FIU honors distinguished alumni at 11th annual Torch Awards Gala

FIU will pay tribute to distinguished alumni and members of the university community at its 11th annual Torch Awards Gala on Saturday, March 3. The event recognizes the university’s most outstanding alumni and members of the FIU faculty for contributions to their fields, the community and their alma mater.

“This event has become a tradition among our alumni,” said Senior Vice President for Advancement Howard R. Lipman. “As in years past, it will be an evening of pride for the Blue and Gold.”

The Torch Award honors the memory of Senator Ernest R. Graham, the forward-thinking champion who helped to create the university. This year, the signature social event for the FIU Alumni Association will be held at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami, Wells Fargo Center (Met 2), located at 255 Biscayne Boulevard Way in Miami. A cocktail reception will start at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards presentation at 7:30 p.m.

Shannon Ford ’99, Mrs. United States 2011 and an FIU alumna, will serve as the master of ceremonies. Ford, who graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology, is a spokesmodel and human resources business partner for RBC Wealth Management. An active member of the South Florida community and an outspoken advocate for celiac disease awareness, she uses her healthy lifestyle as a platform for encouraging healthy choices.

Previous winners of the Torch Awards include Mike Lowell ’97, who helped the Boston Red Sox defeat the Colorado Rockies to capture the 2007 World Series Championship; Elizabeth Balmaseda ’82, the recipient of two Pulitzer Prizes; Danny Pino ’96, a lead actor in Law & Order: SVU; Andy Garcia, an Academy Award nominee for his role as Vincent Mancini in The Godfather Part III; and Stephanie Burns ’77, the chairman and chief executive officer of Dow Corning who was voted one of the 100 most powerful women in the world.

This year, the FIU Alumni Association will honor the following individuals:

Distinguished Alumni Awards

Laurinda H. Spear FAIA, ASLA, MS ’06, Founding Principal, Arquitectonica
College of Architecture + The Arts            

Fausto B. Gomez ’80, President, Gomez Barker & Associates
College of Arts & Sciences

Paul Michael Felsberg ’03 (posthumous conferral), 2^nd Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps
FIU Athletics

Margaret A. Brisbane ’80, Assistant Director, Information Technology Department for Miami-Dade County
College of Business Administration

Milagros Fornell ’78, MS ’84, Associate Superintendant Curriculum & Instruction, Miami-Dade County Public Schools
College of Education

Salim Nasser ’04, MSME ’06, Aerospace Engineer, NASA Kennedy Space Center
College of Engineering & Computing

Carlos A. Somoza ’93, Senior Tax Manager, BDO
The Honors College

Robert Babayi ’81, Attorney, Venable, LLP
College of Law

Anthony M. Leone ’91, President & Founder, Energy Kitchen
Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Gabriel Gabor ’88, Corporate Communications Consultant, Major League Soccer/ Soccer United Marketing
School of Journalism & Mass Communication

Darlene Boytell-Perez ’89, MSN ’96, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner/Clinical Researcher, Gastro Health.
College of Nursing & Health Sciences

Marisel Losa ’03, President & CEO, Health Council of South Florida
Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work

Outstanding Faculty Award

Lester A. Standiford, Director of FIU’s Creative Writing Program and English Professor at the College of Arts & Sciences

Charles E. Perry Young Alumni Visionary Award

Ian “DJ Irie” Grocher ’99, DJ/Philanthropist, School of Journalism & Mass Communication alumnus

Honorary Alumni Recognition

Bill Draughon ’12, Associate Vice President, FIU Advancement