It is a pleasure to welcome you to “Celebrating Impact: Faculty Excellence” to highlight the exceptional accomplishments of our FIU faculty. This special event provides an opportunity for us to come together as a university and recognize the groundbreaking contributions our faculty have made in research, innovation, and the creative arts.
FIU has always focused on achieving excellence and your accomplishments are a testament to the unmatched talent and dedication of our faculty. From pioneering solutions-centered research that tackles some of society’s most pressing challenges to meaningfully advancing the creative arts and humanities, the work of our FIU faculty is undoubtedly shaping the future in remarkable ways.
As we celebrate these extraordinary achievements, I also look forward to the next chapter with great anticipation because I know that this is only the beginning. Together, we will continue to expand our research, further enhance the FIU experience, and provide our students with an education that prepares them for the future.
Thank you for your commitment to FIU. I am excited to continue this journey of excellence and innovation with all of you.
Sincerely,
Jeanette Nuñez Interim President
LETTER FROM THE PROVOST
Dear Faculty,
It is a tremendous honor to pay tribute to you during this our inaugural signature event, “Celebrating Impact: Faculty Excellence” – an occasion dedicated to recognizing your remarkable achievements and your relentless pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and the creative arts. This evening marks an important occasion for the FIU community to gather to acknowledge and celebrate our FIU faculty with prestigious honors bestowed, national and international awards conferred, outstanding accomplishments in sponsored research and stellar achievements in the humanities and arts.
As I consider the incredible accomplishments we are celebrating today, I am deeply inspired by the reach and weight of your contributions. With inventions across land, sea, and space, our FIU faculty are leading innovations in STEM, with more than three hundred (300) patents awarded in the last five years; and, with more than two hundred and thirty (230) published monographs, literary works, and musical albums in the past four years, our FIU faculty are leaving their mark – creatively and innovatively impacting the humanities and arts. I applaud you for your commitment to engaging in cutting-edge research, to fundamentally change lives for the better, in health, innovation and environmental resilience. You have all played an integral role in making FIU a vibrant hub of knowledge and creativity.
The success we celebrate today is not only a testament to the individual and collective efforts of our faculty but also a promising glimpse into the future. Together, we will continue to reach new heights in advancing knowledge, solving global challenges, and enriching the lives of all those we touch.
Thank you for your dedication, your passion, and for being the driving force behind the excellence that defines our university. The future is bright, and I look forward to celebrating many more successes with you in the years to come.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth M. Béjar Provost, Executive Vice President and COO
DISTINGUISHED AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS & HONORS
Remy Dou Teaching and Learning
Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
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Mark Finlayson
Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences
Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
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Richard Blanco
English
National Humanities Medal
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Anthony S. Galaska Theatre
Gold Medallion, Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival
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Saheed Aderinto History
Dan David Prize
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Bianca Premo
History
Guggenheim
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Diana Azzam Environmental Health Sciences
President’s Council Outstanding Faculty Award
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Nasar U. Ahmed Epidemiology
Fulbright US Scholar
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Ligia Collado-Vides
Biological Sciences
Fulbright US Scholar
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Michael Eckroth
Herbert and Nicole Wertheim
School of Music & Performing Arts
Fulbright US Scholar
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Pouyan Esmaeil Zadeh Information Systems and Business Analytics
Fulbright US Scholar
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Andrea Fanta Castro
Modern Languages
Fulbright US Scholar
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DISTINGUISHED AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS & HONORS
Continued
Mark J. Macgowan
School of Social Work
Fulbright US Scholar
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Allison Matulli
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Fulbright US Scholar
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Javier Jose Mendoza
Herbert and Nicole Wertheim
School of Music & Performing Arts
Fulbright US Scholar
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Abdelhamid Meziani
Mathematics and Statistics
Fulbright US Scholar
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Amy R. Paul Ward
Occupational Therapy
Fulbright US Scholar
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Minye Tang
School of Accounting
Fulbright US Scholar
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Bruk Berhane School of Universal Computing, Construction and Engineering Education
NSF Career Award
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Janki Bhimani
Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences
NSF Career Award
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Konstantin Bukhryakov
Chemistry and Biochemistry
NSF Career Award
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Wim Cosyn Physics
NSF Career Award
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Darryl A. Dickerson
Mechanical and Materials Engineering
NSF Career Award
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Amal Elawady
Civil and Environmental Engineering
NSF Career Award
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DISTINGUISHED AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS & HONORS
Continued
Ahmed S. Ibrahim
Electrical and Computer Engineering
NSF Career Award
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Stephen D. Secules
School of Universal Computing, Construction and Engineering Education
NSF Career Award
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Judith M. Mansilla History
American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Fellow
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Catherine Mas History
American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Fellow
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellow
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Krishnaswamy Jayachandran Earth and Environment
Jefferson Science Fellow
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Martha E. Schoolman English
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellow
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Jason Chandler Architecture
American Institute of Architects Fellow
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Ebru Ozer
Landscape Architecture
American Society of Landscape Architects Fellow
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Assefa Melesse Earth and Enviornment
Jefferson Science Fellow
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TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH IMPACT
Atorod Azizinamini
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Innovative Bridge Technologies/ Accelerated Bridge Construction (IBT/ABC-UTC)
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Stephen Black
Cellular Biology and Pharmacology
Metabolic Reprogramming and Pulmonary Vascular Disease in Congenital Heart Disease
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Todd Crowl
Institute of Environment
Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST)
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Mario De La Rosa
School of Social Work
Center for Research on U.S.
Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse (CRUSADA), NIH National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
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Evelyn Gaiser
Biological Sciences
Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), National Science Foundation
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Arindam Gan Chowdhury
Civil and Environmental Engineering
NHERI Wall of Wind (WOW)
Experimental Facility (EF), National Science Foundation
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Stavros Georgakopoulos
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Transforming Antennas Center
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Raul Gonzalez Jr. Psychology
Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse
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Katie Hart Psychology
Reading Explorers Program
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John Kominoski
Biological Sciences
Long Term Ecological Research (LTER), National Science Foundation
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Leonel Lagos
Moss Department of Construction Management
Florida International University’s Continued Research Support for the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management
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Angela Laird Physics
Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse
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TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH IMPACT
Continued
Jeremy Pettit Psychology
Testing a Mechanistic Model of Attention to Social Media Content and Sleep Disturbance in the Escalation of Social Anxiety in Adolescents
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Naphtali Rishe
Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences
MRI: Development of an instrument for student and faculty research on Multimodal Environmental Observations
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Arif Sarwat Electrical and Computer Engineering
Smart Grid Manhole and Vault Monitoring
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Eric Wagner
School of Social Work Research Center in Minority Institutions (RCMI), NIH National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
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PRESTIGIOUS CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS
Robert Davidovici
Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts
UNESCO General Assembly Solo Performance
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Roberto Rovira
Landscape Architecture + Environmental and Urban Design
Venice Architecture Biennale
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Elisa Silva Architecture
Chicago Architecture Biennale/ Graham Foundation and Venice
Architecture Biennale
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Thomas Spiegelhalter Architecture
Venice Architecture Biennale
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INNOVATION AND INVENTION
Malek Adjouadi Electrical and Computer Engineering
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Konstantin Bukhryakov Chemistry and Biochemistry
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Elias Alwan
Electrical and Computer Engineering
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Prem Chapagain Physics
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Mohammadhadi Amini
Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences
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Azmal Chowdhury
Mechanical and Materials Engineering
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Amer Awwad FIU Applied Research Center
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Atorod Azizinamini
Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Stephen Black Cellular Biology and Pharmacology
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Charles Dimitroff Translational Medicine
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Tyler Dolmetsch
Mechanical and Materials Engineering
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Zhangqiuzi Fan
Environmental Health Sciences
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INNOVATION AND INVENTION
Continued
Kenneth Furton Chemistry and Biochemistry
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Stavros Georgakopoulos Electrical and Computer Engineering
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Anuradha Godavarty Biomedical Engineering
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Asif Hassan Electrical and Computer Engineering
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Denny John Mechanical and Materials Engineering
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Abuzar Kabir Chemistry and Biochemistry
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Anastasios Koutinos Electrical and Computer Engineering
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Yanhao Lai Environmental Health Sciences
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Cheng-Yu Lai Mechanical and Materials Engineering
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Fenfei Leng Chemistry and Biochemistry
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Jun Li Biological Sciences
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Wenzhi Li Physics
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INNOVATION AND INVENTION
Continued
Arjun Madanayake Electrical and Computer Engineering
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Dwayne Mcdaniel Mechanical and Materials Engineering
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Adel Nefzi Cellular Biology and Pharmacology
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Ambreen Nisar Mechanical and Materials Engineering
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Osama Mohammed Electrical and Computer Engineering
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Guodong Niu Biological Sciences
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Sohail Mazher Ali Khan Mohammed Mechanical and Materials Engineering
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Joongho Moon Chemistry and Biochemistry
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Kevin O’Shea Chemistry and Biochemistry
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Tanaji Paul Mechanical and Materials Engineering
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Norman Munroe Mechanical and Materials Engineering
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Markondeyaraj Pulugurtha Biomedical Engineering
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INNOVATION AND INVENTION
Continued
Daniela Radu
Mechanical and Materials Engineering
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Naphtali Rishe
Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences
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Barry Rosen
Cellular Biology and Pharmacology
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Arif Sarwat
Electrical and Computer Engineering
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Kim Tieu
Environmental Health Sciences
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Arti Vashist
Cellular Biology and Pharmacology
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Konstantinos Zekios
Electrical and Computer Engineering
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PUBLISHING AND THE ARTS
Nasar Ahmed Epidemiology
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Thomas Baker College of Law
