“We fly our banners high, ev’ry culture we embrace. All our love and Panther spirit, young and old we make this place.” Alma Mater

“Let your FIU story be a reminder of your tenacity, your grit, your excellence—and a motivation to continue making a difference in the world.” President Kenneth A. Jessell

Raise the volume and drag to explore.

So, take the stage.

We're here to celebrate.

Because together, we are stronger.

Hats off to you.

This fall, FIU will celebrate the achievements of more than 5,500 students in eight commencement ceremonies from Dec. 16-19. They include students who are shaping the future with their groundbreaking ideas, unwavering dedication, and cutting-edge research.

Graduates include a former student athlete-turned-NFL’s first director of health and innovation, a computer engineer helping the visually impaired “see,” and a marine scientist who found the Greenland shark in Caribbean waters – far from its Arctic home — and who researches how the shark meat trade impacts coastal communities. 

“FIU graduates are trailblazers, combining determination and innovation to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” said FIU President Kenneth A. Jessell. “From advancing groundbreaking medical and assistive technologies to shaping the future of sports science and marine conservation, Panthers exemplify the excellence and impact that define our university. They make us proud.”

All commencement ceremonies will be held at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center, located at FIU’s Modesto Maidique Campus at 11200 SW 8th St., Miami, 33199.

FIU’s outstanding graduates include:

Taylor Langon, 30, has turned a lifelong passion for sports – as an undergraduate she was a member of her school's women’s rowing team – and an interest in science into an exciting, trailblazing career with the National Football League. As the organization’s first-ever director of health and innovation, she has responsibility for advancing research and policy around traumatic brain and musculoskeletal injuries. She oversees aggregation of data from the league’s 32 team doctors, consults with physicians and biomedical engineers, leads conferences at which she shares applicable research findings with representatives of other sports leagues, and organizes physical evaluations for the more than 300 athletes who participate annually in the NFL Scouting Combine. She previously managed concussion research and care at two universities with NCAA Division I sports teams. Langon graduates with a Doctor of Athletic Training degree from the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 3 p.m.

Michael Romano, 23, has taken his passion for innovation and entrepreneurship to revolutionize accessibility. He is one of the two creators of BeyondSight, an assistive technology company that empowers the visually impaired with the security and freedom to go anywhere. With support from StartUp FIU, Romano merged his engineering background with his knowledge of tech and AI to devise a new solution for the challenge of visual impairment. Blending AI and haptic feedback (using touch and vibrations to communicate sensations or feelings), BeyondSight offers users a heightened sense of situational awareness, thus giving them the independence to explore new places without fear of getting hurt. Romano graduates with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering & Computing on Monday, Dec. 16, at 10 a.m. 

Devanshi Kasana, 32, is making waves in marine conservation and public health through her groundbreaking research, which has taken her from tracking elusive Greenland sharks to studying shark fisheries and the global shark meat trade. Focused on Central America, she is building baselines for catch and consumption at national scales to uncover the supply chains connecting Belize and Guatemala, where demand for shark meat drives this complex trade. Her work highlights the critical role of shark meat in supporting food security and livelihoods for coastal communities worldwide. Kasana will receive a Ph.D. in Marine Sciences from the College of Arts, Sciences & Education on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 10 am. 

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FIU Board of Trustees Chair Rogelio Tovar will speak at the 10 a.m. ceremony on Monday, Dec. 16, and at the 3 p.m. ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 19.  

FIU Board of Trustees member T. Gene Prescott will speak at the 3 p.m. ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 19. 

FIU alumna Diane Ramy Faulconer will receive an Honorary Doctor of Science, honoris causa, during the 3 p.m. ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 17. A passionate advocate for nursing and health professions education, Faulconer has consulted on healthcare initiatives in underserved countries, and championed innovation through simulation and certification programs. Her philanthropy has transformed FIU’s Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, funding facilities like the STAR and CARE Centers and providing over 150 scholarships for graduate and nursing health sciences students. Faulconer earned both her bachelor’s degree in health sciences and master’s degree in management from FIU in 1974.

Video clips and photos for media use will be uploaded to this folder, which will continue to be updated during graduation days with new images and videos.

At 3:05 p.m. on Wednesday, high schoolers across the state got ready for the news.

Some sat in parked cars looking expectantly at phones. Others waited in bedrooms in front of laptops with friends or gathered in kitchens with family, all in excited anticipation and ready to capture video.

Then came the elation: “I got in!”

Recently, as she turned her tassel to the left of her graduation cap, signifying her academic achievement of earning her Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management, she recognized that those experiences and one simple word are what got her to the finish line and a job before she even stepped onto the stage to receive her diploma.

“Yes.” That’s the three-letter word that Tesone, who is from Miami, says is the key to her success. “Two-and-a-half years ago, I joined a family at FIU within the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and its Bacardi Center of Excellence that completely changed my life and my career,” Tesone said.

Tesone representing FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at the U.S. Open tennis tournament

Tesone has been traveling the globe over the past two-and-a-half years simply because her “yes” led her to enter the Coffee in Good Spirits Coffee Cocktail competition sponsored by Lavazza and the FIU Bacardi Center of Excellence. Her first-place finish with her “Mai Tierra” drink led to a chance to prepare and showcase it in the Lavazza Premium Coffee Corporation’s suite at the 2024 U.S. Open in New York City.

“Saying yes to what you do not know opens so many doors that you never knew existed,” said Tesone. “I never thought it would lead to all of this,” she added.

Besides her travels, Tesone has gotten hands-on experiences to work in beverage management and to network with industry leaders at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Tales of the Cocktail and at the Speciality Coffee Association Expo in Chicago this year.

These unique experiences gave her the advantage of meeting corporate executives in a professional setting and to network with them one-on-one. As a result, she’s been hired by Lavazza to be part of their corporate training program and the world’s largest coffee training school network.

“The students are starting to see that winning or participation gets you into an ecosystem that’s pretty amplified for their career, for their own personal development,” said Frank LaRusso, a director of training for the Lavazza Group, creator of the competition and a Chaplin School adjunct professor.

For Tesone, it may have started with mixing, measuring and trying something outside of her comfort zone, but she says the opportunities at FIU to network and attend exclusive industry events has been a priceless part of her education.

“All of the events I’ve attended and been a part of with Lavazza came out because of the initial yes. I encourage other students to push the envelope and try new things because you never know what that will lead to in the future.” 

Tesone's journey began with a study abroad to El Salvador. Here, she plants a coffee tree at a plantation.

The Department of Defense (DoD) is one of FIU’s largest funders, and the university took the opportunity to showcase its most promising projects. The federal agency in fiscal year 2024 invested more than $43 million dollars in leading-edge research such as high-bandwidth “foldable” antennas, explosive-detection systems and additive manufacturing, among others.

“This conference's scale and collaborative spirit were unparalleled,” said Stavros Georgakopoulos, a professor at the College of Engineering & Computing who leads the University’s Transforming Antennas Center. “Our conversations with industry and defense department officials were a great chance to continue a longer-term dialogue aiming to further advance the commercial readiness of the university’s technologies.” Georgakopoulos personally met with officials at dozens of companies such as Boeing, Teledyne and Northup Grumman to explore commercial possibilities.

Georgakopoulos’ research is focused on reconfigurable antennas that can be compacted to easily carry into the field of battle or even outer space. They feature high bandwidth capacity to channel large amounts of data through 6G, wireless technology. The work contributes to improving communications so that the intelligence community can better prepare for and defend against security threats.

“The university’s presence at the conference is important,” said Brian Fonseca, director of the Gordon Institute of Public Policy, which promotes and advances the study of public policy and national security studies. “Considering we can leverage the amazing talents of our students and graduates and promote research funded by the DoD, we look forward to greater success for our faculty and young alumni professionals working in the area of defense.”

FIU technologies were featured in a 30-second video at the convention hall, which current students interning and studying in the nation’s capital had a chance to visit as part of their FIU experience.

Contributing to the week’s activities, among them a reception with alumni working in the defense industry, was Mia Rodriguez, a senior political science major, Honors College student and current Hamilton Scholar in FIU’s center on Capitol Hill.

This semester, Rodriguez served as an intern at the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration and interacted with the 31 designated U.S. technology hubs currently funded by the agency, among them the South Florida ClimateReady Tech Hub, of which FIU is a leader. The exposure provided important insight into the relationships and work necessary to bring university research to the commercial stage, Rodriguez says. That knowledge allowed Rodriguez to capitalize on Georgakopolous’ preliminary discussions at the conference by arranging follow-up meetings for him with the Defense Innovation Unit, the National Security Innovation Network and the DoD Office of Small Business.

“This experience has helped me better understand how to harness connections within the private sector and see what role the federal government could play in FIU’s commercialization to better facilitate a public-private partnership that both advances FIU research and stimulates economic growth,” Rodriguez said.

Beyond funding specific projects (see below), FIU and the DoD have in place a formal yet flexible agreement that allows for additional collaboration, valued at up to $360 million, in areas that include analytic support, open-source intelligence, climate and environmental resilience, training and education, modeling and simulation and engineering support.

• Security Research Hub: In support of the U.S. Southern Command, located in South Florida, FIU’s holds a repository of publicly available reseasrch and reports related to security questions within Latin America and the Caribbean. The hub enhances the federal government’s real-time analyses of transnational security issues, global health concerns and regional environmental disasters.
• Cold spray technologies: Along with the U.S. Army Research Lab, FIU engineers are advancing the used of so-called additive manufacturing, which can be used to repair and strengthen materials and components utilized in military vehicles and munitions.
• Reconfigurable, ultra-wideband antenna systems: In collaboration with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, FIU is developing next-generation communication systems - 6G - that will not only improve reliability and rapidly accelerate data transmission for soldiers in the field and scientists on expeditions, among them astronauts in outer space, but will revolutionize health care for the masses.
• Ultra-high-performance concrete: In a collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FIU is advancing a material to create customized, on-demand, highly durable structures for the building, transportation and defense industries.
• Intelligence fellowship: FIU’s premier academic workforce development program provides both undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to prepare for a future in any of the 18 agencies of the U.S. intelligence community through coursework, research and mentorship.

John Noble Masi is the lead professor of culinary and restaurant management at FIU's Chaplin School of Hospitaity & Tourism Management and a classically trained chef

The winter holidays are a special time of year. As we take a break from school and work, many of us will gather with family and friends to celebrate over a nice meal.

Whether you are hosting one of these meals or are a guest at someone else’s house, it is important to think about what we eat. The holiday meals we consume are often calorie-laden and focused heavily on meat and carbs. What can any of us do to make better choices about what to serve and what to eat?

Consume smaller portions on smaller plates - It is the most challenging thing not to overconsume foods over the holidays. My mom reminds me “But it’s the Holidays!” and encourages me to eat more. My first tip is to give yourself grace: try everying but don’t go overboard. Enjoy a small piece of pie and a cookie verus eating the whole pie and a dozen cookies. A simple way to limit the amount you consume is to eat from a smaller plate. Studies show that using a smaller plate has a corresponding reduction in overall consumption.

Balance is EVERYTHING - I say this is important in life generally, but especially in dining. If your plate typically has 90% meat and carbs like potatoes, rice or stuffing, then try to shift some of those items to healthier fruits and vegetables. Ensure there are some healthy options available. If you enjoy calorie-laden traditional mashed potatoes, then pair them with some green beans sautéed with heirloom tomatoes. Find balance in what you cook and serve.

Hydrate - A study showed that almost 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated and drink less than the daily recommendation of eight glasses of water per day. Ensure that water is offered with your meal and that all guests have easy access to refill their glass. Water will not only keep one hydrated but can also help create a feeling of fullness that will deter overcomsumption.

Try some activity - Shuffling from the dining room table to the couch after dinner is not enough exercise! Taking a walk through the neighborhood with a family member or friend will help with digestion and sleep later in the evening.

Chef Masi (third from right) with hospitality students at the Deering Estate Seafood Festival in 2023. 

2025 reset - If you do go overboard during the holidays, don't beat yourself up: You can always reset in the new year. On campus, beginning with the upcoming semester, a healthy snack station in the lobby of the Chaplin School building at BBC will help students get back on track with a piece of whole fruit, yogurt and other light bites, all at no charge, to fuel them throughout the day.

Twelve months of nonstop forward motion has certainly left us all filled with pride. How much do you recall of what happened in 2024? Test your memory with our seven-question quiz, and then catch up on whatever you missed as we share our most widely read stories.

One thing is for sure: 2025 promises to be another stellar period as FIU embarks on its new strategic plan and continues to put research and student success at the heart of it all. Panthers, here’s wishing you peace, prosperity and good health as we turn the final page on the calendar.

The 2017 film just landed at No. 15 on the Top Christmas Movies of All Times list, and a reporter the other day wrote that it is “the most underrated Christmas movie of the 21^st century.”

Based on the book by creative writing professor Les Standiford, who also co-wrote the screenplay, it tells how Charles Dickens revitalized interest in the season of giving through his story “A Christmas Carol.”

The latter reigns as one of the most popular yuletide tales of all time and has itself been turned into at least 16 movie adaptations, per the Hollywood Reporter, not to mention hundreds (likely thousands) of stage productions over the past 180 years.

Published on Dec. 19, 1843, the story - of a selfish, grumpy miser warned by three ghosts to change his ways - continues to resonate across generations. Critics credit its longevity to the work’s “rich exploration of the human condition,” “emotional depth” and “commentary on social inequality.”

Standiford’s 2008 nonfiction volume explores the story behind the story: Dickens was left broke and distressed following three failed books and in just six weeks penned the tale of Tiny Tim and Scrooge in hopes it would keep his family financially afloat. When the manuscript was rejected by his publishers, Dickens paid to have it printed himself. Success and critical acclaim followed.

“A Christmas Carol” not only renewed Dicken’s career but revived a collective spirit of goodwill among his fellow Brits through references to nostalgia and old traditions at a time when Christmas was considered a mostly irrelevant holiday. From food and drink to the phrase “Merry Christmas,” it still influences how people celebrate today. Even Scrooge’s signature line, “Bah! Humbug!” is commemorated each year on national Bah Humbug Day - recognizing “the curmudgeons who suck the joy out of the holiday season” – on Dec. 21.

New York Times best-selling author Standiford, who has 25 books to his credit and founded FIU’s creative writing program in 1985, appreciates the ongoing interest in his own storytelling, especially during this time of year.

“Just the other day, I was thinking what a blessing it is to have somehow created something that seems to be a little part of Christmas culture,” he says. “I could have scarcely imagined doing such a thing when I was younger, but at this stage of the game, I thank my lucky stars.

“I can only wish that my mom and dad were still around. . .  I know that they did not know what to think when I told them that I was dropping out of law school and intending to be a writer. And being almost as much of a holiday guy as Charles Dickens was, that makes it doubly pleasing to me.”

The film adaptation of “The Man Who Invented Christmas” stars the late-great Christopher Plummer as Ebenezer Scrooge and Dan Stevens as Dickens. It is streaming on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and elsewhere.

She is only 19 years old — and already a force to reckon with.

She has worked with small businesses to grow their social media reach. She’s taken film and acting classes. She’s learned coding. As a kid, she played professional-level chess. She skipped eighth grade and earned a wealth of college credits through her high school’s AICE program. She launched her YouTube channel when she was 16.

Hungry to deepen her business and entrepreneurial skills even more, she chose FIU as her university a year later. She was a fully online, first-generation student who threw herself into her studies. This past summer, she graduated from FIU with a bachelor’s in business administration in only two years. 

She’s using her degree (and her concentration in finance) to continue expanding her full-fledged career as a content creator and entrepreneur.

“I’ve always been a passionate content creator,” Hoyos says. “Since I was eight years old, I would do daily vlogs on YouTube.”

Today, Hoyos creates videos that share lifehacks, budgeting tips and funny entertainment with children and teens. She says that being a positive role model and making good content for youth is her priority.

“This is the content I wish I had when I was young,” Hoyos says. “I want to be a good influence for the youth while still being entertaining.”

Hoyos recently gave a TED Talk at TEDNext, which will be released soon. Her speech was called "How to Tell a Story in 60 Seconds."

Journey of a creator

Hoyos initially created content surrounding budgeting tips and her own business ventures. “I was making videos about me trying to make money,” Hoyos recalls.

“My audience was teens, mainly young adults, who have traditional afterschool jobs,” Hoyos says. “I would always get recognized by teens working at McDonald’s, Chick-fil-e and Walmart. They are teens who are working hard for their money but don’t have enough of it to buy what they want.”

She loved being able to offer them some budgeting ideas. Then, she realized she could reach even more people if she expanded her content strategy.

“I decided to make general entertainment content where the main character is a cheapskate,” Hoyos says. “That’s how I gained my now current audience, which is elementary school through high school students.”

Hoyo’s most viral video is one featuring how she tore down a little wall in her house and created a “secret room” for herself without spending a dime. It has more than 168 million views.

Hoyos’ favorite video features her cooking in the back seat of her mom’s car while waiting in line at a McDonald’s drive thru. The goal: to see if she could cook a burger faster than it took to pick up her order at the final window. The video garnered more than 48 million views.

Students Ashley Newsholme, Rachel Siretskiy and Nicole Moscoso came up with the idea for FIU HOME while participating in the college's Green Family Foundation Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP). They discovered that individuals without stable housing were ineligible for services through the latter program. Motivated to bridge this gap, they partnered with Interim Associate Dean for Student Affairs Dr. Sarah Stumbar and Assistant Professor Dr. Lizzeth Alarcon to create FIU HOME, transforming their vision into a powerful hands-on service-learning opportunity.

"Our goal is to meet houseless patients where they are, to provide care that is free of stigma or judgment. At the same time, we aim to expose students to non-traditional health care settings, allowing them to cultivate creativity and resourcefulness—skills they can carry into any health care environment," Siretskiy said.

FIU HOME conducts bimonthly street runs to provide immediate care, including wound care, vital sign checks and medication distribution. The students also pass out donations of supplies like water and hygiene products. Through a partnership with Camillus Health Concern, the program connects patients requiring ongoing services to community resources that can help with substance-use support, social services and more.

"Students truly embrace the principles of holistic, patient-centered care when working with populations experiencing homelessness," said Dr. Chandra Jennings of Camillus Health Concern, who serves as the street medicine instructor for FIU HOME. "They are challenged to go beyond textbook diagnoses and consider how their patients will manage the treatments prescribed."

Jennings describes the partnership as a powerful combination of public health, resource development and community service. She envisions FIU HOME growing into a lasting learning opportunity for medical trainees at all levels and a key part of Miami's homeless services network.

The first cohort of student volunteers joined Jennings for street runs in September. "We're not just developing hands-on clinical and counseling skills, but also building meaningful connections with underserved individuals in the community, reinforcing the core values of empathy and service in medicine," said third-year student Elizabeth Burgees.

Prompting curriculum enhancements

The creation of FIU HOME has inspired a curriculum review to enhance medical education related to the needs of the homeless and strategies for managing their health care. This has led to various updates including revisions to the Community Engaged Physician course to address housing as a social determinant of health and training students in administering naloxone—a medication that quickly reverses opioid overdose.

Faculty and students leading the review plan to share the curriculum updates, outcomes and the FIU HOME experience at the 2025 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine's Medical Student Education Conference in January.

At 3:05 p.m. on Wednesday, high schoolers across the state got ready for the news.

Some sat in parked cars looking expectantly at phones. Others waited in bedrooms in front of laptops with friends or gathered in kitchens with family, all in excited anticipation and ready to capture video.

Then came the elation: “I got in!”

This marks the first major joint recruitment effort between the two institutions, highlighting their shared commitment to advancing health care in South Florida and attracting top tier talent from around the globe.

“We are excited to welcome someone of Dr. Hashimoto’s caliber,” said Dr. Juan C. Cendan, dean of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and senior vice president for Health Affairs at FIU. “His recruitment underscores our dedication to advancing medical education and health care in our community and highlights the strength of our partnership with Baptist Health.”

Hashimoto specializes in robotic and minimally invasive cardiac surgery procedures, which provide a safer, more advanced alternative to open-heart surgery, allowing patients to recover faster and resume their normal activities sooner.

"As a cardiac surgeon, I am guided by Leonardo da Vinci’s words: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” he said.

Before joining FIU and Baptist Health, Hashimoto served as director of the Center of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery and Robotic Cardiac Surgery at Sapporo University.

"Dr. Hashimoto headed one of Japan's largest volume heart programs, and continues to innovate in his field. We are confident that the skills he brings in advanced robotic heart surgery techniques will transform health care in our region," said Dr. Tom C. Nguyen, chief medical executive of Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, director of minimally invasive valve surgery, and the distinguished Barry Katzen endowed chair at Baptist Health.

Hashimoto earned his medical degree at Shimane University School of Medicine and a Ph.D. in Medical Science at Sapporo Medical University, both in Japan. He completed two cardiac surgery residencies and two cardiovascular fellowships. He is fluent in English, Japanese and Finnish, and has published numerous scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Pictures and videos of Hashimoto can be found here.

Devanshi Kasana, 32, is making waves in marine conservation and public health through her groundbreaking research, which has taken her from tracking elusive Greenland sharks to studying shark fisheries and the global shark meat trade. Focused on Central America, she is building baselines for catch and consumption at national scales to uncover the supply chains connecting Belize and Guatemala, where demand for shark meat drives this complex trade. Her work highlights the critical role of shark meat in supporting food security and livelihoods for coastal communities worldwide. Kasana will receive a Ph.D. in Marine Sciences from the College of Arts, Sciences & Education on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 10 am. 

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FIU Board of Trustees Chair Rogelio Tovar will speak at the 10 a.m. ceremony on Monday, Dec. 16, and at the 3 p.m. ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 19.  

FIU Board of Trustees member T. Gene Prescott will speak at the 3 p.m. ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 19. 

FIU alumna Diane Ramy Faulconer will receive an Honorary Doctor of Science, honoris causa, during the 3 p.m. ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 17. A passionate advocate for nursing and health professions education, Faulconer has consulted on healthcare initiatives in underserved countries, and championed innovation through simulation and certification programs. Her philanthropy has transformed FIU’s Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, funding facilities like the STAR and CARE Centers and providing over 150 scholarships for graduate and nursing health sciences students. Faulconer earned both her bachelor’s degree in health sciences and master’s degree in management from FIU in 1974.

Video clips and photos for media use will be uploaded to this folder, which will continue to be updated during graduation days with new images and videos.

Celebrating more than 5,500 graduates

These Panthers are shaping the future with their groundbreaking ideas, unwavering dedication and cutting-edge research.

“We fly our banners high, ev’ry culture we embrace. All our love and Panther spirit, young and old we make this place.” Alma Mater

“Let your FIU story be a reminder of your tenacity, your grit, your excellence—and a motivation to continue making a difference in the world.” President Kenneth A. Jessell

Raise the volume and drag to explore.

So, take the stage.

We're here to celebrate.

Because together, we are stronger.

Hats off to you.

A lifelong sports buff who also loves science, the 30-year-old at one time contemplated going to medical school before recognizing that athletic training bridges her interests.

“I was a sports fanatic. I loved sports, playing sports, watching sports,” says Langon, who as an undergraduate joined the Division I women’s rowing team at her small Catholic college in Connecticut.

She followed up elsewhere with a master’s degree and later a doctorate in kinesiology that honed her expertise in concussions just as research on the head injuries was evolving. That background quickly landed her a full-time role with Virginia Tech athletics.

“I was your non-traditional athletic trainer,” she says. “Instead of being assigned a sports team, I was the one that oversaw all of the concussion research, management and care for the athletes.”

A later position with the University of Georgia – during which time the Bulldogs won the 2022 NCAA football championship – had her working in the university’s concussion lab, a partner of the NFL-NCAA Research Consortium dedicated to aggregating data as part of efforts to make America’s game safer at all levels. Today, she oversees the entire consortium and serves as liaison for the athletic trainers, strength coaches, dietitians and equipment managers for the 32 professional teams.

High-tech tools

The NFL’s data-driven approach to reducing injuries relies on technology. Tracking the movements, speed and trajectories of players at time of impact offers a starting point for taking actions in the interest of their wellbeing.

Among the latest tech supporting such efforts: Sensors in mouthguards and helmets that collect information on the direction, force and severity of on-field hits. These can also report the position of a player’s head at time of impact, and tags attached to shoulder pads likewise capture a player's body orientation at the moment before going down. The use of “computer vision” (CV) allows researchers to analyze athletes’ specific maneuvers, as captured on film during games as well as practices, to better understand the types of improper movements that lead to injuries.

The resulting data – coming from across the league over the course of the preseason and 17 regular-season games as well as championship matches – finds it way to Langon’s office at the NFL’s Manhattan headquarters. She consults with biomechanical engineers and epidemiologists to identify key areas for intervention and formulate recommendations to share with the NFL commissioner.

Among the changes that have come out of work Langon has been involved with, some of it even prior to her current job: modification of kickoff rules to reduce high-velocity collisions and minimize the risk of head injuries. That has led to a verifiable decrease in kickoff-related injuries, particularly concussions, as players no longer run at full speed toward one another from opposite ends of the field. 

Another development in which Langon had a part: a “ramp-up” policy that the league rolled out in 2022 to “essentially increase the intensity of practice and the length of practice at a slow rate,” she explains. “So rather than having your first day of preseason being the heaviest, hardest day, it is a much more gradual increase up to that level of intensity.” Allowing players’ bodies to “adapt” to the demands of the game after time off has paid off in a reduction of strains, as published numbers show.

Langon also keeps close watch on the next iteration of helmets. For example, Guardian Caps, named for the company that makes them, are soft-shelled pads worn over football helmets – they are optional – and designed with the goal of reducing the risk of concussions and other head injuries. Very promising, Langon adds, are the new, position-specific helmets coming on the market. These don’t require the addition of the protective cover but have performed well on both the field and in the lab, she says.

Safety education

Langon doesn’t travel to competitions on a regular basis as she has no game-day duties, but she definitely gets around. During the annual four-day NFL Scouting Combine in February in Indianapolis, she was on site to oversee the physical tests and evaluations of the more than 300 athletes who participated. In addition to attending Super Bowl LIX, she flew to London in October for three international matches between U.S. teams – part of the NFL’s bid to make American football accessible to the wider world – to lead conferences there that presented football safety studies with ramifications for other sports, such as soccer and rugby. And she holds similar educational symposia around the United States.

“To be able to disseminate those findings and to help other leagues and other organizations of different levels also achieve the same goals of creating safer outcomes for players, I think, is really special and unique,” she says. “There’s a much broader impact that we are having, and I'm grateful to be at the NFL because we really are up on this pedestal, where we have the opportunity to make progress.”

In season and out, the work of improving conditions for gridiron warriors never ends. Task forces, for example, contribute to a growing body of best practices. In the case of the task force on shoulder injuries, Langon works “very closely” with another alumna, Julie Frymyer MS ’07, an athletic trainer with the Kansas City Chiefs whom quarterback Patrick Mahomes tweeted out for her handling of the superstar’s sprained ankle ahead of the 2023 AFC Championship Game.

Entrepreneurial mindset

Just as the NFL pushes for continuous improvement, so too has Langon focused on scaling up her own skills.

Understanding the collaborative nature of the work she was already doing with the NCAA – where myriad health profesionals as well as companies and other orgs have a role to play in supporting player health – she had her sights on the Doctor of Athletic Training from FIU well before joining the NFL in September of 2023.

The program is one of just a handful in the country and, Langon says, “It completely changes the way that you think and view the world, whether it's within business or within sports medicine or combining those two. I knew that it was going to help me grow and diversify my background.”

Professor Jeff G. Konin directs the program, which typically takes two years to complete. He served as Langon’s advisor and describes her as emblematic of the high caliber of student it attracts, all of whom enter with multiple degrees as well as experience in the field.

“The program is for the person who has that passion to go to the next level of leadership, specifically as it pertains to sports medicine settings,” Konin says. “All of them are expert clinicians. They’re already professional athletic trainers. We teach them how to think at a higher level. We try to create an entrepreneurial mindset, so that when something arises, they shift their energies to ‘how do we solve this.’”

Offered online, the program draws enrollees from around the world. 

“People come here because of what we teach them, but everyone feeds off of each other and becomes better because of that,” Konin says. “When you have people who work in professional sports or high-level college sports, or own their own businesses, you get a lot of different perspectives during live discussions.”

A required annual three-day group visit to campus builds connections among the students. Graduates now work for every major U.S. athletic league in addition to many overseas leagues, lead their own consulting firms or serve in any of a variety of other positions within the world of sports.

Says Langon, on the cusp of walking across the FIU commencement stage, “What I've learned in this program will carry on with me throughout the course of my professional journey.” 

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes put it out there in a recent tweet for the world to see: FIU alumna Julie Frymyer MS ’07 had successfully taken charge of healing the superstar’s sprained ankle in advance of the AFC Championship Game. 

The shout-out called attention to the impact of athletic trainers on the overall health of players who put their bodies through grueling workouts and intensive play on the field. (Frymyer holds an exercise physiology degree from the College of Arts, Sciences & Education and also studied physical therapy.)  

One former football pro commented on Mahomes’ tweet with a reference to the “unsung heroes of the NFL,” describing athletic trainers as “the sounding boards, and encouragers, and some of the hardest working people you’ll ever meet.” 

Tiffany Morton MS ’13 would know. She’s Frymyer’s colleague and a fellow FIU alumna, both part of the Chiefs organization. For them it’s a 24/7 season that goes well beyond the rehabilitative magic for which Mahomes credits Frymyer. They focus heavily on exercise and education to prevent injury in the first place. They also interact with strengthening and conditioning coaches to ensure the greatest payoff and a host of others in the interest of players’ wellbeing. 

The recent scary scene of the Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin being revived by an athletic trainer – hailed nationally as the man who saved the defensive back’s life – drove home the level of skill, dedication, availability and preparedness such a specialist brings. 

“Athletic training is an integral part of the medical team,” says Michelle Odai, chair of the department of athletic training in the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences. “We are national board certified and state licensed to practice, just like other medical professionals. Sports medicine is an umbrella term, but we are the main medical professionals for sports medicine. Athletic trainers are there every day, whenever practice is going on, during games and on off days.”  

Flying out to Arizona with the team last weekend, Morton boarded the same charter plane as the players and coaches, just as she always does for away play, but the Super Bowl comes with its own unique challenges. 

“It’s the high of working hard to get to this point,” Morton said on Monday night of the excitement she feels, “but it is still a lot of work.” 

Case in point: Morton spent the previous week packing up seven trunks of everything and anything that might be needed during football’s biggest road game. That included standard tools of the trade – rehab equipment, electronic monitors, foam rollers, you name it – to establish two separate athletic training locations in the host city, one of them at the team hotel. She also gathered sundries such as Nyquil and Chapstick – yeah, one guy really did forget his lip balm back in Kansas City – and anything else “that might make them comfortable, especially medically . . . so that they can stay focused on the game.” 

Such a commitment is not lost on the organization, and the trainers are treated like members of the team. Morton, for example, has her own Super Bowl ring in recognition of contributions to the Chiefs’ 2020 win in Miami. 

Hoping for her own bling is alumna Shaniece Jackson MS ’18, DAT ’21, an athletic trainer with the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson joined the team full-time in 2021, and Morton reached out to her with a congratulatory text a couple of weeks ago when the Eagles won their division championship. 

Finding themselves in the mix of America’s biggest game is already a victory for the two of them, Morton says. “It is a positive moment to stop and reflect and realize, ‘Wow, we have come so far,’” she says in recognition that women, and especially women of color, have arrived on sports’ largest stage. “It takes a lot of people to support that,” she continues.  

A mentor whom Morton credits with making it all possible is Rick Burkholder, the Chiefs’ head trainer and a leader in the field who has taken responsibilty for the promotion of female professionals.  

“That is absolutely why I am here,” she says of the man who in 2016 made her the team's first female athletic trainer (and just the third in the NFL). “I like to think I would have eventually made it [to the top], but without his creating a pathway and creating scholarships and opportunities, speaking to people above him, the commissioner of the NFL, it would have been a long time.” 

Today there are 21 female athletic trainers employed by the NFL out of an approximate 150 total. More than 25,000 athletic trainers currently work in the United States, nearly half of them women.

With the game now just two days away, Odai, the FIU professor, declined to share a prediction or a preference as to its outcome. “It’s a win-win,” she says, refusing to take sides and sharing instead “#thefiubowl” in a recent online comment in recognition of her former students’ “competing” against one another. 

Morton agrees that whatever the final score on Sunday night, “FIU can’t lose.” 

Willie Simmons earned the nod over the weekend and today met with an excited Panther faithful during a pep rally and introductions in the GC Pit.

Athletic Director Scott Carr said that in a field of many, Simmons easily bested the pack to come out on top. Carr said he met with the players in advance of the formal search and took their input to heart as he sought out a worthy leader.

“Based on their feedback, there were four main criteria that we were really looking for,” he said. “They wanted a winner. Someone who could recruit [in] Florida, especially South Florida. Someone who is a relationship-builder and could establish deep, authentic relationships with them. And someone who could excite and ignite the South Florida community and Panther Nation. And I'm happy to tell you, we found our leader who checked all four boxes and so many more I can't even count.

“Willie Simmons’ strength is his natural ability to build deep, genuine relationships,” Carr continued. “It was something that really stood out when I was making a lot of phone calls during the search process. And when I’d get somebody on the phone and just say, tell me about Willie Simmons, without a doubt, the first thing they would tell me is about the relationships and how much the young men that play football for him love him and appreciate the way that he treats them and the way he talks to them, his honesty and just how he's so genuine.”

The Florida native, 44, grew up near Tallahassee before attending Clemson University as a starting quarterback. He has served as a head coach for nine seasons and earned a winning record in each. Most recently, he spent the 2024 season as an assistant coach overseeing the running backs at Duke University, where he helped guide the ACC team to a 9-3 record. Prior to that, he transformed the Florida A&M program, where he served for six years as head coach and compiled a 45-13 (.776) overall record and led the Rattlers to two HBCU National Championships (2019, 2023) and their first Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship and Celebration Bowl title in 2023.

The first Clemson player to graduate with a degree in a record three years, Simmons has plans to coach the young men under his charge in a holistic way.

President Kenneth A. Jessell praised the new head coach and called out his “focus on excellence off the field, too, meaning academic excellence and the success of our student-athletes as they pursue their degrees to be job-ready when they graduate. And this is a mindset that aligns perfectly with FIU.”

The father of six - the youngest of whom were home sleeping while the older ones joined mom Shaia Beckwith at the campus event – shared his vision for “excellence” and a return to the type of glory days that instill pride.

“With the help of the coaching and support staff that we'll put together, we’re ready to build on that history and the tradition of this program,” he said. “We want to build on the 2010 first-ever bowl win in conference championships. We want to build teams . . . that have future NFL players [like alumni] T.Y. Hilton, Johnathan Cyprien . . . We want to build on the three consecutive bowl games from 2017 to 2019. And, of course, we want to build on the 2019 victory over University of Miami. We’re committed to being a team that produces NFL players who can ignite the entire country like [alumnus and Miami Dolphins tight end] Jonnu Smith did last night with a game-winning touchdown. I look forward to blazing the trail again to bring a new level of success and excellence to the 305.”

Those rallying in attendance felt the fire of passion.

“I’m excited to see what Coach Simmons is able to bring to the FIU football program and see our Panther Nation and our Panther family show up to these football games,” said student body president Francesca Casanova.

“Even before I got to work today, my husband kept me informed all weekend about FIU's new coach,” said Ana M. Jimenez, assistant director of Academic Support Services, about her alumnus-husband’s positive reaction to Simmons’ coming on board. “We are so excited.”

The players had their first meeting with the head coach on Saturday and likewise look forward to next season with great anticipation.

“He's been a proven winner before, so I think he'll continue to keep that up here,” said redshirt sophomore Nate Henry, a running back.

“He's a winner,” agreed senior J.T. Anderson, a defensive back. “He likes to win. We want to win.”

Harris earned a degree in digital journalism and a minor in English. Among the opportunities she took advantage of during her time at FIU: the Caplin News network, which gives students the chance to work in two bureaus – one in Miami and one in Washington, D.C. – produce stories for a daily news program streamed online most weekdays and write for an arts and culture publication. Much of the content is produced as part of course assignments, and students get a taste of what their professional futures might hold.

Meet Harris and learn about her exciting new job and how FIU got here there. 

Where do you work? 
I am a multimedia journalist at WKRG News 5 in Mobile, Alabama. We cover news in Mobile County, Baldwin County and Northwest Florida. I cover news for broadcast as well as sharing online.

Any fears going in? 
I had never been to Alabama, and I was nervous. Prior to coming to WKRG News 5, I had experience with internships and Caplin News. I knew how to be a journalist but doing it full-time is a different ball game. Navigating adulthood can be scary, but having my friends and family in my corner plus a supportive team at WKRG News 5 has been something I am so grateful for and one of the main reasons why I am in such a great place. I am only a month into the job, but I feel that I am starting to get into a groove. 

What’s been the coolest thing about your job so far?  
After a long day of putting your story together, it’s really cool to come home and watch it live and see your face on TV. That will never get old. And it has gratifying to help the community when I can. There was a man who had been scammed out a large amount of money. I brought awareness to the story, and he sent me a long message saying how appreciative he was that I shared it. This is honestly why I do it.

Walk us through a day.
By 9 a.m., I am making calls to see what’s happening that day so I have something to pitch at our 9:30 editorial meeting. Our newsroom leaders will then tell us which story they want each of us to handle. From there, I usually head to interviews and do my on-camera standups, write my script and send it to our assignment editor for him to review. Once I get my script back, I record my track and I put my package together. I’m also responsible for creating the digital version of my story for our the website.

What advice do you have for students interest in journalism careers? 
Experience is everything. Try to get internships and try to get involved with the news outlet at your specific institution. FIU has Caplin News, which I was a part of and taught me so much. I wish I had gotten involved even sooner. It’s important that when you’re applying for your first job, you have some sort of experience because that will not only help you get into the door, but it will help you to thrive on the job. 

How does your job connect back to your coursework and time with Caplin News?  
Every single thing that I learned at Caplin News and at FIU, I use to this day. I learned what it takes to do the job. When I was creating packages for Caplin News, I got experience in writing, shooting, editing and reporting. Because of that, I was able to get an internship with NBC6 South Florida. Caplin also gave me the opportunity to put together a package while I studied abroad in Spain. And through the school, I was also able to meet many other people with similar aspirations and mentors that helped me with the job search process. My professors were amazing, and I’m so grateful to have had them be a part of my journey. 

Many of us are trying to figure out what to get our loved ones — and how to get it on sale. If you’re anxiously looking at your shopping cart (online or physical), you may be thinking there’s no way to cut costs this holiday season.

But Marketing Professor Anthony Miyazaki says there are a few steps we can take to avoid impulse buying and shop smarter, better and cheaper.

To help us get through the gift-giving frenzy, he sat down with FIU News and shared 5 of his top shopping rules.

1. Create a plan. Know what you need.

It might seem obvious, but it’s important. We need to make a list of the gifts we plan to give, and we need to create a budget. Basically, we need to decide what we need, how much we’re willing to spend and where we plan to go to buy the items.

“You need to know what you want to buy,” Miyazaki says. “The worst tactic for time-bound shopping is to walk into a store looking for deals.”

Advertisements and special promotions might confuse you into believing you should gift a particular item even if it wasn’t your initial gift option.

“You are likely to miss out on the real best deals and, even worse, will overspend on items you didn’t really want.”

Another factor: the holiday rush. He explains that when our shopping has a hard deadline such as Christmas Day, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, we are more likely to feel that we have to grab whatever items we see quickly before other people take it. It’s a perceived (and sometimes, real) sense of scarcity of gift options. The time crunch impacts our decision-making process.

Impulse buying also affects our decision-making abilities. How can we curb the shopaholic in us?

“You have to identify your emotional triggers,” Miyazaki says. “Do you tend to make purchases when you are hungry, stressed, or in a rush? The more you can try to think about what types of things will trigger you, the better you can try to avoid those emotional triggers, and go shopping when you are in a clearer frame of mind.”

The best solution? Be prepared with your gift ideas, stick to your plan and shop early.

Plus, do your homework: compare prices across retailers and research sales, coupons and discounts so you’ll be prepared.

2. Weigh the pros and cons of online vs. in-store shopping.

“Life’s a tradeoff and so is shopping,” Miyazaki says.

With online shopping, you’ve got the store at your fingertips, he says. It’s convenient, quick and you can scan various websites for the best deal, all within minutes. But you can’t try on clothing, and you can’t look at items up-close.

You also have to worry about shipping costs — and shipping dates. If you order online, make sure your gift will arrive by Christmas or whichever day you need it. “An I-owe-you under the tree is not going to be meaningful,” Miyazaki advises. “So, make sure you look at shipping times.”

If you enjoy the shopping experience and want to browse in-store, then going in-person is the route for you. Also, if you realize you really want to buy something, and it won’t arrive in time through an online retailer or it’s only available in-person, then you’ll want to head to the store.

Miyazaki adds that retailers want consumers to shop in-person. Once we’re in a store, we tend to look around and drop some extra items into our carts. It leads to better sales for businesses. So, stores may offer some special in-store deals to get us to the brick-and-mortar location. That can work to our advantage if there’s a particular sale that will make the gift you’re looking for a better deal.

If you don’t like the big crowds, you’ll have to decide whether the gift you want to buy is worth the effort. As we near Christmas, stores will get even more crowded. Go early if you need to.

3. Understand the return policies before making purchases.

If you don’t understand the return policy or if you are uncertain about buying a gift, Miyazaki says, “you might be better off skipping it.” Return policies can be complex, especially for electronics. You need to know if you’ll have to pay a restocking fee, if there’s a 30-day return policy or if there are exclusions on items to return.

He also says to be cautious of pop-up stores or mall kiosks that are seasonal and may close right after the holidays. If the seller is no longer active, there will be no way to return a product.

4. Watch out for scams, especially online.

Before you click the “buy” button, research the seller. If you find a deal that’s too good to be true, then it’s probably a scam. 

One way to protect yourself is to check the website's security. “You need to look at the URL address," he says. "The address has to have an ‘s’ at the end of ‘https.’ If not, it’s not secure and you shouldn’t purchase the item.”

If the website seems secure, but you don’t know much about the retailer, Miyazaki suggests using PayPal, prepaid cards or a credit card — not a debit card.

The bottom line: “Stick to buying from reputable retailers,” Miyazaki says. “It’s always the best idea.”

“Credit card scam is at an all-time high during the holiday season,” he adds. “It’s important to continue to check your credit card bank statements. Fraud occurs out there. Because people are shopping so much, they are less likely to see or notice an unauthorized charge. Be vigilant.”

Miyazaki also suggest remaining alert with our emails. “Phishing scams and emails often have a higher success rate during the holidays because we’re shopping more and at different places. If you get an email that seems to be from a popular retailer, and you remember, ‘Well, I did shop there the other day, and now they’re saying there’s something wrong with my order,' you might be more likely to click.”

Keep cybersecurity protocol: never click the link in a suspicious email and do not provide information. If you think it may be a real email, go to the company’s website that you’ve bookmarked in your favorites (not from a link or the URL address listed on the email), and then you can check your account or call the company's customer service number.

5. Remember that gift-giving is about showing someone you care.

Miyazaki's greatest shopping advice: “Whatever you’re buying is probably not going to bring you as much joy as spending time with your family or friends."

“I’m a marketer, I should be saying, ‘buy, buy, buy.’ But, I’m a marketer who cares about consumers," Miyazaki says. "It’s hard to get over the commercialization of all these things. But the truth is that creating a good, happy environment around the entire gift-giving season and process is more important than all the gifts. If a family has a bunch of gifts under the tree but everyone is upset because of a disagreement, then they’re not going to feel joy.”

He encourages parents to give their kids a little money to go with their older siblings or another family member to buy gifts for their parents and loved ones. “Bringing in the little kids into the gift-giving makes a real difference. They want to give, too.”

“Everything should be joyful. It’s about giving and receiving. That's the gift-giving experience. Wrapping presents and spending time to do holiday activities and give gifts is beautiful. It’s about the relationships. We give gifts because we want to make the other person happy. We're showing not that we spend a lot of money, but that we care.”

A father of four, Miyazaki says that when his children were young, they would wrap his gifts in white sheets of printer paper. They would color on the paper and decorate it. “That was more meaningful to me than anything," he says. "I'm keeping those wrapping papers for life because my kids made them personal with their artwork.”

That's the real magic of gift-giving. And it's something we should all keep in mind as we shop this holiday season. 

“From my experience, our students are underserved. I’ve seen one school psychologist serving two to three schools. There is a shortage,” Ratigan says.

According to the National Association of School Psychologists, during the 2021-22 school year there was just one psychologist for every 1,130 pupils in K-12 across the United States.

Ratigan recently was awarded a Ziff Scholarship, one of nine students in the School of Education and Human Development to receive such educational funds. She will put the money toward travel to a conference where she will present on the topic of bullying.

Ratigan says that as a teacher, she has witnessed what youngsters face and how having access to a psychologist might help. Her experience teaching diverse students with special needs has given her insight into what students need. A lack of enough psychologists makes it difficult for many students to even get evaluated for mental health issues, she adds.

“I’ve seen students dealing with mental health crises. They are coping with different emotions and struggling to manage them. They are dealing with stress. Some students are getting into fights, others are making threats and it’s our job to find out what is the cause of these behaviors,” Ratigan says.

Ratigan’s scholarship is funded through contributions made by the late Sanford Ziff. Dean Aaron Kuntz says he’s pleased FIU was able to give $60,000 in scholarships this year to students like Ratigan who are making an impact.

“We are recognizing students for their potential to impact the field of education through engaged service and scholarship. It is truly a privilege to reward students for their academic and professional achievements,” says Kuntz.

Ratigan says she’s grateful to be a Ziff scholar and to have support pursuing her new journey. “It’s nice to be celebrated with other scholars and to feel like you belong to the FIU community.”

Internship details: The “Coastal Bounty Scholarship Experience” imagined by The Grey restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, is a joint collaboration between the restaurant and partners E.L. McIntosh & Son in Townsend, Georgia, and Three Sisters Organic Farm in Bluffton, South Carolina.

What did this opportunity involve? The main objective was to learn about the history, farming, fishing, harvesting and preparation of the food bounty provided naturally by the coastal south and low country of South Carolina and Georgia.

In the most literal sense, I had a hand in every component of a “farm-to-table” concept. I helped oyster farmer Ernest McIntosh harvest fresh oysters and worked at a festival in Atlanta called Oyster South. I helped Buddy Coleman and his wife Priscilla, who are mushroom farmers at Slow Road Farms, prepare buckets of golden oyster mushrooms. After the farming was done, I worked the line at The Grey restuaurant, which has been named one of the 30 best restaurants in the world by Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure.

What was most-rewarding? Building connections with the people I worked with. Working with Ernest at the oyster farm and Mary at the organic farm, I felt like part of the family. The more I got to know their family, the more I became part of it. Even at The Grey, in the few days I was there, I was part of the team. The people you work with really make or break the job, and I’m so lucky to have worked with some amazing people during this internship.

How does your work connect back to what you learn in class? I've studied the concept of food circularity during my academic career [which accounts for the entire life cycle of food, including its societal and environmental costs, and supports alternative models for waste prevention and upcycling], so it was super interesting to see it at play in a massive, luxury restaurant and small, local farms. I learned a lot about how important oysters are to the health of the oceans and marshes. I know a lot more about what being a certified organic farmer means and how that affects crops.

Also, with the recent hurricanes, I’ve thought a lot more about how the climate is impacting local farmers and how amplified “unnatural” disasters are making it even harder for them to survive and make a profit. It’s so important to offer relief and support on the ground level, especially in areas that lack the infrastructure for these types of disasters.

What does a day in this internship look like? Every day was different, but it was always exciting. Some days I was working the line, plating dishes that I knew guests had paid a lot of money for. Other days, I was building oyster cages with a staple gun. Or maybe I would spend the day weeding rows of kale. Each day was a totally different experience, and it was amazing.

What was the coolest thing about your internship? The circularity of it all. Starting at The Grey, then going to the farms and experiencing what that entails, and then returning back to The Grey really opened my eyes to what actually goes into making food. Multiple days of work go into one bag of oysters or one bushel of bok choy. When I came back to The Grey, looked at the oyster bin, it was so surreal. I had bagged and tagged the oysters at the farm, and now here they were being shucked and sold at The Grey.

How can you tell a good oyster from a bad oyster? When collecting wild oysters in Georgia, they have to be at least two inches in length to be collected. If you’re just eating them yourself, then that’s really your only criterion. When selling to restaurants, you want ones that look good - no barnacles, no large clusters, not too much algae. Next, you have to eliminate hollow oysters by searching for any cracks or holes and testing the sound. Finally, after you shuck them, you want an oyster that has a good amount of water in it because that’s where most of the flavor lies.

What advice do you have for those looking for scholarships or internships? Internships are about experiences, not just resume-boosting. Find opportunities that align with what you like or want to do. Don’t just pick them because you think they’ll look good to employers or will help you get somewhere else faster. And even if you don’t enjoy the job you’re doing, figuring out what you don’t like is still an important part of your career journey. 

Do you have a mentor who has impacted your life? I have a lot of those. I’m lucky enough to have met some great professors and professionals throughout my career at the Chaplin School. That being said, it wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t shout out Dr. John Buschman, who teaches corporate social responsibility and is a leader in food rescue. He’s offered me so many opportunities and has helped me grow so much on my path of sustainability and food circularity. He is someone I want to thank.

What now? I feel so dramatic saying this, but this internship changed my life. My perspective on my career and future shifted in the best way possible. From this experience, I’ve learned the importance of living life daily in a way that makes me happy, rather than just driving forward to a particular goal without thought for what it takes to get there. What I experienced in the cycle of getting food from its source and seeing it properly prepared and shared in a way that celebrates the people and place from which it came allowed me a new appreciation. I will take that with me as I am about to begin my master’s degree in hospitality [as part of the Chaplin School’s 4+1 program] and, eventually, take a management position in the restaurant industry with a purveyor that supports the farm-to-table movement and all the benefits it affords farmers and customers.

A “public loss model” refers to a computer model developed and made accessible to the public that estimates potential financial losses from a natural disaster.

The Florida Public Flood Loss Model has been certified by the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology, meaning the model has met rigorous standards and is considered reliable. It analyzes both coastal and inland flooding. It was developed by eight universities, under FIU’s direction, and includes collaboration from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s hurricane research team and a private consulting firm.

“Use of the flood loss model is going to increase in the future as more private insurance companies come into the market,” said Shahid Hamid, FIU Business finance professor and director of the Laboratory for Insurance, Financial and Economic Research, part of FIU’s Extreme Events Institute. “They will need to use the model to justify their rates.”

Most flood insurance coverage in the United States is provided by the National Flood Insurance Program, which is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and delivered to homeowners and renters by a network of more than 50 insurance companies.

The public loss model, Hamid explained, estimates the annual loss average for different types of structures subject to three types of flooding: coastal storm surge, inland flooding from rainfall and inland flooding from overflowing rivers.

“Florida is largest market in terms of flood policy and premiums, representing roughly one-third of those written,” Hamid said.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton have resulted in more than 80,000 flood claims, including some 6,183 claims with private flood insurance companies, according to FEMA and other sources.

“We’re at a point where we anticipate that in the coming year the model will be used for rate making and regulatory purposes and it will continue to grow,” Hamid said. “The use of such a model will become more frequent and important over time for pricing premiums as more private companies enter the market and a greater proportion of homeowners will go to include flood insurance.”

“Worldwide severe convective storms caused $64 billion in damages in 2023,” he said, noting that it has led to increasing concern for the insurance industry as well as to those paying rising premiums.

In the process, he has been recognized as a leading expert in the rapidly evolving fields of electronic and bioelectronic nanopackaging, wearable and implantable medical devices, antenna sensor integration and power-supply and wireless component integration.

“I was always interested in science and technology and their influence on society,” Pulugurtha said. “When you look at the PC revolution and the creation of the iPhone, you can see the impact of technology. It can be a challenge to look at the big picture, but it’s something I constantly talk to my students about. We are here to solve big problems.”

The difficulties faced by the packaging industry include fitting layers upon layers of electronic cables, chips, sensors and delicate equipment into tiny spaces and enabling them to communicate and function together. And, in the case of healthcare implantables, or devices worn on the skin, materials must be able to survive an unforgiving environment while gathering and sending data and functioning therapeutically — all without harming the body.

“Working with medical devices and health monitoring systems is exciting and there is so much potential,” he said.

Following in Pulugurtha’s footsteps are his students. Peeyush Awasthi and Anthony Giordano received first place at the 2024 Florida chapter workshop of the International Microelectronics and Packaging Society (IMAPS) for their work, “In-line monitoring and process control with mm-wave antenna sensors.” Veeru Jaiswal received third place at the meeting for his work, “Low-power magnetoelectric wireless telemetry system for multimodal sensing.”

“I come from this very interdisciplinary background,” said Jaiswel, a doctoral candidate in biomedical engineering.

“I moved from biology to engineering to nanotech. When we are working on biomedical devices, we must be able to work across disciplines. That interdisciplinary work is what Dr. Raj is known for. He also likes to put a lot of ideas out there and then give you the freedom to choose and to implement. That is important to me.”

It was also an approach that appealed to Awasthi, who served in the Indian Armed Forces as an engineer before coming to FIU for his doctoral studies.

“Studying science is okay,” he said. “But doing science is different from studying. With Dr. Raj, we have a bucket of solutions, not just one solution. Give me a problem and we can create a personalized solution.” Awasthi hopes to develop an electronic device that turns a person’s thoughts into action with no need for a keyboard or screen.

Pulugurtha has mentored and co-advised more than 40 graduate and undergraduate students, many of whom are now industry leaders or technology pioneers in the electronic packaging industry. One of those is Jose Solis Camara, a research and development electrical test engineer for Saras Micro Devices in Atlanta. The company’s embedded, integrated passive devices serve as a new power delivery solution for high-performance computers and AI/machine learning processor applications.

Camara, who graduated in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, said Pulugurtha introduced him to packaging in the elective class, Bioelectronic Packaging.

“I didn’t know about packaging before,” he said. “Dr. Raj was a new professor at FIU and I really enjoyed his class. I became one of the first students in his lab and he guided me through many projects. One of the things I noticed quickly about him was that he had a lot of industry connections. Through his connections, I got this job. He remains my mentor today.”

Continuing to prepare students for industry and research positions is a priority for Pulugurtha, as is the work he is most excited about today — making better wearable and implantable devices to collect real-time data, improving access to healthcare and helping to cure medical conditions.

“Teaching isn’t about reciting information,” he said. “It’s seamless collaboration. It’s the integration of disciplines. As we transform education and challenge our students to solve a problem, we impact society.”

Across her body of work, Zangewa creates intricate collages composed of hand-stitched fragments of raw silk, speaking to the transformative nature of the artwork itself. As the result of the chrysalis process, silk is created through transformation — a parallel to Zangewa’s creative process of turning life’s challenges and complex emotions into art. Both the artist and the material embody a shared journey of metamorphosis.

The works in Field of Dreams are a departure from Zangewa’s recent figurative depictions of domestic life. During the pandemic, the artist shifted her gaze to prioritize the human condition and the interconnectedness of all living things. These multimedia works also examine today’s sociopolitical challenges and their impact on individuals and whole communities from one generation to the next.

"Field of Dreams is a powerful testament to Zangewa’s artistic evolution. Moving beyond her earlier focus on domestic themes, these extraordinary works explore the profound connections among all living things,” said Miriam Machado, interim director of the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU. “With a thoughtful lens on the human condition and the sociopolitical challenges shaping our world, Zangewa invites us to reflect on how these forces resonate across generations. We are proud to present this deeply moving exhibition to our community.”

Scheduled programming around Field of Dreams includes the Frost Art Museum’s signature Miami Art Week event, Breakfast in the Park, where Billie Zangewa will be featured as the Green Critics’ Lecture Series keynote speaker. This free event will take place at the Frost Art Museum at 10975 SW 17 Street in Miami on December 8, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those interested in attending can RSVP here.

Billie Zangewa: Field of Dreams is organized by SITE SANTA FE and curated by Brandee Caoba. Billie Zangewa: Field of Dreams is made possible through the generous support of SITE SANTA FE Board of Directors, SITE SANTA FE Exhibition Fund, Suzanne McFayden, The Rubio Butterfield Foundation, and Rosina Yue. Additional funding support is graciously provided by the Green Family Foundation.

For more information on Billie Zangewa: Field of Dreams, please visit the Frost Art Museum’s website here.

But FIU psychology experts say gratitude isn’t about one holiday. It’s a lifelong mindset that can lead to overwhelmingly positive effects. From helping us reduce anxiety and increasing our sense of connection to loved ones, having a grateful attitude even in the smallest of situations can make a big difference.

FIU News sat down with Philip Lazarus, associate professor of psychology, and Rachel Ritchie, associate teaching professor of psychology, to learn more about the ways that gratitude can revolutionize our outlook on life, help us be happier — and how we can grow in our gratitude habits.

Here are four key things you need to know about tapping into the power of thanksgiving.

1. Gratitude literally changes your biochemistry — and makes you healthier.

“Experiencing gratitude actually rewires the brain,” Ritchie says. “It helps communication in neurological pathways. It’s been linked to improved sleep, relationship health and mood regulation.”

When we feel gratitude, Lazarus explains, our brains release hormones associated with happiness and joy — dopamine and serotonin. “Those are two crucial neurotransmitters that are responsible for our emotions,” he says. “When we release these hormones, they make us feel good. They immediately make us feel happy from the inside.”

Lazarus, who is the past president of the National Association of School Psychologists, adds that studies have shown that people who feel grateful have reduced levels of cortisol, the “stress” hormone; have better cardiac functioning; and are more resilient when they face emotional setbacks or negative experiences. Gratitude also reduces anxiety and depression and helps people manage stress more effectively.

Additionally, studies have shown that keeping a gratitude journal or engaging in thankful thoughts help ameliorate the effects of physical pain such as injury.

The bottom line: “There’s no negative side effects of feeling gratitude,” Lazarus says. “There are only positive aspects for us.”

2. It’s about changing your perspective.

Is the glass half full or half empty? Gratitude has a lot to do with optimism— with seeing the good and acknowledging the source of the good in our lives.

“Gratitude can elevate our mindset,” Lazarus says. “If we start acknowledging and appreciating all the good things in life, then we’re cultivating gratitude. It could be something as simple as ‘It’s a beautiful Sunday morning and the sun is shining’ or ‘I got a great parking spot at FIU today.’ It could be something really small. For example, whenever I open the door, my dog is so excited to see me. Charlie (a Shih Tzu) comes and greets me. I feel joy in my heart, and I feel grateful for how my dog loves me. It’s that simple. That’s gratitude.”

Little by little, it can change your life.

“We often work on a deficit model,” Ritchie says. “We try to find what’s wrong and fix it. We don’t stop to think about what’s right. When we can change our perspective, when we can see everything that is right in our lives, then we can change our outlook.”

Ritchie adds that many of us tend to focus on the challenges that lie ahead or we decide that we’ll postpone joy until we accomplish a particular goal.

