Meet Gina C. Duarte-Romero, president of the FIU Alumni Association Board of Directors and Chair of the FIU Parent & Family Council

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FIU Alumni Association Board of Directors President Gina C. Duarte-Romero ’91, M.Ed. ’08 taught briefly in Miami-Dade County Public Schools before purchasing a preschool and later The Biltmore School. She now runs The Biltmore School and is an adjunct professor in FIU’s School of Education and Human Development, teaching early childhood education courses. Gina also chairs the FIU Parent & Family Council, which connects students’ parents to FIU and raises funds […]

Committed to inclusive philanthropy, FIU Foundation is supporting institutional diversity, equity, inclusion efforts through its new Foundation Office of Inclusive Philanthropy

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When the university last summer announced an institutional effort to strengthen equity and inclusion at FIU, leadership proposed a plan of action, known as the Equity Action Initiative (EAI), to address the systemic issues identified.   Knowing philanthropy could accelerate and expand upon the university’s work, the FIU Foundation created its new Foundation Office of Inclusive Philanthropy (FOIP). The […]

Foundation Office of Inclusive Philanthropy gathers community for free screenings, discussion of film depicting Arthur McDuffie’s legacy

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Photos by Margi Rentis The anniversary of George Floyd’s death at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin falls on May 25, 2021. In remembrance of Floyd and countless others, the FIU Foundation Office of Inclusive Philanthropy (FOIP) hosted free screenings of Dudley Alexis’s award-winning film, “When Liberty Burns,” at the Black Archives […]

FIU Foundation brings together diverse voices to guide new Office of Inclusive Philanthropy

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The university has raised $10 million in support of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives since announcement of institutional Equity Action Initiative. In support of the university-wide effort to strengthen equity and inclusion at Florida International University, the FIU Foundation has designated a team of diverse development officers focused on philanthropic investment in diversity, equity and […]

Young alum joins Pathway to Philanthropist program with gift to establish scholarship for first-generation students

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With a recent gift to establish the Ruth Andrade – Jose Alberto Maldonado Zavala Scholarship Endowment, computer science alumnus and first-generation college graduate Jose Maldonado ’17 has become one of the first members of FIU’s Pathway to Philanthropist program. The scholarship will benefit first-generation students in the Honors College, of which Maldonado is a graduate, […]

Donors inspired by a campus experience that continues to enrich their lives: Meet Herb Gruber and Donna Steffens ’06

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The BBC Student Food Pantry upgraded to a new space this year, and a group of highly motivated students in the College of Arts, Sciences & Education are getting a well-earned boost toward graduation, thanks to the support of a lifelong learning student named Herb Gruber and his partner, FIU alumna Donna Lee Steffens ’06. […]

With gift to establish scholarship endowment in honor of her teenage daughters, FIU employee joins new Pathway to Philanthropist program

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Inspired to set an example for her two teenage daughters about the positive impact women can make in the world, Smilka Melgoza recently made a gift to establish the Vivian and Vanessa Melgoza Scholarship Endowment at FIU. The scholarship is named for her 13- and 15-year-old daughters and will support students in the Honors College, […]

W.K. Kellogg Foundation supports StartUP FIU Food program to help entrepreneurs of color digitally transform their businesses

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The W.K. Kellogg Foundation recently granted FIU $400,000 to launch the StartUP FIU Food Digital Transformation Program. Launched in 2017 as a collaboration between StartUP FIU and the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, StartUP FIU Food helps local food entrepreneurs strengthen and grow their businesses. The StartUP FIU Food Digital Transformation Program is designed for low-moderate income entrepreneurs […]

Dean John Volakis and Dr. Jason Liu discuss impact of Knight Foundation’s recent investment in computing and information sciences education at FIU

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Knight School students
Last week, the College of Engineering & Computing (CEC) announced its newly named Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences (KFSCIS), in recognition of a $10 million investment by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in the school and FIU’s tech ecosystem. The Knight Foundation’s gift, which is accompanied by an additional […]

Faculty and staff giving reaches $30 million over 10 years

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On the heels of an auspicious fundraising year, during which FIU faculty and staff stepped up to support students and each other through the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ignite Campaign 2021 launched on February 25 with a virtual celebration honoring the start of its tenth anniversary year.  The fiscal year 2020-2021 marks “A Decade of Giving” […]