FIU Magazine Winter 2015-16

WINTER 2015-16 VOLUME 33

Fertile Ground

FIU collaborates with the South Dade community to encourage the business of farming and economic growth

SERVICE AS CELEBRATION FIU students and staff came out for the Homecoming Week Day of Service to show their support of the community and continue to mark the 50th anniversary of FIU’s founding. Participating in a variety of service events throughout the year— including beautification activities at Homestead Bayfront Park, below—members of the FIU family have contributed to the common good and collectively reflect FIU’s commitment to all who live in South Florida.

Photo by Ben Guzman ’11

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REMEMBERING GREGORY WOLFE

FIU’s third president capitalized on the university’s international nature.

AN ARTIST GROWS IN NEW YORK

An FIU alumna sees her star rise with an installation in Madison Square Park.

FOSTERING HOPE

An FIU initiative provides support for former foster care and homeless students.

ON THE COVER PLANTING THE SEEDS OF SUCCESS FIU is helping military veterans and minorities break into the business of farming.

Pictured on cover: Garfield Jarrett ’14 on his South Dade farm

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E-HEALTH ASSISTANT ALWAYS ON CALL A mobile device-based health avatar could soon help us all stay healthier.

PANTHER ATHLETICS MAKES STRIDES IN REBUILDING

Fall sports gave FIU fans plenty to cheer about.

PUTTING A NOVEL TO REST

Creative writing professors lovingly finish and publish a deceased student’s book.

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FIU MAGAZINE DIGITAL EXCLUSIVES Check out more from FIU Magazine, online and via the FIU Magazine app for tablet.

Download “FIU Magazine”

at no charge in your device’s app store.

MEET MEREDITH MARCHIONI PH.D. ’09, a cultural anthropologist who documents tribal hunting and fishing practices in remote Native American villages in Alaska.

EXPERIENCE THE ARTWORK OF TERESITA FERNANDEZ ’90 in an amazing 360-degree tour (best viewed on tablet) that puts you in the middle of Madison Square Park in New York.

Or view online at

magazine.fiu.edu

Posthumous publication Hear Creative Writing Professor John Dufresne read from a novel by an alumnus who passed away.

Art for the masses Meet alumnus Omar Lopez Chahoud, organizer of an annual fair presented during Art Basel Miami Beach.

Fitness forward Watch a cool animation of the upcoming expansion of the Rec Center at MMC.

WHENEVER YOU SEE THE PLAY BUTTON, VISIT MAGAZINE.FIU.EDU OR USE THE FIU MAGAZINE APP TO GET OUR DIGITAL-EXCLUSIVE CONTENT • • •

Be inspired by former foster care and homeless students who are succeeding at FIU. Read about the engineering research of FIU professors working in earthquake-torn Nepal.

See Professor Christine Lisetti and her team as they develop a digital personal health assistant.

GET 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 magazine@fiu.edu.

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FROM THE EDITOR “I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.”

— J. B. Priestly (author, novelist, playwright, essayist) New beginnings. I find they arrive imbued with promise.

Whether it’s a new home, new school, new job, new love, my life changes have always been accompanied by a sense of hope — if not immediately, at least eventually. I haven’t asked for every change life has handed me — in fact, some of these changes have brought me to my knees — but when I regained my bearings, my new reality, more often than not, was life-affirming.

This issue of FIU Magazine is filled with stories of new beginnings. Writer Amy Ellis writes movingly of our students who have “aged out” of the foster care system and are left with little support to navigate the vagaries of college. Reading about this special population fills me with pride, not only because of what FIU is doing to help them but because of the indomitable spirit these Panthers display in building futures that will deliver them from their pasts.

Our cover story by Evelyn Perez and Alexandra Pecharich about FIU’s ongoing initiatives in South Dade is a tale of myriad new beginnings — those of our military veterans and others seeking a career in the business of agriculture as well as the university’s efforts to further its impact in the southern part of the county.

Elsewhere in this publication you’ll find 2016 Panther Getaway Tours advertised. Why not you in 2016? Literally and figuratively, new beginnings await.

This fall I experienced my own new beginning, of sorts, when I became editor of FIU

FIU MAGAZINE Editorial Advisory Board

FIU President

Heather Bermudez ’06, MS ’12 Marketing Manager South Beach Wine & Food Festival

FIU Board of Trustees

Mark B. Rosenberg

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

Claudia Puig (Chair) Cesar L. Alvarez Jose J. Armas Jorge L. Arrizurieta Leonard Boord Alexis Calatayud Mayi de la Vega ’81 Gerald C. Grant Jr. ’78, MBA ’89 Michael G. Joseph Natasha Lowell Justo L. Pozo Kathleen L. Wilson

FIU MAGAZINE Division of External Relations

Lazaro Gonzalez Marketing and Branding Strategist Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Sandra B. Gonzalez-Levy Senior Vice President

Susan Jay Assistant Vice President of Development and Assistant Dean for Medical Advancement Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Terry Witherell

Nicole Kaufman Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs

Alexandra Pecharich

Vice President

Karen Cochrane Editor

Managing Editor

Larry Lunsford Vice President for Student Affairs University Ombudsman

Aileen Solá-Trautmann

Maureen Pelham Director of Clinical Trials Division of Research

Senior Multimedia Producer

Art Director

Doug Garland ’10 Barbarita Ramos Graphic Designer

Duane Wiles Executive Director Alumni Association

Writers

Mark Williams Interim Dean, Robert Stempel School of Public Health and Social Work

JoAnn C. Adkins Eric Barton Joel Delgado ’12 Amy Ellis Sissi Garland ’99, MA ’08 Clara-Meretan Kiah ’15 ​Evelyn S. Perez Gisela Valencia ’15

Photographers

Ben Guzman ’11 Alex Hernandez Sam Lewis Christopher Necuze ’11

Magazine. While it has been my great, good fortune to serve as a writer for the university for nearly 15 years, I have never served as editor of FIU’s flagship publication. I’m energized to continue its tradition of excellence and to work alongside one of the best creative teams in the country.

Last but not least, our FIU Magazine app is now available through the App Store and the Google Play store to read on iPad and Android tablet devices. Months in development, the app gives us a chance to bring the magazine stories to life in a way that print cannot. You’ll find videos, audio and additional editorial content there as well as online to enhance your experience of the magazine.

I think J.B. Priestly was on to something. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find my own bit of magic “somewhere behind the morning.”

Always Blue and Gold,

Karen Cochrane

Copyright 2016, 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 alumni@FIU.edu.

Letters to the Editor: FIU Magazine welcomes letters to the editor regarding magazine content. Send your letters via email to alumni@FIU.edu; 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.

15053_01/16 FIU Magazine is printed on 30 percent PCW recycled paper that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council

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ON THE PROWL

Treasures: Toy Zeppelin

Gift supports food production lab The advanced food production laboratory at FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management has a new name thanks to a $500,000 gift from Badia Spices, Inc. The 22,000-square-foot Badia Spices Food Production Laboratory provides students with state-of-the art instructional technology and access to a specialized area where they can develop and test new product ideas.

The company’s contribution funds scholarships in perpetuity for teaching and research assistants working in the lab, as well as continuous maintenance of the facility through equipment upgrades. In addition, Badia Spices’ full product line is available for use in the lab, among them the two celebrated mixes that FIU students have helped inspire and for

Issued between the World Wars, a model airship construction set promised both education and amusement for flightminded American youth. An illustrated instruction book accompanied the complex array of steel bolts and tin plates, which industrious children could assemble into any of five historically accurate configurations. Seen here is the German Graf Zeppelin from The Wolfsonian-FIU museum’s Mitchell Wolfson Jr. Collection.

Inaugurated in 1928, the real-life airship— at the time the largest and fastest ever built—operated regular transatlantic and intercontinental flights that included a 1933 stopover at Miami-Dade’s OpaLocka air station en route from Rio de Janeiro to Akron, Ohio, to Chicago for the World’s Fair.

The late-1920s toy airship, assembled from a construction set manufactured by Metalcraft Corporation of St. Louis, was modeled on the real Graf Zeppelin and is on display at The Wolfsonian-FIU through May 8 as part of the museum’s “Margin of Error” exhibition.

which they received scholarships. A percentage of sales of the unique products comes back to the school in support of students. The first, Holy Smokes, a meat rub, has been available in stores since 2014.

FIU Medicine earns high marks for quality of education The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine holds its own on two prestigious lists that includes some of the oldest, most respected institutions in the country. In the category of Top Medical School for Career Support, the college took the No. 4 spot, recognition of the school’s commitment to student success. And in terms of “access to relevant, interesting, challenging courses by qualified professors,” FIU ranked 20th. The rankings were the result of data and reviews gathered from more than 3,000 students nationally and were published by GraduatePrograms.com.

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Questions

for the Museum Director

By Alexandra Pecharich | Photo by Doug Garland ’10

The Frost Art Museum welcomed a new director in January 2015.

Jordana Pomeroy most recently served as executive director at Louisiana State University’s Museum of Art in Baton Rouge, and previously was chief curator at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. She shared a few thoughts with FIU Magazine.

1.

What attracted you to the Frost Art Museum?

The idea of running an academic museum in the heart of a city with an art scene as thriving as Miami’s was too good to pass up. The city is in a period of enormous growth as a global arts hub, on par with New York and London. In large part it all begins with Art Basel. The confluence of artists, dealers, collectors, curators, museum directors and those just purely interested in the “scene” generates an energy unique to South Florida.

2.

What is your approach to exhibitions?

The Frost has a two-pronged mission: to present a well-rounded slate of exhibitions that does justice to the wondrousness of art throughout history and to present arts education at all levels. That means making students and other visitors feel comfortable and happy in the museum environment. I embrace the challenge of converting non-museum goers into museum lovers by giving them the tools they need to approach art.

3.

How will you build up programs and attract new audiences?

We’ll experiment a bit but also gather some data on our visitors to find out more about their impressions and experiences. If something doesn’t work, I’ll sit down with my staff and figure out why. I also believe strongly in the power of good advertising. Promoting the museum’s offerings as widely as possible, and in creative and unexpected ways, will attract new audiences.

4.

Do you have a favorite artist or type of art?

My favorite art is the kind that takes my breath away. The British landscape painter J.M.W. Turner does this to me, as does the South African artist William Kentridge, who uses masterful draftsmanship to describe political narratives and poetic musings. I am also keenly interested in architecture and design.

5.

In your free time, what have you tried to do in Miami?

Drinking cortaditos, of course, and finding those jewel boxes of restaurants that only the locals know about. I’ve also vowed to learn basic Spanish—if the former mayor of New York can do it while running a city of eight million, por qué no yo?

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In memoriam

Gregory Baker Wolfe (1922-2015)

g

Legacy of FIU’s third president still felt today regory Baker Wolfe thoroughly

“FIWho?” syndrome – that had dogged

often worried that the high-level visitors might

embraced the university’s international

the fledgling university. Along with his wife,

be taken aback by FIU’s, at the time, relatively

nature and set the institution on a path

Mary Ann, he hosted dinners that brought to

unattractive surroundings, its poured-concrete

to becoming world class. Following the death

campus luminaries from the worlds of politics,

buildings standing in sharp contrast to the red

of FIU’s third president in December, some 29

government and public service, the media

brick and ivy many were used to.

years since he led FIU, his legacy remains a

and the diplomatic corps. And he instituted a

part of its DNA.

lecture series with big-name speakers such

surprise at the lackluster facilities, but “the

as then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger

moment they met the president, he would

John Stack, executive director of the Steven

and Noble Laureate Elie Wiesel that “gave us

make them feel comfortable,” she said. “They

J. Green School of International and Public

exposure in the city that we simply had not

would be laughing and sharing stories. He

Affairs, who was a young faculty member

had before.”

made them feel at home.”