“It’s a treadmill effect,” Ritchie says. “Trying to get to the next hurdle in life. We’ll sometimes tell ourselves, ‘I’ll be happy after I graduate,’ or ‘I’ll be happy after I get a job or a new car’ and so on. We don’t focus on what gives us joy right now. And that’s what gratitude is about. Appreciating what we have.”

3. Gratitude is intertwined with a higher purpose, acts of kindness and connection with others.  

Family. Friends. Faith.

When things get tough, these are crucial lifelines, says Lazarus. He has extensive experience counseling people after traumatic events. “The three F’s are the factors we see again and again. They are very important to helping people see the good in their lives and overcome adversity.”

Taking the time to express your gratitude to family and friends who love you is an incredibly powerful thing, Ritchie says, since showing your thankfulness strengthens bonds and leads to healthier relationships.

For people of faith, Lazarus says, prayer is a particularly important element of gratitude, as it allows you to thank God for anything you feel is a blessing.

One of the key take-aways: “Gratitude is linked with having a sense of purpose,” Ritchie says.

“Religion gives us meaning in life, a set of guiding principles,” Ritchie adds. Doing acts of kindness also impacts our purpose in life.

“People who engage in altruism are happier,” Ritchie says. “They are more resilient. They can bounce back from negative experiences faster. It’s tied to gratitude. Volunteering at a soup kitchen, baking for others, putting an extra quarter for someone at the vending machine, leaving a note for a loved one in the morning, finding ways to connect with a community, these things bring us bursts of joy.”

Ritchie, who teaches a senior psychology seminar on the science of happiness, often assigns her students to write letters of gratitude to someone who made a positive impact on their lives. Then, they read the letter to that person.

“Thanking someone and seeing that person respond and feel happy will bring you joy,” Ritchie explains. “And then you feel grateful.”

4. You can become more grateful. Here’s how.

If you’re a bit of a pessimist or you find yourself complaining more than you'd like, no need to worry. Lazarus and Ritchie both agree that there are definite steps we can take to deepen — or acquire — an attitude of gratitude.

“Gratitude is like a muscle,” Lazarus says. “The more we practice being grateful the more we become connected to gratitude’s transformative benefits. At the beginning, it may require more effort. As we start moving forward, it becomes a habit.”

Again, both experts recommend starting small, and giving thanks for even the tiniest of things that bring you joy.

Here are some tips you can try to help you foster a mindset of gratitude:

• Identify three good things before going to sleep every night. “Studies have found that just stopping and appreciating three good things that happened to you each day will help you get better sleep,” Ritchie says. People of faith often do this when they pray every night and thank God for their blessings, Lazarus adds. For those interested in meditation, Lazarus suggests meditating not on a word or phrase but on what they are grateful for.
• Keep a gratitude journal. Just write down anything that you are thankful for. When you are grateful for people, that’s the absolute best, says Lazarus. But, he adds, it could be nature, food, anything that you feel is a blessing. 
• Find ways to connect with the community. “There are so many places you can volunteer in Miami,” Ritchie says. “You just have to find an organization or a way to give back, and it’ll bring you joy and gratitude.” 
• Set up your own gratitude jar. You can use index cards and markers or scrap pieces of paper or you can get crafty and design little notes on which you can write something you’re grateful for each day. Toss it in your gratitude jar, and by the end of the week, you’ll be surprised to see how many good things you experienced — and how many things, whether big or small, you are thankful for.

• Write a thank you letter. You might not expect how great it can feel to put down your appreciation on paper, and then how joyful you’ll feel when you make someone else happy with your gratitude. It'll help jumpstart the cycle of gratitude in which you help cause joy, bring gratitude to others, and then their joy brings you gratitude. 
• Don’t forget to thank yourself. If you’re going to appreciate all the good things in your life, make sure you recognize the good that you're doing, too. “Treating yourself with kindness will help you develop the skill of gratitude,” Lazarus says. “You don’t need to be perfectly grateful all the time, just notice that things are going well. You can be compassionate with yourself.”
• Remember why your activities matter — what your purpose is. For example, Ritchie keeps a folder with thank you-notes that students have written for her throughout the years. “I call it my Happiness Folder,” she says. “I use it as a reminder of why I do this. It helps keep me going.”

If all else fails, make sure you tell your loved ones those two big words: Thank you.

Thanksgiving Day usually brings with it an atmosphere of exuberance, sumptuous food and great company. But it's also a time of quiet reflection — a time to celebrate by opening our eyes to the blessings we sometimes take for granted.  

There's no better time to take a moment and be thankful for "today". It's time to choose gratitude, says relationship coach Lisa Arango M.S. '96, M.S. '01, Ph.D. '03.

“Gratitude is a choice,” says the FIU psychology alumna. “[It] is noticing the good and recognizing where the good comes from, usually outside of ourselves. It doesn't mean there is nothing bad or negative going on around us, it means that we are intentionally looking for the good.”

Good circumstances and opportunities can include things like health, a job, a place to live, food, having our family and friends or a strong support system — the list goes on. These are often some of the blessings we attribute to God, the universe or a Greater Being, a Higher Power. This leads us to look beyond ourselves.  

Shifting our focus from ourselves to someone or something else is a key part of the gratitude process.

Acknowledging the good that other people have done for us also takes us out of ourselves and lets us appreciate others. The people who show their love and support for us could be parents, spouses, children, siblings, grandparents, friends, mentors, supervisors — any source of good and joy in our lives.

Recognizing that others are helping us activates the reward centers of our brains, says Arango. We become aware of people’s intentions. We appreciate it. The positive thoughts this unleashes helps create hope and optimism — and motivates us to connect.

“We feel supported by others and less isolated and alone in the world when we recognize that people are bringing good into our lives,” Arango explains.

Gratitude can also impact our overall wellness. 

“Research links the practice of gratitude to improved self-esteem and greater life-satisfaction,” Arango says. “It has also been found that gratitude is a protective factor when it comes to stress and depression.”

Simply put, Arango says: Thanksgiving points us toward a way of life, not just an idea for one day of the year. “Gratitude is a practice, a mindset and an approach,” Arango adds. “[It] has the potential to heal, energize, change our lives and our relationships.”

Ways to embrace gratitude

So, how do you practice the art of gratitude this year? Here are some tips from Arango.

1. Reflect.

“Take a moment to reflect on the good that this year has brought you,” she says. 

Did you achieve one of your goals? Did you learn from a past mistake? Did you rise above challenging situations? Or, have you had an amazing year filled with great moments to cherish?

2. Keep a gratitude journal. 

You can list things you are thankful for in a notebook, write out sticky-notes and post them around your desk or purchase an official gratitude journal, which often includes prompts to help you identify the positives in your life.  

3. Express your gratitude.

Any way that you can communicate appreciation for someone works, Arango says. You can visit, call, text, Zoom or send a thank you note.  

You can also try a fun, interactive activity during Thanksgiving Day.

Here’s how the activity works: Identify one to three adjectives that describe each person you’re celebrating with, and try to remember a moment when they exhibited this quality. For example, "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, like the time you made my favorite dinner without my asking.”

4. Find the good.

In the end, Arango says, it all comes down to two simple questions: What’s good in my life? And where does that good come from?

Answer that, and you’ll celebrate Thanksgiving every day.

Nearly 300 colleges and universities were considered for the 2022 rankings, with the top 50 being ranked.

“Not all elements of entrepreneurship can be found in a book, of course, which is why the best colleges and universities have robust programs that support students' startups and help build the kind of networks that last a lifetime,” noted an Entrepreneurship article accompanying the rankings.

The rankings are based not only on the university’s entrepreneurship programming, but also its graduates’ success rates in the business world, the number of mentors available for students and more.

FIU Business offers entrepreneurship classes at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Programs include a minor in entrepreneurship for non-business majors, an entrepreneurship specialization in the Professional MBA Online program and a Certificate in Entrepreneurship program. FIU Business is also home to the Eugenio Pino and Family Global Entrepreneurship Center, as well as a Florida Small Business Development Center.

The FIU rankings are also based on entrepreneurship offerings, initiatives and other information from the FIU Business, StartUP FIU, the Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center, the Florida Small Business Development Center at FIU, the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts and Blackstone LaunchPad at FIU.

With the holiday season already underway, FIU experts are available to offer insights on a variety of topics, including Cyber Monday trends, supply chain disruptions, cybersecurity risks, marketing strategies, and consumer behavior. 

The full list of experts that will be continuously updated can be found below.

For help contacting any of our experts, please contact the Office of Media Relations:

• Supply Chain
• Economy
• Marketing
• Cybersecurity
• Finance
• Thanksgiving

Supply Chain

Craig Austin

Assistant Teaching Professor
Marketing and Logistics
College of Business

Austin specializes in supply chain logistics, export marketing, import/export and international logistics, as well as transportation logistics.

Office: (305) 348-7763
Email: laaustin@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Cynthia Corzo
305-965-4709
ccorzo@fiu.edu

Sebastian Garcia-Dastugue

Assistant Professor
Marketing and Logistics
College of Business

Garcia-Dastugue can discuss Blockchain Technology, food supply chain, scarcity, the impact of innovations on supply chain management and how supply chain professionals can assess and communicate disruptions.
Garcia-Dastugue is available for interviews in Spanish and English.

Office: (305) 348-4195
Cell: (305) 798-3006
Email: sgarciad@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Cynthia Corzo
305-965-4709
ccorzo@fiu.edu

Andrea Patrucco

Assistant Professor
Marketing & Logistics
College of Business

Patrucco can discuss inventory management, purchasing, supply chain strategies and buyer-supplier relationships.

Office: (305) 348-5044
Email: apatrucc@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Cynthia Corzo
305-965-4709
ccorzo@fiu.edu

Economy

Mihaela Pintea 

Associate Professor and Chairperson
Department of Economics
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs

Pintea is available to discuss topics such as inflation, unemployment, interest rates, and macroeconomic policies and their effects on the economy.
Email: pinteam@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Alexandra Bassil
305-348-4166
abassil@fiu.edu

Todd Ellenberg
305-348-7266
tellenbe@fiu.edu

Ned Murray 

Associate Director
Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center
Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs

Murray is a leading expert on economic and housing market issues in South Florida. He has authored many of the landmark affordable housing needs studies including the leading studies for Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Broward and Monroe Counties.

Phone: (954) 438-8603
Email: murrayn@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Alexandra Bassil
305-348-4166
abassil@fiu.edu

Todd Ellenberg
305-348-7266
tellenbe@fiu.edu

Oscar Saenz

Professor of Practice
Enterprise and Logistics Engineering 
College of Engineering and Computing

Saenz is the interim program director for Enterprise and Logistics Engineering at FIU. After holding management positions in the industry for 15 years, today he teaches students about engineering project management, production planning and quality management.

Email: ossaenz@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Elizabeth Calzadilla
786-338-3346
ecalzadi@fiu.ed

Marketing

Jaclyn Tanenbaum  

Director, Master of Science Marketing Program
Associate Teaching Professor, Marketing & Logistics
College of Business

Tanenbaum is an expert in branding, retail marketing/retailing and also can discuss consumer behavior.

Phone: (305) 348-2571
Email: jtanenba@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Cynthia Corzo
305-965-4709
ccorzo@fiu.edu

Gustavo Mosquera

Associate Teaching Professor
Marketing & Logistics
College of Business

Mosquera can discuss marketing analytics, branding, digital marketing, consumer behavior and business development, and the economic impact of campaigns and major events.
Mosquera is available for interviews in Spanish and English.

Phone: (305) 348-5476
Email: gmosquer@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Cynthia Corzo
305-965-4709
ccorzo@fiu.edu

Anthony Miyazaki

Professor
Department of Marketing & Logistics
College of Business

Miyazaki specializes in buyer behavior, advertising, digital marketing, omnichannel and e-commerce.

Office: (305) 348-3330
Email: miyazaki@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Cynthia Corzo
305-965-4709
ccorzo@fiu.edu

Rafael Soltero Venegas

Co-Director of Global Sales Lab
Associate Teaching Professor
Marketing & Logistics

College of Business

Venegas brings 25+ years of progressive experience in product development, managing teams, B2B and consumer sales and marketing, including high-tech capital products and consumables. He has extensive Latin American and Worldwide field experience in establishing new country sales and distribution networks. 
Venegas is available for interviews in Spanish and English.

Office: (305) 348-3620
Email: rsoltero@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Cynthia Corzo
305-965-4709
ccorzo@fiu.edu

Cybersecurity

Alexander Crowther

Visiting Research Professor
Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs

Crowther is currently a Cyber Policy specialist in the Expert Consultant program at the Center for Technology and National Security Policy (CTNSP) at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. He is also an adjunct senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation and an adjunct research professor of national security studies at the Strategic Studies Institute. Crowther can discuss cyber policy, national security policy and counterterrorism.
Crowther is available for interviews in Spanish and English.

Office: 305-348-7763
Email: acrowthe@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Alexis Baez
305-348-2977
alebaez@fiu.edu

Brian Fonseca

Director, Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy
Executive Director, Cybersecurity@FIU
Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs

Fonseca serves as a Cybersecurity Policy fellow at the D.C.-based think tank New America and is co-author of “The New US Security Agenda: Trends and Emerging Threats”. His technical expertise and publications focus largely on national security and foreign policies, with particular focus on cyberspace. Fonseca can speak on cybersecurity and emerging threats, among other topics.

Office: 305-348-7420
Cell: 305-218-6323
Email: fonsecab@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Alexis Baez
305-348-2977
alebaez@fiu.edu

Nagarajan Prabakar

Undergraduate Director, BSc. in Cybersecurity Program
Knight Foundation School of Computing & Information Sciences
College of Engineering & Computing

Prabakar has more than 30 years of experience in the field of computing and extensive expertise in the field of cybersecurity. He can discuss security vulnerabilities and what can be done to prevent cyber attacks.

To schedule an interview with Prabakar, contact  Elizabeth Calzadilla.  

For help, contact:
Elizabeth Calzadilla
786-338-3346
ecalzadi@fiu.edu

Sebastian Schuetz

Assistant Professor
Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics
College of Business

Schuetz can discuss security controls, security education, awareness and training, and data breaches.

Email: sschuetz@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Cynthia Corzo
305-965-4709
ccorzo@fiu.edu

Selcuk Uluagac

Professor, Cybersecurity
Knight Foundation School of Computing & Information Sciences
College of Engineering & Computing

Uluagac leads the  Cyber-Physical Systems Security Lab (CSL). His research focuses on cybersecurity and privacy, with an emphasis on its practical and applied aspects.

To schedule an interview with Uluagac, contact  Elizabeth Calzadilla.  

For help, contact:
Elizabeth Calzadilla
786-338-3346
ecalzadi@fiu.edu

Alexander Perez-Pons

Associate Professor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering 
College of Engineering and Computing

Perez-Perez-Pons is an expert in business intelligence, mobile technologies and network security. A senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) since 2005, he conducts research in the areas of real-time embedded systems, biometrics and cybersecurity, with focuses on wearable sensor security, mobile malware, reverse engineering and digital forensics.

Perez-Pons is available for interviews in Spanish and English.

Office: 305-348-7253
Email: aperezpo@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Elizabeth Calzadilla
786-338-3346
ecalzadi@fiu.ed

Kemal Akkaya

Associate Professor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering 
College of Engineering and Computing

Akkaya leads the Advanced Wireless and Security Lab at FIU. He is also serving as the Research Director for FIU’s Emerging Preeminent Program in Cybersecurity. His current research interests include security, privacy and Internet of Things. Akkaya served as the program director for the first bachelor’s degree on Internet of Things in the US.

Office: 305-348-7253
Email: kakkaya@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Elizabeth Calzadilla
786-338-3346
ecalzadi@fiu.ed

Bogdan Carbunar

Associate Professor
Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences 
College of Engineering and Computing

Carbunar directs the Cyber Security and Privacy Research (CaSPR) Lab at FIU. His research interests include fraud and abuse detection in online systems (e.g., Google, Facebook, Yelp) and mobile authentication.

Email: carbunar@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Elizabeth Calzadilla
786-338-3346
ecalzadi@fiu.ed

Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman

Associate Professor
Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences 
College of Engineering and Computing

Rahman leads the Analytics of Cyber Defense (ACyD) Lab at FIU and is a senior member of IEEE. His primary research interests are in cyber-physical systems and Internet of Things. Rahman’s focuses include computer and information security analysis, secure and dependable resource allocation, risk assessment, security design and resiliency analysis.

Email: marahman@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Elizabeth Calzadilla
786-338-3346
ecalzadi@fiu.ed

Ruimin Sun

Associate Professor
Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences 
College of Engineering and Computing

Sun’s expertise is in protecting desktop and mobile devices against cyber-attacks using intelligent defense strategies. Her research interests include cyber physical system security, mobile device information privacy and real-time anomaly detection.

Email: rsun@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Elizabeth Calzadilla
786-338-3346
ecalzadi@fiu.ed

Amin Kharraz

Associate Professor
Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences 
College of Engineering and Computing

Kharraz is the director of the Systems Security Lab at FIU, where he conducts research on advanced malware attacks, web and browser security. His focuses include web and browser security, code analysis and malware detection.

Email: mkharraz@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Elizabeth Calzadilla
786-338-3346
ecalzadi@fiu.ed

Finance

Deanne Butchey

Teaching Professor
Finance
College of Business

Areas of expertise include rising prices/interest rates and impact on personal finances, stock prices, financial markets, gasoline prices.

Phone: (305) 348-7238
Cell: (954) 257-4911
Email: butcheyd@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Cynthia Corzo
305-965-4709
ccorzo@fiu.edu

Mark del Pezzo

Associate Teaching Professor
Finance
College of Business

Pezzo is available to discuss advanced investments and financial management.

Phone: (305) 348-8459
Cell: (904) 707-8992
Email: mdelpezz@fiu.edu 

For help, contact:
Cynthia Corzo
305-965-4709
ccorzo@fiu.edu

Thanksgiving

John Noble Masi

Assistant Teaching Professor and Culinary Lead
Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Masi is an expert in restaurant and hotel operations and can answer all holiday meal planning questions.
Office: 305-919-4199
Email: jmasi@fiu.edu

For help, contact:
Ivonne Yee-Amor
305-299-2091
iamor@fiu.edu

Contact us

For help contacting any of our experts, please contact the Office of Media Relations:

Media Relations
Dianne Fernandez
Director of Broadcast
305-608-4870
dfernand37@fiu.edu

Jonathan Ruadez
Media Relations Specialist
305-348-8448
jruadezn@fiu.edu

Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
Todd Ellenberg
Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing
305-348-7266
tellenbe@fiu.edu

Jack D. Gordon Institute of Public Policy
Alexis Baez
Account Manager
305-348-2977
alebaez@fiu.edu

College of Engineering & Computing
Elizabeth Calzadilla
Director of Marketing and Communications
786-338-3346
ecalzadi@fiu.edu

College of Business
Cynthia Corzo
Assistant Director of Media Relations and Communications
305-965-4709
ccorzo@fiu.edu

Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
Ivonne Yee-Amor
Director of Marketing and Communications
305-299-2091
iamor@fiu.edu

U.S. officials warn that foreign adversaries are trying to produce tremendous amounts of false, misleading information online to sway public opinion in the U.S. Just this July, the Department of Justice announced it had disrupted a Kremlin-backed disinformation campaign that used nearly one thousand fake social media accounts in an attempt to spread disinformation.  

While AI is commonly used on offense in disinformation wars to generate large amounts of content, AI is now playing an important role on defense, too.

Mark Finlayson, a professor at FIU's College of Engineering and Computing, is an expert in training AI to understand stories. He has spent more than two decades studying the subject.

The U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security have funded Finlayson’s research into disinformation.

Persuasive - but false - stories

Storytelling is important to spreading disinformation.

“A heartfelt narrative or a personal anecdote is often more compelling to an audience than the facts,” says Finlayson. “Stories are particularly effective in overcoming resistance to an idea.”

For example, a climate activist may be more successful in convincing an audience about plastic pollution by sharing a personal story of a rescued sea turtle with a straw lodged in its nose, rather than only citing statistics, Finlayson says. The story makes the problem relatable.

“We are exploring the different ways stories are used to drive an argument,” he explains. “It’s a challenging problem, as stories in social media posts can be as brief as a single sentence, and sometimes, these posts may only allude to well-known stories without explicitly retelling them.”

Suspicious handles

Finlayson’s team is also exploring how AI can analyze usernames or handles in a social media profile. Azwad Islam, a Ph.D. student and co-author on a recent paper published with Finlayson, explains that usernames often contain significant clues about a user’s identity and intentions.

The paper was published in the International Conference on Web & Social Media (ICWSM), a top conference in artificial intelligence.

"Handles reveal much about users and how they want to be perceived," Islam explains. "For example, a person claiming to be a New York journalist might choose the handle, '@AlexBurnsNYT' rather than '@NewYorkBoy,’ because it sounds more credible. Both handles, however, suggest the user is a male with an affiliation to New York.”

The FIU team demonstrated a tool that can analyze a user handle, reliably revealing a person’s claimed name, gender, location and even personality (if that information is hinted at in the handle).

Although a user handle alone can’t confirm whether an account is fake, it can be crucial in analyzing an account's overall authenticity—especially as AI’s ability to understand stories evolves.

“By interpreting handles as part of the larger narrative an account presents, we believe usernames could become a critical tool in identifying source of disinformation,” Islam says.

Questionable cultural cache

Objects and symbols can carry different meanings across cultures. If an AI model is unaware of the differences, it can make a grave mistake in how it interprets a story. Foreign adversaries can also use these symbols to make their messages more persuasive to a target audience.

Anurag Acharya is a former Ph.D. student of Finlayson's who worked on this problem. He found that training AI with diverse cultural perspectives improves AI’s story comprehension.

“A story may say, ‘The woman was overjoyed in her white dress.’ An AI model trained exclusively on weddings from Western stories might read that and say, ‘That’s great!’ But if my mother saw this sentence, she would take great offense, because we only wear white to funerals,” says Acharya, who comes from a family of Hindu heritage.

It is critical that AI understand these nuances so it can detect when foreign adversaries are using cultural messages and symbols to have a greater malicious impact.

Acharya and Finlayson have published a recent paper on this topic, presented at a workshop at the Meeting of the North American Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics (NAACL), a top AI conference.

Helping AI find order in chaos

Another difficulty of understanding stories is that the sequence of events that a narrative tells is rarely laid out neatly and precisely in order. Rather, events are often found in pieces, intertwined with other storylines. For human readers, this adds dramatic effect; but for AI models, such complex interrelations can create confusion.

Finlayson’s research on timeline extraction has significantly advanced AI's understanding of event sequences within narratives.

“In a story, you can have inversions and rearrangements of events in many different, complex ways. This is one of the key things that we have worked on with AI. We have helped AI understand how to map out different events that happen in the real world, and how they might affect each other,” Finlayson says.

“This is a good example of something that people find easy to understand but is challenging for machines. An AI model must be able to order the events in a story accurately. This is important not only to identify disinformation but also to support many other applications.”

The FIU team’s advancements in helping AI understand stories are positioned to help intelligence analysts fight disinformation with new levels of efficiency and accuracy.

It happened without warning.

Vanessa Vazquez’s son, Max Lucca, was at the kitchen table doing homework after school. He stood up to sharpen a pencil. Then, suddenly he began shaking uncontrollably. Inside his brain, a storm of electrical activity was raging, messages firing in a frenzy and overloading normal function.

The 14-year-old was having his first epileptic seizure. It would not be his last.

Epilepsy is a chronic, lifelong condition without a cure. For Vazquez, it’s a shadow of unbearable unknowing that falls over every moment. When will her son have a seizure? Will she be there to make sure he’s safe? Unlike other kids his age, Max Lucca’s life is marked by limitations. No bicycle rides on his own. No swimming on his own. The fact a seizure could strike at any time makes too many activities dangerous.

But if the next one could be predicted, parents like Vazquez would have time to prepare and kids like Max Lucca could just be kids.

Taking the unpredictability out of seizures is the goal of FIU data scientist and associate professor in the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences Fahad Saeed’s research.

Experiencing the nation’s capital under the direction of FIU was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I came on the educational trip with a specific goal in mind: I wanted to learn about ways to make technology accessible to countries currently falling behind in their use of the latest advances, particularly many African states. I am especially interested in understanding how to help African nations implement climate technologies as they are already feeling an impact on agricultural output, which has begun to negatively affect food supplies. Likewise, the diminishing availability of clean drinking water and worsening air pollution are growing concerns.

For an opportunity like this—to talk to policymakers and dissect issues such as climate change—I assumed that everyone around me would be in the same field of study as I am. But that changed very quickly when I met and spoke with the amazing people who came on this fly-in with me. I was surprised to see a variety of majors, from marketing to business to environmental sciences. Together, we students had the chance to meet movers and shakers in the arenas of climate change, technology and policymaking.

On the first day, met FIU alumnus William A. Ramos, a senior advisor with the Department of Commerce, and Mia Rodriguez, a current FIU student serving an internship in at the agency, who gave us a behind-the-scenes introduction to how policy and commerce intersect in the nation’s capital. I learned about the CHIPS and Science Act, which directs hundreds of billions of dollars toward supercharging domestic production of advanced technologies such as semiconductors, also known as microchips.

The next day was a whirlwind of activity as we toured the city and experienced Capitol Hill. I spoke directly with aides who work on the Permanent House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. That group has jurisdiction over non-defense federal scientific research and development, which includes issues related to environmental policy and climate change. The aides explained that one of their biggest challenges is budget approval. One important takeaway: You can create and get Congressional approval for a policy with the potential for great beneficial impact, but securing funding for either its enforcement or administration is a whole other challenge.

Another highlight was the chance to meet with members of think tanks and advocacy organizations. We spoke with the Director of Energy and Environmental Policy Studies Travis Fisher and program manager Connor Fogarty, both of the libertarian Cato Institute. They explained how the organization conducts research and gathers data to create reports that aim to influence the development of legislative policy.

And I had the chance to speak with a gentleman who works for the USAID Africa Desk. He gave me a deeper understanding of our country’s formal connections to the continent, where the United States has 60 active “missions,” or diplomatic posts, within the 56 sovereign states of Africa. He explained that individuals who develop expertise on a particular region of the world – something I plan to do as I continue my studies in graudate school - are much needed by the State Department. This opened my eyes to jobs that align with my desire to support the prosperity of African nations and gave me greater confidence than ever in my education and career goals. I encourage other students to take advantage of the opportunity.

Academic advisors guide students through the opportunities and challenges of medical school. "Alums, having successfully navigated similar paths, can provide nuanced guidance on how to best prepare for the transition from classroom to clinic, residency applications, and early career challenges," said Dr. Gagani Athauda, assistant dean for alumni teaching and advising.

Dr. Athauda is leading efforts to ensure that participating alums receive the guidance, coaching, and training they need to serve as vital connections between students and available resources. Traditionally, faculty have filled these roles, but leadership recognized some students were hesitant to reach out or share openly. Alums fill the sweet spot of commitment and experience without participating in grading students. "If students are facing financial or mental health concerns, they might not feel comfortable approaching faculty or administration. I see academic advisors as primary care providers—they can identify concerns beyond academic guidance, offer more personalized support, and refer students to services provided by the Office of Student Affairs (OSA)," said Dr. Andres Rodriguez, assistant dean for student services.

The Alumni Advising Program, housed in the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA), complements and enhances the existing support structures and career development initiatives at the College of Medicine, offering a comprehensive and integrated approach to student support.

This new approach taken by the award-winning career advising porgram also opens doors for alums eager to give back to strengthen their mentoring and teaching skills. Dr. Stephanie Fernandez, an emergency medicine physician at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, graduated in 2018 and is one of the ten alums participating in the program's inaugural cohort. "I think it's important to give back to the community that helped me grow as a physician," she said. Dr. Fernandez is also actively involved with the Emergency Medicine Interest Group and serves on the Dean's Alumni Advisory Board.

Dr. Blake Brown, an internist at Memorial Healthcare Systems in Tamarac, graduated from the College of Medicine in 2020. This year, he returned as a clinical assistant professor and is looking forward to taking on this advising role. "This is an opportunity to support the next generation of physicians and to give back to FIU. It's important to improve the college from within, and alums have the dedication and the motivation to make that happen," he said.

After each academic advising session, feedback from participating alums and students will help guide the program's future development.

"So far so good! They are all curious about multiple specialties. It will be interesting to watch their interests shift as they progress. I'm excited," said Dr. Fernandez, reflecting on her first meeting with first-year mentees.

The program hopes to attract additional local alums and foster a stronger community of continuous learning and support within the College of Medicine.

“We’re so happy to have won the #1 Best Brewery award for the second year in a row,” said Rudy Delgado, Rocketeer Beer co-owner. “Thanks to all of our fans who voted for us, we couldn’t have done it without you,” added co-owner, Ricardo Abreu.

Nearly 1,500 guests attended the festival at The Nomi Village in North Miami on Saturday, November 16^th. Guests got a chance to try more than 100 beers and beverages from 35 craft breweries and taste delicious dishes from nearly two dozen of South Florida’s most unique restaurants, food trucks and eateries. Then fans used coins to vote for their favorites.

The Nomi Village in North Miami hosted North Miami BrewFest for the second year in a row.

First time food truck participant, Taste Good Miami, won third place for their unique take on eggrolls, like their Philly Cheesesteak and Bang Bang Shrimp best sellers.

“BrewFest was an awesome experience, allowing me to reach people that had never had my food and gave me a chance to see what they loved about it and how I can get better,” said Gerard Powell, chef and owner of Taste Good Miami.

Six local businesses took home top prizes, including craft brewers and beverage makers:

1^st place Rocketeer Beer & Liquid Provisions

2^nd place Brewsaki

3^rd place Lemon Dade Seltzer

Two local hamburger restaurants and a food truck won fan favorites for best bite:

1^st place La Birria Bar

2^nd place El Desembarco

3^rd place Taste Good Miami

More than 50 FIU alumni and students helped produce the event, which supports FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and its bachelor’s degree in beverage management.  

FIU students in the event management club, Back of House, helped organizers run the event.

In perfect alignment with FIU's strategic plan, which emphasizes entrepreneurship, innovation and technology, the Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator was established at the Biscayne Bay Campus. Made possible by the generosity of the  Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation, the incubator set the goal of turning artists into successful entrepreneurs by offering a variety of resources and programming: monthly lectures, legal and accounting support, market research assistance, seed capital, stipends and more. The incubator supports artists engaged in graphic design, jewelry making, interior design, visual arts and other pursuits. Students selected to participate are named fellows for a period of up to two years.

The Ratcliffe Foundation recently committed an additional $2 million+ to continue funding for a program of study that its leaders view as benefitting both individual artists and the arts community in general.

"The Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation is pleased to support the FIU Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator which brings together a diverse set of Ratcliffe Fellows to pursue their creative and entrepreneurial dreams. We are so proud of what these students have been able to achieve and look forward to their bright futures,” said Carlene Cassidy, CEO of the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation.

Jacek J. Kolasiński, founding director of the incubator, hailed the foundation's decision as critical to expanding what has already proved a valuable resource for so many creative young people.

“The renewed funding is not just a continuation of our efforts, but will allow us to broaden our reach, support more emerging artists and designers, and empower the next generation of creative entrepreneurs,” he said.

The additional monies will increase fellowship stipends to $10,000 annually and allow greater numbers of students to participate. “What makes this even more impactful is the true interdisciplinary nature of our program,” Kolasiński said, “where students from an array of disciplines represented by FIU’s CARTA—ranging from design, fine arts, and architecture to journalism, communication, and music—come together to create unique and boundary-pushing ventures.”

Within the incubator, budding arts entrepreneurs have access to prototyping equipment, audio-visual tech, cameras, printers and more. Students also learn how to market their work, seek copyright and manage finances.

“My experience with Ratcliffe set the foundation for many of the things that I am now able to do in my career as a professional artist,” said Chris Friday MFA ’20, a former fellow. “Because of the knowledgeable faculty, I learned how to build websites and the basics of marketing and got the courage to experiment with fabricating different objects that could be used to support my artistic practice.”

CARTA Dean Brian Schriner said that the incubator has been a success. “We are immensely grateful to the Ratcliffe Foundation for their visionary leadership and generous support which significantly enhances our ability to foster the creativity and innovation of our talented entrepreneurs.”

FIU continues to stand out as a leader among Hispanic-Serving Institutions in sending and receiving students and scholars globally under the U.S. Department of State's flagship academic exchange program, also known as the Fulbright Program. Recognized during this year's Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities conference as one of a few select institutions, FIU has earned the Fulbright HSI Leader recognition for the four year in a row for impactful out- as well as inbound exchanges across the world. 

FIU's most-decorated Fulbrighter

Scoring one competitive Fulbright award – either as a student or faculty – is difficult enough, but multiple times? Emmanuel Roussakis, professor emeritus of finance, certainly knows how. Between 2010 and 2024, he earned one Fulbright Scholar Award (Romania 2010) and seven Fulbright Specialist Awards (Russia 2012, Indonesia 2013, Morocco 2014, Kuwait 2017, Tunisia 2020, Cyprus 2022, Colombia 2024) and is now one of the most-decorated Fulbrighters ever. Roussakis and his wife Sophie shared their remarkable Fulbright journey during the 2024 FIU Fulbrighters Homecoming-Sendoff celebration with administrators and other Fulbright recipients. 

Fulbright Visiting Students

In 2024-2025 FIU is hosting eight Fulbright Visiting Students from across the globe who pursue their master or doctoral degree at FIU. Meet two of them: 

Agustina Rosenbluth Mulki from San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy province, in Argentina. She completed a bachelor's in industrial engineering and three master's degrees in industrial leadership, international trade and general management. She enjoys learning and felt that immersing herself in the U.S. for her studies towards a Master's in Engineering Management would give her entirely new perspectives and leadership abilities. Academically as well as professionally, Rosenbluth Mulki is keenly interested in finding and making - as little as is necessary -  operational modifications that significantly change efficiency. She also enjoys immersing herself in the campus and Miami communities. 

Patrick Otema is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Earth and Environment and he is pursuing a doctoral degree in Earth Systems Science. Patrick was born in Kitgum, a city in Northern Uganda. Prior to transitioning to his home institution,  Busitema University in Eastern Uganda, he completed an MSc in Agroforestry and Food Security from Bangor University under the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Program. His FIU advisors are professors Maruthi Sridhar Balaji Bhaskar and Krish Jayachandran. Otema is a Teaching Assistant who is passionate about sustainability and environmental resilience. His research focuses on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services that underpin food production. He intends to gain insights on building sustainable farming systems. 

Fulbright visiting scholars

Just as FIU faculty seek opportunities to collaborate in-person and on-site with global partners abroad (see Where in the World are FIU's Fulbrighters?), hosting a Fulbright Foreign Scholar at FIU creates unique possibilities to advance scholarship and science. Meet this year's Visiting Scholars: 

The FIU Libraries are hosting Tomasz Zawadzki, Ph.D., from Poland in the 2024-2025 year as Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence. His academic background includes gaming and extended realities such as augmented (AR), virtual (VR) and mixed (MR) realities. Facilitated by Bryan Cooper, Associate Dean for Engagement and Innovation, Zawadzki is helping introduce students to the creation of AR applications and 360-degree video; creating virtual 3D mangrove flowers and sharks in collaboration with science education faculty; collaborating with the North Miami Chamber of Commerce on sessions for business owners on 3D modeling for marketing; and he is supporting Miami-Dade County high school teachers and students, and the Everglades Foundation, with interactive AR for education productions. Zawadzki also will be collaborating with the Libraries’ 3D sound artist-in-residence on upcoming 360-degree production workshops for faculty and students. And, in Spring 2025, he will support local Public Television’s plans to engage the public through 360-degree immersive video, and FIU Journalism students using AR within immersive media storytelling.

Ileana Ortegon-Aznar, Ph.D., Fulbright Visiting Scholar from Mexico, is hosted by Alain Duran, Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Biology, to jointly conduct a comparative analysis of coral reef dynamics between Yucatán and Florida. This novel study focuses on the ecological role of long sediment-laden algal turfs (LSAT) on resilience-related processes such as coral recruitment and survival of corals. Their collaboration includes the creation of an LSAT monitoring protocol that can be applied Caribbean-wide. Along with Ligia-Collado Vides, Teaching Professor, they also mentor students, revamp classes, and study local macroalgal-related issues such as the Caulerpa bloom in Miami’s coral reefs.

Fulbright specialists

In addition to Fulbright Scholar awards, multiple FIU faculty earned a Fulbright Specialist grant, which funds short-term, technical projects to be carried out at an institution abroad. 

Andrej Milić, J.D., Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice and Director of Development for the College of Law, was invited by the Ministry of Finance in Zagreb, Croatia, for a project focused on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which established a proposal for Croatian FDI legislation. This proposal was based on a standardized framework of criteria that is utilized by the European Commission and Member States in their assessment of foreign investments. This regulatory framework created through the collaborative efforts of Mr. Milić and the various government ministries aims to provide a comprehensive while nuanced approach in evaluating the potential risks and benefits associated with foreign direct investment within the European Union.

Hilary Landorf, Ph.D., Associate Professor of International & Intercultural Education and Assistant Vice President for Global Learning Initiatives completed her Fulbright Specialist project Co-creating Global Learning for All Through Collective Impact at the Universidad Católica de Manizales (UCM) in Manizales, Colombia in Fall 2023. In collaboration with the Senior International Office of the UCM, she provided on-site training, workshops, and co-creative discussions with senior leadership, deans, directors, and faculty members at the six (6) universities in Manizales - Universidad Católica de Manizales, Universidad de Caldas, Universidad de Manizales, Universidad Autonoma de Manizales, Universidad Católica Luis Amigo in Manizales, and Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Manizales. Landorf also facilitated a panel discussion with Universidad Católica de Manizales stakeholders, local industry leaders and foundation officers on how to advance global learning in the community and region.

During Fall 2023, Larry “Jamie” Ousley, DMA, Associate Professor of Music, was invited by the National University of Costa Rica, which has its main campus in Heredia, Costa Rica, to give masterclasses on improvisation, composition, and playing in jazz ensembles. He joined the master's students for multiple jam sessions in local venues around San Jose. Ousley also participated in a recording in a Costa Rican studio for a project submitted for this year's Latin Grammy's: "Claude Bolling Goes Latin: Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio".

Raquel Perez, Ph.D., served as a Fall 2023 Fulbright Specialist to Ovidius University in Constanta, Romania, where she collaborated with stakeholders in the Black Sea region to enhance their cultural diplomacy and global security efforts. Throughout speaking engagements, workshops, and collaborative initiatives, she shared her expertise in peace, conflict resolution, and diplomacy, helping to foster greater socio-political awareness and intercultural understanding. Perez's contributions played a vital role in strengthening the program’s framework and ensuring its long-term sustainability.

Fulbright-Hays Fellowship 

The Fulbright-Hays Program awards grants to individual pre-doctoral students and postdoctoral faculty for research overseas, which focus on non-Western foreign languages and area studies. 

Gremaud Angee is pursuing his Ph.D. in Latin American History. In order to access historic archives in Brazil, he applied for a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship with the project titled From Liberation to Prosperity: The Peak and Decline of Progressive Catholic Lay Movements and the Rise of Neo-Pentecostalism in São Paulo, Brazil, 1964–1985. His research sought to understand the relationship between the rise and decline of progressive Catholic lay movements and the rise of Neo-Pentecostalism in the peripheries of São Paulo, Brazil, under the country’s military dictatorship (1964–1985). Angee's project explores how progressive São Paulo’s Catholic movements and Neo-Pentecostal churches, sought to draw on their faith and theological beliefs their own system of moral values that would help them to address worldly issues like building democracy, welfare, and/or social mobility. He completed his Fulbright-Hays doctoral dissertation research from January to July 2024. 

Interested in Fulbright? 

Teaching, studying and researching opportunities in more than 160 countries through the Fulbright Program are available to graduate students and faculty. The application process is very competitive. Student applicants are required to submit their application for review by an FIU committee and must contact Fulbright Program Advisor  Ashley Kuntz, Director, Prestigious Scholar Development. FIU faculty are not required to submit their application to the Fulbright Program through FIU; however, the Fulbright Campus Liaisons Assefa Melesse and Birgitta Rausch-Montoto are year-round available to offer insights on how to craft a competitive project proposal for a Fulbright award. Please email global@fiu.edu for more information.

Fulbright Student, Susana Fuertes: Bahrain
Susana Fuertes earned a Fulbright Student scholarship to study and research women entrepreneurship in Bahrain in 2023-2024. A small business owner herself, Fuertes runs an online floral boutique and has a special interest in helping women grow independent enterprises, which is the focus of her work. She immersed herself in the local community and took every opportunity to connect with business leaders, for example during The Sixth Gulf Business Incubators and Accelerators Conference in November 2023. 

Since her work was far from done, Fulbright invited her to extend her scholarship for another year. After a short visit home to Miami in the summer, she is now back in Bahrain for 2024-2025 to continue her research and also launch a new podcast called Forwardpreneurs.

Fulbright Global Scholar Angela Salmon: Colombia, Greece and Poland
Pursuing research and teaching in one country abroad is certainly an ambitious mission. But three? That’s what FIU’s Fulbright Global Scholars set out to do.

Angela Salmon, associate professor in the department of teaching and learning, has conducted collaborative international research for years. Her Fulbright Global Scholar Award now enables her to dedicate even more time to expanding her research project, "Digital Storytelling to Empower Vulnerable Children and Parents Cope with Complex Challenges." She just completed her stay in Colombia at Universidad de La Sabana and the Aeiotu children's learning center in Bogotá, which will be followed by visits to Poland at the University of Warsaw and in Greece at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens between 2024-2026.

Salmon is the founding leader of Visible Thinking South Florida, a non-profit learning community that empowers teachers to implement cutting-edge pedagogies, and a fellow of the Harvard Project Zero Reimagining Migration. Her Fulbright comparative participatory action research project will build a multiregional partnership to investigate sustainable solutions to alleviate the migration crisis. It aims to empower young immigrant-origin children and parents through intergenerational project, "Digital Collective Storytelling for Voice and Influence." It fosters cultural identities, a sense of belonging and agency. It explores how this pedagogy bridges generational, cultural and communication gaps to support children's well-being. Quantitative and qualitative data and harnessing international cooperation will inform practitioners and policymakers about pedagogies that foster healthy communities.

Fulbright Global Scholar Allison Matulli: Colombia, Trinidad & Tobago and Italy
Allison Matulli is an adjunct faculty member in the department of criminology and criminal justice, an attorney and certified Montessori lead educator. Her Fulbright project, "Speech Rights and Empowering Ethnically Diverse Youth To Know Their Rights In One World, Your Voice," expands research she has already published in her book "Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid's Guide to the First Amendment.”

Matulli began her Fulbright Global Scholar journey in 2023 and completed the first leg of her project at Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia. There, she closely collaborated with María González Malabet, director of the Institute of Political and Institutional Development, delivered guest lectures, gave radio interviews, conducted focus groups with youth leaders and much more. Matulli ’s findings confirm the need to help youth comprehend civic engagement and speech rights, especially as they seek to exercise their singular voices on public and private college campuses. Between her Fulbright trips, she will launch her Your Freedom, Your Power School Book Tour 2024-25 to actively engage K-12 students on their First Amendment rights.

Matulli will head in October to Trinidad & Tobago to be hosted by the United Way TT’s CEO Gail Sooknarine. She will spend the final leg of her project at the University of Palermo in Italy in Spring 2025.

Fulbright Specialist Emmanuel Roussakis: Colombia
That’s a wrap – or is it? The upcoming Fulbright Specialist project at Uni-Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia, this fall will be Emmanuel Roussakis’s final Fulbright stint – so he says. All while holding the title of professor emeritus of finance, the now-88-year-old has served as a Fulbright Scholar to Romania (2010) and a Fulbright Specialist to Russia (2012), Indonesia (2013), Morocco (2014), Kuwait (2017), Tunisia (2020) and Cyprus (2022). Uni-Norte invited him to offer lectures to undergraduate students on international financial management, to graduate and postgraduate students on global banking and to faculty on case-study writing techniques, in addition to sharing his teaching expertise with members of the academic community.

Fulbright Specialist Rob Guerette: India
Rob Guerette, professor in the department of criminology and criminal justice, is invited by Maharashtra National Law University, in Nagpur, India, to assist with developing an applied criminology program that will be deployed fully online to Indian police officers this fall semester. Additionally, he will be giving a series of graduate level seminars on various crime science topics.

This is Guerette’s second Fulbright Specialist award. In 2021, he visited the University of Akureyri and the National Police Commissioner of Iceland’s Center for Police Training and Professional Development, a government entity that works with the university, to help facilitate the university’s continuing education curriculum and training on cybercrime recognition and prevention. 

The gentle, slow-moving Florida manatee has no natural predators.

And yet, these charismatic mammals face numerous threats.

Manatees are struck by vessels in busy waterways across the state, and a majority bear scars from these collisions.

Harmful algal blooms – characterized by the rapid growth of algae that degrades water quality – can impair their nervous systems.

With less blubber, or fat, compared with other marine mammals like whales, dolphins, seals and sea lions, manatees are vulnerable to cold-stress syndrome during winter months.

And they can ingest or get entangled in marine debris like derelict fishing gear and drown or be crushed by floodgate and water control structures.

I am a doctoral candidate in marine biology at Florida International University’s Institute of Environment. Over the past 15 years, I have gained extensive experience working with marine mammals, particularly manatees.

Recently, my colleagues at the United States Geological Survey and Florida Department of Environmental Protection and I documented a change in the dietary pattern of manatees. We found that manatees are eating less seagrass – traditionally their primary food source – and more algae than in decades past. This change occurred along Florida’s Atlantic coast during a period of extensive seagrass decline.

We believe this represents an emerging threat to the species’ survival.

Protected species

Manatees were listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. By the early 1990s, the manatee population in Florida had dwindled to less than 1,300.

Researchers believe that federal protection, along with additional state measures such as slow-speed zones and no-entry refuges, has contributed to the growth of the manatee population in Florida.

In 2017, manatees were reclassified from endangered to threatened. Surveyors counted 5,733 individual manatees during a statewide aerial survey conducted in 2019.

Florida manatees average 9-12 feet (2.7-3.7 meters) in length and typically weigh about 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms), but they can grow as large as 3,500 pounds (1,600 kilograms). As the largest fully aquatic herbivore, they consume 5% to 10% of their body weight in vegetation each day.

While manatees eat a broad diet of over 60 different plants, they most commonly feed on species of seagrass. Seagrasses are marine plants that, like land plants, have leaves, flowers, roots and seeds, and make their food through photosynthesis.

So what happens when these seagrasses are no longer available?

A changing estuary

The Indian River Lagoon is an estuary along Florida’s east coast that covers roughly 350 square miles (560 square kilometers) between the mainland and barrier islands, from Ponce Inlet to Jupiter Inlet.

It is a critical habitat for manatees, which feed on native seagrass meadows in the lagoon during their seasonal migrations.

Seagrasses are vital to the health of marine ecosystems. They are a habitat for juvenile fish and other marine organisms, provide food for aquatic herbivores, reduce carbon in the atmosphere and improve water quality. They also protect coastal habitats by stabilizing sediments and reducing wave energy that can erode shorelines and damage coastal infrastructure, especially during hurricanes.

For more than a decade, the Indian River Lagoon has experienced extensive loss of seagrass meadows, due to a series of algae blooms associated with nutrient runoff and degraded water quality from septic overflow leaching into the environment.

When untreated sewage and fertilizers flow into the estuary, they add nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients that drive excessive algal growth. These harmful algal blooms deplete oxygen levels and block sunlight, which seagrass needs for photosynthesis.

Between 2011 and 2019, over 50% of all seagrass in the lagoon was lost. This led to an increase in macroalgae and even led to a change in the animal communities that live in the lagoon. For example, among finfish, sheepshead populations declined, while seabream numbers increased. Invertebrate communities were also affected, with bryozoans colonizing areas previously dominated by barnacles.

Manatees along the Atlantic coast have suffered two unusual mortality events since the seagrass decline, including one that is ongoing. Researchers attribute the increase in manatee deaths to malnutrition due to a shortage of seagrasses in the Indian River Lagoon.

A shift in manatees’ diet

In our study, we examined 193 manatee stomach samples collected from carcasses recovered from the Indian River Lagoon during two time periods – one before and one after the onset of the seagrass loss in 2011.

We compared stomach sample contents from carcasses collected between 1977 and 1989 with samples collected between 2013 and 2015.

Our findings indicate that manatees consumed 45% less seagrass and 74% more algae after the seagrass decline.

Recently, in a study supported by FIU’s Center for Aquatic Chemistry and Environment, I investigated differences in the nutritional composition – like protein, fat, carbohydrate and fiber – of items identified in manatee stomach samples. My preliminary results show notable differences in the nutritional composition of seagrass and algae.

Marine mammals are particularly vulnerable to dietary shifts due to their large size and high energy demands. Such changes can worsen their physical health and increase the likelihood of starvation.

Depleted oxygen levels are having a similar impact on aquatic vegetation and seagrass meadows in other regions of Florida, like Biscayne Bay and the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary. This suggests that the ecological challenges seen in the Indian River Lagoon could become more widespread.

What is the solution?

Remediation efforts within the lagoon have incorporated the restoration of seagrass through aquaculture and replanting strategies, similar to efforts to restore coral reefs.

While the lagoon’s seagrass has recently shown signs of regrowth, the rehabilitation of the ecosystem must begin with improving and maintaining water quality.

Counties along the lagoon have enacted fertilizer bans that aim to reduce the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water that drive algal blooms.

New research, however, indicates that these restrictions alone will not fix the problem, as residential septic systems are the primary source of nutrient pollution in the lagoon.

Furthermore, many of the factors contributing to harmful algal blooms are intensified by global warming and changing climate, which could accelerate the decline of seagrass in Florida and elsewhere.

Given the multiple, synergistic threats facing manatees, I believe that improving water quality, protecting their food sources, and further research – coupled with community outreach and education – are critical to ensure the long-term survival of this iconic Florida species.

Aarin-Conrad Allen, Ph.D. candidate in Marine Sciences, Florida International University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Degree
Ph.D. candidate, marine science

College
College of Arts, Sciences & Education

Undergraduate Experience
University of Akron, Ohio

Fun Fact
Allen played goalie for University of Akron's ice hockey team

Florida manatees are facing a devastating seagrass famine. Aarin-Conrad Allen wants to understand what this means for the health of one of Florida’s most charismatic animals.

Allen and a team of researchers found some of the first evidence that manatees in Indian River Lagoon dramatically changed their diet after an algal bloom in 2011. They compared stomach contents from manatees living in the Indian River Lagoon during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s to manatees living there between 2013 and 2015. With less seagrasses, manatees resorted to eating staggering amounts of algae. On average, their diet contained almost 50% algae — compared to only 28% in 1977-1989.

Allen, who works in marine ecologist Jeremy Kiszka’s lab, continues to study the ramifications of these changes. In addition to investigating how much seagrass remains in Indian River Lagoon, he’s measuring the nutritional value of algae to understand if it’s the equivalent of “junk food” for these large herbivores.

"What happened in Indian River Lagoon can happen in other systems around the world. The problem needs to be addressed on a larger scale.”

— Aarin-Conrad Allen

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James W. Fourqurean — Distinguished University Professor and director of the Institute of Environment’s Coastlines and Oceans Division — was inducted as a new member for his decades of work protecting Florida’s coastlines.

Fourqurean is a foremost expert on seagrass ecosystems and blue carbon, which describes carbon captured by the world’s oceans and coastal ecosystems. He’s also one of the lead scientists in the International Blue Carbon Working Group, as well as scientific representative to the International Blue Carbon Policy Working Group. These teams set out to have seagrasses recognized as a valuable resource in climate change mitigation, critical to helping slow the rise of C02 in the atmosphere. They’ve helped to include these coastal ecosystems in national greenhouse gas inventories.

In addition, three professors were selected as “Rising Stars,” based on their contributions to their fields, and potential to become future academy members.

“These ‘Rising Stars’ have made significant contributions to science, engineering and medicine,” says Angie Laird, the ASEMFL secretary and FIU distinguished university professor. “ASEMFL is excited to recognize the outstanding talent of mid-career researchers in the State of Florida. At FIU, the accomplishments of Drs. Sutherland, Sheehan and Ibrahim are a testament to their commitment to scholarship of the highest quality, as well as research that has a direct impact on society."

The other FIU honorees include:

Matthew Sutherland 

Associate Professor
Department of Psychology
College of Arts, Sciences & Education; Center for Children and Families (CCF)

Sutherland’s research program focuses on delineating brain and behavioral mechanisms that lead to and maintain substance use with an emphasis on nicotine and cannabis. His work investigating human brain function has identified neurobiological aberrations among those using nicotine associated with reward processing alterations, working memory dysfunction and affective dysregulation. Better understanding of the brain processes linked with substance use offers the potential to inform development of improved treatments for addiction, strategies to match people with the best treatment options, and efforts to prevent vulnerable individuals from initiating substance use. Sutherland’s research has been supported by multiple NIH grants from the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Minority Health and Health disparities.

Diana Sheehan 

Associate Professor
Department of Epidemiology
Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work

Sheehan’s current NIH-funded studies are developing and assessing the efficacy of Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions and stepped care interventions for improving antiretroviral therapy adherence among Latino men. In addition, as part of the NIH-funded Research Center in Minority Institutions (FIU-RCMI), she’s currently mining and interpreting data to understand whether the pandemic has exacerbated HIV disparities among minority populations. Sheehan’s current work is funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

Ahmed Ibrahim

Associate Professor 
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering 
College of Engineering & Computing

Inspired by brain networks and neurological disorders such as autism, Ibrahim has designed wireless networks that enable self-driving vehicles and drone-assisted post-disaster recovery. He is the director of the Wireless Innovation Lab at FIU. He’s also received an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award to develop short-delay “gray-box” machine learning models and low-complexity optimized networks necessary to support connected vehicles and augmented reality applications, which are essential in remote health care.

Founded in 2018, Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida is committed to addressing key issues and challenges impacting Florida, including the environment, sustainable energy, STEM education, healthcare and more. The academy provides expert advice and helps shape sound policies, inform public opinion and advance developments in science, engineering and medicine. ASEML members are also considered for future induction into the prestigious National Academies — the National Academy of Science, the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine. 

Other members of the academy from FIU include:

• Mike Heithaus, vice Provost for environmental resilience and for the Biscayne Bay Campus at FIU, as well as executive dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education.
• Tomás R. Guilarte, dean of FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work
• Kenneth G. Furton, FIU executive director of the Global Forensic and Justice Center
• Evelyn Gaiser, the endowed George Barley eminent scholars chair and aquatic ecologist in the FIU Institute of Environment
• Yuk-Ching Tse-Dinh, director of FIU’s Biomolecular Sciences Institute
• William E. Pelham Jr., the late founding director of FIU’s Center for Children and Families

This combined approach highlighted important management gaps for 19 small threatened species that are not currently regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This includes the Triakidae family, which comprise some of the most threatened and most common species in the small fin category, according to Diego Cardeñosa, FIU biologist and lead author in the study. He says international trade regulations must be applied sooner rather than later to protect this family due to their increased extinction risk and unsustainable trade levels.

  
The DNA analysis revealed something else — the small shark species are not the only ones showing up in the fin trade as small fins. A quarter of the small fins were actually from juveniles of large shark species, including critically endangered hammerheads as well as threatened silky sharks and blacktips. This finding indicates substantial exploitation of juveniles could be affecting fisheries’ sustainability.
 
For more than a decade, fin trade research has primarily focused on large fins, but by surveying small ones, Cardeñosa said the actual species composition in the markets is quite different than what the previous assessments represent.
 
“Customs personnel around the world should thoroughly inspect small fin consignments as they likely hold species that are already regulated by international policies and should be accompanied by the right certificates,” Cardeñosa said. “Otherwise, they are being illegally traded.”
 
Cardeñosa is calling for enhanced surveillance and further research to ensure effective conservation strategies under emerging trade regulations. The study is a collaboration between Florida International University, University of Miami, Mote Marine Laboratory and others.

"While most of the management attention has been focused on large, iconic shark species caught in industrial open ocean fisheries, this study highlights that we must also pay attention to small, less famous species that are mainly caught in small-scale coastal fisheries. They may be small in size, but the catch of these species is huge and it is pushing many of them toward extinction," said Demian Chapman, co-lead of the study, and manager of Mote’s Sharks & Rays Conservation Research Program.

Researchers are advocating for a “no-take zone” off the coast of Colombia after one of the world’s smallest and most threatened hammerhead species was found to do very little traveling outside of a Marine Protected Area in the region.

A team of researchers including FIU shark biologists Diego Cardeñosa and Yannis Papastamatiou, tracked the movements of scalloped bonnetheads inside a marine protected area (MPA) along the Colombian Pacific Coast, where this species still occurs in high numbers. Using acoustic telemetry, a technique that tracks underwater movements through sound signals, they determined the sharks spent a significant portion of their monitoring period within the study area. 

“Using telemetry we show these little sharks are very residential to small areas,” Papastamatiou said. “This is bad news if overfishing occurs but good news for designing well placed, and enforced, protected areas.”

Research typically focuses on the large, iconic hammerheads, but very little research exists on the scalloped bonnethead — the smallest of the nine recognized hammerhead species — which is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List. This new study provides the first insights into the movement behavior of the scalloped bonnethead with important implications for its protection and management.

“This study is the first of its kind for this species, the most threatened hammerhead shark in the world endemic to the eastern pacific,” said Cardeñosa, corresponding author in the study. “The results show us that localized conservation efforts with local fishing communities is the most effective strategy to protect this species.” 

The Colombian Pacific coast is heavily fished by small-scale fisheries. About 7 percent of the coast is protected, with only three national parks in the region. The study was carried out in the Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park, an area encompassing 181 square miles. Established in 2010, it is a biodiversity hotspot featuring the highest above-ground mangrove forest biomass of any region outside the Coral Triangle — a vital marine region spanning six countries. 

For this study, the researchers looked at the sharks’ movement patterns to assess how long they stay in the area, the influence of tides and time of day on their movements, and the degree of protection a no-take zone could provide in this location. According to the acoustic data, their movements were limited to just 0.54 square miles within the park. Data also showed the scalloped bonnetheads spent less time in the area at high tide and at night, suggesting more movement and more activity at those times. 

According to the study, this combination of small space use and high residency makes the scalloped bonnethead especially vulnerable, but it also makes a strong case for creating an MPA surrounding that core area. Establishing a small no-take zone within the National Park’s MPA — less than 2 miles along the coastline and extending about 1.25 miles offshore — would cover a significant part of the area used by this small coastal shark and could have great benefits for conservation.

The findings have been shared with the local communities and, in a joint effort, the goal is to establish a no-take zone that prohibits the capture or removal of the sharks. The no-take zone would also safeguard the needs of the community and would be under the management of local stakeholders. The researchers note that shark movement data should be incorporated with the interests of all local stakeholders for an optimal MPA to be effective.

