College of Arts, Sciences & Education Case Statement

COLLEGE OF

ARTS, SCIENCES & EDUCATION

THE CAMPAIGN FOR FIU Next Horizon—The Campaign for FIU is the University’s groundbreaking fundraising effort. The campaign’s $750 million fundraising goal is ambitious and representative of just how high FIU has set its sights. The College of Arts, Sciences & Education (CASE) plays a critical role in achieving this goal.

Through the campaign, we will secure the investment necessary to improve the future of every FIU student, our Miami home, and those we reach across the world through our teaching and research at CASE. The Next Horizon of discovery and innovation; health and society; environment and resilience; influence and enterprise; and community, arts, and culture will be achieved by focusing on two pillars—student success and research excellence—and attracting investments in the following campaign objectives:

• INCREASE SCHOLARSHIPS AND STUDENT SUPPORT • OPTIMIZE 21

-CENTURY TEACHING

ST

• ADVANCE A VIBRANT, HEALTHY MIAMI • ACCELERATE RESEARCH AND DISCOVERIES • ESCALATE DISCOVERY TO ENTERPRISE

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SCIENCE WITH A PURPOSE. HUMANITIES WITH AN EDGE. AN INSPIRING FUTURE WE CAN CREATE TOGETHER. The College of Arts, Sciences & Education is ready to show the world what is possible. Our researchers are developing solutions for the current challenges we face, and we are preparing our students to be leaders of change for the emerging issues of tomorrow.

Today, we are saving species from the brink of extinction, protecting and restoring their ecosystems, raising the standard for child mental health treatment, penning bestselling novels, transforming science and math education, developing new treatments for deadly diseases, and inventing new forensic tools.

We reach beyond our own network, creating partnerships locally and globally to marshal more resources, leverage expertise, and expand our impact. We engage our communities. We work with policymakers and stakeholders to catalyze positive change. We ignite the curiosities of schoolchildren who will be the future generation of change. We find opportunities where others do not.

We believe solutions to even the most complex problems are within reach.

Next Horizon―The Campaign for FIU is the engine that will power our work in the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, fueling new discoveries and solutions while engaging students in real-world experiences that ensure resilience, biodiversity, creativity, and health in the world we share. Together, we will create a more sustainable, equitable, and inspiring future.

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$40.8M

in research expenditures at CASE (FY2018)

20%+

of teachers with Miami-Dade County Public Schools are FIU alumni.

$150M

CASE Next Horizon Goal

Professor Yi Xiao and her students have patented a series of new tests that can quickly, accurately, and cost-effectively confirm the presence of cocaine. Their work gives law enforcement new tools to combat the distribution and use of illegal drugs.

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COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCES & EDUCATION With more than 21,000 students majoring in our programs, 400 faculty members teaching and conducting research, and research projects on every continent, the College of Arts, Sciences & Education is where making an impact is the cornerstone of education. Nearly every one of FIU’s 57,000 students are taught by our faculty, who empower them to think critically, logically, and creatively.

Our students explore many interests to uncover their true passions. They work in the living laboratories of South Florida and around the world. Our faculty help them discover where and how they can have the greatest impact. As the world continues to change, our students will not just adapt―they will be the scientists, teachers, poets, policy makers, inventors, and leaders driving that change.

“Our students and faculty are uncovering the mysteries of the human mind, diving to the depths of the ocean, and searching the far reaches of space. We are exploring how we learn and how best to lead in a complex world with challenges and opportunities at every turn. The College of Arts, Sciences & Education is making a lasting impact on people and the environment while empowering and inspiring students and the public. Through your generous support of the Next Horizon at CASE, we will make an even greater difference in South Florida and around the world.”

― MICHAEL HEITHAUS, PHD Dean, College of Arts, Sciences & Education

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Far-Reaching Impact The College of Arts, Sciences & Education is a part of nearly every student’s FIU experience, preparing them with the scientific reasoning, critical thinking, and creativity to define their futures.