“It was a transformational presidency,” said

In fact, Hamilton said, many did express

A staunch believer in

when Wolfe arrived. “It was Greg Wolfe who began to undertake

multiculturalism, the president

and envision an international

showcased FIU’s burgeoning

component. For him, it wasn’t just

international enrollment to the many

a word. It was the world he had

locally stationed consuls by inviting

worked for all his life. He had a

them to campus. He had students

vision of public service, a vision

from the corresponding countries

of government service. He had a

hand deliver the invitations, Hamilton

vision of a dynamic university.”

recalled, and then a parade of nations would precede the meal.

A World War II veteran, Wolfe

Recognizing Miami’s potential,

had served as an intelligence analyst for the U.S. State

and its needs, Wolfe knew that FIU

Department and worked on the

could not remain an upper-division

White House staffs of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson

President Gregory Wolfe at a (rainy) campus concert with Ella Fitzgerald

before heading to Portland State University

Agreed FIU President Mark Rosenberg,

institution for long. So he made an impassioned case for expansion to

the Florida legislature, where he had his share of supporters.

in Oregon and then FIU. The son of Russian

“Dr. Wolfe and his lovely wife helped move

immigrants, he was a linguist fluent in Spanish,

the university forward at a time when it was

“We want Miami to be a metropolitan,

French, German and Portuguese who earned

still the new kid on the block. Through their

cosmopolitan city in another 30-40 years,”

a Ph.D. at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of

commitment they put FIU on the map.”

Hamilton recalled him telling local leaders. “If

Law and Diplomacy. He landed on campus in

Retired former director of the Graham

we want to attract corporations, companies,

February of 1979, a seasoned diplomat with

Center Ruth Hamilton worked with Wolfe

investors, talent to this city, we must have

the savvy to get things done.

to bring many of the dignitaries and other

a top-notch four-year public university.”

important guests to campus, something that

FIU’s inaugural group of freshmen arrived in

was not happening elsewhere in town. She

August of 1981.

Stack recalled how the eloquent orator began chipping away at the anonymity – the 6 |

WINTER 2015-16

Wolfe to raise money for the university. “He

situation, Wolfe pulled a spectacular move

undergraduate studies, add new graduate

made you feel that you were the only person in

when in 1983 he introduced legendary singer

programs and turn the Biscayne Bay Campus

the world. He made you feel very important. He

Ella Fitzgerald to a crowd of concertgoers at

(BBC) into a thriving community that included

gave full attention, was always complimentary

BBC. Hamilton remembers how the weather

FIU’s first student residential housing, a new

and he did it with such charm.”

did not cooperate for the outdoor affair.

Wolfe went on to name a dean of

student center—today known as the Wolfe

Barbara Bader, an administrator and former

“When she went on stage, it was raining,

University Center—an aquatic center and a

College of Education faculty member, recalled

and President Wolfe got an umbrella and held

library. BBC also began offering a host of adult

with amazement one particular walk across

it for her, and she sang under that umbrella.”

education programs.

campus with Wolfe.

The image of the university president with the

During his tenure, the university also added

“He stopped to speak with one of the

movie-star good looks shielding the first lady

full-fledged schools of engineering, nursing

groundskeepers. In Spanish, he greeted him

of jazz from the elements summed up the man

and journalism.

by name and inquired about his family,” she

for Hamilton.

For all his success in navigating politics and

remembered. “In the cafeteria, he spoke with

his ease in entertaining the intellectual and the

the woman serving our food, also in Spanish,

powerful, the president maintained a down-to-

and asked about her children by name. After

“He understood people, relationships,” she said. “He was a very charismatic person.”

Wolfe retired from the presidency in 1986

earth sensibility that resonated across class

lunch he pulled up a chair where several

and for years remained a distinguished

and background.

students were finishing their lunch and said,

professor in FIU’s Department of

“It didn’t matter who you were,” said Kay

‘Hi, I’m Greg Wolfe and I’m interested in

International Relations.

Fahringer, former chair of the FIU Foundation

knowing how school is going for you.’”

Board of Directors, who worked closely with

Knowing just what do in almost any

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Photos courtesy of FIU Special Collections & University Archives

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On the cusp of greatness

Alumna Teresita Fernandez takes the New York art world by storm

By Nick Ducassi | Photo by Doug Garland ’10 8 |

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Take a tour of Fernandez’s installation at magazine.fiu.edu

Eager tourists stand in the middle of

says. Installing the structure took more than

After an artistic residency brought her to

New York City’s Madison Square Park,

three months, and the entire process, from

Japan, her works began to further increase

smartphones and cameras in hand, craning

conception to installation, took more than

in size, scope — and exposure. Soon she

their necks skyward. It’s not an unusual sight

three years.

was living and working out of New York City.

for a city that attracts millions of visitors a year

“The first thing I do when I start a new work

Before long, Louis Vuitton was commissioning

to gawk at the impossibly tall skyscrapers and

is ask the very simple question, ‘Where am

her to create site-specific large-scale

the iconic skyline.

I?’” Fernandez explains. “I take that question

installations for its Shanghai and Paris

very seriously. So, in a way I start excavating

locations, and museums and private galleries

however, aren’t the tops of buildings but

and researching where I am historically,

began exhibiting her work, including the

dancing, glowing reflections of the walkway

economically, socially, geographically, visually,

Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the

beneath their feet and their own faces. More

emotionally, physically — where exactly is

Smithsonian Museum of American Art in D.C.,

than 200 panels—perforated discs, polished

this site located? Not just physically, but in

the Castello di Rivoli in Italy and the Centro de

to a golden, mirrored hue—hover 12 feet in

people’s imaginations and in history and in the

Arte Contemporaneo in Spain.

the air on steel beams and cover nearly 500

entire context of place.”

On the other side of their collective gaze,

feet of the park’s center walkway.

Along the way, she racked up a series

Certainly grand visions are nothing new for

of accolades, including a MacArthur

Fernandez, who recalls watching mystifying

Foundation “Genius” grant, and was

of trees, and the discs bend the sun’s rays to

sunsets and skies while growing up in Miami.

appointed by President Obama to the U.S.

their will. The resulting glow is mesmerizing,

She witnessed “a spectacular colorful sky

Commission of Fine Arts where she reviewed

and can transport anyone within sight of it —

event every evening,” and she credits Miami

and offered opinions on public sculptures.

around Madison Square Park, or those looking

as the birthplace of her “thoughts about

down on it from the surrounding buildings —

specificity of place, of flatness, of

cusp of greatness,” Brooke Kamin Rapaport,

to another world. And in a near-feat of magic,

explosive color.”

senior curator of Madison Square Park

The structure suggests leaves in a canopy

“Teresita is really an artist who is on the

the play of light can transform the massive metal sculpture into the invisible — and that’s largely the point, says the artist, 46-year-old Teresita Fernandez ’90.

The sculpture’s name — Fata Morgana — comes from the mystifying, hovering mirage created by looking out at the horizon line of

“It is an optical illusion that distorts the natural landscape,” Fernandez says. “I was interested in this idea of distortion on a grand scale and how I could make a sculpture that appears like a mirage in the middle of NYC.”

the ocean. “It looks like a floating landscape.

It is an optical illusion that distorts the natural landscape,” Fernandez says. “I was interested

Raised by Cuban immigrants, she spent

Conservancy, told the Wall Street Journal, “and

in this idea of distortion on a grand scale and

her high school years drawing and went on to

I think that Fata Morgana is going to propel her

how I could make a sculpture that appears like

study art at FIU, where she eventually took a

to the highest rank of artists working today.”

a mirage in the middle of NYC.”

sculpture class. She loved the physical and

Currently engaged in another commission

visceral nature of sculpting; how she could

and presenting a solo show at the Lehmann

mold the industrial to her will.

Maupin Gallery in New York, Fernandez takes

“Fata Morgana” is the largest sculpture in the park’s history and received one of the longest runs of any installation there. Its ninemonth run concluded in January.

As big as the scope of work is, the concept

With an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth

an approach to her work that, ultimately, has

University under her belt — there she became

led to her connecting with audiences around

known on campus for the scale of her

the globe.

“For me, art functions as this kind of way-

for “Fata Morgana” was birthed in Fernandez’s

sculptures, which sometimes took up entire

small Brooklyn studio. Many of her pieces

studios — she moved back to Miami, quickly

finding,” she says. “As human beings, we have

seek to evoke natural landscapes like caves,

making a name for herself in the burgeoning

always been trying to find our way, to place

glistening bodies of water and the night sky.

art community. Before long, she was invited

ourselves within the world.”

Like the grandeur of the other tableaus she

to group shows and museums around South

has sought to bring to life, this one required “a

Florida and in the mid-‘90s presented her first

center, at the crossroads of critical success

team of fabricators and engineers,” Fernandez

solo show in New York City.

and the appreciation of everyday viewers.

In Fernandez’s case, that place is front and

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FIU offers

Hope & Help to former foster care and homeless students

By Amy Ellis | Photos by Doug Garland ’10

Vanessa Morales 10 |

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Vanessa Morales remembers packing up

hundreds of care packages with food, toiletries and clothing for students in need at FIU. What her fellow

for several days until an FIU advisor helped him find housing.

The struggles of homeless and former foster

volunteers at Baptist Collegiate Ministries did not

care youth in higher education is a national issue

know was that Vanessa desperately needed a care

that advocates say is finally getting the attention

package herself.

it deserves.

For two months, Morales, a junior at FIU studying

More than 30 states, including Florida, now

elementary education, had been living in her car

provide scholarships, grants or tuition exemptions

in the parking lot of the student health center. She

to foster care youth who have “aged out” of

showered at the FIU gym and ate food from the

the system and want to go to college. A federal

Fresh Food Company, where she worked, given

program provides up to $5,000 annually to those

to her by a kind supervisor. She never told the

who enroll in college.

supervisor she had no place to live. She thinks the

Students who are homeless are also eligible

woman just sensed that she could use some help.

for free tuition and fee waivers at state colleges

Morales never wanted to think of herself as homeless. She called herself a “nomad.”

“People expect a homeless person to look all

and universities, though the process to prove homelessness can be daunting.

Still, experts say the needs of students who

dirty,’’ she said. “But any student you pass by, they

have endured so much so early in life run far

could be homeless and you’d never know it.’’

beyond the financial.

Morales, now 21, found herself with nowhere

Lacking a solid support system, they struggle

to live after her parents divorced and her father,

to navigate the bureaucracies of higher education

unemployed, drinking heavily and in a deep

and financial aid. Many need help academically

depression, told her she had to move out to make

to succeed at the college level. Others suffer

room for his new girlfriend. Her stepmother was

from mental or emotional problems brought on by

diagnosed with cancer and unable to help. Her

childhood trauma.

extended family lived in Costa Rica.

