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 […]

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 […]

Knight Foundation investment sparks anticipation among FIU students, alumni

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Knight School students
When the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation invested $10 million in the newly renamed Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, students and alumni across the country – like Cesar Villa Garcia ’18, Jose Maldonado ’17, and Ph.D. candidate Mireya Jurado – were ecstatic. The value of their degrees had just received an important boost. The College of Engineering & Computing, which houses the Knight School, is […]

Jorge Mas and family make $5 million lead gift to CasaCuba at FIU

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On behalf of the Mas family, Jorge Mas, one of the most prominent Cuban American business leaders in the United States, has made a $5 million lead gift to CasaCuba at Florida International University. A founding member of the CasaCuba Board of Advisors and chairman of the Board and co-founder of MasTec, his gift will support the mission and […]

Following gift from Maurice A. Ferré Foundation, FIU celebrates launch of Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership

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Public policy professor Agatha Caraballo named inaugural director –By Amy Ellis for FIU News Widely regarded as the father of modern-day Miami, Mayor Maurice A. Ferré led the city through some of its most challenging times – the McDuffie riots, the Mariel boatlift and the drug wars. His early vision of Miami as the gateway […]

Young alum joins Pathway to Philanthropist program with gift to establish scholarship for first-generation students

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With a recent gift to establish the Ruth Andrade – Jose Alberto Maldonado Zavala Scholarship Endowment, computer science alumnus and first-generation college graduate Jose Maldonado ’17 has become one of the first members of FIU’s Pathway to Philanthropist program. The scholarship will benefit first-generation students in the Honors College, of which Maldonado is a graduate, […]