Rosenberg recognizes FIU’s 2014 Top Scholars

Thirty-nine outstanding faculty members were honored at a reception March 28  for their dedication to excellence and for their accomplishments in research and scholarship.

“No es fácil. It’s not easy,” said President Mark B. Rosenberg at the annual event held at the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential House. “We acknowledge that. That is why we celebrate you.”

Rosenberg added: “You’ve recognized that the privilege of being at the university comes with responsibility. You’ve shown a burning desire to be competitive in your field. You have a burning desire to improve this institution.”

Among the research scientists, engineers, lawyers and artists recognized was Dr. Consuelo Beck-Sague, an assistant professor in the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work. Beck-Sague is a pediatrician who when nearing retirement decided to pursue a career in academia to study AIDS in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. When asked what impact she hoped to have in the world, she said, “I’d like to end mother to daughter transmission in Haiti and the DR.”

Professor Rosemary Hickey-Vargas, who specializes in geochemistry in the School of Environment, Arts and Society, says she wants her legacy to be the success and well-being of her students. Hickey-Vargas was selected for the Ocean Discovery Program (ODP) Expedition 351-Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc Origins-Science party; she is one of nine Americans chosen for this international oceanographic expedition beginning this summer.

The distinguished members of the FIU academic community and Rosenberg also took the opportunity to thank Provost and Executive Vice President Douglas Wartzok – who will conclude his tenure as provost July 1, when he leaves on sabbatical to Macquarie University in Sydney.

“I’d like to thank our provost who never forgot his roots, even as he ascended,” Rosenberg said. “Every day, he has made a strong contribution to this university.”

The provost received a standing ovation as Rosenberg said, “Doug is the best provost we’ve ever had. I can say this because I was provost.”

Honorees are nominated by their respective deans through the Office of the Provost.

“Many of your colleagues are just as deserving,” Wartzok said to the group gathered in the Reagan House living room. “You are representative of great work by the university.”

As has become tradition, FIU’s Top Scholars were asked to choose a book that has influenced their professional and/or personal life. The tomes will be purchased and donated to the library in their name.

FIU’s 2014 Top Scholars

Atorod Azizinami, College of Engineering & Computing

Melissa Baralt,  Modern Languages, College of Arts & Sciences

Patricia Barbetta, Teaching & Learning, College of Education

Marianna Baum, Robert Stempel College Public Health & Social Work

Consuelo Beck-Sague, Robert Stempel College Public Health & Social Work

Shekhar Bhansali, College of Engineering & Computing

Erick Brewe, College of Education

Rosales Camilo, College of Architecture + The Arts

Chip Cassidy, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Lampert Curba, Management, College of Business

Ed Del Valle, College of Architecture + The Arts

Eric Fenkl,  College of Nursing & Health Sciences

Kristopher Fennie, Robert Stempel College Public Health & Social Work

Maria L. Fernandez,  Teaching & Learning, College of Education

Sandra Garcia Jones, College of Nursing & Health Sciences

Stavros Georgakopoulos, College of Engineering & Computing

Bernard Gerstman, Physics, College of Arts & Sciences

Mirta Gómez, College of Architecture + The Arts

Rosemary Hickey-Vargas, Earth and Environment, College of Arts & Sciences

Rudolf Jaffe, Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts & Sciences

Haiyan Jiang, Earth and Environment, College of Arts & Sciences

Miranda Kitterlin, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Kingsley Lau , College of Engineering & Computing

Yuan Liu, Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts & Sciences

Iveris Martinez, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Wasim Maziak, Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College Public Health & Social Work

Bruce McCord, Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts & Sciences

Madhavan Nair, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

William Newburry, Management, College of Business

Winifred Elysse Newman, Architecture, College of Architecture + The Arts

Mark Padilla, Global and Sociocultural Studies, College of Arts & Sciences

Iyengar Ram, College of Engineering and Computing

Camilo Rosales, Architecture, College of Architecture + The Arts

Suzanna Rose, Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences

Laurie Shrage, Philosophy, College of Arts & Sciences

Jayati Sinha, Marketing, College of Business

Kerri Stone,  College of Law

Chockalingam (Vish) Viswesvaran, Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences

Aaron Welch, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Ming Zhao,  College of Engineering & Computing