She never asked anyone for help because she

FIU is one of a growing number of universities and colleges in the country working to create a

figured there were plenty of people facing worse

more holistic solution, built around addressing all

circumstances.

of a student’s needs, whether academic, physical,

She didn’t want to think of herself as a beggar or worse, hopeless.

emotional or mental.

The university’s Fostering Panther Pride program offers former foster care and homeless students a

a national trend

safety net throughout their college years.

In any given semester at FIU, there are dozens of

Florida and around the country.

students with similar stories — living on the streets,

The program is winning praise from advocates in “When you have a young person who has been

in cars or shelters, or abandoned by those who were

mistreated, neglected or abused, you’ve got to

supposed to protect and care for them.

provide them with a supportive community so

Some have suffered abuse or neglect and

they can succeed,’’ said Brett McNaught, CEO of

bounced from one foster home to another; others

Educate Tomorrow, a Miami-based nonprofit that

have suffered the loss of a parent, landing them in

provided an initial $35,000 to fund FIU’s program.

state custody or, if they are 18 or older, on their own.

“Getting an academic institution like FIU to focus on

One student slept outside the Frost Art Museum

this population is a game-changer.’’

Continues

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Continued

National experts – who are working to identify what works and what doesn’t at colleges and universities around the country — agree and say FIU is on the right track.

Children and Families. “It’s up to us to get them to the end.’’

Without intervention, the odds of success

Order of Omega Greek honor society.

Love graduated in spring of 2015 with a degree in civil engineering and accepted a

are not in their favor. Nationally, fewer than

position with Chad Moss Construction. He

“The research has shown that these kids

10 percent of former foster care youth enroll

wants to use his experience to show others

are not going to college and if they do, once

in college and fewer than 3 percent make it

that they, too, can find success.

there, they have trouble succeeding,’’ said

to graduation.

John Emerson, a postsecondary education advisor with Casey Family Programs.

“So while scholarships are important, it’s not enough.”

Launched in November 2013 by FIU’s Office of Engagement, Fostering

“The kids I used to know are out selling drugs and getting into fights,’’ he said. “I want

“For these are all our children, we will all profit by, or pay for, whatever they become.”

— James Baldwin

Panther Pride combines the one-on-one

to use what I’ve been through to help push other people in the right direction. There’s no use having a story if you don’t use it for something good.’’

Kenya Adeola, recognized as a “Worlds Ahead Graduate” at commencement in the

guidance of a dedicated success coach

Florida — and Miami-Dade County — are

spring of 2015, lived in nine different foster

with mentoring, academic and financial

at the epicenter of the problem. The state has

homes by the time she was 18. She refuses

assistance and a network of outreach

the third highest foster care population in the

to let that experience define her.

focused on everything from study skills and

country – nearly 20,000 children in 2012. Of

internships to balancing a checkbook and

these, more than 4,800 live in Miami-Dade.

preparing a resume.

The county also has the largest number of homeless children in the state – more than

Struggling to succeed

6,400 in 2012-13, including those in shelters,

The challenges - and the numbers - are

other families.

daunting. In Fall 2014, FIU estimated there were more than 80 former foster care and homeless youth enrolled at the university.

The latter were “couch-surfing” with friends, doubling up with other families, or living in shelters or their cars. Nearly a third of the students were on academic probation with GPAs of less than a 2.0.

University records that indicate whether a

hotels, cars, parks or “doubled-up” with “For some of these kids, school is the only consistency in their lives,’’ said Debra Albo-Steiger, program manager for Project UPSTART, the homeless education division of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

“Against all odds, they get their high school diploma so we want to ensure they are able to go to college. What’s happening at FIU is very exciting.”

student has been granted a tuition exemption make it possible to identify those coming from foster care or who might be homeless.

The real challenge is reaching the students to provide the help they need.

Professors, even close friends, often have

Overcoming the odds Despite the obstacles, the success stories at FIU are plentiful – even incredible.

At 15, Kevin Love watched as every member of his immediate family— his mother,

to be labeled or linked to anything that might

sister and two brothers — were locked up.

“These are kids who have traveled a

He ended up in foster care and though he went through periods of hopelessness,

long way through valleys most people will

several role models helped him find his way

never see,’’ said Kirk Brown, the director of

to FIU, where he became a resident advisor,

extended foster care for the Department of

joined a fraternity and was accepted into the

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WINTER 2015-16

born into – has been her number one priority.

“I had a period where I was very angry, very depressed,’’ said Adeola, who earned her degree in Spanish. “School became my only outlet. I knew that, if I didn’t do it for myself, who would?’’

At FIU, Adeola was a peer advisor, a member of the homecoming committee and participated in Academy of Leaders. This summer, she completed two internships in Washington, D.C., one as a legislative aide to Sen. Tim Scott, the other for the Congressional Coalition for Adoption Institute, where she helped draft policy for children in foster care.

no idea of their struggles. Students hesitate identify them as homeless or from foster care.

Getting an education – and breaking the cycle of drug addiction and abuse she was

“These are students who refuse to let their circumstances define them,’’ said President Mark B. Rosenberg, who has touted what he calls FIU’s “super stars” on television, in speeches and at commencement.

“What they have seen — and overcome — is a testament to their strength and resilience.

We don’t take credit for their success. But we are committed to supporting them in whatever way they need.”

Support for FIU’s program — from the

private, nonprofit and public sectors — has

explains. “Whether it’s housing, financial

been considerable. In addition to Educate

aid or food stamps, I help them meet their

Tomorrow, the Miami Foundation, the

needs so they can graduate on time. I can’t

Miami Coalition for the Homeless, Voices

work harder than they work, but I can help

for Children and UPS Foundation all

them make a plan and prioritize what’s most

stepped forward with funding to launch the

important.”

program. Helping Abused, Neglected and

Douglas Robertson, dean of undergraduate

Disadvantaged Youth (HANDY), a nonprofit

education, has described Ramos as the

based in Fort Lauderdale, and Our Kids

“earth mother” of Fostering Panther Pride.

of Miami-Dade/Monroe have helped with planning and referrals.

“The university has lots of tools to help students succeed – some high tech and

FIU alumnus Chad Moss ’94, a board

some high touch,’’ he said. “For these

member at HANDY and mentor to a former

students, Ana Ramos is a lifeline to all

foster care student at FIU, has committed

of that.’’

$10,000 per year for five years for students from the program who are first in their families to attend college. The state matches those dollars for a total impact of $100,000.

“I view this as an investment in lives,’’ said Moss, a member of the FIU Foundation Board of Directors. “I firmly believe in early intervention in youngsters’ lives to show them there is a ladder to a better way of life.’’

In a major milestone for the program, the state Legislature this year allocated a

That lifeline can mean the difference between persevering – and giving up.

“It’s hard enough for students with family support to navigate the system of higher education,’’ said Charisse Grant, senior vice president for programs at the Miami Foundation, which provided an initial grant of $15,000 for FIU’s program and has committed another $25,000 this year. “To attempt to create that kind of a support in a university setting is really significant.”

recurring commitment of $300,000 annually to fund housing and other assistance.

One anonymous FIU employee donated $10,000 to cover the cost of on-campus housing and meals for one student this year.

“It’s overwhelming what this program has done in a very short time,’’ said Janie Valdes, assistant vice president of undergraduate

With the right support, students who have faced the worst circumstances can succeed.

Students in Fostering Panther Pride are demonstrating that.

Ashley Hunter, a senior majoring in

education, who oversees the program.

psychology, lived in six different foster

“Much of that is due to the uber-commitment

homes after the state removed her from her

of our staff. And the work of Ana Ramos.’’

father’s care when she was in elementary

Ramos, the program’s success coach

school. Both her parents were addicted to

and a former teacher and social worker from Honduras, is the heart of Fostering

drugs. Her father is now in prison.

Hunter came to FIU from Miami Dade

Panther Pride. Hers is a dedicated, fulltime

College in January 2014 and said she felt

position focused solely on helping students

alone and scared. Soon she met Ana Ramos

navigate the myriad services for which they

and the team at Fostering Panther Pride.

may be eligible, both inside and outside the university.

“I clear the path for them,’’ Ramos Ashley Hunter

working for change

“Kids in foster care are often overlooked,’’ Hunter said. “We’re on our own, so having that extra support, someone you can call Continues

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| 13

Continued

when you have a question, is so important.’’

For Christian Aguilar, attending FIU has

Meet more students who are beating the odds at magazine.fiu.edu

Christian Aguilar

brought more stability to his life than he’s had in years. After his mother died, he bounced from one relative to another before landing in foster care at 17.

At 18, while still a senior in high school, he found an apartment with a co-worker and thought his situation was turning around.

Then, outside his Kendall apartment late one night, he was shot in the stomach by three masked gunmen in an attempted carjacking.

He spent two weeks in the hospital and another couple months recuperating. His attackers have not been caught.

“It was surreal,’’ said Aguilar, who with the support of Educate Tomorrow managed to graduate high school and enrolled at FIU in Fall 2014. “It’s a miracle that I’m alive and I’m here for a purpose.’’

Though he has struggled academically, he said he knows that Fostering Panther Pride is there to support him. “I’m not going to give up,” he said, “and I know they aren’t giving up on me.’’

n

For more information about the Fostering Panther Pride program, visit undergrad.fiu.edu/fpp/ or contact Ana Ramos at 305-348-6106 or by email at anramos@fiu.edu.

To make a donation, visit give.fiu.edu/give-now.

Researching how students succeed

advisor with Casey Family Programs.

original research on these underrepresented

“Funders want to see results.’’

populations or are interested in doing so,’’

A portion of the state dollars for Fostering

said Janie Valdes, assistant vice president

Panther Pride will fund faculty and student

of undergraduate education, which oversees

research into former foster care and homeless

Fostering Pather Pride.

Just as essential as the services FIU is

youth. In addition, the university is tracking

providing is research to document results,

grades, retention and graduation statistics,

findings will further inform how best to

experts say.

as well as employment and enrollment in

support our students, as well as make

graduate or professional school.

a significant contribution to the existing

“Collecting data on the impact these programs have on student progress and

“Our vantage point as a research university

“There is no doubt in my mind that the

literature,’’ said Valdes. “At the core, our

retention is critical to their sustainability,’’ said

is that we have an opportunity to engage

faculty are adding a puzzle piece that no one

John Emerson, a postsecondary education

our faculty who are either already doing

else can add.”

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n

THE FUTURE OF TECH EDUCATION

By Gisela Valencia ’15 | Photos by Ben Guzman ’11

The modern workspace has changed quite a bit in the last 10 years. Tech companies are creating communal workspaces that encourage collaboration and creativity among employees.

FIU’s new $3 million Tech Station is

highest-need areas. Multiple tech

let students have their study groups in there.

companies have likewise been involved.

Everybody can share their work on screens

“This is essential for a technology ecosystem to thrive and for companies in South Florida to compete worldwide,” said

raising the bar for educational institutions,

College of Engineering & Computing Interim

promoting and reflecting the kind of creative

Dean Ranu Jung.

workspace that companies have begun offering their employees.

“It’s critical that our students be prepared for the best jobs possible, and Tech Station can be a major force in preparing students for the workforce,” President Mark B. Rosenberg said.

Designed for students of FIU’s School of Computing & Information Sciences within the College of Engineering & Computing, Tech Station will help them learn about the tech industry in a dynamic way.

