Date post: | 25-Jul-2016 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | florida-international-university |
View: | 219 times |
Download: | 0 times |
MagazineWINTER 2014-15 VOLUME 31
FiU’s ebola FighterDr. Aileen Marty in West Africa
Homecoming highlight Nearly 7,000 students rocked to the beats of internationally renowned DJ Tiesto and American rapper TY$ at the annual Panthermonium concert that kicked off Homecoming week 2014.
Photo by Eduardo Merille ’97, MBA ’00
20THe AsiA connecTionFIU builds a variety of educational ties to the world’s most populous continent.
28VeTerAns-To-nursesArmed services personnel earn their BSN in a special FIU program.
globAl ciTizensin AcTionFIU receives national recognition for its Peace Corps volunteer program12A sAncTuAry growsMMC’s newly revived nature preserve is an educational and recreational oasis.16
On the COVeR Fiu’s ebolA FigHTerDr. Aileen Marty answers the call of the World Health Organization to work in West Africa. Cover photo: Dr. Aileen Marty speaks with an official of Nigeria’s Port Health Services.10
WINTER 2014-15 | 1
• Watch novelist and FIU Creative Writing Professor John Dufresne talk about the process of crafting a story.
• See where in the world FIU alumni have volunteered with the Peace Corps.
• Read about the FIU Young Alumni Council, a new group that aims to serve FIU.
Be featured on faceBook! Send us a photo of yourself reading FIU Magazine - at home, at work or on vacation - and we will share it on our Facebook page! Email photos to [email protected].
online-only stories, videos and photos
Whenever you see the play Button, visit magazine.fiu.edu to get more With our online videos and photo galleries
magazine.fiu.edu
Nature walkTake a video tour of MMC’s Nature Preserve, a hidden oasis in the middle of a bustling urban center.
Science made simpleProfessor Marcus Cooke explains: What exactly are free radicals and why should they scare us?
East to WestObserving American students enrolled in FIU’s China program helped Chinese national Margaret Fan ’10, MS ’12 make a smooth transition to the U.S.
desmond meade Jd ’14 overcame homelessness, drug addiction and incarceration before taking on his current battle: a fight for his own civil rights.
Washington, d.c., rising stars Kate Yglesias Houghton ’06, pictured left, and Peter Smith ’06, JD ’09 are making a difference at the national level.
FIU Magazine is printed on 30% PCW recycled paper that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council
Three years ago, FIU Marketing Director Eduardo Merille and
I were brainstorming ways to elevate FIU on the national stage.
We know FIU is a special, transformative place full of amazing
people. How then, with limited resources, could we show the
rest of the world what we see?
We settled on the ideal showcase: a TEDxFIU event
featuring alumni, faculty and students contributing to the global
community of ideas. At the event and online, we could invite
the world to experience the intellectual, scientific and artistic
richness that define FIU.
Approved and officially licensed by the national TEDx organization, we set about
identifying and coaching our speakers—no notes and no podium allowed on stage!—and
soon had a buzz going. To help us along, we sought out a few more FIU folks who truly
“get it”—such as our emcee Alberto Padron, who immediately recognized the potential
of our idea. He’s been the face of TEDxFIU for three years, perfectly framing and shaping
the event so it is an unforgettable experience for the audience. And Communication Arts
staff member Char Eberley likewise came on board, eagerly participating in countless
rehearsals and sharing her public speaking expertise and genuine support. We are
grateful to Alberto and Char
and the many others who fell
in love with this idea worth
spreading.
Convinced TEDxFIU
was the perfect platform,
we still wondered: Would
anyone else? Well, three
years later the numbers
are proof positive of the
impact: hundreds of speaker
applicants, tickets sold out
in a matter of hours, packed audiences, more than 300,000 views of our TEDxFIU videos.
And then there are the speakers themselves – alumni, students and professors who have
bared their souls, made us re-examine our thinking, inspired us to try again and dazzled
us with their innovation.
The theme for TEDxFIU 2014, held on Nov. 13, was “Fearless Journey,” a motif that is
the essence of the event itself. Our speakers shared their stories of adversity: watching
beloved people die, losing it all, crashing at 200 miles per hour (literally) on the way to
the finish line. And they shared their stories of triumph: transforming the lives of children,
building homes in Haiti, giving back autonomy to aging adults. I invite you to be inspired
by the Fearless Journey by watching their talks on the TEDx channel at go.fiu.edu/
tedxfiu2014.
Until next time,
Deborah O’Neil MA ’09
P.S. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook: facebook.com/FIUMagazine
FroM THE EDITor Fiu PresidentMark B. Rosenberg
Fiu board of TrusteesAlbert Maury ’96, ’02 (Chair)Michael M. Adler (Vice chair)Sukrit AgrawalCesar L. AlvarezJose J. ArmasJorge L. ArrizurietaRobert T. Barlick, Jr.Alexis CalatayudMarcelo ClaureMayi de la Vega ’81Gerald C. Grant Jr. ’78, MBA ’89Claudia PuigKathleen Wilson
Fiu MAgAzine Division of external relations
Sandra B. Gonzalez-Levy Senior Vice President
Terry Witherell Vice President
Karen Cochrane Director News and Communications
Deborah o’Neil MA ’09 Editor
Alexandra Pecharich Managing Editor
Aileen Solá-Trautmann Art Director
Doug Garland ’10Senior Multimedia Producer
Angeline EvansDigital Media Manager
writers Karen-Janine CohenRobyn NissimJamie Giller
Magazine internRay Boyle
PhotographersBranaman PhotographyEduardo Merille ’97, MBA ’00Charles Trainor Jr.
copyright 2014, Florida International University. FIU Magazine is published by the Florida International University Division of External Relations and distributed free of charge to alumni, faculty and friends of the university. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. To reach us, call 305-348-7235. Alumni office: Write to Office of Alumni Relations at MMC MARC 510, Miami, FL 33199 or call 305-348-3334 or toll free at 800-FIU-ALUM. Visit fiualumni.com. change of Address: Please send updated address information to FIU Office of Alumni Relations, MARC 510, Miami, FL, 33199 or by email to [email protected] to the editor: FIU Magazine welcomes letters to the editor regarding magazine content. Send your letters via e-mail to [email protected], by fax to 305-348-3247 or mail to FIU Magazine, Division of External Relations, MMC PC 515, Miami, FL, 33199. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. All letters should include the writer’s full name and daytime phone number. Alumni, please include your degree and year of graduation.14212_12/14
Fiu MAgAzine editorial Advisory boardHeather Bermudez ’06, MS ’12 Marketing Manager South Beach Wine & Food Festival
Gisela Casines ’73 Associate Dean College of Arts and Sciences
Lori-Ann Cox Director of Alumni Advocacy University Advancement
Paul Dodson Assistant Athletic Director for Media relations
Amy Ellis Assistant Director of Pr and Marketing office of Engagement
Stephen Fain Professor Emeritus College of Education
Lazaro Gonzalez Marketing and Branding Strategist Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
Susan Jay Assistant Vice President of Development and Assistant Dean for Medical Advancement Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Nicole Kaufman Assistant Vice President for Engagement
Andra Parrish Liwag Campaign Communications Director University Advancement
Larry Lunsford Vice President for Student Affairs University ombudsman
Maureen Pelham Director of Clinical Trials Division of research
Mary Sudasassi Director of Public relations Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Duane Wiles Executive Director Alumni Association
Mark Williams Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management Stempel College of Public Health
FroM THE EDITor
WINTER 2014-15 | 3
Ninth-graders do the honors at the opening of a public high school at FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus. President Mark B. Rosenberg, center, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, left, in blue tie, joined the community to celebrate MAST@FIU, a magnet school in the tradition of the highly respected Maritime and Science Technology Academy on Key Biscayne.
Photo by Kristen M. Rubio ’11
PrESIDENT’S CorNErMArK B. roSENBErG
Dear FIU Family:
We are celebrating a historic victory! On Nov. 4, 2014, the
voters of Miami-Dade County gave us a mandate to expand and
create more and better educational opportunities and jobs for the
residents of Miami-Dade County. More than 315,000 voters said
“YES” to FIU!
Thank you! ¡gracias! mesi!
We would not be at this point without the support of the county
commission, Mayor Carlos Gimenez and his staff.
We are very thankful to the voters of our community and our
students, alumni, faculty and staff. We want to thank our Board of
Trustees, the FIU Foundation Board of Directors, the President’s
Council and Alumni Association, our donors and Friends of Higher
Education, led by FIU alumnus Eddie Hondal ’88, MS ’00.
With our community behind us, we are ready to move forward.
There is much work to do. FIU will continue to work with the
County and the Fair to find a new, suitable location for the Fair.
We are committed to working with our elected officials in
Tallahassee to identify the funds to pay for the relocation. We
want a win-win-win solution. No county dollars will be used, and
we will not raise tuition to pay for this effort!
This expansion will have an annual recurring economic impact
of $541 million for our community above the almost $9 billion FIU
4 | WINTER 2014-15
ON ThE PrOWl
As FIU prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding—with a year of
festivities and commemorations in 2015—FIU Magazine invites you to share your stories and photos. Go to fiu.edu/memories to tell us in which course you met your spouse, where on campus you hung out with friends, the name of the professor who changed your life and
anything else that left an impression on you as a student. We’d love to hear from you.
already provides. It will bring about the creation of jobs and a $900
million investment in construction.
The consensus in our community is that world-class cities
deserve world-class universities. with your continued support,
we are building a world-class university!
Sincerely,
Mark b. rosenbergPresident
Be WorldsAheadWINTER 2014-15 | 5
The Wolfsonian-FIU’s bust of Venus, the goddess of victory,
commemorates a decisive triumph by Italy over Austro-Hungarian
and German forces during a battle of World War I. “Victory of Piave,”
by Arrigo Minerbi (Italian, 1881–1960), celebrates Italy’s success
at the site of the Piave River in 1918, the same year in which the
sculpture was completed. Part of the Wolfsonian-FIU’s permanent
Mitchell Wolfson Jr. Collection, the work is on view through April 5 in
the museum’s exhibition “Myth and Machine: The First World War in
Visual Culture.”
Treasure: A Triumph in stone
ON ThE PrOWl
The FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
(HWCOM) has launched a local health television show,
For Your Health. The half-hour program features HWCOM
doctors and other FIU experts sharing their knowledge
on timely and important health and medical issues.
