New director in place FIU Miami Film Festival
An individual who was raised in Miami and has been both a respected journalist covering the film and television industries over the past eight years as well as a writer for them has been named head of the FIU Miami Film Festival.

FIU to become home to world's largest Cuban music collection
Cristóbal Díaz Ayal, author of the definitive book on Cuban music and producer of the recent CD box set 100 Cuban Songs of the Millenium, has given the FIU Libraries approximately 100,000 items that span the history of popular Cuban and other Latin music.

University unveils new athletic logo
From the tall Everglades grass emerged a dark, furious hunter, an he's wearing blue and gold.

Sponsored research and contract funding up more than 5 percent for 2000-2001
For the sixth consecutive year, FIU researchers attracted record levels of sponsored research and contract funding: $61.2 million for 2000-01, an increase of more than 5 percent over the previous year.

Escotet named Frost Professor in College of Education
Miguel Ángel Escotet, professor of International Development Education and Research and director of the FIU International Institute of Educational Development, was recently named the Patricia and Phillip Frost Professor in the College of Education.

FIU, Camillus House to test zinc as a tool against HIV
A new collaborative study between FIU and Camillus House will test whether the immune systems of HIV-positive illicit drug users can be protected with zinc, a common dietary supplement.

College of Business announces CBA Net-Biz Challenge 2002
Joyce J. Elam, dean of FIU's College of Business Administration (CBA), has announced its CBA Net-Biz Challenge 2002: An International Business Plan Competition.

New Board of Trustees holds first meeting, approves master's program in MIS
FIU's newly minted Board of Trustees held its highly anticipated first meeting on July 27, a two-hour affair that saw the Trustees elect officers, discuss funding inequities in Florida higher education and approve a new degree program.

2000-01 Tenure and Promotion recipients
Congratulations to this year's tenure and promotion recipients!

Student chapter named nation's best
FIU's student chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) was selected the best ITE student chapter in the country -- no small feat since there are more than 100 student chapters throughout the country.

An alternative method to evaluate environmental degradation
Chemistry professor testing for caffeine in Florida Keys waterways
Piero Gardinali, FIU assistant professor of Chemistry and faculty member of the Southeast Environmental Research Center, has been testing for caffeine in canals in the Florida Keys in an effort to prove that ailing septic systems are contaminating Monroe County waterways.

African-American fraternities and sororities play growing role in student life
As FIU's campus culture continues to evolve, the University's historically African-American fraternities and sororities stand poised to grow with the University through increased membership and a more visible presence on both campuses.

University establishes employee scholarship program
In a move to offset the Florida Legislature's elimination of tuition-free courses for state employees, FIU President Modesto A. Maidique announced the creation of the FIU Employee Scholarship Program effective with the 2001 Fall semester.

Volleyball team looks foward to record season
The FIU volleyball program is poised to turn things around this season.

Face of the Gods
ART EXHIBITION & LECTURE

Daniel Childers, Southeast Environmental Research Center, was awarded $275,000 from the South Florida Water Management District for "The Southern Everglades Integrated Monitoring and Science Work Plan."

Burton Dunlop, Center on Aging, received $73,653 from the Broward County Department of Human Resources for "Broward County Elder Services Analysis."

Frank Hammons, Education, received $499,405 from the Department of Education for "Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology."

Richard Irey, Mechanical Engineering, received $80,000 from Tennessee State University for his proposal, "CFD Simulation and Model Development for Ice Accretion on Aircraft and Wind Turbine Blades."

Margaret Kovera, Psychology, received $21,516 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences for "Evaluating Mental Impairments: Implications for the Americans with Disabilities Act."

Thomas Leness, Mathematics, received $65,657 from the National Science Foundation for his proposal "PU(2) Monopoles and Gauge Theoretic Invariants."

Ramiro Martinez, Criminal Justice, received $57,497 from the National Institutes of Justice for his proposal, "The Impact of Immigration on Ethnic-Specific Violence: Identifying Individual and Community Characteristics in Miami."

Betty Morrow, Sociology and Anthropology, received $119,918 from the University of South Florida for her proposal, "Assessing Disaster Vulnerability at the Community Level: A Pilot Research Project with Low-Income Women's Groups in the Caribbean."

Ned Murray, Metropolitan Center, was awarded $72,000 from the Miami-Dade Empowerment Trust, Inc. for his proposal, "FEC Corridor Strategic Action Plan."

Allan Rosenbaum, Public Administration and Institute for Public Management and Community Service, has been elected to serve a three-year term as president of the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA). Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the Association is the only worldwide organization for schools and training institutes that offer education in the field of public administration, public policy and governance reform.

Richard Schoephoerster, Biomedical Engineering Institute, was awarded $60,000 from the American Heart Association for "In Vitro Characterization of a Novel Trileaflet Synthetic Heart Valve."

Catherine Capshaw Smith, English, won the Children's Literature Honor Article Award for her essay, "Constructing a Shared History: Black Pageantry for Children during the Harlem Renaissance." S,otj received the award at the International Children's Literature Association convention in June.