Located on the ground level of Parking Garage 6 at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus, the facility was made possible by an Information Technology Performance Funding grant and a Targeted Educational

Planners of the 8,000-square-foot facility hope students will be able to experience a new atmosphere and develop a new perspective.

“We’re trying to break a mold,” said Director of Technology Steve Luis. “We’re trying to get students to think differently about what an educational environment looks like and what the experience is.”

The three labs, which provide 49 computer workstations and 24 developer workstations, were designed with a home floor plan in mind as creating a comfortable, innovative environment involves makes students feel at home.

Tech Station also offers students innovative

Attainment grant, funded by the Florida

features like team rooms designed to

Legislature with the intention of producing

encourage group work.

more graduates for careers in the state’s

“The team rooms are great because they

without having to have a special type of computer or device,” computer sciences major Fernando Mendez said. “It makes it easier for students to get together and collaborate.”

Four active learning classrooms are also housed in Tech Station. These rooms are designed for students to get hands-on experience and collaborate with their peers, with professors acting as mentors.

“This is the largest collection of contiguous active learning classrooms in one location on our campus. This is the future – it puts us on the map in terms of how we want our students to receive education and what kind of an environment we expect our students to work in.

It’s a game changer for that,” Luis said.

And the school’s Academic Advising Center is based in Tech Station, putting counselors close at hand to help students complete their degrees and graduate on time as well as find internships and jobs.

“It’s a lasting impression,” Luis said. “When they leave, we want them to leave feeling, ‘wow, what an experience.’”

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| 15

cultivating success FIU provides support for a growing community of military veterans and minorities interested in the business of farming

By Evelyn Perez and Alexandra Pecharich | Photos by Doug Garland ’10

F

or more than 10 years, Garfield Jarrett proudly wore the uniform of a U.S. Marine. Military service was both his passion and his career. But

injuries sustained during a 2008 roadside attack in Iraq ended it all.

Granted a medical discharge, Jarrett returned home to South Florida and enrolled at FIU to pursue a bachelor’s degree in social work. Driven by a desire to help others, Jarrett graduated and promptly started on a master’s degree in the same field. Yet he felt adrift in his new reality.

Then one day on campus, a flyer caught his attention. It announced a new agriculture program for military veterans. Suddenly, Jarrett’s aimlessness gave way to fond childhood memories of growing up on his grandfather’s sugarcane plantation in Jamaica. The possibilities brought a smile to his face.

A RECOGNIZED NEED Florida has large numbers of minority and new farmers. The most recent USDA Agricultural Census identified more than 10,000 operators as having farmed for less than 10 years, of which more than 4,000 are Hispanic and roughly 750 are women. The majority are located in South Florida and many, according to the Coalition of Florida Farmworkers Organizations, represent an emerging trend in Miami-Dade County: They are both farmworkers—that is, they labor for others who own land—as well as decision-making farmers, who lease land on the side to cultivate on their own as a means of supplementing income.

Continues

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Garfield Jarrett ’14 has started a farming enterprise with help from FIU.

WINTER 2015-16

| 17

Continued

Agriculture to conduct research, train students and engage in community activities. So the two

“It’s not just finding a piece of land and putting in plants. If you really want to make a living out of that you have to do it very systematically.

You need all the resources that are required, including financial resources, and then you need to have the know how.”

jumped at the opportunity given by the USDA to apply for nearly $170,000 in support of the local farming population. The grant has since been renewed for a second year.

At around the very same time that Garfield

— Mahadev Bhat

Jarrett was wondering where his life was headed, the professors were putting some of the

Separately, Florida has a growing population

mention budgeting, planning, marketing and

recently awarded USDA money toward launching

of recent veterans—some 200,000 have returned

more. Daunting as all that might sound, the

the Veterans and Small Farmers Outreach

to or moved to the state since 2008, according

rewards are there for the motivated.

Program in the heart of South Florida farm

to the U.S. Census—and the largest portion has

“Even with one acre in South Florida, if they

country, the Redland Agriculture Area.

made its home in Miami-Dade County. As many

learn all these techniques, it is profitable,”

as 10 percent are currently unemployed.

Jayachandran said.

FACILITATING FINANCIAL HELP

FIU IN THE FOREFRONT

the program directly served more than 90 new

Two professors in the Department of Earth and Environment within the College of Arts & Sciences know the statistics well. Ten years

Already involved with the local farm

Within the first nine months of launching, farmers. Many wanted information about USDA

ago, Krish Jayachandran and Mahadev Bhat

community, Bhat and Jayachandran, in

microloans—up to $50,000 in support of startup

founded FIU’s Agroecology Program, a research-

collaboration with retired U.S. Army Col.

enterprises—and FIU staff worked with them to

based and experiential learning academic track

John Mills, who now serves as president of

complete the required application.

geared to educating students to work at the

non-profit Redland Ahead, debuted the Veterans

U.S. Department of Agriculture and in related

and Small Farmers Outreach Program at FIU in

they need to bring in, how to fill it out, what kind

businesses. As the pair and their students took

early 2015. The initiative caters to former soldiers

of information they need,” says Nina De la Rosa,

advantage of the living lab all around them

and new or aspiring minority farmers. Just as

the farm education and outreach coordinator at

—that is, the surrounding farm areas, including

FIU’s College of Business runs a successful

FIU and an alumna of the university. “Every client

places such as Homestead and the Redland

small business development center for budding

takes about three to four hours.”

Agriculture Area, home of the nation’s winter

entrepreneurs, Bhat and Jayachandran have

vegetable garden—they began to see

established the equivalent for would-be farmers.

“We help them figure out what documents

De la Rosa translates the application for her Spanish-speaking clients, which account for

Funding comes from a source that

the vast majority of those who walk through the

understands the value of fostering new

door, the greatest numbers hailing from Central

officials concur, that plenty of individuals are

enterprise: the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s

America. Language barriers aside, the 8-10 page

willing and able to put in the time and effort

(USDA’s) Office of Advocacy and Outreach.

document simply scares off some people looking

required of such an endeavor, but they lack the

With the current staff of the USDA already

to break into the industry.

means and knowledge to get up and running.

busy serving traditional, established farmers,

Bhat and Jayachandran characterize the

legislators appropriated funds to mobilize

the farm loan manager at the USDA’s local Farm

ramping up of even a small parcel as “a very

universities and nonprofits around the country

Services Agency and one of the people who

complicated process.”

to help new agricultural startups. In 2012,

refers clients to De la Rosa. “Farmers usually

ripe possibilities.

The professors say, and local USDA

“It’s a little confusing,” agrees Nancy Mundo,

the USDA launched the Hispanic-Serving

want to be on their farms. If you give them

in plants. If you really want to make a living out

Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACU)

the application, a lot of them may not come

of that you have to do it very systematically,”

program, which was approved in the 2008 farm

back because they don’t want to fill out that

Bhat said. “You need all the resources that are

bill. FIU was among the first universities in the

application because it’s too intimidating.”

required, including financial resources, and then

nation to receive the designation.

“It’s not just finding a piece of land and putting

you need to have the know how.”

The professors already had a history of

The allure of financial help has achieved its goal of “trying to bring people into the farming

securing grants from the USDA: Combined, they

industry,” Mundo said. But with the popularity

local vegetation and growing seasons, soil

have brought in approximately $7 million over

of the microloan program has come even more

and climate, pest control and irrigation, not to

the years from the National Institute of Food and

work for an already overwhelmed agency.

The latter includes an understanding of

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“Without [FIU’s] help, we would be bombarded, and we are bombarded. That is just one area that has been alleviated: We don’t have to sit with the potential borrower and help him or her fill in the application. Nina helps them, and it takes a burden off us.”

In addition to assisting with the all-important paperwork, De la Rosa and a student assistant organize monthly workshops led by USDA officers, experts from FIU and others within the industry. These address technical skills such as beekeeping, composting and disease management. And meetings on business topics such as budgeting and marketing are offered, regularly bringing together as many as 20 participants at a time to take notes, share experiences and get to know one another.

FIRST-RATE FIELD EXPERIENCES Also critically important, the program gives would-be farmers a chance to participate in “rotations” at several of the 16 local farms with which FIU has established partnerships.

Jarrett likens the opportunity to the practicum he completed for his social work master’s degree, which had him working under

Krish Jayachandran, left, and Mahadev Bhat started the Agroecology Program in 2006.

supervision at a VA hospital, a substance abuse treatment center and a nursing home. Here, aspiring farmers learn the ropes by serving paid apprenticeships in farm management at established operations that specialize in fruit and vegetable production, animal husbandry and nursery-plant production.

De la Rosa has seen firsthand how the experience of working under seasoned farmers changes participants’ outlooks, often moving them from simply a strong desire to work the land to something akin to determination. “Their business mindset is where we see the greatest shift,” she said. “It’s no longer ‘I’m going to do this because I love it.’ It’s ‘I’m going to do this because I love it, and I’m going to sit and plan how to make it profitable.’”

And she adds, “The main idea of the rotations is trying to create a new network of people that

Since its inception, the Agroecology Program has engaged as many as 2,500 members of the local and international communities in its outreach programs. This includes college students and working professionals who have participated in the Veteran and Small Farmers Outreach Program, the Horticulture Professional Training Program and the International Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture Workshop. Agroecology also offers robust programming for K-12 students, including an annual kindergarten day and a unique high school summer internship program.

This is in addition to the FIU students who enroll in agroecology classes, a certificate program and Earth and Environment bachelor’s degree programs. Scholarship funding from the USDA has supported 145 undergraduate and graduate students interested in agroecology as a career.

will be able to help these farmers. It would be great if you have one mentor, but it’s even better Continues

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| 19

Continued

they hope will promote environmentally

if you have four or maybe five.”

"The nation’s Hispanic-Serving Agricultural

sustainable practices, positively impact food

Colleges and Universities can accelerate

Jarrett was among the first to enroll in the

security and foster economic growth within

research, and complement the extension and

program and take advantage of all it offers.

the region. The two embrace education and

teaching of our land-grant universities,” said

innovation as the means to get there.

Arts & Sciences Dean Mike Heithaus. "At

With his twin degrees from FIU in hand,

“It opened my eyes to the resources that were out there,” he says, resources “that

“Agriculture education is not just [about]

FIU alone, we are helping to develop more

you wouldn’t know about unless you were in

a practice of farming. It is science and

resilient crops, combat invasive pests, develop

the industry or an established farmer.” Such

technology,” Jayachandran says. “It is exploring

agribusiness opportunities and training the

knowledge helped Jarrett understand that he

and discovering about biogeochemical

next generation of farmers. In many ways, the

qualified for free soil testing of a property that

processes, nutrient cycling, on-farm and off-

collaboration and complementary roles played

he currently leases and on which he grows kale,

farm pollution remediation measures, surface

by FIU and UF are a metaphor for what future

Brussels sprouts, peppers and other crops.

and groundwater management, bioenergy, food

collaboration with HSACUs should look like."

Another option open to him: up to $15,000 in

safety and security. If we are going to feed more

help for irrigation work and pest management,

than 9 billion people in the future, we have to

Agricultural Area are home to a wide variety

the latter an especially

get creative in how we use our soil resources

of fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants,

important concern as he

and water resources.”

Jayachandran says it is a prime location for

Because Homestead and the Redland

seeks to establish himself

future research and

as an organic producer,

economic development

“Agriculture education is not just [about] a practice of farming.

