Fa c ult y C on voca t i on Awa rd s C e re m ony
Ernest R. Graham Center Ballrooms Thursday, October 8, 2026
PROGRAM Welcome Noël C. Barengo Chairperson, Faculty Senate Member, FIU Board of Trustees National Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner – Francis Scott Key FIU Alma Mater Belinda Gunn – Lyrics Carl Strommen – Music Performed by: Faculty Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts Provost’s Welcome Elizabeth M. Béjar Provost, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer President’s Message Jeanette M. Nuñez President Convocation Address In Conversation with Dr. Anne S. Kiremidjian Member, National Academy of Engineering Distinguished Professor, Florida International University
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Faculty Award Presentation Presenter: Jose Hemen Manager, Human Resources Distinguished University Professor Award Presenter: Jose Hemen Manager, Human Resources CUSA Faculty Achievement Award Presenter: Elizabeth M. Béjar Provost, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer Fain Fellow Award Presenter: Elizabeth M. Béjar Provost, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer President’s Council Faculty Award Presenter: Elizabeth M. Béjar Provost, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer Closing Remarks Elizabeth M. Béjar Provost, Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer
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FACULTY AWARD EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING Sandra Adorno Associate Professor, Music, Communication, Architecture + The Arts Alfredo Andia Associate Professor, Architecture, Communication, Architecture + The Arts Jesse Blanchard Associate Teaching Professor, Earth and Environment, College of Arts, Sciences & Education Sherwin Jose Assistant Teaching Professor, Teaching and Learning, College of Arts, Sciences & Education Michael Sohan Teaching Professor, English, College of Arts, Sciences & Education Pouyan Esmaeil Zadeh Associate Professor, Information Systems and Business Analytics, College of Business
EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE Anthony McGoron Professor, Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering & Computing
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITIES Alliete Alfano Associate Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences
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Mohammadhadi Amini Associate Professor, Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, College of Engineering & Computing B.M. Golam Kibria Professor, Mathematics and Statistics, College of Arts, Sciences & Education Arjuna Madanayake Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering & Computing Thomas Spiegelhalter Professor, Architecture, Communication, Architecture + The Arts Amanda Thomas Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy, Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences
EXCELLENCE IN ADVISING AND MENTORSHIP Cora Martinez Teaching Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering & Computing Okezi T. Otovo Associate Professor, History, Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Matthew Sutherland Associate Professor, Psychology, College of Arts, Sciences & Education
EXCELLENCE IN ENGAGEMENT Tiffany Troxler Associate Professor, Earth and Environment, College of Arts, Sciences & Education
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EXCELLENCE IN LIBRARIANSHIP Gricel Dominguez Librarian, Information and Research Services, University Libraries
ADJUNCT AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING Racha Sankar Adjunct Faculty, Dietetics and Nutrition, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work
GATEWAY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING Sara Moats Teaching Professor, Politics and International Relations, Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
DISTINGUISHED UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR Christopher Baraloto Professor, Biological Sciences, College of Arts, Sciences & Education Raul Gonzalez Jr. Professor, Psychology, College of Arts, Sciences & Education
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Eugenio Rothe Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Roberto Rovira Professor, Landscape Architecture, Communication, Architecture + The Arts Shahin Vassigh Professor, Architecture, Communication, Architecture + The Arts
CUSA FACULTY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Berrin Tansel Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering & Computing
FAIN FELLOW AWARD Elizabeth Anderson Associate Professor, Earth and Environment, College of Arts, Sciences & Education
PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL FACULTY AWARD Sundararaj Sitharama Iyengar Professor, Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, College of Engineering & Computing
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FIU Alma Mater Belinda Gunn, Lyrics Carl Strommen, Music
We pledge to thee dear F.I.U., with voices loud and true, Alma Mater falter never, shine forever Gold and Blue, We fly our banners high, every culture, we embrace All our love and Panther spirit, young and old we make this place, We hail together F.I.U., every scholar side by side, and we hail to Alma Mater, Alma Mater be our Guide.
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