The first edition aired Oct. 19 on WPLG-TV,
Channel 10. Subsequent programs are
planned on a quarterly basis.
college of medicine tv shoW
spotlights health and medicine
Watch the show atmedicine.fiu.edu/foryourhealth
FIU honored for public service commitment
In recognition of the university’s commitment to community
engagement and public service, FIU has received five Florida
Campus Compact awards, including one for the university’s
partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
At an October awards ceremony in Jacksonville, the university
received the 2014 Engaged Campus Award. The award recognizes
universities that improve community life and educate students for
civil and social responsibility.
Part of a national network of colleges and universities, Florida
Campus Compact works to integrate service with higher education.
FIU also received a second place award for Campus-
Community Partnerships in recognition of ACCESS, the university’s
collaboration with the school district created in 2010 to improve
high school success, increase graduation rates and promote
college readiness. One of the signature initiatives of ACCESS, The
Education Effect, has dramatically improved student outcomes
at Miami Northwestern Senior High School in Liberty City. The
partnership recently launched at a second school, Booker T.
Washington Senior High School in Overtown.
The recent awards follow on the heels of FIU’s recognition
by Washington Monthly in August as a top community
engaged university.
On The PrOwl
6 | WINTER 2014-15
By Robyn Nissim
In the Caribbean, the tourism industry is a major boost to the economy. Away
from the stresses of everyday life, tourists lose their inhibitions and open their
wallets, looking for an experience that truly takes them away. But FIU medical
anthropologist Mark Padilla in the School of International and Public Affairs has
found that what happens on the island is not staying on the island—and that has
far-ranging consequences for the entire region.
Currently the Caribbean has the highest rates of HIV infection outside of sub-
Saharan Africa. Nearly 75 percent of those cases occur in two countries: Haiti and
the Dominican Republic, which comprise the island of Hispaniola. The Caribbean
has also become a primary crossroad for cocaine and heroin from South America, a
$5 billion a year trade directly responsible for the majority of street-level drugs sold
in the United States and Europe.
At the same time, the Dominican Republic has become the most popular tourist
destination in the Caribbean, attracting more than six million visitors every year.
Padilla is embarking on a new, multiyear study that aims to identify and address
the different factors—such as the sex trade, high rates of illicit drug use and a boom
in tourism– that are colliding and contributing to a major regional health crisis.
The prevalence of HIV among sex workers and homosexual and bisexual men
in the Caribbean indicates that research, policies and prevention programs may
be missing a key demographic. “It’s wrong to look at one issue in isolation,”
Padilla noted.
“We are committed to reducing the impact of the dual epidemics of both HIV
and drugs in the Caribbean in order to protect the health of both the Caribbean
populations as well as Americans who are in close contact with the Caribbean,”
Padilla said. “Our project would develop the first national intervention to reduce the
impact of both HIV and drug abuse in Dominican tourism zones,” he said, “and may
serve as a model for the entire Caribbean region.”
The project has the support of a diverse group, including a Community Advisory
Board comprised of community members, leaders of the Dominican government,
tourism and business leaders, as well as Florida congresswomen Ileana Ros-
Lehtinen and Frederica Wilson. As Padilla explained, what is happening hundreds
of miles away is actually very close to home.
study examines sex, drugs and disease in the Dominican republic
WINTER 2014-15 | 7
ON ThE PrOWl
Federal grants awarded to latin America and Africa programs
FIU has received three prestigious grants to fund programs and student scholarships in
areas of strategic importance for the United States: Latin America and Africa.
“The U.S. Department of Education awards these grants in an effort to help our
nation enhance its leadership role in the world and foster global engagement,” said FIU
President Mark B. Rosenberg. “These awards solidify our position as a solutions center
that addresses themes of global consequence.”
A total of $2.3 million dollars in Title VI grants were awarded to two centers in FIU’s
School of International and Public Affiars.
• The Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellowship grant will provide more than
$1.2 million in funding for undergraduate and graduate students in the Latin
American and Caribbean Center (LACC) for area studies and language training in
Portuguese, Haitian Creole and Quechua, including study abroad programs. LACC
received the largest award allocation for Latin America.
• The National Research Center grant will provide LACC with $900,000 to expand its
teacher training programs in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools
and Miami Dade College.
• The Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language grant will provide
$187,000 to expand an undergraduate certificate in African studies within the
African and African Diaspora Studies program.
#1college of law alumnus Alexander Martini, 28,
earned the highest score among more than 2,800 who
took the Florida bar examination in July. The 2014 grad
enrolled in evening classes at FIU while he worked full time
as an Internal Revenue Service agent. As the top scorer, he
was invited by Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Jorge
Labraga to speak during the induction ceremony of new
attorneys in the chambers of the Florida Supreme Court.
fiu students carry less debt and have fewer loan defaults
FIU students owe less when they graduate
than do their peers nationally. And they are
more likely to pay off their loans.
Even as fewer students nationwide are
defaulting on their federal student loans, FIU
students are ahead of the curve, according to
the U.S. Department of Education. The official
three-year federal loan default rate for FIU
dropped to 8.9 percent. The official national
default rate stands at 13.7 percent.
The average debt carried by FIU’s class of
2013 was $17,893 versus an average $25,550
for public university graduates nationally. That
places FIU at No. 13 among institutions whose
students graduate with the least debt load,
according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2015
edition of Best Colleges. FIU is the top Florida
school in this category.
“Seventy percent of FIU students receive
some form of financial aid, and less than half
take on student loans. We are pleased to be
recognized for the work that has gone into
keeping tuition affordable and higher education
accessible in South Florida,” said FIU President
Mark B. Rosenberg.
frost museum director namedThe Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum has announced the
appointment of a new director. Jordana Pomeroy takes over in 2015 after
having served as executive director of the Louisiana State University
Museum of Art. There since 2012, she doubled museum membership,
overhauled exhibition programming, wrote a new strategic plan, galvanized staff and
built active participation and support from the community. Previously she served as chief
curator at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.
Pomeroy replaces Carol Damian, who stepped down after six years as director and
chief curator. Damian’s tenure was distinguished by a commitment to the museum’s
educational mission. She and her staff enhanced scholarly research and interdisciplinary
collaborations by offering the museum as a local and global center of knowledge
and culture. Under her watch, the Frost has curated dozens of ground-breaking and
celebrated exhibitions. Damian will remain a professor of art and art history.
On The PrOwl
8 | WINTER 2014-15
wine Professor earns president’s council Worlds ahead award
Beloved wine professor Patrick “Chip” Cassidy ’75 is the recipient of the 2014
President’s Council Worlds Ahead Award, the most prestigious prize conferred at the
annual Faculty Convocation and Awards Ceremony in October.
“I’ve been at FIU for a long time and to win this award is a great honor,”
Cassidy said. “Becoming a teacher was the most wonderful thing to ever
happen to me. People always tell me that this hospitality school is one
of the best, and I’m proud to say that.”
In a 40-year career at the university, Cassidy has a record of
monumental accomplishments. Back in the 1990s he approached the
country’s largest wine and spirits distributors to invest in a proposed
beverage management center at BBC. Today the Southern Wine &
Spirits Beverage Management Center is the region’s premier educational
and product-testing facility, unlike any other in the country. And to support
the center all those years ago, Cassidy organized a one-day fundraiser that
has since grown into the nationally recognized weeklong South Beach Wine & Food
Festival. That annual event offers students unprecedented practical learning experience,
has brought millions in scholarship money back to the school and attracts thousands
to Miami Beach. Most recently he developed a wine certificate program for industry
professionals.
Finalists for the award were Professor Thomas Breslin from the Department of Politics
and International Relations and Professor Ediberto Roman from the College of Law.
FIU partners with Florida Keys sanctuary
FIU has been named a major partner of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
under an agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
NOAA is committing $1.3 million in funding, and FIU’s School of Environment, Arts
and Society will support sanctuary operations with scientific, technical, educational and
administrative personnel.
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects 2,900 square nautical miles of critical
marine habitat. FIU scientists have been conducting research and monitoring activities in
the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary since its inception in 1990. Past projects in the
Florida Keys include the monitoring of seagrass, water quality and coral reefs as part of the
Water Quality Protection Program, as well as numerous experiments that have helped the
world understand the factors necessary for a healthy environment.
Today, FIU also features the Medina Aquarius Program, which is dedicated to the study
and preservation of marine ecosystems worldwide. Off the coast of Key Largo, this program
houses the FIU Aquarius Reef Base, the world’s only undersea research laboratory.
On The PrOwl
WINTER 2014-15 | 9
Fighting Ebola
is all in a day’s
work for Dr. Aileen
Marty. The 25-year
Navy veteran, now
with the Herbert
Wertheim College
of Medicine, didn’t
think twice when
the World Health
Organization (WHO)
called her last fall
and again in January
to help lead containment efforts in West Africa.
“This is a situation that I happen to have
a tremendous amount of knowledge about
and experience with,” she explains, “and it’s
impossible, if I’m asked, for me to say, ‘no.’”
What drives Marty is a commitment that
comes from deep within. Born in Cuba
and raised in the United States since the
age of 4, she credits her grandfather a
powerful influence.
“He said it so many times, what a generous
country this was and how we owed them a
debt,” Marty remembers. “And I felt the weight
of that.”
And so she enlisted after medical school
and embarked on a career that would lead
to specializations in infectious diseases,
disaster medicine and the science, medical
response and policy related to weapons of
mass destruction. Her unique trajectory began
with her studying some of the most loathsome
had been manipulating small pox and plague
to make them more dangerous.”
Later she would hear of other countries’
deployments of biological agents such as
anthrax and viral hemorrhagic fevers. “I wound
up with top-secret clearances and learned
of unbelievably nasty ideas that people had
accomplished all over the place,” she says.
“And among those very, very frightening
diseases was Ebola.”
on the ground in west AfricaThe WHO has several times called upon
Marty to take assignments around the world,
and in August she began a month-long stay in
Nigeria, then-little affected by Ebola but very
near the line of fire.
The outbreak—naturally occurring and not
the product of terrorism—was first reported in
March of 2014. It has resulted in the infections
of more than 20,700 people in West Africa and,
as of early January, more than 8,200 known
deaths, mainly in Sierra Leone, Liberia
and Guinea.