It is science and technology. If we are going to feed more than 9 billion people in the future, we have to get creative in how we use our soil resources and water resources.”

one who chooses natural methods over herbicides and pesticides.

And getting to know the

initiatives in agroecology.

Already he and students have set up test plots to study plant biofuels and naturally occurring

right people, as De la Rosa stressed, has boosted his

— Krish Jayachandran

bacteria with the potential to serve as

chances of success. “As

organic pesticides.

long as you’re willing to do the hard work, a lot of them are willing to help

Achieving many of these goals requires

you,” Jarrett says of the more-experienced

research collaborations across FIU and

farmers and others he has met.

with other higher education institutions. For

A BLOOMING FUTURE A lot of good could come out of the increased

example, agri-scientists and researchers in

attention to South Florida’s agricultural

the International Center for Tropical Botany,

landscape. Garfield Jarrett knows this on a

a collaboration between FIU and the National

personal level. Like Bhat and Jayachandran and

Everglades National Park, southwest Miami-

Tropical Botanical Garden, work closely

others with a vested interest in the Miami-Dade

Dade County is the future for agroecology in

together to study and cultivate plants that could

farming community, he too has a vision.

the state, Jayachandran believes. Throughout

have new uses. The Agroecology Program is

Florida, more than 1.5 million people work in the

also working with the FIU Chaplin School of

combine his work on the land—in addition to

state’s agriculture, natural resources and food

Hospitality and Tourism Management to develop

crops, he also raises goats, sheep, chicken and

processing industries, and that number is on the

farm-to-table food programs.

ducks—with his social work background to

AGRO-INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES Nestled between Biscayne National Park and

rise. In Miami-Dade County alone, agriculture

And a partnership with the University of

More than just making a living, he hopes to

change the lives of others. He looks forward to

has a nearly $2.7 billion annual economic

Florida, the state’s land grant university, could

one day providing families with tours of his farm

impact, all the while occupying just 6 percent

lead to establishing an important facility in the

and inviting veterans and others to volunteer as

of the county’s available land, according to the

heart of Miami’s agricultural community. While

a means to helping them heal, just as working

South Dade Chamber of Commerce.

the idea is still in early consideration, the

the land has done for him. Through agriculture,

Bhat and Jayachandran believe this high-

ultimate goal is to create a business incubator

he has found both a calling and a place where

return industry represents untapped potential.

built around product development and food

he truly feels at home.

By educating students and farmers about

science. Such a facility in southwest Miami-

sustainable agriculture and farm business

Dade County would create jobs and promote

says, “it’s my way of coping, of doing

management, they are creating an ecosystem

entrepreneurial enterprises.

something positive.”

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“When I’m out there with nature,” he n

A passion for Agroecology FIU alumna finds a calling in environmental studies

By Evelyn Perez | Photo by Doug Garland ’10

S

tephany Alvarez-Ventura MS ’11, a once-aspiring banker, now spends her days among honeybees and organic gardens.

The Dominican Republic native worked part-time at a bank in high

school. Upon graduation, she enrolled at FIU to pursue a career in finance. But an essay project in an English class piqued her interest in the environment, specifically pollution. She shifted her career aspirations and began pursuing a degree in environmental studies.

During that same time, she married her high school sweetheart, bought her first home and started a family.

“When I was eight months pregnant, my environmental sciences labs involved taking water samples from filthy canals and trekking the Everglades swamps in a kayak to study ecological restoration. I loved it,” Alvarez-Ventura said.

After the birth of her daughter, she landed an internship at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water in Washington D.C. Upon completion, she was offered a job as an environmental science tech with the agency, but decided to return home to Miami and further her education.

Like many before her, Alvarez-Ventura was drawn by the enthusiasm of Earth and Environment professors Mahadev Bhat and Krish Jayachandran. Likewise, the professors were impressed with her. They helped her secure a research assistantship to pursue a master’s degree. She devoted her thesis to studying colony collapse disorder — a serious disease affecting honeybee colony health and its ability to pollinate crops. Alvarez-Ventura found the support she needed to finish her studies, but she also found a family at FIU. Today, she is the program coordinator with the FIU Agroecology Program and continues to foster new relationships throughout MiamiDade County. She works closely with the program’s Organic Garden, which was designated a People’s Garden—one that benefits the community and invites the collaboration of various partners—by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She also helps develop and manage programs for local communities, area K-12 schools and more.

Since its inception in 2005, the Agroecology Program has awarded more than 150 scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students like Alvarez-Ventura. In 2012, FIU became one of the first universities in the nation to receive the USDA’s Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities designation, which Alvarez-Ventura says is a testament to her alma mater’s commitment to people like her.

Looking to the future, she hopes to pursue a Ph.D. and mentor the next generation of female and minority agriscientists as an extension of what her mentors did for her.

“Agroecology can address many of the food security and environmental challenges we’re facing now as a society, as well as the challenges we’ll face in the future as our population continues to grow,” Alvarez-Ventura said. “I hope to give the next generation of agriscientists opportunities in research, professional development

Stephany Alvarez-Ventura

and outreach early on their academic careers so they are prepared to undertake these challenges.”

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VIRTUAL HEALTH ASSISTANT

By Eric Barton | Illustration by Chris McAllister

AVATAR COULD BECOME MODERN VERSION OF A DOCTOR’S HOUSE CALL

I

t’s happy hour, and there’s a man, a man with a drinking problem, headed to his

you?” the woman asks, knowing that

favorite bar. He turns into the parking lot,

the man’s friends have talked him out

and his phone comes to life. It’s an image of

of destructive behavior before. The man

a woman, her voice calm and reassuring.

agrees, and the woman on his cellphone

“I noticed you’re headed to the bar,” the woman says, using the GPS in his phone to Go behind the scenes of health-avatar research at magazine.fiu.edu

22 |

WINTER 2015-16

“How about instead I call a friend for

track him. The man explains that he’s had a bad day and just needs a drink or two.

dials up someone who can talk him out of a bad decision.

This may all seem like something from a far-in-the-future science fiction movie.

But a researcher at FIU is close to making

seem more human. To accomplish this,

among problem drinkers worked for half of

it a reality.

they recorded video of addiction counselors

users after a year, a high success rate for

interacting with clients.

substance abuse counseling. Lisetti thinks

Professor Christine Lisetti has developed a medical avatar, an interactive computer

After studying five hours of tapes, the

the number could be even higher with a

program that can help people better

researchers noticed how often the counselors

understand a host of medical issues and avoid

would look down or simply turn their attention

destructive behavior. Next year, the program

to something else in the room, as is common

especially for those who don’t have access to

will be tested in a clinical setting, and Lisetti

in normal conversation. “It may seem obvious,

in-home medical care.

believes it will stand in when doctors and

but when we had her stop staring directly

nurses aren’t available.

at the user, it dramatically improved the

cover in-home care, or simply just don’t have

program,” Lisetti said.

access to it, the avatars can serve many

Lisetti’s program is far more than a dry computer program. Her team has created

Lola can also now understand some of the

computer-based avatar.

Williams thinks the avatar will be beneficial

“For people whose insurance doesn’t

purposes,” he said. For instance, the avatar

an animated character capable of advanced

nuances of human behavior. For instance,

can help remind patients about when and

human responses to questions.

she can smile during a light moment of a

how much medication to take. The avatar can

discussion. Lisetti’s lab has run internal tests

also store other information given to the user

on the program prototype, but Lisetti knew

by a doctor, so the patient can ask follow-up

“We want to create a social companion you can relate to long-term,” said Lisetti, director of FIU’s Affective Social Computing Laboratory in the School of Computing and Information Sciences. “We want it, or her, to

“We want it, or her, to know you long-term and understand your health patterns.”

know you long-term and understand your health patterns.”

— Christine Lisetti

Lisetti began her work as a graduate student in the 1990s. She helped found what was then a new field of study called affective computing, or programming computers to understand the

that before Lola could be used by medical

nuances of human emotion. The field works to

professionals, the avatar would need to be

develop a simulated emotional intelligence that

given appropriate social intelligence and

companion that users interact with for years.

can interact with a person in a realistic way. In

eventually tested in a clinical setting.

The benefit is that a computer program never

the early 2000s, Lisetti helped develop a road

When Lisetti shared a table at FIU’s Faculty

questions of the avatar once back at home.

Lisetti imagines the avatar becoming a

forgets, so the avatar will have the user’s full

safety program that could detect when a driver

Club one day with Mark Williams, then-

medical history any time a new issue comes

falls asleep, technology that’s now being used

interim dean of the Robert Stempel College

up. If the user, for instance, is diagnosed

by car manufacturers.

of Public Health & Social Work, he was

with cancer, the avatar would know that a

fascinated with Lisetti’s research. Williams

previous immune disease might become a

developing a virtual health assistant. It started

offered to help put together a clinical trial

problem in chemotherapy.

with a simple question-and-answer program,

once the technical design, programming and

which could make determinations about a

evaluation of the avatar’s social behaviors

years before the avatar is ready to go live,

person’s problems with substance abuse.

were complete.

gets help from five undergraduates who

After joining FIU in 2007, Lisetti began

Lisetti, who says it might be a few more

The next step was designing an avatar, a

Lisetti and Williams submitted their idea to

computerized figure that could be emotionally

the National Science Foundation and received

assistant and one or two Ph.D. students.

expressive and have a conversation with the

a $497,000 grant to develop advanced design

Affective computing is a profitable field now,

user. Lisetti’s team calls her Lola, and since

principles for computer-simulated agents

and three of Lisetti’s former lab workers

then, they’ve been tinkering with ways to give

and to test the system with a trial, which is

this year took jobs at software companies

her realistic reactions and emotions.

expected to begin next year. Similar programs

working on avatars.

Recent additions have endowed Lola with

using a text-message-based interface have

work in her lab, along with a research

“We are just beginning to understand all the

non-verbal behaviors, something Lisetti’s

proven helpful in the past. A text-message

benefits of this,” Lisetti said. “We are creating

team has determined are key to making her

system meant to reduce alcohol consumption

a program that can fill many needs.”

n

WINTER 2015-16

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2016 PANTHER GETAWAY TOURS Discover the world with fellow Panthers and friends Extend your lifelong learning | Create memories for a lifetime Start planning your Panther Getaway today

March 4-14, 2016 India’s Golden Triangle

April 12-20, 2016 Italy’s Magnificent Lake District

April 15-24, 2016 Sunny Portugal

From: $1,899* (plus air) Conjure up India at its most alluring – the mystique of Eastern religions, the swirl of colorful saris, prolific wildlife and the magic of the Taj Mahal. Experience the sights, sounds and spice of the subcontinent while hitting the highlights of the Golden Triangle with its exotic architecture and prolific wildlife.

Visit: Old Delhi ∙ New Delhi ∙ Sikandra ∙ Agra ∙ Ranthambore ∙ Jaipur ∙ Taj Mahal ∙ Amber Fort ∙ Cochin Optional extension: Cochin, Kerala Backwaters and Mumbai

From: $3,490* (plus air)

From: $3,269* (includes air from Miami) Be swept away on the Portuguese Riviera. Explore sunny Portugal, with its miles of dramatic shoreline.

Indulge in Portugal’s fresh cuisine and wines during your interactive cooking class and two winery visits.