The study was a collaboration between the FIU Global Forensic and Justice Center, the Guy Harvey Research Institute and the Save our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center at Nova Southeastern University and the Centro de Investigaciones Oceanográficas e Hidrográficas del Pacífico in Colombia.

Shark conservation must go beyond simply protecting shark populations — it must prioritize protecting the ecological roles of sharks, according to new research published today in Science.
 
The largest sharks of many of the biggest species, such as tiger sharks and great whites, play an oversized role in healthy oceans, but they are often the most affected by fishing. The big sharks help maintain balance through their eating habits. Sometimes their sheer size is enough to scare away prey that could over-consume seagrass and other plant life needed for healthy oceans. Sharks can also help shape and maintain balance from the bottom-up. That means a variety of sharks are needed in ecosystems, yet their many and diverse contributions to ocean health are under threat from overfishing, climate change, habitat loss, energy mining, shipping activities and more. The study, led by Florida International University (FIU), sheds new light on what role sharks play in healthy oceans and why size should be a factor in conservation decisions.
 
“When we look around the world, we see that sharks can play lots of different roles in ecosystems – and some of them are really important,” said Mike Heithaus, co-author of the study and executive dean of FIU’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education. “That means we need to maintain a diversity of sharks in our oceans as well as a wide range of sizes of sharks.  It also means we need to be rebuilding heavily depleted populations and managing for how sharks will function in oceans that are changing due to human uses and climate change.”
 
Heithaus has spent his career studying the ecological role of sharks. There, he documented top-down roles including keeping prey populations from growing too large or eating too much. When sharks scare off prey, like turtles and sea cows, these grazers don’t overeat seagrass or other needed marine vegetation, giving it time to grow and recover before the grazers return.

“We’re not saying big sharks are the only ones that matter. There’s a lot more that sharks of all kinds are doing to shape entire ecosystems,” said Simon Dedman, FIU marine scientist and co-lead author of the study. “But what we do know is that big sharks of some species are playing an oversized role in ocean health and need better protection. It’s time to have a conversation about everything sharks are doing to maintain ocean health so we can better prioritize conservation efforts and have the biggest impact.”
 
Besides helping to maintain balance in food webs, sharks feed in offshore waters and bring nutrients back to the reef. Others move nutrients around that are used at the base of the food chain. Sharks can also serve as food for other species and even as scratching posts for fish to remove parasites. The problem is shark abundance has plummeted by 71 percent for oceanic species in the past 50 years. Populations of the top five reef shark species have been depleted by 63 percent.

“This study verifies what we’ve long suspected – sharks are critical to ocean health,” said Lee Crockett, executive director of the Shark Conservation Fund which funded the study. “This landmark study serves as confirmation that marine conservationists, philanthropists, policymakers, and the public alike need to recognize that sharks are keystone species that have a now-proven significant effect on marine environments.”
 
The issue of shark conservation becomes all the more critical as global temperatures increase, leading some sharks to head into new areas where they can find the temperatures they thrive in. In addition, with the expansion of blue economy industries like aquaculture and tourism, people’s encounters with sharks will likely increase. Finding a balance that protects the sharks most needed for healthy oceans is hitting a critical point.

“National and international policy must focus on actions that rebuild populations and restore sharks' functional roles,” Heithaus said. “That requires action to increase both spatial measures like Marine Protected Areas and fisheries management measures like catch/size limits and gear limitations. If people want healthy oceans, we need healthy shark populations.”

“The quantity was a huge issue, and then came the quality issue,” he shared, adding that top medical professionals were educated abroad in countries like the U.S. and the U.K. After completing their studies, some would return to Bangladesh to work in private hospitals in big cities, leaving people in rural areas without options for quality health care. “The medical professionals found in these areas were limited in their training, their global knowledge, and the latest updates on treatment procedures,” he said.Chowdhury points to this revelation as the spark that set him on the path to a career in global health—one where he could focus on the health of communities instead of individual patients.

Today, as chair and professor of global health at the FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, he works to open doors for research and educational opportunities that address health disparities and improve health access for people in Bangladesh and across the globe.

Recently, FIU received a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop and test strategies for implementing the WHO’s Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) control and prevention guidelines in Bangladesh, one of the top 10 countries for diabetes prevalence. Dr. Chowdhury will lead this work in collaboration with a team of researchers from FIU, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and UTHealth Houston, with technical assistance from the WHO.

This work builds on Dr. Chowdhury’s long-term working relationship with Abdullah Baqui, DrPH, MPH,  a professor in the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“While our earlier projects focused on transforming primary healthcare to tackle maternal and childhood conditions, we will now extend this effort to addressing major non-communicable diseases (such as T2D and hypertension),” said Dr. Abdullah Baqui, a co-investigator on the project and the director of the International Center for Maternal and Newborn Health at the Bloomberg School.

The work also builds on Chowdhury’s decade-long collaboration with the WHO. In 2014, while teaching at the University of Cambridge, he served as the organization’s external advisor for its Global Status Report on Noncommunicable Diseases. He’s also done work with the organization on cardiovascular disease, serving as a co-investigator in a working group that helped identify cardiovascular risk for 21 global regions.

Targeting T2D in underserved communities

T2D, the most common form of diabetes, occurs when the body is unable to use insulin properly. Unmanaged, T2D can increase the risk of several health issues like cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, blindness, and more.

In countries like Bangladesh, Dr. Chowdhury shares it is possible that lifestyle factors such as limited physical activity, high tobacco use, and local diets rich in rice and refined cooking oil, as well as unique hereditary factors, play a significant role in the high prevalence of the disease.

To keep the disease at bay, making lifestyle changes is key— exercising, eating healthy foods, and not smoking are a few medical recommendations. Once someone has the disease, controlling it can be a challenge without access to quality health care.

In Bangladesh, which today has a ratio of 5 health care professionals for every 10,000 people, getting the medical attention needed to ward off diseases like T2D can be difficult. Limited access to health care professionals makes prevention and early diagnosis close to impossible for many, particularly those in rural areas.  

To address this challenge, the research group will implement HEARTS-D, a module developed by the WHO that aims to improve cardiovascular health by targeting T2D in low-and-middle income communities.

“Think of HEARTS-D as a comprehensive how-to guide packed with the latest diabetes prevention, diagnosis and management tools,” said Dr. Chowdhury. “If implemented properly, it has the potential to transform the primary health care system from the grass roots level up for diabetes care.”

The work will be done over a span of five years, focusing on neighborhoods across Sylhet, a northern city in Bangladesh.

An integrated approach to health care

Given the inadequacy of the healthcare providers in Bangladesh to treat patients based on the HEARTS-D module, Chowdhury’s team will test a strategy to engage the community members to partner with the care providers. In this “integrated” approach, in addition to the local doctors and nurses at the health care facilities, the team will also train community health workers.

“We are going after a principle called task sharing,” said Chowdhury. “This is where we engage with the less specialized community health workers, who are from the local community, to help increase health care access and service coverage.”

Chowdhury shares how this process would look in action: HEARTS-D-trained community health workers would visit people in their homes, provide lifestyle advice, conduct health assessments, and refer those at high risk of diabetes—or showing signs of it— to nearby community clinics. At the clinics, patients would meet with HEARTS-D-trained medical professionals, like doctors and nurses, to get the care needed to help prevent or manage the disease. After they receive their treatment, community health workers will then monitor them at home for appropriate medication adherence and sugar control.

“We are hoping that this type of integrated care will be effective in reducing diabetes burden, as well as improve the control of diabetes,” said Chowdhury. He adds that the research group also aims to better understand the barriers and enablers that come with implementing a program like this in Sylhet.

Will their shoe designs carry them across the lake or will they take a dunk in the water? The suspense brings people to the event year after year. 

This week, hundreds of students, faculty, staff, supporters and members of the media gathered on Nov. 7 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the highly-anticipated event. They watched eagerly as 52 teams of architecture students raced to the finish line, all in pursuit of good grades, bragging rights — and a $1,000 grand prize. This year Juan Goya and David Mora (whose team name is "The Bullet Bills") secured the win with a finish time of 59.60 seconds.

"Winning feels surreal right now. I can’t believe I won," said Goya, a second-year architecture student. "I feel so happy. I didn’t think I’d get this far, but thank you so much to [my teammate], David.”

Mora said all the hard work paid off with a victory. "It feels great! Juan and I worked really hard throughout the entire semester," he said. "We poured a lot of sweat, tears and effort into this. We’re proud of the position we got.”

The race is always a fun, high-energy affair, but the real magic of the event lies behind-the-scenes during the design process. Students sketch and construct shoes made to endure the 232-foot-wide lake.

This wasn’t just a test of durability. It was a challenge of functionality and water resistance. Born from the materials and methods course, the race allows students to bring their designs to life, practice and compete for the prize, as well as receive a passing grade for the course.

Sketching is a foundational aspect of the design process, guiding each competitor through problem-solving stages. Without effective sketching, students may struggle to create secure, functional shoes, making it challenging to test their durability and, ultimately, limiting their chances. Freshmen architecture students (who will be taking to the lake next year) sketch the event as part of their coursework — and prepare for the future.

"Last year, I remember watching, feeling a bit nervous and scared, wondering if I could do it," Mora said. "But after Juan and I teamed up, we knew that if we put all our effort into it, we could accomplish it—and here we are."

This year's event offered even more excitement as Jaime Canaves, professor of architecture and the founder of Walk on Water, was honored by Congressman Carlos Giménez, U.S. representative for Florida’s 28^th Congressional District. Walk on Water was entered into the Congressional Record, recognizing the impact this tradition has had not only on FIU architecture students, but also on the wider community.

"Today’s race was as good as it gets—a beautiful day!" said Canaves. "I now have a Congressional Record for the Walk on Water event [as recognized in Congress]. Congressman Carlos Giménez and the students did a phenomenal job. I’m very proud of them, and we had a great time."

Above all, the race highlighted the equal importance of research, theory and application.

“FIU CARTA emphasizes our students ‘learn by doing,” said Brian Schriner, dean of the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA). “Walk on Water is a wonderful example of the many ways we achieve that goal. It’s truly another example of CARTA creative forces at work.”         

Goya and Mora proved that with great design and plenty of practice, walking on water is possible...as long as you have the right shoes.

FIU has placed highly in multiple nationally acclaimed publications, including:

• Top 10 “Best of the Best” for 2024 by U.S. Veterans Magazine
• Top 10 School by Military Friendly
• No. 45 public college for veterans by U.S. News and World Report

Additionally, FIU was among the first universities to be designated a Purple Star Campus by the Florida State University System Board of Governors following a rigorous review of academic programming and wrap-around support available to assist student veterans as they transition from the military to university life.

“Service to others is the heartbeat of our FIU community,” said Phillip Lloyd Hamilton, assistant vice president for Student Belonging & Support at FIU. “No group embodies this more than our military Panthers. We are proud to be a destination campus for veteran and military-connected students as they pursue their next careers. Miami is the Gateway to the Americas, providing an unparalleled environment to learn and prepare for the future.”

By registering with FIU Veteran and Military Affairs, students have access to personalized success coaching, priority course registration and a variety of professional development and social opportunities throughout the year. Additionally, the university hosts a U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Vet Success on Campus counselor, who helps students understand and access their military education benefits and also provides career development support.

The Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success connects students to staff and support services across the university, including Admissions, Enrollment, Career and Talent Development, Student Health and Wellness, the Disability Resource Center, and many more. This center, which is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education focuses on increasing persistence, retention, and graduation rates; tracking employment rates following graduation; and coordinating services to address the academic, financial, physical, and social needs of student veterans. 

Additionally, there are more than 20 scholarships available to assist our veteran and military-connected Panthers financially. 

These services are a vital resource for students like Duilia Mora Turner, who is currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration at FIU. Mora Turner is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and is the university’s first Tillman Scholar, a prestigious national scholarship from the Pat Tillman Foundation that empowers military service members, veterans and spouses who are making an impact as they lead through action in the fields of healthcare, business, public service, STEM, education and the humanities.

Following a 25-year career as an airman, Mora Turner is now a senior fellow at the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and the lead for the Women, Peace and Security Forum as well as a guest lecturer at the Latin American and Caribbean Center. 

Mora Turner’s tenure in the military took her all over world. Her career highlights include becoming the chief meteorologist for President Barack Obama’s Air Force One and later being the first chief of Women, Peace and Security at United States Southern Command. Her experiences sparked her interest in how other nations across the region and the world involve women in their armed forces and what influences their upward trajectory to leadership roles. This is now the focus of her research at FIU.

For Mora Turner, the transition from military life to academia felt “like a freefall without a parachute.” She leaned on her family, fellow veterans, and the community she found here at FIU for support as she searched inward for who she was beyond the military, which had become so ingrained into her identity.

“I think it doesn’t matter if you serve four years or for twenty-five years, like I did. The military really becomes part of who you are,” Mora Turner said, “but beyond being an airman, I am also a mom. I am also a wife. I am going to be an academic. I am part of this institution. I am a service-oriented human. I am a humanitarian.”

Connecting with colleagues at FIU and utilizing the services available through the VMA has helped set her up for success as she pursues the next chapter of her life and career. 

“When I transitioned out of the military, I wanted four things – autonomy, family, service and impact. And I’m very fortunate that I’ve found this here at FIU.”

Set to launch at FIU’s National First-Generation College Celebration Day pep rally on Nov. 8, the Univision First-Generation Scholarship aims to ensure that financial difficulties do not inhibit a student’s potential to complete their studies and graduate on time.

Across the nation, more than 40.4 million people have completed some college but not earned a degree. A recent study conducted by Ipsos found that one-quarter of college students are at risk of stopping out or being dismissed from their institution – with their primary concern being cost of tuition. Among these students, those who are first-generation were more likely than their continuing-generation peers to consider leaving their program or were at risk of dismissal.

In addition to receiving financial support, Univision Scholars will be paired with a corporate mentor from TelevisaUnivision whose goal will be to equip them with the necessary tools to thrive after graduation.

“Univision Scholars is all about helping students succeed,” said Irisaida Mendez, Executive Director of Univision Foundation, emphasizing the program's commitment to both academic and professional development. “It breaks generational cycles and gives new generations the support they need to finish their degrees.”

Teri Arvesu, senior vice president of Social Impact and Sustainability at TelevisaUnivision, expressed her enthusiasm: “As an FIU alum, I am proud to see that, with guidance from one of the most trusted brands among Hispanics in the U.S., Miami students can look forward to a brighter future.”

Applications for the Univision First-Generation Scholarship are currently open. Students may view the full criteria and apply by logging into Academic Works using their FIU credentials.

“Thanks to the generous philanthropic support of community partners like Univision Foundation, whose impact is tripled by a two-to-one matching program provided by the state of Florida, FIU can provide our trailblazing first-generation students the resources they need as they endeavor to cross the commencement stage,” said Phillip Lloyd Hamilton, Assistant Vice President for FIU Student Belonging & Support, which oversees First-Generation Initiatives.

Univision Foundation scholarship is one of a host of opportunities available to the nearly 15,000 FIU students who are among the first in their families to pursue bachelor’s degrees. In fact, for its holistic, university-wide first-gen initiatives, FIU is recognized as a standout among the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)’s First-Gen Forward Network, a nationwide compendium of colleges and universities dedicated to this work.

In addition to scholarships, FIU’s first-generation college students have access to personalized success coaching and wraparound support to help them excel in their coursework, including dedicated academic and student development services offered by the Office of Student Access and Success. They can also explore federally funded TRIO programs – which are designed to uplift first-generation students as well as those from other socially, culturally and economically diverse backgrounds – such as Student Support Services and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program.

Every year, FIU also hosts a week-long celebration honoring the achievements of first-generation students, alumni, faculty and staff. The goal is to help students learn about the services available to them as well as to connect with peers and potential mentors among their first-generation alumni, faculty and staff counterparts. Festivities this year included resource fairs, personal and professional development workshops, and networking receptions, culminating in a pep rally in Chapman Plaza on Friday.

Learn more about the opportunities and resources available by visiting the FIU First-Generation Initiatives website.

But a unique technique called ‘savoring’ might help even the most anxiety-riddled brain drift off to sleep.

FIU psychology professor Dana McMakin studies how improving sleep health can also improve mental health outcomes in anxious kids and teens. As part of her work, she investigates how recalling a happy memory at bedtime can better help the brain do its important nightly task of processing memories and emotions.

Now, she’s sharing how this strategy can benefit both young and old in search of a good night’s rest.

First, what happens in the brain during sleep that’s so important to our overall health, especially our emotional and mental health?

During the day, you absorb lots of information. It’s temporarily stored in your short term memory, and during sleep, some of those memories and emotional experiences get moved to other parts of the brain for long-term storage.

If you’re stressed out at bedtime, this process can get disrupted. That can have cascading effects, especially with emotional regulation. Today, we know poor sleep predicts depression. And that anxiety also precedes depression. About 90% of kids who have anxiety have problems with sleep, which in turn puts them at higher risk of developing depression.

What is savoring?

Savoring is well-studied technique where you relive or replay in great detail a good moment from your day or week.

Many people do some version of this because they realized on their own it worked for them. It can vary and look different for different people. For example, some people rely more on imagining themselves in fictional scenarios or experiences. The point is you’re giving the brain something specific to focus on and activating positive feelings.

How does it work?

Instead of simply thinking about a particular moment, the focus should be on really feeling it. Try to call it back up in your mind. Get back in that time where you were happy. For example, I have little kids and the best way for me to fall asleep ever is to imagine and feel a moment where I was giving them a hug — and snap! I am out. Right away. It’s amazing.

Everyone can find those moments. It doesn’t have to be the big, momentous stuff, like going to Disney World or something. It’s the brief moments we all have every day if we choose to pay attention to them. It takes some practice.

Is there anything you need to do before bed to prepare for savoring?

Writing out a list can work for some, but there is some evidence that imagery elicits stronger feelings.

We sometimes suggest kids take a photo or draw a picture of a happy moment or something that makes them happy, then place it on their nightstand as a reminder. For kids with a lot of anxiety, we incorporate such activities into a wind-down routine that happens prior to bedtime, so they transition to bed with the positive feelings and memories primed.

The key is if you wait until getting into bed to call up that savoring episode, it’s going to be hard to combat the worry/rumination train. It’s best to have something prepped during the day and then start to ease your mind in that direction with a soothing bedtime routine and cues.

All of this could be used by adults, as well.

So, savoring goes beyond relaxing?

Yes, because positive emotion is not the same as relaxing. There’s a functional aspect to positive emotion — it can adjust physiology and undo the effects of negative emotion. For instance, past studies have found if someone is stressed out and you can see the cardiovascular effects, like a faster heart rate, the person recovers faster if they focus on positive thoughts rather than something neutral or relaxing.

Savoring preps the brain to get its important work done?

Yes, the theory is that it allows sleep physiology to function the way it’s supposed to. Also, if you fall asleep thinking about negative things, it prioritizes those things to be processed first.

If you’re only processing negative things all the time — and you’re literally running out of time to get to the other positive things — your outlook on the world is only going to get more and more negative. Where, our working theory is, if you fall asleep thinking about good memories, you prioritize those.

It's not that we shouldn’t process negative memories. The goal here is to make sure we’re successfully processing both the good and bad.

What do you do if your thoughts start to drift back in a negative direction?

In my current studies, we teach kids how to switch from worrying to savoring. During the day, we have them practice — going back in their mind to something they are worried about and then say, “okay, now switch to a savoring memory or episode.”

We like to tell them they have a YouTube channel in their brain, and it has all their best moments. Then, when they are trying to fall asleep and find their brain going to that negative space, the idea is they gently nudge themselves back to that “good” or “savoring” channel.

How is your research looking at savoring?

FIU neuroscientist Aaron Mattfeld and I are PIs on an NIH-funded grant following 200 kids with anxiety and using MRI scans and technology that measures brain waves, eye movements and breathing to get a detailed picture into how stress alters sleep physiology. Next, we’re going to see if savoring at bedtime, or other interventions, can modify the process.

What’s most exciting to you about this research?

My hope is the data can help us deliver more precise, targeted and science-backed interventions during adolescence. This is when kids are figuring out who they are and developing identity.

These memories – the ones that showcase them being proud of themselves, feeling connecting to someone or being in love – are what forms their identify. So, if we can replace moments of worry and rumination and thinking about negative things with these other positive moments, then those become prioritized during sleep to be held onto and shape identity during such an important time, and well, that would be pretty great.

So, it’s never too late to work on our sleep?

No. Sleep shouldn’t have to become a problem or a disorder for us to work on it. Sleep is equivalent to diet and physical activity in terms of the need to build good habits to optimize health across the life course.

That day, she discovered something about herself — something that would later help her become a history-making student at FIU.

“I was curious as a kid about how things worked, putting things together and taking them apart,” Casanova says. “I had a logical approach to things and was interested in the cause-and-effect process. I definitely still have that.”

It turns out that understanding how things work so that you can make them better is a vital skill, whether you are an engineering student or the Student Government Association (SGA) president.

Casanova is the first female student from the College of Engineering and Computing to become SGA president. She is preparing to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering this spring.

“Coming to FIU turned out to be the best decision of my life. The experience is exceptional. The resources are outstanding. And if you had told me as a freshman that I was going to have all the opportunities that I have had here, I would have said you are insane,” Casanova says.

Casanova hasn’t been sitting idle waiting for opportunities to come her way, however. She has embraced everything FIU has to offer, from academics to social offerings. It’s an adventure she hopes all students will embark upon because each class, each activity and each interaction along the way has enriched her life, she says.

She says her involvement in the Alpha Xi Delta sorority prepared her for her position as president of the College Panhellenic Council, which oversees seven sororities at FIU. Her role as an SGA senator for the College of Engineering and Computing primed her to become the voice of FIU’s 56,000-plus students as president of the Student Government Association (SGA). And the combination of her background in student government and engineering made her an ideal representative to meet with legislators on Capitol Hill last year about FIU’s research and innovation in resilient infrastructure and technology.

“Francesca is respected by her peers and is always willing to listen. She wants to do what is best for the student body and for the university,” says Michelle Castro, director of Student Experience and Impact at FIU in Washington, D.C., who was advisor to SGA when she met Casanova.

“She is a hard worker, and I am always amazed how she can balance her coursework as an engineering major, her sorority life, her Panhellenic e-board involvement and serving as SGA president.”

While her love of engineering grew as she attended Coral Reef High School’s engineering program, Casanova never took part in student government until her sophomore year at FIU, when she served as senator for the College of Engineering and Computing. At first, she felt overwhelmed by the size of the organization. But as she learned how SGA worked, she also saw there were opportunities to improve student life.

“We must hear the concerns of our students and be student-focused,” she says. “We just can’t sit in our offices. I want to see students having an interest and being engaged on campus. Be eager to genuinely enjoy your college experience. Have fun, join clubs, go to football games, build your network for jobs and career.”

Casanova’s love of putting things together to make a greater, larger product has translated well into her leadership role. One of the projects she is launching as SGA president is 100 Orgs in 100 Days, which has SGA representatives meeting with organizations on campus to better connect the two and discover how student government can help support each group’s efforts. For Casanova, working as a team is essential to ensure that current initiatives continue past her graduation.

As SGA president, she is part of the FIU Board of Trustees, which is responsible for developing cost-effective policies, implementing and maintaining education programs, conducting performance evaluations and assuring the university meets state policy, budgeting and standards.

“One of the things that has most impressed me about the Board is how much they care about the success of our students,” she says. “They want to know what students need, and they want to improve where we are lacking. They are very much focused on the students.”

At 22, Casanova isn’t sure where she is headed next. “The engineering program is incredible. I’ve had amazing professors all four years. I’m thinking about construction management. But I also now see that being involved in student government and in sorority life has opened doors for me.”

No matter what Casanova takes on next, Castro is sure she will succeed.

“She looks at things like an engineer with logic and lots of thought. She works hard as a woman in engineering and is a role model to others,” Castro says. “She embodies Panther Pride and bleeds ‘Blue and Gold.’”

The South Florida ClimateReady Tech Hub hosted the event in collaboration with FIU, which included prominent figures from nine universities focused on creating sustainable technologies as a part of the EDA-funded Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) program. The coalition is expected to continue to grow to include several other institutions, each seeking to increase investments and launch successful startups in their regions.

“The EDA Tech Hub program focuses on the importance of collaborations between institutions to deliver impact and FIU’s leadership bringing together sustainability-focused tech hubs from other regions is an extension of this focus,” said Jim Strickland, senior director of research partnerships and Translation at the Roux Institute at Northeastern University. “We look forward to working across states to develop new sustainable innovations that transform economies and improve resilience.”

In addition to Northeastern University, FIU welcomed the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, University of Miami, Florida Atlantic University, Washington State University, Georgetown University and the University of Maryland. The guests included representatives from the Ocean Tech Hub and the Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub.

The group kicked off the day with a joint strategy session, focusing on identifying challenges and opportunities for universities to commercialiize environmentally focused emerging technologies.

Department of Commerce and tech hub program representatives Daniel Goetzel and FIU alumna Ines Hernandez moderated a conversation during which they examined strategies for attracting private sector investments and catalyzing regional economic development from a government perspective. Attendees also included federal small business representatives from the Department of Energy, NIST, NOAA and the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment.

Francesca Covey, chief innovation and economic development officer of Miami-Dade County and executives from America Achieves, STEMconnector and MITRE joined FIU to give a business-oriented perspective outside.

“The Ocean Tech Hub represents an unprecedented level of institutional collaboration with our colleagues from the University of Rhode Island and Brown University. We have much we can learn from each other and from the other Tech Hubs, and I look forward to applying the lessons I learned to our ongoing efforts to support a more competitive, sustainable and resilient ocean technology economy here in Southern New England,” noted Professor Michael Goodman, executive director of economic development and community partnerships at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

Graduate and undergraduate students were also present at the event, representing research programs tied to the South Florida ClimateReady Tech Hub, including FIU, Florida Atlantic University and the University of Miami. They spent the week participating in the ‘Future of Climate Technologies’ Fly-In Seminar.

After the strategy session on Monday morning, the students visited the U.S. Department of Commerce for a roundtable with senior advisor and FIU alumnus William A. Ramos, deputy director Edwina Manyeh and analyst Amanda Kosty. They also traveled to Capitol Hill, where they met with representatives from the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. These meetings enabled the students to learn about the process of creating and facilitating federal initiatives in environmental tech.

“There are so many people that are working to make our communities more resilient and safe, and I believe expanding climate technology is one of the next frontiers. It felt good to be at the center of the action along with federal government officials, senior leaders at universities, venture capitalists and stakeholders to explore how universities can lead the way for commercializing climate technology,” said master's student Jahna Brooks, who participated in the dialogue.

On the final day of the visit, three student teams presented their own policy proposals for creative pathways for universities, industry leaders and small businesses to work together to take these emerging technologies from the lab and into the field.

FIU plays a pivotal role in advancing these initiatives, such as how the Institute of Environment and the College of Engineering and Computing are advancing research on 3D-printed construction for hurricane-resilient buildings, new innovations in autonomous marine robots monitoring water quality in Biscayne Bay and the world’s largest restoration project in the Everglades. This past summer, the university was awarded $10 million from the Department of Commerce to take a leading role in advancing infrastructure technologies for the South Florida ClimateReady Tech Hub.

These strategy-based sessions mark only the first in building a collaborative ecosystem across academia and industry, as FIU continues to lead national efforts in sustaining the economic viability of environmentally resilient technologies.

David Wernick annually travels to India with International Business Honors Society members to conduct a service-learning project. Typically, they meet with women’s craft collectives to suggest ideas for increasing sales. This year, they worked with a group of brave women who have journeyed back into society after experiencing horrific crimes.

In India, 250–300 acid attacks are reported every year, although an advocacy organization says the actual number could exceed 1,000. Acid attacks by men are often an act of retribution when a woman rejects a marriage proposal or sexual advance. 

The FIU group visited a cafe staffed by attack survivors. The women run “Sheroes Hangout,” part of a chain of five coffee shops established to give jobs to those whose lives have been upended by violence.

"Visiting Sheroes was a life-changing experience,” said student Brianna Page, a business management and international business major. “Every woman is a testament to resilience.”

The name of the chain of is a combination of “she” and “heroes” and highlights the women’s courageous act of showing their disfigured faces in public. The Chhanv Foundation opened the first of the for-profit cafes in 2014 in Agra, near the Taj Mahal. The founders sought to empower victims and remove the stigma associated with acid-related violence.

“The survivors of these attacks have many needs. They need medical care, and therapy and a safe place to live. But they also need a job to support themselves and that was impetus for the cafes,” Wernick said. “It’s ingenious how [the founders] are using the tools of business to achieve a social mission and transform lives.”

The students have since begun to identify ways to collaborate with Sheroes Hangout cafes. And Wernick turned the powerful experience of meeting both the group of journalists who initiated the enterprise and its active employees into a case study that might serve as an example for others seeking to make a difference through business. Along with professors from India and Ireland, he wrote up their story as an entry in a global case writing competition organized at the University of Michigan. The researchers explored how the Chhanv Foundation could scale the innovative social enterprise.

FIU Business doctoral student Jannik Pesch also contributed to the work. “The focus of the case is to show how businesses can have an impact and drive social change,” he said. “Businesses have the power. People involved in business are some of the biggest influencers. They have an exponentially higher impact in funding philanthropic activities and creating impactful activities.”

Adds Wernick, “One of the central questions is how the founders, who have no background in business, can grow this enterprise.”

The case study, which was written to be used in undergraduate and MBA classes, provides basic information about the initiative and its purpose with the goal of spurring students to consider ways to expand the cafes. Suggestions are included – among them adding menu items and offering take-out/delivery service, selling branded merchandise and opening in additional cities that cater to tourists – so that students can begin to devise strategies.

The case study won second place in the competition, and the team donated its $5,000 award to the Chhanv Foundation.

For more than a year, FIU researchers collected and analyzed 42 rainwater samples across three different sites in Miami-Dade County. A total of 21 perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, were detected, including PFOS and PFOA (since phased out of production over cancer concerns), as well as the newer varieties used in manufacturing today.

While profiles of several PFAS matched back to local sources, others did not. According to the study, published in Atmospheric Pollution Research, this suggests Earth’s atmosphere acts as a pathway to transport these chemicals far and wide — contributing to the worldwide pollution problem.

“PFAS are practically everywhere,” said FIU Assistant Professor of Chemistry and study author Natalia Soares Quinete. “Now we’re able to show the role air masses play in potentially bringing these pollutants to other places where they can impact surface water and groundwater.”

Here are a few things to keep an eye on as ballots are counted throughout the country.

The blue shift may open the door to accusations of fraud

It should not be a surprise if Donald Trump takes an early lead in key battleground states on election night. That lead will inevitably narrow and potentially reverse as votes are tabulated late into the evening and in the days after the election. This is a well-documented phenomenon called the blue shift.

The blue shift appears to occur because Election Day voters tend to lean slightly more Republican while voters using mail-in and provisional ballots typically lean slightly more Democratic. In-person (Republican leaning) ballots are easier to count and frequently appear in early reports, while mail-in and provisional ballots (Democratic leaning) often take multiple steps to record. Some mail-in ballots may even arrive after election day and still be included in the final calculations depending on state laws and various court rulings.

While political scientists continue to explore why mail-in and provisional ballots lean more Democratic, a recent study shows that the blue shift is potentially linked to the demographic characteristics of the groups that are more likely to use this voting method (young, non-white, voting for the first time, etc.).

Unfortunately, as others note, all of this “raises the possibility that losing candidates and their supporters may increasingly, even if mistakenly, regard the vote count as ‘rigged.’” In fact, former President Trump’s online commentary during the 2018 midterm elections highlighted this exact concern: “The Florida Election should be called in favor of Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis in that large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere, and many ballots are missing or forged. An honest vote count is no longer possible-ballots massively infected. Must go with Election Night!”

So, if there is no concession on election night, watch for the blue shift and the resulting rhetoric. The shift is one of many pathways candidates can use to question the election results, even though it does not indicate that anything fraudulent is happening. 

We may not know every winner on election night

Given the tight race, it is unlikely that we will know the winner of every state on election night. State laws differ on when mail-in ballots are counted. For instance, Florida begins counting mail-in ballots before Election Day, which makes it easier to quickly announce a winner. Other states do not begin counting mail-in ballots until polls close, which can make it difficult to call a state if the race is close. Moreover, state laws vary on when ballots must be postmarked and received to be counted.

The process for counting ballots is particularly important in the swing states (where polling data shows an incredibly close race). States like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Nevada begin counting mail-in ballots prior to Election Day. While states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania do not process mail-in ballots until Election Day. Given that Pennsylvania is viewed by many to be the key “tipping point” state that will get either Trump or Kamala Harris to the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election, the state rules governing the mail-in ballot count could leave the nation anxiously waiting.

The popular vote winner may lose the election

On Election Day, there will be two vote tallies plastered on every newscast: the popular vote and the electoral vote. The popular vote is the actual number of votes a candidate receives nationwide. The electoral vote is the number of votes the candidate will receive in the Electoral College based on outcomes in individual states. Each state has a set number of electoral votes that is based on the size of the state’s congressional delegation. In all but two states (Maine and Nebraska), the candidate that wins the most votes in the state will be given all the state’s electoral votes. This is what political scientists refer to as a winner-take-all system. If any candidate wins a majority of the electoral vote (270), they win the election. If no majority is reached, then the House of Representatives decides the outcome of the presidential election.

Because of the winner-take-all nature of the Electoral College, it is possible for a candidate to win the popular vote but lose the electoral vote. This scenario has occurred five times in the past. It happens in situations where a candidate wins big where they win, but barely loses where they lose. For example, in 2016, Hilary Clinton won millions of votes more than Trump in California. This helped her in the popular vote but did nothing extra for her in the electoral vote. She would have received all of California’s electoral votes with just one vote more than her opponent. Therefore, the “inefficient” distribution of Democratic supporters throughout the Electoral College created a meaningful advantage for Trump in 2016. Similar levels of bias are likely to be present in the current election, with forecasters predicting that there are many scenarios where Trump wins the electoral vote and loses the popular vote to Harris (and very few, if any, in the opposing direction).

This kind of outcome is always controversial because it feels inherently undemocratic to many people – particularly those on the losing side. In fact, survey data from Pew Research Center shows that 63% of Americans would prefer to change the current system so that the candidate receiving the most votes wins the election while only 35% want to keep the Electoral College.

Regardless of who wins the presidential election, slim congressional majorities will make governing difficult

We often focus our attention on the presidential election, but congressional races are important to consider on election night as well. The balance of power in Congress will certainly impact the president’s ability to implement their agenda. Divided government is a very real possibility for the new president. Even if unified partisan-control of government does occur, the majorities will be so slim that it will make governing hard.

In the Senate, Democrats currently have a 51-49 majority over Republicans. However, 2024 Senate election forecasts are not in the Democrats’ favor. Republicans are projected to pick up seats in Montana and West Virginia. Additionally, the polls in Wisconsin between incumbent Democrat Senator Tammy Baldwin and Republican challenger Eric Hovde have narrowed in recent days. Election forecasters have also moved Ohio into the tossup category as polls between incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown and Republican challenger Bernie Moreno are now incredibly close. Control of the Senate is within reach for Republicans.

Unlike predictions for the Senate, the House of Representatives appears to be a coin flip at this point, and it is unclear which party will control the chamber next year.

The most successful presidents have frequently enjoyed strong partisan coalitions in Congress. The current data points toward four more years of tumult, strained inter-branch relations and partisan messaging that does not lend itself to a productive lawmaking environment. It can be expected that the new president will frequently strike out on their own and lean heavily on unilateral tools like executive orders and presidential memoranda to influence policy to the best of their ability.

The poll indicates that Latino participation is increasing across the U.S., and that their shifting support could shape the outcome. The 2024 poll finds that 80% of respondents nationwide are “very likely” to vote, indicating rising participation, compared to previous election cycles. The poll results come from a survey of 1,500 Latino voters from Oct. 10 to Oct. 22, 2024, and have a margin of error of ±2.9%. Respondents included voters in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

As election night draws closer, most Latino voters say they support Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris holds a 54.7% favorability rating in key battleground states and 56.9% nationally, positioning her to capture the bulk of the Latino vote. In contrast, former President Donald Trump’s favorability trails Harris, at 27.7% in swing states and 33.4% nationwide, reflecting regional divides and a challenge for his campaign to resonate with this critical electorate. In Florida, however, Trump will benefit from higher levels of support, thanks in large part to the Cuban American voters in South Florida. 

“Each of the battleground states has a significant Latino electorate, and in close races, every vote counts—if you win by just one vote, you take the entire electorate,” said  Eduardo Gamarra, director of the Latino Public Opinion Forum at FIU’s Gordon Institute. “It’s a game of margins. Higher turnout by Latino voters could, in fact, determine the next President of the United States.”

The growing number of independents — now 25.8% in battleground states — reflects a shift away from party loyalty and toward issue-based voting. In contrast, last year’s national survey indicated stronger Democratic alignment, with 48% identifying as Democrats and 30% as Republicans. This shift signals broader disengagement from major parties, with voters focusing more on candidates whose values align with their priorities.

“This year’s survey highlights the diverse perspectives and growing political independence of Latino voters, along with their increasing focus on specific issues over party loyalty,” said Brian Fonseca, director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy. “As we approach 2024 and in future elections, candidates will need to connect authentically on key issues with this growing electorate.” 

Economic concerns remain central, with 45% of respondents citing the economy as the most important issue. After that, 11.1% cite reproductive rights, 8.8% cite immigration, and 5.8% cite healthcare. The poll also reveals a gender gap in economic outlook where 10.6% of men rated the economy as “excellent” compared to just 6.3% of women. Additionally, younger respondents and women show stronger support for reproductive rights, while older, conservative voters lean toward stricter abortion policies, highlighting generational and ideological divides. 

“The Latino vote in the United States, especially in swing states, is likely to play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the upcoming presidential election,” said Carlos Díaz-Rosillo, founding director of the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom. “This poll highlights that Latino voters are concerned with core economic issues, such as inflation, job availability, and overall economic stability. That is why it is so important for candidates to offer concrete, actionable proposals to secure the trust and support of Latino — and all — voters.” 

The FIU Latino Poll is a collaborative effort under FIU’s Latino Public Opinion Forum, which includes the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy, the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom, the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs, and the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center. Backed by the support of Adsmovil, the poll has, over the past decade, become a vital resource for policymakers, political strategists, and scholars, providing essential insights into the rapidly growing Latino electorate. Official release of the poll results took place at the university's center in Washington, D.C. and streamed live to an audience of more than one thousand.

Full survey results and past surveys are available on FIU’s Latino Public Opinion Forum website.

Alumni, faculty, staff and students over 21 can use the promo code FIUFAM15 for a 15% discount on tickets.

“North Miami BrewFest started as an idea in our classroom by students and their professor, so we want to make sure that the FIU community has a chance to attend to help support our school and the future leaders of beverage management and hospitality,” said Mohammad Qureshi, North Miami BrewFest director and faculty administrator.

More than 75 beers will be on tap and served up by more than 30 craft breweries and 20 eateries that will share their best brews and delicious dishes. Local breweries who will be there include, FIU Alumni like MIA Beer Co., The Tank, La Rubia, Black Pit Brewing, Rocketeer Beer & Liquid Provisions, Owl’s Brew and Tripping Animals Brewing.

South Florida’s best restaurants and eateries attending include: La Birra Bar, Le Chick Miami, Sweet Green, Soulful Biscuit, and FIU Chaplin School Alums, Temple Street Eatery and Night Owl Cookies, French Bistro, Exquisite Catering by Robert, and Miami's famed Versailles Restaurant.

Last year's winners of Best Brewery at the 2023 North Miami BrewFest will be back again this year.

For the first time this year, North Miami BrewFest is excited to announce a number of big sponsors like MUV, Checkers Rally's, Henckels Zwilling offering up a cooking demo and the Homestead-Miami Speedway, which will be showcasing vehicles fresh off its NASCAR Cup Series Playoff.

FIU Chaplin School student run organizations such as the Bartender’s Guild from the Bacardi Center of Excellence program will be showcasing their craft beer cocktails, Chef John Noble Masi will be serving up the best from the FIU's only student-run and award-winning restaurant called the FIU Bistro and Professors Barry Gump and Albert Rivera, along with their students, will be pouring their unique brews.

"We hope this discount allows even more FIU alumni and friends to join us for the best all-inclusive beer festival in South Florida," ended Qureshi.

To purchase tickets, please visit NorthMiamiBrewfest.com or Eventbrite.

“I’m a musician, so I know I’m biased. I just love live music in general, but we live in a world where it’s just online and all recorded,” he says. “At a live musical experience, you’re tapping into another part of your brain that wouldn’t be activated at home, by yourself.”

Burgos will perform as a member of the student ensemble on Saturday night at the Wertheim Performing Arts Center at MMC. The group will tackle rousing Latin beats alongside Grammy-winning artists.

“We’re going to be playing mambo, lots of Afro Cuban rhythms, even bossas from Brazil,” he says. “That’s just music that will make anybody dance.”

Students will perform again a week later, on Nov. 2, as part of the FIU Symphony Orchestra, when they embrace classical works that Burgos says will actually resonate with people who might not think the genre is for them.

“There’s a few classical pieces that everybody knows, and one of them is Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9,” he explains. “I’m sure many people know it in the back of their head. It’s a super-awesome experience that would definitely be fun for everyone.”

Another can’t-miss concert: Habana Sax at 7:30 p.m. on Friday leads off the festival. The five band members, which include a flutist and drummer, have been described by the New York Times as “new music in every sense of the phrase” and “one of the most extraordinary and unique musical groups in the world.” The audience can expect a high-energy show that runs the gamut from African chants and salsa to traditional symphonic compositions and jazz pieces anchored in pounding Latin percussion.

FIU’s artist-in-residence ensemble, the Amernet String Quartet, features two violins, a viola and a cello. While chamber music aficionados already know the acclaimed group, now at FIU for 20 years, violinist Misha Vitenson says those unfamiliar with the genre might be surprised by the “light-heartedness” of the first half of the program, which takes place on Nov. 1.

“The first half is really upbeat, perhaps the most joyful program we’ve presented in some time,” he says. “The first piece is the cello quintet by Luigi Boccherini, and it’s just very tuneful, very easy listening. The piece ends with this movement that is, I would say, very humorous. There’s this certain bouncing element introduced by the first cello which makes it sound almost like an Italian hoedown.”

The second half sees two guest musicians join the stage, and Vitenson cannot help but make a pitch that everyone come out to hear them. “They are the Taylor Swifts of chamber music,” he says of the highly regarded violist Lawrence Dutton and the cellist Clive Greensmith. Together, the six musicians will play a piece by Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg that Vitenson describes as “absolutely bursting with emotion and the most passionate music one can imagine, almost decadent.”

Even if listening to such works takes folks out of their comfort zone - or, maybe, precisely because it does - people owe it to themselves to try it, student violinst Burgos says. He recently performed on campus alongside the Latin Grammy-winning reggaeton artist Yandel, who celebrated his newest album release with a standing-room-only performance for FIU students. “It was definitely electric,” he says of the evening, which got lots of press and social media coverage. “On that night, just looking out at everybody, I saw people bouncing around, enjoying, having fun. It was unmatched. It was beautiful.”

The music festival promises more of the same, Burgos adds, and all for a very low ticket price in the comfort of the stunning Wertheim Performing Arts Center. “I would just encourage people to give it a shot and see what happens,” he says. “There’s no better opportunity than now, and at this school, where we have such a great program, to start seeing, feeling and experiencing.”

Get tix! Students can go for just $10

The students of the FIU Symphony Orchestra and concert choir intertwined reggaeton rhythms with classical instrumentation on Tuesday when they provided backup for Latin Grammy-winning artist Yandel.

It was part of a new collaboration between FIU's Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts and Warner Music Latina. The parties came together on campus to celebrate the release of Yandel’s latest album, ELYTE, and created, for one night only, The ELYTE Symphony, which saw students take center stage at the Wertheim Performing Arts Center concert hall for what was billed as Reggaetón Sinfónico.

The Puerto Rican singing sensation used the evening to express his gratitude by announcing the ELYTE scholarship to support the next generation of musicians.

“This is what we do,” said Karen S. Veloz, Wertheim school director. “It was a night where the worlds of symphonic music and reggaeton collided in a magnificent performance under the direction of Javier Mendoza and the music legend himself – Yandel. FIU music faculty challenged its students, and they embraced the challenge with passion and professionalism. I could not be prouder of them.”

For many of the students involved, the opportunity to perform with Yandel was a highlight of their young careers and an unforgettable experience.

“Performing live with Yandel has been one of the best experiences here at FIU,” said Catherin Meza, graduate student studying vocal performance. The entire process was an immersive educational time for students like Meza. They rehearsed for weeks leading up to the event and worked with music faculty and industry professionals from Warner Music Latina on the technical arrangements as well as the creative elements.

“During the dress rehearsal, we had the opportunity to interact with Yandel’s lead singer and she encouraged us to have to have fun and enjoy the moment,” Meza said. “As a musician, being versatile is extremely important and merging both classical training and reggaeton was so fun. I grew up listening to Yandel's music and I am grateful we were given this opportunity to perform with such a legend.”

By the night of the show, The Wertheim was packed to capacity with 600 FIU students and professionals from the Latin music industry.

Behind the scenes, alumnus Cesar Toirac ’16 MS ’17 ensured the show’s success. Director of marketing services for Warner Music Group, he served as executive producer of the show and proved key to getting the event to FIU, where he remembered the talents, hard-working students who would make the night a success.

The collaboration is part of FIU’s broader commitment to providing students with real-world experiences that prepare them for success after graduation. Whether they go on to become performers, educators or industry professionals, students benefit from engageing in high-level in events that offer insight into what it takes to succeed in the competitive world of music.

“This collaboration reinforces our efforts to ensure students learn by doing - where they can put theory into practice and enter their respective careers with confidence to thrive," said Brian Schriner, dean of the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts. “Such moments are possible because of dedicated faculty, who create unique, experiential learning opportunities through establishing industry partnerships that support our core mission and create FIU memories they will cherish forever.”

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On Tuesday night, The Wertheim was packed to capacity with an audience of 600 FIU students and professionals from the Latin music industry.

Behind the scenes, alumnus Cesar Toirac ’16 MS ’17 ensured the show’s success. Director of marketing services for Warner Music Group, he served as executive producer of the show and proved key to getting the event to FIU, where he remembered the talented, hard-working students of his alma mater.

“We wanted to make sure that [the event] was something that no one has ever done before,” Toirac said of the collaborative evening. “We actually wanted to make sure that every single piece of this production was being orchestrated by the FIU students.”

The partnership is part of FIU’s broader commitment to providing students with real-world experiences that prepare them for success after graduation. Whether they go on to become performers, educators or industry professionals, students benefit from engageing in high-level in events that offer insight into what it takes to succeed in the competitive world of music.

“This collaboration reinforces our efforts to ensure students learn by doing - where they can put theory into practice and enter their respective careers with confidence to thrive," said Brian Schriner, dean of the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts. “Such moments are possible because of dedicated faculty, who create unique, experiential learning opportunities through establishing industry partnerships that support our core mission and create FIU memories they will cherish forever.”

Sixty-eight percent is the highest recorded approval rate for Trump among Cuban Americans on the FIU Cuba Poll, which is the longest running survey of Cuban Americans in the country, tracking the community since 1991. The 2016 poll registered 35% approval for Trump, while the 2020 came in at 59%. The 2024 approval rate is also greater than the actual Cuban American vote for Trump in the last two presidential elections.

“It seems that the Trump train is still picking up passengers on Calle Ocho,” said Guillermo Grenier, lead investigator on the Cuba Poll and a professor of sociology in the Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies at the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, which sponsors the poll along with FIU’s Cuban Research Institute. “Cuban Americans born outside of Cuba being the exception, the Cuban American community remains loyal to the Republican Party and the Trump version of it.”

The 2024 Cuba Poll surveyed 1,001 Cuban Americans in Miami-Dade County by phone between Sept. 25 and Oct. 9. Questions about the election were posed only to the likely voters (U.S. Citizens) among the responders.

While Republicans continue to maintain a majority among registered Cuban American voters (55%), Cuban Americans born outside of Cuba are divided in their party allegiance: 38% are registered Republicans, 33% are Democrats and 26% are Independents (No Party Affiliation).

In the Florida senate election, U.S. Senator Rick Scott is expected to receive 50% of the Cuban American vote, while challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell will garner approximately 19% of the decided voters. A relatively large undecided segment (22%) makes the race for the U.S. Senate seat closer than expected, given Scott’s previous overwhelming support from the community.

On other issues, including U.S. policy toward Cuba, there is much more diversity of opinion.

Democratic and Republican supporters differ in their evaluation of the most important issues facing the country.

For Republican supporters, the top issues, ranked, are: (1) the economy, (2) immigration, (3) access to health care, (4) relations with China, (5) relations with Russia, (6) relations with Cuba, (7) race relations, (8) assault weapons accessibility and (9) access to safe abortion care.

For Democrats, the top issues are (1) access to health care, (2) access to safe abortion care, (3) the economy, (4) assault weapons accessibility, (5) race relations, (6) immigration, (7) relations with Russia, (8) relations with Cuba and (9) relations with China.

On the issue of the U.S. embargo against Cuba, 55% of Cuban Americans in South Florida support its continuation, although they also show relatively high support for some engagement policies such as the selling of food (61% support) and medicine (69% support) to the island. Support for the continuation of the embargo drops to 43% among Cuban Americans not born on the island.

“This year’s findings confirm a long trend of Cuban American support for a sophisticated policy approach that combines sanctions against the regime while engaging with the Cuban people,” said Sebastian Arcos, interim director of the Cuban Research Institute. “Cuban Americans have a better grasp of the issues and policy trade-offs involved than most experts and policy makers. Maintaining the U.S. embargo is at the core of this approach, which largely explains Cuban American’s traditional inclinations toward the Republican Party and strong support for Donald Trump’s policies.”

The FIU Creators program, as it’s commonly called, has quickly become a coveted student experience. FIU’s own social media team — housed within the Division of Strategic Communications, Government and External Affairs — selects promising student content creators, provides them with professional development opportunities as well as presentations led by local influencers (such as Mr. Eats 305 and PrissyMaae), and teaches the students the ins and outs of FIU’s social media strategy.

For their part, the student creators get to show off their social media chops and apply what they’re learning by creating content that reflects their lives and experiences at FIU.

“It’s actual students showing what the actual college experience at FIU is like,” says Maria Rives, assistant director of social media at FIU. “That’s what prospective students want to see when they look at our social media sites. They want to know, ‘Do I see myself in anyone at FIU?’ The creators represent diverse majors, interests and cultures. Prospective students can see themselves in the creators, and they can see what it’s like to be a Panther.”

The student’s content is so effective that Rives has received phone calls from social media departments at other universities interested in learning how the FIU Creators program works, as they consider establishing similar programs at their universities.  

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A post shared by Sofia Vargas Palacios (@sofiaaavargasss)

Creator Sofia Vargas Palacios, a public relations and marketing major, shares a
glimpse of her FIU day in this Instagram post.

Rives says part of the success of the FIU program lies in keeping students at the center of its goals. The program not only provides the university with unique, student-created content, she says, but offers the content creators themselves unique opportunities to gain hands-on experiences, make connections and build their digital communications skills. 

“This is important because content creation is a massive industry,” Rives explains. “We’re equipping students to create content for a brand and giving them a look into what that industry could be like. Some students want to become influencers or brand ambassadors. Others just like creating great content. No matter what you’re studying or what your goal is, you need to know how to brand yourself. That’s part of what we teach the creators.”

Students from all across the university are eager to sign up. This year’s cohort of 30 creators represent a variety of majors, including electrical engineering, international business, natural and applied sciences, elementary education, hospitality, digital communications and more.

The one thing they all have in common? Their love for FIU. These students are so proud to be Panthers, that they take to social media to proclaim it.

Meet three of 30 students in this year’s cohort and learn about their journey as content creators.

Nicole Acevedo

Nicole Acevedo, a student in the accelerated master’s program in interior architecture, says that being a creator means spotlighting all the amazing things happening within her program.

“I mainly want to share what it is I do in my major and show potential students all that the department has to offer,” she says. “It’s a way to share our personal experience and show off our Panther pride, all while connecting with other students.”

Acevedo has been posting publicly on social media for several years as part of her content creation strategy for a business she began during the pandemic — selling custom jewelry. She says some of her videos have gone viral and demand for her jewelry has grown exponentially. She has even been invited by local businesses to host her own pop-up station at their locations. She has over 30,000 followers on Instagram for her business account.

Now, she’s excited to fine-tune her skills and grow her personal Instagram account. She wants to share her FIU journey. She has already posted about various FIU events and plans to create content about cool things she’s learning as part of a yacht design class she’s taking this semester.

Artistry, she says, is the theme that ties all her interests together. “Jewelry design and interior architecture both have to do with picking out materials, colors, finding a way to balance and make them look cohesive. It’s exactly the same for social media content.”

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Katherine Nykolaiszyn

For Katherine Nykolaiszyn, a digital communications and interactive media major, the experience dovetails perfectly with her area of study — and is deepening her passion for communications.

She is currently a student assistant in the Division of Strategic Communications, Government and External Affairs, working in both media relations and community event management. She says her FIU activities are all converging to provide a seamless experience in which she learns new things in class, during her job and as a content creator. She then applies that knowledge to her work in all three areas.

She says the creator’s program has helped her come out of her shell and move past any shy feelings about posting online. It has also allowed her to discover a new potential career goal: to one day become a creative director for a brand.

“I realized that I love the creative process behind content creation,” she says, “the production side, creating mood boards, having that vision. I really like that.”

Her favorite part about being a creator?

“Showing how much I love FIU,” she says. “I’m a second-generation Panther, and I work on campus. A lot of people can relate to that. I want prospective students to see how amazing FIU is. I love creating content that speaks to FIU’s brand while also aligning with my aesthetic. People get to see my perspective of the college experience. It’s an awesome opportunity.”

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Justin Jean-Baptiste

Many creators appreciate learning how to better connect with their online audience. They also embrace the networking opportunities the program provides.

Justin Jean-Baptiste is one of those students. He is majoring in linguistics and interdisciplinary studies. He is also a student on FIU's Model United Nations team. Even before joining the FIU Creators program, Jean-Baptiste, who is the president of the chess club, gained over four million views on his Instagram post about the club.

His goal is to become a diplomat, and his passion project is teaching English or linguistics-related information through social media. “I want to teach and inform people,” he says. “Content creation is the way to reach a mass audience.”

He’s most excited about posting content related to his Model UN competitions as well as a look into the Everglades, which he’ll visit as part a class he’s taking on the ecology of South Florida.

Jean-Baptiste says that FIU’s social media team is helping him grow into an even stronger content creator.

“They are teaching me all the tips and tricks,” he says. “In the past, I mostly posted memes, but they’re teaching me how to edit videos and do more. I’ve met a lot of people through the program and they’re giving me advice. FIU has such a special place in my heart. It has been a home for me. There are so many opportunities here, it’s hard not to be happy.” 

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Registered citizens can cast ballots from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Oct. 21 through Nov. 3 at the Student Academic Success Center (SASC) Multipurpose Room at MMC.

Anyone registered to vote in Miami-Dade County can use the location or any of the other 32 sites that will open on Monday. Vote-by-mail ballots can also be deposited into a secure ballot drop box at any of the locations.

Votes can be cast for U.S. president as well as for U.S. Senate and Congressional races, state and local offices and state constitutional amendments, all of which appear on the ballot.

Students, faculty and staff as well as the general public are all welcome to use the FIU site. Those driving to campus specifically to vote should note that the SASC building is near the entrance of SW 107^th Ave. and SW 16^th Street. Free parking for voters is available just east of the SASC building, in Lot 3.

The Miami-Dade County Elections Department shares the following suggestions in advance of the Nov. 5 general election.

Voters are reminded not to wait until Election Day to cast their ballot. During early voting, registered voters can go to any of the sites throughout the county; however, they must go to their assigned precinct on Election Day.

Additionally, voters who plan to vote early should review their customized sample ballot ahead of time, research candidates and questions and be properly informed before heading to the polls. They should take a screenshot or print their sample ballot, make their selections and bring it with them. Being prepared will help expedite the voting process. 

During the mid-1940s William H. Johnson (b. Florence, SC 1901- d. Central Islip, NY 1970) developed a deep admiration for individuals who devoted their lives to the cause of freedom in the U.S. and abroad. Working from newspaper photographs and past images, he created a pantheon of historic and contemporary leaders who fought for the freedom of African Americans. Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, Haile Selassie, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, and Abraham Lincoln are a few of the internationally recognized figures who appear in Johnson’s paintings in his 1945 series, Fighters for Freedom.

"Paramount to our museum’s mission is to welcome exhibitions and artists from across cultural backgrounds to tell interesting and important narratives from unique perspectives,” said Miriam Machado, interim director of the Frost Art Museum. “William H. Johnson’s work tells the stories of many movers and shakers in social justice, and the Frost Art Museum is privileged to tell their stories with his powerful art."

Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum with generous support from Art Bridges, Faye and Robert Davidson, the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowment Fund, the Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation, the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Foundation, the Margery and Edgar Masinter Exhibition Endowment, and the Sara Roby Foundation.

For more information on Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice, please visit the Frost Art Museum’s website here.

It was part of a new collaboration between FIU's Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts and Warner Music Latina. The parties came together on campus to celebrate the release of Yandel’s latest album, ELYTE, and created, for one night only, The ELYTE Symphony, which saw students take center stage at the Wertheim Performing Arts Center concert hall for what was billed as Reggaetón Sinfónico.

The Puerto Rican singing sensation used the evening to express his gratitude by announcing the ELYTE scholarship to support the next generation of musicians.

“This is what we do,” said Karen S. Veloz, Wertheim school director. “It was a night where the worlds of symphonic music and reggaeton collided in a magnificent performance under the direction of Javier Mendoza and the music legend himself – Yandel. FIU music faculty challenged its students, and they embraced the challenge with passion and professionalism. I could not be prouder of them.”

For many of the students involved, the opportunity to perform with Yandel was a highlight of their young careers and an unforgettable experience.

“Performing live with Yandel has been one of the best experiences here at FIU,” said Catherin Meza, graduate student studying vocal performance. The entire process was an immersive educational time for students like Meza. They rehearsed for weeks leading up to the event and worked with music faculty and industry professionals from Warner Music Latina on the technical arrangements as well as the creative elements.

“During the dress rehearsal, we had the opportunity to interact with Yandel’s lead singer and she encouraged us to have to have fun and enjoy the moment,” Meza said. “As a musician, being versatile is extremely important and merging both classical training and reggaeton was so fun. I grew up listening to Yandel's music and I am grateful we were given this opportunity to perform with such a legend.”

By the night of the show, The Wertheim was packed to capacity with 600 FIU students and professionals from the Latin music industry.

Behind the scenes, alumnus Cesar Toirac ’16 MS ’17 ensured the show’s success. Director of marketing services for Warner Music Group, he served as executive producer of the show and proved key to getting the event to FIU, where he remembered the talents, hard-working students who would make the night a success.