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Preeminent Programs at FIU are multidisciplinary and collaborative endeavors that the University recognizes for their extraordinary success in generating unique learning opportunities, pioneering research, real-world solutions, and best practices.

Emerging Preeminent Programs address critical issues of increasingly growing national and global concern.

PREEMINENT PROGRAM The Institute of Water and Environment advances science and technology to address environmental threats locally, nationally, and globally. The interdisciplinary team of 130 faculty and staff lead research, conservation, and advocacy programs all across the globe.

Institute researchers have published nearly 1,000 peer-reviewed papers since 2009.

EMERGING PREEMINENT PROGRAM

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FIU Tropics improves our understanding of tropical regions, resources, and life through unique student opportunities and research focused on biodiversity, sustainable production systems for natural products, and species and ecosystem conservation. One of the largest teams of tropical scientists in the country, FIU Tropics has been awarded $10 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE The College of Arts, Sciences & Education maintains the most comprehensive, interdisciplinary research portfolio dedicated to environmental solutions in the tropics. Our research teams are focused on protecting the planet by conserving oceans, restoring marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and disrupting the alarming rate of animal and plant extinctions while ensuring that people have the resources they need to thrive. We are fighting to save the tiny Florida grasshopper sparrow and the majestic East African bongo antelopes.

Our international shark and ray survey has already led to a shark fishing ban in the Dominican Republic until a sustainable fishery can be developed, and it launched a national ray sanctuary in Belize—and we’re just getting started. We are working tirelessly to save some of the world’s rarest orchids in China. We are restoring mangroves in South Florida and seagrasses across the world through field-based conservation programs and international policy initiatives.

The Institute of Water and Environment safeguards freshwater and saltwater environments. Its research teams lead the longest and most comprehensive monitoring program of the Florida Everglades―the largest environmental restoration program in our nation’s history. And a world away in Shark Bay, Australia, we lead the largest long-term monitoring program there. We operate Aquarius―the world’s only underwater research laboratory―where scientists live and work underwater to investigate ocean acidification, population health of marine animals, and the loss of coral reefs. We are committed to a sustainable future, and your investment can help a variety of initiatives, including establishing a tropical conservation central field station, creating captive breeding facilities for imperiled species, and building the next generation of undersea research habitats.

“There is no greater message in conservation than to say we know what we need to do and we’re willing to do it.”

— PAUL REILLO, PHD Director, Tropical Conservation Institute

Pristine Marine Ecosystem Preserved The College of Arts, Sciences & Education is a research, monitoring, and education partner of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary under an agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

13 Shark and Ray Species Protected Our marine scientists were part of an international effort to secure protection for 13 shark and ray species with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and their efforts continue.

A SHARED FUTURE The College of Arts, Sciences & Education is working on scientific breakthroughs to fight cancer, stop the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases, and cure other deadly diseases. We are a global leader in the treatment of ADHD and other mental health and behavior disorders in children. We are fighting violence against women and injustices against the LGBTQ community. We are preserving endangered languages.

We are delivering clean water systems to communities in developing nations. We are strengthening the nation’s food supply chain by helping farmers adapt to climate change. We are investigating natural disasters to improve warnings, guide policy initiatives, and help people adapt. We are revolutionizing forensic techniques and technologies to help law enforcement make our neighborhoods safer. Every day, we are finding new ways to improve the health of the individual and the well-being of our communities.

With your support through the Next Horizon campaign, we can build a clinical building for our Center for Children and Families, expand our field-based research, and deliver potable water and improved sanitation to more communities throughout the world.

3,000+ Families Served More than 3,000 families receive clinical services from Center for Children and Families each year. With your support we can reach even more!

Critical Assets for a More Just World The Global Forensic and Justice Center coordinates FIU’s forensic science and justice initiatives through four component centers: the Center for the Administration of Justice, the Center for Advanced Research in Forensic Science, the International Forensic Research Institute, and the National Forensic Science Technology Center. Investments in the Center’s education, research, training, and policy initiatives will help create a more just world.

