List of Florida International University people
Encyclopedia
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, which includes 26 colleges and schools.
Alumni
With more than 150,500 alumni around the world, the Florida International UniversityFlorida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
Golden Panthers constitute one of the fastest-growing university alumni groups in the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. FIU graduates more than 8,000 students a year and confers more than half of all degrees awarded by universities in South Florida.
Baseball
| Athlete | Notability |
|---|---|
| Brad Eldred Brad Eldred Bradley Ross Eldred is a Major League Baseball first baseman in the San Francisco Giants organization... |
professional MLB player |
- Mike Lowell MLB player
Equestrian
| Athlete | Notability |
|---|---|
| Margie Goldstein-Engle Margie Goldstein-Engle Margie Goldstein-Engle is an American show jumping equestrian, and a 10-time American Grandprix Association Rider of the Year.-Early and personal life:... |
Equestrian |
Football
| Athlete | Notability |
|---|---|
| Antwan Barnes Antwan Barnes Antwan Barnes is an American football outside linebacker for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft... |
professional NFL American football player |
| Anthony Gaitor Anthony Gaitor Anthony Gaitor is an American football cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida International.-External links:*... |
professional NFL American football player |
Authors
| Alumni | Notability |
|---|---|
| Carlos Alvarado-Larroucau Carlos Alvarado-Larroucau Carlos Alvarado-Larroucau is a novelist, poet and essayist, born in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina in 1964. After he completed his secondary education in the province of Tucumán, he settled in Buenos Aires, where he studied Languages, Philosophy and Law... |
francophone author, poetry, novel, essay |
| Dennis Lehane Dennis Lehane Dennis Lehane is an American author. He has written several award-winning novels, including A Drink Before the War and the New York Times bestseller Mystic River, which was later made into an Academy Award-winning film. Another novel, Gone, Baby, Gone, was also adapted into an Academy... |
author of Mystic River Mystic River (novel) Mystic River is a novel by Dennis Lehane that was published in 2001. It won the 2002 Dilys Award and was made into an Academy Award-winning film in 2003.-Plot summary:... |
| Ana Menéndez Ana Menéndez -Early life:Menéndez was born to Cuban exile parents who fled to Los Angeles, California in 1964. Menéndez's parents expected to return to Cuba at any time and prepared their children for this eventuality. As a result, Menéndez spoke only Spanish until she enrolled in kindergarten. The family... |
novelist and journalist |
Actors, hosts & anchors
| Alumni | Notability |
|---|---|
| Andy García Andy García Andrés Arturo García Menéndez , professionally known as Andy García, is a Cuban American actor. He became known in the late 1980s and 1990s, having appeared in several successful Hollywood films, including The Godfather: Part III, The Untouchables, Internal Affairs and When a Man Loves a Woman... |
academy award nominated actor |
| Dawn Ostroff Dawn Ostroff Dawn Tarnofsky-Ostroff was the former President of Entertainment of The CW Television Network. She was in charge of all creative efforts of the network and oversees such areas as current programming, series development, scheduling, research, marketing and publicity.-Career:Ostroff began her career... |
president of entertainment of the CW Network |
| Danny Pino Danny Pino Daniel G. "Danny" Pino is an Cuban American actor. 2002 saw him appear in London's West End in the theatre play called Up for Grabs with Madonna. In May 2003, Pino played Desi Arnaz in a CBS special on the life of Lucille Ball, Lucy: The Lucille Ball Story. Pino was born in Miami, Florida... |
actor, Cold Case on CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... |
| Kimberly Leemans | model, America's Next Top Model America's Next Top Model America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry.... contestant |
Entertainment
| Alumni | Notability |
|---|---|
| Sherman Bergman | Notable American United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... kickboxer |
| Dawn Ostroff Dawn Ostroff Dawn Tarnofsky-Ostroff was the former President of Entertainment of The CW Television Network. She was in charge of all creative efforts of the network and oversees such areas as current programming, series development, scheduling, research, marketing and publicity.-Career:Ostroff began her career... |
President of Entertainment, CW Television Network |
| Reynald Washington | vice president & general manager, Disney Regional Entertainment/ESPN Zone |
| Jack Hernández | Founder CEO & Web Entrepreneur, Topmedia Inc ; Acade.me |
| Joseph Haj | producing artistic director, Playmakers Theatre Playmakers Theatre Playmakers Theatre, also known as Smith Hall, is a Greek Revival temple built in 1850, that was originally designed by New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis as Smith Hall, a combined library and ballroom. After also being used as a laboratory, bath house, and law school, it became a theater... |
| Janette Manrara | dancer/choreographer, So You Think You Can Dance So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series) So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions... |
| Phillip Aleman | theatrical press agent, The Producers The Producers The Producers commonly refers to Mel Brooks' series of comedic works about two con-men who attempt to cheat theater investors out of their money, only to have the scheme improbably backfire:... |
Other companies
| Alumni | Notability |
|---|---|
| Stephanie Burns | President & Chief Executive Officer, Dow Corning Dow Corning Dow Corning is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, USA. Dow Corning specializes in silicon and silicone-based technology, offering more than 7,000 products and services... . |