The collaboration is part of FIU’s broader commitment to providing students with real-world experiences that prepare them for success after graduation. Whether they go on to become performers, educators or industry professionals, students benefit from engageing in high-level in events that offer insight into what it takes to succeed in the competitive world of music.

“This collaboration reinforces our efforts to ensure students learn by doing - where they can put theory into practice and enter their respective careers with confidence to thrive," said Brian Schriner, dean of the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts. “Such moments are possible because of dedicated faculty, who create unique, experiential learning opportunities through establishing industry partnerships that support our core mission and create FIU memories they will cherish forever.”

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On Tuesday night, The Wertheim was packed to capacity with an audience of 600 FIU students and professionals from the Latin music industry.

Behind the scenes, alumnus Cesar Toirac ’16 MS ’17 ensured the show’s success. Director of marketing services for Warner Music Group, he served as executive producer of the show and proved key to getting the event to FIU, where he remembered the talented, hard-working students of his alma mater.

“We wanted to make sure that [the event] was something that no one has ever done before,” Toirac said of the collaborative evening. “We actually wanted to make sure that every single piece of this production was being orchestrated by the FIU students.”

The partnership is part of FIU’s broader commitment to providing students with real-world experiences that prepare them for success after graduation. Whether they go on to become performers, educators or industry professionals, students benefit from engageing in high-level in events that offer insight into what it takes to succeed in the competitive world of music.

“This collaboration reinforces our efforts to ensure students learn by doing - where they can put theory into practice and enter their respective careers with confidence to thrive," said Brian Schriner, dean of the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts. “Such moments are possible because of dedicated faculty, who create unique, experiential learning opportunities through establishing industry partnerships that support our core mission and create FIU memories they will cherish forever.”

They come to unwind. Unlike happy hours at the local bar, Benaduce’s happy hours are serving up resources instead of drinks. In lieu of a bartender to listen to all their woes, they get the personalized attention of their human anatomy professor.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, office hours were already a hit-or-miss affair. Some students took full advantage of the designated time to get to know their professors, discuss course material, ask questions or get feedback on their work. Others, not so much. As COVID restrictions lessened in 2021 and students and faculty returned to campuses all across the U.S., office hours attendance fell even further.

During a faculty workshop, a new idea started brewing for Benaduce. Many of her colleagues had the same question: “How do I get students to attend my office hours?” But she didn’t want to return to pre-pandemic attendance numbers. She wanted to serve up a new way of doing things, grow participation and promote greater engagement. Office hours needed a fresh approach, a new marketing strategy. Luckily, her co-teacher in human anatomy, Teaching Professor Lisa Brinn, was ready to shake things up.

First came the rebrand as office hours became happy hours. Next, they moved from the confines of a traditional faculty office to a much larger lab space. You won’t find alcoholic beverages at this happy hour. You won’t find a bar either. No bartender. What you will find is lots of conversation and camaraderie. And students. You can even say her happy hours have regulars and it’s all thanks to Benaduce’s personality and teaching style.

With more than 450,000 Instagram followers and 244,000 YouTube subscribers, the teaching professor known to many as WittyAnatomy has a unique — sometimes funny and often engaging — teaching style that earns high praise from her students. Her vibrant personality, interactive lessons and ability to clearly explain daunting information make her a favorite. Her lecture class has an enrollment of up to 288 students and up to eight sections of 36 students in the dry lab every semester.

“It all depends on how the professor approaches it,” Benaduce said. “Students think they will be interrupting professors in their office. They will go if they really don’t have another option. I always say I don’t have office hours. I have happy hours because I’m so happy to see you there!”

Happy hours are designed to draw crowds. Benaduce and Brinn’s happy hours are no exception. The curiosity was overflowing. They recently published the results of her rebranding experiment in the Journal of College Science Teaching. According to the study, this flexible approach to office hours promoted both academic support and peer connections, resulting in increased student participation and improved academic performance.

“For people like me with ADHD, I really need to find environments that help encourage me to study,” said FIU student Regina Diricio. “When I walk in there, I know I’m going to be productive.”

But what’s a happy hour without a two-for-one? For students like Ashley Diaz, happy hours are more than just academics. It’s about building relationships with classmates.

“I’ve always been extremely introverted,” Diaz said. “Now, I’ve just been so open and comfortable with my classmates, and they’ve reciprocated that energy to me.”

Benaduce and Brinn are proving office hours don’t have to be a real buzzkill. They foster a place of belonging and inclusivity all while offering students a listening ear and pouring out advice instead of libations.

“One of the most successful outcomes is the interaction between students who struggle with the content and those who have mastered it,” Brinn said. “Even the students providing help gain valuable insights and deepen their own understanding through the process of teaching others.”

South Florida is no stranger to big-name events, but when Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour rolls into Hard Rock Stadium this week, the region will experience an economic shakeup powered by one woman.

The three-night spectacle isn’t just about music. It’s about tourism, luxury and the business of entertainment. The impact of Swift’s concert weekend is set to echo far beyond the stadium walls, creating a rush of demand that’s already jolting the hospitality landscape.

It’s not every day that a single artist can move markets, but Taylor Swift has achieved such status. On the first leg of her Eras Tour, hotel rates spiked an average of $53 per night in cities like Seattle, Nashville and Boston, with occupancy rising by 11% compared to baseline. South Florida is poised for similar surges. The Taylor Swift effect has already led to a projected average daily rate of over $200 for Miami, a first in October in more than a decade. Let’s face it, nothing quite stirs up the economy like the energy of nearly 200,000 Swiftees, not to mention the hundreds of media and setup-crew members that roll into town.

Tourism reigns supreme in South Florida, and Swift's arrival is expected to give the economy a significant boost. What economists have dubbed “funflation” explains the post-pandemic demand for live entertainment, and there’s no better example than Swift’s Eras Tour. The average spend per attendee, across multiple U.S. cities, comes in at an eye-popping $1,327, making each concert a mini economic boom. As South Florida is known for its premium prices, it is likely that spending in Miami could surpass this average due to higher local costs for lodging, dining and transportation​. Historical data from other major events, such as the Super Bowl and Formula 1, supports this trend of elevated spending due to higher costs of services in the area.

What does this mean for the hospitality industry? Higher occupancy rates, premium pricing and an earlier-than-usual kick off of the “season.” Traditionally, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show signals the start, but this year Taylor Swift will be the one lighting the fuse. The concert weekend comes with shoulder-night benefits too, as hotels impose length-of-stay restrictions to maximize revenue across multiple nights.

Hotels throughout South Florida are going all out, flexing their creative muscles to attract Swifties with themed packages and signature experiences. Forget your standard room service fare. This is about bespoke hospitality designed with a nod to Swift's discography. Hotel AKA in Brickell is curating a "Midnights Package" that includes a friendship bracelet kit, a Taylor Swift playlist and a Taylor-inspired cocktail at the ADRIFT bar. Guests can snap Instagram-worthy shots in front of a Swift-themed lobby display and score $30 off Glamsquad services.

Meanwhile, the Carillon Miami Beach has introduced a "Wellness Era" package featuring a 50-minute aromatherapy massage, touchless spa treatments, a treadmill class and friendship bracelets, perfect for guests looking to relax before the big night. And if you want to go all out, look no further than the St. Regis Bal Harbour. Their "Florida Girls Weekend" package includes a suite on the 23rd floor, accessible through a private hallway, along with a champagne experience and private car transfers. For $15,000, they’ll make sure you have a weekend worthy of Swift herself.

The competition to create memorable guest experiences is fierce, and no detail is being overlooked. At the Marriott and AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Airport, friendship bracelet stations and Taylor Swift swag are being prepped to give concertgoers a special keepsake as they head to the stadium.

It’s not just hotels feeling the impact. Local restaurants, Uber drivers and attractions are poised for a busy weekend. The trickle-down effect is real: More guests mean more tables to serve, more rides to hail and more dollars spent across the board. Available data shows, for example, that during Super Bowl LVII in Phoenix in 2023, restaurants and bars saw a 25.6% increase in spending by visitors​. And in Pittsburgh, Swift’s concert weekend in the summer of 2023 resulted in a 13.2% increase in spending by local residents.

With no hotels nearby the Hard Rock Stadium, many fans will be relying on rideshares. Uber and Lyft drivers will likely be the real MVPs of the weekend, though securing a ride after the concert might feel like trying to win the lottery. According to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, there is an average of more than 3,000 Uber rides per Swift concert, which averages 70,000+ attendees. And yes, that ride will cost you: Surge pricing goes into effect when there are more riders than available drivers in a given area.

The timing of the Eras Tour could not be more significant for Miami. The city’s reputation took a hit over the summer when ticketless fans stormed the Hard Rock Stadium during the Copa America soccer tournament, forcing an overwhelmed security detail to delay the championship game. Pulling off the Taylor Swift concerts without incident presents a chance to regain footing on the national stage.

It’s a potent combination of high demand, high expectations and high stakes for Miami’s hospitality scene that should be music to the ears of the city leaders and those in the business of hospitality.

As an international business major, I have attended several study groups at FIU's Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom to better understand global markets through the lens of international relations, policy and trade. Government leaders from around the world come to campus to hold weekly gatherings with interested undergraduates of all majors.

In 2022, as a sophomore, I signed up for a study group instructed by Fawzia Koofi, the former deputy speaker of parliament in Afghanistan. She described in great detail the dramatic changes Afghanistan experienced following the resurgence of the Taliban. The Islamic fundamentalist group was toppled by U.S.-led forces two decades prior but swiftly regained power after the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2021.

As she described the ongoing oppression, I recalled images in the news of desperate Afghans holding onto the wings of military aircraft as U.S. forces departed. I was reminded of the daily suffering experienced by Afghans since that tragic event swept through our news cycle.

Then at one of our meetings, she made an offer that would radically influence the trajectory of my personal, academic, and professional journey: We could teach English online to girls in Afghanistan.

The Taliban has barred females in Afghanistan from attending school in person after sixth grade. This and other rights have been severely curtailed in what has been called a war on women and girls.

Ms. Koofi connected me with two sisters, whom I soon began teaching and continue to meet weekly to this day. After our first session, I thought, Wow, teaching is much harder than I imagined.

My students' contagious desire to learn and their sheer excitement inspired me to actively hone my teaching skills. I felt a sense of responsibility to offer them the same encouragement I have been fortunate enough to receive from my family, community and country.

During one of our sessions, the two students expressed frustration that they have access to an online teacher while many of their former classmates do not. I asked myself, Why can’t we offer this to more Afghans?

Inspired to scale my impact, I recruited FIU students to teach. I founded the Afghan Education Student Outreach Project at FIU (AESOP at FIU) based on work begun by an Afghan refugee and her American teacher, Seth Holm. They created a four-week online English class for 20 Afghan students. We have since established a global network of 100+ teachers, 25 of whom are FIU students. We now offer classes – which include English, math, Latin, drawing, debate and leadership and management – to 700+ girls and women in Afghanistan. Some of them are just learning the ABC’s while others are almost fluent in English. Some were in the middle of college, even studying to become doctors and lawyers, when the Taliban took over.

These young people face enormous challenges, from threats to their safety to limited resources. Yet they persist, driven by a deep commitment to learning and belief in a brighter future. My students recount the Taliban destroying artwork, disappearing family members, disrupting weddings for the crime of playing music and harshly enforcing clothing and travel restrictions. I do my best simply to listen and offer words of encouragement between class activities.

Part of our service is to support them emotionally and give them some sort of aim. That’s what they need. We started the phone buddy program to pair a volunteer with a student every week for a 20-minute phone call. It’s about practicing conversation in English and just talking. There are moments when people open up. Some students are brought to tears when asked how their day was or what the future might hold. We share laughs and everyday stories from our very different daily lives.

Most compelling was the case of an oldest daughter who shared how she became the sole caregiver and provider for her younger siblings when their mother, who worked at a hospital, was falsely accused by a member of the Taliban of causing the death of a newborn during childbirth. The student’s mother as well as her father soon after disappeared without a word. The student handmakes clothing, and she sent us pieces to sell at an art show held earlier this year at the Frost Art Museum on campus. We returned to her and the other artisans all proceeds from a very successful event.

The Adam Smith Center and AESOP at FIU have taught me to use my technology and international business background to address global issues through creative solutions. Both organizations have greatly contributed to my life.

In the song “Son of Man,” Phil Collins famously sings, “In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” While I may be the teacher, my students have taught me invaluable lessons as I’ve witnessed the complexities of their country and the strength of their spirits. I am forever grateful to them and will continue scaling my impact not only by recruiting teachers but by telling their stories.

Your feelings about imperfect fruits and vegetables – distinctly “different” in shape, color or texture – just might align with your political ideology.

In what at first seems like an odd correlation, researchers have found a relationship between one's enthusiasm for ugly fruit and one’s decisions in the voting booth.

Generally, people who don’t mind off-looking produce – albeit still edible and nutritious – are more likely to identify as liberal, the research shows. Those who want something that appears less unusual tend toward the conservative side.

It boils down to one's willingness to veer from expectations, explains Associate Professor Jayati Sinha of the department of marketing and logistics at FIU Business.

“In a food context, we have some norms,” she says of what consumers, especially in the United States, anticipate finding on display. “When we look at fruits and vegetables, people expect to see that they are aesthetically pleasing.”

Any deviation, then, represents a change from the baseline and gives rise to uncertainty, which in this case brings into question aspects such as taste and nutritional benefits.

To be accepting of a departure from the norm, Sinha and her co-investigators write in the scientific journal Appetite, “requires an openness to new experiences that is more likely a liberal than a conservative response.”

Previous studies have shown that, compared to liberals, conservatives are more reluctant to eat unfamiliar food and show less interest in organic offerings and plant-based meat. Conservatives also tend to express a preference for an omnivore diet over a vegetarian diet.

Neither way of thinking – or approaching the produce aisle –  is in itself correct or incorrect, Sinha cautions.

The 1,400 study participants self-identified as liberal or conservative, completed two accepted measures of political ideology or did both. They then indicated their likelihood of purchasing a box of imperfect fruits and vegetables, which was pictured with clearly labeled discount pricing and a USDA logo to signify overall good quality, physical defects aside.

Sinha and her collaborators, from universities in the United States and abroad, took up the study due to an interest in the topic of food waste. The global problem exists at a time when as many as 2.33 billion people experience moderate or severe food insecurity, according to the World Health Organization.

One estimate suggests that in the U.S. as much as 20% of all fruits and vegetables are thrown away because of cosmetic irregularities, resulting in both lost nutrition and a waste of the resources required to grow them. Much of that represents produce that never arrives to market, Sinha says, because producers, wholesalers or retailers preemptively deem it unsellable.

When formulating their study – in 2020, during the last U.S. presidential election cycle - the researchers collectively recognized growing political polarization at home and abroad. They then posited that personal political ideology could exert an influence on the purchase of something as relatively affordable and universally important to health as fruits and vegetables.

As they write in the journal article, “Political ideology exerts profound influence not only on how people interpret social events but also the choices they make in their everyday lives.”

Apparently, that trickles down even to paying for a deformed red pepper.

Sinha hopes the study’s contribution to understanding consumers’ personal identities, and thus their behavior, will spark solutions for retailers stuck with produce to which customers give the side eye.

The most obvious is to lower prices, something many grocers already do. Emphasizing nutritional value and tastiness should also help. Another tactic, although less scalable, Sinha adds: reroute the mutant eggplants to farmers markets as customers there will often overlook oddities to support small and local producers.

So, what might all this mean in the coming weeks as Americans go to the polls? Could one reliably discern how a friend or neighbor plans to vote in the presidential election simply by looking at the contents of a grocery basket?

“Of course,” says the professor, who correlates purchases of all kinds with political attitude, “you can definitely do that!”

"My Cuban heritage plays a vital role in my cooking, bringing the rich, vibrant flavors of Latin spices to every dish I create," Falcon says.

That's why this month, Falcon, who is also a 2019 Chaplin School graduate, is sharing a dish she created based on a Cuban favorite and that has now become a must-have dessert on the menu. It's called the Bacardi Ocho Flan, made with eight-year, barrel-aged Bacardi Reserva Ocho rum - a nod to the Bacardi Center of Excellence, the school's exclusive educational partnership with the iconic, Miami-based spirits brand BACARDÍ.

The flan as well as her malanga tacos are staples on the FIU Bistro menu. Malanga is a root vegetable used in many Hispanic households and that Falcon uses in place of white or corn flour in her housemade taco shells.

Falcon adds that she always insists on infusing her culture into the menu. "It's a way of honoring my roots while sharing the warmth, soul and passion of our culture through food."

Bacardi Ocho Flan 

Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 can condensed milk
Water (use the empty condensed milk can to measure)
Sugar (for making caramel - see caramel recipe below)
1.5 oz of Bacardi 8

Instructions:

1. Beat the eggs and additional yolk, add a tablespoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt, and incorporate the can of condensed milk.
2. Fill the empty can with water, incorporate it to the mixture and then add an additional one-third can water and the Bacardi 8.
3. Mix well and set aside while preparing the caramel (see recipe below).
4. Once caramel has set in your chosen container(s), pour the flan mixture over the caramel.
5. Cook the flan in one of two ways: using a pressure cooker for 20 minutes (best when making one large flan); or using a water bath in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until mostly set but still a bit jiggly.
6. Refrigerate the flan overnight and unmold the next day.

Caramel Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions:

1. Place a clean, dry heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
2. Sprinkle the granulated sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan.
3. Allow the sugar to melt without stirring. You can swirl the pan gently to ensure even melting. This may take about 5-7 minutes.
4. Once the sugar has completely melted and turned into a golden-brown caramel, remove the saucepan from heat immediately to prevent burning.
5. Carefully pour the caramel into your desired container(s) – one deep 9-inch round glass or ceramic baking dish OR approximately 15 4-ounce ramekins – rotating to distribute the caramel evenly.
6. Allow caramel to cool for approximately five minutes, or until set, before continuing with the recipe above.

We hope that you and your family are well and safe from any serious impact from Hurricane Milton.

Initial assessments have determined that FIU facilities and grounds sustained very little damage. Normal FIU operations will resume on Friday, October 11^th.

Below is additional information about services available at MMC today:

• Green Library: Open from 2-10 p.m.
• Graham Center: Open from 1-9 p.m. (including Welcome Center and game room)
• For limited dining options in the Graham Center, please consult Shop FIU.
• Wellness and Recreation Center: Only the south side (facing housing) open from 2-9 p.m.
• CATS shuttles will operate as of 2 p.m. (MMC-BBC route resumes on Friday)

Please note that at BBC, Roary’s Café is open today. All other venues will resume normal operations on Friday.

As you return to campus, please remain vigilant and look for downed power lines and obstructions on the roads. Avoid driving through flooded roadways. If you see flooding or encounter any access issues at any of our campuses, please report it to FIU Police at 305-348-2626. Any other damage on campus should be reported by calling 305-348-4600. Your safety remains the top priority.

Students who are directly impacted and cannot attend their classes should notify their instructors. Students who need financial support, please reach out to eaid@FIU.edu. Counseling and other support, including Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), BetterMynd, and Togetherall, are available through Student Health & Wellness. We encourage students to take advantage of these and other resources by visiting shw.fiu.edu.

Members of our faculty and staff who are personally impacted by Hurricane Milton should work with their supervisor to determine the needs of the department and whether they need to take annual leave to attend to personal responsibilities. Those who need additional support, are encouraged to reach out to the Office of Employee Assistance and Wellness at 305-348-2469.

Thank you for your assistance over the past several days in preparing FIU for the impact of Hurricane Milton and for your continued cooperation. Above all, stay safe. 

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall along Florida’s west coast - likely as a Category 3 storm - sometime tonight or early Thursday morning.

South Florida remains under a tropical storm warning. In addition, the National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch through 9 p.m. today, Wednesday, October 9, with tornado warnings issued throughout the day, as needed.

Tornado warnings generate messages that are delivered through FIU’s emergency notification system (FIU Alert), several of which were sent early this morning. Some may have found the texts and calls disruptive. We are tweaking the frequency of messages for tonight and will reevaluate the system after this storm has passed. Our intention is always to ensure the safety of the university community, and alert systems are critical to providing lifesaving information during emergencies.

As announced on Tuesday, FIU is closed today and Thursday, October 10^th.

Please look for an announcement on Thursday regarding university operations on Friday.

It is important to remain vigilant and prepare for potential flooding, rain, high winds, and storm surge.

On-campus residents may remain in their buildings, which are designed to withstand tropical storm winds. Please check your email for additional information from the housing office and dining services. Please consult the ShopFIU page for dining and retail options as well as service hours.

All vehicles that remain on campus during the storm should be relocated to one of the parking garages, which will be open to members of the university community who wish to protect their personal vehicles from debris and flooding. Please relocate your vehicles as soon as possible, before weather conditions deteriorate. Please avoid parking on the ground floor or the roof of garages. Space is limited and available on a first-come first-served basis.

Please monitor local media and pay attention to updates from the National Hurricane Center throughout the next few days.

As a member of the FIU family, become familiar with the university’s emergency procedures – which apply to all potential hazards – and be an active participant in your own safety by signing up for and staying alert to messages from university and local officials.

Your FIU email will be your source of information for all FIU hurricane-related information.

Updates also will appear on the FIU homepage and news.fiu.edu, and on the university’s social media accounts.

Local media may help disseminate information about FIU operations before and after the storm.

Thank you for your cooperation and be safe. 

The National Hurricane Center has adjusted the timing of Hurricane Milton’s forecasted landfall along Florida’s west coast to early on Thursday, October 10^th. South Florida is under a tropical storm warning.

Given the updated forecast, and for everyone’s safety, below is an updated schedule of FIU closures.

FIU will close:

• At 5 p.m. today, Tuesday October 8^th
• Wednesday, October 9^th
• Thursday, October 10^th

Please look for an announcement on Thursday regarding university operations on Friday.

It is important to remain vigilant and prepare for potential flooding, rain, high winds, and storm surge. 

On-campus residents may remain in their buildings. Please check your email for additional information from the housing office and dining services. Please consult the ShopFIU page for dining and retail options as well as service hours.

All vehicles that remain on campus during the storm should be relocated to one of the parking garages, which will be open to members of the university community who wish to protect their personal vehicles from debris and flooding. Please avoid parking on the ground floor or the roof of garages. Space is limited and available on a first-come first-served basis. 

Please monitor local media and pay attention to updates from the National Hurricane Center throughout the next few days.

As a member of the FIU family, become familiar with the university’s emergency procedures – which apply to all potential hazards – and be an active participant in your own safety by signing up for and staying alert to messages from university and local officials. 

Your FIU email will be your source of information for all FIU hurricane-related information.

Updates also will appear on the FIU homepage and news.fiu.edu, and on the university’s social media accounts.

Local media may help disseminate information about FIU operations before and after the storm. 

Thank you for your cooperation and be safe. 

As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida from the west, the local forecast calls for possible tropical storm conditions and flooding in South Florida. 

For everyone’s safety, FIU campuses will close beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Wednesday. All classes are canceled, including online classes. Please look for an announcement by Wednesday evening regarding university operations on Thursday. 

On-campus residents may remain in their buildings. Please check your email for additional information from the housing office and dining services. Please consult the ShopFIU page for dining and retail options as well as service hours. 

FIU parking garages will be open to members of the university community who wish to protect their vehicles from debris and flooding. Space will be limited and on a first-come first-serve basis. Please do not park on the first floor or the roof. Vehicles parked in surface lots should be relocated to the parking garages. 

Please monitor local media and pay attention to updates from the National Hurricane Center throughout the next few days. 

As a member of the FIU family, become familiar with the university’s emergency procedures – which apply to all potential hazards – and be an active participant in your own safety by signing up for and staying alert to messages from university and local officials. 

Your FIU email will be your source of information for all FIU hurricane-related information. 

Updates also will appear on the FIU homepage and news.fiu.edu, and on the university’s social media accounts. 

Local media may help disseminate information about FIU operations before and after the storm. 

Thank you for your cooperation and be safe. 

Rodriguez has what he calls a common ‘Miami story.’ His parents came to Miami from Cuba in 1959, and his family eventually settled in Kendall. His entrepreneurial spirit bloomed at FIU where his passion project grew into a fulfilling career delivering access to clean water for communities in Latin America.

He took the risk of creating a charity instead of taking a corporate job, and it’s a decision he’d never change. It gave him a chance to innovate.

In 2010, as an undergraduate student at FIU Business, he co-founded BLUE Missions with his sister. Its goal is to bring clean water to parts of Latin America through youth-led service trips. Today, they’ve completed 275 community development projects, providing almost 50,000 people with clean water, sanitation and filtration with the help of over 5,700 volunteers.

His inspiration came from a mission trip to the Dominican Republic that he participated in during high school. After working for several days to bring water to the area, he witnessed a child dancing under a pipe of running clean water. There, it dawned on him.

“Leodi [the child] didn’t really understand the magnitude of the project. But when I looked around, the elders were crying tears of joy, knowing that their grandchildren wouldn’t have to walk for water the same way they did,” said Rodriguez. “I was hooked.”

Now he manages a team of 14 employees in Miami and 45 team members in the Dominican Republic who run logistics, training and engineering. Rodriguez was even able to convince his dad to leave a corporate job and join his international programs division.

“We knew that we wanted to do things differently as a nonprofit,” said Rodriguez. “We knew that we wanted to focus on storytelling, on branding, on marketing. We wanted to be fully transparent to our donors and show them exactly where their dollars were going.”

BLUE Missions began to implement the “Be Bold” model and opened two bank accounts, one for donations and one for operations.

"One hundred percent of public donations go directly to the field, so these are innovations,” said Rodriguez. “These are things that make our jobs harder to do, but we did it because we knew the negative connotation that existed around nonprofits, and we knew that we wanted to be different, and we wanted to innovate in this space.”

As BLUE Missions grew, the leadership team adapted their business plan and launched sanitation, filtration and sustainability programming to ensure not only that there is water for all, but also water forever. They even secured a partnership with Tripadvisor Charitable Foundation, which gave them $400,000 for four years to fund materials while they grew their program. The partnership ran from 2015-2018.

Rodriguez hopes other business students consider nonprofits as a structural model.

"My best advice would be, ‘have a strong why,’” said Rodriguez. “Make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons at your core, and then don’t be afraid to innovate and to challenge the status quo in the sector because it’s one of these sectors that doesn’t take much to stand out.” 

In short, a hackathon is a sort of 'codefest' where people collaborate to build software projects. They typically take the form of coding competitions, where organizers encourage tech enthusiasts to invent software solutions to real world challenges in cybersecurity, financial technology and other areas. 

So, what does it take to stand out in a hackathon? How do you stay focused, work as a team and produce something truly innovative? 

Students competing at Shellhacks, Florida’s largest hackathon, have answers. They took a breather from coding to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to succeed in a big-time hackathon. Check out what they had to say in the video above. 

Shellhacks 2024 was an official Major League Hacking event that saw 1,400 hackers compete for various prizes over a 36-hour period. The annual hackathon is organized by INIT FIU, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping underserved communities to launch successful careers in technology, and regularly takes place at FIU. Among the hackers this year were more than 700 FIU College of Engineering and Computing students.

Citrus trees showing natural tolerance to citrus greening disease host bacteria that produce novel antimicrobials that can be used to fight off the disease, our recent study shows. We found the trees at an organic farm in Clermont, Florida.

Citrus greening disease – known more formally as Huanglongbing, or HLB, is caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. It is spread by an insect called the Asian citrus psyllid. There is no known cure for the disease.

We are Florida-based researchers who study sustainable farming practices, a discipline also known as agroecology. Our team has isolated these antimicrobial compounds in the lab and is now working to test them with the goal of producing an effective treatment for HLB.

Why it matters

HLB has dealt a massive blow to Florida’s iconic citrus industry.

Since citrus greening disease was first detected in the state in 2005, Florida citrus production is down by more than 92%. The disease is just one factor. Others include hurricanes and freezes.

Infected trees produce fewer fruit. The fruit that does grow is partially green, smaller, shaped irregularly and bitter tasting. It may drop from the trees before ripening. Leaves may show blotchy mottling.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the 2022-2023 growing season was the least productive since 1936. Smaller crops lead to higher prices on oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, lemons and limes.

Management of HLB is daunting. Growers currently rely on pesticides to control the psyllid and antibiotics like oxytetracycline in an attempt to control HLB. These treatments are expensive and may pose health and environmental risks. The need for development of effective treatments to control HLB is evident.

How we did our work

Like humans, plants host diverse communities of microorganisms both inside and outside, representing the plant microbiome.

Endophytes – beneficial microorganisms living inside plants – play an important role in nutrient intake, disease and pest resistance, and adaptation to environmental stress.

In a search for treatments against HLB, we looked to endophytes of survivor citrus trees – in other words, trees that are HLB positive but showed only mild symptoms and continue to bear fruit. By studying 342 endophytes of survivor trees, we discovered five bacterial endophytes capable of producing novel antimicrobials.

The HLB bacteria cannot be grown on laboratory culture media like agar or broth. So, we used live bacterial cells present in the ground tissue samples of infected psyllids to test the antimicrobial compounds in the lab. These studies revealed that the antimicrobial compounds were highly effective at killing the live cells of citrus greening pathogen in this controlled environment. The antimicrobials can be mixed with water and were found to be effective at low concentrations.

What’s still not known

Preliminary results from our ongoing work indicate that multiple antimicrobial compounds are present in the bacterial culture extract. This is a positive sign because the antimicrobial compounds may be found to attack pathogenic bacteria in several different ways. If that’s the case, it will help minimize the development of resistance in the same way a variety of antibiotics are useful to human doctors.

One of our next steps will be to evaluate selected compounds against HLB, using infected citrus roots under laboratory conditions and infected citrus plants under greenhouse conditions, to test whether the plants will absorb these antimicrobial compounds through their leaves or roots. This work will be conducted in collaboration with scientists from Texas A&M University and the University of Florida.

What’s next

Further research will focus on methods to increase the production of purified antimicrobial compound in order for it to be evaluated in the field. To help get the technology to growers faster, we may look for partnerships with interested commercial biopesticide companies to help with product development.

Our work has taken on new urgency due to emerging psyllid-transmitted diseases that infect potato, tomato and carrot crops in the U.S. that are caused by closely related bacterial pathogens.

The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

Kateel G. Shetty, Assistant Professor of Earth and Environment, Florida International University; Jessica Dominguez, PhD Candidate in Agroecology, Florida International University, and Krishnaswamy Jayachandran, Professor of Agroecology, Florida International University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

In this piece, Roshan shares the valuable lessons she learned about embracing empathy as a future doctor. Her essay on this experience was first published in in-Training, an online platform created by and for medical students. The piece was also published as part of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine's Student Voices series. 

During my family medicine clerkship, I worked with a free mobile primary care clinic dedicated to serving uninsured patients. Parked outside a church in a large city, the clinic, which is part of FIU's NeighborhoodHELP program, was a large blue bus standing in stark contrast to the gray asphalt parking lot around it. It was often surrounded by families and people of all ages. The same parking lot hosted a food bank every other week, too. Here was a hub of essential services for the community.

The steep stairs leading up to the clinic’s entrance were a challenge for many patients, but on the inside, the bus was a welcoming medical space. At the top of the stairs, patients were greeted by the team: a faculty physician, a resident, two medical students and a medical assistant. This area was also the narrow hallway separating the two small exam rooms. Each exam room, though compact, was efficiently organized with modest exam tables, a sink and basic medical equipment. This mobile clinic provided a unique window into the challenges faced by those with limited access to health care.

On one of my days working here, I met a woman in her mid-40s who had recently moved from Haiti and spoke Haitian Creole. When she entered the clinic and sat beside the medical assistant’s desk, I noticed her demeanor. She seemed strained and visibly anxious. As we led her into one of the exam rooms, the bus’s gentle vibration seemingly amplified the tension in the small space.

While she sat on the exam table, I picked up on signs from a longstanding stalemate with her condition. Her brows remained furrowed, her shoulders were tense, and her body language was closed. Her faded, oversized clothing highlighted her thin frame, and, despite her stated age, she appeared older due to visible signs of fatigue and stress.

I don’t speak Haitian Creole and, initially, the language barrier felt like a significant hurdle to the encounter. With the help of a telephone interpreter, however, we navigated the conversation with increasing ease. The interpreter’s calm and steady voice was a lifeline, bridging our communication gap. As we spoke, I noticed our patient’s initially guarded posture relax. Her shoulders softened and her crossed arms fell to her sides. As she communicated through the interpreter, her voice carried a mix of frustration and desperation.

“I can’t get care,” she said. To me, her words reflected a year of anxiety about what she told us she was experiencing: palpitations, weight loss and tremors exacerbated by her inability to see a specialist due to uninsured status. Her eyes bulged, her hands trembled noticeably, and her heart rate was alarmingly fast. Her skin was warm and moist to the touch, and she mentioned experiencing constant nervousness and irritability. 

This wasn’t her first visit to our mobile clinic; she had been trying to schedule an appointment with an endocrinologist for the past year. Another nearby community health clinic providing affordable, low-cost specialty care, however, had been perpetually overbooked. The language barrier further complicated her ability to secure an appointment.

Our connection deepened through small, meaningful gestures. Sensing her discomfort, I offered iced water from the small refrigerator in the adjacent hallway. She accepted it with a smile, a small sign of relief in her otherwise tense demeanor. Leaning forward, I gently placed my hand on her shoulder to convey my concern. The interpreter’s voice was met with nods, and her eyes, clouded with worry, slowly began to show a glimmer of trust.

As she shared her fears about her health, her voice trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. She was anxious about her worsening symptoms and concerned about living like this forever.  Her tone was less desperate and more reflective when she spoke now. 

When she asked, “will I get back to normal?” her vulnerability was raw and transparent. As I waited for the interpretation, I reached out to hold her hand and nodded vigorously. As we went back and forth through the interpreter, she held onto my reassuring words, and a thin, hopeful smile emerged. My patient was cautiously opening up and revealing parts of herself that went beyond her illness.

I sought to reinforce a sense of safety and empathy through steady eye contact and mirroring her emotions with my expressions. While I knew that simply listening meant a lot to this patient, I still struggled to formulate a plan to help her. We had no imaging, limited medication access and only one overbooked endocrinologist who accepted referrals for uninsured patients.

After consulting with the faculty physician and telemedicine endocrinology consult from the MAVEN Project, we devised a treatment plan. I began, “we’ll start you on a medicine called propranolol to help with your fast heart rate and another medicine called methimazole to help your thyroid function better by reducing the extra hormones made by your thyroid.”

I was careful to use clear, straightforward terms and to pause after every few sentences. The interpreter ensured these explanations were clear and understood. As our appointment concluded, the patient’s smile, tinged with relief, and her heartfelt “thank you” reminded me of the positive impact of compassionate care.

Reflecting on this experience, I recognize the importance of using professional interpreters, nonverbal communication, and intently listening to patients in overcoming language barriers in medicine. Professional interpreters ensure accurate communication, while nonverbal cues and active listening help build trust and understanding. My medical education emphasized the value of empathy, advocacy, and cultural competence in providing equitable care.

This experience taught me how these skills can bridge gaps and ensure all patients receive the care they need. The treatment plan we devised, facilitated by clear communication and compassionate care, helped address the patient’s medical needs and helped ease her anxieties. As a future physician, I am committed to applying these lessons to provide equitable and affordable care for all patients, regardless of their background or language.

Acknowledgements: I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Sarah Stumbar, assistant dean for Clinical Education and associate professor in the Department of Humanities, Health and Society, for inspiring me to write this narrative medicine piece and for her support and time in reviewing my story. I also want to thank Dr. Frederick Anderson, associate professor in the Department of Humanities, Health and Society and medical director of the Division of Family and Community Medicine, for his invaluable mentorship and guidance at the NeighborhoodHELP mobile clinic.

The Coffee Academy at FIU offers two self-paced courses for foundational knowledge and techniques. Built in collaboration with an award-winning team of certified baristas and supported by Lavazza North America, the largest privately held family-owned coffee company in the world, the courses cover the history of coffee and the production line from cherry to cup. These provide an ideal background for anyone who works professionally in the hospitality industry and wants to deepen their knowledge, including those employed in hotels, restaurants and cafes.

“I’m excited to make coffee education more accessible to people with this resource, made in partnership with Lavazza, that is setting the tone for industry education,” said Mitchell Meredith, program manager for the Bacardi Center of Excellence at the Chaplin School.

Click to watch this video on Instagram to learn more about Coffee Academy:

In 2024, the global coffee market is estimated to be worth $276.2 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service. Did you know that to get your cup of coffee from farm to your table, it takes 40 people along the production line?

This is one of the facts FIU hospitality student Zaria Collymore learned. She’s studying hotel management and hopes to run or own a hotel one day. She took the course, which was a prerequisite for her to go on an international educational trip where she and her fellow students gained hands-on learning experience executing a coffee event at an education conference in Montreal, Canada.

FIU students (from l to r) Ashlene Thomas, Zaria Collymore, Daniella Ramos and Violent Hahn

“Without being certified, I couldn’t operate the machine or have gone to Montreal. I think they’re trying to teach us coffee and beyond. Learning the art of coffee and trying to find more sustainable ways of making it,” said Collymore about the class.

A fan of iced Americano, Meredith says this course is perfect for a coffee aficionado who wants to upskill and learn more or a barista already working in a coffee shop.

Each Coffee Academy course costs $99 and results in a certificate of completion. This first course is seven modules. To learn more or sign up, please visit the Chaplin School’s Professional Development webpage or Coffee Academy website.  

“I realized there was an academic focus in the doctoral program, but my peers didn’t have access to mentors to introduce them to the possibilities of trial consulting,” said Fischman.  

As the founder of Focus Litigation Consulting, Fischman decided to give back to her alma mater by creating a new partnership with FIU. Her company has funded a fellowship to give doctoral students valuable experience in the trial consulting world. The nearly $40,000 fellowship provides financial support for the fellow.

Deborah Goldfarb, associate professor and psychology and cognitive neuroscience graduate program director, says the fellowship allows students to gain hands-on consulting experience. They get to travel, participate in mock trials, interact with lawyers and learn about the trial consulting field.

“We are thrilled to have an alumna establish this new partnership. Fischman understands our students and wants to make the program beneficial for them,” said Goldfarb.

Trial consultants are retained by government institutions, general counsels of corporations and trial teams. The overarching role of trial consultants is to help trial teams be in the best position to try or settle their case.

“This could be in a civil lawsuit involving a high dollar amount or a criminal case where the trial team feels the need to better research or prepare going into trial,” said Fischman.

FIU is one of the few universities in the world with a doctoral concentration in legal psychology. The program offers students broad training in experimental psychology, which uses scientific methods to study human behavior. And now with the fellowship, Goldfarb says students can gain hands-on experience.

"Our vision is to create innovative musical excellence through education, performance and community engagement,” said Karen S. Veloz, director of the Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts. “We are providing performances to engage audiences, educate our students and provide a platform for innovative programming where our students perform alongside Grammy-award winning artists.”

The Wertheim's performances span a variety of platforms, from the concert stage at the Wertheim Concert Hall and venues across Florida to locations like St. Francis Auditorium in Santa Fe and weekly broadcasts such as the FIU Music Hour on WDNA 88.9 FM. These platforms not only broaden the reach of the university's music community but also deepen its connection with the public.

"We have a thriving music scene on campus, featuring everything from our top student ensembles to world-class guest performers and artists-in-residence, showcased in programs such as the annual FIU Music Festival this fall,” said Veloz. “This year builds on these platforms, placing our students at the forefront, creating new opportunities for them to engage with high-profile musicians and keeping FIU deeply connected to the larger community."

Just a few days before the momentous announcement, some of FIU's most ardent supporters came to campus to present the university with millions of dollars that will continue to fuel FIU's legacy as one of the country's leading public universities. 

Elected officials, members of the Miami-Dade Delegation and alumni working in the government gathered at FIU during an annual Homecoming celebration held in their honor. The yearly tradition is just one of the ways that FIU says "thank you" to the officials who tirelessly support FIU. 

From hosting student interns in their offices to advocating for FIU research and priorities, these elected officials help the university expand its reach every year. President Kenneth A. Jessell, Senior Vice President of the Division of Strategic Communications, Government and External Affairs Michelle L. Palacio and Dean of the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Shlomi Dinar welcomed the group and expressed their gratitude. 

On behalf of the Miami-Dade Delegation, Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez, an FIU alumna who serves as the chair of the delegation, presented Jessell and university leaders with a check for $168 million in new funds appropriated by the Florida Legislature and signed by Governor Ron DeSantis as part of the state budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

The funds will support FIU's strategic initiatives, research and student success. 

“We are incredibly grateful for the Dade Delegation’s support of FIU and for their faith in our mission to serve our community and our state," Jessell said. "FIU is a key driver of innovation, engagement and impact in South Florida and across the entire state. These funds will help us move the needle on some of our most strategic initiatives and propel us as we continue providing the highest quality education to our students. This will also allow us the resources to recruit and retain top faculty who will inspire our students and lead groundbreaking research.”

"FIU is making a difference in our community and across Florida," Rodriguez said. "I know firsthand how FIU's commitment to scholarship, excellence and service places students on the path to success. I am honored to support FIU and to come back to my alma mater for this special Homecoming reception each year. It's a treat to connect with my fellow Panthers, and it's a true pleasure to present the check for the appropriations on behalf of the Dade Delegation."

The funds include $25 million in recurring preeminent funds that FIU will receive in conjunction with earning Preeminent State Research University status earlier this year. 

FIU will also receive funding to support a variety of programs and areas, including nursing education, the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom, Cuban American studies and more. Additionally, FIU will receive its share of millions that were allocated in the State Budget for the State University System’s performance-based funding and performance-based recruitment and retention initiatives.

“Our Dade Delegation believes in FIU,” said Michelle L. Palacio, senior vice president of the Division of Strategic Communications, Government and External Affairs. “They have been our partner since day one and instrumental in FIU's success achieving top, national recognitions. I know how hard our delegation and the FIU Board of Trustees work. We are so grateful that they make it possible for FIU to continue transforming lives through higher education and to boldly persevere as a hub of research, excellence and impact.” 

The future of healthcare

The legislative appropriation includes $100 million in Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funds for the construction of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Academic Health Science and Clinical Facility, which will be built on campus and operated in partnership with Baptist Health.

“This paves the way for the training of additional physicians and expanded healthcare resources for the residents of South Florida at a time when our state needs it most,” said Florida Representative Daniel Perez, incoming Speaker of the House for the 2024-2026 legislative term.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. is expected to face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036. 

FIU is doing its part to turn things around. 

Last year, Baptist Health and FIU announced a collaboration that will expand physician training, research and patient care for the benefit of the South Florida community. The new building will bolster FIU and Baptist Health’s efforts to serve the community through this partnership.  

“The plan is to create a largely outpatient, broad service clinical venue that will provide leading-edge care to our community and serve as a base for training the next generation of clinicians,” said Juan C. Cendan, dean of Wertheim Medicine. “The generous support from the state allows FIU and Wertheim Medicine to enter that space in a substantial manner with Baptist Health South Florida, a proven clinical partner and leader in this community.”

Cendan added that this facility and the Baptist alliance will provide the platform for FIU Wertheim Medicine to grow into a powerhouse of medical research and care.

It’s a win-win for the community and the state, he said. That’s why the Florida Legislature supported the project.

“As an FIU alumna, I was proud to sponsor the university's new health facility,” said Senator Alexis Calatayud. “This project will have a significant impact on our community's wellbeing and on the broader healthcare landscape. The facility will enhance medical services and education at FIU and across South Florida. This aligns with the state’s commitment to improve access to quality healthcare for all Floridians.”

Representative Demi Busatta, who co-sponsored the project, said, “The new FIU health facility will be crucial in providing state-of-the-art healthcare services and in bolstering medical education and research throughout our community. This investment by the state of Florida will not only enhance the quality of healthcare available but also drive economic growth by attracting top talent and creating jobs in our community.”

This is the very conflict at the heart of FIU Theatre’s first production of the 2024-25 season. Kimberly Belflower’s John Proctor is the Villain, running September 27 through October 6 at The Wertheim, is a gripping story of awakening, courage and speaking truth to power.

In Florida, the situation is even more concerning, with a staggering 410% increase in adolescent e-cigarette use since 2011.

Elisa Trucco, an associate professor of psychology and a leading researcher on teen substance use at the Center for Children and Families shares her insights into why teen vaping continues to rise and what can be done to address this pressing problem.

Why are teens choosing to vape these days - what's the attraction - and is their use on the rise?

Vaping products are marketed specifically for a teen demographic through their variety of flavors and sleek designs. Take the Elf Bar, for example. It comes in flavors like Blue Razz Ice and Miami Mint and has a trendy ombré design that looks a lot like AirPod cases.

A lot of online marketing also highlights the fun and social aspects of vaping and not the potential harms. This makes it easier for teens to focus on the social benefits of vaping while overlooking the potential associated health costs.  

Which is worse for teens: vaping or cigarette use?

We know that cigarette smoke has serious negative health effects, like causing lung cancer. Since vaping devices produce vapor rather than smoke, vaping may be less harmful. Still, less harmful does not mean harmless! Most vaping devices still contain nicotine, which is super addictive and can mess with your mood and give you more anxiety. In addition, early research shows that there are heavy metals and chemicals, such as formaldehyde in vaping liquids, which increases the risk for respiratory disease. Since vaping is relatively new, we don’t really know what the long-term effects are yet.

Is vaping more serious a problem for teens than for adults, and why?

Absolutely, vaping at a young age can lead to some serious issues. First off, the earlier someone tries a substance, the more likely they are to end up using it heavily later on, developing a substance use disorder. Take alcohol, for example—research shows that about 40% of people who start drinking before 15 end up with an alcohol use disorder, compared to just 10% who wait until they’re 21. Vaping seems to follow a similar trend.

Also, keep in mind that the brain doesn’t fully mature until around age 25. So, when teens vape, it can really affect the parts of their brain responsible for attention, learning, and memory. Since young brains are wired to learn, they can also get hooked on vaping much more easily than adults.

What role do social media and influencers play in the popularity of vaping among teens?

Social media and influencers play a huge role in why vaping is so popular among teens. Just look at how companies like Juul marketed their products in the beginning. They handed out free Juuls to young influencers to help them promote vaping to their followers. Their “Vaporized” campaign showed vaping in a really glamorized way, using social media to target young adults.

What are your plans for reducing teen vaping use? 

When it comes to cutting down on teen vaping, we know that most treatment approaches are just adapted from adult programs. But research shows that teens have different reasons for using substances and face different challenges, which is why they often don’t engage with these treatments—only about 6% actually participate.

Right now, there aren’t many effective vaping cessation programs aimed at teens, and we want to change that. With support from the Florida Department of Health, we’re focusing on high school students in South Florida, especially those who identify as Hispanic, since they have some of the highest vaping rates. Our goal is to create and test a new program that really fits their needs and strengths.

Is there a key to reaching this population? And what kind of messaging would be most appropriate to dissuade them from vaping?

To really connect with teens about vaping, we need to change our approach. Instead of just focusing on what makes them vulnerable, we should highlight their strengths. Teens have a lot of resilience and social skills, and we can use that in our interventions.

It’s super important that teens feel empowered and respected. When we work with them to identify their values and show how vaping might get in the way of their goals, we’re likely to have a bigger impact. Rather than just telling them what to do or focusing on rules, let’s have conversations that resonate with them and empower them make their own choices.

So, what advice do you give parents on how to talk to their teens about vaping?

Given the rapidly evolving landscape of teen vaping, it’s important for parents stay informed. Engaging with social media platforms that are popular among teens can help them see the types of content they are exposed to.

It’s also really important for parents to understand the risks of vaping so they can have informed conversations. Approaching conversations with teens with an open mind to understand what motivates their teens to use these products without blame or punishment is important. Talking about ways they can achieve those same goals—like reducing stress or fitting in—without turning to vaping can lead to a more productive and supportive conversation.

Thank you for participating in FIU’s test of FIU Alert, the university’s Emergency Notification System, which occurred at 10 a.m. this morning.

Please take a moment to fill out this short survey, which will provide emergency managers important feedback regarding the success of this test. 

Thank you.

The university that never stops has experienced something of a mission-accomplished moment: FIU has notched the No. 46 spot on the list of top public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report. And it is No. 98 among all universities, public and private, in the nation.

The achievement represents a goal the institution set for itself just four years ago when it prioritized reaching the Top 50 by 2025 – and instead has done it 12 months earlier.

FIU has risen faster than any other university over the past 10 years in both the U.S. News public national rankings (moving up 84 spots) and overall national rankings (120 spots).

Since last year, FIU has climbed 18 spots among public universities and 26 spots overall.

“As an FIU alumnus, I’ve never felt prouder to be a Panther,” said Roger Tovar ’92, MAcc ’94, a double alumnus and chairman of the FIU Board of Trustees. “I’ve witnessed firsthand FIU’s rise to the top, and it’s been an incredible journey,” he said in addressing hundreds of students, faculty, staff and alumni at a lively campus gathering. “My FIU degree, and yours, just increased in value. That’s something to celebrate.”

Master’s student Santana Way ’24, who holds a bachelor’s from the university, attended the festivities and welcomed Tovar’s sentiment. “It makes me feel like I'm getting my return on investment for choosing to go to FIU,” he said. “It's amazing that we're Top 50 in the country. It feels really good.”

A PLAN FOR GREATNESS

In 2020, as part of a newly announced five-year strategic plan, which runs until 2025, leaders committed to moving FIU into the loftiest echelons of higher education by actively seeking Top 50 designations from various rankings organizations. Such groups independently evaluate academic performance, research activities, faculty expertise, resource availability and other factors.

Since unveiling the plan, FIU has earned a number of Top 50 rankings, most recently:

• Washington Monthly named FIU the No. 3 public university in the nation – and No. 1 in Florida – in its annual College Guide and Rankings, which recognizes universities for research excellence and their efforts to ensure student success. 
  
  
• The Wall Street Journal named FIU No. 31 among public universities in its Best Colleges 2025 rankings, with the publication giving FIU high marks for social mobility and “student experience,” which measures the quality of campus and social life in addition to ethnic and socioeconomic diversity.

Now, with the latest announcement from U.S. News, the university has garnered validation from the organization widely accepted as the gold standard.

The excellent rankings follow FIU’s making good earlier this year on another strategic goal: attaining the designation of “Preeminent State Research University” from the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s 12 public institutions of higher education. The distinction confirms that a university has met a dozen critical benchmarks, or performance metrics, among them a four-year graduation rate of 60% or higher at a time when the national average is 33.3%.

Setting in motion the ambitious plan in 2020 was the Board of Trustees, the volunteer group that advises the university on critical matters and helps determine the institution’s direction. Dean Colson, a current trustee, served at the time as chair of the body. He previously served as a member and the chair of the Board of Governors and recalls that the introduction in 2014 of the performance-metric system in 2014 made people around the state “nervous” but has since paved the way for “extraordinary” advances at places such as FIU.

“I’ve always believed that if you really want to improve, you’ve got to measure improvement every year. And, by golly, FIU sure has done an amazing job,” Colson said of FIU’s continuing rise within the State University System, where it has joined the University of Florida, Florida State University and the University of South Florida as leading institutions.

“The national rankings measure the same things we in the university community measure: educating students, graduating them on time, with as little debt as possible. What I’m proudest of is . . . that our Pell grant students” – those who qualify for need-based government grants -  “graduate at a little bit better rate than even our non-Pell students. There’s no place else in the country that can make that claim. It’s an extraordinary accomplishment by FIU.”

Notably, U.S. News named FIU No. 1 in the category of “social mobility,” making it the nation’s top-ranked university for contributing to the upward economic mobility of its graduates. 

Rebecca Friedman, a history professor and director of the Wolfsonsian Public Humanities Lab at FIU, served as a faculty representative on the steering committee charged with establishing the 2020-25 plan.

“I’m extremely proud, and I’m not surprised,” Friedman said of the university’s leap in the rankings. “There was a real effort to listen to faculty, to listen across the university and to really focus on research, student success and community engagement,” she said of the work that went into the plan.

And she, like Colson, emphasized the uniqueness of what FIU has now achieved.

“FIU has intellectual capacity [coupled] with a focus on social mobility. It is an unusual combination. I speak with a lot of people who work at research universities and a lot of people who work at universities where the college degree is going to make a difference to individuals and their families. But few have emphasized both. And that’s what has gotten us where we are.”

FACULTY AS BACKBONE

Much of the credit for high rankings rests with the 1,400-strong faculty. Leaders point to professors’ work in the lab, in the archives, in the classroom and in the community as the foundation. The administration recognizes that faculty themselves raise the bar continually by stepping up their grant-funded investigations and engaging and encouraging students.

“This ranking confirms that our faculty are all that and more,” said Provost, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Office Elizabeth Béjar. “I am proud that they have led the charge through groundbreaking research, innovative teaching and mentoring that makes a difference. They helped get us here, and they will continue to be the key moving forward.”

President Kenneth A. Jessell recognized the contributions of faculty and the many dedicated others.

“This ranking is a testament to the value of all members of our community continually doing their best,” Jessell said. “It speaks to the high level of research and teaching of our faculty, to the deep commitment of our staff and volunteer leaders, and to the unrelenting pursuit of excellence on the part of our students. Together, we have attained our goal and we will continue to reach even higher.”

NO STOPPING NOW

The latest news has no one resting on their laurels.

“As long as we continue to really engage and support our students, I think that will be a major contributor to staying at the top,” said Vicenta Shepard Ed.S. ’20, Ph.D. ’23, director of the Center for Academic Success and now the mother of an FIU freshman with a double major. She has seen firsthand – through the university tutoring hub that she heads - the value of supporting undergraduates in intentional and innovative ways. These include the addition, years ago, of “active-learning classrooms” that encourage small-group problem-solving in STEM courses and the use of peer “learning assistants” to reinforce important class concepts and encourage student collaboration, among other initiatives.

“I’m definitely embracing it,” said Shepard of the work ahead to keep FIU climbing.

Such an attitude bodes well for the university’s next strategic plan, to be formally unveiled next year, which has a stated goal of achieving a national Top 30 public ranking by 2030. It’s an aim that Trustee Colson says FIU is fully poised to meet and would place the university squarely among the best in the land.

“When you try to become Top 30, you’re getting to [the level of] really outstanding universities in this country that are a lot older than us,” he said of 52-year-old FIU. “And I think we can make it happen. The end goal is to have a great public university in South Florida, and we’re there. And it’s just going to get greater.” 

U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2025 rankings released today place Florida International University at No. 46 among public universities – breaking into the Top 50 for the first time – and No. 98 among all universities, public and private.

FIU climbed 18 spots from last year among public universities and 26 spots overall to become one of the Top 100 universities in the nation.

The university also tied for No. 1 in the nation for social mobility, a ranking that measures the ability of graduates to use their degrees to launch careers and move up the economic ladder.

“Today Miami-Dade joined a select group of U. S. metropolitan areas with more than one Top 100 national university,” said FIU President Kenneth A. Jessell. “A few years ago, we made the strategic decision to invest in finding innovative ways to help our students succeed and in doing that we have created a leading American university.”

Other rankings U.S. News released today:

The FIU undergraduate international business program ranked No. 2 in the nation, a position that it has held for the last six years.

“The success of our undergraduate business program, in particular, is a point of pride for FIU and our global city,” said FIU Provost, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Elizabeth M. Béjar. “FIU is preparing business leaders for South Florida and the world.”

Other undergraduate programs that rose in the rankings include engineering, nursing and psychology.

U.S. News also ranked FIU No. 15 public, No. 33 overall in the most innovative category and No. 23 public, No. 94 overall for best value. FIU is No. 45 best public college for veterans, No. 63 including private universities.

Today’s rankings are the latest achievement in a groundbreaking year for FIU:

This summer, FIU was named a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, and ranked first among Florida public universities in performance metrics.

FIU also was recently ranked Florida’s top university by Washington Monthly (No. 3 public and No. 16 overall) and The Wall Street Journal (No. 31 public and No. 77 overall).

“Each of these rankings emphasizes a different key aspect of a university’s performance, with an emphasis on research and student success,” said FIU Board of Trustees Chair Roger Tovar. “Our success is in great part due to the support of Governor Ron DeSantis and the state legislature, as well as the focus of the board and the leadership of the university on elevating FIU. We are now among the top 50 universities in several important rankings and that is a direct reflection of the excellent education and consequential research taking place at FIU.”

Dear members of the university community:

Panthers, we did it!

With great joy and immense pride, I share with you that FIU is a Top 50 public university – and a Top 100 university – nationwide.

According to U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2025 rankings released today, FIU is No. 46 among public universities and No. 98 overall, climbing 18 and 26 spots respectively. Our university has risen faster than any other university – public or private – in the past 10 years. Equally impressive is the fact that FIU tied for No.1 in the nation for social mobility, highlighting our contributions to the upward economic mobility of our graduates.

Today’s recognition reflects what many of us in South Florida have known for quite some time – FIU is a leading American university performing at the highest level in all higher education key measures. With a focus on student success and research excellence, FIU offers a superb return on investment for our students, and a ticket to professional and economic success.

Reaching Top 50 represents the culmination of many years of effort, outlined in the university's NextHorizon Strategic Plan, to ensure ALL FIU students receive the support, counseling and learning experiences necessary to graduate on time and with the skills needed to launch their careers.

Our university admits among the most talented and driven students and provides them with the tools to become the next generation of leaders in their fields. Our researchers are pioneering environmental resilience, advancing healthcare, creating technology to improve the world, and so much more. And our staff works tirelessly, every day, to ensure this university’s continued progress.

Panthers, we take on the world’s most pressing challenges and rise to meet them. Our university’s commitment to impact, student success and research excellence is what embodies the FIU spirit – forward-thinking, innovative, unstoppable.

The U.S. News ranking is the latest in a string of accolades for FIU. In the last three months alone, FIU has been named a Preeminent Research State University, taking its rightful place among Florida’s elite institutions. In addition, FIU has once again ranked first among Florida public universities in performance metrics. The Wall Street Journal ranked us the highest university in Florida, as well as No. 1 in social mobility and No. 3 in student experience; Washington Monthly ranked us No. 1 in Florida and Top 20 nationwide.

Without a doubt, FIU’s greatness is being recognized nationally, and it’s because of the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and our Board of Trustees. Your unwavering commitment to fostering innovation and championing excellence has been instrumental in elevating this university to new heights. Today we celebrate you.

I would like to thank Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the state legislature and the Florida Board of Governors for their support during FIU’s upward trajectory.

With great success comes great responsibility. For the FIU family, that means we must continue to advance our mission to educate a new generation of leaders. We’re up to the challenge.

Today, let’s celebrate all that we have accomplished together! Join me at 2:30 p.m. at the breezeway of the Green Library at MMC for Unstoppable Together: A Celebration of FIU. We’ll have music, light bites and lots of Panther pride. I’m also counting on you to spread the good news about our recent successes and proudly wear your blue & gold on and off campus.

Paws up, Panthers!

Kenneth A. Jessell
President

Cindy Gonzalez has a freezer full of shark samples, teeth lined up on her table and a corner of her living room has become a science lab.