In Nigeria Marty worked daily from dawn
until almost midnight in challenging conditions
to train screeners, doctors, nurses and others
to recognize potentially infected persons
entering the country via airport, seaport
or border crossing. She also developed
processes and secured needed equipment
and resources. That work has paid off. As of
early January, Nigeria remained Ebola-free. But
the epidemic still rages, and ending it remains a
diseases known to man, starting with the
oldest: leprosy.
An uncommon education“Who wants to go work with a disease that
is that disfiguring?” Marty, 57, recalls asking
herself while stationed at the former Armed
Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington,
D.C. “I was scared. It’s contagious.”
Still, she took the assignment, inspired
largely by the man who would become an
early mentor.
“It was his humanity. It was his own
willingness to sacrifice himself,” Marty says
of renowned microbiologist Dr. Wayne
Meyers’ profound influence upon her. “He led
by example.”
Meyers, 90, doesn’t recall any
squeamishness on Marty’s part. But he
does remember a hard-working young
physician who joined him on trips to leper
colonies, helped him hunt down African
monkeys with non-lethal darts so as to test
them as possible carriers and co-wrote
scientific papers with him.
“It did not surprise me,” he says of his one-
time protégé’s successful efforts in the Ebola
battle. “Typical of Aileen Marty.”
Her education under Meyers was followed
by another fascinating chapter. In the
mid-1990s, Marty was called to the State
Department. “The Soviet Union had broken
down, and some of their defectors had been
debriefed,” she recalls. “We learned how they
By Alexandra Pecharich
FIU’s Dr. Aileen Marty is uniquely qualified to help keep the virus from crossing borders in Africa.
EbolaStemming the Spread of
Dr. Aileen Marty
10 | WINTER 2014-15
the project, the staff keeps track of patients’
data. Those with “bad” numbers can be
identified for additional interventions while the
others continue with prescribed treatments
without the burden of examination.
A humanitarian to the coreIn January Marty flew back to Africa, this
time to Equatorial Guinea, a country free from
the virus (not to be confused with Guinea,
one of the worst hit). There she again led
screening efforts, this time in anticipation
of the Africa Cup of Nations, a soccer
tournament typically attended by thousands.
And already she is planning to tread again
where many rightly fear: as early as March
Marty hopes to return, this time to observe
the pilot program in Sierra Leone. Her
tirelessness remains but a reflection of who
she is.
“I think it’s really important to make sure
that we do things that make a difference,”
she says, “that we can feel at the end of
the day, or even at the end of our lives, that
we’ve made a real difference.” n
complete with GPS capability, on those who
have been in high-risk contact with infected
individuals but show no symptoms (and,
therefore, are not contagious) and follow them
electronically?
Already 700 health care workers have
contracted the disease in West Africa,
where treating patients is expensive and
cumbersome. The gear workers don includes
an average of $100 of protective wear, such
as a coverall suit and gloves, that must be
discarded after a maximum-two-hour use. And
the gear’s bulkiness—which impedes health
care workers’ hearing, vision and manual
dexterity—does not allow for a patient-
centered experience.
Suddenly, Marty had a 21st-century
solution to bring to the table. Existing
technology—in the form of a $120 fitness
bracelet—could provide myriad benefits:
“We will get better information on the
patients, more accurate data with less risk
to health care workers, which leads to better
management of the patients and better
survival of everybody.”
Marty introduced her idea in a CNN
online op-ed and soon was contacted by
an organization interested in running a pilot
program. That trial launched in January with
100 patients at a treatment center in Sierra
Leone. Each was outfitted with an electronic
bracelet that records body temperature,
oxygen saturation and other vitals. Via a free
app and Internet connected specifically for
worldwide concern. The WHO estimates that
$1 billion will be spent before the contagion
is eradicated.
A potential game-changerUpon Marty’s return home in the fall, media
flocked to hear her story. In one interview, she
happened to mention the lack of precaution
surrounding her re-entry into the United
States: The very types of questions she had
taught screeners in Nigeria to ask of incoming
visitors were never put to her by customs or
other officials. “Nobody had asked, nobody
had cared,” Marty recalls.
Within days, Marty’s comment loomed
prescient. A Liberian national who had worked
with Ebola patients entered the United States
via Washington, D.C., before continuing on to
Texas. Following the disease’s typical 21-day
incubation period, the man became sick and
sought treatment. He eventually died but not
before two nurses who cared for him in Dallas
had contracted the illness.
Unworried for herself but nonetheless
taking responsibility for her health, Marty
had been monitoring her vital signs with a
fitness bracelet, the kind that records body
temperature and pulse and is available at
sporting goods stores. A fever would indicate
a potential problem, although that information
alone is not enough to prove Ebola.
And then it occurred to her: Why don’t
we use such monitors on Ebola patients
in the wards? Why not slap a bracelet,
WINTER 2014-15 | 11
By Jamie Giller
Shala Meindel ‘08 plays with children at Casa Miani Orphanage in Sorsogon City, Philippines.
Jachary Murray ’09 braves a Mongolian winter to fetch his daily water.
Stephanie Sheffield ’10 poses with high
school students in Colombia following
her guest lecture at a bilingual forum.
View a world map of FIU Peace Corp volunteers at
magazine.fiu.edu
12 | WINTER 2014-15
From Morocco to the Philippines, FIU graduates have served the Peace
Corps in more than 60 countries around the world, earning the university
national distinction by the world’s preeminent international service organization.
In 2014, the Peace Corps recognized FIU as a leader among Hispanic-Serving
Institutions for producing volunteers. To date, nearly 200 FIU alumni have served,
and 11 are currently abroad.
Since May 1998, FIU has partnered with Peace Corps for a Master’s
International Program and has recently added an undergraduate track, Peace
Corps Prep, focused on international relations and community service. The
program builds on the Global Learning for Global Citizenship initiative and meets
the growing demand for diverse applicants for the service organization as it
continues to tackle the most pressing needs of people across the globe.
“I believe that what makes FIU students so appealing is this focus that the
entire school has on international business, service and environmental issues,”
said Steve Hunsicker, Peace Corps recruiter. “The school really lives up to the
‘international’ in its name.”
But it’s not the academic training alone that makes FIU alumni desirable
candidates, says Hunsicker. The organization also values the school’s growing
minority population, representing the rich, multicultural backgrounds of
Americans. Hunsicker says that the success of volunteers often relies on being
able to relate to those in other countries, regardless of backgrounds. This global
perspective, he says, is paramount.
A centerpiece of undergraduate education at FIU, the Global Learning for Global
Citizenship initiative launched in 2011, requires all students to take global learning
courses. The goal is to provide students with opportunities to explore real-world
problems, learn global perspectives and ultimately be globally engaged.
Hilary Landorf, director of Global Learning, knows the value of a global
perspective and Peace Corps first hand, as a returned Peace Corps volunteer
who served in Morocco from 1979-1981.
“I truly believe in Peace Corps. For me, and for everyone I’ve ever met, it’s a
life transforming experience,” she said. “When I came back two years later, I felt
very confident in my language and teaching skills. I went back to school, got a
master’s degree and also got certified in ESOL.”
Landorf is now spearheading FIU’s Peace Corps Prep Program, which
consists of four global learning courses, four semesters of foreign language, a
minimum number of approved global co-curricular activities and a written self-
reflection. The unique combination of undergraduate coursework and community
service focuses on international development. FIU is the only school in Florida
and the largest of the 24 schools that offer the program.
At the graduate level, Professor Krish Jayachandran, who heads the Master’s
International Program, sees the implications of international service through the
research students conduct. While the majority of the thesis topics are based on
local research in the U.S., Peace Corps students focus on global environmental
and social issues.
The MIP allows students to earn up to six credits for their Peace Corps service
and upon completion of the classes, awards a master’s of science degree in
environmental studies with a concentration in biological management. n
Meet Peace Corps’ Lillian Carter Award winner Helene Dudley MS ’90 at
go.fiu.edu/Helene-Dudley
Turn the page to meet a few FIU volunteers
WINTER 2014-15 | 13
language, Mongolian. In between teaching,
Murray works with local Mongolian teachers,
instructing them on lesson planning and other
formal skills.
Murray thrives on the variety and scope of
work that comes with his main assignment.
He’s worked with two other Peace Corps
volunteers to establish a basketball leadership
camp, and provides dental education and
care for the local youth.
“I spearhead projects, go to businesses
to ask for funding, and organize camps,” he
said. Doing it all in another language adds to
his skill set.
“The point was not for me to do the
basketball leadership camp alone, but to train
the Mongolians to do it so they can continue
doing it yearly and make it sustainable,”
he said.
As for what’s next for the world traveler,
he’s contemplating a variety of options,
including the Foreign Service, returning to
Japan, or maybe heading to graduate school
in the U.S.
Ultimately, Murray knows that Peace Corps
has shaped him into a different person.
“I like my mind always being open and
discovering new things,” he said. “You learn
a lot about yourself while you’re doing Peace
Corps – you not only give, but you receive a
lot, too.”
MONGOLIA Zachary Murray ’09, currently serving in
Mongolia, wakes up in the middle of the night
to restart the fire in his ger, a portable tent that
Mongolian nomads still use. The tent provides
little warmth from the frigid temperatures.
Buckets of water and eggs freeze overnight.
He can’t remember the last time he ate a
green vegetable.
“I eat carrots every day,” Murray said,
speaking to FIU Magazine from Mongolia.
The Miami-born and raised alumnus
has learned to adjust to his new lifestyle in
Uliastai, the rural city accessible by a 30-hour
bus ride from the capital, Ulaanbaatar. With
snow on the ground seven months out of the
year, his daily attire consists of heavy layers of
clothes and boots.
“Living in a developing country really
pushes you,” Murray said. “When things don’t
work out or go to plan, it teaches you a lot. It
even teaches you how many days you can go
without showering.”
The religious studies graduate got bit by the
travel bug after a visit to Israel so he moved
to Japan after graduation and became an
English teacher in Kagoshima. He then moved
to Kyoto, learned Japanese and worked
in guest houses in Tokyo before carefully
planning his next step – joining Peace Corps.
