Opening Doors: How Scholarships Change Student Futures At FIU

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FIU students at commencement
— By Samantha Vargas A conversation with Senior Director of Academic Support Services, Laura Castillo, detailing the broader impact of donor-funded scholarships. At Florida International University (FIU), scholarships often determine whether a student can stay enrolled and reach graduation. Powered largely by philanthropy, initiatives like All In for FIU Scholarships make it possible to meet […]

FIU Student Joins Legacy of Family Graduates Pursuing Careers in Education

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When Matthew Johnson graduates with a degree in exercise science this December, he will be the third generation in his family to graduate from FIU’s School of Education and Human Development. Both his mother and grandmother earned their bachelor’s and master’s degrees from FIU. Matthew grew up with them ever-present in his life while they […]

FIU alumni Tina Vidal-Duart and Carlos Duart gift to name wine studies program at Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

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Originally published on December 8, 2023 on news.fiu.edu. Written by Yvonne Yee-Amor FIU alumni Tina Vidal-Duart ’02, MBA ’04 and Carlos Duart’94, MA ’99 have announced a gift establishing the Vidal-Duart Wine Studies program at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The only wine studies program in the country named by a Hispanic family, this commitment underscores the couple’s […]

Researching “monster” cancer cells

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Originally published on December 1, 2023 on news.fiu.edu Written by Angela Nicoletti Cristina Andrade-Feraud has seen how healthy cells change after exposure to arsenic. The transformation is radical. Exploding exponentially in size, the cells end up looking like “monsters,” she says. A Ph.D. candidate in the lab of FIU cancer researcher Diana Azzam, Andrade-Feraud is unraveling the […]

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences establishes Jorge M. Perez and Darlene Boytell-Perez 50th anniversary scholarship endowment

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Originally published on November 20, 2023 on news.fiu.edu. Florida International University (FIU) today announced a generous gift from Jorge M. Pérez and Darlene Marie Boytell-Pérez ’89, MS ’96 to establish a new endowment at FIU’s Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences (NWCNHS). The Jorge M. Pérez and Darlene Boytell-Pérez 50th Anniversary of Nursing Scholarship […]

FIU Law graduates earn highest passage rate on Florida bar exam

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Originally published April 11, 2023 on news.fiu.edu Written by Elizabeth Ferrer-Alfonso FIU College of Law graduates strike again – earning the highest passage rate among all Florida law schools on the Florida bar exam administered in February. FIU Law surpassed the statewide average passage rate for accredited schools in Florida by 24 percentage points with a first-time passage […]

FIU Board of Trustees welcomes newest members: Alan Gonzalez and Francis Hondal

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Originally published April 4, 2023 on news.fiu.edu. Written by Elizabeth Ferrer-Alfonso The FIU Board of Trustees has two new members subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate: Alan Gonzalez, appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, and Francis Hondal, appointed by the Florida Board of Governors. “We are thrilled to welcome proud Panthers Alan and Francis to […]

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 […]

Alumnus Abe Ovadia assists law students’ job hunt through generous gift to FIU Law’s Career Planning & Placement Office

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Abe Ovadia JD '09
–By Clara-Meretan Kiah ’15 After FIU Law alumnus Abraham “Abe” Ovadia graduated in 2009, he found himself in a bit of a rut. The nation was experiencing the worst economic recession since the Great Depression and the legal profession was retrenching. At the time, FIU’s College of Law had only graduated four classes and was […]