A Ph.D. student in FIU’s Predator Ecology & Conservation lab, Gonzalez was in the process of describing a new bonnethead shark species — a critical next step in the research establishing a new species — when students were abruptly sent home to continue their studies remotely amid the COVID-10 pandemic. Her once cozy apartment has been converted to a science lab where she spends her days analyzing and logging key information about this unknown species.

In 2017, Associate Professor Demian Chapman led a team of scientists studying bonnetheads off the coast of Belize when they discovered something fishy. Initially believed to be just a single abundant species of bonnetheads that frequent the waters in the region, the team conducted DNA testing and was surprised to find two entirely separate species of bonnethead sharks.

Gonzalez initially conducted a genetic analysis that revealed the sharks were ranging from Brazil to Belize, which is a cause for concern for the scientists. Unregulated fishing has led to reports of severely compromised populations of bonnetheads in Brazil and other parts of Latin America.

“The very first step to protecting a species is recognizing that it exists and understanding where it is,” Chapman said. “Without that essential information there can be no species-specific conservation plan or protective measures.”

Gonzalez, who specializes in genetic population structure of bonnethead sharks, says the presence of two different species with similar distributional ranges means conservation efforts may need to be reassessed because each population is unique.

“To conserve them, we have to protect them locally,” she said.

By providing the information needed for this previously unknown species to be recognized as a distinct species, the aim is to give a call to fisheries departments and environmental ministries for the proper management and conservation of bonnethead sharks through its distribution range.

A smaller cousin of the hammerhead family, bonnetheads are found in the United States, Bahamas, Caribbean and Latin America. Abundant in these waters, bonnetheads are currently classified as a least-concern species according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. However, there is only one bonnethead shark described that ranges from the United States to Brazil, partially because of responsible management practices within U.S. waters.

Gonzalez hopes her work will help developing countries realize the importance and vulnerability of these species, and ultimately maintain better conservation efforts to protect them. Identifying one unique species is not enough. Now that the scientists know there are at least two unique species, it begs the question, are there more?

Overfishing is driving reef sharks toward extinction, according to a new study published today in Science.
 
The five main shark species that live on coral reefs — grey reef, blacktip reef, whitetip reef, nurse and Caribbean reef sharks — have declined globally by an average of 63%, according to the scientists of Global FinPrint, a five-year international study supported by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and co-led by researchers at Florida International University (FIU).
 
“These are some of the best estimates of population decline of widespread shark species because of the very large number of reefs and countries sampled,” according to Colin Simpfendorfer, lead author of the study and adjunct professor of Marine and Aquaculture Science at James Cook University in Australia. “This tells us the problem for sharks on coral reefs is far worse and more widespread than anyone thought.”
 
Results from this latest research, which includes 22,000 hours of video footage from baited underwater video stations across 391 reefs in 67 nations and territories, indicates widespread overfishing is the main culprit driving reef sharks toward extinction and changing how coral reefs function.
 
“People need healthy coral reefs,” said Mike Heithaus, co-author of the study and executive dean of FIU’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education. “We are seeing that when sharks disappear, that causes other changes in these ecosystems. Keeping shark populations healthy, or rebuilding them, is important for maintaining their roles for healthy reefs.”

The scientists observed many reefs have become stripped of both shark and ray species or stripped of just shark species, leaving the ecosystem dominated by rays. The exception is Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), a defined region designated and managed for the long-term conservation of marine resources.

“While overfishing and poor governance is associated with the absence of these species, they are still common in MPAs and places where shark fishing was banned or highly regulated,” said Demian Chapman, lead scientist of Global FinPrint and director of the Sharks and Rays Conservation Program at Mote Marine Laboratory. “Reef sharks can be important for human livelihoods through dive tourism and if fished carefully. An investment in reef shark conservation can therefore be good for people, too”.
 
Early results from this study were previously used to update the status of four of these species to more threatened categories on the International Union for the Conservation of Natures (IUCN) Red List. They were also presented during the most recent Conference of the Parties of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), helping world governments to make the groundbreaking decision to better regulate trade in these and more than 50 additional species of sharks.
 
“This means no trade should come from nations where the take of the species will threaten its survival,” Simpfendorfer said. “This study can be used to help identify those nations where such catches would be detrimental. We need to act now to stop widespread extinction of shark species in many parts of the world.”
 
More than 150 researchers from more than 120 institutions across the world contributed to the research.

Researchers are advocating for a “no-take zone” off the coast of Colombia after one of the world’s smallest and most threatened hammerhead species was found to do very little traveling outside of a Marine Protected Area in the region.

A team of researchers including FIU shark biologists Diego Cardeñosa and Yannis Papastamatiou, tracked the movements of scalloped bonnetheads inside a marine protected area (MPA) along the Colombian Pacific Coast, where this species still occurs in high numbers. Using acoustic telemetry, a technique that tracks underwater movements through sound signals, they determined the sharks spent a significant portion of their monitoring period within the study area. 

“Using telemetry we show these little sharks are very residential to small areas,” Papastamatiou said. “This is bad news if overfishing occurs but good news for designing well placed, and enforced, protected areas.”

Research typically focuses on the large, iconic hammerheads, but very little research exists on the scalloped bonnethead — the smallest of the nine recognized hammerhead species — which is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List. This new study provides the first insights into the movement behavior of the scalloped bonnethead with important implications for its protection and management.

“This study is the first of its kind for this species, the most threatened hammerhead shark in the world endemic to the eastern pacific,” said Cardeñosa, corresponding author in the study. “The results show us that localized conservation efforts with local fishing communities is the most effective strategy to protect this species.” 

The Colombian Pacific coast is heavily fished by small-scale fisheries. About 7 percent of the coast is protected, with only three national parks in the region. The study was carried out in the Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park, an area encompassing 181 square miles. Established in 2010, it is a biodiversity hotspot featuring the highest above-ground mangrove forest biomass of any region outside the Coral Triangle — a vital marine region spanning six countries. 

For this study, the researchers looked at the sharks’ movement patterns to assess how long they stay in the area, the influence of tides and time of day on their movements, and the degree of protection a no-take zone could provide in this location. According to the acoustic data, their movements were limited to just 0.54 square miles within the park. Data also showed the scalloped bonnetheads spent less time in the area at high tide and at night, suggesting more movement and more activity at those times. 

According to the study, this combination of small space use and high residency makes the scalloped bonnethead especially vulnerable, but it also makes a strong case for creating an MPA surrounding that core area. Establishing a small no-take zone within the National Park’s MPA — less than 2 miles along the coastline and extending about 1.25 miles offshore — would cover a significant part of the area used by this small coastal shark and could have great benefits for conservation.

The findings have been shared with the local communities and, in a joint effort, the goal is to establish a no-take zone that prohibits the capture or removal of the sharks. The no-take zone would also safeguard the needs of the community and would be under the management of local stakeholders. The researchers note that shark movement data should be incorporated with the interests of all local stakeholders for an optimal MPA to be effective.

The study was a collaboration between the FIU Global Forensic and Justice Center, the Guy Harvey Research Institute and the Save our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center at Nova Southeastern University and the Centro de Investigaciones Oceanográficas e Hidrográficas del Pacífico in Colombia.

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A team of researchers including FIU shark biologists Diego Cardeñosa and Yannis Papastamatiou, tracked the movements of scalloped bonnetheads inside a marine protected area (MPA) along the Colombian Pacific Coast, where this species still occurs in high numbers. Using acoustic telemetry, a technique that tracks underwater movements through sound signals, they determined the sharks spent a significant portion of their monitoring period within the study area. 

“Using telemetry we show these little sharks are very residential to small areas,” Papastamatiou said. “This is bad news if overfishing occurs but good news for designing well placed, and enforced, protected areas.”

Research typically focuses on the large, iconic hammerheads, but very little research exists on the scalloped bonnethead — the smallest of the nine recognized hammerhead species — which is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List. This new study provides the first insights into the movement behavior of the scalloped bonnethead with important implications for its protection and management.

“This study is the first of its kind for this species, the most threatened hammerhead shark in the world endemic to the eastern pacific,” said Cardeñosa, corresponding author in the study. “The results show us that localized conservation efforts with local fishing communities is the most effective strategy to protect this species.” 

The Colombian Pacific coast is heavily fished by small-scale fisheries. About 7 percent of the coast is protected, with only three national parks in the region. The study was carried out in the Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park, an area encompassing 181 square miles. Established in 2010, it is a biodiversity hotspot featuring the highest above-ground mangrove forest biomass of any region outside the Coral Triangle — a vital marine region spanning six countries. 

For this study, the researchers looked at the sharks’ movement patterns to assess how long they stay in the area, the influence of tides and time of day on their movements, and the degree of protection a no-take zone could provide in this location. According to the acoustic data, their movements were limited to just 0.54 square miles within the park. Data also showed the scalloped bonnetheads spent less time in the area at high tide and at night, suggesting more movement and more activity at those times. 

According to the study, this combination of small space use and high residency makes the scalloped bonnethead especially vulnerable, but it also makes a strong case for creating an MPA surrounding that core area. Establishing a small no-take zone within the National Park’s MPA — less than 2 miles along the coastline and extending about 1.25 miles offshore — would cover a significant part of the area used by this small coastal shark and could have great benefits for conservation.

The findings have been shared with the local communities and, in a joint effort, the goal is to establish a no-take zone that prohibits the capture or removal of the sharks. The no-take zone would also safeguard the needs of the community and would be under the management of local stakeholders. The researchers note that shark movement data should be incorporated with the interests of all local stakeholders for an optimal MPA to be effective.

The study was a collaboration between the FIU Global Forensic and Justice Center, the Guy Harvey Research Institute and the Save our Seas Foundation Shark Research Center at Nova Southeastern University and the Centro de Investigaciones Oceanográficas e Hidrográficas del Pacífico in Colombia.

Shark conservation must go beyond simply protecting shark populations — it must prioritize protecting the ecological roles of sharks, according to new research published today in Science.
 
The largest sharks of many of the biggest species, such as tiger sharks and great whites, play an oversized role in healthy oceans, but they are often the most affected by fishing. The big sharks help maintain balance through their eating habits. Sometimes their sheer size is enough to scare away prey that could over-consume seagrass and other plant life needed for healthy oceans. Sharks can also help shape and maintain balance from the bottom-up. That means a variety of sharks are needed in ecosystems, yet their many and diverse contributions to ocean health are under threat from overfishing, climate change, habitat loss, energy mining, shipping activities and more. The study, led by Florida International University (FIU), sheds new light on what role sharks play in healthy oceans and why size should be a factor in conservation decisions.
 
“When we look around the world, we see that sharks can play lots of different roles in ecosystems – and some of them are really important,” said Mike Heithaus, co-author of the study and executive dean of FIU’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education. “That means we need to maintain a diversity of sharks in our oceans as well as a wide range of sizes of sharks.  It also means we need to be rebuilding heavily depleted populations and managing for how sharks will function in oceans that are changing due to human uses and climate change.”
 
Heithaus has spent his career studying the ecological role of sharks. There, he documented top-down roles including keeping prey populations from growing too large or eating too much. When sharks scare off prey, like turtles and sea cows, these grazers don’t overeat seagrass or other needed marine vegetation, giving it time to grow and recover before the grazers return.

“We’re not saying big sharks are the only ones that matter. There’s a lot more that sharks of all kinds are doing to shape entire ecosystems,” said Simon Dedman, FIU marine scientist and co-lead author of the study. “But what we do know is that big sharks of some species are playing an oversized role in ocean health and need better protection. It’s time to have a conversation about everything sharks are doing to maintain ocean health so we can better prioritize conservation efforts and have the biggest impact.”
 
Besides helping to maintain balance in food webs, sharks feed in offshore waters and bring nutrients back to the reef. Others move nutrients around that are used at the base of the food chain. Sharks can also serve as food for other species and even as scratching posts for fish to remove parasites. The problem is shark abundance has plummeted by 71 percent for oceanic species in the past 50 years. Populations of the top five reef shark species have been depleted by 63 percent.

“This study verifies what we’ve long suspected – sharks are critical to ocean health,” said Lee Crockett, executive director of the Shark Conservation Fund which funded the study. “This landmark study serves as confirmation that marine conservationists, philanthropists, policymakers, and the public alike need to recognize that sharks are keystone species that have a now-proven significant effect on marine environments.”
 
The issue of shark conservation becomes all the more critical as global temperatures increase, leading some sharks to head into new areas where they can find the temperatures they thrive in. In addition, with the expansion of blue economy industries like aquaculture and tourism, people’s encounters with sharks will likely increase. Finding a balance that protects the sharks most needed for healthy oceans is hitting a critical point.

“National and international policy must focus on actions that rebuild populations and restore sharks' functional roles,” Heithaus said. “That requires action to increase both spatial measures like Marine Protected Areas and fisheries management measures like catch/size limits and gear limitations. If people want healthy oceans, we need healthy shark populations.”

Even in protected areas, endangered sharks may still be vulnerable, according to one of the first long-term monitoring studies of reef sharks within a marine protected area (MPA).

FIU researchers and a team of collaborative scientists tracked the number of Caribbean reef sharks at Glover’s Reef Atoll, which is part of the Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve World Heritage Site, an MPA in Belize. Monitoring was focused on the no-take zone, where fishing is prohibited. The team documented a population decline between 2009-2019. They shared the data with the National Shark Working Group — a team made up of government officials, shark fisherfolk, non-governmental organizations, and scientists. The group made recommendations that led to new legislation prohibiting shark fishing two miles around Glover’s Reef Atoll, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, and Turneffe Atoll.

“Once a marine protected area is implemented, they aren’t often monitored. Our findings are a call to action and stress the importance of monitoring population trends over time,” said lead author Katie Flowers, a Ph.D. candidate in FIU’s Predator Ecology & Conservation lab. “MPAs can’t be created and then ignored, because management measures that might work at one time may not work later due to changing socioeconomic and environmental conditions.”

As an international business major, I have attended several study groups at FIU's Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom to better understand global markets through the lens of international relations, policy and trade. Government leaders from around the world come to campus to hold weekly gatherings with interested undergraduates of all majors.

In 2022, as a sophomore, I signed up for a study group instructed by Fawzia Koofi, the former deputy speaker of parliament in Afghanistan. She described in great detail the dramatic changes Afghanistan experienced following the resurgence of the Taliban. The Islamic fundamentalist group was toppled by U.S.-led forces two decades prior but swiftly regained power after the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2021.

As she described the ongoing oppression, I recalled images in the news of desperate Afghans holding onto the wings of military aircraft as U.S. forces departed. I was reminded of the daily suffering experienced by Afghans since that tragic event swept through our news cycle.

Then at one of our meetings, she made an offer that would radically influence the trajectory of my personal, academic, and professional journey: We could teach English online to girls in Afghanistan.

The Taliban has barred females in Afghanistan from attending school in person after sixth grade. This and other rights have been severely curtailed in what has been called a war on women and girls.

Ms. Koofi connected me with two sisters, whom I soon began teaching and continue to meet weekly to this day. After our first session, I thought, Wow, teaching is much harder than I imagined.

My students' contagious desire to learn and their sheer excitement inspired me to actively hone my teaching skills. I felt a sense of responsibility to offer them the same encouragement I have been fortunate enough to receive from my family, community and country.

During one of our sessions, the two students expressed frustration that they have access to an online teacher while many of their former classmates do not. I asked myself, Why can’t we offer this to more Afghans?

Inspired to scale my impact, I recruited FIU students to teach. I founded the Afghan Education Student Outreach Project at FIU (AESOP at FIU) based on work begun by an Afghan refugee and her American teacher, Seth Holm. They created a four-week online English class for 20 Afghan students. We have since established a global network of 100+ teachers, 25 of whom are FIU students. We now offer classes – which include English, math, Latin, drawing, debate and leadership and management – to 700+ girls and women in Afghanistan. Some of them are just learning the ABC’s while others are almost fluent in English. Some were in the middle of college, even studying to become doctors and lawyers, when the Taliban took over.

These young people face enormous challenges, from threats to their safety to limited resources. Yet they persist, driven by a deep commitment to learning and belief in a brighter future. My students recount the Taliban destroying artwork, disappearing family members, disrupting weddings for the crime of playing music and harshly enforcing clothing and travel restrictions. I do my best simply to listen and offer words of encouragement between class activities.

Part of our service is to support them emotionally and give them some sort of aim. That’s what they need. We started the phone buddy program to pair a volunteer with a student every week for a 20-minute phone call. It’s about practicing conversation in English and just talking. There are moments when people open up. Some students are brought to tears when asked how their day was or what the future might hold. We share laughs and everyday stories from our very different daily lives.

Most compelling was the case of an oldest daughter who shared how she became the sole caregiver and provider for her younger siblings when their mother, who worked at a hospital, was falsely accused by a member of the Taliban of causing the death of a newborn during childbirth. The student’s mother as well as her father soon after disappeared without a word. The student handmakes clothing, and she sent us pieces to sell at an art show held earlier this year at the Frost Art Museum on campus. We returned to her and the other artisans all proceeds from a very successful event.

The Adam Smith Center and AESOP at FIU have taught me to use my technology and international business background to address global issues through creative solutions. Both organizations have greatly contributed to my life.

In the song “Son of Man,” Phil Collins famously sings, “In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” While I may be the teacher, my students have taught me invaluable lessons as I’ve witnessed the complexities of their country and the strength of their spirits. I am forever grateful to them and will continue scaling my impact not only by recruiting teachers but by telling their stories.

Members of the university community are welcome to attend a public FDOT information meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, at the Jorge Mas Canosa Youth Center, 250 SW 114 Avenue, or virtually, to learn about the project and ask questions.

FDOT managed the design and will manage the construction of the new bridge. Funding for the $38 million bridge comes from the federal government, the state and a federal transportation grant assigned by FIU to FDOT.

The project responds to the need for safer passage between the university and an area in which an increasing number of students live. Accidents, some resulting in pedestrian deaths, have occurred on the heavily traveled Eighth Street, also known as Calle Ocho and Tamiami Trail and federally designated as US 41.

The timing of the project coincides with rapid growth of student residences in the area, both on and off campus. Today more than 5,000 students live in Sweetwater, across from FIU’s main campus, and more residential buildings are planned.

The university will cooperate with FDOT by allowing traffic to be rerouted onto campus to accommodate temporary street closures during overnight construction, which will take place in phases. FDOT has said the campus will be affected during the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday during weeks it will specify. FDOT will share all information in advance of closures through a variety of means, among them memos to FIU that will be forwarded to the university community, social media and posting on a dedicated FDOT web site.

For the benefit of those who live and drive in the area, detours will be established with clear signage, and access to adjacent properties will be maintained. The latter include single-family homes as well as student residential towers. Entrances to FIU on Southwest 8^th Street will remain open during the day to cars, but changes to at least one crosswalk will affect pedestrian access.

“At FDOT, we are very focused on the completion of this project and making sure that we are maintaining a safe work environment for everyone,” said Jeff Baquedano on behalf of the FDOT. “Safety is our number one priority.”

The bridge is expected to open in the fall of 2026.

The new bridge will replace a previous bridge on the site that collapsed during its construction in March of 2018. The resulting tragedy took six lives, including that of FIU student Alexa Duran, and injured several others.

The university community continues to mourn the deaths and has since established a memorial space on campus in remembrance of those lost.

“Right now, in Latin America, we’re facing a stage in which autocracies and kleptocracies are on the rise,” remarked Eduardo Salcedo-Albaran, founder and CEO of an organization in Colombia that has partnered with FIU to monitor trends of international drug, crime and trafficking networks using data provided by community-level partners. ‘Kleptocracies’ – governments that exploit a country’s resources for personal gain – are an emerging focus for the center.

FIU’s justice reform initiatives have included working with justice systems across the region. One example: The center worked with the office of of the attorney general in Costa Rica to strengthen capacity for tracking the narcotics trade and organized crime. With investments from the U.S. Department of State and USAID and assistance from regional partners, the center actively identifies the “enablers of corruption” – individuals at various levels of government - to counter the influence and injustice from governments operating outside of democratic norms, like those in Venezuela and El Salvador.

“Things have changed, and we’re responding to new risks from authoritarian regimes,” said Jose Miguel Cruz, director at the Center for Administration of Justice, part of FIU’s Steven J. Green School of International and International Affairs. Cruz hosted the event alongside co-director Ana Carazo and Hamilton Scholar Mia Rodriguez, a senior in the Honors College and the Green School who is interning with the Department of Commerce.

The representatives at the event addressed the spectrum of corruption, from everyday bribery to misconduct by high-level officials. The speakers warned that the rise in corruption threatens judicial reform and democracy in countries like Nicaragua, Colombia and Honduras. Much of the dialogue also touched on the increasing economic and political influence of China, which could threaten stability in the region.

“FIU’s research helps fill the void of a justice system using civil society, and events like these offer a safe space for people to gather on regional issues,” remarked David Consoli, senior consultant for the Department of State. Oftentimes, the ability for local anti-corruption organizations to assemble are restricted in countries experiencing corruption.

Michael J. Camilleri, acting assistant administrator of USAID's Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, commented on the strength of FIU’s relationship with USAID. “We take some pride on our side in seeing how the university has grown and thrived since that first grant,” said Camilleri. It was USAID, in the mid-eighties, that awarded FIU its first federal grant for justice reform activities. Now in its 40th year, the CAJ was at the time under the direction of founder Luis Salas.

“We need to boost conversations like these between civil society organizations and the academies to counter kleptocratic advancement,” said Salcedo. The CAJ currently is working to identify “transparency champions” - people or organizations working to undermine corruption by promoting accountability and openness in governments - and allies in the business and banking communities, and then to train journalists and activists in cryptocurrency science to track new kinds of economic corruption.

Anyone on campus this week will see the full life of the university in action as the community participates in an exciting schedule of Homecoming events to celebrate achievements and collectively enjoy each other’s company.

“FIU’s connection with our over 320,000 alumni and between our thousands of students, faculty and staff is strong,” President Kenneth A. Jessell says. “During Homecoming festivities, we see how important the bonds between Panthers really are.” He invites the entire Panther Nation to come out.

Students
The youngest Panthers got things off to a roaring start with events over the weekend, among them a talent competition at MMC. Their next chance to engage in a university tradition is at the Homecoming court crowning ceremony, Monday, Sept. 16, 6 p.m., GC Ballrooms.

Alumni
The longest-existing Panthers – graduates of the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s – get their due at a reunion just for them. Networking, nostalgia and noshing are on the menu as these alumni, who for decades have embodied what it means to be a member of the FIU community, gather to reconnect at the Throwback Bash (tickets required), Wednesday, Sept. 18, 6-9 p.m., Chili’s in the Graham Center.

Faculty and staff
Employees who happen to be alumni can tout their unique status as their special brand of loyalty and ongoing contributions to their alma mater will be recognized with giveaways, entertainment and light bites at the Double Alumni Appreciation Event, Friday, Sept. 20, 8:30-10:30 a.m., Graham Center Room 243.

One community
Panther Nation has two opportunities to assemble en masse this week. In a leadup to the big game, the all-university pep rally begins with the Trail of the Torch, a tradition no one should miss, and continues with a carnival atmosphere that includes rides, games and the all-important faculty and staff royalty announcement at the Uncaging, Thursday, Sept. 19, 6:45 p.m., on the Graham Center Lawns.

At Homecoming, Sept. 21, pre-event parties bring together Panthers of all backgrounds for a showing of pride and support. Students will gather on the Tamiami Hall patio for music and freebies, and alumni are invited to purchase tickets to Roar Lounge, where delicious food and craft drinks will get everyone in the mood for a 6 p.m. kickoff in Pitbull Stadium, where FIU will play Monmouth University. Students enter by simply presenting their One Card (and can secure a guest ticket, at no charge, weekdays at the box office on the west side of the stadium); all others can purchase tickets online in advance or at the stadium box office window on game day. 

“I have the best job in the world,” says Angelo, who graduated with his second bachelor’s degree in hospitality from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration in 1958. “It’s still exciting to be part of a university that keeps growing and advancing,” he says of FIU. He has witnessed the program go from its first graduating class of just 15 to the second largest and No. 6 best hospitality school in the United States, according to the latest 2024 QS World University Rankings.  

Awesome threesome: Rocco Angelo (center) on BBC in the 1980s with then-Assistant Dean Col. Lee C. Dickson (left) and then-Dean Tony Marshall.

“THE LEGEND”

Angelo has made an impact on tens of thousands of students over his 50-year career. Many colleagues and students even call him “The Legend." That’s because his name is synonymous with hospitality. He literally wrote the book on hospitality management, “Hospitality Today: An Introduction,” the ninth and most recent edition of which he co-authored with current Chaplin School Dean Michael Cheng. The book is used at FIU and by hospitality programs and educators from other schools around the world to teach future hospitality leaders.

“Rocco’s leadership, mentorship and lasting impact on generations of students and alumni has been extraordinary and changed the outcome of so many lives,” said Cheng.

Over the past five decades and under the leadership of five different deans, Angelo admits he’s had to reinvent himself more than once as new generations of students enroll in college. During his time with the school, he’s welcomed four new generations of students – from Gen Z, to Gen Y, to Millennials, to Gen Alpha.

“What I have learned from Rocco is that success is not just about achieving goals, but the journey and the people you uplift along the way,” said Richard Brilliant, chief risk and compliance officer for Carnival Corporation and Chaplin School alumnus class of 1993. “His role in the hospitality industry and his genuine care for students have left an indelible mark on all of us, our profession and of course the success of FIU,” he added.

FIVE DECADES OF ADVICE

To mark his 50^th anniversary, Angelo is sharing five decades of advice suitable for students and alumni of any major. Here are his five top pieces of advice, one for every decade:

#1 - Be curious about the many different career paths. Be curious about your professors, your classmates, your work pals, everyone you meet. I’ve been telling students that for years.

#2 - Make yourself an expert in the career path you have chosen. Do research, do internships, talk to people who are experts in the field. Become an expert in what it is you want to do for the rest of your life.

#3 - Don’t be afraid to change career paths if you figure out early that what you’re doing is not for you.

#4 - If you are changing jobs, don’t move laterally. Move upwards. Make a move that is upwards and if you must move laterally, find out if it’s just for a brief period, and if possible, get it in writing.

#5 - Follow the opportunity, not the money, if possible.

See "The Legend" deliver his best advice. 

CONSTANT CHANGE

As for Angelo, his three personal keys to success are change, growth and advancement.

Currently, he comes to the office at least twice a week. He works with other faculty members and staff to ensure that students actively participate in major conferences to better understand the field and represent the school. He also helps lead the school's alumni networking efforts through alumni reunions and events, which are well attended by former students, who just can’t get enough of “The Legend.”

Supported by a gift from Alienware and its parent company, Dell Technologies, the new Alienware FIU Esports Lounge has been outfitted with 39 gaming stations equipped with Alienware’s best-in-class PC gaming hardware, including high-performance PCs and monitors, competition-ready keyboards and mice, high-definition headsets, ergonomic gaming chairs, and more.

The Alienware FIU Esports Lounge launch celebration will take place on the university’s main campus at 3:30 p.m., and will be attended by esports industry leaders, university leadership, and local elected officials. Festivities will include tours of the new facility, friendly face-offs between students, and guest appearances by competitive esports influencers Team Liquid and Hungrybox.

The lounge’s grand opening marks a key milestone in FIU’s multifaceted strategy to foster a “culture of esports” at the university that supports students who have an interest in gaming through academic programming, nationally competitive team play, and intramural comradery. The goal is to help students cultivate their passion for gaming into fulfilling and potentially lucrative careers in an industry that is projected to reach $5.7 billion worldwide by 2028.

Interest in esports has sky-rocketed at FIU, with the student-run Panther Esports Club topping 600 members this year and the university Discord servers convening around 2,700 students, alumni and community members online. University-sponsored competitive teams are top-ranked nationally: FIU’s varsity team for the popular game Rocket League ranked among the top four out of more than 100 universities in the 2024 Collegiate Conference Series playoffs.

FIU English major Alec Aguila, son of Alienware Co-founder Alex Aguila, has naturally been around esports his entire life. So he appreciates the opportunity to continue to play competitively at FIU while preparing to enter the industry after graduation.

"What I really like about it is that esports is a great equalizer... If you're really good at the mechanics of it, on the keyboard, with the controller, and if you have mental toughness, you can propser and persevere. It's a beautiful thing, because it can unite so many different people from so many different avenues and backgrounds. It's really nice to see us come together. With esports, anybody can get into it. Anybody can be good at it," Aguila said. 

In response to rising student interest, FIU developed an online esports marketing certificate program, with coursework focusing on digital marketing, consumer behavior, sales, player health and wellness, and large-scale event logistics. Additionally, the university is constructing an interactive learning arena, which also will serve as a site for future tournaments. Furthermore, FIU launched an esports department in the Division of Academic & Student Affairs last year, which manages cross-disciplinary programming and events open to all students, including the Panther Games Expo, FIU’s annual gaming convention.

“Innovation and creativity come together at FIU to accelerate our students’ success and provide opportunities for our 56,000 students and over 320,000 alumni to become leaders in their fields. This partnership with Alienware elevates our effort to offer the growing population of Panthers interested in the gaming industry – regardless of major – the chance to explore how they can combine their skills and interests to build rewarding careers in esports,” said FIU Provost, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Elizabeth M. Béjar.

“Together, Alienware, a leading PC gaming company that was founded in Miami, and FIU, Miami’s preeminent public research university, make a powerhouse duo poised to develop the next generation of esports industry leaders,” said Béjar.

The lounge at FIU is the latest and largest installation to date in a nationwide initiative by Alienware to bring high-quality gaming tech to students at universities where esports is rooted in campus life.

“It was here in a Miami garage on Oct 15, 1996, that marked the launchpad for a daring new company with the vision of building custom, high-performance gaming computers for gamers everywhere,” said General Manager of Alienware Matt McGowan. “Nearly 30 years later, the state of PC gaming and esports has transcended our wildest imagination, and it’s all thanks to academic institutions like FIU who are unlocking opportunities for students to pursue competitive and professional careers in gaming.”

Photos and video from the event can be downloaded here.

The program offers faculty from Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Hispanic-Serving School Districts the opportunity to work collaboratively with USDA to gain insight into the federal government and to build a more diverse pipeline into public service and the agricultural sector.

The 2024 cohort — including education, high school and science fellows — spent one week in Washington, D.C., this summer to learn how USDA services and programs can benefit them, their students and their communities. They also each got to spend an additional week at a location of their choice to collaborate with top scientists from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Food Safety and Inspection Service, or the U.S. Forest Service.

Khoddamzadeh chose to go to Riverside, California, and work with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in the Agricultural Water Efficiency and Salinity Research Unit. That connection will pay off for the agroecology graduate students working on salt stress adaptations and regenerative agriculture in his Conservation and Sustainable Horticulture Lab as he introduces them to the ARS scientists he met out west. And next year, Khoddamzadeh will host members of USDA agencies on campus so they can interact with students and recent graduates interested in internships and other opportunities.

"This fellowship has provided me with invaluable opportunities to enhance our research collaborations and to foster the development of our students," Khoddamzadeh said. "I am deeply honored to be part of such a distinguished program and look forward to contributing to our shared goals by informing the students about the great opportunities and internships with different agencies at USDA."

The E. Kika De La Garza Fellows Program is a key component of USDA's Hispanic-Serving Institutions National Program, dedicated to supporting a 21st-century agricultural workforce through professional and workforce development. In partnership with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the program has provided high-quality internship experiences to more than 3,000 interns since 1994.

“This year’s class of fellows is the largest so far and a testament of the program’s success,” said Lisa R. Ramírez, director of USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement.

For Khoddamzadeh, this fellowship is another way to give his students opportunities for success. Earlier this year, he spent his sabbatical at the USDA ARS Subtropical Horticultural Research Station in Miami. Now, there are six graduate and five undergraduate students from the FIU agroecology program working on projects related to climate change and adaptation on various ornamental plants and food crops. Khoddamzadeh is associate professor in the Department of Earth and Environment at FIU.

Anthony Rodriguez heard the familiar chime. An Uber passenger was waiting for a ride at FIU. He pulled up in front of the university’s Wertheim Conservatory in his leased blue Toyota Camry for Amir A. Khoddamzadeh.

The passenger hopped in, and the small talk began. How are you? Is the temperature ok? What do you do for a living?

The passenger was a professor at FIU. He was helping to launch a horticulture program. For 15 minutes, Khoddamzadeh spoke with Rodriguez about the program, which was only a year old at that time. Rodriguez was intrigued to learn he had a new opportunity to earn a degree in agriculture and do it so close to home. As they arrived at Khoddamzadeh’s destination, Khoddamzadeh gave the driver his business card, something he often does. They parted ways, but the conversation stayed with Rodriguez. This was in 2016.

The following year, he turned in the keys to his Uber-leased vehicle, left his job as a driver, and became a student at FIU.

Born and raised in Miami-Dade County’s Redlands, Rodriguez was always captivated by agriculture, so much so that he was in the agri-science program at South Dade Senior High School. Upon graduating at 17, he moved to Gainesville, Fla. and earned his associate degree at Santa Fe College. While Rodriguez intended to continue his education, life had other plans. He returned home to help his mother who had lived alone since his father passed away several years prior.

“I still had school on my mind. I had my AA degree, but I felt like it was still unfinished,” Rodriguez said. “I didn’t have anything to back my agriculture experience. I wanted to become more established and build my resources back up. FIU seemed very appealing, and Dr. Amir made it seem possible.”

The next time Rodriguez remembers seeing Khoddamzadeh was in his Horticulture 1 class. On the first day, students took turns introducing themselves. When Rodriguez spoke, Khoddamzadeh remembered him.

Rodriguez recalls him saying, “I know you. I remember you.”

Throughout his time at FIU, Rodriguez would wake up at 6 a.m. to catch the bus from Cutler Ridge to Flagler and walk to campus. He maintained a full class schedule and worked full-time as a bartender at the on-campus hotspot: Chili’s Too — often working overtime, logging as many as 56 hours a week. In 2021, Rodriguez was hired as an Urban Horticulture Program Specialist for the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension Miami-Dade Urban Horticulture Program, where he provides knowledge and education to the community on landscaping, irrigation and bees.

Rodriguez is working at the Landscape Irrigating Rebate Program, a countywide effort to reduce water-use and improve efficiency. Rodriguez and Khoddamzadeh serve on Miami-Dade County’s Urban Horticulture Program Advisory Board.

“That’s the ultimate goal we want for our students – a job with USDA, federal agencies or a county/state agency,” Khoddamzadeh said. “We currently have at least 10 students from the Agroecology Program working full time at UF/IFAS, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, USDA ARS Subtropical Horticultural Research Station, Montgomery Botanic Center, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, and local nurseries and farms in South Florida to name, a few which is remarkable.”

Rodriguez was one of more than 6,000 graduates celebrating their accomplishments this past Spring 2023 commencement, earning a bachelor’s in Sustainability and the Environment. The 31-year-old continues to help his mother at home and his work with the extension office continues. Equipped with his FIU degree, today he’s just enjoying the ride.

Florida’s night orchid is at risk of extinction, but backyard fruit trees could hold the key to their survival.

Orchid growers often rely on expensive propagation techniques to increase plant populations using costly, synthetic plant growth regulators/hormones (PGRs). For the first time, scientists have used a mix of natural products found locally to propagate Epidendrum nocturnum – a rare fragrant orchid that only blooms at night in Florida.

FIU horticulturist Amir A. Khoddamzadeh and a team of scientists developed the protocol for in-vitro micropropagation and acclimatization where they use coconut water, banana powder and potato dextrose to induce the growth of cells in Petri dishes.

“There are very limited studies on using the organic-based PGRs in the tissue culture process and none specifically on South Florida’s native orchids,” said Khoddamzadeh, lead principal investigator for FIU’s Conservation and Sustainable Horticulture Lab. “Industrial nurseries haven’t used organic PGRs often as a regular additive in the media. We established a protocol that can be used by botanical gardens and nursery producers.”

Many plants in tropical and subtropical climates do not propagate through seeds so propagation using plant tissue culture is an important method for increasing the number of plants. Current in-vitro micropropagation methods typically involve several grams of the synthetic PGRs to regulate growth and developmental processes in tissue culture, Khoddamzadeh said. These synthetic chemicals can cost $300 to $800 per 100 grams. In large nurseries, the chemicals may be gone in just one batch of culture jars.

Khoddamzadeh initially looked at the media used in tissue culture and the addition of inexpensive organic materials. He took a seed pod collected from the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and placed it in the petri dish with coconut water, banana powder and potato dextrose which served as PGRs. These additives shocked the cells and produced induction, which increased the number of shoots, roots and leaves.

For Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and its Million Orchid Project – the nation’s largest educational outreach program dedicated to orchids – this propagation alternative could be a game changer for orchids grown there and in commercial nurseries. Khoddamzadeh and his lab collaborate with Fairchild biologist and FIU alumnus Jason Downing on this initiative.

This study was published in The American Journal of Plant Sciences. Khoddamzadeh is also the editor of a special issue in Plants on "Micropropagation, Acclimatization and Genebanking of Horticultural Crops" which will focus on the different aspects of conservation horticulture and plant biotechnology.

Financial support was provided by the USDA NIFA grants program (2016-38422-25549) and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

Does my plant need fertilizer? How much? How often?

“Those are definitely the most common questions I get on a regular basis,” said FIU horticulturist Amir A. Khoddamzadeh.

The self-proclaimed Dr. Horticulture is the principal investigator for FIU’s Conservation and Sustainable Horticulture Lab. He knows plants. His trained eye can spot a plant that has been given too much fertilizer as easily as he can spot one in need of a little more. Too much water. Or not enough. Too much sunlight. Or not enough. When a pot is too small. When a pot is too big. Native and non-native. He’s become many people’s go-to guy when they don’t understand what’s wrong with their houseplants. He loves helping people become better plant parents. And now he’s hoping to expand his reach and share what he knows with everyone.

He is currently developing an iOS app that would allow anyone with a smart phone to keep track of their houseplants’ fertilization needs by simply taking a picture. It would work for commercial nurseries too. It’s something he’s been working on since 2016 with StartUp FIU and recently completed the Bay Area NSF Innovation Corps at UC Berkeley which paved the way for submission of a proposal to the National Science Foundation iCorps for customer discovery phase. That proposal was awarded funding earlier this month. This work is a continuation of Khoddamzadeh’s project,“Nitrogen Management and Plant Quality Monitoring Using Optical Sensor Technology in Native and Non-Native Specialty Crops,” which is funded by a specialty crop block grant at USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

“For my research, I use optical non-destructive handheld sensors for fertilizer management,” said Khoddamzadeh, an associate teaching professor in the Department of Earth and Environment’s Agroecology Program and researcher in the Institute of Environment. “But we need something simpler, for people who aren’t horticulturalists, that can give meaningful notifications about their plants. That’s really where the idea came from.”

Florida’s fruit and vegetable farming and processing industries provide more than 90,000 full-time and part-time jobs and is a $6 billion-dollar-industry. Large scale nursery production involves the use of containers with lightweight potting mix to grow plants. One acre of land at a commercial nursery has the potential to house 40,000 to 300,000 containers, many of which are currently receiving excessive fertilizer application. Khoddamzadeh says the app and his research that will support it can be an easy solution for over-fertilization.

“Besides healthier plants, there’s another environmental aspect to this, and that’s to end over-fertilizing,” he said. “Too much fertilizer is not good for the environment, especially when it gets into waterways. That can lead to algae blooms and other problems.” 

Khoddamzadeh currently has a database of plants with images of species at different stages of growth and nutrition, indicating whether they are in need of fertilizer, over-fertilized or just right. Employing machine learning, he is able to expand this information to other species not currently in the database. With this information, the app will be able to assess an image uploaded by a user and determine fertilization need. A prototype of the app already exists and if all goes as planned, Khoddamzadeh hopes to launch it for the general public sometime next year.

His passion for plants started in his native Iran, where he had an internship at a rose farm. He eventually started working with other flowering plants before heading to Southeast Asia to pursue his Ph.D. at the University Putra Malaysia. There he spent time working with orchids.

Eventually, he found his way to the states, first Oklahoma and then South Florida, bringing his research to FIU. Being exposed to some of the most beautiful flowering plants in the world has made it hard for him to focus on any one species.

“Any endangered or threatened native plant is my favorite because they’re the ones in need of conservation horticulture,” he said.

But he also knows people love their plants and plants are good business. So, everyone is happy when plants are healthy. It’s what drives Khoddamzadeh in his research and in his efforts to arm others with the tools they need to be successful plant parents.

The images were horrifying: a plane burning in a Pennsylvania field after passengers intervened to bring it down en route to its target, the U.S. Capitol building, all on board lost; another diving into a wing of the Pentagon, sending employees to run for their lives; and, perhaps worst of all, two jets crashing into and leveling New York’s iconic World Trade Center Twin Towers, 110 stories each, resulting in 2,753 known deaths.

Shock, disbelief and sadness descended upon a nation glued to the news in a pre-social media world. Meanwhile, those who experienced the devastation in person as they worked on site faced the grim reality firsthand – and many continue to feel the impact 23 years later.

“We know from the research that people who were closest in physical proximity to the event itself were most affected by it,” says Mark Macgowan, an associate dean and professor of social work in the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, whose research, teaching, and clinical work focuses on survivors and responders to mass casualty events. “The more ‘personalized’ the event, the more-intense and the more-lasting the effects,” he adds. Macgowan singles out individuals responsible for recovering remains from the rubble, for example, as potentially still dealing with the mental health fallout.

The vast majority of those exposed in the earliest days to the 9/11 site have been diagnosed with at least one related physical or mental health condition. Responders to the attack, who initially wore no personal protective equipment, inhaled a fine dust of cement particles, asbestos, heavy metals and chemicals that has caused catastrophic health consequences, among them a variety of cancers.

TENDING TO THE DIASPORA

FIU has set the groundwork for a research center dedicated to the ongoing health concerns of Sept. 11 responders. Such individuals have access to a federally funded program that provides medical monitoring and treatment through clinical facilities in New York and New Jersey.

Dr. Roberto Lucchini, a professor of occupational and environmental health science in the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work and medical doctor, served for eight years as the director of the World Trade Center health program at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. In that role, he analyzed the medical data of 9/11 responders to understand how the public health system might best address their needs.

Since Lucchini’s arrival at FIU, in 2020, he has led the charge to study the health status of retirees migrating out of the city.

“They feel forgotten when they come here,” he says of the growing number moving to Florida. Thousands, representing some 6-7% of a 100,000+ population, are known to reside in the state, although the figure is likely even higher, he adds. “Thanks to FIU, we started to work with them.”

Through radio ads and community activities, the university has encouraged relocated responders to share contact information, via a toll-free number and dedicated web site, so they might be considered for inclusion in research studies. (Relatedly, FIU and Lucchini are actively advocating for federal funding to establish a designated clinical center that would offer both physical and mental health care services in Florida.)

“They are happy that someone is reaching out to them,” Lucchini says, “and they tell us their stories.”

THE WORK BEGINS

A clinical trial co-led by Macgowan and Lucchini will investigate how to reduce the mental health challenges of former responders living away from the support system they have known for more than two decades. The team secured a $700,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce a recognized “significant mental health burden related to the World Trade Center collapse.”

Macgowan identified the possible benefit of offering a personalized, clinician-supported remote intervention that responders in Florida could access “to manage some of their symptoms that are still troubling.” The focus is on post-traumatic stress symptoms as well as anxiety, depression and sleep issues.

The project is one of several Lucchini envisions FIU researchers undertaking in the coming years. Others include studies related to aging (for which a proposal has been made to the National Institutes of Health), cancer, women’s health and cognitive impairment/early-onset dementia.

Even 23 years later, the passionate physician emphasizes the human value of putting resources behind understanding what those who ran toward the terrorst site continue to go through and how best to support them.

“Obviously, I care about them,” he says. “They were serving us, and now we have to help them.” 

On September 11, 2001, Dr. Roberto Lucchini was treating patients in a hospital in Brescia, Italy, when he got word that two planes had flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Like much of the world, Lucchini turned to the nearest TV to watch the horror unfold — his eyes fixated on the cloud of toxic dust that hovered over the collapsed buildings.

“It was a traumatic experience,” he said. “I thought about the toxic cloud I was watching [and the impact] it would have on not only the victims of 9/11 but also the first responders and other people that were breathing that dust.”

Lucchini knew of the short and long-term health consequences inhaling this dust could bring on. As a doctor, he specialized in occupational medicine, a field that focuses its efforts on treating workplace injuries and illnesses. His patients were workers from the heavy industrial part of Italy—many of whom were battling severe respiratory problems from exposure to toxins like silica and asbestos.

From his experience, he knew that inhalation of toxic dust could lead to health problems like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease and cancer. What Lucchini didn’t know was that he would eventually utilize his expertise to support those who responded to the tragic event.

In 2012, he was tapped to serve as a director of the World Trade Center Health Program at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He would end up dedicating eight years to helping establish a program that would support first responders who, to this day, are still battling health problems due to their time at Ground Zero.

Today, Lucchini is a professor at FIU's Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, where he teaches occupational and environmental health in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences. He shares his experience working to support first responders. [Answers have been edited for clarity and length.]

What kind of work were you doing at the World Trade Center Health Program?

I was the director of the data center. There was a lot of data that was being collected on the first responders and their exposure during 9/11 — data like their jobs, physical and mental health and socio-demographics. We are talking about many first responders (>60,000) that we were tracking. Not to mention, there are different clinics in New York and New Jersey that the responders, firefighters and survivors (this term indicates individuals who were residing in South Manhattan on 9/11) would go to periodically for their health checks and treatment. So, whenever there was new data, it needed to be collected, checked and managed for ongoing statistical analyses.

So, I was in that particular position, but I became familiar with everybody in the program. I became emotionally invested, too, because you get in touch with people and listen to their stories.

What were some of the health challenges these first responders had to deal with after 9/11?

Well, I joined the program in 2012, so I wasn’t there at the beginning. But I know that the first problem was the ‘World Trade Center cough.’ The first responders couldn’t stop coughing. It was a devastating problem for them. They immediately went to Mount Sinai, where there is a clinic for occupational medicine. That was a good place for them to go since they have specialists that focus on similar issues. Unfortunately, there was not much funding available at the beginning.

When I arrived in 2012, that was right after the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act was put in place. With that particular legislation, the government started to pay for this program. They paid for periodic and annual monitoring, screening and treatment of any World Trade Center disease. It took 10 years of efforts from health professionals, unions and celebrities like Jon Stewart to have that law promulgated and now further extended for many years.

What kind of health issues are these first responders now dealing with?  

They are experiencing physical and mental health problems. The ‘World Trade Center cough’ was the first impact because the cement dust is highly irritant. They were inhaling dust that was causing a lot of irritation in their upper airway and digestive tract. Over time, they started developing chronic rhinosinusitis and laryngitis, asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. Then, after 20 years, cancers.

Now, another thing that is coming out is cognitive impairment. We see that they are forgetful; they are having memory problems. They are now in their 60s, and this is an earlier time than the average age when these sorts of symptoms can come out. Overall, these health issues resemble what is also seen among veterans who were exposed to chemicals and psychological trauma in war zones.

You’re now a professor at Stempel College. How have you stayed connected to this work with the first responders?

I’m doing research on aging and the impacts on aging as a result of this particular exposure. I’m also looking at cognitive impairment to understand whether this is related to the 9/11 exposure. I still work with my colleagues at Mount Sinai and am connecting with colleagues here at FIU who may be interested in this work. That way, we can work with the first responders [who] are increasingly relocating to Florida after they retire. Hopefully, we will be able to provide care to these heroes also here.

What do you hope to accomplish with your research?

Research is important. Science is key to understanding what is happening and what can be done. If we see an exposure is causing something, especially at an early stage, we can intervene and do whatever we can provide in terms of personalized medicine, personalized prevention.

Anything else you would like to share?

9/11 was a tragedy, and when we explain what happened and what is still happening, there are many unfortunate messages shared with first responders about their health problems. But I think there is still a positive outcome out of this when I see the dedication and solidarity of all the people who are there to help them. So I am happy and honored to have been part of this.

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See more of the interview below.

Roberto Lucchini, Florida International University

The 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York resulted in the loss of 2,753 people in the Twin Towers and surrounding area. After the attack, more than 100,000 responders and recovery workers from every U.S. state – along with some 400,000 residents and other workers around Ground Zero – were exposed to a toxic cloud of dust that fell as a ghostly, thick layer of ash and then hung in the air for more than three months.

The World Trade Center dust plume, or WTC dust, consisted of a dangerous mixture of cement dust and particles, asbestos and a class of chemicals called persistent organic pollutants. These include cancer-causing dioxins and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which are byproducts of fuel combustion.

The dust also contained heavy metals that are known to be poisonous to the human body and brain, such as lead – used in the manufacturing of flexible electrical cables – and mercury, which is found in float valves, switches and fluorescent lamps. The dust also contained cadmium, a carcinogen toxic to the kidneys that is used in the manufacturing of electric batteries and pigments for paints.

Polychlorinated biphenyls, human-made chemicals used in electrical transformers, were also part of the toxic stew. PCBs are known to be carcinogenic, toxic to the nervous system and disruptive to the reproductive system. But they became even more harmful when incinerated at high heat from the jets’ fuel combustion and then carried by very fine particles.

WTC dust was made up of both “large” particulate matter and very small, fine and ultrafine ones. These particularly small particles are known to be highly toxic, especially to the nervous system since they can travel directly through the nasal cavity to the brain.

Many first responders and others who were directly exposed to the dust developed a severe and persistent cough that lasted for a month, on average. They were treated at Mount Sinai Hospital and received care at the Clinic of Occupational Medicine, a well-known center for work-related diseases.

I am a physician specializing in occupational medicine who began working directly with 9/11 survivors in my role as director of the WTC Health Program Data Center at Mount Sinai beginning in 2012. That program collects data, as well as monitors and oversees the public health of WTC rescue and recovery workers. After eight years in that role, I moved to Florida International University in Miami, where I am planning to continue working with 9/11 responders who are moving to Florida as they reach retirement age.

From acute to chronic conditions

After the initial “acute” health problems that 9/11 responders faced, they soon began experiencing a wave of chronic diseases that continue to affect them 20 years later. The persistent cough gave way to respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and upper airway diseases such as chronic rhinosinusitis, laryngitis and nasopharyngitis.

The litany of respiratory diseases also put many of them at risk for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which occurs at a higher rate in WTC survivors than in the general population. This condition occurs when stomach acids reenter the esophagus, or food pipe, that connects the stomach to the throat. As a consequence of either the airway or the digestive disorders, many of these survivors also struggle with sleep apnea, which requires additional treatments.

Further compounding the tragedy, about eight years after the attacks, cancers began to turn up in 9/11 survivors. These include tumors of the blood and lymphoid tissues such as lymphoma, myeloma and leukemia, which are well known to affect workers exposed to carcinogens in the workplace. But survivors also suffer from other cancers, including breast, head and neck, prostate, lung and thyroid cancers.

Some have also developed mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer related to exposure to asbestos. Asbestos was used in the early construction of the north tower until public advocacy and broader awareness of its health dangers brought its use to a halt.

And the psychological trauma that 9/11 survivors experienced has left many suffering from persistent mental health challenges. One study published in 2020 found that of more than 16,000 WTC responders for whom data was collected, nearly half reported a need for mental health care, and 20% of those who were directly affected developed post-traumatic stress disorder.

Many have told me that the contact they had with parts of human bodies or with the deadly scene and the tragic days afterward left a permanent mark on their lives. They are unable to forget the images, and many of them suffer from mood disorders as well as cognitive impairments and other behavioral issues, including substance use disorder.

An aging generation of survivors

Now, 20 years on, these survivors face a new challenge as they age and move toward retirement – a difficult life transition that can sometimes lead to mental health decline. Prior to retirement, the daily drumbeat of work activity and a steady schedule often helps keep the mind busy. But retirement can sometimes leave a void – one that for 9/11 survivors is too often filled with unwanted memories of the noises, smells, fear and despair of that terrible day and the days that followed. Many survivors have told me they do not want to return to Manhattan and certainly not to the WTC.

Aging can also bring with it forgetfulness and other cognitive challenges. But studies show that these natural processes are accelerated and more severe in 9/11 survivors, similar to the experience of veterans from war zones. This is a concerning trend, but all the more so because a growing body of research, including our own preliminary study, is finding links between cognitive impairment in 9/11 responders and dementia. A recent Washington Post piece detailed how 9/11 survivors are experiencing these dementia-like conditions in their 50s – far earlier than is typical.

The COVID-19 pandemic, too, has taken a toll on those who have already suffered from 9/11. People with preexisting conditions have been at far higher risk during the pandemic. Not surprisingly, a recent study found a higher incidence of COVID-19 in WTC responders from January through August 2020.

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Honoring the 9/11 survivors

The health risks posed by direct exposure to the acrid dust was underestimated at the time, and poorly understood. Appropriate personal protective equipment, such as P100 half-face respirators, was not available at that time.

But now, 20 years on, we know much more about the risks – and we have much greater access to protective equipment that can keep responders and recovery workers safe following disasters. Yet, too often, I see that we have not learned and applied these lessons.

For instance, in the immediate aftermath of the condominium collapse near Miami Beach in June, it took days before P100 half-face respirators were fully available and made mandatory for the responders. Other examples around the world are even worse: One year after the Beirut explosion in August 2020, very little action has been taken to investigate and manage the physical and mental health consequences among responders and the impacted community.

A similarly dire situation is occurring in the immediate aftermath of a July 2021 chemical fire in Durban, South Africa.

Applying the lessons learned from 9/11 is a critically important way to honor the victims and the brave men and women who took part in the desperate rescue and recovery efforts back on those terrible days.

Roberto Lucchini, Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences, Florida International University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

 Mark J. Macgowan is the associate dean of academic affairs for the  Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work and a professor of social work. A licensed clinical social worker, he serves on one of Florida’s Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and has also worked as a disaster mental health worker with the American Red Cross.

The emergency notification app goes off on my phone, then a text comes in and, finally, someone calls me with the news: My disaster response team is to deploy within 24 hours to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. I have to get ready.

In my day job, I am a professor of social work and associate dean of academic affairs for the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work. But when disasters strike, I transform into a behavioral health specialist on a medical response team that includes physicians, nurses and paramedics also ready to leave on short notice. I travel with a backpack outfitted with essential supplies and nonperishable food to carry me for up to 48 hours on my own and a bigger bag to keep me going for the remainder of the two-week deployment.

Our team’s duties are to help out in all aspects of a rapid deployment, including setting up a base of operations. We are trained to potentially deploy into austere environments; we may sleep in the open air, aircraft hangars or in hotels. In Houston, we were stationed beside one of the large convention centers that sheltered evacuees from floods. 

Attending to people’s behavioral and mental health is an essential part of disaster response and recovery. Evacuees frequently seek medical care and tangible services such as financial assistance, but they also often have psychosocial needs as a result of the disaster or exacerbated by the event. There is a general consensus that mental health should be integrated into disaster response as most people will experience some level of distress. Although the majority of those affected do not have severe symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression can appear in up to a third of “highly exposed” survivors.

During our short deployments, we do what we can to address the range of emotional responses even as the full range of symptoms may not yet be evident. We typically use brief interventions such as psychological first aid, an approach that is built on the concept of human resilience. For example, on one deployment, a person seeking financial assistance sat crying quietly. While she waited, I sat down beside her, offered her a tissue and a bottle of water. I said nothing until she was ready to talk. She opened up about losing precious old family photographs in the storm. She spoke about being nervous to go to sleep as the storm had happened at night. Having someone available to talk about how she felt and what she could do next to get her life back in order was important.

In another case, on a community visit, I met with a single mother of four children who was living in a trailer partially destroyed by a hurricane. She had pre-existing and aggravating stressors, including a recent car crash. Now, after the storm, her home had no air conditioning, and many of her family’s belongings were ruined. As I met with her away from the kids, she broke down and cried and said that she needed to “be strong” in front of them. Beyond providing emotional support, we connected her with a local store that donated gifts cards so she could secure new bedding, clothing and children’s toys.

In addition to working with those directly affected by disaster, I care for the mental well-being of responders. The stress of a deployment can take a toll as those charged with helping are themselves cut off from their own support systems. Sometimes responders handle this through humor at the expense of others, as was the case with one who had a pattern of making fun of teammates. While humor can serve to diffuse stress, in this instance it came at the expense of others. I spoke privately with the man about the habit, which had caused some friction among his colleagues. He responded well and was more mindful of his actions.

Sometimes responders become angry or frustrated. In such cases, the answer may be to accompany the individual on a walk away from the center of operations to talk things out. I will also check in with that person periodically throughout the deployment to help him or her avoid compassion fatigue, or burnout.

How do I keep my own balance during a deployment? Calling or texting home as often as time and cell service permit is one way. Talking with my teammates about family and activities outside of the deployment also helps as does making personal space away from the center of operations to read or listen to music. And having a second mental health responder on the team allows me to discuss with him or her any built-up emotions associated with, for example, witnessing medical trauma or empathizing with evacuees who have faced major losses. For first responders, access to psychosocial caregivers plays a critical role in promoting compassion satisfaction, the pleasure derived from helping others. An ability to find such fulfillment keeps disaster personnel going back in times of need, myself included.

It wasn’t long after returning home from Texas that my emergency notification went off again: on standby to help after Hurricane Maria. It’s been a busy fall! 

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FIU is the highest ranked among all universities–public or private–in Florida in the Wall Street Journal’s America’s Best Colleges 2025 rankings, coming in at No. 31 in the United States among public universities and 77 among all universities.

Additionally, this year the university improved its performance in two critically important measures.

FIU ranks No. 6 among all universities, public or private, in social mobility.

FIU ranks No. 1 in the nation among public universities and No. 3 overall in student experience.

Two weeks ago, Washington Monthly ranked FIU among the top three public universities in the nation and No. 1 in Florida in its annual College Guide and Rankings, which recognizes universities for both research excellence and their efforts to ensure the success of all students.

“This ranking season has cemented our position among the top 50 universities in the nation,” said President Kenneth A. Jessell. “We are proud of the work our students, faculty, staff and alumni have put into making FIU a leading American public university that shines in particular subcategories that are important to us.”

The “student experience” measure in the Wall Street Journal considers the learning environment, based on feedback from students. It measures how happy they are with their education, their professors and their opportunities to prepare for a career.

The “social mobility” measure rewards universities that take in the highest proportion of students coming from lower-income families, while maintaining high graduation rates and having a positive impact on graduate salaries and minimizing the costs of attending the college.

These rankings come on the heels of another stellar recognition: The Princeton Review last month put FIU at No. 34 on its list of “best value” schools, which ranks institutions based on a student’s return on investment.

If you’re getting the Jetsons’ vibe (think Rosie the robot maid) or if you’re picturing a good-guy-Terminator-style chef, you’re probably thinking the same thing we all are: Science fiction has caught up with reality. And it’s all happening at FIU.

The robot, called Beastro, is standing by the pizza station at MMC’s 8^th Street Campus Kitchen. It is the first robotic kitchen in the country to be used in a university setting. FIU and Panther Dining, which is run by Chartwells Higher Education, unveiled the robot at FIU earlier this year. Students, faculty and staff members alike are delighted.  

