So close! Completion grants push students past the finish line

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–By Kenneth Setzer “I got into college!”  Opening that college acceptance letter is thrilling – and a little scary. While scholarships can help with the costs of tuition and books, a worrying trend that appears later in the academic career sees many students have to choose to delay their studies when the graduation finish line is nearly in sight.  To redress this, more institutions are offering what are called “completion grants,” a type […]

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 […]

Foundation Office of Inclusive Philanthropy gathers community for free screenings, discussion of film depicting Arthur McDuffie’s legacy

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Photos by Margi Rentis The anniversary of George Floyd’s death at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin falls on May 25, 2021. In remembrance of Floyd and countless others, the FIU Foundation Office of Inclusive Philanthropy (FOIP) hosted free screenings of Dudley Alexis’s award-winning film, “When Liberty Burns,” at the Black Archives […]

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 […]

FIU Foundation brings together diverse voices to guide new Office of Inclusive Philanthropy

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The university has raised $10 million in support of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives since announcement of institutional Equity Action Initiative. In support of the university-wide effort to strengthen equity and inclusion at Florida International University, the FIU Foundation has designated a team of diverse development officers focused on philanthropic investment in diversity, equity and […]

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, […]

Donors inspired by a campus experience that continues to enrich their lives: Meet Herb Gruber and Donna Steffens ’06

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The BBC Student Food Pantry upgraded to a new space this year, and a group of highly motivated students in the College of Arts, Sciences & Education are getting a well-earned boost toward graduation, thanks to the support of a lifelong learning student named Herb Gruber and his partner, FIU alumna Donna Lee Steffens ’06. […]

Maurice A. Ferré Foundation gift to establish Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership at FIU

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–By Amy Ellis for FIU News The Maurice A. Ferré Foundation has announced a $2 million gift to Florida International University and pledged to raise additional funds, totaling $5.55 million, for the university to establish the Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership at the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs. The new […]

BankUnited iCare Scholarship targets students engaged in diversity

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–By Ellen Forman for BizNews In the summer of 2020, BankUnited launched its iCARETM program. The mission of iCARETM, which stands for Inclusive Community of Advocacy, Respect and Equality, is to create a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace where individuals are valued for their talents, feel free to express themselves and are empowered to achieve their […]