| Dr. Stephanie Burn | Chief executive, president and chief operating officer, Dow Corning U.S., |
| Regynald G. Washington | Vice President/General Manager, Disney Regional Entertainment |
| Adolfo Henriques | chairman/CEO of Union Planters Bank-Florida |
| Edison F. Peres | Is Senior Vice President, Worldwide Channels Go-to-Market at Cisco Systems |
Law and Politics
House of Representatives/U.S. Court Judge
| Alumni | Notability |
|---|---|
| Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1989. She is a member of the Republican Party.... |
member of the United States House of Representatives United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution... and first Hispanic from South Florida |
| Cecilia Altonaga Cecilia Altonaga Cecilia Maria Altonaga is a Florida United States district court judge. She is the first Cuban-American woman to be appointed as a federal judge in the United States.-Biography:... |
U.S. District Court Judge (first Cuban-American woman appointed) |
| David Rivera David Rivera David Mauricio Rivera is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a Miami-based public affairs consultant and formerly represented District 112 in the Florida House of Representatives.... |
Florida’s 25th Congressional District |
Local/Municipal Government
| Alumni | Notability |
|---|---|
| Maria Parodi | Councillor and Deputy Lord Mayor, Dublin, Ireland |
Education
| Alumni | Notability |
|---|---|
| Marcelo Baró Ph.D. | PR Department Chair at UADE, Argentine University of Business |
| Miguel A. De La Torre | prolific author on Hispanic religiosity and professor of social ethics at Iliff School of Theology Iliff School of Theology Iliff School of Theology is a graduate theological school adjoining the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado.An average of 300-350 students attend the school each year in the following degree programs:* Master of Divinity... |
| Elsa Murano Elsa Murano Elsa Alina Murano was the 23rd President of Texas A&M University. On June 14, 2009, Murano resigned as president of the university, effective June 15, 2009.... |
Former President of Texas A&M University Texas A&M University Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school... in College Station, Texas College Station, Texas College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio... |
| Donna M. Schaeffer | Associate Professor of Management Information Systems Marymount University Marymount University Marymount University is a coeducational, four-year Catholic university that has its main campus located in Arlington, Virginia. Marymount offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in a wide range of disciplines and has a diverse and welcoming academic community with approximately 3,600... in Arlington, Virginia |
Science and Space
| Alumni | Notability |
|---|---|
| Omar Baez, Jr. | NASA NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research... launch director for Launch Services Program at John F. Kennedy Space Center |
| Annette Taberner Annette Taberner Annette M. Taberner-Miller, Ph.D. is a Cuban American Neuroscientist studying the dynamics of neurotransmitter release in the spinal cord at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.... |
Neuroscientist Neuroscientist A neuroscientist is an individual who studies the scientific field of neuroscience or any of its related sub-fields... noted for studies in auditory neurophysiology. |
| James F. O'Brien James F. O'Brien James F. O'Brien is a computer graphics researcher and associate professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.-Education:... |
a professor at UC-Berkeley, has patents pending for his explosive computer animation techniques. |
Faculty
- Irtishad AhmadIrtishad AhmadIrishad Ahmad is professor and the chairperson of the Florida International University Department of Construction Management and the editor in chief of the Journal of Management in Engineering in Miami, Florida-Employment History AT FIU:· Jan...
, professor & chairperson of Florida International University Department of Construction Management and editor in chief of the Journal of Management in Engineering ASCEAmerican Society of Civil EngineersThe American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward... - Mark Allen Weiss, professor of School of Computing and Information Sciences and writer of several books of programming
- Thomas E. BakerThomas E. BakerThomas Eugene Baker is a constitutional law scholar and a current professor at the Florida International University College of Law.Baker received his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law and served as a law clerk in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit...
, professor of Constitutional LawConstitutional lawConstitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
in the College of LawFlorida International University College of LawThe Florida International University College of Law is the law school of Florida International University, located in Miami, Florida in the United States... - Lynne BarrettLynne BarrettLynne Barrett is an American writer and editor, best known for her short stories.-Background:Born and raised in New Jersey, she received a B.A. in English Composition from Mount Holyoke College and her M.F.A...
, professor of EnglishEnglish studiesEnglish studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and founder of Gulf Stream MagazineGulf Stream MagazineGulf Stream Magazine is a literary magazine published by the Creative Writing Program at Florida International University. It was founded in 1989 by Lynne Barrett, who edited it until 2002 when John Dufresne became editor... - William DarrowWilliam DarrowWilliam "Bill" Darrow is a Professor of Public Health at Florida International University in Miami, Florida.Before accepting a position at FIU in August, 1994, Darrow served as Chief of the Behavioral and Prevention Research Branch, Division of STD/HIV Prevention, at the National Center for...
