Q U I C K V I E WWinter 2015

Fast FactsRankingsPoints of Pride& Latest News

Rankings & Accolades#1 The FIU Department of Interior Architecture was ranked first among universities in Florida and among the Top 10 in the nation by DesignIntelligence.

#1 College of Law alumnus Alexander Martini JD ’14 earned the highest score among more than 2,800 lawyers who took the Florida Bar Examination in July 2014.

2014 Engaged Campus Award: FIU received the 2014 Engaged Campus Award from Florida Campus Compact. The award recognizes universities that advance education, improve community life and educate students for civil and social responsibility.

2014 Campus-Community Partnership Award: FIU earned a second place award for Campus-Community Partnerships from Florida Campus Compact. The award recognizes ACCESS, FIU’s collaboration with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to improve student success, increase graduation rates and promote college readiness.

President’s Council Worlds Ahead Award: Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management professor Patrick “Chip” Cassidy ’75 is the recipient of the 2014 President’s Council Worlds Ahead Award.

American Association for the Advancement of Science distinction: Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Associate Dean and Professor Barry Rosen has been selected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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Voters say “yes” to FIU expansIon

FIU will continue to work with Miami-Dade County and the Fair to find a suitable location to relocate the Fair. As specified in the ballot question, no county money will be used for the expansion. FIU leaders will work with state officials to identify funds to finance the expansion. The expansion is expected to bring an initial economic impact of $1.8 billion and an additional annual recurring economic impact of $541 million to South Florida, above the $8.9 billion FIU already provides.

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FIU to train VA nurses, create residency programThe Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, in partnership with the Miami VA Healthcare System, received more than $8 million in federal funding to implement the Veterans Affairs Nursing Academic Partnership. The new initiative began in the 2014-2015 academic year and is designed to promote recruitment and retention of VA nurses, increase enrollment in the undergraduate nursing program, and develop inter-professional education and promote the skills specific to military health concerns.

FIU was one of only three universities in the United States selected to launch this five-year program.

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FIU partners with NOAA to protect Florida Marine SanctuaryFIU has been named a major partner of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary under an agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA is committing $1.3 million in funding, and FIU will support sanctuary operations with scientific, technical, educational and administrative personnel.

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects 2,900 square nautical miles of critical marine habitat. FIU scientists have been conducting research and monitoring activities in the sanctuary since its inception in 1990. FIU also heads the Medina Aquarius Program, which is dedicated to the study and preservation of marine ecosystems worldwide. Located off the coast of Key Largo, this program houses the FIU Aquarius Reef Base, the world’s only undersea research laboratory.

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Federal grants awarded to Latin America and Africa programsFIU has received three prestigious grants totaling $2.3 million for programs and student scholarships in areas of strategic importance for the United States: Latin America and Africa.

The grants from the federal Title VI program were awarded to two centers in the School of International Affairs:

• The Latin American and Caribbean Center for area studies and language training in Portuguese, Haitian Creole and Quechua, including study abroad programs. In addition, the grants will expand LACC’s teacher training programs with Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Miami Dade College.

• The African and African Diaspora Studies Program to expand its undergraduate certificate in African Studies.

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Professor helps lead global effort to eradicate Ebola

Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Professor Aileen Marty, M.D., has served as one of the nation’s leading experts in the global battle to contain and prevent the spread of Ebola. During fall 2014, Marty, an infectious disease expert, was called on by the World Health Organization to join the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network team on the ground in West Africa. The Ebola outbreak is the largest in history, affecting multiple countries. She crisscrossed Southern Nigeria for 31 days leading an international team under the auspices of the Nigerian government to rapidly contain and extinguish the Ebola outbreak within the country’s borders. Back in the United States, Marty has led education and outreach efforts through the media and the university, and joined other international health workers at the White House to discuss the Ebola epidemic with President Barack Obama.

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Four FIU Panthers were named to this year’s Phil Steele All-Conference USA Team

Sophomore Jonnu Smith and redshirt junior Richard Leonard earned first-team honors, while junior Michael Wakefield received second-team recognition and junior Denzell Perine garnered a third-team nod.

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FIU, Ocean Bank ink deal to name field at FIU StadiumThe Panther football team’s home field is now Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium. Ocean Bank’s three-year partnership with FIU Athletics continues a long-standing commitment to the university.

Among its many contributions, Ocean Bank committed $1 million to the university’s College of Business, which was used to build Ocean Bank Auditorium at FIU. In addition, Ocean Bank board members and executives are active supporters of the university.

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Historic commitments made at White House SummitFIU Provost and Executive Vice President Kenneth G. Furton and FIU alumna Idaykis Rodriguez joined President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in December to announce new actions to help more students prepare for and graduate from college.

FIU announced its commitment to three initiatives, which are in line with the Obama Administration’s priorities: College Opportunity (increasing the six-year graduation rate); K-16 Partnerships (Education Effect at Booker T. Washington); and STEM Education (increasing overall STEM graduation rates by 10 percent).

Rodriguez, who works as a postdoctoral fellow at FIU’s STEM Transformation Institute, was tapped to introduce Biden at the White House’s College Opportunity Summit, which brought together higher education leaders from around the country.

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FIU students carry less debt and have fewer loan defaults

FIU students owe less when they graduate than do their peers nationally. And they are more likely to pay off their college loans.

Even as fewer students nationwide are defaulting on their federal student loans, FIU students are ahead of the curve, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The official three-year federal loan

default rate for FIU dropped to 8.9 percent. The official national default rate stands at 13.7 percent.

The average debt carried by FIU’s class of 2013 was $17,893 versus an average $25,550 for public university graduates nationally. That places FIU at No. 13 among institutions whose students graduate with the least debt load, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2015 edition of “Best Colleges.” FIU is the top Florida school in this category.

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54,000 Fall 2014 enrollment

100,000 Students will graduate from FIU in the next decade

125,000 Alumni who live and work in South Florida

180 Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs

96 Percent of faculty hold doctoral degrees or highest degree attainable in their field

12 Colleges and schools including Medicine, Law and Architecture

18 Division 1A sports teams, including football

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FIU Division of External RelationsModesto A. Maidique Campus, PC 515Miami, FL 33199

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