PREEMINENT PROGRAMS The Center for Children and Families is the largest center in Florida conducting research on child and adolescent mental health, including ADHD, depression, anxiety, and selective mutism. Its research has transformed the way these disorders are treated, reducing the need for medication, lowering healthcare costs, and equipping parents and teachers with evidencebased strategies.

The Global Forensic and Justice Center is a partnership among basic and translational forensic researchers and its experts in re-establishing disrupted justice systems.

Combined with the National Forensic Science Technology Center’s training and technology expertise, it supports initiatives related to criminal, computer, nuclear, and environmental forensics.

In just eight weeks, the Center for Children and Families’ Summer Treatment Program provides seven years’ worth of one-hour weekly sessions.

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PREEMINENT PROGRAM “Students are being denied their opportunities in the future because classrooms are filtering them out before they have a chance to learn. At FIU, we are focused on teaching everyone, including those who have been disadvantaged.

We want students to achieve their very best. We want to prepare them to tackle society’s biggest challenges.”

—Dr. Laird Kramer, Director, STEM Transformation Institute

Students in the STEM Transformation Institute’s FIUteach program employ active learning and other methods to teach science and math to students of all ages.

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AN ENLIGHTENED FUTURE The College of Arts, Sciences & Education is redesigning STEM education to improve outcomes, expand opportunities for underrepresented groups, and create pathways for successful careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. Our STEM Transformation Institute offers a radically new way of thinking about how students learn STEM, including active learning and peer mentoring. The Institute is building a new paradigm for education where experiential learning happens―giving students a place to test-drive careers, find their passions, and unleash their potential to find the STEM-based solutions our world needs. Attracting the attention of the White House, U.S. Department of Education, and National Science Foundation, these innovations serve as a national model for the best ways to teach diverse student populations. From preschool to university, great education starts with great educators, and we are setting the standard. Your partnership with the College of Arts, Sciences & Education can help us accelerate innovations in education through technology-enhanced classrooms, faculty fellowships, and expanded peer-mentoring programs.

$1.49M Grant to Transform Calculus The STEM Transformation Institute recently received a $1.49 million grant from the National Science Foundation to improve student success in calculus.

10,500+ STEM Students Helped Our 259 embedded Learning Assistants have helped more than 10,500 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students through a peer-learning approach. This program and many other learning innovations developed by the STEM Transformation Institute are being deployed across FIU and around the country to enhance the success of thousands of students.

AN EXCITING FUTURE Curiosity and creativity are qualities that give rise to groundbreaking accomplishments. Throughout the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, scholarship and research are generating discoveries, ideas, and artistic works that will define us well into the future. Our marine scientists live underwater for weeks at a time to uncover the mysteries of the oceans. Our creative writers include Guggenheim Fellows, Pulitzer finalists, New York Times bestselling authors, and an inaugural poet. Our chemists are patented inventors.

Our physicists are exploring the far reaches of space. Our biologists are discovering entirely new species.

And a diverse team of researchers are finding new ways to use existing therapies and technologies to treat deadly diseases. Our efforts are boundless and the opportunities are endless. But no matter our successes, we are not done yet. You can help us realize even greater achievements by investing in new research facilities, faculty fellowships, and seed funding for research innovations.

“Of all the amazing places my studies have taken me, none has captured the thrill and magic that can be found in scientific exploration quite like Aquarius. Not only does Aquarius offer the opportunity to do experiments and answer questions that would be practically impossible anywhere else, working there is the adventure of a lifetime.”

― N. FRANCES FARABAUGH Biology PhD student

Aquarius CASE is home to the only underwater research and education laboratory in the world. At the Aquarius undersea laboratory, we train astronauts to work in extreme environments, make discoveries that will ensure the long-term health of our oceans, and take classrooms around the world to the depths of the ocean via live virtual field trips.