He was assigned to teach English in
Mongolia. That involved adding a third
COLOMBIA Stephanie Sheffield ’10, is serving in Santa
Marta, Colombia, a coastal city flanked by
beautiful beaches and the Sierra Nevada
mountains. She arrived in August of last year
for her assignment, Teaching English for
Livelihoods (TEFL) project.
The TEFL project supports the training of
Colombian primary and secondary teachers in
improving their English as a foreign language
teaching abilities through co-teaching, co-
planning, workshops and one-on-one tutoring
with volunteers. Sheffield works with both
English and non-English teachers to improve
their spoken and written English skills.
Ultimately, the project allows for the
development of bilingual community
activities, giving young Colombians the tools
to become competitive workers in different
Shala Meindel ’08 - Philippines
Zachary Murray’09 (far right)- Mongolia
14 | WINTER 2014-15
the PhILIPPINesThree years after returning from the
Philippines, Shala Meindel ’08, still sends
packages of supplies to the orphanage she
served in while in Peace Corps.
Her FIU studies in criminal justice and
social work led to an assignment at an urban
juvenile detention facility on the Southeast
Asian island. The locked-down unit had no
windows, air conditioning or beds. It housed
dozens of children ranging from three to 18
years old. Many had been charged with petty
crimes such as theft, while others were there
for murder. Meindel saw only children in
need and was focused on ministering to their
critical needs: literacy, life skills, and drug
and alcohol intervention.
“It was an amazing experience,” Meindel
recalled. Many of the children had never
gone to school and supplies like crayons and
paper were foreign. Such limited resources
drove her to apply for grants to supply
the center with books. Slowly, she began
teaching basic literacy.
The children helped Meindel learn Tagalog,
the local language, to communicate better
with them and understand what their lives
were like on the streets.
“They have to figure out how to cope with
being on the streets their whole lives and
experiencing trauma,” she said. “You try to
teach them things that they would use in
real life. The kids in the U.S. do drugs to get
high. Over there, they get high to cover the
hunger pains. As a result, they get addicted
at really young ages.”
About a year into her time at the facility,
she was transferred to a new site – a
Catholic orphanage for boys in a rural
village. Her new assignment was working
with teenagers who had fallen so far behind
in school they could no longer attend. While
she was still tasked with teaching basic
reading skills, she continued to address
individual needs.
Meindel won a grant through the
Appropriate Water Project to pay for a water
pump for the village, eliminating the one –
and-a-half mile walk previously needed to
get water. Running water improved personal
hygiene and agriculture in the community.
Since returning to the U.S., Meindel
carries on her mission to help at risk youth,
now serving as an outreach worker in
San Diego.
“I still love the work, but it’s different,” she
admits. “Adjustment was, phew, I don’t think
I’ll ever adjust. I’ve been gone three years
and I still miss it every day.” n
fields, especially the hospitality and tourism
industry. Sheffield feels Santa Marta
has the potential to be a major tourist
destination if the community becomes
more proficient in English.
“FIU helped me become a great teacher,”
said Sheffield, who majored in Spanish and
minored in education. “In turn, it has helped
me become an awesome Peace Corps
volunteer. I feel that I have a lot of tools to
offer the English teachers here in Colombia
that I learned from FIU.”
In addition to teaching English, Sheffield
serves as a resource, educating community
members on nutrition, wellness and sexual
health. She hosts girls’ camps, English
clubs for local children and bilingual forums.
She also organizes a weekly event called
“Spanglish” where university students come
to practice English with her and other Peace
Corps volunteers.
“Spanglish is probably my favorite,” she
said. “It has grown to be pretty big, and
we’ve been able to help a lot of college
students and young professionals increase
their English proficiency and become more
comfortable speaking English. Many of
them are studying fields that would benefit
greatly from more English speakers such
as hospitality, tourism and international
relations.”
Sheffield plans to return to the States for
graduate school after her service ends.
“I love education,” she said. “I want to
see what I can do on a global scale to help
people get quality education.”
Stephanie Sheffield ‘10 (far left) - Colombia
WINTER 2014-15 | 15
In a relatively small space, the preserve
contains three distinct ecosystems – tropical
hardwood hammocks, freshwater wetlands
and one of the most endangered habitats in
the world, the pine rocklands.
As rare and valuable as these ecosystems
are, if they are not functional and accessible,
their true value is lost. For many years the
future of this urban oasis was uncertain, but
emerald in the sand.
More than 6,000 years old, the 16-acre
preserve at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus
has never been more alive. Boasting about
10,000 visitors a year, it is home to more than
450 plant and animal species, including many
that are endangered. It serves as a living
laboratory for more than 25 different FIU
courses, as well as an outdoor classroom/
park for local schoolchildren and residents.
T ake a look at an aerial image from
South Beach to the Everglades
and consider the terrain. Notice the
shades of gray, orange and blue of the roads,
roofs and lakes. Attempting to find patches
of undeveloped land in this city can be a
daunting task. In fact, less than 3 percent
of Miami’s native pine rockland habitat still
remains. But within this chaotic tapestry
of concrete and palms that we call home,
the FIU Nature Preserve stands out like an
The revival of FiU’s
Nature PreserveCampus-wide effort transforms MMC’s 16-acre habitat into a green oasis
By Douglas Garland ’10
Take a virtual stroll through the Nature Preserve atmagazine.fiu.edu
16 | WINTER 2014-15
a recent revival effort, initiated in 2010, has
solidified the preserve’s place on an already-
dense university campus.
“Pre-2010, when there were narrow trails,
no lighting, no signage and no staff - this was
a pretty scary place to be. People didn’t like
coming out here because it was not safe,”
says program coordinator for the Office of
University Sustainability Ryan Vogel ’12, ’14,
years, Parker and other volunteers protected
the valuable land from development. Yet
during that time, the Nature Preserve was
more an unrealized vision than valued
space. Relying only on student volunteers
to maintain it proved insufficient, and
eventually the preserve developed its
share of problems: stray dogs, garbage,
overgrown trails, evasive exotic species and
the occasional homeless resident.
who has championed the revitalization of the
preserve for the last four years as its official
caretaker.
In 1978, Professor John Parker, along
with other faculty members, founded the
FIU Nature Preserve with the idea that if
this small piece of land was left untouched,
it would eventually develop into a thriving
ecosystem for plants, wildlife and, most
importantly, students. For more than 30
The revival of FiU’s
Nature PreserveCampus-wide effort transforms MMC’s 16-acre habitat into a green oasis
By Douglas Garland ’10
Continues
WINTER 2014-15 | 17
FIU faculty and staff who contributed to the
Ignite campaign and through annual benefit
concerts. In addition, Vogel created the FIU
Urban Forestry Internship Program through
support from the Florida Forest Service, the
FIU Department of Biological Sciences and
the FIU Department of Earth & Environment.
Paid interns made the revitalization possible.
Soon a once-hidden lake at the north end
was revealed to the public, and today it has
become a popular backdrop for the hosting
of martial arts and yoga classes. Heinen says,
“For all those years many people worked very
hard at it without an overall plan. It’s difficult
to get things done when relying only on
volunteers. But now that all of that has been
done, I think it’s very, very good.”
into an endless source of creative inspiration.
“It is often hard to justify with dollar
values,” she said, “but I would argue the
dollar value is priceless.”
In 2010, Vogel, along with faculty, staff and
more than 2,500 student volunteers, began
bringing renewed purpose to the preserve.
The process of clearing out invasive species
and garbage, relocating stray dogs and setting
up proper signage took four years of manual
labor and smart spending during an era of
statewide budget cuts.
Professor Joel Heinen of the Department of
Earth and Environment has served as faculty
advisor for the preserve since 2005 and
raised $100,000 for an endowment through
the support of the Martin Foundation, from
With every new building constructed at
FIU, the preserve seemed to move closer
to the center of MMC. As the campus grew
around it, the preserve seemed doomed for
development. Much like the rest of Miami,
land at FIU is a scarce commodity. The urban
forest could no longer be ignored. A case for
protecting it had to be made. To many, it was
obvious that the busier university life became,
the more the community needed just what the
Nature Preserve has to offer.
“Preserving natural spaces is like preserving
art,”said art Professor Gretchen Scharnagl,
who has been using the preserve to inspire
student artwork for many years. Her students
have spent countless hours under its canopy
with pencil and sketchbook in hand, tapping
Photo by Gretchen ScharnaglContinued
18 | WINTER 2014-15
paths and trim trees through his landscaping
company, True Tree Service.
Connie Amram, a staff member in the
Office of External Relations, makes use of
the preserve’s walking trail several nights a
week. “I love walking out from my office at
the end of the day and getting some exercise
around the perimeter. The rubber walking trail
is great on my knees, and it feels safe to walk
at night with all of the additional lighting.”
Today, the FIU Nature Preserve’s beauty
doesn’t just come from the lush vegetation
and musical wildlife, it comes from its
functionality and accessibility. No longer is
it only a place to study or admire from afar,
but a place for the community to enjoy and
utilize daily. n
out there day and night. We see people
engaged with this space in a way that we had
always dreamed of. ”
In its new role, the preserve is more
accessible than ever to the local community.
It has become a training facility for many
university sports teams and local high
school track teams, as well as hosted
environmental education workshops,
concerts, yoga and martial arts classes and
even several 5k runs.
Ian Wogan ’10 practiced yoga in the preserve
as a student. “It’s much better than doing yoga
in a classroom. The fresh air, the trees—it really
is nice to have all this on an urban campus.”
Since graduating, Wogan has been able to give
back to the preserve, donating time to clear
Perhaps the most significant addition to
the preserve is the half-mile jogging path
and exercise equipment that now border
it. The popular workout circuit was created
with leftover construction funds from the
preserve’s newest next-door neighbor,
Parkview Student Housing.
From the outset of the massive
construction project that became Parkview,
Director for Facilities Planning Jim Wassenaar
understood the danger of building so close to
the preserve.
“When the president selected the building
site for Parkview, it created some concern as
to how the two would coexist,” Wassenaar
says. “The reality is, the preserve has become
a part of the university fabric. We see joggers
Photo by Nick Vera ’13
Down and dirty: The brothers of Theta Chi fraternity , above, help plant new trees in the preserve. At left, the preserve attracts joggers, artists and student volunteers.
