FIU Fall 2025 graduates make their mark through engineering, marine science, and digital storytelling

December 8, 2025 at 2:44pm

FIU will celebrate the graduation of approximately 5,000 students during fall commencement ceremonies Dec. 15–18. This season’s graduates represent the next generation of leaders, creators, and changemakers, using their talent, innovation, and drive to make an impact across science, technology, and the arts.

This year’s graduating class includes a mechanical engineer who partnered with professional race teams to improve car aerodynamics and earned a $25,000 social impact prize for connecting local farms and restaurants through tech; a first-generation shark conservation scientist from The Bahamas whose research uncovered illegal fishing networks linked to the global fin trade and who now appears regularly on National Geographic documentaries; and a game developer who designed original titles that allow players to navigate interlinked storylines, creatively challenging the boundaries of narrative, nostalgia, and control.

“This class of graduates reminds us that innovation takes many forms – whether it’s designing for the racetrack, protecting marine life, or rewriting the rules of digital storytelling,” said FIU President Jeanette M. Nuñez. “Our FIU graduates are innovators, leaders, and problem-solvers who carry the spirit of FIU into every field – science, technology, the arts, and beyond. Their education has prepared them to think boldly, act with integrity, and create meaningful change. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and confident they will make a lasting impact on our world.”

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:

A team leader and award-winning entrepreneur, Olbin Gil, 23, spearheaded the return of a sustainable engineering club at FIU, rallying 50 students to build an electric vehicle for the Shell Eco-marathon. For his senior design project, he collaborated with professional race teams, including Cadillac engineers, to improve race car aerodynamics. Off the track, his ventures are gaining traction: he won the Ford Tech for Social Impact Accelerator and a $25,000 prize for MangoClub, a marketplace connecting local farms with restaurants. Named a South Florida Business Journal Young Innovator and invited to present at eMerge Americas, Gil also founded Apolo Private Transport and engaged in public policy dialogue through FIU’s Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom. After graduation, he will focus on growing his companies full-time. Gil will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering and Computing, on Monday, Dec. 15, at 10 a.m.

Driven by innovation, Frank Martinez, 26, is a digital media student and independent game developer who has built three original video games with custom soundtracks and unconventional narrative structures. His titles, created for vintage consoles like the NES and Gameboy, reimagine interactivity with multi-path storylines and emotional depth. His latest project, "Pairallel Depths," features two connected games on separate consoles – one in which a father descends into a labyrinth, and another where his daughter ascends to find him. Martinez aims to continue developing retro-style games that challenge traditional game design and storytelling and making them available through digital game distribution platforms. Martinez will graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Arts from the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts, on Monday, Dec. 15, at 10 a.m.

Gabriel Hubner Lucchesi, 21, is an Honors College student and Presidential Merit Scholar. Lucchesi earned a perfect 4.0 GPA and graduates Summa Cum Laude with a degree in computer science. During his time at the FIU Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, Lucchesi completed internships at tech companies such as Google and NVIDIA, where he made notable contributions to cutting-edge technology. At Google, he improved YouTube’s spam detection systems by 53%, enhancing platform security for millions of users. At NVIDIA, he developed a robotics system capable of managing 2,000 GPUs, advancing automation and high-performance computing. Lucchesi co-founded the FIU AI Society, mentoring peers in ethical AI research and fostering a community committed to responsible innovation. His passion for artificial intelligence began in high school, driven by a vision to use technology for social good. After graduating, Gabriel will join Google as a full-time Machine Learning Engineer. His goal is to advance AI systems that prioritize fairness and transparency, shaping technologies that benefit society globally. Lucchesi will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the College of Engineering and Computing on Monday, Dec. 15 at 3 p.m.

Candace Fields, 30, is a Bahamian scientist whose work in shark conservation has earned international recognition. Her research – including a publication linking illegally fished oceanic whitetip sharks to the Hong Kong fin trade – carries major implications for global conservation. Her ongoing work focuses on shark populations in The Bahamas' shark sanctuary. Beyond academia, Fields appears regularly as a host and expert in shark-related documentaries and series for National Geographic, Disney+, and Hulu. Driven by a desire to strengthen fisheries management in her home country, she plans to return to The Bahamas after graduation to apply her scientific training to marine policy and conservation. Fields will graduate with a PhD in Biology from the College of Arts, Sciences and Education, on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 10 a.m.