Anthony J. Catanese
Encyclopedia
Dr. Anthony James Catanese is a university administrator, author, and the President
of the Florida Institute of Technology
located in Melbourne, Florida
, U.S.
. Florida Tech emphasizes academic and research programs in engineering, the sciences, liberal arts, business, psychology and aeronautics. It has a major distance-learning program using advanced technology. Such groups as the Carnegie Foundation and U.S. News and World Report rate it amongst America’s top universities.
Dr. Catanese was previously president of Florida Atlantic University, which grew to 25,000 students on seven campuses during his leadership tenure. He was the provost of Pratt Institute in New York City, dean of the College of Architecture at the University of Florida, dean of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, associate dean of the School of Engineering and Environmental Design and James A. Ryder Professor at the University of Miami, and professor and director of the Center for Planning and Development at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Catanese also was a Senior Fulbright Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, a master’s degree from New York University and a doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. A prolific writer, he has published 13 books, 18 chapters in books and more than 100 articles and monographs.
A member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners, Dr. Catanese previously maintained a private practice in design, planning and development. His consulting contracts numbered over 50 clients, including coastal zone planning and development in Hawaii and native land claims in Alaska. As a developer, he built several projects for the single- and multi-family markets in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Catanese has been a public servant as well. He was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the National Urban Policy Task Force. He served as chair of the Milwaukee City Planning Board and the Gainesville City Planning Commission.
Dr. Catanese is the chairman of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, which represents 28 private institutions in the state. He is immediate past chairman of the board of the United Way of Brevard. He is also the immediate past president of the Sunshine State Athletics Conference.
Dr. Catanese was president of the Park West Development Corporation, a not-for-profit group that planned and developed a major area in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the founding president of the Florida State University Presidents Association. He also served as president or chair of the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities, Florida Campus Compact and Atlantic Sun Athletics Conference. He has served on numerous boards, including the National Collegiate Athletics Association, Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, John Cabot University (Rome), Orange Bowl Committee, AvMed (South Florida), Wachovia Bank (Florida), and Modus Operandi Inc.
He is the recipient of numerous awards, the most recent of which include the Chief Executive Leadership Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Trailblazer Award from Rotary International, Diversity Champion Award from the Urban League, Outstanding College President’s Award from the All-American Football Foundation, Golden Eagle Award from the Boy Scouts of America and the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame.
, where he earned a degree in Urban and Regional Planning
. He holds a Master's Degree
in Urban Planning from New York University
, and achieved his doctorate
from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
in the same field. Catanese was also a Senior Fulbright Professor
in Bogotá, Colombia.
In addition to the positions he has held in academia, he has written 13 books and 125 articles, primarily on urban planning and development.
Corvette
had been purchased by the FAU Foundation for Catanese as a going away present. The car was purchased using funds donated to the foundation by the top leaders of the group. The funds were diverted through an interior designer in order to buy Catanese a car. This disclosure resulted in an investigation, and charges being filed against the foundation director, Carla Coleman, who later pleaded to a misdemeanor
of falsifying records. Catanese ultimately returned the car, and was never charged with any crime.
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology, also known as Florida Tech, is an independent private technical research university located in Melbourne, Florida, United States. Founded in 1958 as Brevard Engineering College, the institute has been known by its present name since 1966. Florida Tech's curriculum...
located in Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Florida Tech emphasizes academic and research programs in engineering, the sciences, liberal arts, business, psychology and aeronautics. It has a major distance-learning program using advanced technology. Such groups as the Carnegie Foundation and U.S. News and World Report rate it amongst America’s top universities.
Dr. Catanese was previously president of Florida Atlantic University, which grew to 25,000 students on seven campuses during his leadership tenure. He was the provost of Pratt Institute in New York City, dean of the College of Architecture at the University of Florida, dean of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, associate dean of the School of Engineering and Environmental Design and James A. Ryder Professor at the University of Miami, and professor and director of the Center for Planning and Development at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Catanese also was a Senior Fulbright Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, a master’s degree from New York University and a doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. A prolific writer, he has published 13 books, 18 chapters in books and more than 100 articles and monographs.
