FIYou profile: Madeline Baró


madeline-baro

Name: Madeline Baró

Hometown: Hialeah, FL

Job Title/Department: Assistant Director of Media Relations/Office of Media Relations

Campus: University Park

In a nutshell: Matchmaker, of sorts. I match people at FIU with interesting stories to tell with reporters, and I match reporters who want to tell interesting stories with people at FIU. I also write a lot.

Number of years at FIU: 1.5

What do you enjoy most about your job? It’s never boring. I am always meeting new people or learning about new programs, initiatives or research at FIU. I also work with a great group of people.

What do you think faculty/staff/students should know about your department? There are just a few of us in my department, but we work really hard to promote interesting and exciting things that are happening at FIU. So, if you’re working on something that the media might be interested in, let us know!

Where is your favorite spot on campus? Why? I don’t get out much, so I’d have to say my office. There’s always a revolving cast of characters stopping by and occasionally someone drops by with chocolate or cake or other treats.

If there’s one thing you wish everyone knew about FIU, what would it be? FIU helps people achieve their dreams. We have so many students who are either the first in their families to attend college or who are older students who put off college because of family responsibilities or who are working and raising families while attending FIU. I am not sure there are many universities of this caliber where you get that kind of mix of students. On a personal note, thanks to FIU, my husband is launching a second career, so I really appreciate what FIU represents and the role it plays for so many people in our community.

Family snapshot: I come from a small Cuban-American family and married into a large Argentine family, so I am now part of a large Cuban-Argentine-American clan. The family members I live with are my husband, Jorge, an FIU construction management graduate student; my three-year-old son, Martín, a prolific reader and fluent speaker of toddler; and Pee Wee, a chatty African Grey parrot of indeterminate age.

Word that best describes you: Curious

First paying job: When I was about 15, I helped out with inventory at a J Byrons department store one Sunday and made $20. I spent it all on a hot pink, battery-draining, radio/cassette player with headphones. Possibly the worst purchase of my life.

Favorite TV show: “Pushing Daisies” which, unfortunately, has been canceled.

Your proudest accomplishment: As a reporter for the Associated Press in Texas, I won a Press Club of Dallas “Katie” award and a Texas Associated Press Managing Editors’ award for a story I wrote about the high incidence of neural tube birth defects on the Texas-Mexico border and the efforts to prevent them. I’d like to think the article made a difference. The awards were a happy surprise.

What do you do when you’re not working at FIU? When I’m not working at FIU, I’m working at my other full-time job – mom. On the rare break from that, I like to read, write and play video games.

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