundation awards $675,000 to FIU to support education in the humanities

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded FIU a $675,000 grant to enhance humanities education and optimize student learning. The grant will establish Project THINC: Teaching Humanities in the New Context to promote active learning-centered, culturally responsive teaching in humanities classrooms at the university. “Project THINC will catalyze a critical mass of faculty to lead pedagogical change […]

Jorge And Darlene Pérez Donate One Million Dollars To FIU Honors College

Local philanthropists and civic leaders Jorge and Darlene Pérez have donated $1 million to the Honors College at Florida International University. The gift—the largest in Honors College history—creates the Jorge and Darlene Pérez Scholars Endowment, which will support scholarships for high-achieving students in the FIU Honors College, particularly those intending to live and work in […]

Endowment created in memory of CARTA employee Anan Bakir

Camila Schriner is donating $100,000 to Florida International University to create an endowment in memory of Anan Bakir, a beloved employee of the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA) who died in April. Anan began his career at FIU in May 2004 with PreCollegiate Programs and Grants, and his most recent position held was with the CARTA […]

Dotson family donates $1 million to honor father’s legacy at FIU

The family of FIU visionary Albert Dotson Sr. has donated $1 million to FIU to commemorate his legacy at the university. The gift supports athletics, scholarships for minority students, and the Management and Advanced Research Center (MARC building) at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus. In recognition of this gift, the university renamed the International Pavilion […]

Donations to First Generation Scholarship Program now matched 2-for-1 by state

International business senior Alberto Garcia Marrero hopes to go to law school after graduating. To get there, the Honors College student spends his time attending conferences in his field of study and leading a number of campus organizations, including Golden Key International Honour Society, for which he serves as president. Garcia Marrero was born in […]