FIU breaks ground on Carnival Student Center


Florida International University’s (FIU) School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is breaking ground on the new Carnival Student Center at 10 a.m. Monday, April 5, at the university’s Biscayne Bay Campus.

The Carnival Student Center represents a major step forward for FIU’s acclaimed School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

A 2,600-square-foot space next to the campus’s bayside terrace is being renovated and repurposed to create a formal and informal gathering place for students. With its multipurpose use and resource center, the Carnival Student Center will become a hub where students will meet, hold get-togethers and student organization meetings, work on group projects, and create presentations in the computer center.  Student organizations and industry representatives scouting prospective interns and employees will be able to meet in fully equipped conference rooms.

“The Carnival Student Center meets an important need of the School of Hospitality at a time we continue to grow in number of students, programs and prestige in the academic and tourism professional worlds,” said Interim School of Hospitality Dean Joan Remington. “We are very pleased to have the project underway and very thankful for the support of our good friends at Carnival.”

The Carnival Student Center was made possible by a gift to the School of Hospitality from Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines and its parent company Carnival Corporation & plc for the student center and includes an endowment for scholarships. The gift’s total impact will be increased once matched by the state.

FIU’s School of Hospitality has one of the highest-rated programs in the United States with a 100 percent placement rate for graduates. The school’s alumni hold prominent positions throughout the hotel, travel and food service industries, including Carnival Cruise Lines and Carnival Corporation & plc. At least six FIU Hospitality and Tourism alumni hold high-ranking jobs within Carnival, including Carnival Corporation & plc’s Vice President and Chief Audit Executive Richard Brilliant MS ’93.

Carnival has been a part of the South Florida community since its beginning. Carnival began operation in 1972 with a single ship, the Mardi Gras, and has

since grown into a global cruise company with a portfolio of cruise brands sailing on worldwide itineraries.  Carnival Corporation & plc operates 95 ships, including 22 under the Carnival Cruise Lines umbrella.

“We’re pleased to be able to fund this worthwhile project for FIU’s School of Hospitality,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival Cruise Lines’ president and CEO. “With hospitality and tourism such a vital part of the South Florida economy and FIU the leader in hospitality management education, we feel it’s important to continue our strong relationship with the university and support this much-needed center.”

For more information on FIU’s School of Hospitality please visit hospitality.fiu.edu .

Comments are closed.