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Research excellence meets student success
In honor of Higher Education Day, celebrate FIU’s earning its latest Carnegie recognition — and meet recent alumni who are already skyrocketing in their jobs and making a difference
Alumnus Christopher Tapanes BBA ’22 is a territory manager at pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly. He began a job at the organization as soon as he graduated from FIU. Within three years, Tapanes earned a promotion and a Rookie of the Year award in his region. Most recently, he was selected to join several highly competitive leadership development programs within Eli Lilly.
But before all that, Tapanes was a student with a dream. He came to FIU, like many Panthers, ready to focus on his studies and kickstart a brilliant career.
A proud Cuban American, Tapanes was born and raised in Miami. When it came time to apply for college, he set his heart on FIU. He was so confident that the university was the place for him that he only applied to FIU. “It was the best decision I made,” Tapanes said.
The university felt like home — a prestigious home that boasts a business school with top-ranked programs.
He quickly became involved in the Sales Society student organization and eventually served as its president. He participated in a number of sales competitions (such as elevator pitches, sales pitches, sales role plays and team selling competitions) within FIU and across regional locations, winning various first place finishes.
Thanks to one of the society’s events, Tapanes met three successful alumni — Oscar Grau, Eddie Hondal and Adrianne Fumarola — all of whom work at Eli Lilly.
The meeting changed the trajectory of his life.
“When we spoke about my skills and aspirations, they all encouraged me to apply for an internship [at Eli Lilly],” Tapanes said. “I can vividly remember all three of them telling me that they were confident that I had what it takes to be successful at Lilly. Honestly, it was at that moment that I felt most supported by FIU. If it were not for that conversation and my time at FIU’s Sales Society I would not be where I am today.”
After successfully completing an internship at the company (and even before graduating), Tapanes’ supervisor offered him a full-time job in Miami.
Christopher Tapanes
Student Success + Research = ROI
Tapanes’ story is much like those of the thousands of students who have come before him at FIU. As Miami’s preeminent state research university, FIU has recruited top students, especially those from greater Miami, and empowered them to jump head-first into successful careers.
FIU places equal emphasis on research excellence and student success. Students participate in high-level scholarly activities; graduate with little to no debt; land great jobs or go on to pursue advanced degrees; and join a lifelong network of supportive Panthers ready to pull each other forward.
FIU was recently recognized as one of a select group of institutions for both advancing science and prioritizing student success in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications. The Carnegie Classification is considered the nation’s leading framework for categorizing higher education institutions.
“FIU is one of only 21 universities across the United States that have earned both the R1 – Very High Research designation and the Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation. We have successfully demonstrated that it is possible to be a very high research university and simultaneously create an environment that supports the success of all students and opens doors to career opportunities,” said President-Designate Jeanette M. Nuñez.
The Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation measures two things: how well an institution provides access to higher education for students in its community and alumni salaries compared to the salaries of peers in respective fields. Among the factors used to measure access is the percentage of Pell Grant recipients. At FIU, 50.5% percent of the student undergraduate population received a Pell grant.
“This new classification reaffirms our dedication to excellence and impact,” said Provost, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Elizbeth M. Béjar. “We are committed to impactful research and to equipping our graduates as leaders in their fields.”
Student research: At the helm of innovation
FIU is recognized around the globe for its research in areas such as environmental resilience and hurricane mitigation. The university had $306 million in research expenditures for the 2023-2024 fiscal year and is currently ranked No. 28 among public universities for producing U.S. Utility Patents. Panther scholars, scientists and faculty are leading groundbreaking scientific and creative activities across the country. Just within the last few years, faculty members have earned top national awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Humanities Medal, a Dan David Prize and National Science Foundation Early CAREER awards.
Undergraduate and graduate students work shoulder-to-shoulder with these faculty members in the lab and the field. These students co-author papers, participate in studies and gain important experiences that pave the way for their own careers.
Meet Matty Sey ’23
Alumna and Ph.D. student
Matty Sey ’23 is a researcher on a mission. She studies nanoparticles — microscopic particles that can be injected with drugs to target certain diseases.
“Nanoparticles could be the future of medicine,” said Sey, a Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering. “I want to create a nanoparticle that can be used to target cancers that are hard to reach [during treatment]. That way, we can reach the tumor without getting rid of healthy cells.”
Sey has been involved with FIU since she was in fifth grade thanks to the university’s TRIO programs, which are designed to prepare youth for higher education.
Sey began at FIU as a freshman in the Golden Scholars program, a summer bridge program that supports first-generation students as they adjust to college life.
Sey aced her first semester at FIU, and she embarked on what would become a stellar academic career. She was deeply involved in research as an undergraduate student and an FIU Ronald E. McNair Scholar. She worked at two FIU labs and, through the national Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships program, interned with both the Idaho National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, she began her Ph.D. at FIU because FIU was the place that offered her the best research opportunities.