Visit: Cascais ∙ Lisbon ∙ Sintra ∙ Obidos ∙ Fatima ∙ Monsaraz ∙ Algrave ∙ Sagres ∙ Lagos ∙ Faro ∙ São Brás de Alportel ∙ Azeitao Optional Extension: Five days in Funchal, Madeira

24 |

WINTER 2015-16

no single supplement

Where Italy kisses Switzerland, glacial lakes sparkle in the sun. Discover Italy’s Lake District of idyllic towns, stunning villas, lush gardens and dazzling array of art and architecture. Explore the sophisticated city of Milan and view Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, “The Last Supper.”

Visit: Stresa ∙ Lago Orta ∙ Lago Maggiore ∙ Borromean Islands ∙ Milan ∙ Bellagio ∙ Como ∙ Pallanza

May 6-15, 2016 Amalfi Walking Tour

June 14-22, 2016 Ronda, Spain

From: $2,049* (plus air) Experience the breathtaking beauty that surrounds the Amalfi Coast, from small villages to long stretches of beach, the perfect balance between history and nature.

Visit: Naples ∙ Sorrento ∙ Libra ∙ Almalfi ∙ Positano ∙ Atrani ∙ Ravello

From: $3,290* (plus air)

May 14-23, 2016 Sicily From: $3,590* (plus air) Explore Sicily with its vast history spanning 3,000 years. This majestic island abounds with enchanting natural beauty. Sun-bleached Greek temples stand in peaceful valleys and Roman ruins house spectacular mosaics. Ancient theaters, still valued for their prime acoustics, stand majestically in the midst of lively towns.

Visit: Palermo ∙ Monreale ∙ Erice ∙ Segesta ∙ Cefalù ∙ Taormina ∙ Argrigento ∙ Syracuse ∙ Mt. Etna

May 17-25, 2016 Ireland - Wild Atlantic Way From: $3,290* (plus air)-no single supplement Forge a path through County Mayo in the remote, northwest corner of Ireland. From your base in Westport, a winsome Georgian town, embark on a special journey steeped in Irish culture. Discover both rural traditions and Ireland’s famous literary and musical heritage.

Visit: Foxford ∙ County Sligo ∙ Achill Island ∙ Connemara ∙ Kylemore Abbey ∙ Cong ∙ Galway

May 23-30, 2016 Pompeii & Herculaneum From: $2,750* (plus air) Enjoy a privileged introduction to perfectly preserved Roman towns, grand villas and Greek Temples with an expert scholar. Follow in the footsteps of the citizens, senators, slaves and Caesar who once walked these ancient streets.

Visit: Paestum ∙ Pompeii ∙ Stabiae ∙ Herculaneum ∙ Mt. Vesuvius ∙ National Archaeological Museum in Naples

May 28-June 3, 2016 London: The City Experience From: $1,699* (plus air) Get acquainted with this city at your own pace, strolling through Kensington Gardens, entering Westminster Abbey and seeing Big Ben up close.

City tour included.

Optional excursions: Windsor Castle ∙ Stonehenge Salisbury ∙ Oxford ∙ St. Paul’s Cathedral ∙ Westminster Abbey

June 12-19, 2016 Bermuda From $1,019* (plus air) King’s Wharf has something for everyone. Sample typical island food and stroll through the shops and museums of the Royal Naval Dockyard, an impressive military fortress built in 1815. Sail the clear waters of Hamilton Sound. Find quaint gems at the Bermuda Arts Center and Craft Market. Or have a close encounter with dolphins at Dolphin Quest, where you can swim, dance and kiss these magnificent sea creatures.

no single supplement

Discover Spain’s sun-kissed southern coast. Marvel at great monuments such as the magnificent Alhambra. Sample the cherry of Jerez and enjoy meals of authentic regional cuisine in spectacular settings at several paradors, Spain’s boutique hotels.

Visit: Malaga ∙ Ronda ∙ Seville ∙ Granada ∙ Jerez de la Frontera

June 19-July 1, 2016 Baltic Capitals Cruise on Celebrity Silhouette

From: $2,129* (plus air) A treasure trove of experiences awaits you as you cruise the Baltic. From the opulent palaces of the Tsars in St. Petersburg to Stockholm’s breathtaking harbor or Copenhagen’s spectacular Tivoli Gardens, few cruising regions offer such diverse treasures as the Baltic.

Visit: Stockholm ∙ Helsinki ∙ Tallinn ∙ St. Petersburg (2 nights) ∙ Warnemünde ∙ Copenhagen ∙ Amsterdam

July 9-17, 2016 Costa Rica: Rainforests, Volcanoes & Wildlife

From: $1,799* (plus air) From misty, cloud-covered forests and lush jungles to volcanic landscapes and sun-kissed beaches, there’s much to love about this Central American hot spot. Begin your adventure in Tortuguero, the Land of the Turtles, then take a dip in the natural hot springs at the foot of the mighty Arenal Volcano.

Visit: San Jose ∙ Rainforest & Canal Expedition ∙ Arenal Volcano National Park ∙ Monteverde Optional extension: Tarcoles River cruise & Manuel Antonio National Park

July 15-22, 2016 Tracy Arm Fjord Alaska Cruise on Celebrity Solstice

From: $1,382* (plus air) Enjoy the splendor of the Alaskan wilderness, glacier-carved fjords, wildlife, quaint ports and the remarkable beauty of the Inside Passage.

Visit: Seattle ∙ Ketchikan ∙ Tracy Arm Fjord ∙ Juneau ∙ Inside Passage ∙ Victoria (British Columbia)

August 20-25, 2016 Iceland: Reykjavik to the Glaciers

From: $2,099* (plus air) Inhale fresh Icelandic air, tap into the country’s natural restorative powers and discover geysers and waterfalls on this adventure. From your home base in progressive Reykjavik, set out to see the inspiring Golden Circle, the otherworldly beauty of South Iceland, the world-famous Blue Lagoon and the Northern Lights.

Visit: Reykjavik ∙ Golden Circle ∙ Thingvellir National Park ∙ Golden Waterfall ∙ South Coast Glaciers ∙ Blue Lagoon For additional details on our 2016 tours, go to FIUalumni.com/travel or contact Bill Draughon at 305-342-0772 or bdraughon@fiu.edu *Pricing is per person based on double occupancy prices, tours and dates subject to change.

Host dependent on minimum number of reservations.

September 24-Oct. 1, 2016 New England Fall Foliage From: $1,869* (plus air) Autumn is the perfect season to explore New England’s time-honored landmarks. From the quintessential autumn fare of Vermont to the colonial roots of Salem, take in the history and charm of the East Coast - all under a vibrant canopy of color.

Visit: Green Mountains ∙ Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory ∙ Vineyards ∙ White Mountains ∙ Cabot Cheese Factory ∙ Mountain Memorial Park ∙ Portland ∙ Kennebunkport ∙ Salem ∙ Boston

September 30-October 11, 2016 Albuquerque Balloon Festival & U.S. National Parks From: $2,499* (plus air) Wait list available only Watch hundreds of hot air balloons float gracefully upward, filling the sky with color.

Gaze into the depths of the Grand Canyon, see the famed Old Faithful and stand in the shadow of the Grand Tetons.

Visit: Albuquerque ∙ Mesa Verde National Park ∙ Kayenta ∙ Grand Canyon ∙ Zion National Park ∙ Salt Lake City ∙ Jackson ∙ Grand Teton National Park ∙ Yellowstone National Park

October 8-15, 2016 Autumn in Tuscany From: $4,500* (plus air) Enjoy the magic of autumn in Italy as you spend a fabulous time between the Tuscan countryside and the gorgeous city of Florence. Experience “wine in the making” at your VIP visits to renowned wineries.

You’ll visit famous museums, authentic restaurants, discover charming hilltop villages and Tuscany’s most famous towns.

Visit: Florence (4 nights) ∙ Radda-in-Chianti (3 nights) ∙ Siena ∙ Greve-in-Chianti ∙ San Gimignano ∙ Montalcino

October 30-November 13, 2016 SE Asia Cruise on Celebrity Millennium From: $2,013* (plus air) Southeast Asia is a traveler’s nirvana, offering natural wonders like the mystical limestone islands of Halong Bay, timeless treasures like the storybook temples of Thailand and Cambodia and booming cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. It’s this blend of old and new that makes SE Asia such a dynamic place to explore.

Visit: Hong Kong ∙ Hanoi/Halong Bay ∙ Hue/Da Nang ∙ Ho Chi Minh ∙ Bangkok/ Laem Chabang ∙ Singapore

February 23-March 4, 2017 A Taste of Chile Wine, Cuisine & Culture

Join us in

2017

From: $4,200 (plus air) Call for additional information Visit renowned Chilean wine valleys during harvest time. Learn about Chile’s cuisine with famous chef Pilar Rodriguez and participate in a cooking class.

Tour the stunningly located ‘Isla Negra’ coastal home of Chile’s most famous son, poet Pablo Neruda.

Visit: Santiago ∙ Aconcagua ∙ Casablanca ∙ Valparaiso ∙ San Antonio ∙ Colchagua ∙ Santa Cruz ∙ Cachapoal ∙ Maipo

WINTER 2015-16

| 25

FALL RESURGENCE

Men’s soccer, football and indoor volleyball are trending upward and offer hope for brighter days in the near future.

By Joel Delgado ’12 | Photos by Alex Hernandez and Sam Lewis

Men’s soccer clinched the 2015 Conference USA title.

O

Sophomore quarterback Alex McGough had a great season.

Senior outside hitter Lucia Castro (#2) has helped the FIU volleyball team bounce back after several down seasons.

ne can make the argument that FIU’s

what his recent predecessors had failed to do:

men’s soccer program has the most

bring back a sustainable winning culture to FIU

FIU on the pitch.

“A lot of teams have adjusted to prevent

impressive and accomplished history of any

men’s soccer. And with the way his team has

us from being effective and that is actually

sports program in the university’s history.

performed on the pitch this season, he may be

something we’re not used to,” Calabrese says.

close to doing just that.

“It’s a different kind of challenge.”

The program has been around since the

In only his second year at the helm, the

But after concluding the regular season

Division II championships in the early 1980s

program enjoyed its best season in years.

with a 9-6-1 record and securing a spot in

and making a memorable run to the NCAA

The Panthers rapidly climbed up the national

the conference tournament, the Panthers

Division I championship game in 1996.

rankings while putting together an impressive

completed an improbable run through the

university opened in 1972, winning two

seven-game winning streak, peaking at

tournament and clinched their first ever

Robin Fraser and Tyrone Marshall all played at

No. 14 in the country in National Soccer

Conference USA championship after defeating

FIU during those golden years for the program,

Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)

Marshall 1-0 in the final.

but those days have been gone for quite some

poll in early October.

Major League Soccer greats Steve Ralston,

time now.

At the time Head Coach Scott Calabrese

“Everything was clicking during that period.

We moved the ball incredibly well, we had tons

was hired in 2014, it had been years since FIU

of confidence moving forward and it was a

had sniffed at the chance to compete in the

great feeling,” Calabrese says.

Conference USA tournament and even longer since the team had an above .500 record.

Calabrese was tasked with accomplishing

26 |

WINTER 2015-16

By winning the conference championship, the Panthers earned an automatic bid to NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004.

