Jaquan Starling approaches engineering with a humanist edge

–By Jessica Borsi MFA ’19 “Engineering gives me the space to be logically creative,” is how Jaquan Starling, Honors College student and Interdisciplinary Engineering senior due to graduate this June, describes how he likes to work.   For Starling, engineering isn’t just about building better technology; it’s also about questioning the ethical and societal implications of […]

CDR Maguire Inc. CEO and CDR Health Care Inc. CEO, both alumni, give $1.2 million to Honors College for scholarships

Florida International University alumni Tina Vidal-Duart and Carlos Duart have made a $1.2 million gift to the FIU Honors College to establish two student scholarship endowments. It is the largest gift the Honors College has received from its alumni to date. “We are humbled to be in a position to make this gift,” said Tina Vidal-Duart. “Carlos and […]

Honors College students earn early acceptance to Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and mentorship on pre-med track

–By Brittany Torres Rivera for FIU News Every year, ambitious sophomores at FIU’s Honors College are given the distinctive opportunity of being considered for guaranteed admission at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM). In addition to securing an acceptance of admission, the HWCOM Early Assurance Program assists students throughout their premedical planning by helping to define […]

University and donors drive PPE initiative to assist health care workers and frontline responders

To help alleviate the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers and other frontline personnel during the coronavirus pandemic, Florida International University (FIU) has produced more than 6,000 reusable face shields on 3D printers. The College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts; the College of Engineering & Computing; the College of Arts, […]

Rebuilding the engine: Philanthropy for the next generation

–By Nina Rose  Alberto García Marrero was out of gas.   It was spring 2019, his second-to-last semester at FIU, just a handful of credits away from earning his bachelor’s in international business. Marrero’s FIU tuition was paid for by scholarships, but he helped his parents out financially and could barely cover his living expenses.   Marrero was running out of money, and student loans might be his only solution. He was at the gas […]

Pete Markowitz appointed associate dean of Honors College

–For FIU News The Honors College has appointed Pete E.C. Markowitz assistant dean.  Markowitz joined FIU in 1995 as a professor in the Department of Physics. In 2001, he became a faculty fellow at the Honors College where he has taught Freshman Seminar and sophomore courses.  “I have had the privilege of working with Pete for almost 15 years,” says Honors College Dean Juan Carlos Espinosa. “He is […]

Business alumni leverage industry experience, FIU education to shift company focus to include pandemic response

Carlos Duart ’94, MS ’99 and Tina Vidal-Duart ’02, MIB ’04, president and executive vice president, respectively, of CDR Maguire, leveraged their contacts and industry experience to help advise and coordinate relief efforts on a major scale. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, College of Business alumni Carlos Duart ’94, MS ’99 and Tina Vidal-Duart ’02, […]

Alumnus, FIU parent discusses family’s Panther legacy, why he gave to student emergency relief fund

Two-time alumnus Josue Raudales ’97, MS ’05 is a proud FIU Panther and an FIU parent, as well. Raudales was an international student from Honduras and a member of the Honors College during his time at the university. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering & Computing and […]

Celebrating a lifetime of giving: Jorge and Darlene Perez

In recognition of their support, Jorge and Darlene Pérez’s last name graces a beautiful art museum in downtown Miami. But did you know that their largesse extends, in a big way, to FIU? Recently, the couple donated $1 million 
to FIU’s Honors College. The largest gift in the college’s history, it created the Jorge and Darlene […]

Jorge And Darlene Pérez Donate One Million Dollars To FIU Honors College

Local philanthropists and civic leaders Jorge and Darlene Pérez have donated $1 million to the Honors College at Florida International University. The gift—the largest in Honors College history—creates the Jorge and Darlene Pérez Scholars Endowment, which will support scholarships for high-achieving students in the FIU Honors College, particularly those intending to live and work in […]