WINTER 2014-15 | 19
20 | WINTER 2014-15
FIU’s relationship with the world’s largest continent continues to grow. As the center of
global economic power shifts and as interest in understanding other cultures expands
on both sides of the Pacific, FIU has stepped up to create new opportunities for learning.
From study abroad programs to places such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan and India
to FIU’s engineering programs in South Florida in support of Chinese graduate students
and a well-established hospitality and tourism program in Tianjin, China, FIU has found
numerous and innovative ways to meet the needs of U.S. and Asian students.
The dragon has served as a symbol of
Chinese culture for thousands of years. Its
sometimes-menacing appearance does not
detract from its positive connotations: power,
strength and good luck.
Yet for all the mythic creature’s bravado—
Chinese parents, in a traditionally patriarchal
society, have long pushed their sons to work
toward dragon status—it has for most of
history contented itself at home, not looking
to venture beyond the borders of its
native land.
That is, until now. In just a few short
decades, China has steadily and methodically
grown into a global economic power. Its
meteoric ascent on the world stage belies its
past as a once fiercely inward-looking nation.
Today it actively seeks to engage with the
outside, both at home and abroad. And to
help keep its momentum going, the dragon
has come knocking on the door
of the Panther.
FIU at the forefront
In May at its annual commencement
ceremonies, the FIU program that offers
China’s first and only in-country foreign
dual-enrollment degree celebrated its tenth
anniversary. To date, more than 1,000 Chinese
citizens have earned FIU degrees in hospitality
and tourism management on their home turf,
and another 1,100 are currently enrolled.
“There’s no other arrangement in China
like what we have,” says Mike Hampton,
dean of FIU’s Miami-based Chaplin School of
Hospitality and Tourism Management, which
oversees the China program. “The student
goes all four years in China and earns an
FIU degree.”
The program grew out of China’s need for
high-level executives who understand how
to do business in the global marketplace,
Hampton explains. While Chinese citizens staff
the country’s international hotel, resort and
restaurant chains, foreigners generally have
held the upper-management positions at those
companies—something Chinese leaders want
to progressively change, especially as the
hospitality and tourism infrastructure continues
to grow. (By most accounts, at least one new
hotel opens in China every day.)
“That’s how they saw this partnership,
as a strategic mechanism to help prepare
graduates to be qualified to go in the
hospitality and tourism businesses and
eventually assume the senior executive
roles,” Hampton says. “They would like to see
Chinese nationals serving in key leadership
roles within Chinese businesses.”
Today, graduates of FIU’s China program—
known formally as the Marriott Tianjin China
Program in recognition of a major donor to
FIU’s program in South Florida—hold top jobs
with multinational corporations such as Hilton
Worldwide and Royal Caribbean. Many work
in China, while others—including some of the
more than 250 who followed up their China-
By Alexandra Pecharich | Illustration by Lazslo Kubinyi
Continues WINTER 2014-15 | 21
program at Qingdao University in the eastern
province of Shandong follows in the footsteps of
the original hospitality program. Students will earn
degrees from FIU after completing four years’ of
education in their own backyard.
“There is an interest in trading with Latin
America,” explains Pascal Becel, chair of FIU’s
Department of Modern Languages in the School
of International and Public Affairs, “so training
speakers of the language is an important goal to
achieve this.”
In fact, the move is just that: a first step toward
FIU’s introducing an international business
program at Qingdao University in a few years. Lu
confirms that China’s interest in the Spanish has
everything to do with China’s interest in building
up commerce with Latin America.
“Spanish is the hottest language in China,”
Lu says. Just as many Americans are rushing to
learn Mandarin, so the Chinese are scrambling to
acquire the language of the next region in which
they want to do business. With English already
conquered, Spanish represents the new horizon.
Currently about 60 students per year
are majoring in Spanish at Qingdao. FIU’s
involvement should raise the quality of studies
and is expected to make a big impact on the
verbal proficiency of graduates—Chinese
programs have traditionally placed greater
attention on writing skills—who will take jobs as
translators and interpreters, Becel says. In Miami,
she and colleagues will train some of the current
Qingdao faculty in methods and approaches
commonly employed in the U.S., emphasizing, for
example, the importance of student interaction
in the classroom over lecture-style teaching. As
well, she will hire additional Spanish instructors,
likely from within the large South Florida talent
pool, to travel to China and teach the upper-
division courses that constitute the FIU portion of
the degree.
“It’s been a very challenging project, also
very exciting,” says Becel, who anticipates that
cohorts will swell to 100 annually within a
few years.
York University and Dublin University are
among the many that have visited FIU’s
TUC campus.
Says Peng Lu, FIU’s associate provost
for international programs, who travels
regularly between Miami and China, “In China,
FIU is very famous and one of the reasons is
because people can actually
see FIU in Tianjin.”
More to come
The experience in Tianjin has inspired a long
list of potential FIU-China projects—nearly
four dozen, more than with any other country.
These include 11 active, albeit currently small,
programs in the College of Engineering that
offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees in South
Florida to Chinese students. Many of the other
proposed projects live only on paper in the form
of agreements and likely will take several more
years to materialize. And several are cooking.
Currently on the front burner: four more
hospitality management programs in, as
Hampton calls them, “strategic cities,” among
them Beijing and Shanghai. These programs,
Hampton says, promise to be bigger than
the original in Tianjin simply by virtue of their
location in travel-and-tourism hotspots and
in their ability to attract and educate far
greater numbers.
“We have the opportunity to be the driving
force in hospitality and tourism education in
China,” Hampton says. “We have experience
now that has given us unique insight into how
to work closely with government and industry
to help achieve the goals that they’ve set for
their growth and development.”
Chinese trade
Just as learning to navigate the hospitality
business within the context of western
practices remains critical to China, so also
does learning to do business in general. Once
again, FIU has been tapped. Slated to start
as early as this fall, FIU’s Spanish-language
based FIU degrees with a master’s from the
Chaplin School in Miami—are involved with the
development of huge Chinese resorts in places
such as the Bahamas and Brazil.
An auspicious beginning
The unprecedented collaboration with FIU
came about as Chinese leaders recognized
a need to fast track hospitality and tourism
education. A meeting between officials at
Tianjin University of Commerce (TUC) and
FIU’s Jinlin Zhao, a hospitality professor who
was born in China, led to talks, and the Chaplin
School’s strong reputation—other universities
vied for the opportunity that FIU eventually
won—sealed the deal.
Soon after, in 2003, FIU set about working
with local authorities. TUC would build, at its
own expense, a dedicated campus based on
specifications provided by FIU. Classrooms
and labs, for example, would mirror their
counterparts in Miami, and the curriculum—
all courses are presented in English—would
follow precisely the one offered stateside.
“Everything is taught the same way,”
Hampton says. “It’s not just the language.
It’s all the learning outcomes, all the support
services. We have our career services support,
our counseling support, everything.”
And the same graduation requirements that
apply to undergraduates in Miami—among
them a passing grade in English composition—
have to be met by Chinese students in
compliance with the standards of the U.S.
organization (the Commission on Colleges
of the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools, or SACS) that accredits FIU.
Today the program remains unique in China.
Representatives from foreign universities
have regularly come to TUC to observe and
learn from FIU in preparation for their own
collaborations with Chinese universities,
although no other has established an in-
country dual-degree program. Administrators
from the University of Central Florida, New
Continued
Continues
22 | WINTER 2014-15
FIU’s Department of Religious Studies
has a formal arrangement with the Jain
Vishwa Bharati University in northwestern
India, to which several students
travel annually to participate in a summer
program. Faculty also travel there to
conduct research.
FIU hosts several study abroad programs in
China, with students visiting Beijing,
Shanghai and Hong Kong, among other cities.
FIU’s in-country Marriott Tianjin China Program
offers local students degrees in hospitality and
tourism management, an arrangement soon to be
replicated in other cities. FIU has plans to run a
Spanish-language program at Quindao University
in the province of Shandong, and an internship
program in Macau for Miami-based hospitality
and tourism majors provides professional training
in one of the world’s largest gaming centers.
The Honors College takes students on a 28-day
study abroad trip to Cambodia and
Vietnam to learn about culture and
history, with an emphasis on U.S. involvement in
Indochinese conflicts and how the U.S.-Vietnam
War has influenced foreign policy. And for 11
days the group teaches English to aspiring
teachers in Cambodia.
Japan The Asian Studies Program
sponsors the Southern Japan Seminar
and publishes the Japan Studies Review.
In addition students can apply to spend
a semester or full year in Japan through
collaborative programs established
with Kanda University of International
Studies, Kansai Gaidai University and
Ritsumeikan University.
The Honors College takes students on a four-
week study abroad trip to Indonesia
to explore the effects of globalization on
religious life. Time is divided between the
islands of Java and Bali, and students explore
temples as well as meet with community
activists and representatives of NGOs.
WINTER 2014-15 | 23
Read the story of FIU China program alumna Margaret Fan at
magazine.fiu.edu
WINTER 2014-15 | 23
Good for South Florida
FIU’s expanding presence in China can be
attributed to both its academic strength and its
location in a city regarded as the gateway to
Latin America.
Chinese officials, Lu explains, would like
to conduct their business, particularly with
Central American officials, in Miami, with its
established commercial infrastructure that
includes firms specializing in international law
and a world-class port. Where trust in support
of direct business relations between Latin
America and China generally does not yet
exist and past dealings have not always gone
well, Lu continues, South Florida makes an
“Our academic collaborations and partnerships with Chinese universities and students will enable us to deepen cooperation and mutual understanding as well as economic wellbeing.”
—President Mark B. Rosenberg
among those promoting the windmills.
“By 2040, it is estimated that the Chinese
economy will dwarf the U.S. economy,” he
states. “We must prepare our students and
community for this eventuality.
“Our academic collaborations and
partnerships with Chinese universities
and students will enable us to deepen
cooperation and mutual understanding as
well as economic well-being with China.”
The two-way street of economic well-
being is real, Lu says. With 1.4 billion
people, China is the world’s largest
education market, and one with needs the
country internally does not have the capacity
to meet. “China’s education supply is not
enough and cannot be improved soon,”
he says. That’s where universities like
FIU come in.
And so Lu encourages FIU to continue to
lead, which includes fostering exchange and
mutual understanding in a variety of ways.