EMERGING PREEMINENT PROGRAM The Translational Molecular Discoveries program integrates basic and applied research by dozens of FIU faculty who collaborate with other groups throughout Florida to develop new drug therapies against cancer, antibiotic-resistant superbugs, neurodegenerative diseases, and mosquitoborne illnesses.

Biologist Matthew DeGennaro, a Translational Molecular Discoveries researcher, is leading a research team in a multi-university collaboration to combat the spread of the Zika virus. The researchers are using genetics to study mosquito behavior in the hopes of predicting and preventing future outbreaks, dramatically reducing deaths from the world’s most deadly animal.

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REALIZING OUR VISION The future will be defined by the creativity, scientific reasoning, and commitment to positive change of people like the students and faculty in FIU’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education. Our past successes remind us that tomorrow’s solutions are within reach. Imagine what we can do with your help.

The Next Horizon is the engine that will drive the next stage of excellence, innovation, and impact at the College. Our top campaign priority is support for critical projects where our expertise is sought by local communities; state, national, and international partners; NGOs; international governing bodies; and more.

Funding will also bolster our research preeminence, supporting faculty chairs, new research facilities, and critical work in the field, lab, and clinic. And investments in education will ensure that our students have the scholarships and fellowships they need to succeed.

Your legacy is part of our vision. Together, we will create an inspiring future.

JOURNEY WITH FIU TO THE NEXT HORIZON Whether it is protecting our environment, transforming education, strengthening coastal resiliency, presenting diverse humanities programming, or developing new treatments for child and adolescent mental health disorders, the College of Arts, Sciences & Education is making extraordinary contributions.

FIU’s Next Horizon campaign has myriad opportunities for you to invest in our work. Through the campaign, you will find amazing people and programs that align with your passions. With your generous support of our bold initiatives, we can attain the Next Horizon by transforming today’s inspired ideas into a brighter tomorrow.

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CAMPAIGN FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES STUDENT SUCCESS

RESEARCH EXCELLENCE

SCHOLARSHIPS AND STUDENT SUPPORT

FACILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND PERSONNEL

• F irst-Generation Undergraduate Scholarships •M erit-Based Scholarships • E mergency Assistance Scholarships • T ransfer and Retention Scholarships • L earning Assistant Program • F uture Teacher Scholarships • P rograms to Advance Underrepresented Groups in STEM

• U ndergraduate and Graduate Research Support

• C enter for Children and Families Building • I nstitute of Water and Environment Building • A quarius 2.0 and Land-Based Marine Support Facilities

• S tate-of-the-Art Chemistry and Forensics Instruments

• E verglades Observatory and Decision Theater • F aculty Chairs and Professorships • P ostdoctoral Fellowships

and Fellowships

RESEARCH AND PROGRAM SUPPORT TEACHING

• T echnology-Enhanced Classrooms • A ctive Learning Facilities • F aculty Fellowships • T eacher Award Fund ENGAGEMENT

• C enter for Children and Families Summer Treatment Program Scholarships

• P artnership Programs • F amily Science Nights in K-12 Schools • S ustainability and Agriculture Engagement • P ublic Lectures and Teach-Ins • S ponsor a School District for Aquarius

• S eed Funding for Research Innovations • R esearch Expeditions/Specific Project Support • C onservation Impact Fund PROGRAM NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

• P reeminent Programs • C enter for Children and Families • G lobal Forensic and Justice Center • I nstitute of Water and Environment • S TEM Transformation Institute • E merging Preeminent Programs • F IU Tropics • T ranslational Molecular Discoveries

Academy

FIU researcher Steve Oberbauer hiking back to the team’s research site at Imnaviat Creek in Alaska.

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FIU FOUNDATION, INC. MMC 11200 SW 8th Street, MARC 5th Floor Miami, FL 33199 305-348-6298 NextHorizon.FIU.edu Publication Print Date: March 2019