A member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners, Dr. Catanese previously maintained a private practice in design, planning and development. His consulting contracts numbered over 50 clients, including coastal zone planning and development in Hawaii and native land claims in Alaska. As a developer, he built several projects for the single- and multi-family markets in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Catanese has been a public servant as well. He was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the National Urban Policy Task Force. He served as chair of the Milwaukee City Planning Board and the Gainesville City Planning Commission.
Dr. Catanese is the chairman of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, which represents 28 private institutions in the state. He is immediate past chairman of the board of the United Way of Brevard. He is also the immediate past president of the Sunshine State Athletics Conference.
Dr. Catanese was president of the Park West Development Corporation, a not-for-profit group that planned and developed a major area in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the founding president of the Florida State University Presidents Association. He also served as president or chair of the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities, Florida Campus Compact and Atlantic Sun Athletics Conference. He has served on numerous boards, including the National Collegiate Athletics Association, Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, John Cabot University (Rome), Orange Bowl Committee, AvMed (South Florida), Wachovia Bank (Florida), and Modus Operandi Inc.
He is the recipient of numerous awards, the most recent of which include the Chief Executive Leadership Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Trailblazer Award from Rotary International, Diversity Champion Award from the Urban League, Outstanding College President’s Award from the All-American Football Foundation, Golden Eagle Award from the Boy Scouts of America and the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame.
Education
Dr. Catanese is a graduate of Rutgers UniversityRutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, where he earned a degree in Urban and Regional Planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
. He holds a Master's Degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Urban Planning from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, and achieved his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in the same field. Catanese was also a Senior Fulbright Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in Bogotá, Colombia.
University administration
Catanese has held a number of notable positions in academia, including:- President of Florida Atlantic UniversityFlorida Atlantic UniversityFlorida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
- Provost of the Pratt InstitutePratt InstitutePratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
- Dean of the College of Architecture at the University of FloridaUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
- Dean of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
- Professor of Planning at the University of MiamiUniversity of MiamiThe University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
and the Georgia Institute of TechnologyGeorgia Institute of TechnologyThe Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
In addition to the positions he has held in academia, he has written 13 books and 125 articles, primarily on urban planning and development.
Fundraising
While at FAU, he led its first capital campaign which resulted in donations totaling $225 million. In 2006, he headed the United Way Campaign in Brevard County, Florida which set a record of 6.15 million dollars in donations, donning him the nickname $6 million man.Public Service
- Chairman, United Way of Brevard County 1006
- Chair of Board of Directors, United way of Brevard County 2008
- Co-chairman, Florida Compass Compact
- Executive Committee, Central Florida Partnership
- Executive Committee, Florida Association of Colleges and Universities
- Chairman, Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida 2010-2012
- Member, Central Florida Transportation Task Force
- Board of Directors, King Center, Melbourne, Florida
- Trustee of the Florida Independent Colleges Fund
Corvette scandal
After leaving Florida Atlantic University in 2002, it was disclosed that a $42,000 redRed
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
Corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
had been purchased by the FAU Foundation for Catanese as a going away present. The car was purchased using funds donated to the foundation by the top leaders of the group. The funds were diverted through an interior designer in order to buy Catanese a car. This disclosure resulted in an investigation, and charges being filed against the foundation director, Carla Coleman, who later pleaded to a misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
of falsifying records. Catanese ultimately returned the car, and was never charged with any crime.
Athletics
- President, Sunshine State Conference, an NCAA Multi-Sport Conference 2007-2009
- Past President, Atlantic Sun Conference, an NCAA Multi-Sport Conference
- 2009 Disney Marathon Finisher (his 32nd marathon)
Awards
- Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners
- Brevard County Economic Development Commission Proclamation Acknowledging Excellence in Economic Development 2010
- Inducted into Junior Achievement of the Space Coast Hall of Fame 2010
- Chief Executive Leadership Awards
- Council for Advancement and Support of Education
- Trailblazer Award, Rotary Club
- Diversity Champion Award, Urban League
- Outstanding President Award, All-American Football Foundation
- Golden Eagle Award, Boy Scouts
- Dad Vail Regatta President's Award 2010
- Thomas E. Gamble Award for Excellence in Economic Development 2009