To that end, FIU is introducing students
in South Florida to Chinese culture and
language through several study abroad
programs for undergraduates and one for
international MBA students that is run by
the College of Business. And recently Lu
has been tasked with establishing
programming through FIU’s University
College, which offers noncredit courses and
professional training to the community, and
he is working with the Miami Dade College-
based Confucius Institute, which offers
similar outreach.
The activity vis-à-vis China simply reflects
what FIU is all about, Rosenberg says.
“FIU’s approach to China is aligned with
our broader strategy to provide high-quality
learning and research opportunities to our
students and faculty,” he says, “and to use
win-win partnerships to find solutions to
community problems.”
In the end, both the dragon and the
Panther come out ahead. n
visiting and trading in Latin America for 10
years now to learn the language and culture,”
he says. “I think we at FIU can create a hub
here for training, understanding, knowledge.”
And, Mora adds, that education must extend
in both directions: “Latin Americans want to
understand and do business in China.”
Clearly, any efforts made by FIU have the
potential to contribute profoundly to South
Florida and the state. As FIU’s backyard
becomes the nation’s center for Sino-Latin
American commerce, the local economy will
benefit from new port fees and the expansion
of services and related industries that support
such trade.
Helping the Chinese advance their
hospitality and tourism goals already is having
a positive trickle across effect, Hampton says.
“Because so many of the companies that
are branding the resorts and operations being
developed by Chinese investment groups are
based right here in South Florida”—among
them locally headquartered, alumnus-owned
Kerzner International, which is working with
a Chinese conglomerate to build the $1.5
billion Atlantis Resort in the coastal city of
Sanya—“revenues come back to those brand
companies,” Hampton explains. “The residual
impact of that permeates many, many levels
to benefit everybody. It’s good for the state of
Florida. It’s good for America.”
Good for FIU
“When the winds of change blow,” goes an
old Chinese proverb, “some build walls, while
others build windmills.” President Rosenberg is
attractive meeting ground to carry out trade
negotiations and sign distribution agreements.
Having FIU as an academic partner provides a
base from which China can move forward,
Lu says.
Officials in the port city of Qingdao, for
example, would like to maintain an office at
FIU out of which to operate when in town
for meetings with business and government
leaders. And FIU and Miami-Dade County
officials together have considered doing the
same at Qingdao’s campus. Lu believes FIU
could possibly facilitate greater interaction
among all parties by organizing conferences
that would touch upon both academic
research and trade issues.
Frank Mora, director of FIU’s Latin
American & Caribbean Center, agrees that
the university has a role to play. “There is a
significant demand on the part of Chinese
businesspeople and others who have been
Continued
24 | WINTER 2014-15
develop a Ph.D. program.
Graduates of the program are working in
the Japanese consulate, museums and federal
agencies. After earning her master’s degree,
Garcia spent two years living and working in
Japan as an English teacher.
Asian Studies is intentionally
interdisciplinary with 16 faculty members in
language studies, literature, sociology, religion,
art, history and international
relations. Around 400 students
a year are enrolled in Japanese
and Chinese language courses
at FIU. Heine, who founded the
program and has guided its
growth, is among the nation’s
most respected scholars of
Japanese Buddhism.
During her time at FIU, Garcia
was awarded scholarships that
allowed her to study abroad
in Japan twice, solidifying her
decision to live there in the
future. The transition into Japanese culture,
a topic that is the subject of many books by
American travelers, was a smooth one, Garcia
said, because of her coursework at FIU.
She had taken Japanese language for four
years, studied the tea ceremony, learned
about race relations and pop culture in
Japan. Garcia found that her knowledge
of Japanese culture opened doors to new
experiences and friendships.
“It all came full circle,” she said. “Studying
in-depth gave me a well-rounded education
and then when I went there, I lived it from
the Japanese perspective as well. People
say to me, ‘Wow, you’ve gone way out
there living in the Far East and experiencing
something not many Americans have.’
It’s made me very grateful that the Asian
Studies program is there.” n
studies. Additionally, the program publishes
an academic journal, holds academic
conferences and workshops and organizes
community events.
“If you look at our enrollment, the trajectory
is upward,” Heine says. “Student demand is
really there to study this part of the world.”
The growth of Asian Studies has been
supported with more than $2 million in grants
from the Japan Foundation, the National
Endowment for the Humanities, the U.S.
Department of Education and the Freeman
Foundation. A $275,000, four-year grant from
the Japan Foundation has enabled FIU to
fund faculty research and travel in Asia, the
expansion of the Asian studies collection at
the library, workshops and guest speakers.
The grant also helps support the Japan
Studies Review, a peer-reviewed academic
journal published jointly by Asian Studies and
the Southern Japan Seminar.
Introduced in 2002, Asian Studies today
enrolls 150 undergraduates, plus 200 minors
and certificate students. The seven-year-old
master’s degree program has 25 students and
is graduating eight to 10 students each year.
Heine has recently put forth a proposal to
Growing up in Miami far from any cultural
connection to Asia, Jennifer Garcia
’09, MA ’11 became enchanted with the hit
Japanese anime TV series Sailor Moon. At the
time, she didn’t really know anything about
this special genre of animation, nor was she
familiar with Japan’s vibrant pop culture.
Instead she was drawn to the series’ heroine,
Usagi Tsukino, and its portrayal of magical
girls who use their powers to
thwart evil.
She wondered if there were
other cartoons like Sailor Moon.
Eventually, Garcia found a store
in Miami that sold original and
unedited Japanese anime comic
books and videos.
That extracurricular interest
grew, and by the time Garcia
was ready for college she
knew she wanted to study
Japan. She found all she
wanted and much more in
FIU’s Asian Studies Program within the
College of Arts & Sciences.
“It has a good diversity of professors and
courses and opportunities in place,” said
Garcia, who eventually earned bachelor’s
and master’s degrees. “Scholarships and
study abroad allowed me to indulge in
these passions.”
Many come to FIU’s popular Asian Studies
degree programs for the same reasons.
Students often fall into two camps, Director
Steve Heine says: they want to study Japan
for its culture or they want to study China for
its economy.
The Asian Studies Program allows them to
do both by offering interdisciplinary degrees,
study abroad, internship opportunities
and comprehensive foreign language
Interest in Asian studies at FIU explodesstudent demand drives growth in Asian studies degrees
By Deborah O’Neil MA ‘09
Jennifer Garcia ’09, MA ’11 on her journey to the top of Mt. Fuji
WINTER 2014-15 | 25
FIU students with an interest in Asian art
know the work of Xu Bing through books or
U.S. exhibits. For nine studying art and art
history, however, meeting the famous Chinese
artist in person during a study abroad was
extraordinary.
“Seeing work in class is like watching a
film,” said senior fine arts major Nathalie
Alfonso of the inherent distance in classroom
studies. “Being here,” she said of her trip to
China, “you are not in a film anymore. You are
backstage.”
Last summer the program introduced
students to contemporary art through the
lens of history. It focused on current work
while familiarizing students with the ancient
traditions and age-old cultural sensibilities
that still exert influence today. Excursions
included trips to cultural and historic sites
while also offering unprecedented access to
the studios and homes of working artists.
Led by FIU Professor Lidu Yi, who
personally knows many of China’s artists,
the group was warmly welcomed by such
luminaries as performance artist He Yunchang,
multimedia artist Wang Qingsong, woodcut
artist Yang Hongwei and painter Lan Zhenghui.
Students also gained a first-hand awareness
of the key role tradition plays in contemporary
Chinese art. Xu’s work, for example, invites
people to consider how China can grapple
with its own history, both ancient and modern,
while moving forward.
“How do we face this history? If we throw
away everything, we have nothing,” said
Xu, who, in 1999, was named a MacArthur
study Abroad students see how Asian artistic traditions influence contemporary artBy Karen-Janine Cohen
Artist Xu Bing in his studio
The PAST MeeTS The PReSenT
26 | WINTER 2014-15
Fellow during a time when he lived primarily
in the United States. The last centuries, he
noted, were all about industrialization and
westernization. Little attention was paid to
preserving China’s own tradition. “We need to
explore the essential values that come out of
this tradition.”
Talking to the students, Xu drew a direct
line from traditional landscapes to the
inspiration for his work. Reverence for nature
permeates the work of the early masters, he
explained, and landscape painting—along
with calligraphy, which is integral to China’s
visual art—are seen as the rich apex of
Chinese art. They embody the traditional
virtues of Chinese culture.
To understand those influences, students
visited museums to see the celebrated
landscape paintings from the Song and Ming
dynasties as well as early Chinese bronzes.
Along with art, students also visited historical
sites, among them the archaeological digs
in Xian that hold the Terracotta Warriors, the
buried army of China’s first emperor dating to
about 200 B.C.
A high point of the trip was two days spent
at the Yungang Grottoes, a religious shrine
and World Heritage site near Datong. Buddhas
as tall as 50 feet and exuberant stone carvings
of thousands of smaller Buddhas dating
from the fifth century attest to the arrival
and influence of Buddhism in China. There,
the students toured a section undergoing
restoration and still off limits to the general
public. Zhang Zhuo, director of the Yungang
Grottoes Research Institute, sponsored the
group’s two-night stay and held a seminar on
the challenge of conserving the sacred site
while also welcoming visitors.
The easy flow between China’s past and
present is striking, said Roderick Smith ’14.
“They still have ties to their history, all the way
from pre-history and pre-colonial times up until
now,” he said. “Chinese art has its own rules
and vernacular, based on its own tradition,
which makes it unique and at the same time,
somehow familiar.”
Expanding students’ vision and their
understanding of Chinese culture was a
goal of the trip, Yi said. “I want this to be a
transformative experience in many ways,” she
told the students upon their arrival. “I saw the
world, and the experience of learning different
cultures transformed me. I want you to have
the same experience, to transform, in spirit, in
reality, in your future. You can feel it. You can
touch it. It resonates inside you.”
Senior art history major JeanCarlos
Fernandez quickly understood Yi’s message.
“Looking out the window when you are on a
bus or a taxi adds another layer to what you
know about art,” he said. “It’s the art, the food,
the culture, all of it together.” n
Karen-Janine Cohen is a fine arts student with a
focus in drawing and ceramics, and expects to
graduate this year with a BFA.
