FIYou: Maida Watson Ph.D. ’76

Name: Maida Watson Ph.D. ’76

Hometown: Panama City, Republic of Panama

Job Title/Department: Professor, Department of Modern Languages

Campus: Modesto A. Maidique Campus

In a nutshell: I am a graduate professor of Latin American literature and Latin American culture and an advisor of languages for business for CIBER at the College of Business.

Number of years at FIU: 35

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Helping our graduate students.

What do you think faculty/staff and students should know about your department?

That our Spanish Ph.D. program is one of the top programs at FIU and that we have well-published faculty from all over the world. And that we actually place our Spanish graduates.

Where is your favorite spot on campus? Why?

Starbucks in the Green Library. I can meet with my students there in a nice atmosphere.

If there is one thing you wish everyone knew about FIU, what would it be?

How good the faculty is and what a good value we are considering the low tuition.

Family snapshot:

There’s my husband, Tom Breslin, who is presently chair of the FIU Faculty Senate. My daughter, Moira Breslin, who is in her fourth year of medical school at Duke University. And my son, Brian Breslin, who is CEO of his own company, InfiniMedia, an international software development startup that does social networking and is located in Coconut Grove.

Word that best describes you: Extrovert.

First paying job: Tour guide on the Panama Canal.

Favorite TV show: Anything on the History Channel.

Your proudest accomplishment:

Raising my two children.

What do you do when you are not working at FIU?

I like to travel, give dinner parties and raise vegetables.