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Jonathan Comer Psychology
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Margo Berman School of Communication
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Roxana Corradino College of Communication Architecture and the Arts
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Veronica Cancio De Grandy School of Communication
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Elizabeth Cramer Teaching and Learning
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Michael Cheng Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
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Alec Dalton Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
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Davina Clarke School of Communication
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Sabine Dantus Information and Research Service
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Denise Duhamel English
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PUBLISHING AND THE ARTS
Continued
John Erwin College of Law
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Dana Farrell Criminology and Criminal Justice
Eric Fenkl Graduate Nursing
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Orlando Garcia Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts
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Bernard Gerstman Physics
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Peter Gorski Pediatrics
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Krishnaswamy Jayachandran Earth and Environment
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Donavon Johnson Public Policy and Administration
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Steven Karl English
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Khokiat Kengskool Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Armin Mehrabi Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Stephen Thomson Moore Sound and Image Resources
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PUBLISHING AND THE ARTS
Continued
Esperanza Muino Interior Architecture
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Charles Newman International Business
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Jefferson Noel School of Communication
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Aixa Perez-Prado Teaching and Learning
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Terrence Peterson History
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Douglas Robertson Leadership and Professional Studies
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Eugenio Rothe Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
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Angela Salmon Teaching and Learning
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Lana Shehadeh Politics and International Relations
Thomas Spiegelhalter Architecture
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Dionne Stephens Psychology
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Lisa Stolzenberg Criminology and Criminal Justice
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PUBLISHING AND THE ARTS
Continued
Hannibal Travis College of Law
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Julie Wade English
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INNOVATION AND INVENTION
PUBLISHING AND THE ARTS
TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH
FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS
DISTINGUISHED FELLOWS
FACULTY SUCCESS INITIATIVE
The Faculty Success Initiative is comprised of the following four interrelated efforts.
1. OPTIMIZING DIGITAL PRESENCES
We have created a new website to help faculty optimize their digital presence with FIU Discovery and reduce the amount of time spent maintaining the same scholarly productivity data across various platforms within and beyond FIU, such as ORCID, Panther180, and SciENcv.
2. FINDING COLLABORATORS
Resources such as FIU Discovery and Scival are available on a new website to help faculty find collaborators within and beyond the university.
• FIU Discovery is Florida International University’s portal for exploring and connecting with the university’s scholarly community. Use the search feature and explore the interconnected results by People, Organizations and Scholarly and Creative Works here at FIU. Check out this helpful guide.
• The collaboration module in Scival can help you evaluate existing research collaborations of FIU authors. You can also use Scival to identify new opportunities for collaboration across the United States or worldwide.
3.
FINDING FACULTY AWARDS
A new faculty awards site, located at https://facultyawards.fiu.edu/, has been created to:
• Identify Award and Distinction Opportunities: FIU encourages faculty to seek external and internal opportunities to be recognized nationally and internationally and to enhance their scholarly reputation. This site is for you to explore and find suitable opportunities in alignment with your career goals.
• Highlight current Faculty Awardees: Here we spotlight our distinguished faculty who are leaders in research, creativity, teaching, and service, and have been recognized with awards and honors for their expertise, leadership, and contributions. These accolades have been granted by various external agencies as well as facets of the university.
4.
BROADENING THE SCOPE OF HIGH-QUALITY INFORMATION
• We have spearheaded a discipline-level discovery process to identify best practices and solutions. In the coming year we will be rolling out Figshare to help faculty optimize their digital presence in disciplines in which scholarly productivity data is not automated.
• We are also diversifying how we measure our faculty’s research impact, through tools such as Altmetric.
Dr. Yesim Darici
Associate Provost, Faculty Success Initiatives Faculty Leadership and Success darici@fiu.edu
David Driesbach, PMP Assistant Vice President, Research Office of Research and Economic Development University Graduate School driesbac@fiu.edu
CONGRATULATIONS
FIU FACULTY AND THANK YOU!!!
We write to extend our heartfelt congratulations and deepest appreciation to each and every one of you honored this evening for your outstanding achievements reflecting the highest recognitions from and within our scholarly community. Your work—whether in laboratories, studios, classrooms, archives, or communities—represent daily acts of sacrifice that prioritize the highest pursuit of knowledge, rigorous scientific inquiry, exceptional creative expression, and meaningful and sustainable impact to humanity.
As leaders who are committed to supporting and advancing our faculty’s success, we are proud to celebrate your achievements. We look forward to building on this momentum—investing in the future of research and creative expression and providing even more opportunities for recognition and discovery. To this end, we invite you to stay abreast of the resources we have created for faculty as part of the Faculty Success Initiative, information, tools, access, all designed to support your continued and exponential success.
Thank you for your exceptional work and for all you do to strengthen the academic excellence of Florida International University!
With sincere congratulations,
Andrés G. Gil, PhD Senior Vice President Office of Research and Economic Development Dean, University Graduate School
Heather D. Russell, PhD Vice Provost Faculty Leadership and Success Office of the Provost