Beastro is made by a company called Kitchen Robotics and offers convenience, consistency and customization of meals. The robot at FIU features four recipes and a variety of ingredients ranging from sauces, vegetables, pasta styles and meat choices. Panthers can mix and match these ingredients to create about 70 different dish options. (Psst! Try the chicken teriyaki. It’s one of the fan favorites!)

Folks order through an easy touch-screen kiosk. Beastro can cook as many as four meals at a time, and it can make an average of 600 meals a day. The technology also collects data on recipe choices, which will be used in making decisions about whether to swap an old recipe for a new one.

The future of food

The robot is harnessing the power of technology to bring the future of dining to FIU — right now.

“This really impacts the student experience,” says Roger Clegg, assistant vice president of Business Services. “When we can be on the cutting edge and provide innovation and convenience for our students...that’s what we’re here for. We’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback. Students appreciate the ability to customize their meals. Being the first to bring this technology to college dining is something we’re very proud of.”

Plus, there’s definitely a ‘wow’ factor about the robot, Clegg says.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” says international relations major Nayla Martinez, who made her first order from the robot last week. “I wanted to try it because it’s different, it’s brand new. It’s awesome that FIU is the first university in the country to do this.”

Beastro has even garnered attention within the community and local media have featured the story on Deco Drive and in the Miami Herald.

The robot is the latest in a long line of initiatives to provide students with the best dining experience. The university’s commitment to quality food has earned recognition at a large scale. FIU ranks No. 1 in Florida for best college food and No. 14 in America, according to Niche.com. With the robot’s help, FIU might just become the college with the most innovative kitchen tech, too.

“It’s a new style of dining, using technology to help students so they don’t have to spend 30 or 40 minutes in line waiting,” says Chris Valdes, the resident district manager at FIU for Chartwells. “The robot gives students more flexibility to choose the ingredients they like. It gives them a freshly prepared meal. They can see the cooking process from start to finish.”

In fact, after ordering from the kiosk, many people often whip out their phones and take videos as the robot cooks their food.

Biology major Cristian Rodriguez ordered a beef teriyaki from the robot. “This is pretty neat,” he says. “It’s like fiction. It was very fast. Just the convenience of it is great. It tasted good.”

“It’s really cool,” says Lesly Ceballos, a political science major who recently tried the robot for the first time. “It’s very innovative to have this robot here. It can even make omelets.”

 

The technology is not taking away from the human touch. Valdes says that instead of cutting jobs, the robot has actually created the opportunity for four new kitchen staff members who help run the robot, serve the meals and set the plates at the pick-up station after the robot finishes cooking.

In case you’re wondering what happens after cooking, the robot continues to surprise: it self-cleans, washing its pans immediately after the food is plated.

“I’m really excited about what we have here,” says Felecia Townsend, executive director of Business Services. “Just seeing the students’ faces when they discover the robot, it’s incredible. They love it. We’re really offering something special here.”

So…are you ready for lunch?

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FIU marine scientist Justin Campbell has positively identified Halophila stipulacea growing in Crandon Marina and nearby areas of Biscayne Bay. It is the first time this non-native species has been found in waters along the continental United States.

“I think this species could pose a considerable threat,” Campbell said. “There are several reports of it being able to outcompete native seagrasses in other areas across the Caribbean. It is plausible that this could also be true for seagrasses here in South Florida.”

A marina worker first noticed the seagrass last month and reached out to Campbell who conducted tests to determine the species. Halophila stipulacea first started spreading its distribution with the opening of the Suez Canal in the late 1800s, hitching rides on the anchors and other parts of boats. By the early 2000s, it was found in the Caribbean.

Healthy seagrass meadows are vital for healthy oceans. They are nursery habitats for commercially and economically important fish as well as shrimp, stone crabs, scallops and other crustaceans and shellfish. Seagrasses are a primary food source for sea turtles, manatees and other marine herbivores. And for the health of the planet, seagrasses are really good at sucking carbon emissions out of the air and storing that carbon long-term. While scientists are still working to understand possible impacts from the invasive species entering waters around the U.S., early research suggests some fish species may avoid the shorter seagrass when scouting nursery locations and local sea turtles in the Caribbean avoid eating the invasive seagrass, preferring native species as part of their regular diets.

While most species of seagrass are on the decline from warming waters and other human-induced impacts, Halophila stipulacea has the unique ability to grow quickly and adapt to different conditions including salinity levels, temperature and light availability. Just a small piece can float through water and grow. Once it settles into soil, it can take hold easily and grow at a variety of depths. While most seagrass species require shallower depths to attain sunlight, Halophila stipulacea has been observed flourishing at depths of 60 feet or more.

“The arrival of yet another invasive species to Florida is a reminder that all of our earth is interconnected and that human actions have the power to change the planet, for good or bad,” said James Fourqurean, co-author of the research and director of the Coastlines and Oceans Division in FIU’s Institute of Environment. Fourqurean has studied seagrasses, especially those in Florida, for more than 40 years. A foremost expert, he is one of the lead scientists in the International Blue Carbon Working Group, as well as scientific representative to the International Blue Carbon Policy Working Group — both dedicated to the recognition and preservation of seagrass meadows, mangroves and tidal salt marshes as critical contributors to slowing the rise of CO2 in the atmosphere. 

“Given the importance of seagrasses to a healthy South Florida, we now need to do what we can to limit the spread of this invasive species and be wary of disruptions to the natural order it may cause,” Fourqurean said.

Stipulacea has a very different appearance and structure than the native seagrasses in South Florida and throughout the Caribbean. At least 19 Caribbean islands have reported this seagrass growing in nearby waters and, in some cases, overtaking meadows of native grass.

“We don’t know whether Stipulacea provides similar ecological benefits as compared to our native species,” Campbell said. “Our seagrass meadows here are some of the most pristine and well-protected in the Western Hemisphere. They are iconic and emblematic. We certainly don't want to lose them.”

So how long has this non-native species been in South Florida? It is hard for Campbell to say, but based on the current distribution, he believes it first started taking root several years ago. It had gone unnoticed because, to the casual observer, it can be difficult to distinguish from native vegetation, he said.

Crandon Marina can accommodate medium and large sized sailboats, likely capable of travel to and from areas where Stipulacea is well-established. This is one possible and likely way the non-native seagrass reached Biscayne Bay. With other large marinas in the region, Campbell said surveys and monitoring should be expanded now that this invasive species is confirmed to be in South Florida.

There’s a hidden threat looming among subtropical seagrass meadows — turtles in search of milder temperatures.

It’s not just turtles, though. Manatees and a host of other herbivores that feed on a steady diet of seagrass need lots of it to survive. In addition to a steady supply of food, these herbivores also generally like to reside in warm climates. And as ocean waters warm, many herbivores are expanding their ranges and heading poleward, occupying waters that were previously too cold.

That may be bad news for subtropical regions that normally do not support many herbivores.  As it turns out, many subtropical seagrasses are not nearly as resilient as their tropical counterparts, according to new research published this month in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

“This is a story about herbivores on the move because of climate change and the impact they might have on subtropical seagrasses,” said Justin Campbell, lead author and FIU marine biologist. “What this study shows is seagrasses in some regions may be unable to tolerate more herbivores moving in as they expand with warming temperatures.”

The study focuses on turtlegrass – a foundational seagrass distributed across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. The findings reveal a troubling trend: because subtropical seagrass meadows receive less sunlight relative to their tropical counterparts, they do not grow back as quickly when they are grazed upon. If tropical herbivores expand into subtropical waters, the threat of overgrazing may be very real.

“If we want to give these meadows the best chance of enduring the anticipated increases in grazing, we need to get them as much light as possible. That means protecting the water quality,” Campbell said.

Overgrazing is not yet a widespread occurrence across the Western Atlantic, but Campbell said it’s already happening in subtropical to temperate waters surrounding Australia and in the Mediterranean. While the findings were not a surprise to the team of scientists, they represent the profound impacts climate change can have to throw underwater ecosystems completely off balance.

“Seagrass ecosystems are already subject to multiple stressors” Campbell said. “To maintain balance in our oceans, this is just more evidence that we need to prioritize protecting our water quality and implementing effective management strategies to address the mounting threats brought on by climate change.”

Funding for the study was provided by the National Science Foundation.

FIU in DC's Talent Lab offers comprehensive programming to students wanting to make an impact on the world’s greatest challenges. Whether aiming to drive policy, save lives or improve the environment, students need an understanding of how decisions get made in Washington and how they can influence them. Programs are centered on the principles of interdisciplinary, experiential learning and expose students to the most essential elements of Washington, D.C.'s policymaking infrastructure and the technical and professional skills needed to succeed.

“The Talent Lab provided me opportunities that continue to help me in my professional life,” said Ignacio Olmos ’22, who currently serves as an intern in the Washington, D.C. office of Florida Senator Marco Rubio. “Through the Talent Lab, I gained an understanding of federal advocacy and the different methods of tackling a legislative problem with purpose and passion.”

This semester, more than 25 FIU students are serving as interns for federal institutions such as the Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Agricutlure and the U.S Chamber of Commerce as well as in congressional offices and at private organizations such as the Partnership for Public Service and the International Republican Institute. The Talent Lab assisted them in securing their spots and will continue to connect them with mentorship and support during their time in the nation’s capital. More than 100 other students will participate this year in nine career seminar fly-ins organized by the Talent Lab.

Interested in spending a semester in Washington, D.C.? Here's how to get started.

Micro-credential
The first step is to enroll in the virtual "Fundamentals of Government and Policy for Career Success" micro-credential. This online offering teaches students about Washington’s policy ecosystem and how it applies to their own career interests. With interactive content and expert insights, students will build confidence to navigate D.C.’s fast-paced environment. For example, students majoring in the sciences learn to communicate their understanding of issues such as climate change to leaders in the best position to enact policies to address critical problems. Students with an interest in social issues learn a way to navigate the halls of power to reach those who share their concerns. Upon completing the micro-credential, students will have an understanding of what kind of careers might align with their interests and talents. They will also learn to budget for a semester of living in D.C.

Student research advocates
Students majoring in sciences or communications can consider the role of university research advocate. It all starts with touring FIU's federally funded research labs and meeting with researchers on campus to comprehend how FIU is contributing in areas such as environmental challenges, population health and emerging defense technologies. With that background, students will help make the case for additional funding to legislators and other leaders who visit campus, and they will have a chance to speak directly with representatives in Washington. 

“I had the opportunity to visit D.C. with the principal investigator of my lab, Dr. Azzam, to meet with our local representatives and advocate for cancer research,” said Baylee Halcomb, an Honors College student majoring in chemistry. “The exposure to the policy-making process, combined with the support and resources from FIU in DC, creates a transformative experience that benefits any career path."

Ultimately, these students will advocate for FIU’s congressional priorities as they accelerate their career journey in policy, communications and business. 

Hamilton Scholars and Talent Lab Programming
Leading the student advocacy and programming efforts, the Hamilton Scholars put to use their event planning and public speaking skills as they present a series of meetings in the D.C. office to provide their peers with helpful career guidance from national experts. Although taking place in Washington, D.C., these upcoming programs will be available virtually for all FIU students and are aimed at exposing them to national thought leaders and employment opportunities:

• Monday, September 16: COMMUNICATIONS – Elevate communication skills and craft impactful stories for advocacy
• Thursday, October 17: POLICY AND POLITICS: – Hispanic Vote National Poll, 2024 Presidential Transition in collaboration with the Partnership for Public Service
• Monday, October 28: ENVIRONMENT– Climate Technologies
• November: GLOBAL LEARNING – Technology’s impact on global governance

These programs will be available for viewing on FIU in DC’s YouTube page. 

Fly-in seminars
FIU in DC is collaborating with campus partners to offer fly-in seminars throughout the year for any student looking to travel to Washington, D.C., in preparation for a semester-long internship. The seminars provide students the chance to interact with policy experts and learn essential skills. 

FIU in DC’s signature fly-in this fall semester is the Climate Technologies Fly-In, where students will explore how FIU’s climate-ready technologies will shape their careers and global solutions from a Washington, D.C. perspective. FIU’s Wall of Wind, along with the newly announced ClimateReady Tech Hub, will play defining roles in the future of environmental resilience and global restoration efforts. This immersive three-day experience will connect students with high-profile leaders and introduce you to new and engaging ideas. Students are invited to apply for this fly-in using our website.

“We are excited to connect students with the dynamic world of Washington, D.C. and help them with an invaluable opportunity to explore their future career paths,” said Michelle Castro, director of Student Experiences and Impact. “Through these fly-in seminars, students will engage directly with policy experts and industry leaders, gaining insights into fields like climate technologies and population health. By immersing themselves in the vibrant environment of Washington, D.C., they will not only learn essential career skills but also open their minds to new possibilities and innovative ideas. This experience will serve as a powerful stepping stone, helping them to envision and pursue their aspirations with greater clarity and confidence.” 

This past March, I got an incredible opportunity to participate in a DC Fly-in seminar. The three days that I spent in the nation’s capital allowed me to understand how the content I have learned throughout my time at FIU applies in a variety of fields.

I am a fully online student and, while that modality was absolutely the right decision for me, there are times I feel a bit disconnected from the rest of the FIU community. Experiencing FIU in DC drew me closer to my fellow Panthers and gave me a better sense of direction for my career.

I am an international relations and political science major who will graduate in December. Being a part of this fly-in showed me that the sky really is the limit, and that not only are there opportunities for me in D.C. but also globally. I took away from the trip that following the cookie-cutter path is not a requirement for success.

I was able to hear from and meet with people from a variety of backgrounds that showed me just how many ways I can use my degree. As my goal is to pursue a career in national defense, I particularly found value in listening to professors Leland Lazarus and Robert Fulton of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy talk about Latin America and the Caribbean. Much of my education has been focused around European subject matter, and hearing their presentation now inspires me to take classes during my remaining two semesters on international relations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Going on a fly-in seminar is not only for those looking for D.C.-based internships, although there are certainly many incredible opportunities for students who want an internship or a job there. Fortunately for me, I was also able to find a connection for my goal to work in Europe. Professor Leland said he would provide me with a contact at a Berlin-based think tank focused on international relations.

Our group also attended the Washington Post’s summit on emerging technologies, which was geared around education and policymaking related to artificial intelligence. We had the opportunity to hear from leaders such as Anna Makanju, vice president of global affairs at OpenAI, Congress’ de-facto artificial intelligence experts senators Todd Young and Mark Warner and, my personal favorite, Stefanie Tompkins, director of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). During her short session, Dr. Tompkins gave insight into the use of AI in defense technology such as with autonomous weapons systems and synthetic biology, to name a couple. Beyond examples of how cool and useful AI can be, Dr.  Tompkins briefly detailed how DARPA combats some concerns that may come along with using AI by deeply investigating the ethical, legal and societal implications of new technologies.

Our group of 15 was divided into smaller ones and empowered to take part in meetings on Capitol Hill to discuss support for multiple research projects at FIU. My group met at the office of Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart with Defense Fellow and FIU alumnus Shaun Stewart. We discussed the ongoing support that the congressman has shown for FIU’s Wall of Wind and the university’s hope for the same regarding the Cold Spray Lab and reconfigurable antennas. We also discussed Shaun’s role as a defense fellow and what it is like to work on Capitol Hill. The visit resonated with me as his position is one that I could see myself in one day.

It is easy to be intimidated by all the congresspeople, executives and other important people you find throughout the nation’s capital. But even so, FIU in DC gave me the confidence to know that I belong there, eventually. The phrase “impact matters” appears throughout the center’s offices, and I can wholeheartedly say that it comes through in everything the staff does. In particular, they do everything they can to connect you with people and companies that will open the doors to your future because they recognize that we are the future.

On our last morning, we toured Accenture Federal Services, a consulting firm that works closely with the U.S. Government on a variety of projects. We also heard from three FIU alumni with three very different backgrounds and degrees who work there. That truly made me feel that there is a spot for everyone at the table.

After my experience with FIU in the nation's capital, I am more confident than ever in my degree program and future career. And I am more confident in the university that I call mine. As an online student, I feel the fly-in truly added to my sense of belonging and reignited my passion for public policy and defense, making me all the more excited to pursue my career in the field.

Earlier this month, FIU hosted a contingent of students with an interest in both environmental science and advocacy. FIU's center in the nation's capital, which serves as a hub for education as well as a place for convening leading voices on the most important issues of the day, brought the students together to hear from researchers and stakeholders about the challenges facing the Florida Everglades and introduced them to government officials, agency heads and tribal leaders currently working on behalf of restoration. FIU's decades-long water monitoring of the wetlands serves as a critical guide for that restoration and has put the university at the forefront of saving the threatened River of Grass. Senior Amanda Di Perna participated in the three-day series of events designed to inspire students to take up a cause on which our lives depend.

In the closing chapter of my undergraduate journey at FIU, I once again found myself navigating the bustling streets of Washington, D.C. This was my second FIU in D.C. Fly-In, and this time, the experience carried the weight of culmination. As a marine biology student on the brink of graduation, these three days were more than a mere expedition; they were the synthesis of my academic voyage and a glimpse into what my future held.

Alongside 18 fellow students, I recently immersed myself in an experience that transcended the conventional boundaries of academia. FIU in D.C.’s fly-in experience, a premier opportunity, offered unique and personalized encounters, crafted by FIU in D.C. and Campus Life to align with the aspirations of each participant. These three days deepened my understanding of the intrinsic connection between science and communication, guiding my path toward creating lasting conservation policy. This experience refined my desire to make science accessible, ensuring the urgency of environmental issuesresonates beyond academic discourse.

The Everglades, an ecological treasure at the crossroads of beauty and vulnerability, was the heart of our discussions. As we contemplated the grim possibility of Florida’s wetlands vanishing, we confronted the urgency of Everglades restoration and resilience.

A pivotal moment unfolded as our cohort sat down with Tori Linder, who helped produce the movie “Path of the Panther.” The documentary helped make the case for the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, which became law in 2021 with unanimous bipartisan approval.

Linder’s journey illuminated where science communication and advocacy converge. The realization dawned on me – my dream job wasn’t waiting for me; it was a creation of my own design, a synthesis of science, communication and policy. I understood the power of storytelling as a catalyst for policy change and a bridge between science, communication and education. The fly-in experience, beyond being a culmination of my academic journey, has become the fuel for my mission to create a ripple effect of positive change.

As I approach graduation, I am actively seeking roles that allow me to bring this interdisciplinary approach to life. I aspire to work in positions where I can leverage my scientific knowledge to inform and shape policies related to environmental conservation. This could involve roles within governmental agencies such as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Through FIU in D.C., I was connected to the National Weather Service Communications team, and this is an opportunity I strongly want to pursue. I am also exploring opportunities within nonprofit organizations that focus on environmental education and advocacy, such as the Everglades Foundation.

The fly-in also facilitated meaningful engagements with champions of Everglades restoration. Our meeting with leaders of the Miccosukee Tribe showcased their profound knowledge of the Everglades, enabling them to predict weather by scent and discern seasons through water level observations. Advocacy for the Everglades is embedded in the Miccosukee constitution because decisions made regarding restoration will affect their day-to-day lives.

I also attended the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force meeting at the Department of the Interior and gleaned valuable insights from experts of the Army Corps of Engineers and South Florida Water Management District. This meeting shed light on the status of Everglades restoration projects and offered a glimpse into the budget outlook for 2024. Witnessing these crucial discussions about the Everglades beyond Florida borders emphasized that the Everglades belong to everyone.

As I stand on the precipice of graduation, I reflect on how FIU in D.C. has been my compass through uncharted waters. The program not only broadened my horizons but also equipped me with the tools to navigate the intersection of science and policy. My journey is a testament to the invaluable support FIU in D.C. provides, propelling students towards meaningful careers and instilling the confidence to create our paths.

by Juliana Narvaez

This week, as Congress returned to Washington, D.C., the university celebrated the Florida Congressional delegation and its federal agency partners while inaugurating the expanded FIU in Washington, D.C. hub. This student, research and briefing center is setting a new standard for engaged research universities in the nation’s capital.

This high-tech facility represents a renewed commitment to Capitol Hill and allows students, alumni, researchers and national policymakers to convene, co-work and take courses, while learning more about the impact of FIU research.

Student success: engaged academic experiences

One major prompt for the expansion was the growth of student programs and courses at the Talent Lab at FIU in DC since 2016. Over 120 students intern in the nation's capital every year and over 800 participate in Career Fly-Ins aimed at securing jobs and internships.

This fall semester, 32 students are interning in D.C. and various cohorts are enrolled in one of three academic programs offered by the FIU Honors College, the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA). These courses take place in the Talent Lab classroom located in the center.

“Through our class, ‘The Washington Seminar,’ we take on a specific advocacy project that aligns with our interests and go through the motions of how it can come to fruition. These projects are able to make an impact in communities and allow students like me to advocate for what's important to us," said Lillian Latchmin, a senior studying biological sciences. 

Latchmin herself is supporting the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work by advocating on health disparities research before the federal government and working to create new introductions at the National Institutes of Health. She is also coordinating a visit by the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services later this fall.

Aside from course credit, students also get the opportunity to host their own programs aimed at collaborating with students from other universities across the country. This past month, Carlos Padilla Monroy, a research intern with FIU's Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom, hosted a student-run Panther Dialectic event in the newly renovated facility.

With approximately 15 student interns from different universities in attendance, the Panther Dialect discussion centered around how competition between universities for government grants affects research initiatives, as well as topics related to academic freedom, free speech and health care.

“In Panther Dialectic, we believe in constructive dialogue that embodies positive impact," Padilla Monroy said. "This event did exactly that by opening the conversation to other universities, allowing FIU students [to] create new connections on the national stage."

Research showcase

Throughout the center, electronic displays and curated exhibits showcase major research accomplishments and patented technologies from FIU.

One of the patents developed at the Wall of Wind, the Aerodynamic Mitigation and Power turbine System (AMPS), is also on display. This system, led by Professors Arindam Gan Chowdhury and Andres Tremante, is attached to structures to deflect winds while creating and storing energy.

On an interactive LED wall, over a dozen research initiatives and projects are accessible to the national audiences that will visit the briefing center and celebrate federal collaboration. The interactive technology was also a collaboration between the Divisions of Strategic Communications, Government and External Affairs, and Information Technology.

FIU's national briefing center

A larger multipurpose conference facility allows the FIU community to host national workshops, professional development seminars and other educational activities for students and local stakeholders.

Just last week, the Army Research Lab and the FIU College of Engineering and Computing hosted a research workshop; likewise, over 50 universities convened to review ongoing research on improving radio frequency in devices for the general public and also for public defense purposes.

“Being in a central location like FIU in DC and having a nice facility and interactive screen and everything else, plus being a university that could host this meeting … is a fantastic thing for FIU,” said Dimitris Pavlidis, FIU’s Director of Emerging Research Programs and Research Professor.

During this past inaugural week, students helped coordinate other national dialogues with federal agency partners on topics including extreme events; blockchain; solutions for challenges in the Latin American and Caribbean region; and diversity and inclusion.

Earlier this season, faculty and students helped convene national dialogues for The Chronicle of Higher Education and STEMconnector, in order to further conversations surrounding the impact of research innovation in higher education and student success.

One great collaborative space is a working media lab and recording studio, which is used to help broadcast  national conferences. The College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts' South Florida Media Network also records broadcast packages from the space.

Miami's 'embassy' in D.C.

For many students, alumni and corporate friends working or visiting the capital, FIU in DC serves as Miami's "embassy" in the district, bringing the tastes, sounds and sights of the 305 to the nation’s capital. On any given day, the central rotunda will be hosting informal cafecito hours or intimate lunches that provide an opportunity for FIU to open new doors of opportunities and introduce eclectic groups of individuals.

And for many students, the semester in D.C. is their first time away from South Florida.

“As you move through a place and field you are not familiar with, you often tend to get lost and sometimes misguided, but FIU in DC really creates a space of people, comfort and familiarity that you need to re-ground yourself,” said Marian Balceiro, a Hamilton Scholar studying international relations and economics and a research intern at American Foreign Policy Council.

“But it’s honestly the students and the people that make the experience so amazing," Balceiro adds. "Being able to have a support team full of friends and fellows that are so focused, but still willing to be there for you and make sure you’re doing okay is the best part of my time here. Internships, living alone for the first time and the weather changes can really take a toll on you, and having FIU is very necessary. It’s like you never left home!” 

For more information on FIU in Washington, D.C. and to begin planning your semester experience or national conference, click here.

FIU in Washington, D.C. showcases the impact of FIU research; provides students with engaged academic experiences and internships; and convenes national partners for meaningful conversations across a broad range of issues as it brings the magic of Miami to the nation’s capital.

Since her work was far from done, Fulbright invited her to extend her scholarship for another year. After a short visit home to Miami in the summer, she is now back in Bahrain for 2024-2025 to continue her research and also launch a new podcast called Forwardpreneurs.

Fulbright Global Scholar Angela Salmon: Colombia, Greece and Poland
Pursuing research and teaching in one country abroad is certainly an ambitious mission. But three? That’s what FIU’s Fulbright Global Scholars set out to do.

Angela Salmon, associate professor in the department of teaching and learning, has conducted collaborative international research for years. Her Fulbright Global Scholar Award now enables her to dedicate even more time to expanding her research project, "Digital Storytelling to Empower Vulnerable Children and Parents Cope with Complex Challenges." She just completed her stay in Colombia at Universidad de La Sabana and the Aeiotu children's learning center in Bogotá, which will be followed by visits to Poland at the University of Warsaw and in Greece at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens between 2024-2026.

Salmon is the founding leader of Visible Thinking South Florida, a non-profit learning community that empowers teachers to implement cutting-edge pedagogies, and a fellow of the Harvard Project Zero Reimagining Migration. Her Fulbright comparative participatory action research project will build a multiregional partnership to investigate sustainable solutions to alleviate the migration crisis. It aims to empower young immigrant-origin children and parents through intergenerational project, "Digital Collective Storytelling for Voice and Influence." It fosters cultural identities, a sense of belonging and agency. It explores how this pedagogy bridges generational, cultural and communication gaps to support children's well-being. Quantitative and qualitative data and harnessing international cooperation will inform practitioners and policymakers about pedagogies that foster healthy communities.

Fulbright Global Scholar Allison Matulli: Colombia, Trinidad & Tobago and Italy
Allison Matulli is an adjunct faculty member in the department of criminology and criminal justice, an attorney and certified Montessori lead educator. Her Fulbright project, "Speech Rights and Empowering Ethnically Diverse Youth To Know Their Rights In One World, Your Voice," expands research she has already published in her book "Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid's Guide to the First Amendment.”

Matulli began her Fulbright Global Scholar journey in 2023 and completed the first leg of her project at Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia. There, she closely collaborated with María González Malabet, director of the Institute of Political and Institutional Development, delivered guest lectures, gave radio interviews, conducted focus groups with youth leaders and much more. Matulli ’s findings confirm the need to help youth comprehend civic engagement and speech rights, especially as they seek to exercise their singular voices on public and private college campuses. Between her Fulbright trips, she will launch her Your Freedom, Your Power School Book Tour 2024-25 to actively engage K-12 students on their First Amendment rights.

Matulli will head in October to Trinidad & Tobago to be hosted by the United Way TT’s CEO Gail Sooknarine. She will spend the final leg of her project at the University of Palermo in Italy in Spring 2025.

Fulbright Specialist Emmanuel Roussakis: Colombia
That’s a wrap – or is it? The upcoming Fulbright Specialist project at Uni-Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia, this fall will be Emmanuel Roussakis’s final Fulbright stint – so he says. All while holding the title of professor emeritus of finance, the now-88-year-old has served as a Fulbright Scholar to Romania (2010) and a Fulbright Specialist to Russia (2012), Indonesia (2013), Morocco (2014), Kuwait (2017), Tunisia (2020) and Cyprus (2022). Uni-Norte invited him to offer lectures to undergraduate students on international financial management, to graduate and postgraduate students on global banking and to faculty on case-study writing techniques, in addition to sharing his teaching expertise with members of the academic community.

Fulbright Specialist Rob Guerette: India
Rob Guerette, professor in the department of criminology and criminal justice, is invited by Maharashtra National Law University, in Nagpur, India, to assist with developing an applied criminology program that will be deployed fully online to Indian police officers this fall semester. Additionally, he will be giving a series of graduate level seminars on various crime science topics.

This is Guerette’s second Fulbright Specialist award. In 2021, he visited the University of Akureyri and the National Police Commissioner of Iceland’s Center for Police Training and Professional Development, a government entity that works with the university, to help facilitate the university’s continuing education curriculum and training on cybercrime recognition and prevention. 

FIU is among the Top 5 U.S. doctoral institutions that produced the most Fulbright U.S. Scholars in 2023-2024, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced this week in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The Fulbright program is the U.S. government’s competitive flagship international educational exchange program. It awards grants to U.S. faculty and administrators to conduct research, teach or conduct professional projects. It also makes awards to visiting scholars from across the world to engage at U.S. campuses. Separately, Fulbright offers exchanges for U.S. students to study or teach English abroad, and visiting international students to the U.S.

Six scholars from FIU were awarded Fulbright grants for work in the fields of biology, epidemiology, math/statistics, modern languages, jazz music and musicology. Additionally, a seventh scholar, representing criminology and criminal justice, earned a “triple Fulbright,” a rare award that involves a multi-country project to be conducted over a two-year period. (Two other scholars were also named, but were ultimately unable to represent FIU overseas.)

“This achievement is a testament to your institution’s deep commitment to international exchange and to building lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,” wrote U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a congratulatory letter. He also commended the work of Panthers Assefa Melesse, himself a Fulbright Scholar to Ethiopia in 2013, and Gitta Montoto in their roles as designated Fulbright program campus liaisons. The pair work directly with faculty on their applications and provide additional support as needed.

“As a diplomat, I’m proud of the Fulbright Program because it supports changemakers and fosters global cooperation on issues of shared importance,” Blinken continued. “Fulbrighters strive to make the world a better place in classrooms and countries worldwide.”

Which faculty member doesn’t dream of spending time abroad working with colleagues on a joint project, advancing their own scholarship and immersing themselves in a country and culture different from their own?

Seven FIU faculty successfully competed for a Fulbright "Scholar Award" and have been invited to teach, research or do both for a semester or two in North Africa, South Asia, South America and Europe during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Since 1946, the U.S. Department of State’s flagship educational exchange program - the Fulbright program - funds faculty and student participation in international academic exchange “to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.” Today, more than 160 countries worldwide are partners in this program.

“I am thrilled that Fulbright recognizes our faculty’s excellence and ability to collaborate with partners across the world and make a lasting impact,” says Vice Provost Heather Russell. “These faculty serve as FIU ambassadors and advance our foundational goals of serving our global community, fostering cross-cultural academic engagement and creating greater international understanding.”

FIU’s 2023-2024 Fulbright Scholars will join three FIU Fulbright Students who will teach and research in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Slovak Republic and Taiwan in the next academic year.

Nasar U. Ahmed, associate professor and founding chairman of the departments of epidemiology and biostatistics in the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, will join Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, in the fall. He will focus on enhancing the public health curricula, assist in the development of doctoral programs and create more collaborative health research opportunities. His work will be extended to several universities in Bangladesh, including Bangladesh Health Science University, Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University. In addition, his proposed research activities will focus on preparing the workforce for global health and sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

Ligia Collado-Vides, teaching-researcher professor and marine botanist in the Department of Biology, will join the University of Algarve ALGAE-Marine Plant Ecology and Center of Marine Sciences in Portugal in the fall. Her project will focus on researching macroalgal blooms species characteristics including field abundances, experimental evaluations of physiological responses to nutrients and detecting the CO2 and methane fluxes on beach casts. The research will compare the massive algal blooms occurring across the Atlantic and will evaluate potential similarities occurring at the regional Atlantic wide level. 

Michael Eckroth, assistant professor in the Wertheim School of Music, will travel to Brazil during the late summer and early fall 2023 semesters. In conjunction with the faculty and graduate level music students of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte and along with a community of local musicians, he will develop a collaborative group of works in modern jazz and Brazilian music. Besides curating a series of local performances, he will be composing music for large and small ensembles that will culminate in recordings and presentations of the work. He will also coordinate a series of seminars, working closely with the graduate jazz performers at this university.

Andrea Fanta, associate professor in the Department of Modern Languages, will spend the fall semester in Bogotá, Colombia, at at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, where she will conduct research on the migration origins of Colombians to the United States and the Colombian diaspora. Her research examines the impact of digital memory, archives and identity preservation on national identity and aims to strengthen connections between Colombians in the homeland and the diaspora.

Javier Mendoza, associate professor and director of orchestral studies in the Wertheim School of Music, has been awarded a Fulbright Research Fellowship and will be working at the Centro Superior de la Investigación y Promoción de la Música at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain, where he has been named honorary professor. His research will expand upon his previous work focusing on Spanish music of the 18th century in both Europe and the Spanish Americas, along with the role that Spain played in the dissemination of Galant and Italianate music during the last half of the 18th century. The project will also include performances and collaborations with the Camerata Antonio Soler and the Asociación Luigi Boccherini.

Abdelhamid “Hamid” Meziani, professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, will join the math department at the University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene in Algiers, Algeria, during the fall and part of the spring semesters. He will teach a graduate course in partial differential equations and initiate graduate students to his research on elliptic equations with degeneracies. He expects that his visit will serve as a stepping stone for a long-term collaboration between young Algerian and U.S. mathematicians.

A seventh faculty member was conferred a Fulbright Scholar award but later had to decline.

More than 800 U.S. scholars – faculty members, artists and professionals from all backgrounds – teach and conduct research overseas through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program annually. In addition, over 2,000 U.S. students, artists and early-career professionals from all backgrounds in more than 100 different fields of study receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards annually to study, teach English and conduct research overseas.

The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program. In the United States, the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.

Monday 

Kenneth G. Furton, executive director of the Global Forensic and Justice Center and FIU’s chief scientific officer,  talks about a potential new tool in the law enforcement toolbox – the ability to detect a person’s sex assigned at birth from hand odors, with almost 100 percent accuracy.  

Tuesday 

Diana Azzam, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences in Stempel College is battling the number one killer of children – cancer – through a functional precision medicine approach that targets cancer by combining genetic testing with a new way to test individual drugs on tumor samples.  

Wednesday 

Well-meaning medical providers sometimes tell parents of preemies to stick to one language. Melissa Baralt, a Center for Children and Families researcher and associate professor of Modern Languages in the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs, discusses how speaking more than one language can actually boost the cognitive and executive functioning skills of kids who were born preterm.  

Thursday 

Jazmin Locke-Rodriguez, postdoctoral research associate with the FIU Institute of Environment, discusses how floating flower farms could be the answer to combatting pollution in our waterways.  

Friday 

Laird Kramer, founding director of FIU’s STEM Transformation Institute, discusses a new, more effective way to teach calculus – a math course that strikes fear in the hearts of many students.

Later in September, Academic Minute also featured FIU Law professor Alex Erwin, discussing how he researched the effect of hunting on mountain lions, working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife   

Produced by WAMC Northeast Public Radio, The Academic Minute is hosted by Lynn Pasquerella, President of the American Association of Colleges and Universities.  The program airs on 70 stations around the United States and Canada.  Segments are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

In 1817, a British physician named James Parkinson published An Essay on the Shaking Palsy, describing for the first time cases of a neurodegenerative disorder now known as Parkinson’s disease. Today, Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the U.S. It affects about 1 million Americans and more than 10 million people worldwide.

The signature shaking in patients with the disease is the result of dying brain cells that control movement. To date, there are no treatments available that can stop or slow down the death of those cells.

We are researchers who study Parkinson’s disease. For over a decade, our lab has been investigating the role that mitochondria – the powerhouses that fuel cells – play in Parkinson’s.

Our research has identified a key protein that could lead to new treatments for Parkinson’s disease and other brain conditions.

Mitochondrial dynamics and neurodegeneration

Unlike actual power plants, which are set in size and location, mitochondria are rather dynamic. They constantly shift in size, number and location, traveling between many different parts of the cells to meet different demands. These mitochondrial dynamics are vital to not only the function of mitochondria but also the health of cells overall.

A cell is like a factory. Multiple departments must seamlessly work together for smooth operations. Because many major processes interconnect, impaired mitochondrial dynamics could cause a domino effect across departments and vice versa. Collective malfunction in different parts of the cell eventually leads to cell death.

Emerging studies have linked imbalances in mitochondrial processes to different neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease. In many neurodegenerative disorders, certain disease-related factors, such as toxic proteins and environmental neurotoxins, disrupt the harmony of mitochondrial fusion and division.

Impaired mitochondrial dynamics also take down the cell’s cleaning and waste recycling processes, leading to a pileup of toxic proteins that form harmful aggregates inside the cell. In Parkinson’s, the presence of these toxic protein aggregates is a hallmark of the disease.

Targeting mitochondria to treat Parkinson’s

Our team hypothesized that restoring mitochondrial function by manipulating its own dynamics could protect against neuronal dysfunction and cell death.

In an effort to restore mitochondrial function in Parkinson’s, we targeted a key protein that controls mitochondrial dynamics called dynamin-related protein 1, or Drp1. Naturally abundant in cells, this protein travels to mitochondria when they divide into smaller sizes for higher mobility and quality control. However, too much Drp1 activity causes excessive division, leading to fragmented mitochondria with impaired function.

Using different lab models of Parkinson’s, including neuronal cell cultures and rat and mice models, we found that the presence of environmental toxins and toxic proteins linked to Parkinson’s cause mitochondria to become fragmented and dysfunctional. Their presence also coincided with the buildup of those same toxic proteins, worsening the health of neuronal cells until they eventually started dying.

We also observed behavior changes in rats that impaired their movements. By reducing the activity of Drp1, however, we were able to restore mitochondria to their normal activity and function. Their neurons were protected from disease and able to continue functioning.

In our 2024 study, we found an additional benefit of targeting Drp1.

We exposed neuronal cells to manganese, a heavy metal linked to neurodegeneration and an increased risk of parkinsonism. Surprisingly, we found that manganese was more harmful to the cell’s waste recycling system than to its mitochondria, causing buildup of toxic proteins before mitochondria became dysfunctional. Inhibiting Drp1, however, coaxed the waste recycling system back into action, cleaning up toxic proteins despite the presence of manganese.

Our findings indicate that inhibiting Drp1 from more than one pathway could protect cells from degeneration. Now, we’ve identified some FDA-approved compounds that target Drp1 and are testing them as potential treatments for Parkinson’s.

Rebecca Zhangqiuzi Fan, Post-doctoral Research Associate in Environmental Health Sciences, Florida International University and Kim Tieu, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Florida International University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The program, which will enroll its first cohort in Spring of 2025, aims to develop executives who can conduct both academic and industry research.

“Hospitality relies heavily on business analytics,” said George Marakas, associate dean of research and doctoral studies at FIU Business. “Being able to do proper research and make the results reliable, certainly will benefit any organization our graduates help lead.”

The hospitality DBA concentration is designed for senior-level professionals who have established themselves in the industry and are looking for advancement or to pursue the next chapter in their career.

“We are very excited to offer this new, hospitality-focused doctorate degree which will give experienced industry professionals research skills and pedagogy to prepare them to lead and teach the future leaders of the hospitality industry,” said Michael Cheng, dean of the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management.

Under the guidance and mentorship of our expert faculty, doctoral degree seeking students will be able to leverage these new skills and tools, together with their executive experience, to advance in their current career, become an independent consultant, or join the ranks of hospitality professors.

“Hospitality is a multi-billion-dollar industry and a key economic driver for South Florida, the U.S. and around the world. Our first cohort will be guided by hospitality educators with years of both award-winning research and industry expertise,” said Andrew Moreo, FIU Chaplin School associate professor and director of research.

The three-year FIU Business DBA program will meet online weekly and in person in downtown Miami once a month. For more information please visit the program’s website.

The Princeton Review has named FIU a Top 50 “best value” public university. The “exceptional features” that earn an institution inclusion in this elite category include, according to the rankers:

• stellar academics
• affordable cost (either a low sticker price or generous financial aid, or both)
• strong career prospects for graduates

The combined data puts FIU among the leading public schools recognized for high “return on investment” – a measure used to evaluate the financial worth of attending a given institution. To ascertain the “ROI” for a given university, a comparison is made between what students spent to attend and their ability to attain well-paying jobs after graduation.

FIU landed in 34th place. Only 50 public universities, among the hundreds reviewed, were called out for their high ROI, earning them a “best value” ranking.

The Princeton Review put it yet another, simpler, way in its explanation, calling the schools “the best bang for your buck.”

The Princeton Review is the gold standard education-services company that helps students prepare for college and achieve their academic goals.

The ranking follows Washington Monthly's earlier release of its annual College Guide and Rankings, which recognizes universities for both research excellence and their efforts to ensure the success of students of all backgrounds. The publication rates four-year institutions based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research and promoting public service. FIU ranks No. 3 among public universities.

FIU is among the top three public universities in the nation in Washington Monthly’s annual College Guide and Rankings, which recognize universities for both research excellence and their efforts to ensure the success of students of all backgrounds.

The rankings rate four-year institutions based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research, and promoting public service . FIU ranked third among public universities and 16th among all universities. It is the No. 1 university in Florida.

“These rankings validate what we already know about our FIU: With an unwavering commitment to innovation and progress, FIU students and preeminent faculty take on the world’s most pressing challenges and rise to meet them,” said FIU President Kenneth A. Jessell. “And we happen to offer one of the best returns on your educational investment anywhere.”

This ranking is particularly significant because FIU’s performance on the Washington Monthly rankings is among the criteria that led to the Florida Board of Governors designating FIU a preeminent state research university, one of only four in the state. The designation recognizes state universities based on student success and research performance metrics such as graduation rates, national rankings, faculty memberships in National Academies, research expenditures and patents awarded.

The Class of 2028 ushers in a new wave of outstanding academic, community and artistic achievement that is fueling the Panther community to reach new heights. Among the freshmen are scholars, researchers, business owners, bloggers, creatives, as well as students committed to environmental resilience, medicine, education and other areas crucial to the health of society.

FIU welcomed nearly 5,300 new freshmen to campus this summer and fall. There are seven National Merit awardees, four Silver Knight winners, 10 Silver Knight honorable mentions and 14 students recognized as scholars by the College Board. Nearly 658 high schools from across the country (including Florida) and 103 international high schools are represented in this class. The students also represent 41 states and 39 countries around the world. Freshmen who began in the fall have an average SAT score of 1259 and average GPA of 4.01.

Jody Glassman, assistant vice president of Enrollment and University Admissions, says that the Class of 2028 is a highly motivated, academic- and entrepreneurial-minded class who soared above all the challenges brought on by the pandemic and cemented themselves as leaders.

“This is my tenth year at FIU and my ninth incoming class,” says Glassman. “This class finished middle school and started high school in 2020. This is also a generation who has grown up with Apple devices, streaming services and social media, but they want human interaction. They’ve demonstrated that they want to be here in person at FIU, engaging with their Panther community. I am so excited for this class to challenge us to keep growing, changing and raising the bar on what’s possible.”  

Meet just a few freshmen starting their journeys at FIU.

Jesus Garcia

When Jesus Garcia was a child, he would stare at FIU as his parents drove by the university time and time again. “It impressed me,” he recalls. “It looks like a city. I told myself, ‘I want to be there one day.’ It motivated me a lot in my academics.”

Years later and after thoroughly researching other universities, he set his heart on FIU again. “I realized I was right as a kid. I’m super happy with my decision to attend FIU. It's a great school.”

Garcia is a National Merit Scholar. He graduated summa cum laude and in the top three percent of his class at Doral Academy. He also graduated with his AA. He was recently selected as one of only 750 Gates Millennium Scholars across the country. During the summer, he went on a three-day retreat with the scholars, where he networked with brilliant students and professionals and attended lectures on leadership, resume-writing and other professional development topics.   

In high school, Garcia logged over 150 hours of community service. He was part of Rho Kappa (National Social Studies Honor Society), HOSA – Future Health Professionals club, National English Honor Society, National Honor Society and the Film Club. 

He was also an executive board member of the Green Campus club, where he led the recycling program. He oversaw a group of volunteers who would go into every classroom collecting paper waste to send to companies that would recycle the waste. Before graduating, he reached out to companies that recycled other kinds of materials and connected them with the new club leaders. Thanks to his efforts, the club will follow his blueprint and begin recycling cardboard and plastic, too.

Garcia begins FIU as a biology major. The son and grandson of doctors originally from Cuba, he plans to follow in their footsteps and become a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Caniya Brown

Caniya Brown wants to live her life inspiring children to succeed. She wants to give back. That is why she’s majoring in elementary education and plans to become a teacher.

Brown graduated as the valedictorian of Miami Edison Senior High School. She was part of the Cambridge AICE program. She received numerous awards for her academic and extracurricular involvement, including a string of Honor Roll diplomas, Miss Senior, MVP in softball and more. She is also a recipient of the Coke Florida Refreshing Minds Scholarship.

She was involved in 12 student organizations. She was the president of the Student Government Association and vice president of the National Honor Society. She was part of the morning announcements crew, the fashion club and the volleyball club. A lover of public speaking, she became something of a spokesperson for various school projects, even appearing on the news to discuss student activities several times. Through Future Business Leaders of America, Brown also participated in business competitions, winning two first place finishes. Brown completed the Police Explorer program, which allows students to learn about civic engagement and possible careers pathways in the Miami-Dade Police Department.

Brown received more than 15 college acceptance letters. She chose FIU. She first became part of the Panther community while in high school. Through FIU’s partnership with Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Brown was matched with Emmanuele Bowles, an FIU staff member who has guided her throughout her academic journey and connected her with resources for success.

At one point during high school, Brown and her grandma became homeless. But Brown kept focused on her education. She excelled, she achieved and she overcame. Today, she is proud to be a Panther. “FIU gave me hope,” she says. “At FIU, I know I have so many people standing behind me. Whether faculty, staff, students, everyone is a unit and everyone is here for you. FIU really sees the greatness in students.”

She attended Panther Camp and lives on campus. She plans to get involved with the Black Student Union and the Student Government Association.

Josh Cunnison

Josh Cunnison was raised in a small city in Virginia. When it came time to choose a college, he decided FIU was the perfect place for him.

“Everybody I talked to at FIU, whether students or advisors or professors, everyone was super nice,” he says. “That matters. Also, I think the campus is just beautiful. There’s not a spot that you go to that’s not drop-dead gorgeous. It just adds to the atmosphere and the experience. I’m super excited to see what the next four years bring.”

Cunnison is a musical theater major. He graduated from Kecoughtan High School with a 4.33 GPA and was in the top five percent of his class. He was president of his senior class and of the drama club. He was part of the Virginia High School League in theater, the Educational Theater Association and the International Thespian Honor Society. He earned four “Best Actor” awards in three years and, during his senior year, he earned three scores of superior — the highest score — during theater competitions.

He was a Virginia State Thespian officer, through which he helped organize theater festivals and acted as a student voice on board meetings of the Educational Theater Association. He was one of only six people selected as an International Thespian Officer, the highest level of leadership a student can attain within the organization. In his role, he coordinated workshops, wrote for an online publication and helped organize fundraisers.

For his service project at school, he wrote a script and directed a production starring students with special needs. He spoke to their teachers and came in during class time to work with the children and tailor their roles so that they would enjoy the production. “This is one of the most important things I’ve ever done in my life,” he says. “I have family members that have autism and special needs. I’m passionate about advocating for people with special needs.”

Hannah Reyes

Hannah Reyes is on a mission to infuse engineering with sustainability. The civil engineering major and FIU Honors College student is passionate about the environment. She attended Fort Lauderdale High School, where she graduated as the valedictorian of her class. She was part of her school’s Cambridge AICE program and earned recognition as a scholar by the College Board and as an AP Scholar.

She was the historian of the National Honor Society and was part of a team of students who prepared a project on Broward County’s rising waters for a youth climate summit. She has tutored students in math and even took a job at Mathnasium, where she has been named employee of the quarter twice. Through an initiative of her job, she was part of a team that helped raise thousands of dollars to support those who are homeless.

In her spare time, Reyes runs her own blog in which she shares recipes for gluten-free deserts. “It’s really a passion of mine,” she says. She began the blog because she herself adopted a gluten-free diet to improve her eczema and stomach health. Her recent posts feature deserts like strawberry cupcakes, tahini brownies and soft-baked banana cookies. For years, she also practiced Judo at the same center where FIU alumna and Olympian Angelica Delgado trained. Reyes is also twin to a fellow Panther who recently started her journey at FIU.

Reyes, who is a Christian, says her faith motivates her to work hard, stay humble and serve others. “Jesus says there is more happiness in giving than receiving. My favorite Bible verse is Acts 20:35.”

As to why she chose FIU? She says she appreciates the Hispanic-influenced culture and diversity at the university. “When I came to FIU on tour, I fell in love with the vibe. I could see myself walking here and going to class here. I feel at home and warm here.”

Group spotlight: B.S.-M.D. freshmen

This fall, FIU welcomed four students who will inaugurate a new seven-year accelerated B.S-M.D. program that will allow them to earn a bachelor’s in biology and seamlessly begin medical school in their fourth year as undergraduates. Angelo Azzaretto, Melissa Hernandez, Olivia Jose and Revati Sabat are the program's first cohort.

The students each have a demonstrated committment to academic excellence, service and health care. Combined, their achievements include being listed as authors of two published scientific articles; shadowing doctors and volunteering at various hospitals across the state; earning numerous academic accolades and awards; logging hundreds of hours of community service; and a long list of extracurricular leadership activities. From playing instruments, excelling in sports, researching the environment, going on mission trips and earning coveted titles in academic science competitions across the state, these students have done it all.

Learn more about their individual stories and the new program.  

This story is part of a series celebrating incoming freshmen in the Class of 2028. Check out the full series.

FIU has launched a program that many high school, pre-med students consider the ultimate opportunity.  

The university’s new, seven-year accelerated program allows FIU Honors College students to earn a bachelor’s in biology while seamlessly beginning medical school at FIU during their fourth year as undergraduates. As long as students continue to meet several academic requirements and successfully complete the interview process, they are guaranteed spots within FIU’s medical program and will graduate with an M.D. at the end of the seven years.

“This program is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says incoming freshman and biology major Angelo Azzaretto. Azzaretto is one of four Honors College students who were invited to join the first class of the accelerated program.

Olivia Jose, another incoming freshman in the program, says that when she stumbled across the program online, she was instantly sold on FIU. “This is a dream come true,” she says. “The perfect opportunity for an aspiring physician in Miami.”

The beginning of something great

The program is a collaboration between the FIU Honors College, the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and the College of Arts, Sciences & Education.

“The idea was born over cafecito with me and Juan Cendan [dean of FIU Wertheim Medicine],” says Juan Carlos Espinosa, dean of the FIU Honors College. “Many Honors College students want to follow the healthcare path. We’ve been collaborating for years to help build pathways for our students.” 

He says they wanted to up the ante on pathway offerings. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for top students starting out at FIU and interested in medicine,” Espinosa explains. “We wanted to prepare them and challenge them with a rigorous curriculum to get a head start on their studies. These students shine. You can see them from far away. And we want to help them succeed.”

Enter the seven-year accelerated program. It offers a robust biology curriculum that will equip students to triumph in med school. Part of the curriculum also requires students to gain research experience and clinical hours. Likewise, students have regular academic advising meetings and check-ins with adminsitrator Brenda Luna to discuss their goals and progress. 

“The program is set up so that the students can and will succeed,” says Cendan, dean of FIU Wertheim Medicine. “I remember 25 or 30 years ago, looking at medical schools that had these accelerated programs. It’s a special thing. Now we have it at FIU. It’s big for the students, it’s big for us, and it’s big for the university.”

He says it’s also important for the profession across the country, and especially across the state.

“A third of Florida physicians are of retirement age,” Cendan says. “If they all retire right now, that would leave a gaping chasm that would be very hard to fill rapidly. What we do at FIU feeds into the physician workforce. Anything that we could be doing as a system to get people through and help physicians, whether it is through education, training or fellowships, it’s worth exploring. We are turning out physicians ready to support the needs of Floridians. This is part of that narrative.”

Meet the four outstanding students who are kicking off the program.

Revati Sabat

For Revati Sabat, medicine is the combination of science and human connection. As a child, Sabat would often go to work with her dad, a doctor. She would interact with doctors during the day and talk to them in the lunchroom. She would sift through anatomy books her dad brought home from work.

She says her mom and dad are her inspiration. “Growing up, I saw them work hard. Seeing that passion for what they do… That’s more than giving me a career to follow. They gave me an understanding of chasing what you want.”

In high school, she realized medicine was what she wanted. As part of an AP research class at her school she began to research the effects of COVID-19 vaccines in people with Parkinson’s Disease. She reached out to local researchers and worked with them as she conducted her study, interviewing 34 patients with Parkinson’s Disease.

Her study was published in Frontiers in Immunology, with Sabat listed as the study’s first author. The study has already been cited in an article in the United Kingdom.

“I’m very fortunate to have had the opportunity to publish in high school,” Sabat says. “I like working on projects with direct impact on current issues. I thought it was something that could be useful not just for my research class but for the community.”

Sabat graduated as the valedictorian of Eastside High School in Gainesville, where she was part of the school’s IB program. She was recognized as an AP Scholar and was her district’s nominee for Sunshine State Scholar, which recognizes top 11^th graders in STEM.

She founded a club called Science4Kids, in which she went to underserved schools regularly to provide children an opportunity to experience science through experiments and activities. She was captain of the varsity swim team and was part of Mu Alpha Theta (international math honor society), the Spanish Honors Society and the National Honor Society. She was also vice president of her school’s chapter of Future Health Professionals (known as HOSA). She was also involved in the local Indian Cultural and Education Center group, where she choreographed and performed dances at events such as India Fest.

In school, Sabat was part of student teams that won first place at the Alachua Brain Bee, first place at the regional HOSA competition (in the creative problem-solving category) and fourth place at the National Science Bowl. She also shadowed pediatric doctors, which cemented her love for medical care.

Angelo Azzaretto

Angelo Azzaretto wants to become the first person in his family to be a doctor. He views the profession as a vocation — a calling to serve.

“It’s about having a bigger purpose,” he says. “Being a physician gives you so much purpose and meaning in life. The thought that I’ll be able to help as many people as I possibly can... That keeps me motivated.”

He discovered his interest in medicine while in high school, but the seeds were planted at a very early age. Azzaretto was in second grade when he had his appendix removed. He remembers feeling nervous as he prepared to enter the surgery room. The last person he spoke to was the team’s anesthesiologist. “I remember how comforting he was,” Azzaretto says. It changed everything for him. Whether he becomes an anesthesiologist or not, Azzaretto wants to be that doctor, the one helping his patients and comforting them when they need it most.

Azzaretto graduated from Christopher Columbus High School with a slew of honors. He was selected to join the school’s prestigious Mas Scholars program early on. He earned various awards from the College Board, including its national recognition as a scholar as well as the AP Capstone Diploma and AP Scholar with Distinction award. He was also selected to receive the school’s SebastianStrong Foundation Scholarship, which is given to a graduating senior with an interest in pursuing medicine.

Azzaretto was president of the Pre-Med Club and the French Club and was vice president of the Environmental Club, through which he led an initiative across the school to collect and recycle plastic and aluminum (the waste would be sent to a company to recycle the material into school merchandise). He was involved with the National Honor Society, National Science Honor Society and Jiu-Jitsu club. He also volunteered to help children, especially those with special needs and those attending schools in underserved areas, through various programs.

He conducted research on ocean habitats as part of his AP research project. He tested pH levels at various locations in Florida to explore the relationship between ocean acidity and the health of corals, as well as its implications for mangrove-coral habitats.

Through a school program, he also earned certification as an EMT, which required him to complete two clinical experiences at hospitals and work shifts with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, riding along during response calls. He also dedicated two of his summers to completing externships — one at Baptist Health, learning the business and supply chain side of health management, and the other shadowing a cardiologist.

Olivia Jose

Olivia Jose is passionate about giving back to her community. That’s why she wants to be a doctor.

The daughter of two physicians, she has medicine in her blood. But she didn’t realize her calling for the profession until she was 15 and discovered — through a science elective — that she enjoyed learning about the complexities of anatomy and physiology.

For two consecutive summers, she volunteered for more than 240 hours in the radiology department at the University of Miami’s Lennar Foundation Medical Center. There she transported patients and aided technicians with imaging machinery in the operation room, among other tasks. She also worked with a team of mostly medical students and residents on a paper about rare anatomical variants found during ACL reconstruction surgery. Today, she is a credited author of the article, which was published through Elsevier in the Radiology Case Reports journal.

Jose graduated from Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart with high honors. She was a Silver Knight nominee in science. She received recognition as an AP Scholar with Distinction and as a College Board Scholar. She earned school awards for achievement in AP United States history and mechanical and electrical engineering. She was part of Mu Alpha Theta, National Technical Honor Society, Science National Honor Society and National Chinese Honor Society. 

 
As president of Carrollton’s solo and wind ensemble and a clarinetist, she often played at school Masses and concerts. She was part of the Florida All-State Honor Band. As a pianist, she also performed at school recitals and played at a nursing home, to the delight of its residents. She studied Mandarin and performed in Chinese language competitions across the state. She also ran varsity cross country and track and field. She has mentored children through various organizations, including Breakthrough Miami, which supports underserved youth. She also founded her own tutoring services (and set up a website to advertise her business).

She says FIU is the perfect place for her to grow into the physician she wants to become. “FIU is well established as a research university,” she says, “and there’s also a lot of emphasis on service and giving back to the community.” 

While researching FIU, she heard about the FIU Wertheim Medicine’s NeighborhoodHELP program, which allows medical students to go out into the community and provide care through household visits to those in need. “That really stuck with me because I’ve always tried to give back to the community and dedicate my time to help others," she says. "I want to be part of this community of service-oriented and academic people."

Melissa Hernandez

Melissa Hernandez was sitting in class during eighth grade when she opened her textbook and saw a diagram of the brain.

“I was just mesmerized,” she recalls. “I don’t know how to describe the feeling. I just thought, ‘This is amazing.’ It really sparked a desire in me to learn about psychology and connect that with medicine.”

Today, she starts at FIU — her top-choice school — with the goal of preparing herself to become a neurologist. “I want to emphasize having compassion for patients,” she says. “It’s not just looking at them as a chart. It’s more about looking at who they are and how to sympathize with them and give them proper care.”

She graduated from Cooper City High School in the top two percent of her class. She earned her Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) diploma, received an award in academic excellence in statistics and took a variety of dual enrollment courses. Hernandez was the treasurer of the Future Medical Professionals of America chapter at her school. She was also deeply involved with her school’s Best Buddies club, through which she discovered her desire to work with individuals with intellectual disabilities. 

She volunteered at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, where she interacted with child patients during play time. She also volunteered at First Choice Neurology, where she shadowed pediatric neurologists. This summer, she went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, where she worked with doctors to provide care for people in underserved communities and shadowed doctors during surgeries.

