FIYou: Juliet Pinto

Name: Juliet Pinto

Hometown: Huntingdon, PA

Job Title/Department: Associate Professor & Interim Executive Director, School of Journalism & Mass Communication (SJMC)

Campus: Biscayne Bay Campus (BBC)

In a nutshell (what do you do in your position?): I work with Dean Brian Schriner, the SJMC faculty and staff, and our new colleagues at the College of Architecture + the Arts (CARTA) to build a new college, one that will lead the nation in developing unique learning opportunities. This exciting new venture launches our students into new relationships with local and global industries, allowing them to explore new means of storytelling, including merging mediated narratives about diverse cities in changing environments. Joining CARTA means we can integrate music, production, animation, strategic communication, journalism, documentary and radio production, long form multimedia storytelling, and more into our classrooms and our students’ expression. It reinforces our efforts in innovation and storytelling for industry and community

Number of years at FIU: This will be my 10th year.  

What do you enjoy most about your job? Seeing our students grow intellectually and professionally, and hearing about their success post-graduation.

What should faculty, staff and students know about the new college? It will be a college focused on interdisciplinary research, creative activities and degree offerings that better prepare students for this century’s innovation economies. CARTA is a perfect home for SJMC. As a hub for cutting edge design, arts, community and engagement, it also is a place focused on improving global industry, expression and collaboration. Communication in all its forms is inherently interdisciplinary, and our efforts at the SJMC are in perfect sync with CARTA’s endeavors.

Where is your favorite spot on campus? I love the nature trail along Biscayne Bay at BBC.

What is one thing you wish everyone knew about FIU? If geography is destiny, then FIU is absolutely maximizing research, teaching and engagement opportunities in everything from sea level rise to urban redesign. We work to provide solutions to global challenges.

How do you help make FIU “Worlds Ahead?” Our school does great interdisciplinary work, and our work in communicating sea level rise has gotten FIU international recognition as a proactive leader that engages our community. We work closely with entities such as the FIU Sea Level Solution Center, as well as community groups and leaders, to better understand the challenge of rising seas and provide viable, forward-thinking solutions.

Family snapshot: My husband, Claudio, and I have three children: Henry (11), Camilla (8) and Julian (4)

First paying job: Childcare at my hometown church

Favorite TV show: Anything on PBS

What is playing on your iPod? A little bit of everything! Soda Stereo, Gustavo Cerati, Stan Getz, The Samples, Pharrell Williams, Brad, Astrud Gilberto, Robert Plant & Allison Krauss, for example.

Your proudest accomplishment: My three wonderful kids

What do you do when you are not working at FIU? I’m working on a book about media coverage of environmental conflict in Latin America. And also running, both in terms of my daily three miles, as well as around town to meet my children’s busy social schedules.