Alumnus John McKibbon ’75 makes $5M gift to FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

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–By Ivonne Amor John McKibbon and his wife Letitia have made a $5 million gift to the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management that will enhance alumni outreach, implement formal integration of technology and innovation into the curriculum, and create student scholarships at the top-10 U.S. public hospitality school from which he graduated. The McKibbon ’75 […]

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 […]

FIU ranks first among Florida public universities

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FIU earned 97 points, the highest score in the history of the Performance-Based Funding Model in Florida FIU has earned the highest score among public universities in the state according to the Florida Board of Governors performance-based funding scores announced today. In Florida, state universities are evaluated on key metrics including four-year graduation rate, retention rate, cost […]

FIU trustees extend President Rosenberg’s contract

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President Mark B. Rosenberg
FIU’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved a one-year extension to President Mark B. Rosenberg’s contract. –By Madeline Baro for FIU News The FIU Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved a one-year extension to President Mark B. Rosenberg’s contract. The extension follows a “superior” rating for Rosenberg’s accomplishments and leadership during the 2019-2020 academic year, […]

MacKenzie Scott makes a $40 million gift to FIU that will transform the student experience

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Philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott and husband Dan Jewett have announced a $40 million gift to FIU. The gift is unrestricted and will be used to support student success programs. “Higher education is a proven pathway to opportunity, so we looked for 2 and 4-year institutions successfully educating students who come from communities that have […]

Major gift highlights: Summer 2021

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As the June 30 close of the fiscal year 2020-2021 approaches, the FIU Foundation is excited and grateful to announce it has already surpassed its fundraising goal of $79 million, bringing in $111.9 million in support for the university as of June 25, 2021. This achievement marks the third record-breaking fundraising year in a row […]

Mellon Foundation grants address inequities of vulnerable, marginalized communities

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Vulnerable communities are often disproportionately impacted by disasters such as hurricanes, floods and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Often, these same communities’ voices have been silenced or marginalized when history is preserved.   Now, thanks to major grants from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Florida International University is addressing these inequities through two innovative programs that draw upon the talent and expertise of multiple academic areas […]

A local MD’s journey and efforts to increase Black presence in the medical profession

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Dr. Seth Crapp
–By Nina Rose “Do I belong here?”  Look around the classroom. Few of the students look like you, and many come from families of doctors. The faculty don’t look like you, and the school’s culture may communicate that you don’t belong. How are you going to find mentors, build a network? Only a tiny percentage […]

Every gift matters

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For most Panthers, showing pride in their alma mater doesn’t happen only once. They don’t go to just one baseball game, participate in one Panther Alumni Week, or drive around once sporting an FIU license plate. Showing Panther pride is something that alumni do regularly – without thinking twice about it.  And for many, giving back is no […]

Forging the future: Developing personalized treatments for cancer patients

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The leading-edge research of FIU faculty member Diana Azzam is advancing the field of personalized cancer treatment. But were it not for a project when she was an undergraduate chemistry student in her native Lebanon, she may not have pursued her current work.  “I got involved in an observational study of incidences of cancer in a mountain area versus the city,” she recounted. “We found there was a higher incidence of […]