Hernandez’s dad, a physician originally from Cuba, is her role model of a dedicated doctor. And her mom, who is active in church, is her model of service. Hernandez follows in their footsteps, embracing faith, community and medicine. For years she has volunteered to assist in organizing food drives at New Horizon Church. Through a Catholic non-profit, she helped provide food and baby shower baskets to pregnant moms in need. While in high school, she also began working a part-time job at a Jewish community center, where she supervised children after school.

Hernandez, who is Catholic, says her faith fuels her motivation to become a physician. 

"Guided by my faith, I am driven to serve as a doctor, recognizing that God's presence is felt through acts of compassion," she says. "True healing arises not only from knowledge but from a heart dedicated to caring, reflecting the higher purpose to love and serve. I feel extremely blessed and grateful to God for the opportunity to pursue my passion at FIU.”

This story is part of a series celebrating incoming freshmen in the Class of 2028. Check out the full series.

Interested in learning about more FIU Honors pathways to med school? Check out these programs.

The Honors College and FIU Wertheim Medicine run a program in which sophomore honors students at FIU are considered for guaranteed admission to the university’s medical school and another in which honors students are guaranteed an interview with the medical school.

This fall, they will roll out a similar early assurance program for those interested in earning a physician’s assistant degree at FIU.

And to learn more about the new, seven-year accelerated program, visit the website's page.

The Class of 2028 is hitting it out of the park. Many of our newest Panthers have been harnessing the power of technology to share their stories and have embraced an entrepreneurial spirit, starting businesses or enriching their academic lives through creative outlets.

Who says a math major can’t love the arts? Who says a future engineer doesn’t enjoy writing blogs? And who says an artist or singer can’t also enjoy a good business class?

Freshmen are showing the world that they can be multifaceted individuals, shining in a variety of areas. They’re also proving that Panthers are brilliant at whatever they do.

As we prepare for the fall semester, we feature three freshmen who run the gamut from accomplished musical theater performer to baker-mathematician and lover of STEM – and explore how they are ready to use their talents to make the world a better place.

Angelina Ballantyne

Angelina Ballantyne launched her baking business when she was 17 years old. What started as a way to unleash her creativity and bake for fun blossomed into a bigger adventure as friends and family began tasting – and ordering -- the sweet treats she was baking. Through her business, Skater’s Dozen, she makes cakes, cupcakes, macarons and more. She says putting a smile on people’s faces when they see the treats is the best part of it all.

Ballantyne starts at FIU this fall as a math education major. She graduated with her AA from the School for Advanced Studies, earning a 4.9 GPA for high school classes and a perfect 4.0 unweighted GPA for her college coursework. Her favorite class was AP Calculus (she got a five on the test, by the way). She’s tutored children since her freshman year, eventually tutoring up to seven students a year, mostly in pre-algebra and algebra.

Inspired by her own teachers, she’s interested in pursuing a career as a teacher. “I couldn’t be more grateful for all of my teachers at SAS. I feel like I did a 180 and became a different person thanks to them. I was very shy, and my teachers gave me the resources to join new clubs and activities. They just helped me develop and gain confidence in who I am. If I could be that person for someone, that would be rewarding.”

Ballantyne loves roller skating (her business name is an ode to this hobby) and music. She sang in choir club and for years, attended school at a vocal magnet program at Miami Arts Studio at Zelda Glazer.

As she begins at FIU, she says she’s most looking forward to joining the Panther community and “building relationships, just getting out there and socializing and networking.”

Fun fact: the macarons pictured above are FIU-inspired (check out the blue swirls and the gold shimmer!)

David Llamazares

All the world is a stage. At least, it is for David Llamazares.

The freshman starts at FIU with an outstanding list of achievements in the field he is passionate about: musical theater. Llamazares graduated from the Miami Arts Studio at Zelda Glazer with a 4.4 GPA and a collection of Honor Rolls.

He has been a lead character on various productions and has appeared in many more inside and outside of school. He’s also received numerous awards from Florida’s region of the International Thespian Society, an honor society for theater students. He’s earned the highest accolade, “Top Honors,” six times and 10 superior competition scores.

His senior year, he directed, musically taught, choreographed and performed in a large group musical for the regional Thespian competition. The group received Top Honors – the highest score in the room – and was selected to represent the entire district at the state level, where they performed in front of 3,000+ people.

Llamazares can sing, dance and build sets. He’s been involved with the Roxy Theater since he was in elementary and was also involved in the Miami Children Theater. He was accepted into universities ranging from Emerson College to University of Central Florida, but he chose FIU. He’s part of a Panther family after all – his mom works at the FIU Police Department.

Llamazare’s motivation to succeed goes back to his toddler years.

“I had cancer when I was about five years old,” he says. “It stopped me from doing so many things. Once there is a task in front of me now, I want to challenge myself, I want to overcome. I always push myself. I love everything about theater. Theater is not a physical game, it’s a mental game. Once you tell yourself you can do something, even if it takes time, you’ll get there. Hard work and dedication really pays off.”  

La’Tavaia Rickerson

La’Tavaia Rickerson received full-time job offers even before beginning FIU.

This is thanks to her impressive performance in various summer internships she completed at the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). She interned in JTA’s human resources department twice and later worked with data analytics and website management at its ethics and compliance department.

She excelled in her internships. Employees took notice. She got job offers. And while she turned down the jobs in favor of pursuing her education, she says the internships provided valuable professional experiences. “I’m really proud of these internships,” she says.

Rickerson graduated from Paxon School of Advanced Studies, an IB high school in Jacksonville, Fl. She worked hard on her academics and in her community. She tutored children in reading as part of a Read USA – Mayor’s Youth at Work partnership. She’s been a cheerleader since she was five years old, eventually cheering on her school’s varsity team. She was selected as one of only 25 recipients of the Coke Florida Scholarship, which is run by Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC. 

Rickerson is majoring in biology and plans to pursue medicine. “I really want to make a difference in the world. I want to be a surgeon.”

She also has an artistic side. One of Rickerson’s hidden talents lies in digital video recording and editing, for which she is Adobe Premier Pro-certified. She took a class that had students recording music videos and news shows, interviewing teachers and seniors and compiling sports highlights, among other projects. In tenth grade, Rickerson also began her own small business as a nail artist after taking a nail class with a stylist.

She began at FIU this summer and started strong. She already earned her first two As at the university.

This story is part of a series celebrating incoming freshmen in the Class of 2028. Check out the full series.

The university’s new, seven-year accelerated program allows FIU Honors College students to earn a bachelor’s in biology while seamlessly beginning medical school at FIU during their fourth year as undergraduates. As long as students continue to meet several academic requirements and successfully complete the interview process, they are guaranteed spots within FIU’s medical program and will graduate with an M.D. at the end of the seven years.

“This program is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says incoming freshman and biology major Angelo Azzaretto. Azzaretto is one of four Honors College students who were invited to join the first class of the accelerated program.

Olivia Jose, another incoming freshman in the program, says that when she stumbled across the program online, she was instantly sold on FIU. “This is a dream come true,” she says. “The perfect opportunity for an aspiring physician in Miami.”

The beginning of something great

The program is a collaboration between the FIU Honors College, the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and the College of Arts, Sciences & Education.

“The idea was born over cafecito with me and Juan Cendan [dean of FIU Wertheim Medicine],” says Juan Carlos Espinosa, dean of the FIU Honors College. “Many Honors College students want to follow the healthcare path. We’ve been collaborating for years to help build pathways for our students.” 

He says they wanted to up the ante on pathway offerings. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for top students starting out at FIU and interested in medicine,” Espinosa explains. “We wanted to prepare them and challenge them with a rigorous curriculum to get a head start on their studies. These students shine. You can see them from far away. And we want to help them succeed.”

Enter the seven-year accelerated program. It offers a robust biology curriculum that will equip students to triumph in med school. Part of the curriculum also requires students to gain research experience and clinical hours. Likewise, students have regular academic advising meetings and check-ins with adminsitrator Brenda Luna to discuss their goals and progress. 

“The program is set up so that the students can and will succeed,” says Cendan, dean of FIU Wertheim Medicine. “I remember 25 or 30 years ago, looking at medical schools that had these accelerated programs. It’s a special thing. Now we have it at FIU. It’s big for the students, it’s big for us, and it’s big for the university.”

He says it’s also important for the profession across the country, and especially across the state.

“A third of Florida physicians are of retirement age,” Cendan says. “If they all retire right now, that would leave a gaping chasm that would be very hard to fill rapidly. What we do at FIU feeds into the physician workforce. Anything that we could be doing as a system to get people through and help physicians, whether it is through education, training or fellowships, it’s worth exploring. We are turning out physicians ready to support the needs of Floridians. This is part of that narrative.”

Meet the four outstanding students who are kicking off the program.

Revati Sabat

For Revati Sabat, medicine is the combination of science and human connection. As a child, Sabat would often go to work with her dad, a doctor. She would interact with doctors during the day and talk to them in the lunchroom. She would sift through anatomy books her dad brought home from work.

She says her mom and dad are her inspiration. “Growing up, I saw them work hard. Seeing that passion for what they do… That’s more than giving me a career to follow. They gave me an understanding of chasing what you want.”

In high school, she realized medicine was what she wanted. As part of an AP research class at her school she began to research the effects of COVID-19 vaccines in people with Parkinson’s Disease. She reached out to local researchers and worked with them as she conducted her study, interviewing 34 patients with Parkinson’s Disease.

Her study was published in Frontiers in Immunology, with Sabat listed as the study’s first author. The study has already been cited in an article in the United Kingdom.

“I’m very fortunate to have had the opportunity to publish in high school,” Sabat says. “I like working on projects with direct impact on current issues. I thought it was something that could be useful not just for my research class but for the community.”

Sabat graduated as the valedictorian of Eastside High School in Gainesville, where she was part of the school’s IB program. She was recognized as an AP Scholar and was her district’s nominee for Sunshine State Scholar, which recognizes top 11^th graders in STEM.

She founded a club called Science4Kids, in which she went to underserved schools regularly to provide children an opportunity to experience science through experiments and activities. She was captain of the varsity swim team and was part of Mu Alpha Theta (international math honor society), the Spanish Honors Society and the National Honor Society. She was also vice president of her school’s chapter of Future Health Professionals (known as HOSA). She was also involved in the local Indian Cultural and Education Center group, where she choreographed and performed dances at events such as India Fest.

In school, Sabat was part of student teams that won first place at the Alachua Brain Bee, first place at the regional HOSA competition (in the creative problem-solving category) and fourth place at the National Science Bowl. She also shadowed pediatric doctors, which cemented her love for medical care.

Angelo Azzaretto

Angelo Azzaretto wants to become the first person in his family to be a doctor. He views the profession as a vocation — a calling to serve.

“It’s about having a bigger purpose,” he says. “Being a physician gives you so much purpose and meaning in life. The thought that I’ll be able to help as many people as I possibly can... That keeps me motivated.”

He discovered his interest in medicine while in high school, but the seeds were planted at a very early age. Azzaretto was in second grade when he had his appendix removed. He remembers feeling nervous as he prepared to enter the surgery room. The last person he spoke to was the team’s anesthesiologist. “I remember how comforting he was,” Azzaretto says. It changed everything for him. Whether he becomes an anesthesiologist or not, Azzaretto wants to be that doctor, the one helping his patients and comforting them when they need it most.

Azzaretto graduated from Christopher Columbus High School with a slew of honors. He was selected to join the school’s prestigious Mas Scholars program early on. He earned various awards from the College Board, including its national recognition as a scholar as well as the AP Capstone Diploma and AP Scholar with Distinction award. He was also selected to receive the school’s SebastianStrong Foundation Scholarship, which is given to a graduating senior with an interest in pursuing medicine.

Azzaretto was president of the Pre-Med Club and the French Club and was vice president of the Environmental Club, through which he led an initiative across the school to collect and recycle plastic and aluminum (the waste would be sent to a company to recycle the material into school merchandise). He was involved with the National Honor Society, National Science Honor Society and Jiu-Jitsu club. He also volunteered to help children, especially those with special needs and those attending schools in underserved areas, through various programs.

He conducted research on ocean habitats as part of his AP research project. He tested pH levels at various locations in Florida to explore the relationship between ocean acidity and the health of corals, as well as its implications for mangrove-coral habitats.

Through a school program, he also earned certification as an EMT, which required him to complete two clinical experiences at hospitals and work shifts with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, riding along during response calls. He also dedicated two of his summers to completing externships — one at Baptist Health, learning the business and supply chain side of health management, and the other shadowing a cardiologist.

Olivia Jose

Olivia Jose is passionate about giving back to her community. That’s why she wants to be a doctor.

The daughter of two physicians, she has medicine in her blood. But she didn’t realize her calling for the profession until she was 15 and discovered — through a science elective — that she enjoyed learning about the complexities of anatomy and physiology.

For two consecutive summers, she volunteered for more than 240 hours in the radiology department at the University of Miami’s Lennar Foundation Medical Center. There she transported patients and aided technicians with imaging machinery in the operation room, among other tasks. She also worked with a team of mostly medical students and residents on a paper about rare anatomical variants found during ACL reconstruction surgery. Today, she is a credited author of the article, which was published through Elsevier in the Radiology Case Reports journal.

Jose graduated from Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart with high honors. She was a Silver Knight nominee in science. She received recognition as an AP Scholar with Distinction and as a College Board Scholar. She earned school awards for achievement in AP United States history and mechanical and electrical engineering. She was part of Mu Alpha Theta, National Technical Honor Society, Science National Honor Society and National Chinese Honor Society. 

 
As president of Carrollton’s solo and wind ensemble and a clarinetist, she often played at school Masses and concerts. She was part of the Florida All-State Honor Band. As a pianist, she also performed at school recitals and played at a nursing home, to the delight of its residents. She studied Mandarin and performed in Chinese language competitions across the state. She also ran varsity cross country and track and field. She has mentored children through various organizations, including Breakthrough Miami, which supports underserved youth. She also founded her own tutoring services (and set up a website to advertise her business).

She says FIU is the perfect place for her to grow into the physician she wants to become. “FIU is well established as a research university,” she says, “and there’s also a lot of emphasis on service and giving back to the community.” 

While researching FIU, she heard about the FIU Wertheim Medicine’s NeighborhoodHELP program, which allows medical students to go out into the community and provide care through household visits to those in need. “That really stuck with me because I’ve always tried to give back to the community and dedicate my time to help others," she says. "I want to be part of this community of service-oriented and academic people."

Melissa Hernandez

Melissa Hernandez was sitting in class during eighth grade when she opened her textbook and saw a diagram of the brain.

“I was just mesmerized,” she recalls. “I don’t know how to describe the feeling. I just thought, ‘This is amazing.’ It really sparked a desire in me to learn about psychology and connect that with medicine.”

Today, she starts at FIU — her top-choice school — with the goal of preparing herself to become a neurologist. “I want to emphasize having compassion for patients,” she says. “It’s not just looking at them as a chart. It’s more about looking at who they are and how to sympathize with them and give them proper care.”

She graduated from Cooper City High School in the top two percent of her class. She earned her Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) diploma, received an award in academic excellence in statistics and took a variety of dual enrollment courses. Hernandez was the treasurer of the Future Medical Professionals of America chapter at her school. She was also deeply involved with her school’s Best Buddies club, through which she discovered her desire to work with individuals with intellectual disabilities. 

She volunteered at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, where she interacted with child patients during play time. She also volunteered at First Choice Neurology, where she shadowed pediatric neurologists. This summer, she went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, where she worked with doctors to provide care for people in underserved communities and shadowed doctors during surgeries.

Hernandez’s dad, a physician originally from Cuba, is her role model of a dedicated doctor. And her mom, who is active in church, is her model of service. Hernandez follows in their footsteps, embracing faith, community and medicine. For years she has volunteered to assist in organizing food drives at New Horizon Church. Through a Catholic non-profit, she helped provide food and baby shower baskets to pregnant moms in need. While in high school, she also began working a part-time job at a Jewish community center, where she supervised children after school.

Hernandez, who is Catholic, says her faith fuels her motivation to become a physician. 

"Guided by my faith, I am driven to serve as a doctor, recognizing that God's presence is felt through acts of compassion," she says. "True healing arises not only from knowledge but from a heart dedicated to caring, reflecting the higher purpose to love and serve. I feel extremely blessed and grateful to God for the opportunity to pursue my passion at FIU.”

This story is part of a series celebrating incoming freshmen in the Class of 2028. Check out the full series.

Interested in learning about more FIU Honors pathways to med school? Check out these programs.

The Honors College and FIU Wertheim Medicine run a program in which sophomore honors students at FIU are considered for guaranteed admission to the university’s medical school and another in which honors students are guaranteed an interview with the medical school.

This fall, they will roll out a similar early assurance program for those interested in earning a physician’s assistant degree at FIU.

And to learn more about the new, seven-year accelerated program, visit the website's page.

FIU’s newest Panthers are bringing their A-game to the ‘305’.

The Class of 2028 ushers in a new wave of outstanding academic, community and artistic achievement that is fueling the Panther community to reach new heights. Among the freshmen are scholars, researchers, business owners, bloggers, creatives, as well as students committed to environmental resilience, medicine, education and other areas crucial to the health of society.

FIU welcomed nearly 5,300 new freshmen to campus this summer and fall. There are seven National Merit awardees, four Silver Knight winners, 10 Silver Knight honorable mentions and 14 students recognized as scholars by the College Board. Nearly 658 high schools from across the country (including Florida) and 103 international high schools are represented in this class. The students also represent 41 states and 39 countries around the world. Freshmen who began in the fall have an average SAT score of 1259 and average GPA of 4.01.

Jody Glassman, assistant vice president of Enrollment and University Admissions, says that the Class of 2028 is a highly motivated, academic- and entrepreneurial-minded class who soared above all the challenges brought on by the pandemic and cemented themselves as leaders.

“This is my tenth year at FIU and my ninth incoming class,” says Glassman. “This class finished middle school and started high school in 2020. This is also a generation who has grown up with Apple devices, streaming services and social media, but they want human interaction. They’ve demonstrated that they want to be here in person at FIU, engaging with their Panther community. I am so excited for this class to challenge us to keep growing, changing and raising the bar on what’s possible.”  

Meet just a few freshmen starting their journeys at FIU.

Jesus Garcia

When Jesus Garcia was a child, he would stare at FIU as his parents drove by the university time and time again. “It impressed me,” he recalls. “It looks like a city. I told myself, ‘I want to be there one day.’ It motivated me a lot in my academics.”

Years later and after thoroughly researching other universities, he set his heart on FIU again. “I realized I was right as a kid. I’m super happy with my decision to attend FIU. It's a great school.”

Garcia is a National Merit Scholar. He graduated summa cum laude and in the top three percent of his class at Doral Academy. He also graduated with his AA. He was recently selected as one of only 750 Gates Millennium Scholars across the country. During the summer, he went on a three-day retreat with the scholars, where he networked with brilliant students and professionals and attended lectures on leadership, resume-writing and other professional development topics.   

In high school, Garcia logged over 150 hours of community service. He was part of Rho Kappa (National Social Studies Honor Society), HOSA – Future Health Professionals club, National English Honor Society, National Honor Society and the Film Club. 

He was also an executive board member of the Green Campus club, where he led the recycling program. He oversaw a group of volunteers who would go into every classroom collecting paper waste to send to companies that would recycle the waste. Before graduating, he reached out to companies that recycled other kinds of materials and connected them with the new club leaders. Thanks to his efforts, the club will follow his blueprint and begin recycling cardboard and plastic, too.

Garcia begins FIU as a biology major. The son and grandson of doctors originally from Cuba, he plans to follow in their footsteps and become a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Caniya Brown

Caniya Brown wants to live her life inspiring children to succeed. She wants to give back. That is why she’s majoring in elementary education and plans to become a teacher.

Brown graduated as the valedictorian of Miami Edison Senior High School. She was part of the Cambridge AICE program. She received numerous awards for her academic and extracurricular involvement, including a string of Honor Roll diplomas, Miss Senior, MVP in softball and more. She is also a recipient of the Coke Florida Refreshing Minds Scholarship.

She was involved in 12 student organizations. She was the president of the Student Government Association and vice president of the National Honor Society. She was part of the morning announcements crew, the fashion club and the volleyball club. A lover of public speaking, she became something of a spokesperson for various school projects, even appearing on the news to discuss student activities several times. Through Future Business Leaders of America, Brown also participated in business competitions, winning two first place finishes. Brown completed the Police Explorer program, which allows students to learn about civic engagement and possible careers pathways in the Miami-Dade Police Department.

Brown received more than 15 college acceptance letters. She chose FIU. She first became part of the Panther community while in high school. Through FIU’s partnership with Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Brown was matched with Emmanuele Bowles, an FIU staff member who has guided her throughout her academic journey and connected her with resources for success.

At one point during high school, Brown and her grandma became homeless. But Brown kept focused on her education. She excelled, she achieved and she overcame. Today, she is proud to be a Panther. “FIU gave me hope,” she says. “At FIU, I know I have so many people standing behind me. Whether faculty, staff, students, everyone is a unit and everyone is here for you. FIU really sees the greatness in students.”

She attended Panther Camp and lives on campus. She plans to get involved with the Black Student Union and the Student Government Association.

Josh Cunnison

Josh Cunnison was raised in a small city in Virginia. When it came time to choose a college, he decided FIU was the perfect place for him.

“Everybody I talked to at FIU, whether students or advisors or professors, everyone was super nice,” he says. “That matters. Also, I think the campus is just beautiful. There’s not a spot that you go to that’s not drop-dead gorgeous. It just adds to the atmosphere and the experience. I’m super excited to see what the next four years bring.”

Cunnison is a musical theater major. He graduated from Kecoughtan High School with a 4.33 GPA and was in the top five percent of his class. He was president of his senior class and of the drama club. He was part of the Virginia High School League in theater, the Educational Theater Association and the International Thespian Honor Society. He earned four “Best Actor” awards in three years and, during his senior year, he earned three scores of superior — the highest score — during theater competitions.

He was a Virginia State Thespian officer, through which he helped organize theater festivals and acted as a student voice on board meetings of the Educational Theater Association. He was one of only six people selected as an International Thespian Officer, the highest level of leadership a student can attain within the organization. In his role, he coordinated workshops, wrote for an online publication and helped organize fundraisers.

For his service project at school, he wrote a script and directed a production starring students with special needs. He spoke to their teachers and came in during class time to work with the children and tailor their roles so that they would enjoy the production. “This is one of the most important things I’ve ever done in my life,” he says. “I have family members that have autism and special needs. I’m passionate about advocating for people with special needs.”

Hannah Reyes

Hannah Reyes is on a mission to infuse engineering with sustainability. The civil engineering major and FIU Honors College student is passionate about the environment. She attended Fort Lauderdale High School, where she graduated as the valedictorian of her class. She was part of her school’s Cambridge AICE program and earned recognition as a scholar by the College Board and as an AP Scholar.

She was the historian of the National Honor Society and was part of a team of students who prepared a project on Broward County’s rising waters for a youth climate summit. She has tutored students in math and even took a job at Mathnasium, where she has been named employee of the quarter twice. Through an initiative of her job, she was part of a team that helped raise thousands of dollars to support those who are homeless.

In her spare time, Reyes runs her own blog in which she shares recipes for gluten-free deserts. “It’s really a passion of mine,” she says. She began the blog because she herself adopted a gluten-free diet to improve her eczema and stomach health. Her recent posts feature deserts like strawberry cupcakes, tahini brownies and soft-baked banana cookies. For years, she also practiced Judo at the same center where FIU alumna and Olympian Angelica Delgado trained. Reyes is also twin to a fellow Panther who recently started her journey at FIU.

Reyes, who is a Christian, says her faith motivates her to work hard, stay humble and serve others. “Jesus says there is more happiness in giving than receiving. My favorite Bible verse is Acts 20:35.”

As to why she chose FIU? She says she appreciates the Hispanic-influenced culture and diversity at the university. “When I came to FIU on tour, I fell in love with the vibe. I could see myself walking here and going to class here. I feel at home and warm here.”

Group spotlight: B.S.-M.D. freshmen

This fall, FIU welcomed four students who will inaugurate a new seven-year accelerated B.S-M.D. program that will allow them to earn a bachelor’s in biology and seamlessly begin medical school in their fourth year as undergraduates. Angelo Azzaretto, Melissa Hernandez, Olivia Jose and Revati Sabat are the program's first cohort.

The students each have a demonstrated committment to academic excellence, service and health care. Combined, their achievements include being listed as authors of two published scientific articles; shadowing doctors and volunteering at various hospitals across the state; earning numerous academic accolades and awards; logging hundreds of hours of community service; and a long list of extracurricular leadership activities. From playing instruments, excelling in sports, researching the environment, going on mission trips and earning coveted titles in academic science competitions across the state, these students have done it all.

Learn more about their individual stories and the new program.  

This story is part of a series celebrating incoming freshmen in the Class of 2028. Check out the full series.

The Class of 2028 is hitting it out of the park. Many of our newest Panthers have been harnessing the power of technology to share their stories and have embraced an entrepreneurial spirit, starting businesses or enriching their academic lives through creative outlets.

Who says a math major can’t love the arts? Who says a future engineer doesn’t enjoy writing blogs? And who says an artist or singer can’t also enjoy a good business class?

Freshmen are showing the world that they can be multifaceted individuals, shining in a variety of areas. They’re also proving that Panthers are brilliant at whatever they do.

As we prepare for the fall semester, we feature three freshmen who run the gamut from accomplished musical theater performer to baker-mathematician and lover of STEM – and explore how they are ready to use their talents to make the world a better place.

Angelina Ballantyne

Angelina Ballantyne launched her baking business when she was 17 years old. What started as a way to unleash her creativity and bake for fun blossomed into a bigger adventure as friends and family began tasting – and ordering -- the sweet treats she was baking. Through her business, Skater’s Dozen, she makes cakes, cupcakes, macarons and more. She says putting a smile on people’s faces when they see the treats is the best part of it all.

Ballantyne starts at FIU this fall as a math education major. She graduated with her AA from the School for Advanced Studies, earning a 4.9 GPA for high school classes and a perfect 4.0 unweighted GPA for her college coursework. Her favorite class was AP Calculus (she got a five on the test, by the way). She’s tutored children since her freshman year, eventually tutoring up to seven students a year, mostly in pre-algebra and algebra.

Inspired by her own teachers, she’s interested in pursuing a career as a teacher. “I couldn’t be more grateful for all of my teachers at SAS. I feel like I did a 180 and became a different person thanks to them. I was very shy, and my teachers gave me the resources to join new clubs and activities. They just helped me develop and gain confidence in who I am. If I could be that person for someone, that would be rewarding.”

Ballantyne loves roller skating (her business name is an ode to this hobby) and music. She sang in choir club and for years, attended school at a vocal magnet program at Miami Arts Studio at Zelda Glazer.

As she begins at FIU, she says she’s most looking forward to joining the Panther community and “building relationships, just getting out there and socializing and networking.”

Fun fact: the macarons pictured above are FIU-inspired (check out the blue swirls and the gold shimmer!)

David Llamazares

All the world is a stage. At least, it is for David Llamazares.

The freshman starts at FIU with an outstanding list of achievements in the field he is passionate about: musical theater. Llamazares graduated from the Miami Arts Studio at Zelda Glazer with a 4.4 GPA and a collection of Honor Rolls.

He has been a lead character on various productions and has appeared in many more inside and outside of school. He’s also received numerous awards from Florida’s region of the International Thespian Society, an honor society for theater students. He’s earned the highest accolade, “Top Honors,” six times and 10 superior competition scores.

His senior year, he directed, musically taught, choreographed and performed in a large group musical for the regional Thespian competition. The group received Top Honors – the highest score in the room – and was selected to represent the entire district at the state level, where they performed in front of 3,000+ people.

Llamazares can sing, dance and build sets. He’s been involved with the Roxy Theater since he was in elementary and was also involved in the Miami Children Theater. He was accepted into universities ranging from Emerson College to University of Central Florida, but he chose FIU. He’s part of a Panther family after all – his mom works at the FIU Police Department.

Llamazare’s motivation to succeed goes back to his toddler years.

“I had cancer when I was about five years old,” he says. “It stopped me from doing so many things. Once there is a task in front of me now, I want to challenge myself, I want to overcome. I always push myself. I love everything about theater. Theater is not a physical game, it’s a mental game. Once you tell yourself you can do something, even if it takes time, you’ll get there. Hard work and dedication really pays off.”  

La’Tavaia Rickerson

La’Tavaia Rickerson received full-time job offers even before beginning FIU.

This is thanks to her impressive performance in various summer internships she completed at the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). She interned in JTA’s human resources department twice and later worked with data analytics and website management at its ethics and compliance department.

She excelled in her internships. Employees took notice. She got job offers. And while she turned down the jobs in favor of pursuing her education, she says the internships provided valuable professional experiences. “I’m really proud of these internships,” she says.

Rickerson graduated from Paxon School of Advanced Studies, an IB high school in Jacksonville, Fl. She worked hard on her academics and in her community. She tutored children in reading as part of a Read USA – Mayor’s Youth at Work partnership. She’s been a cheerleader since she was five years old, eventually cheering on her school’s varsity team. She was selected as one of only 25 recipients of the Coke Florida Scholarship, which is run by Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC. 

Rickerson is majoring in biology and plans to pursue medicine. “I really want to make a difference in the world. I want to be a surgeon.”

She also has an artistic side. One of Rickerson’s hidden talents lies in digital video recording and editing, for which she is Adobe Premier Pro-certified. She took a class that had students recording music videos and news shows, interviewing teachers and seniors and compiling sports highlights, among other projects. In tenth grade, Rickerson also began her own small business as a nail artist after taking a nail class with a stylist.

She began at FIU this summer and started strong. She already earned her first two As at the university.

This story is part of a series celebrating incoming freshmen in the Class of 2028. Check out the full series.

The rankings rate four-year institutions based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research, and promoting public service . FIU ranked third among public universities and 16th among all universities. It is the No. 1 university in Florida.

“These rankings validate what we already know about our FIU: With an unwavering commitment to innovation and progress, FIU students and preeminent faculty take on the world’s most pressing challenges and rise to meet them,” said FIU President Kenneth A. Jessell. “And we happen to offer one of the best returns on your educational investment anywhere.”

This ranking is particularly significant because FIU’s performance on the Washington Monthly rankings is among the criteria that led to the Florida Board of Governors designating FIU a preeminent state research university, one of only four in the state. The designation recognizes state universities based on student success and research performance metrics such as graduation rates, national rankings, faculty memberships in National Academies, research expenditures and patents awarded.

Remember: The college experience is about so much more than just taking classes. FIU is a vibrant university with endless opportunities to make friends, explore personal and professional interests, and prepare for your future career.

"We are eager to help you explore your interests and the causes that matter to you as you progress through your academic journey," said Charlie Andrews, interim vice president for Student Affairs. “Remember, there is a wealth of resources available inside and outside of the classroom to support you and ensure your success.”

Have fun – there's so much to do here!

FIU is home to more than 200 registered student organizations, including 30 fraternities and sororities, honor societies, leadership- and community service-driven organizations, and clubs that explore personal interests, identity, faith, politics and more. There truly is something for everyone.

Log in to Panther Connect with your FIU credentials to access the full list of student organizations, view a calendar of student events, sign up to participate in community service or professional networking opportunities, and more.

This is your chance to make memories and build friendships that will last a lifetime.

Interested in Greek life?
Membership recruitment and intake is happening now and continues throughout September.

And don’t forget to show up and ROAR for our student-athletes! FIU students get free admission to home games and matches for all FIU sports. Students can even bring a guest for free to football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball home games. View the Fall 2024 schedule online.

“We all know that it means so much to our student-athletes when they see a packed crowd at our FIU Athletics events,” said Athletic Director Scott Carr. “They compete at a higher level with their fellow Panthers cheering them on, and I know they cherish every moment they get to play in front of large crowds of students and fans.”

Find the tools you need to succeed in class.

It won’t be long before you’re juggling assignment deadlines and trying to find time to study – all while balancing extracurriculars or shifts at work. But FIU offers a variety of resources to support your academic needs.

Visit the Center for Academic Success to participate in tutoring, workshops, study halls and small group sessions. The center also offers personalized success plans created by an academic coach and tailored to your individual needs. The Center for Testing and Career Certification offers in-person and virtual exams such as the Foreign Language Achievement Testing Service (FLATS), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), ACT and other exams to meet your academic needs.

The Disability Resource Center is a one-stop shop that accommodates service needs for students with disabilities and guides them throughout the college experience. The Veteran and Military Affairs team helps ensure each veteran and military-affiliated learner can understand and access their education benefits and fulfill their professional goals.

FIU Student Access and Success supports underrepresented learners throughout their college career with study spaces and academic assistance, professional development and much more. Its services include Fostering Panther Pride (for former foster youth and students experiencing housing insecurity), first-generation college student initiatives, and federally funded TRIO programs like Student Support Services and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program.

Are you involved in research this semester? The 2024 McNair Scholars Research Conference, scheduled for Oct. 27-29 at FIU, is accepting abstracts now through Sept. 23. Learn more about the program and apply online.

Keep your health and wellness in check.

Taking care of your body and mind is key to being able to focus in class and maintain your momentum throughout a busy semester.

FIU Student Health & Wellness services are designed to support you on a holistic level to ensure you have the physical and mental wellness you need to achieve in and out of the classroom. Funded by the Health Fee, you have access to primary care services, in-person and online counseling, nutrition coaching, massages, sexual health materials, and much more.

FIU Wellness and Recreation offers a variety of options to help you destress, build your strength and keep up with your fitness goals. Hit the gym or pool, join a fitness class, work with a personal trainer, try out for an intramural sport and more. Sign up online today – there are opportunities available at MMC and BBC.

FIU also offers the Financial Wellness Program, which helps students better understand what it means to live a financially healthy life by providing resources that help build the foundational skills for success. And personalized College Life Coaching sessions can help you set academic goals, learn study strategies and time management skills, and improve motivation.

Jumpstart your career search.

Preparing for your intended career shouldn’t be put off until the last minute. Get started planning for your dream job now – whether you’re in your first year of college or you plan to graduate soon. FIU Career and Talent Development offers an array of services, from interview prep to resume writing workshops, professional development, a career closet and more.

What’s the first step? Visit VMock, an online tool that uses AI to help you create or perfect your resume and ensure you’re putting your best foot forward. Then claim your free Handshake account to browse internship and job listings, schedule an appointment with a career advisor, or sign up for workshops.

Mark your calendar: Meet with representatives from hundreds of potential employers at FIU’s Career Fair on Sept. 16.

Looking to build critical skills that will strengthen your resume and set you apart among a crowd of job applicants? FIU offers more than 100 Micro-Credential courses for free online, with subjects ranging from artificial intelligence to emotional IQ and beyond. Upon completion of each course, you’ll receive a digital badge to add to your LinkedIn profile or resume. View the full list of Micro-Credentials and enroll online.

Reminder: Complete your required online trainings.

All undergraduate students who are new to FIU this year are required to complete virtual online trainings on topics such as sexual assault prevention, hazing prevention and career readiness. New graduate students, please note you are required to complete the sexual assault prevention and hazing prevention trainings, as well. These trainings are available at no cost through FIU Develop. Be aware that some of these trainings bear consequences if you do not complete them, such as a hold being placed that would prevent registration for future semesters.

The university also offers elective virtual modules discussing mental health awareness and supporting student veterans, for those who are interested in learning more. A full list of required and recommended modules is available online.

Still have questions?

Check the FIU Survival Guide, where you'll find all the most important things you need at FIU. Think of it as the only “cheat sheet” you'll ever be allowed to use in college.

Or you can always Ask Roary! The Ask Roary team works with departments and schools across FIU to connect you to the information and support you need to succeed.

Now get out there and ace this semester, Panthers! You’ve got this!

Welcome to Fall 2024 at FIU! It truly is an exciting time to be a Panther!

I am delighted to give a special welcome to the FIU Class of 2028. You are quite an accomplished group. Among you are seven National Merit Scholars and four Silver Knight awardees, and you hail from 41 states and 39 countries.

I also extend a warm Panther welcome to our new transfer and graduate students, and a resounding welcome back to our returning students. To our faculty and staff joining us for the first time this semester, we are thrilled you are here. Each of you has made an excellent decision in choosing FIU.

With an unwavering commitment to innovation and progress, FIU students and preeminent faculty take on the world’s most pressing challenges and rise to meet them. And it just so happens that we offer one of the best returns on your educational investment anywhere.

This morning, Washington Monthly ranked FIU No.3 among public universities and No. 16 overall in its 2024 National University Rankings for what we “do for the country.” This fills us with pride because it affirms how we are fulfilling our mission, advancing science and making the world a better place right along with elite institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, and University of Pennsylvania, which top the list.

I cannot think of a better motivator for all of us as we begin this new semester.

This summer, our university was designated a Preeminent Research University by the Florida State University System (SUS) Board of Governors. We are now part of an elite group of top research institutions in our state, contributing to your development and the economic growth of the great state of Florida.

What makes this achievement so meaningful is that FIU is the youngest university in Florida to attain this designation, which is a testament to the excellence of our students, the expertise of our dedicated faculty, the commitment of our staff, and the successes of our alumni. With this designation comes a renewed commitment to the essence of FIU – forward-thinking, innovative, unstoppable.

We are also very proud that, once again, FIU was named the No. 1 university in the SUS, according to the Florida Board of Governors’ performance metrics scores.

And that is not all. The Florida Legislature has allocated the initial funding for a $200 million health science and clinical facility that will be the cornerstone of our budding collaboration with Baptist Health. Together, we will elevate care, address the current physician shortage, and accelerate medical research in our region.

FIU is on an upward trajectory because we have a smart, committed, and impactful university community. Let’s celebrate our achievements, with true Panther spirit, by wearing FIU gear all week long – on and off campus. Join me as we rep the blue and gold and help spread that Panther Pride!

Speaking of pride, our football stadium has a new name – Pitbull Stadium. That’s right – FIU and the Grammy-winning international superstar are partners. You can expect to see Mr. Worldwide on campus throughout the year. In addition, we are looking forward to Pitbull’s new FIU-inspired song. 

Tonight, you have an opportunity to celebrate during Panthers’ F1RST NIGHT – an unforgettable way to wrap up the first day of classes and kick off an amazing year. Doors open at 6 p.m. I look forward to seeing you there!

As we begin our journey together this Fall, let us remember that FIU is a place of belonging, understanding, and civility. With election season upon us, and with the concerns we each carry in our hearts about issues of global impact, we must always remember that peace, tolerance, and understanding must prevail.

At FIU, there is no room for violence, hate, discrimination, antisemitism, or intolerance. Our campuses must remain platforms for civil discourse and dialogue. This semester, and throughout this academic year, let us listen to each other, support each other, and address our differences with patience and kindness. FIU has programs in place to support students, faculty, and staff who may be facing difficulties. Please reach out if you need assistance. We are here to help.

To help ensure everyone’s safety, health, and welfare on campus, University policy prohibits behavior that poses a safety hazard, disrupts education, research, and other University operations, or otherwise substantially interferes with the rights of other community members of the University. The University is committed to upholding and enforcing these protections, which include those set forth in University Regulations FIU-106, FIU-110, FIU 111, and our Student Code of Conduct, FIU-2501.

Panthers, I look forward to seeing you around campus. There’s so much going on at our university, and I encourage you to stay informed, engaged and involved. For more details about our intellectual, cultural, social and athletic offerings, please check out the FIU Calendar and FIU News; these are great resources to keep up with what’s going on our campuses.

Have a wonderful semester, Panthers! Paws up!

Sincerely,

Kenneth A. Jessell
President

Who says a math major can’t love the arts? Who says a future engineer doesn’t enjoy writing blogs? And who says an artist or singer can’t also enjoy a good business class?

Freshmen are showing the world that they can be multifaceted individuals, shining in a variety of areas. They’re also proving that Panthers are brilliant at whatever they do.

As we prepare for the fall semester, we feature three freshmen who run the gamut from accomplished musical theater performer to baker-mathematician and lover of STEM – and explore how they are ready to use their talents to make the world a better place.

Angelina Ballantyne

Angelina Ballantyne launched her baking business when she was 17 years old. What started as a way to unleash her creativity and bake for fun blossomed into a bigger adventure as friends and family began tasting – and ordering -- the sweet treats she was baking. Through her business, Skater’s Dozen, she makes cakes, cupcakes, macarons and more. She says putting a smile on people’s faces when they see the treats is the best part of it all.

Ballantyne starts at FIU this fall as a math education major. She graduated with her AA from the School for Advanced Studies, earning a 4.9 GPA for high school classes and a perfect 4.0 unweighted GPA for her college coursework. Her favorite class was AP Calculus (she got a five on the test, by the way). She’s tutored children since her freshman year, eventually tutoring up to seven students a year, mostly in pre-algebra and algebra.

Inspired by her own teachers, she’s interested in pursuing a career as a teacher. “I couldn’t be more grateful for all of my teachers at SAS. I feel like I did a 180 and became a different person thanks to them. I was very shy, and my teachers gave me the resources to join new clubs and activities. They just helped me develop and gain confidence in who I am. If I could be that person for someone, that would be rewarding.”

Ballantyne loves roller skating (her business name is an ode to this hobby) and music. She sang in choir club and for years, attended school at a vocal magnet program at Miami Arts Studio at Zelda Glazer.

As she begins at FIU, she says she’s most looking forward to joining the Panther community and “building relationships, just getting out there and socializing and networking.”

Fun fact: the macarons pictured above are FIU-inspired (check out the blue swirls and the gold shimmer!)

David Llamazares

All the world is a stage. At least, it is for David Llamazares.

The freshman starts at FIU with an outstanding list of achievements in the field he is passionate about: musical theater. Llamazares graduated from the Miami Arts Studio at Zelda Glazer with a 4.4 GPA and a collection of Honor Rolls.

He has been a lead character on various productions and has appeared in many more inside and outside of school. He’s also received numerous awards from Florida’s region of the International Thespian Society, an honor society for theater students. He’s earned the highest accolade, “Top Honors,” six times and 10 superior competition scores.

His senior year, he directed, musically taught, choreographed and performed in a large group musical for the regional Thespian competition. The group received Top Honors – the highest score in the room – and was selected to represent the entire district at the state level, where they performed in front of 3,000+ people.

Llamazares can sing, dance and build sets. He’s been involved with the Roxy Theater since he was in elementary and was also involved in the Miami Children Theater. He was accepted into universities ranging from Emerson College to University of Central Florida, but he chose FIU. He’s part of a Panther family after all – his mom works at the FIU Police Department.

Llamazare’s motivation to succeed goes back to his toddler years.

“I had cancer when I was about five years old,” he says. “It stopped me from doing so many things. Once there is a task in front of me now, I want to challenge myself, I want to overcome. I always push myself. I love everything about theater. Theater is not a physical game, it’s a mental game. Once you tell yourself you can do something, even if it takes time, you’ll get there. Hard work and dedication really pays off.”  

La’Tavaia Rickerson

La’Tavaia Rickerson received full-time job offers even before beginning FIU.

This is thanks to her impressive performance in various summer internships she completed at the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). She interned in JTA’s human resources department twice and later worked with data analytics and website management at its ethics and compliance department.

She excelled in her internships. Employees took notice. She got job offers. And while she turned down the jobs in favor of pursuing her education, she says the internships provided valuable professional experiences. “I’m really proud of these internships,” she says.

Rickerson graduated from Paxon School of Advanced Studies, an IB high school in Jacksonville, Fl. She worked hard on her academics and in her community. She tutored children in reading as part of a Read USA – Mayor’s Youth at Work partnership. She’s been a cheerleader since she was five years old, eventually cheering on her school’s varsity team. She was selected as one of only 25 recipients of the Coke Florida Scholarship, which is run by Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC. 

Rickerson is majoring in biology and plans to pursue medicine. “I really want to make a difference in the world. I want to be a surgeon.”

She also has an artistic side. One of Rickerson’s hidden talents lies in digital video recording and editing, for which she is Adobe Premier Pro-certified. She took a class that had students recording music videos and news shows, interviewing teachers and seniors and compiling sports highlights, among other projects. In tenth grade, Rickerson also began her own small business as a nail artist after taking a nail class with a stylist.

She began at FIU this summer and started strong. She already earned her first two As at the university.

This story is part of a series celebrating incoming freshmen in the Class of 2028. Check out the full series.

FIU’s newest Panthers are bringing their A-game to the ‘305’.

The Class of 2028 ushers in a new wave of outstanding academic, community and artistic achievement that is fueling the Panther community to reach new heights. Among the freshmen are scholars, researchers, business owners, bloggers, creatives, as well as students committed to environmental resilience, medicine, education and other areas crucial to the health of society.

FIU welcomed nearly 5,300 new freshmen to campus this summer and fall. There are seven National Merit awardees, four Silver Knight winners, 10 Silver Knight honorable mentions and 14 students recognized as scholars by the College Board. Nearly 658 high schools from across the country (including Florida) and 103 international high schools are represented in this class. The students also represent 41 states and 39 countries around the world. Freshmen who began in the fall have an average SAT score of 1259 and average GPA of 4.01.

Jody Glassman, assistant vice president of Enrollment and University Admissions, says that the Class of 2028 is a highly motivated, academic- and entrepreneurial-minded class who soared above all the challenges brought on by the pandemic and cemented themselves as leaders.

“This is my tenth year at FIU and my ninth incoming class,” says Glassman. “This class finished middle school and started high school in 2020. This is also a generation who has grown up with Apple devices, streaming services and social media, but they want human interaction. They’ve demonstrated that they want to be here in person at FIU, engaging with their Panther community. I am so excited for this class to challenge us to keep growing, changing and raising the bar on what’s possible.”  

Meet just a few freshmen starting their journeys at FIU.

Jesus Garcia

When Jesus Garcia was a child, he would stare at FIU as his parents drove by the university time and time again. “It impressed me,” he recalls. “It looks like a city. I told myself, ‘I want to be there one day.’ It motivated me a lot in my academics.”

Years later and after thoroughly researching other universities, he set his heart on FIU again. “I realized I was right as a kid. I’m super happy with my decision to attend FIU. It's a great school.”

Garcia is a National Merit Scholar. He graduated summa cum laude and in the top three percent of his class at Doral Academy. He also graduated with his AA. He was recently selected as one of only 750 Gates Millennium Scholars across the country. During the summer, he went on a three-day retreat with the scholars, where he networked with brilliant students and professionals and attended lectures on leadership, resume-writing and other professional development topics.   

In high school, Garcia logged over 150 hours of community service. He was part of Rho Kappa (National Social Studies Honor Society), HOSA – Future Health Professionals club, National English Honor Society, National Honor Society and the Film Club. 

He was also an executive board member of the Green Campus club, where he led the recycling program. He oversaw a group of volunteers who would go into every classroom collecting paper waste to send to companies that would recycle the waste. Before graduating, he reached out to companies that recycled other kinds of materials and connected them with the new club leaders. Thanks to his efforts, the club will follow his blueprint and begin recycling cardboard and plastic, too.

Garcia begins FIU as a biology major. The son and grandson of doctors originally from Cuba, he plans to follow in their footsteps and become a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Caniya Brown

Caniya Brown wants to live her life inspiring children to succeed. She wants to give back. That is why she’s majoring in elementary education and plans to become a teacher.

Brown graduated as the valedictorian of Miami Edison Senior High School. She was part of the Cambridge AICE program. She received numerous awards for her academic and extracurricular involvement, including a string of Honor Roll diplomas, Miss Senior, MVP in softball and more. She is also a recipient of the Coke Florida Refreshing Minds Scholarship.

She was involved in 12 student organizations. She was the president of the Student Government Association and vice president of the National Honor Society. She was part of the morning announcements crew, the fashion club and the volleyball club. A lover of public speaking, she became something of a spokesperson for various school projects, even appearing on the news to discuss student activities several times. Through Future Business Leaders of America, Brown also participated in business competitions, winning two first place finishes. Brown completed the Police Explorer program, which allows students to learn about civic engagement and possible careers pathways in the Miami-Dade Police Department.

Brown received more than 15 college acceptance letters. She chose FIU. She first became part of the Panther community while in high school. Through FIU’s partnership with Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Brown was matched with Emmanuele Bowles, an FIU staff member who has guided her throughout her academic journey and connected her with resources for success.

At one point during high school, Brown and her grandma became homeless. But Brown kept focused on her education. She excelled, she achieved and she overcame. Today, she is proud to be a Panther. “FIU gave me hope,” she says. “At FIU, I know I have so many people standing behind me. Whether faculty, staff, students, everyone is a unit and everyone is here for you. FIU really sees the greatness in students.”

She attended Panther Camp and lives on campus. She plans to get involved with the Black Student Union and the Student Government Association.

Josh Cunnison

Josh Cunnison was raised in a small city in Virginia. When it came time to choose a college, he decided FIU was the perfect place for him.

“Everybody I talked to at FIU, whether students or advisors or professors, everyone was super nice,” he says. “That matters. Also, I think the campus is just beautiful. There’s not a spot that you go to that’s not drop-dead gorgeous. It just adds to the atmosphere and the experience. I’m super excited to see what the next four years bring.”

Cunnison is a musical theater major. He graduated from Kecoughtan High School with a 4.33 GPA and was in the top five percent of his class. He was president of his senior class and of the drama club. He was part of the Virginia High School League in theater, the Educational Theater Association and the International Thespian Honor Society. He earned four “Best Actor” awards in three years and, during his senior year, he earned three scores of superior — the highest score — during theater competitions.

He was a Virginia State Thespian officer, through which he helped organize theater festivals and acted as a student voice on board meetings of the Educational Theater Association. He was one of only six people selected as an International Thespian Officer, the highest level of leadership a student can attain within the organization. In his role, he coordinated workshops, wrote for an online publication and helped organize fundraisers.

For his service project at school, he wrote a script and directed a production starring students with special needs. He spoke to their teachers and came in during class time to work with the children and tailor their roles so that they would enjoy the production. “This is one of the most important things I’ve ever done in my life,” he says. “I have family members that have autism and special needs. I’m passionate about advocating for people with special needs.”

Hannah Reyes

Hannah Reyes is on a mission to infuse engineering with sustainability. The civil engineering major and FIU Honors College student is passionate about the environment. She attended Fort Lauderdale High School, where she graduated as the valedictorian of her class. She was part of her school’s Cambridge AICE program and earned recognition as a scholar by the College Board and as an AP Scholar.

She was the historian of the National Honor Society and was part of a team of students who prepared a project on Broward County’s rising waters for a youth climate summit. She has tutored students in math and even took a job at Mathnasium, where she has been named employee of the quarter twice. Through an initiative of her job, she was part of a team that helped raise thousands of dollars to support those who are homeless.

In her spare time, Reyes runs her own blog in which she shares recipes for gluten-free deserts. “It’s really a passion of mine,” she says. She began the blog because she herself adopted a gluten-free diet to improve her eczema and stomach health. Her recent posts feature deserts like strawberry cupcakes, tahini brownies and soft-baked banana cookies. For years, she also practiced Judo at the same center where FIU alumna and Olympian Angelica Delgado trained. Reyes is also twin to a fellow Panther who recently started her journey at FIU.

Reyes, who is a Christian, says her faith motivates her to work hard, stay humble and serve others. “Jesus says there is more happiness in giving than receiving. My favorite Bible verse is Acts 20:35.”

As to why she chose FIU? She says she appreciates the Hispanic-influenced culture and diversity at the university. “When I came to FIU on tour, I fell in love with the vibe. I could see myself walking here and going to class here. I feel at home and warm here.”

Group spotlight: B.S.-M.D. freshmen

This fall, FIU welcomed four students who will inaugurate a new seven-year accelerated B.S-M.D. program that will allow them to earn a bachelor’s in biology and seamlessly begin medical school in their fourth year as undergraduates. Angelo Azzaretto, Melissa Hernandez, Olivia Jose and Revati Sabat are the program's first cohort.

The students each have a demonstrated committment to academic excellence, service and health care. Combined, their achievements include being listed as authors of two published scientific articles; shadowing doctors and volunteering at various hospitals across the state; earning numerous academic accolades and awards; logging hundreds of hours of community service; and a long list of extracurricular leadership activities. From playing instruments, excelling in sports, researching the environment, going on mission trips and earning coveted titles in academic science competitions across the state, these students have done it all.

Learn more about their individual stories and the new program.  

This story is part of a series celebrating incoming freshmen in the Class of 2028. Check out the full series.

FIU has launched a program that many high school, pre-med students consider the ultimate opportunity.  

The university’s new, seven-year accelerated program allows FIU Honors College students to earn a bachelor’s in biology while seamlessly beginning medical school at FIU during their fourth year as undergraduates. As long as students continue to meet several academic requirements and successfully complete the interview process, they are guaranteed spots within FIU’s medical program and will graduate with an M.D. at the end of the seven years.

“This program is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says incoming freshman and biology major Angelo Azzaretto. Azzaretto is one of four Honors College students who were invited to join the first class of the accelerated program.

Olivia Jose, another incoming freshman in the program, says that when she stumbled across the program online, she was instantly sold on FIU. “This is a dream come true,” she says. “The perfect opportunity for an aspiring physician in Miami.”

The beginning of something great

The program is a collaboration between the FIU Honors College, the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and the College of Arts, Sciences & Education.

“The idea was born over cafecito with me and Juan Cendan [dean of FIU Wertheim Medicine],” says Juan Carlos Espinosa, dean of the FIU Honors College. “Many Honors College students want to follow the healthcare path. We’ve been collaborating for years to help build pathways for our students.” 

He says they wanted to up the ante on pathway offerings. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for top students starting out at FIU and interested in medicine,” Espinosa explains. “We wanted to prepare them and challenge them with a rigorous curriculum to get a head start on their studies. These students shine. You can see them from far away. And we want to help them succeed.”

Enter the seven-year accelerated program. It offers a robust biology curriculum that will equip students to triumph in med school. Part of the curriculum also requires students to gain research experience and clinical hours. Likewise, students have regular academic advising meetings and check-ins with adminsitrator Brenda Luna to discuss their goals and progress. 

“The program is set up so that the students can and will succeed,” says Cendan, dean of FIU Wertheim Medicine. “I remember 25 or 30 years ago, looking at medical schools that had these accelerated programs. It’s a special thing. Now we have it at FIU. It’s big for the students, it’s big for us, and it’s big for the university.”

He says it’s also important for the profession across the country, and especially across the state.

“A third of Florida physicians are of retirement age,” Cendan says. “If they all retire right now, that would leave a gaping chasm that would be very hard to fill rapidly. What we do at FIU feeds into the physician workforce. Anything that we could be doing as a system to get people through and help physicians, whether it is through education, training or fellowships, it’s worth exploring. We are turning out physicians ready to support the needs of Floridians. This is part of that narrative.”

Meet the four outstanding students who are kicking off the program.

Revati Sabat

For Revati Sabat, medicine is the combination of science and human connection. As a child, Sabat would often go to work with her dad, a doctor. She would interact with doctors during the day and talk to them in the lunchroom. She would sift through anatomy books her dad brought home from work.

She says her mom and dad are her inspiration. “Growing up, I saw them work hard. Seeing that passion for what they do… That’s more than giving me a career to follow. They gave me an understanding of chasing what you want.”

In high school, she realized medicine was what she wanted. As part of an AP research class at her school she began to research the effects of COVID-19 vaccines in people with Parkinson’s Disease. She reached out to local researchers and worked with them as she conducted her study, interviewing 34 patients with Parkinson’s Disease.

Her study was published in Frontiers in Immunology, with Sabat listed as the study’s first author. The study has already been cited in an article in the United Kingdom.

“I’m very fortunate to have had the opportunity to publish in high school,” Sabat says. “I like working on projects with direct impact on current issues. I thought it was something that could be useful not just for my research class but for the community.”

Sabat graduated as the valedictorian of Eastside High School in Gainesville, where she was part of the school’s IB program. She was recognized as an AP Scholar and was her district’s nominee for Sunshine State Scholar, which recognizes top 11^th graders in STEM.

She founded a club called Science4Kids, in which she went to underserved schools regularly to provide children an opportunity to experience science through experiments and activities. She was captain of the varsity swim team and was part of Mu Alpha Theta (international math honor society), the Spanish Honors Society and the National Honor Society. She was also vice president of her school’s chapter of Future Health Professionals (known as HOSA). She was also involved in the local Indian Cultural and Education Center group, where she choreographed and performed dances at events such as India Fest.

In school, Sabat was part of student teams that won first place at the Alachua Brain Bee, first place at the regional HOSA competition (in the creative problem-solving category) and fourth place at the National Science Bowl. She also shadowed pediatric doctors, which cemented her love for medical care.

Angelo Azzaretto

Angelo Azzaretto wants to become the first person in his family to be a doctor. He views the profession as a vocation — a calling to serve.

“It’s about having a bigger purpose,” he says. “Being a physician gives you so much purpose and meaning in life. The thought that I’ll be able to help as many people as I possibly can... That keeps me motivated.”

He discovered his interest in medicine while in high school, but the seeds were planted at a very early age. Azzaretto was in second grade when he had his appendix removed. He remembers feeling nervous as he prepared to enter the surgery room. The last person he spoke to was the team’s anesthesiologist. “I remember how comforting he was,” Azzaretto says. It changed everything for him. Whether he becomes an anesthesiologist or not, Azzaretto wants to be that doctor, the one helping his patients and comforting them when they need it most.

Azzaretto graduated from Christopher Columbus High School with a slew of honors. He was selected to join the school’s prestigious Mas Scholars program early on. He earned various awards from the College Board, including its national recognition as a scholar as well as the AP Capstone Diploma and AP Scholar with Distinction award. He was also selected to receive the school’s SebastianStrong Foundation Scholarship, which is given to a graduating senior with an interest in pursuing medicine.

Azzaretto was president of the Pre-Med Club and the French Club and was vice president of the Environmental Club, through which he led an initiative across the school to collect and recycle plastic and aluminum (the waste would be sent to a company to recycle the material into school merchandise). He was involved with the National Honor Society, National Science Honor Society and Jiu-Jitsu club. He also volunteered to help children, especially those with special needs and those attending schools in underserved areas, through various programs.

He conducted research on ocean habitats as part of his AP research project. He tested pH levels at various locations in Florida to explore the relationship between ocean acidity and the health of corals, as well as its implications for mangrove-coral habitats.

Through a school program, he also earned certification as an EMT, which required him to complete two clinical experiences at hospitals and work shifts with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, riding along during response calls. He also dedicated two of his summers to completing externships — one at Baptist Health, learning the business and supply chain side of health management, and the other shadowing a cardiologist.

Olivia Jose

Olivia Jose is passionate about giving back to her community. That’s why she wants to be a doctor.

The daughter of two physicians, she has medicine in her blood. But she didn’t realize her calling for the profession until she was 15 and discovered — through a science elective — that she enjoyed learning about the complexities of anatomy and physiology.

For two consecutive summers, she volunteered for more than 240 hours in the radiology department at the University of Miami’s Lennar Foundation Medical Center. There she transported patients and aided technicians with imaging machinery in the operation room, among other tasks. She also worked with a team of mostly medical students and residents on a paper about rare anatomical variants found during ACL reconstruction surgery. Today, she is a credited author of the article, which was published through Elsevier in the Radiology Case Reports journal.

