Benjamín León Jr.’s Legacy of Care and Giving

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FIU President Kenneth A. Jessell (right) with CasaCuba Executive Director Lydia “Lili” Betancourt Space, MS ’00 (left), recognizing Benjamín León Jr. (center) for his support at the CasaCuba gift announcement in January 2024.
By Samantha Vargas For over six decades, the León family has dedicated their lives to providing healthcare to the residents of Miami-Dade County. In 1964, Benjamín León Sr. began the family’s legacy in healthcare by opening a small clinic for newly arrived Cuban exiles in Miami. The impact of this decision can be seen on […]

Empowering Hispanics in Philanthropy

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FIU Foundation Office of Inclusive Philanthropy event entitled, "Empowering Hispanics in Philanthropy
The FIU Foundation Office of Inclusive Philanthropy hosts panel discussion with community leaders to converse about the Hispanic presence in philanthropy “Let’s take this national,” said George Corton. “This conversation isn’t happening at the levels that we need it to, so why not start at the most important city for Hispanics [in the US]: Miami?” […]

FIU Board of Trustees elects alumni as chair and vice-chair

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In a unanimous decision on Thursday, the FIU Board of Trustees elected Rogelio Tovar as the new chair and Carlos A. Duart as the new vice-chair. Both will serve two-year terms effective July 1. Tovar, who has served as vice-chair for the last three years, will succeed Dean C. Colson, a former chair of the […]

Lee Caplin makes $10 million naming gift to Journalism & Media at FIU

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FIU CARTA students
– By Heather Radi-Bermudez Florida International University and its Department of Journalism + Media, within the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA), today announced a $10 million naming gift from philanthropists Mr. and Mrs. Lee Caplin establishing the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media. The gift, one of the largest donations to a […]

Café Bustelo & Pilon announce $1.25 million gift to FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and FIU CasaCuba

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Café Bustelo, FIU CasaCuba, FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and FIU Foundation executives and students from the FIU student club The Coffee Guild share a cafecito in celebration of $1.25 million dollar gift.
By Ivonne Yee-Amor Café Bustelo & Pilon, coffee brands in The J.M. Smucker Co. portfolio, have announced a $1.25 million gift to Florida International University benefiting student scholarships, the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and the construction of FIU CasaCuba. The gift marks a deepening of the relationship between FIU and the brands. Café […]

Kenneth A. Jessell selected as FIU’s sixth president

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Kenneth A. Jessell
Today the Florida International University Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name Kenneth A. Jessell the university’s sixth president. The selection of Jessell, who has served as FIU’s interim president since January, is pending confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors. “In Dr. Jessell we have found the best possible leader for FIU at this moment in […]

Longtime university supporter gives back to help save the bay

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One of FIU's Institute of Environment buoys
By Kenneth Setzer MA ’97 Longtime FIU supporter Elliot Stone cares deeply about the health of the environment. The founder of Royal Castle Builders, LLC, Stone is a Miami native who sees the powerful, positive results of serving his community. That’s why when FIU’s Institute of Environment needed to add a buoy to its Biscayne Bay […]

Professor gives back to support first-generation scholarships, Fostering Panther Pride

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In 2020, Professor Chang won the FIU Faculty Award for Teaching.
As a Panther, professor of criminology and a life-long learner, Rosa Chang ’99, ’21 believes in the transformational power of education so much that she’s making it a part of her legacy. By giving a part of her estate—a significant gift for FIU—Chang ensures that first-generation scholarships and Fostering Panther Pride, a vital college access program for […]