Why I Give Back: Alumnus reflects on the personal nature of philanthropy

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By Tom Jelke ‘90 When I was growing up, my mother was a busy and active volunteer, giving time to various service organizations and organizing church fundraisers. She did this when she didn’t have a dime in Cuba, and continued even when she was better off financially years later in Miami. That emphasis on helping […]

College of Law receives $1.2M gift from Spak family

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Theodore “Ted” Spak is such a fan of the FIU College of Law that he gave the college a gift before it welcomed its first class. More recently, he and his wife Rosalind Spak made history again with a $1.2 million planned gift — the College of Law’s largest endowment to date. “The Spaks are an […]

Supporting FIU’s Top Graduates

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Committed to excellence in graduate education, FIU’s University Graduate School (UGS) offers fellowship opportunities for students from across the globe. The most prestigious among the fellowships awarded by UGS, the Presidential Fellowship, attracts top-quality graduate students to doctoral degree programs at FIU and provides a stable platform to help launch their careers.

Courage to Reach Beyond Her Limits

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Senior hospitality management major, Mary Ondari, bravely pushed past the cultural norms of her native country of Kenya to forge a better future for herself. Over the past year, FIU has served as her ticket to a world of possibilities.

Bringing Art to Life and into the Classroom

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Since 2011, FIU landscape architecture students have been learning to use three-dimensional modeling software through assignments that incorporate The Wolfsonian-FIU’s collections. The Wolfsonian Curriculum Development Grant, supported by a three-year, $500,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, made it possible for Ebru Özer, Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture, to develop a new graduate course that enhances students’ learning by forging a connection with the museum’s collections.

Building a Home Away from Home

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The FIU Alumni Center will soon become home to the university’s alumni and friends. Thanks to a $2 million planned gift from Richard W. Strait ’76 and Marcia L. Martinez-Strait, MS ‘77, that dream for a place to call home is turning into a reality. One of the largest alumni contributions to date, this momentous gift will support the design, construction and operation of the future Alumni Center.

Inspired to Give and Succeed

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FIU’s Division of Student Affairs has greatly increased its participation in this year’s Ignite Faculty & Staff Campaign, thanks to the team effort of its staff. One of them, Diana de Castro ’08, MBA ’12, played a critical role in assisting her supervisor and fellow Igniter Matilde Gramling in the endeavor.

First Generation Scholarship Fund Receives Support with STEM Focus

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Rajiv Jain, chief investment officer of Vontobel Asset Management, is one of many donors who understand the growing importance of preparing students to pursue careers in the STEM field, particularly students who will be the first in their families to earn a college degree – which is more than 50% of FIU’s undergraduate student body.

FIYou: Joanndra F. Ramdass

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Joanndra F. Ramdass in FIU’s on-campus Annual Giving Call Center, from which students reach out to FIU alumni, current FIU parents and friends of the university in request of contributions. Name: Joanndra F. Ramdass Hometown: Siparia, Trinidad Job Title/Department: Coordinator, Phone & Parent Programs, Office of Annual Giving, University Advancement Location/Campus: MARC 237, Modesto A. […]