Jose graduated from Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart with high honors. She was a Silver Knight nominee in science. She received recognition as an AP Scholar with Distinction and as a College Board Scholar. She earned school awards for achievement in AP United States history and mechanical and electrical engineering. She was part of Mu Alpha Theta, National Technical Honor Society, Science National Honor Society and National Chinese Honor Society. 

 
As president of Carrollton’s solo and wind ensemble and a clarinetist, she often played at school Masses and concerts. She was part of the Florida All-State Honor Band. As a pianist, she also performed at school recitals and played at a nursing home, to the delight of its residents. She studied Mandarin and performed in Chinese language competitions across the state. She also ran varsity cross country and track and field. She has mentored children through various organizations, including Breakthrough Miami, which supports underserved youth. She also founded her own tutoring services (and set up a website to advertise her business).

She says FIU is the perfect place for her to grow into the physician she wants to become. “FIU is well established as a research university,” she says, “and there’s also a lot of emphasis on service and giving back to the community.” 

While researching FIU, she heard about the FIU Wertheim Medicine’s NeighborhoodHELP program, which allows medical students to go out into the community and provide care through household visits to those in need. “That really stuck with me because I’ve always tried to give back to the community and dedicate my time to help others," she says. "I want to be part of this community of service-oriented and academic people."

Melissa Hernandez

Melissa Hernandez was sitting in class during eighth grade when she opened her textbook and saw a diagram of the brain.

“I was just mesmerized,” she recalls. “I don’t know how to describe the feeling. I just thought, ‘This is amazing.’ It really sparked a desire in me to learn about psychology and connect that with medicine.”

Today, she starts at FIU — her top-choice school — with the goal of preparing herself to become a neurologist. “I want to emphasize having compassion for patients,” she says. “It’s not just looking at them as a chart. It’s more about looking at who they are and how to sympathize with them and give them proper care.”

She graduated from Cooper City High School in the top two percent of her class. She earned her Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) diploma, received an award in academic excellence in statistics and took a variety of dual enrollment courses. Hernandez was the treasurer of the Future Medical Professionals of America chapter at her school. She was also deeply involved with her school’s Best Buddies club, through which she discovered her desire to work with individuals with intellectual disabilities. 

She volunteered at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, where she interacted with child patients during play time. She also volunteered at First Choice Neurology, where she shadowed pediatric neurologists. This summer, she went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, where she worked with doctors to provide care for people in underserved communities and shadowed doctors during surgeries.

Hernandez’s dad, a physician originally from Cuba, is her role model of a dedicated doctor. And her mom, who is active in church, is her model of service. Hernandez follows in their footsteps, embracing faith, community and medicine. For years she has volunteered to assist in organizing food drives at New Horizon Church. Through a Catholic non-profit, she helped provide food and baby shower baskets to pregnant moms in need. While in high school, she also began working a part-time job at a Jewish community center, where she supervised children after school.

Hernandez, who is Catholic, says her faith fuels her motivation to become a physician. 

"Guided by my faith, I am driven to serve as a doctor, recognizing that God's presence is felt through acts of compassion," she says. "True healing arises not only from knowledge but from a heart dedicated to caring, reflecting the higher purpose to love and serve. I feel extremely blessed and grateful to God for the opportunity to pursue my passion at FIU.”

This story is part of a series celebrating incoming freshmen in the Class of 2028. Check out the full series.

Interested in learning about more FIU Honors pathways to med school? Check out these programs.

The Honors College and FIU Wertheim Medicine run a program in which sophomore honors students at FIU are considered for guaranteed admission to the university’s medical school and another in which honors students are guaranteed an interview with the medical school.

This fall, they will roll out a similar early assurance program for those interested in earning a physician’s assistant degree at FIU.

And to learn more about the new, seven-year accelerated program, visit the website's page.

The E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation’s Half-Earth Project promotes global biodiversity research and scholarship with the idea that if at least half of the world’s land and water is managed to safeguard biodiversity, the planet can survive. Catenazzi was nominated and selected by the Half-Earth Chair & Scholars Advisory Board members for his research leadership and role in protecting biodiversity. Catenazzi has worked in the cloud forests of southern Peru for nearly three decades, searching for solutions to a deadly fungal disease that has wiped out entire species. He helped gather critical information needed to expedite the establishment of nine new protected areas in one of the most biologically diverse regions of Peru. Along the way, he has also identified entirely new species of frogs and other animals in his quest to save the world’s amphibians from extinction.

“The focus here is to train people who will become leaders in the future in biodiversity research and leaders who can have the greatest impact,” Catenazzi said.

The foundation granted Catenazzi $120,000 over four years for his research in the Amazonian Andes and $60,000 more to support young scientists he chooses to mentor. He plans to select those already working on projects in the "Neotropical" region of Central America, South America and the Caribbean, which has a variety of climates, from tropical to temperate, and habitats, such as lakes, wetlands, rivers and floodplains. 

Catenazzi will use the funding to further his taxonomy research and investigate the ecological aspects of frog-biting midges, tiny insects that are attracted by frog calls.

“There is a disease that has been spreading very quickly in amphibians that is lethal”, Catenazzi said. “Now, the pressing question is whether these midges aid in spreading this fungal disease. It is basically the Covid of amphibians.”

To collect samples, Catenazzi swabs frogs he finds in the Andes-Amazon. By analyzing these samples, he can identify whether midges can transmit the fungal disease as well as other diseases.

Globally, amphibians are in trouble and in desperate need of conservation action, according to a 2023 global assessment of the world’s amphibian population, which Catenazzi co-authored. Nearly 41 percent of amphibian species are threatened with extinction, making them the most imperiled class of vertebrates on the planet. Since 1980, at least 37 species have gone extinct, with disease and habitat loss being the primary culprits. Amphibians located in the Neotropics are of particular concern. The need for better strategies to prevent amphibian pandemics is urgent, according to Catenazzi.

Amphibians are in trouble and in desperate need of conservation action, according to a new global assessment of the world’s amphibian population.
 
Salamanders are experiencing the greatest decline in numbers, but frogs, toads, newts and salamanders throughout the Neotropics — extending from South Florida and Caribbean islands to Central and South America — are of particular concern, according to Alessandro Catenazzi, FIU biologist and one of the primary researchers on the international project. The team evaluated the status of 8,011 species of amphibians tracked by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their findings, published this week in Nature, indicate nearly 41 percent of amphibian species are threatened with extinction, making them the most imperiled class of vertebrates on the planet. Since 1980, at least 37 species have gone extinct, with disease and habitat loss being the primary culprits. The scientists warn climate change is quickly emerging as a major threat, attributing to 39 percent of populations declines since 2004.
 
“Global emerging diseases increasingly threaten biodiversity worldwide, and amphibians are one of the most dramatic examples of species extinctions caused by disease,” Catenazzi said. “No other group of vertebrates has been so negatively affected by a single disease. We urgently need better strategies to prevent pandemics and mitigate the effects of introduced disease.”
 
While the news is not good for amphibians, the scientists do offer hope in this latest assessment. Enforced habitat protections resulted in status improvements for some species, indicating this should be a conservation priority, especially in regions where agriculture, timber, plant harvesting, and infrastructure development are ever-present.
 
The Global Amphibian Assessment is the second of its kind. The first assessment was completed in 2004, offering scientists a baseline of data to measure extinction risk for this latest study. Throughout the world, there are 8,615 known species of amphibians with 8,011 being listed on the IUCN’s Red List, a comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animals, fungi and plants.
 
“The Global Amphibian Assessment is our best tool to monitor changes in the conservation status of amphibian biodiversity, and to provide highly vetted and curated information that can form the basis for management and conservation actions aimed at preventing the extinction of species,” he said.
 
The current assessment focused on population trends, ecological requirements, threats and distributional boundaries of amphibians worldwide. While the number of threatened and extinct species is increasing, the scientists hope this latest research will motivate governments and conservation agencies to substantially increase their investment and political will for conservation efforts of the world’s amphibians.

FIU researcher Alessandro Catenazzi helped gather the critical information needed to expedite the establishment of nine new protected areas in one of the most biologically diverse regions of Peru.

The Institute of Environment biologist was part of a large collaborative conservation effort led by the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. The team’s extensive rapid biological and social inventory work helped quadruple the previous number of protected areas in Loreto, an expanse of Amazonian lowlands and Andean foothills bordering Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador. 

“It’s easy to want to say, ‘Let’s protect this entire region,’ but you can’t protect 100 percent of an area,” Catenazzi said. “You need more context, and that comes from documenting what animals and plants are there, so government authorities and decision-makers understand why a particular area needs protection — and that was our goal with the rapid inventories.”

Although it covers less than 5 percent of the Amazon basin, Loreto is one of the most diverse areas in the entire Amazon — home to a variety of different species that are not found anywhere else on earth. It’s also home to more than 170,000 indigenous people.

F1RST NIGHT launched two years ago and has already grown to be one of FIU's largest traditions, welcoming more than 7,000 students in 2023. The event’s goal is to set students off on the right foot each Fall by engaging them with dozens of organizations and programs across the university so they can learn how to get involved in FIU’s vibrant campus life.

This year, for the first time, the university is combining the event with its annual Panther Convocation, FIU’s official induction of new Panthers to the college journey. Freshmen and newly matriculated transfer students will have a special opportunity to hear from President Kenneth Jessell, Provost Elizabeth Bejar, and other university leadership, who are eager to welcome the newest class to campus.

In years past, Panther Convocation was hosted in the Ocean Bank Convocation Center, which received a special makeover each August to transform into a formal ceremony befitting the pomp and circumstance of commencing a college education.

As the university continues to rise through the rankings, catapulting it to the national stage, interest in attending FIU has skyrocketed. The university has accepted more than 10,000 new freshmen and transfer students between Summer and Fall 2024 semesters, putting Convocation well over the capacity of its previous venue.

So Panther Convocation has been completely reimagined. Now, new students will not only be greeted by FIU’s top dignitaries, but a crowd of seasoned Panthers who are ready to show them the ropes. This high-energy event is the perfect opportunity for students to make new friends and explore all the ways they can integrate into the FIU community.

“With so many new Panthers entering FIU this academic year, our Convocation event has outgrown its old home. So, what better way to celebrate their arrival than a welcome from the entire FIU community in our newly renamed stadium?” said Charlie Andrews, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs, which collaborates with multiple university partners to host Panthers' F1RST NIGHT. “We’re looking forward to welcoming them along with all our returning Panthers!”

This event is free and open to all students. Parents and families are welcome to attend as well as faculty and staff. Registration online is required for all.

Freshmen and new, incoming transfer students are strongly encouraged to attend and are eligible to receive an exclusive FIU hat with registration, courtesy of Student Government Association. This giveaway is available for pickup in the SGA offices (GC 230 at MMC and WUC 353 at BBC) now through August 30. Students must show proof of event registration and their FIU One Card at pickup.

Panthers’ F1RST NIGHT is just one of more than 30 events taking place during the Fall 2024 Week of Welcome. Check out the entire lineup online: opportunities for food, Panther swag giveaways, and fun are on the schedule all week long at MMC, BBC and I-75.

Part of that approach includes exploring health care innovation in other countries via a summer voyage across the globe where students visit hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, innovation incubators, foundations and rural villages. This July, the group traveled to Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

“In America, we've taken various pieces of our health care system from other countries, so being able to get involved and learn from people in those countries directly involved in health care, and hearing their experiences was very eye opening,” said Jimmy Ester, a student in the program.   

A veteran and former military medic turned nurse, he is now a manager of primary care clinics in The Villages, a master-planned community in Central Florida. For Ester, the trip sparked a curiosity to learn more about how other countries parallel the U.S.’s payment systems and where he could apply these to his daily work.

“It was also interesting to learn through discussions with the administrative staff at a private hospital in Portugal, that they were owned by an insurance company,” said Ester. “I thought it was very unique and I didn't expect to see an insurance company as a primary stakeholder of a hospital in one of the countries we visited.”

Miriam Weismann, academic director of the health care MBA program, explained each trip earns participating students and alumni an advanced certificate in global health care administration. (Previous trips include China, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, England, France and Germany.)

Marsha Joseph, a licensed nursing home administrator who graduated from the program earlier this year, currently works on the IT side of things, ensuring regulatory compliance for clients at Broward-based CSPi Technology Solutions, where many clients are in the health care industry. She joined the trip looking to share her knowledge with current students and continue her own education.

“The technology we encountered in Portugal was unlike anything I’ve seen in the U.S. during my trainings,” said Joseph of the advances demonstrated to the group. They visited health care-startup incubators and learned about product innovations that left them impressed.

Not so in Morocco, where the poor have limited access to health care, which is nearly nonexistent in desert communities that often lack wells for clean water. What little the group saw in terms of available care was “humbling,” Joseph added, even as NGOs have stepped in to help make a difference. The visitors from Florida understood that looking at the social determinants of health, including a lifestyle that for some is nomadic, remains critical to improving outcomes for members of such communities.

Alumnus Ricardo Puente ’93, a partner at Jones Day law firm, knows this well. In his current role, Puente advises multinational companies on protecting their investments and navigating the complexities of operating throughout Latin America. According to him, “Having accurate political, economic and social risk data is key to optimal investment decision-making, legal structuring and dispute resolution.”

Recognizing the need for accurate and reliable information, the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom at FIU launched a new research initiative this year to independently assess the risks facing the region’s countries. The goal: to equip decision-makers with practical, unbiased data that is essential to all those leading organizations operating in Latin America. The work aims to connect academia with the business community, policymakers and nonprofit organizations by providing cutting-edge, academically rigorous research based on practical information obtained from experts on the ground in each country.

Known as the Country Risk Index and Analysis, the initiative has two components: A country and regional analysis, published every four months, and a comprehensive annual country risk index. The country and regional analysis tracks critical issues systematically and continuously, providing a regular snapshot of the current landscape and highlighting potential risk trends. Meanwhile, the country risk index will provide a more in-depth analysis when it is released each year.

Puente attended the roundtable discussion organized at FIU to discuss the first study’s results and sees this initiative as a unique opportunity to discuss the dynamic and evolving topic of risk and business decision-making in Latin America. “The Adam Smith Center’s efforts to conduct meaningful research and connect academia with government and business leaders in Latin America is highly valuable, providing insights for anyone directing or advising companies doing business in the region,” Puente shared.

During the study’s initial phase from January to April 2024, data were collected through a survey and in-depth interviews with subject matter experts in five countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. The initiative’s first results paint a cautionary picture. Every country studied fell into the “Warning” category for overall risk, signaling that both local and international stakeholders need to pay close attention to the region.

While each Latin American country faces its unique set of challenges, three major issues stand out across the board: The pervasive presence of organized crime, rising crime levels and deepening political polarization. These factors significantly influence the region’s overall risk environment and pose multiple threats to stability and investment.

Notably, despite these concerns, relatively few experts stated they would not recommend investing in their respective countries and were never the majority. All countries reflected a similar 20- to 30-point gap between expert opinions on whether to invest, with those in favor of investment uniformly higher. Despite its current challenges, this indicates an at least cautiously optimistic outlook throughout the region.

The center has begun research for the second Country Risk Index and Analysis. The goal is to expand the research into various other countries around the world. Its findings will not only present the political, economic and social risks for the period studied but also build on the initial country and regional analysis to track the key trends identified. Additionally, the upcoming findings will help reveal risk patterns, determine whether certain issues are becoming more or less significant to the region’s risk profile and uncover any emerging risks that were not present during the initial study.

Researcher Diego Cardeñosa is a co-principal investigator in one of 10 projects receiving funding under the Partnership to Advance Conservation Science and Practice (PACSP) program, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Cardeñosa and a multidisciplinary team of scientists are developing new species identification technology, analyzing online wildlife trade markets and implementing artificial intelligence modeling to better understand, and ultimately disrupt, illegal wildlife trade supply chain operations. Their goal is to develop a universal test that can be used to identify highly traded species anywhere in the world.

Now in its second year, the PACSP program is designed to catalyze deep collaboration between researchers advancing basic science and conservation partners engaging in on-the-ground conservation. 

“Securing one of the most competitive grants in the nation validates our commitment to combatting wildlife crime,” said Cardeñosa. “This project represents the culmination of years of research and dedication to establishing FIU as a leader in wildlife forensics.”

Cardeñosa has dedicated his career to finding new and more effective ways to combat illegal trade of turtles, sharks and rays. He developed a portable, rapid DNA test that identifies specific shark species in a fraction of the time and cost as that of traditional testing. Cardeñosa and the team can build on his work with this grant.

Overall, the projects focus on a range of species — from sharks, turtles and grizzly bears to Venus flytraps and Hawaiian honeycreeper — and the outcomes will have far-reaching implications for biodiversity and conservation, policy and the economy.  

"The fundamental knowledge these projects create, even though related to specific species, will unlock innovative conservation efforts across a broader range of threatened species and ecosystems," said Lara Littlefield, executive director for programs and partnerships at the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. "For instance, studying whether mosquitos infected with bacteria can limit the spread of malaria among birds in Hawaii could ultimately limit disease spread among other animals more broadly." 

Each project extends basic science into on-the-ground conservation to address critical knowledge and data gaps, enabling greater real-world impact to benefit species and ecosystems.

"The unique partnerships this program creates forge a roadmap to broader conservation action by uniting the skills, expertise and tools needed to address the most urgent threats to our natural world," said Susan Marqusee, NSF assistant director for biological sciences. "These projects also will engage the public, policymakers, law enforcement and others in conservation through education, outreach and other broader impacts." 

The project titled “Strengthening conservation partnerships by advancing molecular and analytic tools for disrupting illegal wildlife trade” is a collaboration between FIU’s Global Forensic and Justice Center, Worchester Polytechnic Institute and the University of Maryland. Learn more about the Partnership to Advance Conservation Science and Practice program and view the full list of awards and awardees by visiting nsf.gov.

Diego Cardeñosa first chased after a shark when he was 11 years old.

He was on a scuba diving trip with his parents in Providencia, a tiny Colombian island in the Caribbean more than 770 miles away from his home in Bogotá.

The scuba instructor told the group they were supposed to stick together. As soon as Cardeñosa noticed a nurse shark, he chased after it for a closer look.  The instructor raced after him. And since that day, Cardeñosa has never stopped chasing them.

Today, Cardeñosa is a distinguished postdoctoral scholar in FIU’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education. In the past decade, he’s traveled the world trying to learn more about how to protect these important predators. In Bimini, he studied the impacts of habitat loss on the growth and survival rate of juvenile lemon sharks. In Fiji, he searched for critically important shark nursery areas. He even moved to Hong Kong and lived in a 10-square-meters shoebox apartment to work in the hub of the global shark fin trade.

Now, he’s been working with longtime mentor Demian Chapman to continue using DNA detective work to uncover the mysteries of the global shark fin trade. Cardeñosa and Chapman have led some of the most original, groundbreaking research on the fin trade. They genetically analyzed more than 12,000 fin samples — and from that have determined the species most commonly found in markets in Hong Kong and China.

Now comes the next step — using DNA to actually track the fins back to where the sharks were caught. Cardeñosa will be gathering this information, which is crucial for pinpointing where endangered species face the highest risk of overexploitation and possible extinction from illegal fishing practices.

He’s also investigating where smaller shark fins are coming from with support from the ADM Capital Foundation. In Hong Kong, Cardeñosa saw huge volumes of small fins passing through customs. Hundreds of thousands could fit in a single sack. Most of these fins — small enough to fit in the palm of a hand — come from juvenile sharks. Genetically tracking them can pinpoint nursery areas where sharks are in the gravest danger. For Cardeñosa, smaller fins ending up in the trade cannot be ignored. It is especially worrisome because it might mean the proverbial candle is being burnt at both ends — with both adults and juveniles being targeted by the trade.

Cardeñosa’s research findings provide a clearer idea of whether trade regulations are working — specifically, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The international agreement protects animals and plants from over-exploitation in international trade. Oftentimes, illegally traded species are still ending up for sale in the markets.

Where there’s a problem, there are also solutions. The issue of illegally traded fins gave Cardeñosa and Chapman an idea. With funding from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, they created a portable, easy-to-use DNA testing toolkit that gives customs officials and inspection personnel something they never had before — the power to identify illegal species on-site and have the proof to prosecute crimes.

The tool is already being used with great success. Earlier this year Hong Kong customs officials intercepted an illegal shipment from Ecuador of 26 tons of thresher fins. The team’s DNA toolkit was behind this historic seizure of shark fins.

The tool is also helping detect other illegal trade. When Cardeñosa was living in Hong Kong, officials asked him for a test to detect European eels leading to the first prosecution of European eel smugglers in Hong Kong history. And more recently, Colombian officials also used the tool to stop an illegal shipment of 2,200 Matamata turtles.

Cardeñosa was also a part of another major project — Global FinPrint, the world’s largest reef shark and ray survey. It’s this sheer breadth of research on sharks that has caught the attention of stakeholders across the globe. And also in the one place, Cardeñosa has always wanted to do shark conservation work the most. Back home in Colombia.

After nearly 20 years, Cardeñosa recently returned to Providencia. And yes, he’s still chasing after sharks. This time, though, he’s trying to gather data about the number of sharks living there.

With Colombian officials and stakeholders supporting him, Cardeñosa hopes to launch a sort of mini-Global FinPrint project that would cover Colombia’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts, as well as the remote offshore islands, including Providencia.

“Regardless of the tool — whether it’s using tags to track movements or genetic analysis — I have always been interested in doing science that has a specific goal for conversation,” Cardeñosa said. “I want to share information that can be translated into conservation, directly into policy and management action.”

Off the coast of Colombia, the intersection between forensic science and environmental conservation meet. Diego Cardeñosa, an FIU researcher and Distinguished Postdoctoral Scholar, installed in-port DNA detection tools that help provide proof of wildlife poaching in the region.

His groundbreaking work recently earned him a Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol (DIJIN) medal from the global agency. The award came days after another achievement: the publication of a study led by Cardeñosa that used DNA detective work to uncover that two-thirds of species in the global shark fin trade are threatened with extinction.

A lifelong shark lover, Cardeñosa wanted to study the giant predators from a very early age.

“Sharks have always been my passion,” he explained. “Wildlife trade issues came along later in my career. I am very dedicated to it given that it is one of the largest global threats to biodiversity, and we need to disrupt it if we want to save the species that are in danger by this illicit trade in our planet.” 

According to INTERPOL’s Global Fisheries Enforcement team, illegal fishing can not only disrupt the local ecosystem but can be symptomatic of other illicit activities, including human trafficking and drug trade.

In collaboration with DIJIN, Cardeñosa developed protocols and tools to help local law enforcement agencies in Latin America, especially in Colombia, track, detect and, in some cases, stop illegal shark and freshwater turtle trade in a matter of hours. Using DNA, he can determine if a shipment of steaks is a shark, or even if a turtle came from a specific protected region. In many cases, there is enough evidence to prosecute the case.

“The in-port DNA tool allows them to get over that identification challenge and know if a crime is committed quickly," he said. "That part is key since, if they do not have the evidence on a timely manner, the case cannot move forward, and the crime goes unnoticed or unprocessed.”

He added, “This recognition by DIJIN in Colombia was incredible. As a Colombian scientist, receiving this recognition by institutions in your country is an honor and it definitely fuels my drive to keep fighting and create positive change to biodiversity and society through my work."

 

FIU uniquely positioned him to match his love for wildlife with a new passion to save them.

“Working with my colleagues at the College for Arts and Science and Education and the Global Forensic and Justice Center, I have been able to develop novel ideas and explore different avenues to solve some of these pressing issues.”

The issue of wildlife poaching is far from unique to Latin America. Cardeñosa is looking forward to bringing these tools and technology to other wildlife and trafficking hubs around the world, not just sharks.

He’s already working in Hong Kong, Peru, Spain, Colombia, Ecuador, Seaflower Biosphere Reserve in the Caribbean Sea, Guyana and Indonesia to conduct research and protect the world’s oceans from the most dangerous animal: man.

Learn more about Cardeñosa's latest research on shark fin trade and discover his story as a shark DNA detective. 

By Michelle Chernicoff

More than 70 percent of species that end up in the global shark fin trade are at risk of extinction — and sharks living closer to our coastlines might be of greatest conservation concern, according to new research.

A team of international scientists from the U.S. and China sampled 9,820 fin trimmings from markets in Hong Kong — one of the largest shark fin trade hubs in the world. With a little DNA detective work, they unraveled the mystery of which fins belonged to what shark species. In total, they found 86 different species. Sixty-one of those, more than two-thirds, are threatened with extinction. The research was recently published in Conservation Letters.

“Overfishing is most likely the immediate cause of the declining trends we are seeing in shark and ray populations around the world,” said Diego Cardeñosa FIU postdoctoral researcher and the study’s lead author. “The fact that we are finding so many species threatened with extinction in the global shark fin trade is a warning sign telling us that international trade might be a main driver of unsustainable fishing.”

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species assessed sharks — and their relatives, the rays and chimeras — in 2021 and found about one third of all species were threatened. Results of this new study indicate species in this trade are much more likely to be in threatened categories.

FIU postdoctoral researcher Diego Cardeñosa with fin trimmings. (Credit: Stan Shea) 

For nearly a decade, Demian Chapman — Director of the Sharks & Rays Conservation Program at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and Adjunct Professor at FIU — has led the collaborative team, that includes Cardeñosa, to track and monitor the global shark fin trade.

To date, they’ve conducted DNA testing on about 10,000 small scraps taken from processed imported fins, sold in markets in Hong Kong and South China. The project is in collaboration with BLOOM Association Hong Kong and Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden. The team’s goal is to better understand what species are in the trade and how common they are. By tracking this over time, they will be able to inform decision-makers about how well various management measures are working.

The study found the common species that end up in the fin trade are open ocean, or pelagic sharks, like the blue and silky sharks. However, the greatest number of species in the trade live in coastal areas, including blacktip, dusky, spinner and sandbar sharks. The researchers warn without management many of coastal species could become extinct. Three coastal species are already thought to be extinct — all in nations that did not regulate shark fishing.

The relative contribution of the top 10 species to the shark fin trimmings sampled in Hong Kong.

“A few nations are protecting or sustainably fishing sharks and their relatives, but the majority are not for a variety of reasons” Chapman said. “Quite a few of the coastal sharks we found in the trade — such as smalltail, broadfin, whitecheek and various hound shark, river shark and small hammerhead species — are listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered and yet there are no regulations protecting them anywhere in their range. Unless the relevant governments respond with management soon, we are likely to experience a wave of extinctions among coastal sharks and rays.”

One way to encourage better species management is to list them under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) — an international agreement seeks to protect animals and plants from overexploitation driven by international trade.

The 19^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP19) to CITES takes place in November. This study will provide key evidence for deliberations by bringing the plight of costal sharks to the attention of governments and showing only a small percentage of the overall trade in shark fins is currently regulated under the Convention.

“At the upcoming CITES CoP19 Governments have tabled proposals that would bring the vast majority of sharks traded for their fins under the convention’s sustainability controls, action that has been informed by this study’s findings. We’re encouraged to see CITES Governments match their level of ambition to the level of threat seen for sharks and rays globally, with CITES listings a strong driver for better domestic management of shark fisheries” said Director of Shark and Ray Conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society Luke Warwick.

If these proposals are adopted nations would be obliged to ensure that any export of listed species is legal, traceable and sustainable.

“There is a rage of management actions that nations can take to get coastal shark fishing under control and avert this extinction crisis,” Chapman said. “From changing fishing gear, to creating protected areas, to limiting catch, the solutions are out there.”

“Many of these coastal species are in the highest extinction risk categories. The next category is extinction,” Cardeñosa said. “We can’t allow this to happen.”

This research was supported by the Shark Conservation Fund, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Pew Fellowship Program, and the Roe Foundation.

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Established in 2021, the council provides recommendations on current and historic environmental justice matters.

“This appointment means so much, as it acknowledges my contribution to disaster resilience, community engagement and social equity,” Pérodin said. “It also represents a major milestone in my professional portfolio and a testament to the impact of my work.”

Pérodin came to the U.S. from Haiti to attend a university in Maryland. Before finishing her bachelor’s in kinesiology, she sought to build a career in emergency management but wasn’t sure how to proceed.

After a 2010 visit to her family, she left Haiti three days before the country’s devastating earthquake. She decided to return and committed herself to volunteer in schools. She met with teachers and staff and provided first-aid training.

“The disaster prompted me to share something Haitians could use to mitigate any additional risk since so many people lost so much,” she said. “I knew working in the field is the place for me. I want to build a partnership with those affected the most.”

In 2015 during the Ebola outbreak, one of her mentors invited her to West Africa to join an ongoing project to create a regional emergency management system officially called the West African Disaster Preparedness Initiative. Her leadership in their tabletop disaster simulation brought together African tribal leaders and municipal officials.

Today she is a senior director at the CLEO Institute, a nonprofit organization working on climate education and advocacy. Her dissertation explores factors influencing disaster risk perception, community engagement and social equity. This approach involves addressing negative historical impacts in communities with the greatest need and how those voices are reflected in those spaces while acknowledging the systemic structures hindering those community members from thriving.

For example, after Hurricane Maria she worked with the island nation of Dominica to develop a disaster response that took into account the unique culture of the people of in the Kalinago territory. The country had been devastated by a major hurricane and housing, food and drinking water were in short supply.

“There’s work to be done everywhere and I’m always willing to go and lend my expertise as I don’t limit my work to one geographic location. I do feel comfortable in Miami, with one of the highest population of Haitians outside of Haiti residing here,” Pérodin said.

She looks forward to graduating with her doctorate in December after a successful time at the university, during which she co-published research with faculty and contributed to several conference presentations.

"I consider Joanne as a professional colleague rather than as a student,” said N. Emel Ganapati, professor of Public Policy and Administration. “It truly has been a privilege to have her in the classroom and to serve as her advisor in the doctoral program. Combined with her leadership skills, Joanne’s unwavering commitment to environmental justice and disaster resilience, and her tireless service to vulnerable communities make her an exemplary FIU student.”

We returned home from Italy different people than when we left, with a deeper understanding of what it means to be an artist. Walking the paths tread by some of history’s most remarkable painters and sculptors, breathing the air they once breathed and beholding the sights that stirred their souls, we found a profound connection to the essence of creativity and human spirit. The fast pace of society in Miami no longer clouding our minds, we had a chance to identify what we truly value as artists.

The trip reinforced some of what we already knew while yielding many new and unforgettable experiences. So much of what we have learned through our studies and art history books fell into place for us like the pieces of a puzzle. We gained fresh perspectives on how to create art, share it with others and be part of a creative community.

As artists, we underwent an almost-religious experience while viewing some of the most well-known masterpieces of the Renaissance such as Bernini’s “Abduction of Persephone,” Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” Caravaggio’s “Sacrifice of Isaac,” DaVinci’s “Last Supper” and more. Seeing these works firsthand allowed us to appreciate every nuance of texture (the look and feel of the surface as created by brushstrokes) and value (the lightness or darkness of a hue), which can never be captured online or in print. Directly examining the 500-year-old paintings also encouraged us to think more about the principles of design we have studied in drawing courses.

Trying our hand at new skills also proved exciting and worthwhile. A highlight was an eight-hour workshop in Genoa at the Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti held for our group as part of a partnership with the Academy of Portrait and Figurative Arts at FIU. It was led by Professor Silvana Ghigino, and we learned from Italian students who instructed us in painting techniques not commonly taught in America: Trompe-l'œil, an optical illusion that tricks the viewer into perceiving objects or spaces as real; and fresco, a type of mural that involves applying watercolor directly onto wet plaster. We also each created a plaster cast after making a relief sculpture based on a sample piece provided for the class.

On another day, plein-air painting had us working outdoors with watercolors. The exercise taught us to be very intentional with our selection of composition. Choosing one’s subject – a tree, a lake, a building, a bridge, a meadow - from an expansive landscape full of possibilities is much more intimidating than painting a live model, for example, which poses fewer options.

On a social level, many of us connected with our Italian counterparts from the Accademia Ligustica based on our common experiences as art students. We joked around and got to know each other during a lunch break over pesto gnocchi. We found that we share many of the same struggles but that our cultures and environments could not be more different. One student, however, Miriam, expressed sentiments about her upbringing that resonated with us Miamians. Born in Italy of Egyptian parents, she spoke about life in a multicultural immigrant home, something her own classmates had little understanding of.  

We noted another important contrast with our host country as we walked over roads that have existed for a thousand years, surrounded by centuries-old buildings: Miami without a second thought tends to tear down anything remotely old to replace it with something modern, but in Italy, people show respect for what came before. Even in the city of Pompeii, destroyed in 79 A.D. when a nearby volcano erupted, preserving the ruins remains of utmost importance. Moving a single stone or taking a souvenir rock is strictly forbidden.

In the end, the human connections we made gave the members of our group a sense of community as well as drove home for each us our purpose as creative individuals. We departed Italy conscious of our power to shape culture simply by communicating in the most universal of languages: art. 

“I’ve always been a give-back girl,” she says. “And that’s what emergency management is about. It’s about giving back and serving your community.”

Saint-Fart helps communities prepare for disasters through programs that train the public. She also engages with faith-based and community organizations to encourage their participation in disaster planning, response and recovery.

A new beginning

Born and raised in Miami, Saint-Fart comes from a family dedicated to serving others -  police officers, educators and medical professionals - so pursuing such a career was natural for her.

After high school, Saint-Fart hit pause on her undergraduate studies to work to provide for her baby son. That experience led her to eventually launch a nonprofit dedicated to providing single moms with the tools and resources needed to succeed in the workplace, just as she herself had.

Preparing for her future career, she  earned an associate degree in criminal justice with the goal of becoming a police officer. A trusted mentor would eventually set her down a different path.

“My professor told me about the partnership between MDC and FIU where I would thrive in disaster management,” Saint-Fart says. He urged her to explore the undergraduate program at FIU’s Academy for International Disaster Preparedness, which could help pave the way for a successful career in the field.

“I did some research and saw the different opportunities that FIU had to offer as part of this program, and it intrigued me” she says.

Getting the job

In fall 2022, Saint-Fart began her FIU journey with classes that hit on topics spanning from public policy to crisis leadership.

“The material in my classes was super engaging,” she says. “It challenged me to think more critically.”

Saint-Fart was eager to put what she learned in her classes into practice and met with an advisor to discuss internship opportunities. Joann Brown, the assistant director of the undergraduate program at AIDP, located an internship for her with the City of Coral Gables Department of Emergency Management.

For five months, Saint-Fart worked as an intern, helping to formulate emergency plans for the city.

“It taught me that that's where the real groundwork of emergency management is,” she says. “You're in a setting where it's two or three people and their hands are in every part of emergency management from mitigation to preparedness, to response to recovery.”

While interning, Saint-Fart excelled in her studies at AIDP, deepening her understanding of the phases of emergency management through peer discussions, research and a capstones paper. And then it was time to look for a full-time position.

“Through my coursework, I earned over 30 FEMA certifications, giving me a significant competitive edge in the job market,” she says. “The courses were crucial in helping me meet the prerequisites for employment in emergency management.”

Her first day on the job with Miami-Dade’s Department of Emergency Management was two days before her commencement ceremony. 

She gives credits for her success to her professors - many of whom have national and international deployments behind them - who taught her what she needed to know to be successful in the field of emergency management, and the department for helping her get to where she is today. “Thanks to AIDP at FIU, I got the job of my dreams and was able to start my career as a disaster management specialist upon graduating," she said. "I have no idea how many people applied for this position, but it was FIU and AIDP that prepared me to be where I am today. Their dedication to student advancement is truly inspiring, and I am proud to now call many of former professors my colleagues.”

Saint-Fart sees a long future for herself in emergency management, and points to Deanne Criswell as one of her role models— Criswell is the 12^th administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the first woman to lead the agency. 

“I definitely want to leave a lasting imprint,” she says.

The ceremony is an annual medical school tradition designed to instill a commitment to compassionate patient care early in students’ training. 

Dr. Juan Cendan, dean of Wertheim Medicine, welcomed the Class of 2028 to the “noble and challenging medical profession and the responsibilities that come with it: compassion, integrity, professionalism and dedication.” 

About the MD Class of 2028

Selected from more than 6,000 applicants, the class is a microcosm of South Florida’s vibrant and diverse community. Incoming students represent 16 countries. Sixty-six percent are bilingual, and a quarter of the students are “first gens,” the first in their families to earn a college degree.

Notably, women comprise 62% of the class, reflecting the growing presence of women in medicine. “We’re changing the narrative,” said incoming student Sarah Benoit.

This cohort sets a record for the highest number of FIU undergraduates (34%) accepted into Wertheim Medicine, showcasing the culture of excellence cultivated within the FIU community.

Ingrid Lopez earned her undergraduate degree in biological sciences from FIU in 2022.

“Initially, I considered other schools," she said. "But I realized FIU had everything I was looking for. I love how diverse it is, and I always felt so supported as an undergrad."

Looking ahead

The Class of 2028 exemplifies Wertheim Medicine’s commitment to attracting local students likely to stay to practice in the community—nearly nine out of ten of the new students are Florida residents. Administrators said that physician retention cannot be understated based on the latest projections by the Association of American Medical Colleges, which estimate a national physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036.  

The college’s transformative alliance with Baptist Health, South Florida’s largest not-for-profit health care system, aims to contribute to physician retention by creating graduate medical education opportunities for future doctors who want to train in South Florida. The new partnership plans to develop 22 new residency programs, with programs beginning in 2025, including internal medicine, neurology and diagnostic radiology.

View photos from the ceremony.

“North Miami BrewFest is a one-day beer festival where dozens of Florida’s top craft breweries showcase their unique creations, some made especially for the event,” said Michael Cheng, dean of the Chaplin School. More than a dozen restaurateurs also serve up delicious bites, plus the event includes live music, games and educational activities.

This year marks the 12th anniversary of the beer festival, which began as an idea of Chaplin School students and their professor. Ticket proceeds benefit the Chaplin School’s mission to contribute to brewing science education and innovation for the craft brew industry, brewpubs and homebrew organizations and its Bachelor of Science in Beverage Management degree.

Traditionally, half of event participants have been FIU alumni-owned or operated businesses. So far, the following breweries have signed on to participate: Black Pit Brewing Co., Unseen Creatures Brewing, Uncommon Path Brewing, Johnny Cuba, Tripping Animals Brewing, Beat Culture Brewing Co., Bay 13 Brewery & Kitchen, MIA Beer Co, The Tank, The Hallway Tap & Brew, Prison Pals Brewing Co., Conscious Brewing, Rocketeer Beer & Liquid Provisions, Magic 13 Brewing, Dancing Calavera Brewing, Alchemy and Hops Brew Lab, Wynwood Brewing and Cove Brewery. 

Many local eateries will also be in attendance, such as: Chef K Provisions, Le Chick, Twin Dragon Hibachi, If and When Eats, Night Owl Cookies, El Desembarco Miami, Soulfull Biscuit, Crabs R Us, and French Bistro Argentinian Steakhouse. Students from FIU’s Bacardi Center of Excellence and FIU Bistro will also be showing off their gastronomic and cocktail creations.

Tickets are on sale at www.northmiamibrewfest.com and on Eventbrite. 

The 10-year agreement will see FIU Stadium rebranded as Pitbull Stadium, making it the world’s first-ever athletics venue with an artist possessing the naming rights.

Pitbull kicked off his music career in the South Florida rap scene. Since his debut in 2004, he has skyrocketed to global stardom, becoming one of the most successful recording artists worldwide. His hits like “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” and the RIAA Diamond Certified “Give Me Everything” have dominated charts and united fans across the globe.

The unrivaled collaboration includes multi-faceted marketing and promotional opportunities between Pitbull, a Miami native, and FIU – the only public Division-I institution in Miami.

“This partnership with FIU is a true honor and a testament to what we can achieve when we work hard,” said Armando Christian Perez (Pitbull). “Renaming the stadium isn’t just about a name change. It’s about inspiring the community, creating opportunities and showing the world that with determination and a clear vision, anything is possible. We’re making history together, and we’re just getting started. Why dream when you can live it?”

When he steps on the stage at Pitbull Stadium, the GRAMMY®-winning artist will be the first entertainer in history to perform in an athletics facility bearing his name.

“Pitbull’s career trajectory mirrors FIU’s ascent as one of the nation’s top public research universities,” said FIU President Kenneth A. Jessell. “Like FIU, he started out very 305 and became worldwide.”

The partnership also marks Pitbull’s participation in FIU football’s Vice Night, featuring Miami-style colors and merchandise, with the Panthers donning their nationally acclaimed Vice uniform. This year’s game – which will feature a new Vice uniform – will take place on Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. against Sam Houston State and will be broadcast across the country on ESPNU.

“This is a historic day for FIU Athletics to uniquely partner with a world-renowned artist and amazing person who truly values relationships and his community,” FIU Director of Athletics Scott Carr commented. “Armando’s financial support is program-changing, but him providing a microphone to amplify FIU will be even more beneficial to growing our brand. I couldn’t be more excited about our partnership as this will take us to another level. We can now officially say: ‘Paws Up, Dale!’”

Van Wagner College, FIU Athletics’ 3rd-party multimedia rights partner since 2016, assisted with the collaboration. Their efforts also helped attract additional partners to further enhance the partnership, including South Dade Kia which will be the presenting sponsor of the field: South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium.

“We have been proud supporters of FIU Athletics because we recognize the significant role that education and sports play in connecting with young people and students,” stated Lucy Benedetti, Executive Vice President/Co-Owner of South Dade Kia Miami & Homestead. “When we found out about FIU Athletics and Pitbull’s outstanding initiative, we immediately wanted to contribute and participate. We are delighted to announce our collaboration, demonstrating our collective commitment to innovation in Miami. Together we will enhance education and athletics, creating a brighter future for our students.”

Pitbull has been a longstanding advocate for education. He founded the first SLAM! (Sports Leadership, Arts, and Management) tuition-free public charter school in Miami in 2012. The K-12 schools leverage universal themes such as sports, science, technology, media and more to engage students. SLAM! serves nearly 10,000 students across 14 schools in Florida, Nevada, Georgia, Texas and Arizona. In 2022, SLAM! was 1 of 38 school systems in the world recognized as a System of Distinction for excellence in education by Cognia, a global school improvement and accreditation organization.

Like SLAM!, Pitbull’s influence extends beyond the classroom. His newly formed SELF 1st Foundation will serve as an extension of those efforts to bridge opportunity gaps and foster real, tangible impact in underserved communities. SELF 1st, which stands for ‘Strengthening Education to Level the Field,’ enhances educational access and resources for minority and underserved populations across all levels of education, including college and trade school. The organization seeks to cultivate academic excellence, inspire young minds and create a more equitable society where every individual, regardless of background, has the opportunity to succeed through the transformative power of education.

For more information about the partnership, visit FIUSports.com/PitbullxFIU.

A top public research institution rapidly rising on the national and international scenes and the famed singer-songwriter known around the world announced a collaboration today amid fanfare and excitement. The 10-year deal immediately saw the campus football facility renamed Pitbull Stadium.

Pérez’s affiliation with FIU will bring him to campus for a variety of activities and events, and an FIU-inspired song as well as social media and merchandise collaborations are in the works.

“It’s a perfect union,” says alumnus Eddie Hondal '88, MS '00, who explains that Pérez’s story mirrors that of FIU: a Miami-made phenomenon with humble beginnings that through hard work has reached the upper echelons and continues to aim still higher.

The megastar with millions of online followers also calls himself “Mr. 305,” a reference to Miami’s area code, to highlight his standing as a local son.

“He’s a representation of so much of Miami, and FIU is a microcosm of the city. Other schools have a flavor of Miami, but we’re really the essence of the city. I think it’s a perfect combination.”

THE REAL DEAL

Armando Christian Pérez was born in Miami to Cuban immigrants and attended high school just blocks from FIU’s main campus. He released his first album in 2004 and followed with two, in 2006 and 2007, that reference the historic 1980 Mariel boatlift that brought a hundred-thousand-plus refugees to South Florida. (Many of them, and their children, eventually earned degrees from FIU, now the country’s largest Hispanic-serving university). He sings in both English and Spanish, even introducing phrases such as the Cuban dale – roughly “Let’s go” – into the mainstream.

“He has his finger on the pulse of what makes Miami a current and unique part of the United States,” says Phillip Carter, a professor of linguistics acclaimed for his research on the Miami dialect. “His life and career are influenced by the people, places, languages and cultural practices of South Florida. He really showcases to the world a version of Miami that is authentic.”

And his sound likewise reflects hometown roots, Carter adds. “His mixes hip hop with reggaeton and other forms of Latin music to create a something distinctly Miami, that draws on Latin America and the Caribbean, that styles hip hop culture but that really sounds like Miami. He helped pioneer that, and it’s recognized around the world now as something that comes from here.”

“We’re not saying big sharks are the only ones that matter. There’s a lot more that sharks of all kinds are doing to shape entire ecosystems,” said Simon Dedman, FIU marine scientist and co-lead author of the study. “But what we do know is that big sharks of some species are playing an oversized role in ocean health and need better protection. It’s time to have a conversation about everything sharks are doing to maintain ocean health so we can better prioritize conservation efforts and have the biggest impact.”
 
Besides helping to maintain balance in food webs, sharks feed in offshore waters and bring nutrients back to the reef. Others move nutrients around that are used at the base of the food chain. Sharks can also serve as food for other species and even as scratching posts for fish to remove parasites. The problem is shark abundance has plummeted by 71 percent for oceanic species in the past 50 years. Populations of the top five reef shark species have been depleted by 63 percent.

“This study verifies what we’ve long suspected – sharks are critical to ocean health,” said Lee Crockett, executive director of the Shark Conservation Fund which funded the study. “This landmark study serves as confirmation that marine conservationists, philanthropists, policymakers, and the public alike need to recognize that sharks are keystone species that have a now-proven significant effect on marine environments.”
 
The issue of shark conservation becomes all the more critical as global temperatures increase, leading some sharks to head into new areas where they can find the temperatures they thrive in. In addition, with the expansion of blue economy industries like aquaculture and tourism, people’s encounters with sharks will likely increase. Finding a balance that protects the sharks most needed for healthy oceans is hitting a critical point.

“National and international policy must focus on actions that rebuild populations and restore sharks' functional roles,” Heithaus said. “That requires action to increase both spatial measures like Marine Protected Areas and fisheries management measures like catch/size limits and gear limitations. If people want healthy oceans, we need healthy shark populations.”

In a groundbreaking decision, world governments have awarded increased protections to 54 species of sharks during the 19th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

FIU biologist Mark Bond is celebrating in Panama where the vote took place this week. For more than six years, he has been traveling the world advocating for this moment. In 2016, Bond was part of a successful international effort to have four shark species and nine Mobula rays added to the list of protected species when CITES convened in his native South Africa.

He and other FIU biologists including Mike Heithaus, Yannis Papastamatiou, Diego Cardeñosa, Jeremy Kiszka and students and researchers from their labs have provided and contributed to research that helped form the foundation for that proposal as well as today’s landmark proposal. Their work also supported additional listings passed by CITES between 2016 and today.

"This decision is the most significant step toward improving global shark management that countries have taken," Bond said. "It will ensure international shark trade is regulated and traceable."

All 54 species of the requiem shark family are now set to be listed on CITES Appendix II, along with a second proposal for an additional six small hammerhead shark species that was also supported in part by FIU research and was passed this week. All parties approved the latter in consensus and did not require a separate vote. By being listed on CITES Appendix II, nearly all shark species traded internationally for their fins will now be under CITES oversight and controls to help ensure sustainable use and species survival.

 Cardeñosa has contributed research to not only support the listing of additional species of sharks but also to ensure implementation and track outcomes of already awarded protections. Heithaus, who also serves as the executive dean of FIU's College of Arts, Sciences & Education, helped lead Global FinPrint, which was a collaborative, international effort to survey the world's reef shark and ray populations. He, along with Bond and nearly all other marine predator scientists at FIU, contributed to that effort.

"At FIU, our faculty, students and staff are passionate about making a difference in the world," Heithaus said. "Our teams working on environmental issue are helping to make sure that we leave a sustainable and thriving world for future generations. It’s especially exciting for me as a marine ecologist to see our work help catalyze global action to protect and restore sharks since they can be a critical part of keeping oceans healthy.

The proposals require final endorsement by the plenary session at the conclusion of the CITES meeting next week. A third of all sharks and rays are threatened with extinction. The inclusion of nearly all species currently in the global shark fin trade means it will be far easier for customs and enforcement officials to ensure only legal and sustainable trade is taking place since almost every shipment of shark products will now require a permit to prove that trade meets legal and sustainability requirements. Currently, there are few restrictions in place. The government of Panama led the initiative for requiem sharks, in partnership with 40 other nations. Sharks and rays are the second most threatened vertebrate group on the planet, most often fished for their fins and meat.

A team of researchers studied acoustic tracking data, finding at least 10 tagged white sharks made deep-water, nighttime visits during a five-year period.

“Just because they’re not being seen, doesn’t mean they’re not there,” said Simon Dedman, FIU marine scientist and co-author of the study. “Human activity and white shark habitat may simply not overlap, with white sharks visiting deeper reef waters at night as they migrate through the area.”

The white shark is an iconic apex predator, playing an important ecological role across its range. While persistent bycatch and overfishing led to white shark declines, recent studies show evidence of regional recovery of populations in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Southeast Florida and the Gulf of Mexico serve as important overwintering grounds for maturing white sharks. Despite the Bahamas proximity to Florida, only one sighting of a white shark was found in a comprehensive survey of sightings and captures from 1800 to 2010.

Researchers studied acoustic tracking data, detecting the 10 white sharks from 2020 to 2024 along the western edge of the Tongue of the Ocean, a deep-water basin off Central Andros Island. The white sharks were detected along the drop-off zone of the reef at a depth of about 25 meters, exclusively between dusk and dawn.

Seven of the 10 great white sharks were detected on one day each, while the other three were detected across multiple days. The sharks were originally tagged off the coast of the United States and Canada, and were detected around the Bahamas during winter and spring months. The data suggests transient behavior with the sharks just passing through, according to the scientists.

The Bahamas has banned commercial longlining and gillnetting since 1993 and declared its waters a shark sanctuary in 2011. These efforts have made the Bahamas an important refuge for a variety of shark species, but data gaps exist for white sharks. These new research findings expand knowledge of white shark distribution off the Atlantic coast and highlight the importance of collaborative protective measures for species recovery.

The research was led by Tristan L. Guttridge, Philip M. Matich, and Annie E. Guttridge of Saving the Blue. In addition to Dedman, co-authors include Megan Winton of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and Greg Skomal of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.

Great white sharks around Mexico’s Guadalupe Island sometimes hang out with each other — and while it’s not a popularity contest, some might just be a little more social than others.

FIU marine scientist Yannis Papastamatiou, Ph.D. candidate Sarah Luongo and a collaborative team of researchers, wanted to uncover some of the mysteries of the white sharks that gather seasonally around Guadalupe Island. With an innovative combination of tracking tools, they found sharks tend to stick together when patrolling, like stopping by to check out the seal colonies around the island. Some were together for more than an hour.

“Most associations were short, but there were sharks where we found considerably longer associations, much more likely to be social associations,” said Papastamatiou, lead author of the study. “Seventy minutes is a long time to be swimming around with another white shark.”

Guadalupe Island is brimming with tuna and seals making it a hotspot for white sharks. But, it’s unlike other places white sharks spend time, like South Africa or Australia, where waters are murkier and white sharks leap out of the water to launch sneak attacks and ambush prey. Guadalupe Island’s waters are very blue and very clear. Prey is easily seen. But, prey, can also see the predators. That’s why the research team wanted to see if the sharks were adjusting their hunting strategies and doing something differently.

Normally, studying such cryptic animals involves some form of tracking device. To study these white sharks, though, the researchers knew they were going to need a much bigger, better tag.

So, they combined different commercially available technology into a “super social tag” that collected data for up to five days before popping off the shark’s dorsal fin and floating to the surface. It was equipped with a video camera and an array of sensors tracking acceleration, depth, direction and how rapidly the shark turned while swimming. What put the “social” in this specific tag was special receivers that could detect other tagged sharks nearby.

Those other tagged sharks were the result of previous work the study’s co-author and Chief Scientist at Fins Attached Marine Research and Conservation Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla had done over the years to track the movements of white sharks around Guadalupe Island. Around 30 to 37 of those sharks showed up on the white sharks' super social tags.

The team tagged six white sharks — three males and three females — over a four-year period. Data shows for the most part, they prefer to be in groups with members from their same sex. If the sharks shared any other similarities, though, it was in how totally unique each shark was. 

One shark that kept its tag on for only 30 hours had among the highest number of associations — 12 sharks. Another shark had the tag on for five days and only spent time with two other sharks.

They also displayed different hunting tactics. Some were active in shallow waters, others deeper down in the depths. Some were more active during the day, others at night.

The challenge of the hunt was reflected in the video footage, analyzed by FIU undergraduate Seiko Hosoki. A great white followed a turtle. Then, the turtle saw it and got away. A great white followed a sealion. Then, the sealion spotted it, danced loops around the shark and got away. As Papastamatiou points out, this isn’t unique to white sharks, since predators are unsuccessful a lot of the time when hunting.

That’s why forming social associations might be so important.

Papastamatiou has studied the social lives of other shark speciesand noticed a link between sociality and the ability to take advantage of another shark’s hunting success. The same thing may be happening at Guadalupe Island.

“The important question we still have to answer is what’s the reason for being social for these sharks? We still don’t know, but it’s likely they may stay in proximity of other individuals in case those individuals are successful in killing large prey,” Papastamatiou said. “They aren’t working together but being social could be a way to share information.”

Papastamatiou acknowledges the study’s sample size is small, but says it provides more evidence white sharks are forming non-random social associations. It also offers insight into when these associations happen. He hopes to one day use these special tags to track sharks over longer periods, like weeks or even years.

“Technology now can really open up the secret lives of these animals. We’re going beyond tracking where they are and where they go,” Papastamatiou said. “As the technology gets better, we can keep answering more questions.”

The findings were published in Biology Letters. Part of this research was also featured in Discovery's Shark Week show "Great White Kill Zone: Guadalupe." 

Yannis Papastamatiou, Florida International University

Sitting anchored to the rocky reef 70 feet (21 meters) below the surface of the ocean, hundreds of scalloped hammerhead sharks swam above me in unison, moving as if one. When most people think of sharks, they don’t think of them as social creatures. The schooling hammerhead sharks above my head were a striking example of shark social groups, a topic that has not been the subject of much exploration.

I am a marine biologist and study the behavior of predators. For the last 22 years, my research has focused on sharks.

Biologists have long known that some sharks – like hammerheads – are social creatures, but whether great white sharks interact with each other while hunting, and if so, how, is still a mystery. Since 2014, my colleagues and I have visited the beautiful Guadalupe Island off the coast of Mexico to try to find out. Using state of the art technology, we have been able to gain a better understanding of the secret social lives of these top predators.

What makes a social animal?

A social animal is one that interacts and spends time with other individuals of the same species. While nearly all animals show some degree of sociality – when they mate, for example – social behaviors can range from solitary snow leopards to highly social ant colonies.

When people think of social predators, most probably picture a pack of wolves hunting in an organized, cooperative group. But social behavior can be much simpler than that. An animal may simply decide to stay in close proximity to another individual because it has learned that if its “colleague” locates some prey, its own chances of getting a meal increase.

The sharing of information – the location of prey – in this example is inadvertent. The first predator wasn’t purposefully alerting the second predator to the presence of a meal. But under the right conditions, this type of basic social interaction can increase the success of both animals’ hunting.

Hints of a social shark

White sharks travel to seal colonies during the seal’s breeding seasons in the summer and fall. Sharks generally hunt by patrolling the waters adjacent to seal colonies and ambush seals at the surface.

In 2001, researchers in California published a paper describing how white sharks patrolling a seal colony at Año Nuevo Island would remain within “eavesdropping” distance of each other. The biologists suggested that if one shark killed a marine mammal, other, nearby sharks would register this information and quickly approach the site of the kill, perhaps hoping to eat from the remains of the prey. While the sharks may not be cooperating, they can still potentially benefit by hanging out with each other.

Further studies on white shark behavior in Australia took this a step further. Researchers found that white sharks would often turn up at cage diving sites with the same individuals time and time again. The fact that white sharks not only stay close to each other but also have preferred buddies got me wondering if maybe these animals were more social than people thought.

How to tag a great white shark

Guadalupe Island is located about 150 miles (240 km) west of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. Every fall, at least 100 white sharks arrive at the island to feed on Guadalupe fur seals, California sea lions, squid and tuna. In 2014, I reached out to my friend and colleague, Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla, who has been tagging white sharks at Guadalupe for over 15 years, to see if he was interested in studying white shark social behavior.

To do this, we developed a new electronic tag that we call the “social tag.” It has sensors that can detect simple acoustic transmitters that we attached to other sharks, allowing us to see which sharks hang out with each other and for how long. The social tags also include a video camera and motion sensors that can track how fast the shark is swimming and how deep it is.

Starting in 2017, I would head to Guadalupe every year for about a week to try to tag sharks with Mauricio and his students from the nonprofit research organization Pelagios-Kakunja. Sometimes we would tag sharks from the safety of cages, but more often we would free dive with them. We would use bait to attract a shark to the boat and when one appeared, three or four taggers would jump into the crystal clear water. We would then wait for one of these large sharks to get curious and swim within a few feet of us. When that happened, we would use a long pole to clamp the tag onto the dorsal fin of the shark.

Over three years of successful tagging, we deployed our social tags on three male and three female sharks and tagged another 37 individuals with acoustic transmitters. The tags would stay on for one to five days before falling off and floating to the surface for the team to recover. In total, we collected over 312 hours of data from the six social tags.

When sharks hang out

Over the many hours of data that we collected, the sharks frequently came within 100 feet (30 meters) of other individuals. Many of these meetings were short and seemingly random – kind of like crossing paths with someone at a grocery store – but a few lasted longer and appeared to be true social interactions. We recorded five instances of these longer interactions, one of which lasted for over an hour.

We also found that individual sharks behaved quite differently from one another. Two of the tagged sharks were particularly social and associated with 12 and 16 other individuals, while two others appeared much less social, only crossing paths with only four and six other sharks respectively. The tags used on the final two sharks did not have working sensors on them, so we were not able to measure interactions.

Another interesting behavioral difference was that some sharks hunted in shallow waters and others hunted hundreds of meters deep.

Our new evidence suggests that white sharks are indeed social animals. Just as previous research suggested, our results fit with the idea that that the benefit of white shark sociality is that they can “eavesdrop” on other sharks. They can quickly acquire information such as a seal killed at depth by another shark, and this could end leading to an easy meal. However, there is so much more to learn.

Measuring sociality over months and over a year, as opposed to just days, would provide much deeper insights. When the sharks leave Guadalupe Island in the spring, they travel long distances across the open ocean – some swim as far as Hawaii. Do they travel together or by themselves?

The social lives of white sharks have been a secret hidden from researchers for decades. It took new technology and new research methods to see it.

Yannis Papastamatiou, Professor of Biological Sciences, Florida International University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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