“They did everything that they were asked to do and more. They’ve earned it,” Calabrese

Success, however, brings with it a new

said after beating Marshall. “When you get in

set of challenges, including a large target on

the tournament, it’s just about an opportunity

their backs from teams no longer overlooking

and the guys seized it.”

But men’s soccer isn’t the only program this fall that is enjoying a resurgence.

OUT OF THE CAGE

to impress and is in the midst of what could

2015 season that her team was poised for a

be considered the best season any FIU

turnaround season. Her optimism proved to

quarterback has ever had.

be justified.

In 2015, McGough broke single season

The team finished the season with 15 wins –

records for most touchdown passes (21),

the highest win total in the Buck-Crockett era

a program that was in shambles when he

passing yards (2,722) and highest completion

thus far – and a spot in the Conference USA

took over in 2013.

percentage (64 percent).

Championships after missing out last season.

Football Head Coach Ron Turner inherited

When he arrived, the memories of T.Y. Hilton

“It’s a total team effort. When I make plays,

“Since I’ve been here, this is the best

making plays worthy of a SportsCenter Top

that means my wide receivers are making

indoor team I’ve had,” Buck-Crockett said.

10 plays segment and helping FIU clinch two

plays,” McGough said.

“I’m really happy with how the team is

football game appearances seemed to be nothing more than a distant memory.

Since then, it has been a slow – but steady – and often painful climb for the Panthers as Turner has attempted to reinvent the program.

After winning just one game in 2013, the

Many of the team’s key contributors are still

progressing. I think we’re getting there –

freshmen, sophomores or juniors, and as they

getting to where we want to be. We just have

continue to grow and develop, the program

to keep moving forward.”

could be close to a breakout season.

“We’ve played well this year, we just have to make the plays when it really matters

A SPARK AT HOME Success at home has been an essential

Panthers saw a noticeable improvement a year

consistently,” McGough added. “At some

later thanks to the surprising play of several

points we have, and at other points we’ve

new faces and a stronger-than-expected

lacked that. If we come together and play as

the season at home, winning four of its five

defense, winning four games and losing a

a unit, we can score a lot of points.”

games at FIU Stadium. In those four victories

handful of others by less than a touchdown.

This season, a slightly more experienced but still relatively young Panthers squad matched

boost for all three programs this season.

The football team played well for most of

at home, the Panthers won by an average

FINALLY CLICKING After enjoying several years of success

27.8 points.

The men’s soccer team won five games,

last year’s win total almost a month earlier than

thanks in large part to the duo of Yarimar Rosa

earned one draw and lost just once in its

they did in 2014 and picked up their fifth win of

and Natalia Valentin – today stars of Puerto

seven home matches at FIU Soccer Stadium

the season against Charlotte on Nov. 7.

Rico’s national team – the Panthers’ indoor

this season while the indoor volleyball team

volleyball team failed to keep the momentum

finished with an 8-7 record at FIU Arena.

It’s the most wins the program has had since the team earned a trip to the Beef O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl in 2011, and

going after their departures.

“It’s always really important to make your

The rebuilding process has been a bit

home field a fortress, where nine out of ten

they’ve done so despite suffering a series of

slower than expected for Indoor Volleyball

times you’re going to get the result you’re

nagging injuries to starters in a number of

Head Coach Rita Buck-Crockett, who came

looking for,” Calabrese said.

key positions throughout the season.

on board after the conclusion of the 2011

The recent success for each program,

season. The 2014 season was a low point,

after an extended period of struggles and

with the team garnering just seven victories.

challenges, has begun to instill an essential

“I don’t know if I have ever been in a situation where I’ve had this many guys out because of injuries,” Turner said. “It has

But in her fourth season, with most of

ingredient for any coach trying to rebuild a

definitely taken a toll, but I admire these guys

her starters returning with another year of

and the perseverance they’ve had to put us

experience along with the addition of some

in the position we are now.”

key players such as Miami-Dade transfer

believe that we’re doing the right things,”

Katie Hogan, that process finally seems to

Calabrese says. “When you have that kind

huge part in that success since winning the

showing glimpses of what could be a bright

of belief and that kind of foundation, you

job early on last year as a freshman. Now in

future on the court.

can continue to improve. And I expect us to

Quarterback Alex McGough has played a

his sophomore year, McGough has continued

Buck-Crockett was confident prior to the

program: belief.

“Our players believe in each other and they

continue improving in the years to come.”

WINTER 2015-16

n

| 27

Show Your Pride with a New License Plate!

Vehicle courtesy of Lexus of North Miami

Get yours today!

The specialty plate is available through Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) for a $25 annual fee (plus registration fees); proceeds benefit the university’s general scholarship fund.

Visit FIUalumni.com/plate to get your plate today or purchase at your local tag agency.

After you buy the new plate, share a picture on social media using the tag #RepFIU.

GO PANTHERS

CLASS NOTES Carolina Sarassa ’05

is a three-time Emmy award- and a fourtime National Gabriel award-winning news anchor and correspondent for MundoFOX National Network News in Los Angeles. Prior to joining that organization, she was the anchor and producer for Univision’s KINC in Las Vegas and a correspondent for the news-magazine show “Primer Impacto” and, before that, anchored and reported for Univision KORO in Texas. Carolina has served on the board of governors for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is currently a board member for the LA Press Club.

1970s Claudia Galofre-Krevat ’78, chef at Claudia’s Mesa, joined the “Lentil Underground” book tour during a week of educational and cooking events in San Francisco in February, cooking for journalist and food author Michael Pollan.

Del Sebastian Placides ’79, MS ’93 was invited by the University of Washington State Historical Society and other organizations to speak about his two recent nonfiction books, “The Home Front Kid,” published in 2014 and chronicling his childhood in a South Philadelphia neighborhood in the shadow of World War II, and “Runaway Boy from Bicolandia,” published in 2013 and telling his father’s life story.

Adding to her list of accomplishments, Sarassa in 2014 saw the publication of “Dancing on her Grave,” the true story of the brutal murder of a collegeeducated Las Vegas showgirl, a crime that shocked and riveted the public. Sarassa co-authored the book, which recounts the months of investigation that led to the apprehension of a suspect and his subsequent trial and life imprisonment.

1980s Justo Pozo ’80 was elected to the FIU Board of Trustees for a five-year term.

Maria Elena González ’80 was awarded grand prize at the 30th Annual Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts at the MGLCInternational Centre for Graphic Arts in Slovenia for her “Tree Talk Series.”

James Border ’81, vice president and global tax counsel for Carnival Corporation and PLC, was reappointed chairman of the Global Tax Committee for the Cruise Lines International Association, which represents 64 separate cruise lines throughout the world on matters of international tax policy and regulation.

Alumni Association Executive Committee, has taken the position of senior vice president and managing director of the AllianceBernstein, L.P., Private Wealth Management office in Miami.

Rosary Plana-Falero ’91 MBA ’94 joined Coconut Grove Bank as executive vice president of private banking.

Mabel Morales ’94 MS ’97 was named president of the Florida Art Education Association.

Mark Chmielarski ’85, a shareholder

Francis Rodriguez ’95 was named

in Greenspoon Marder Law’s Orlando office, was nominated to the Leadership Group of the Volusia County Association for Responsible Development, a non-profit association for Central Florida professionals who work in various aspects of land development. The association focuses on environmental issues, regulatory changes of federal, state and local governments, and current planning for land development.

partner in charge of the Shutts & Bowen LLP Miami firm. In 2014, he was appointed to FIU’s President’s Council.

1990s Gonzalo Acevedo ’91, MBA ‘10, who currently serves on The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum Board of Advisors and the FIU

Ralph Rosado ’96, MA ’03 is president of Rosado and Associates, an urban planning and economic development strategy firm based in Miami. Holder of a second master’s degree from Princeton and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, he serves as research fellow at FIU’s Metropolitan Center and an instructor of graduate and professional programs at FIU and the University of Miami. Most recently his efforts on behalf of a resident-led effort to establish a neighborhood park earned

him a Grassroots Initiative Award from the Gold Coast APA Chapter. And his idea for redesigning local bus shelters to make them more attractive and more protective against the elements garnered an award in the Miami Foundation’s 2015 Public Space Challenge.

Armando Hernandez ’89 MS ’96, president and CEO of Hernandez & Company, has been selected by the National Academy of Public Accounting Professionals as one of the 2015 “Top 10 Public Accounting Professionals” in Florida.

David Barbeito ’97, M.Acc ’03

and Cristina Perez ’98, MS ’01 were named partners at De La Hoz, Perez & Barbeito, P.A.

Lourdes Oroza Ed.D. ’97 was named president of Miami Dade College’s Kendall Campus.

Ian Rambarran ’98 received the distinction of Top Lawyer in Sacramento from Sacramento Magazine for exemplary practice in both construction and business/ corporate law.

WINTER 2015-16

| 29

CLASS NOTES Beth Goldstein MS ’99 was named Florida Outstanding Secondary Art Educator of the Year. She was honored by the Florida Art Education Association in October 2014.

2000s Jorge Grossmann ’00 composed the piece “Notus,” which will be performed by the Grammy award-winning Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra at the inaugural concert of the Festival Latinoamericano de Música in October.

Mike Gonzalez MS ’01 was named the Junior and Middle School Administrator of the Year by the Wisconsin Association of School Councils.

Robert Noroña MBA ’01 was promoted to senior vice president at Ocean Bank.

Joanne Bashford Ed.D. ’02 was named president of Miami Dade College’s InterAmerican Campus.

Justo Torres ’02 was named director of contracts and grants at North Carolina State University.

Zameer Upadhya ’03 was named one of Houston Business Journal’s 2015 “40 Under 40” business leaders.

Vivian Gonzalez MS ’04, Ed.S. ’07 was a semi-finalist for the inaugural Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation.

Twelve FIU alumni were honored in Legacy magazine’s 2015 40 Under 40 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow in July 2015. They were chosen for making a significant contribution within their fields and in the local community. Honored were Kareem

Brantley MSF ’02; Kenol Thomas ’02; Theo Williams ’02; Kristina Jones ’07, MS ’11; Calonie Gray MS ’07, Ph.D. ’09; David Coleman MBA ’08; Kenasha Paul ’10; Jonise Sainvil MPA ’11; Mikhaile Solomon M.Arch. ’11; Adia McKenzie ’12; Donna Comrie Ph.D. ’13; and Jadine Louissaint MBA ’13.

30 |

WINTER 2015-16

Casandra Roache Henriquez ’04, MPH ’06 married motivational speaker Andy Henriquez in Riviera Maya, Mexico, on Oct. 18, 2015.

Breny DaParre Garcia ’05, MA ’07, Ph.D. ‘15 has been appointed assistant vice president of institutional relations for FIU. In this role, she leads select institutional and presidential initiatives pertaining to key university donors and prospects, community partners, academic organizations, student success and constituent relations. Breny also volunteers her time as a board member for FIU’s Young Alumni Council and Janelle’s Wishing Well Foundation and recently was elected to a two-year term on the national Supreme Council of Phi Sigma Sigma sorority. She has served the organization for 10 years as a member of multiple committees and task forces as well as a chapter key advisor.

Brian Matijevic ’08 joined U.S. Century Bank as assistant vice president, treasury officer.