Xu bing: wriTing beTween HeAVen AnD eArTHFebruary 14, 2015-May 24, 2015
The Frost Art Museum follows up recent
exhibits by two other Chinese artists—the world-
renowned Simon Ma and Wang Qingsong—
with a show by MacArthur Fellowship-winner
Xu Bing. The exhibitions together formed the
museum’s 2014-2015 series “3 Giants of Chinese
Contemporary Art.” Visitors are invited to view Xu
Bing’s printmaking and installation pieces, which
showcase writing as image.
The museum, at the Modesto A. Maidique
Campus, is open Tuesday-Sunday, and
admission is free. For more information, go to
theFrost.fiu.edu.
Above, a visit to the Yungang Grottoes Research Institute; at left, the Yungang Grottoes in China’s Shanxi Province feature stone carvings from the fifth and sixth centuries.
WINTER 2014-15 | 27
new cohort “deploys” in January
The next group of nursing students will
benefit from the lessons learned in year one.
David Hildreth, an academic coach for the
program, said it was good to have a small
first group because they were able to make
changes along the way with little effect on the
students. “It was a test flight,” he says.
Like most new programs, the VBSN
program has had a few issues: for example,
figuring out the pacing of classes and
scheduling classes around students’ required
reservist training. (Three of the first four
students were reservists; half of the incoming
cohort are reservists.)
Jalicia Johnson, who has worked as a lab
technician in the Army Reserve for seven
years, is among those just beginning the
program. She believes her rigorous physical
and mental training, coupled with her
experience in the lab, have prepared her for a
career in nursing.
“I’ve learned prioritization, getting things
done in a timely manner,” she said. “I’ve
learned how to lead.”
A life of serving othersStudents like Arvizu and Johnson see
the program as a step toward their dream
careers and a way to continue contributing
to society. Arvizu plans to eventually get his
master’s degree as a certified registered nurse
anesthetist, and Johnson hopes to become a
commissioned nurse in the Army Reserve.
The fact that service members have already
given to society once and want to do so again
is something that FIU values and supports.
“What we’re doing here impacts their
income levels, whether or not they’re
employed, and it can make huge differences
in their personal lives,” Olenick says. “These
vets deserve it.” n
combat-tested students who’ve seen things
that traditional nursing students have not.
“They’re a different group.”
Most come in having already mastered
fundamental procedures like administering
IVs and conducting patient assessments,
and they are comfortable working in
extremely stressful environments. Arvizu, for
example, dealt regularly with trauma injuries
such as gaping wounds, collapsed lungs
and compound fractures.
Their test at FIU is to learn to leave to
the doctors what were once commonplace
tasks for them – for example, stitching up
patients and inserting chest tubes to inflate
a collapsed lung – and instead learn to work
with pediatric and geriatric patients and
focus on post-operative care, activities they
never encountered in the military.
That can be difficult at times, Arvizu
admits, but “you have to keep an open
mind,” he says. “Try to take what the
professors tell you before what you would
already know. Learn from them.”
By Ray Boyle
I n his 20-year Army career, Victor
Arvizu was used to making split-
second, life-saving decisions on the
battlefield. More recently, the retired Army
medic had to learn to let his professors run
the show.
Arvizu literally came straight from
Afghanistan to FIU. He is one of four
students who graduated in December
from FIU’s Veterans Bachelor of Science
in Nursing (VBSN) degree program, which
debuted in January 2014 and a year later
welcomed a new cohort of 30.
Supported by a $1.3 million federal grant,
the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing
& Health Sciences program graduates
veterans with some type of medical
background in just one year instead of the
standard 18 months. Their real-world know-
how takes the place of basic courses.
“They definitely bring with them
extraordinary life experiences,” says VBSN
Program Director Maria Olenick of the
battle-tested veterans join ranks of Fiu nurses Bachelor’s program offers medics and others with medical backgrounds credit for time served
Photo by Charles Trainor Jr., Miami Herald
28 | WINTER 2014-15
Fiu 2014-’15 Alumni Association board
executive committee
Frank Peña ’99 President
eddie Hondal ’88 ’00 Vice President
Maria garcia ’05 ’08 Secretary
benjamin sardinas ’01 Treasurer
enrique Piñeiro ’03 Parliamentarian
gonzalo Acevedo ’91 ’10 Past President
officers
gabriel Albelo ’93
Juan carlos Alexander ’04
gus Alfonso ’02 ’08
Michelle Arencivia ’00
nicolas bardoni ’12
Dwayne bryant ’93
nestor caballero ’95 ’97
elizabeth cross ’89
isabel Diaz ’01
sharon Fine ’99 ’11
Anastasia garcia ’89
Abhishek Hawaldar ’05
Jorge Hernandez ’95
Michael Hernandez ’04 ’11
Miguel larrea ’96
Jaime Machado ’01’10
Michael P. Maher ’97
Ana Martinez ’92
gabriela Martin-brown ’96
Marcel Monnar ’03 ’12
Alberto Padron ’98 ’09
Pedro Pavon ’04
Alex Pereda ’97
Aslynn rivera-Tigera ’98 ’01
casandra roache Henriquez ’04, MPH ’06
colleen robb ’00 ’03
ralph rosado ’96 ’03
celina saucedo ’99 ’11
sergio Tigera ’01
erick Valderrama ’95
_________________________________
Duane wiles Executive Director Alumni Association
Young Alumni Council founding members: back row, from left, Marcos Oyola ’11; Phillip Lloyd Hamilton ’12; Hiram Hernandez ’03; Mario Martinez ’12; Travis Stokes ’09, MPA ’12; Daniel Garcia ’10, MST ’12; Jose Bowles; front row, from left, Lourdes Domin-guez ’13; Kimmie Schmidt ’09; Brene-zza Garcia ’05, MS ’07; Manny Arce ’03; Thomas Pla ’03; Adrian Molina ’10; Angelique Freire ’11; Erika Galan ’11; Carolina Bayona ’11, JD ’14.
Dear Fellow FIU Alumni:I hope the holiday season brought all you desired.
Last year my wife Samantha and I had the honor of
attending a wedding in Jupiter, Fla. Our friends, both
Gators, had a beautiful ceremony and a fun reception.
Mixed in with the many Gator alums were five of us
Panthers: Kate Wesner ’03, Camar Jones ’00 and
Len Collins ’96, in addition to Samantha and me. Once we
discovered our FIU roots, a special bond was born between
us. And while I might not be the most objective person, can I just say that the five of us were the life of
the party. Why? Because we are FIU and have much to be proud of!
The fifth largest university in the country and the second biggest in Florida, FIU has an impact on
the world that is proving greater every day. To harness that impact—specifically the influence of our
alumni—the Alumni Association is widening its circle to actively reach out to younger graduates so that
they remain an integral part of the FIU family from the moment they earn that degree. You can read
more about the Young Alumni Council at magazine.fiu.edu.
And then there is the impact of our faculty research and outreach. A friend shared with me the story
of his 10-year-old son, who has ADHD, and the amazing work of FIU’s
Center for Children and Families, which has helped his child succeed in
school and social settings. You can learn more about their programs at ccf.
fiu.edu.
Finally, this past election cycle proved how big an impact FIU can make.
In November, Miami-Dade County voters said “Yes!” to FIU by overwhelmingly supporting Expand
FIU, our initiative to explore growing the Modesto A. Maidique Campus. Meanwhile, more than 1,000
miles away, 1993 FIU grad Evelyn Sanguinetti was elected lieutenant governor of Illinois, the first
woman to hold the post. Hosted recently by the Washington, D.C., alumni chapter, Evelyn made
clear that she still bleeds blue and gold.
Our FIU is truly “Worlds Ahead.” Be proud, share your FIU story and be the “life of the party” in 2015.
Frank PeñaPresident, Alumni Association Board
Read more about the Young Alumni Council at
magazine.fiu.edu
WINTER 2014-15 | 29
Alumni Association Lifetime Member
1970sPatrick “Chip” Cassidy ’75, a professor in the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, received the 2014 FIU President’s Council Worlds Ahead Award.
1980sJoseph Haj ’84 received the 2014 Zelda Fichandler Award, which recognizes an outstanding director or choreographer who is transforming the regional arts
landscape, from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Michelle Otero Valdes ’89 recently spoke at the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute in New Orleans on “International Conventions and their Applicability in U.S. Maritime Cases.”
1990sCharles A. Garavaglia MA ’91 was elected chairman of the City of Miami’s planning, zoning and appeals board.
Evelyn Pacino Sanguinetti ’93 ran on the Republican ticket in November and was elected lieutenant governor of Illinois. The Hialeah-raised daughter of Cuban and Ecuadorian parents majored in piano performance at FIU before going on to law school and positions as an assistant district attorney and a councilwoman in the Chicago suburb where she currently lives with her husband and three children.
Elena M. Dieppa ’94 recently sold a portion of her company, Clear Sky Property Management, and joined Boutique Hospitality Management, which manages properties in Miami, Atlanta and Panama. She is currently engaged and will marry Alexander Puga on Feb. 5, 2015.
Eugene Butler Jr. MA ’95 was recently promoted from interim executive director for Exceptional Education and director for Middle Schools to assistant superintendent for Student Services in the Tucson Unified School District in Tucson, Ariz.
Ana Maria Rodriguez ’99 was recently re-elected to the City of Doral Council, for a second four-year term.
CLASS NoTES
Alumni Association Lifetime Member
2000s Chi Ali ’00 and Veronica
Trujillo were married July 19, 2014, in Galveston, Texas, and later celebrated in the Caribbean.
Roxanne Molina ’00, MA ’06, Ph.D. ’12 was recently recognized as an Emerging Leader by PDK International, a global association of education professionals.
Rodolfo Rodriguez-Chomat ’01, MBA ’13 recently completed his first year at Solomon Search Group as the director of attorney recruitment. He specializes in attorney placements at law firms and corporations throughout the country with specific focus in South Florida. He was also recently extended membership to Beta Gamma Sigma, Delta Epsilon Iota and the Golden Key International honor societies in recognition of his academic successes while attending the MBA program at FIU.
Richard LaBarbera ’02 and Jillian Mayer ’07 received the 2014 South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship.
Catherine Poindujour ’05 was recently awarded an educational specialist degree in school psychology from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Randy Mora ’06 was recently appointed Town Attorney for Kenneth City in Pinellas County, Fla.
