CEO Howard Lipman on the FIU Foundation’s pivotal role advancing the university progress

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–By Todd Ellenberg MS ’91 In this issue of SOAR, we spoke with FIU Foundation CEO Howard Lipman on the growth of the FIU Foundation and its pivotal role in advancing the university’s progress. How has the FIU Foundation evolved since Next Horizon was launched, and how has it been instrumental to the campaign’s success? […]

Alumnus Abe Ovadia assists law students’ job hunt through generous gift to FIU Law’s Career Planning & Placement Office

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Abe Ovadia JD '09
–By Clara-Meretan Kiah ’15 After FIU Law alumnus Abraham “Abe” Ovadia graduated in 2009, he found himself in a bit of a rut. The nation was experiencing the worst economic recession since the Great Depression and the legal profession was retrenching. At the time, FIU’s College of Law had only graduated four classes and was […]

Participation matters: Alumni challenge gift made by two Panthers

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FIU alumni and students at a basketball game
–By Todd Ellenberg MS ’91 Panthers challenging Panthers. It’s helped encourage and inspire the pursuit of excellence at FIU over the decades. And now, a Panther couple has made a bold challenge to fellow graduates to step up and do their part for FIU. The alumni, who have chosen to remain anonymous, made a historic […]

Jaquan Starling approaches engineering with a humanist edge

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–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 […]

Ignite co-founder Stephen Fain reflects on a decade of impact

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In this issue of SOAR, we speak with Stephen Fain, Ed.D., the founding director of Ignite, founding member of the FIU faculty, and professor emeritus in the former College of Education (now the School of Education and Human Development). Since its creation in 2011, Ignite has become the most successful faculty and staff fundraising campaign […]

Alumna pays it forward with scholarships to students pursuing globally focused research, practicing sustainable development

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Three-time alumna Jill Farrell reflects on her notable ties to FIU and why she chose to give back to the university. –By Charlie Crespo MA ’13 There’s an idea you’ve probably heard of called six degrees of separation. If you haven’t, it posits that two people are likely separated by six social connections – if […]

FIU now accepting donations of Bitcoin, Dogecoin and other cryptocurrency

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The FIU Foundation has announced it is now accepting gifts of cryptocurrency, entering a sector of philanthropy that is swiftly gaining traction as the crypto market grows. Through the online platform Engiven, the Foundation can accept 29 forms of virtual currency, including many of the current most popular coins such Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and […]

Inspired by support received as a student, medicine graduate becomes first Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine alum to establish endowed scholarship

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–By Clara-Meretan Kiah and Ileana Varela Dr. Michele Benjamin believes in paying it forward. As a student at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Dr. Benjamin benefitted from the financial support of several scholarships. Now she wants to give back. And so, the beneficiary has become a benefactor. Currently a family medicine resident at Miami’s […]

$10 million gift by Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim continues transforming school of music, expanding student workforce readiness

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The gift is the largest one ever given to a school of music at a public university in Florida –By Gisela Valencia for FIU News “Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other.” — Plato, The Republic Music is at the heart of the human experience. Since the dawn of civilization, humans have […]

Generous donors find hundreds of millions of reasons to give to FIU

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Beyond the eye-popping numbers, contributions to the university’s $750 million campaign stand out for their intentions –For FIU Magazine From proud alumni to the biggest names in philanthropy and beyond, the public is taking note of FIU’s rapid ascent — and investing hundreds of millions in its future. Recognizing FIU’s role as an anchor institution […]