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. […]

Panther Trailblazers

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Many of today’s FIU students are unaware of the history of FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus – a former airstrip and World War II flight training center. Building on this history, a small team of dedicated and visionary people, driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to adapt and persevere, imagined the FIU we have today and spent their lives making it a reality.

The Annual Giving Center

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“My journey through FIU has been a long but memorable one. The people I have met here have played a huge role in my life and my growth,” said Andre Harrrell, a senior criminal justice major who one day aspires to work for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Museum Goes Virtual

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The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at FIU recently announced the launch of the Virtual Frost Art Museum, a new website that enables art enthusiasts to view exhibitions from their computer or smart phone, thanks to a $35,000 matching grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as part of its Knight Arts Challenge. The Virtual Frost Art Museum can be accessed by visiting http://virtual.frostartmuseum.org.