Fabienne Kellerhals-Perez ’07 and Armando Perez welcomed their first daughter, Camilla Julia, on March 8, 2014.
Esther Colombo-Cruz MA ’08 recently showcased several of her paintings in an exhibition at the Museo Rosa Galisteo in Sante Fe, Argentina. President Rosenberg has also selected her artwork for display in the Reagan Presidential House beginning in November.
Jacklyn Meyer ’08, MS ’10 and Arthur “AJ” Meyer ’09, MS ’11 welcomed their little Panther, son Greyson Parker Meyer, on November 6, 2014.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
14th AnnuAlChArity GAlA
Honoring FIU’s Most Outstanding Alumni
to reserve a table or to learn about sponsorship opportunities,
please contact Paulina Muñoz at 305-348-4486 or [email protected].
SAve the DAte
Fiualumni.com/torch
30 | WINTER 2014-15
2002
2013
facebook.com/FIUalumni
@FIUalumni
@FIUalumni
#FIUalumni
FIUalumni.com/linkedin
FIUalumni.com/join
Membership dues help create scholarships and alumni programming, which in turn help build a stronger FIU and ultimately increases the value of your degree.
Plus, members enjoy more than 100,000 discounts from our Panther Perk Partners, a free subscription to our award-winning FIU Magazine, and more.
Don't Don't forget to visit our website, FIUalumni.com, and follow us online so you can learn about exclusive events and special offers. You can also stay in touch with us by texting FIUALUMNI to 313131.
We hope you join the FIU Alumni Association today!
CONNECT. GIVE BACK. ENJOY.
facebook.com/FIUalumni
@FIUalumni
@FIUalumni
#FIUalumni
FIUalumni.com/linkedin
FIUalumni.com/join
Membership dues help create scholarships and alumni programming, which in turn help build a stronger FIU and ultimately increases the value of your degree.
Plus, members enjoy more than 100,000 discounts from our Panther Perk Partners, a free subscription to our award-winning FIU Magazine, and more.
Don't Don't forget to visit our website, FIUalumni.com, and follow us online so you can learn about exclusive events and special offers. You can also stay in touch with us by texting FIUALUMNI to 313131.
We hope you join the FIU Alumni Association today!
CONNECT. GIVE BACK. ENJOY.
The College of Business recognized
outstanding alumni during its annual
Hall of Fame Awards gala. The 2014
winners included (from left):
Alexander Mijares MbA ’11, Alina Villasante, guillermo g. castillo ’81, randy robertson ’84 and
eric Maldonado ’86.
Rachel Fernandez ’12 and Emilio A. Urgell ’11 were married on December 7, 2013, at the Coconut Palm Inn in Tavernier, Fla.
Mary Larsen ’12 showcased her paintings in two recent Miami-based art exhibitions: “Short Story” and “11 / 11 – Eleven Artists on the Eleventh Month.”
Carmen Ferrer MIA ’14 has been accepted into the boating and nautical design doctoral degree program at the University of Genoa in Italy.
Abdel Perera ’11 recently attained his dream of becoming a Foreign Service officer. After graduating from FIU, he earned a master’s degree in international affairs from American University in Washington and served twice as an intern with the State Department. Sworn in on August 8, he has been assigned to a two-year consular tour in Buenos Aires.
Jose Pagliery ’11, a technology writer for CCNMoney, published his first book, “Bitcoin and the Future of Money,” about the currency’s mysterious beginnings, its dark side and its economic impact.
Jenise Fernandez ’10 recently accepted a reporter position as a member of the local Channel 10 (WPLG) news team. Her previous experience includes working as an assignment reporter for KATC-TV 3 in Lafayette, La., and WEAR-TV in Pensacola, Fla.
2010sSarah Bartels ’10 is currently working as a producer and casting director for a short film called Two Secrets. This is her first major film project since graduating from FIU.
Christi Fraga ’10 is the current vice mayor of Doral and youngest councilwoman in the city’s history. She was also recently appointed to the 2014-2015 Miami-Dade County League of Cities Board of Directors where she will focus on efficient government administration across municipalities.
Brian Ortiz ’11 recently earned the Ring of Honor from Pepsi in recognition of his great success as a sales associate. Given to him by CEO Indra Nooyi (the two are pictured left), the award is
the company’s highest accolade. Brian worked his way up from an internship with Pepsi to his current position as key account manager for the Southeast Region, North American Field Operations. He is based in Miami.
You sit in the quiet room, choosing work over diversion. You
understand that writing stories is not an escape but a plunge into
reality. You try to express what is inexpressible, to say what can’t be
said in any other way. You believe that only what can’t be explained
is important, and only what is ephemeral is of lasting value. You insist
on meaning, but not on answers. The point is not to answer, but to
question; not to solve, but to seek; not to preach, but to explore; not
to assure, but to agitate. Not to explain the mysteries of life, but to
celebrate the mystery itself.
You need two skills to be a fiction writer. You have to know how to
write and you have to know how to tell a story. The second skill is far
more difficult. No matter how luminous your prose or how fascinating
your characters, if you have no plot, if the characters have nothing
meaningful to accomplish, the reader will put down your story. Plot is
the gravity that holds the world of your story together. And the basic
plot of every story is: a central character wants something intensely,
goes after it despite opposition and, as a result of a struggle, comes to
a win or a loss.
You write about people in trouble, people at the end of their rope,
desperate people taking desperate measures, because only trouble is
interesting. Everything that you don’t want to happen to you or your
family and friends should happen to your characters.
And you sweat the small stuff because the truth is in the details.
Writing a story is archaeology. Not all the details in our notes will make
it to the page, but each affords us insight into our characters. The
details that make the cut will be those that are vivid and consequential,
that express a theme or advance the plot while revealing character.
Revelations lurk in details.
Stories aren’t written but rewritten. Most of the important revelations
happen in revision, but you have to have something to revise—a
complete first draft. Beginning, middle, end. The purpose of this draft
is not to get it right but to get it written. To expect too much from the
first draft is to misunderstand the writing process. A good first draft is a
failed first draft. If at first you succeed, try, try again. n
We read stories—and write them—to
make sense of our lives, to be entertained
and to feel something. We read and write
to be transported to another, more lucid
and compelling world, to learn about
ourselves and what it means to be human.
This narrative impulse is as basic as
breathing.
The first commandment of fiction writing
is Sit Your Ass in the Chair. Writing is a
physical activity. There are decidedly more people who want to have
written than there are people who want to write. Writing is what you
do, not what you’ve done. Writers write. And writing is work. So you
sit in your chair at your desk, and this is what you bring with you:
• A sense of wonder
• Patience
• A love of words
• Passion
• Doubt, anxiety and fear
• Time and lots of it
now we dispel three myths:
1. We are not inspired to write. We write and then we are inspired.
2. Writer’s block is an excuse. If you didn’t write today, it’s because
you chose not to.
3. Writing a story is not about freedom. There’s nothing so
tyrannical, so paralyzing, as the blank page.
The first act of writing is noticing, seeing what others don’t. You
savor what they miss. It’s a provocative world out there, and you make
yourself susceptible to it. You try to see as many levels of meaning as
you can. You give your imagination opportunities. You present it with as
many images, concepts, ideas and paradoxes as you can—and some
will fire up your brain.
how to Write a storyCreative Writing Professor and novelist John Dufresne delivered a captivating talk at this year’s
TEDxFIU: Fearless Journey on how to write a story. This passage is adapted from his talk. Watch the talk at go.fiu.edu/tedxfiu2014
32 | WINTER 2014-15
VIP: Very Important Panther
Photo by Branaman Photography
Diane ramy Faulconer • Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, 1974
• Master of Science in Management, 1974
• Lifetime Member, FIU Alumni Association
Q: you spent nearly 40 years in the nursing profession. what attracted you to the field?A: As a 12-year-old I went into the hospital for an ear infection.
To pass the time, I read all the then-popular Cherry Ames novels,
which were about a mystery-solving nurse. I also greatly admired
the nurses who took care of me. That was a great motivator, and
so in high school I enrolled in all the courses required to get into
nursing school.
Q: And did you go straight into nursing school?A: The day after high school graduation I was on an ocean liner
headed to Italy with my grandparents. We stayed for three months,
and when I returned I inquired about admission at the nursing
school affiliated with a college in my hometown in Connecticut. I
was accepted even though classes had started a month before, so
I spent the time trying to catch up on everything I had missed. More
than a decade later, I earned two degrees from FIU.
Q: Dean ora strickland likes to say, “nursing can take you in so many directions.” was that the case for you?A: Definitely. Most of my career was spent at Mount Sinai Medical
Center in Miami Beach, where I worked my way up from a team
leader in the surgical unit to supervisor of the operating room to
coordinating the ambulatory services of 52 specialty clinics and,
finally, serving as director of nursing for the operating room and
post-anesthesia care unit. During that time I published more than
two dozen articles and was active on the editorial boards of several
nursing publications, not to mention managing seven-figure budgets
and a large staff. Later, I worked as an independent consultant
specializing in healthcare operations, interim management and
quality assurance.
Q: you and husband lee made a seven-figure planned gift in support of graduate students pursuing careers in nursing and business. what prompted this generosity?
A: We were influenced by the actions of Warren Buffet and others
who have set an example of giving back to the community. The best
way to support the community is to educate people. This is the right
decision for us.
Q: you have retired from nursing. How do you spend your time?A: I have traveled the world—over 120 countries—visiting some
as many as three or four times. I continue to travel and have many
great experiences and meet such interesting people.
WINTER 2014-15 | 33 FALL 2013 | 33
First FIU President Charles E. Perry, left, stands in 1972 on the steps of FIU’s first building, Primera Casa, with artist Albert Vrana. To enhance the aesthetics of the building affectionally known as PC —the five-story concrete structure was once the largest in the State University System with more than 200,000 square feet of floor space —Vrana received a $40,000 commission to create the bronze Las Cuatro Razas (The Four Races), which is 103 feet wide and still adorns the facade today.
get the full story at go.fiu.edu/historyphoto
Division of External RelationsModesto A. Maidique Campus, MARC 510Miami, FL 33199-0001
Change Service Requested
NONPROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE
PAIDMiami FL
PERMIT NO 3675