, professor of Public HealthPublic healthPublic health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health... - Mark HetzlerMark HetzlerMark Hetzler is the trombonist for the Empire Brass Quintet. Hetzler has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, Boston Pops, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Florida Orchestra, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.Hetzler received a bachelor's degree in music from Boston...
, professor of MusicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and OrchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus... - Jennifer Smith DeCastroverde, professor of TheatreTheatreTheatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
- Orlando Jacinto GarcíaOrlando Jacinto GarciaOrlando Jacinto Garcia is a Cuban-American composer of contemporary classical music.He received a DMA degree in composition from the University of Miami in 1985. He studied composition with Morton Feldman....
, professor of Music and director of the Composition Program for the School of Music - Steven HeineSteven HeineSteven Heine, Ph.D., is a Professor of Religion and History as well as Director of the Institute for Asian Studies at Florida International University . He specializes in East Asian and comparative religions, Japanese Buddhism and medieval intellectual history, Buddhist studies, and religion and...
, professor of ReligionReligionReligion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
and HistoryHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
as well as Director of the Institute for Asian StudiesAsian studiesAsian studies, a term used usually in the United States for Oriental studies and is concerned with the Asian peoples, their cultures, languages, history and politics... - Abraham LavenderAbraham LavenderAbraham D. Lavender is a professor of Sociology at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, where his special areas of interest include ethnic relations, Judaica, political sociology, urban sociology, the sociology of sexuality, and social deviance...
, professor of SociologySociologySociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and president of the Society for Crypto-Judaic StudiesSociety for Crypto-Judaic StudiesThe Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies , founded in August of 1990 by Rabbi Joshua Stampfer of Portland, Oregon, and Dr. Stanley Hordes of Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the major academic organization conducting and encouraging research on the Crypto-Jews of Spain and Portugal and their descendants today... - Stephen LeathermanStephen LeathermanStephen P. Leatherman is the director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University.In addition to his educational duties, Dr. Leatherman is known for his annual rankings of American beaches, thus earning him the nickname "Dr. Beach".-Education:Leatherman earned his...
, director of the FIU Coastal Research Lab, nicknamed "Dr. Beach" for his annual ratings of American beaches (issued every Memorial Day weekend) - Bruce NissenBruce NissenBruce Nissen is a professor of labor studies and director of research at the Center for Labor Research and Studies at Florida International University...
, professor of labor studies and director of research at the Center for Labor Research and Studies and director of the FIU Research Institute on Social and Economic Policy - Elizabeth Price FoleyElizabeth Price FoleyElizabeth Price Foley is an American legal theorist who writes and comments in the fields of constitutional law, bioethics, and health care law. She is the Institute for Justice Chair in Constitutional Litigation and Professor of Law at Florida International University College of Law, a public law...
, professor of LawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in the College of LawFlorida International University College of LawThe Florida International University College of Law is the law school of Florida International University, located in Miami, Florida in the United States... - Stewart RobertsonStewart RobertsonStewart Robertson is a Scottish conductor. He attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and Bristol University...
, professor of orchestral studies and conductor of the FIU Symphony Orchestra - John DufresneJohn DufresneJohn Dufresne is an American author of French Canadian descent born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He graduated from Worcester State College in 1970 and the University of Arkansas in 1984. He is a professor in the Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing program of the English Department at Florida...
, professor of creative writing, editor of Gulf Stream MagazineGulf Stream MagazineGulf Stream Magazine is a literary magazine published by the Creative Writing Program at Florida International University. It was founded in 1989 by Lynne Barrett, who edited it until 2002 when John Dufresne became editor...
and notable author. - Humberto Delgado, professor of television production and broadcasting guru for several productions in the Miami media industry.
University Presidents
| President | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Charles Perry Chuck Perry Charles Perry or Chuck Perry , was the founding president of Florida International University in Miami, having pushed for the university's founding from 1943 until 1965. Perry died on August 30, 1999 at his home in Rockwall, Texas. He is buried at FIU across the lake from the Ryder Business... |
1965–1976 |
| Harold Crosby Harold Crosby Harold B. Crosby was the founding president of the University of West Florida and the second president of Florida International University. He received his Bachelors degree from Northwestern University, and his Law Degree from the University of Florida.-External links:***... |
1976–1979 |
| Gregory Baker Wolfe Gregory Baker Wolfe Gregory Baker Wolfe is a former United States diplomat during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and later President of two urban institutions of higher education, Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, and Florida International University in Miami, Florida... |
1979–1986 |
| Modesto A. Maidique | 1986–2009 |
| Mark B. Rosenberg Mark B. Rosenberg Dr. Mark B. Rosenberg is the president of Florida International University and former Chancellor of the State University System of Florida. He was first appointed as chancellor in November 2005, following the passage of an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Florida that mandated the... |
2009–Present |