Charles Rego ’08, president of the Veterans Panther Network, has recently moved to Boston with his wife and family for six months to complete his master’s degree at Harvard.

Daniela Ottati ’09, Ph.D. ’15, an adjunct professor of communication arts in the College of Architecture + The Arts, was presented with a proclamation honoring her continuous dedication and commitment to education by City of Aventura Mayor Enid Weisman and the city council.

Marla Baldomero ’09, MS ’13 and Daniel Oliu ‘11, who met at FIU freshman year and spent their first year together hanging out at the Barnes & Noble cafe in the Graham Center, were married July 11, 2015.

Latoya Brown ’08, JD ’13 was elected to the Dade County Bar Association Board of Directors, where she will serve a threeyear term as director for Group 1.

Liliana Korn Custy ’09, a professor in the Department of Interior Architecture, spoke for the fourth year in a row at the National Homebuilders Association International Builders Show in January.

2010s Rebecca Rodriguez MS ’10, an associate at the GrayRobinson, P.A., Fort Lauderdale office, was accepted to Leadership Fort Lauderdale’s Class XXII. Leadership Fort Lauderdale is a tri-county program intended to help business leaders understand local issues and create a strong bond with fellow graduates.

Elizabeth Fernandez ’10 passed the Florida Bar Exam and has joined EPGD Law as an attorney.

Christin “Cici” Battle ’11 ’14, former Biscayne Bay Campus Student Government Association president, moved to Cali, Colombia, where she teaches leadership development and industry-specific English to college students as a full-time volunteer through the Colombian government and Volunteer Colombia. While there, she is also working with women and girls’ organizations to do capacity building, program development and fundraising.

Helena Ramirez ’11, former president of the Student Government Association and eastern coalitions coordinator for LIBRE Initiative, was featured in Forbes 2015 30 Under 30 in Law and Policy for her work as the inaugural chair of She Should Run’s Frontrunners, which encourages women to run for public office, as well as her work with Hispanic churches, entrepreneurs and women for the Kochaffiliated conservative group.

Steven Cruz ’12, representing the Alpha Chi Chapter of Beta Theta Pi at the 176th General Convention in Orlando in August, was recognized as Rookie District Chief of the Year.

Michael Perez ’12, Latin America marketing and promotions associate at The Walt Disney Company, was a featured speaker at the Idea Center, presenting the various ways Disney uses creativity to support brand initiatives.

Katie Edwards JD ’12, a state representative was given the 2015 Florida Chamber Distinguished Advocate award by the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

Andy Señor ’13 directed a Spanish production of Jonathon Larson’s musical “RENT” in Cuba. It is the first Broadway show that has been produced in Cuba in 50 years.

Dylan Gonzalez JD ’14 and Igor Hernandez ’09, JD ’13, FIU Law and Trial Team alumni, placed second and third, respectively, during the 2015 Legal Eagle Closing Argument Competition.

Nick Aquart ’14, former Student Government Association senator and founder of Hope2o International, a nonprofit organization devoted to finding solutions to the global water crisis, earned an internship with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Paola Katherine Rodriguez ’15 had her photographic work “Takia,” a part of her series “Broken Free,” which documents the stories of victims of abuse, featured in the Fifth Annual Exposure Award reception’s portraiture collection at the Musée du Louvre.

Nathalie Alfonso ’15 curated her “Among Body Marks,” created in conjunction with FIU Department of Art and Art History professor Michael Namkung, at The Projects/FATVillage in Fort Lauderdale in February.

Bill Draughon, center, the former executive director of the Alumni Association, retired in 2015 from his position as associate vice president for Advancement. Named an honorary Panther by President Rosenberg in 2012, Draughon will continue to run the Alumni Association travel program, information about which can be found at FIUalumni.com/travel. Pictured above with Draughon are past presidents of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, from left, Jose Perez de Corcho ’93, Will Trueba ’90, Gayle Bainbridge ’75 and Jack Gonzalez ’97.

Clara-Meretan Kiah ’15 was hired as a full-time staff writer for the Division of External Relations.

Alumni participate in TEDxFIU Nelson Hincapie ’06, a children’s advocate, and Patricia Kayser ’15, an advocate for those with autism, spoke in November at the fifth annual TEDxFIU. The pair joined seven FIU faculty and current students who each contributed positive stories under the theme of “Always Forward.”

Hincapie, who today heads the Voices For Children Foundation, talked about his work with children in foster care. Kayser, founder of the nonprofit Autism & Music and pictured above, recounted the moment she discovered the power of music to help her brother, who suffers with autism, better communicate and socialize.

Held at the Wertheim Performing Arts Center before a sold-out crowd, the event was hosted by four-time master of ceremonies Alberto Padron ’98, MBA ’09.

Panthers invade Venice: FIU was well represented on the streets — and waterways — of Italy’s most storied city when a group of friends took a fall trip together. Pictured, left to right, are

Ofelia Gonzalez ’87; Francis Hondal ’87, MBA ’94; Elizabeth Falla ’88; Manny Becerra ’86; Ana Becerra ’87; Eddie Hondal ’88, MS ’00.

WINTER 2015-16

| 31

The Last Word

By Evelyn Perez

Two FIU Creative Writing professors pay tribute to their deceased former student by completing his unfinished second novel for publication Jack Vaughn’s old friend Cal has gone missing. His vintage Cadillac has been

supposed to end. Maintaining another author’s cadence and the

pulled out of a South Florida canal. His

voice of their characters is tricky. And making sense of unfinished

house is suddenly up for sale. His gym has

chapters can be downright confusing.

been appropriated by a gang of Russian thugs. Vaughn suspects foul play. The fictional ex-cop goes in search of his friend, hoping to find him alive.

And that is where Vaughn’s story was about to end.

Jack Vaughn is the creation of FIU

Listen to John Dufresne read from The Emperor’s Club at magazine.fiu.edu

creative work, especially when you don’t know how the story was

“I’d be reading along and I’d say, ‘Wait, didn’t this just happen?’” Standiford said.

It was in that moment Standiford realized Gagliano would move around pieces of the plot to find the best fit within the storyline.

Existing text sometimes would be repeated later in the manuscript, and it became evident that the writer had intended to reconcile these replicated storylines in the final draft. With Standiford

alumnus Anthony Gagliano, who earned

gaining clarity of Gagliano’s organizational style, he was able to

his Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative

reconcile the incomplete storylines. He sorted out the old from the

Writing in 2002. The search for Cal was

new, inserting transitions as he went. Standiford and Wakefield

Gagliano’s second crime novel featuring

passed the manuscript back and forth, collaborating throughout

Jack Vaughn. Gagliano titled the book “The

the process.

Emperor’s Club.” But in 2009, midway through his manuscript, Gagliano suffered a stroke. He died shortly after at the age of 53.

“It was challenging but not impossible,” Standiford said.

While Standiford did a lot of the heavy lifting, it was up to

The plight of Vaughn and his missing friend Cal was resigned to the

Wakefield to decide how the book ends. He was tasked with

fate of a book not yet finished.

writing the final chapter. Once the manuscript was completed,

Gagliano’s first book, “Straits of Fortune,” was critically acclaimed. His former professors, best-selling writers Les Standiford and Dan Wakefield, were fans. So when their former

FIU colleague John Dufresne stepped in as editor.

“I was a fan the first time I read it,” Dufresne said.

He gave the book a second read to ensure it was ready for

student unexpectedly passed away, they were disappointed to

publication. Satisfied, the trio went in search of a publisher. Three

know his next novel would never see the light of day.

years went by with nothing. The crime novel was facing a major

“I knew Anthony was a real talent from the first time he read

challenge. Typically, publishers expect authors of mystery and

in my class,” Wakefield said. “I told him, ‘You can just take Jack

suspense thrillers to create a series out of their lead characters.

Vaughn and keep going.’”

“The Emperor’s Club” was the second book to follow fictional ex-

But because he couldn’t, Wakefield and Standiford decided they would keep Vaughn going — at least until the story ends in “The Emperor’s Club.” So they contacted Gagliano’s widow and asked for the incomplete manuscript. She dug it up from his computer and sent it to the professors. They got to work.

“This was a labor of love. We wanted to do it,” said Standiford,

cop Jack Vaughn. It would also be the last.

“Publishers look at what it will be like at the end of 10 books in somebody’s career. Not a single book,” Standiford said.

Undeterred, Dufresne turned to a friend and colleague at MidTown Publishing in New York. With a single phone call, they found their publisher. “The Emperor’s Club” hit bookshelves

who is director of FIU’s Creative Writing Program within the

earlier this year, and Gagliano’s widow arranged to donate

Department of English. “The manuscript was really good and close

proceeds from the book to the FIU Creative Writing Program.

to being publishable. So we gave it a shot.”

“For me,” Dufresne said, “this is Anthony getting his rightful

There are many challenges in finishing another person’s 32 |

WINTER 2015-16

place in Miami literary history.”

n

VIP:

Very Important Panther

Belkys Nerey • WSVN-TV Anchor • Bachelor of Science in Communication, 1989 • Torch Award recipient, 2015 Q: What ignited your passion for news?

A: I’m naturally an inquisitive person interested in what’s going on around me. It’s probably not a big surprise I ended up doing a job where I get to ask people questions. I enjoy telling their stories.

Q: Your light-hearted on-camera persona differs from how many news anchors portray themselves. Where does this come from?

A: It’s just me being me. My personality comes through during the broadcast. My greatest compliment is when people meet me and tell me I’m just like I am on TV. Viewers can spot a fake from a mile away.

Q: You have covered every type of news. Is one most satisfying to you?

A: I’ve covered history-making events like Princess Diana’s death, Prince William and Kate’s royal wedding and the election of Pope Francis, to name a few. Whenever I’m covering something of that magnitude, I take a minute to remind myself how lucky I am to witness history firsthand. Those stories are the ones I’ll be telling my friends in the nursing home.

Q: Do you have a secret to staying energized in what is a very demanding job?

A: No secrets, really. I just try to lead a balanced life. I have a boyfriend I adore, and we love to travel. I have great friends and a wonderful family. I love my work, but I can also disconnect from it completely.

Q: What advice do you have for young people looking to break into broadcast news?

A: I would tell young people to be prepared to start small and work their way up. Young people today think they can graduate and sit at the anchor desk. That’s not the way it works. My first job was at a cable station where I shot and edited my own video in English and Spanish. I would also tell them to be prepared to move away to some small town for their first job if that’s what it takes.

Q: Do you have an FIU memory to share?

A: I just remember being at FIU and wanting to do this so badly. I couldn’t wait to graduate to get my career started. My TV broadcasting class final project was to shoot and edit three stories about FIU, and that tape landed me my first job at the cable station.

Q: How do you decompress?

A: I love eating out for my Bite with Belkys blog, then coming home, plopping on the couch and watching anything that’s on Bravo.

Photo courtesy of WSVN

Division of External Relations Modesto A. Maidique Campus, MARC 510 Miami, FL 33199-0001

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First-Class First Class: More than a dozen dignitaries and 196 freshmen turned out for the opening of FIU’s lower division on August 26, 1981. Until then, FIU had served only upperclassmen and graduate students.

President Gregory Wolfe presided over the festivities, which included an introduction of Laura Metscher, above, a Sunset High graduate who exemplified the excitement and promise of a new era for the university.

Photo courtesy of FIU Special Collections & University Archives