Skip to Content
FIU experts available to discuss holiday shopping, supply chain challenges, and economic trends

FIU experts available to discuss holiday shopping, supply chain challenges, and economic trends

November 25, 2024 at 4:00pm


As the holiday shopping season kicks off with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, FIU experts are available to provide insight into a range of topics, including supply chain disruptions, cybersecurity concerns, marketing trends, 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:

Dianne Fernandez
Director of Broadcast
305-608-4870
dfernand37@fiu.ed

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

Supply Chain

craig-austin.jpg

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

Sebastian Garcia Dastugue

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

Andrea Patrucco

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

Economy

Mihaela Pintea

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

Ned Murray

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

Oscar Saenz

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

Marketing

Jaclyn Tanenbaum

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

Gustavo Mosquera

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
Anthony Miyazaki

Anthony Miyazaki

Chair, Professor
Marketing & Logistics
College of Business

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

Office: (305) 348-3330
Cell: (786) 246-7763
Email: miyazaki@fiu.edu
Rafael Soltero Venegas

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

Cybersecurity

Alexander Crowther

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

Brian Fonseca

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
Nagarajan Prabakar

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. 

Sebastian Schuetz

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

Selcuk Uluagac

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. 
Alexander Perez-Pons

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

Kemal Akkaya

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

Bogdan Carbunar

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

Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman

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

Ruimin Sun

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

Amin Kharraz

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

Finance

Deanne Butchey

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

Mark Del Pezzo

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 

Thanksgiving

 John Noble Masi

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

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