“Dr. Anthony McGoron at FIU has one of the only labs in the state of Florida that does exactly what I want to do,” she said.
Sey has been conducting research under McGoron in the Drug Delivery and Imaging Guided Therapy Lab one year. After graduation, she plans to pursue a job working in research and is considering a career in academia. She wants to inspire students the way her professors inspired her.
“FIU helped me so much,” said Sey, who is a first-generation Gambian American. “I’ve always felt welcomed as a first-generation student. It was as if FIU were saying ‘This is your first time here, we’ll guide you and support you.’ I’m really thankful for the opportunity to experience FIU and to have these wonderful faculty in my circle.”
Success: Landing the job, leading impact
The week before she graduated from FIU, alumna Kyomi Cabral ’23, who majored in international relations and global education studies, was hired as an analyst at Accenture Federal Services. Hospitality alumna Alexandra Poit ’22 MS ’24 landed a supervisor position in management at the Kaseya Center (home of the Miami Heat) right before walking across the commencement stage. Business alumnus Tapanes was also offered his job at Eli Lilly before graduating.
The list goes on and on. Every semester, FIU alumni graduate with coveted jobs already in the wings. Panthers consistently land work in some of the most prestigious organizations and impactful agencies across the state, the country and the globe. Seventy-six percent of students who gradute with their bachelor’s degrees are either employed or continuing their education one year after graduation. Alumni have gone on to become acclaimed poets, Grammy-winning musicians and recognized teachers, engineers, architects and more.
Just a few examples of places Panther alumni are employed:
- Apple
- Vanguard
- Sony Music Latin
- Univision
- Florida Department of Transportation
- Miami-Dade Department of Emergency Management
- Baptist Health
- Amazon
- U.S. Southern Command
“Our alumni’s incredible accomplishments across industries and geographies stand as a testament to FIU’s unwavering commitment to fostering opportunity and excellence,” said Ruth E. Pacheco, executive director of Integrated Industry Partnerships and Career Readiness. “From leading-edge companies like Google and Apple to vital community organizations across Florida and beyond, our graduates are not just landing jobs—they’re driving meaningful change. Their success continues to inspire our current students and inform our approaches to ensure that every Panther has the skills, support and drive to thrive in today’s competitive world.”
Pacheco added that FIU alumni are particularly impacting the Miami community. The majority of FIU’s 320,000+ alumni chose to stay in Florida to build careers, directly fueling the state’s economic engine and ecosystem of innovation.
The university’s professional schools are also helping graduates find top jobs. The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine has achieved a 100% match rate (with all graduating medical students successfully matching into a residency program) for three consecutive cohorts. FIU College of Law graduates have gone on to work in recognized law firms as well as government agencies and in the judiciary. FIU Law has also distinguished itself as a leading educator of lawyers who serve in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps — the military justice branch of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy. FIU is one of the top producers of JAG Corps in the country.
Meet Jorge Jaramillo ’22, J.D. ‘24
First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army JAG Corps
Jorge Jaramillo ’22, J.D. ’24 came to FIU with one goal: become a lawyer.
He joined a rigorous, accelerated 3+3 program that (combined with his AP credits) allowed him to complete his bachelor’s in political science and law degree in only five years at the university. An FIU Honors College student, Jaramillo quickly excelled in the classroom.
While at FIU Law, he interned with the U.S. Coast Guard and the law office of Gonzalez & Waddington, which takes on military cases. The same year he graduated with his law degree, he co-authored an article on military justice reform with his internship mentors Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington. The article was published in the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Magazine.
Jaramillo landed one of the most competitive legal jobs in the country and became a military lawyer. He is currently a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps.
“I appreciate the mission, the structure, and the culture of the military,” said Jaramillo, who is in some ways continuing the legacy of service that runs deep in his family. His dad, a Cuban-born exile served in the U.S. Air Force for 23 years; his mom also served; and his maternal grandfather retired after 20 years of service in the Air Force. Additionally, he has veterans on his mom’s side of the family who served in the Vietnam War and in both World Wars.
Jaramillo said his success in landing the job is due in large part to FIU and Associate Professor of Law Eric Carpenter. Carpenter, a retired Judge Advocate himself, prepares law students with academic and cocurricular experiences specifically designed to equip them to enter the JAG Corps.
“Professor Carpenter referred me to both of my internships and made the initial introductions on my behalf,” Jaramillo said. “Meeting with Professor Carpenter and integrating with his military law network is invaluable to anyone at FIU who is interested in becoming a judge advocate. FIU definitely has a lot of special things about it. Everybody was very supportive throughout my whole journey. It’s a good community.”