|
Charles E . Perry Visionary Award
MYHOSI S. ASHTON ’02, College of Health and Urban Affairs, Executive Director, Safespace Foundation, Miami, Florida
- Myhosi “Josie” Ashton’s career advocating for and aiding domestic violence victims changed dramatically in 2001 when she heard about the brutal murder of Gladys Ricart, a 39-year-old Dominican woman killed on her wedding day by an abusive ex-boyfriend. Ashton, who had worked full-time since 1994 in the Domestic Violence Unit of the State Attorney’s Office, resigned her position and undertook a 1,600-mile walk from New Jersey to Miami in her own wedding dress to raise awareness about domestic violence in the Latin community. This symbolic walk inspired the “Brides’ March” in New York City, which has taken place every year since the completion of her walk. Ashton’s feat has inspired other “bride’s marches” against domestic violence in Miami; Washington, D.C.; and other cities across the United States. Ashton continues
to inform and affect the community through her efforts as executive director of Safespace Foundation, a position she accepted in 2004. Safespace offers financial assistance, information, referrals and advocacy to survivors of domestic violence.
Distinguished Alumni Awards (School, Colleges, and Units)
HUMBERTO “BURT” CABAÑAS ’76, School of Hospitality & Tourism Management,
Founder, Chairman & CEO, Benchmark Hospitality International, The Woodlands, Texas
- Under the leadership of Humberto “Burt” Cabañas, Benchmark Hospitality International has grown to 23 owned or managed properties in 14 states and Japan. The company provides management and marketing services for resorts, executive conference centers, conference hotels and golf clubs. In 2000, he formed a subsidiary company, Benchmark Golf, to manage the independent golf clubs and courses of the company as well as the golf operations of the conference centers and resorts. Cabañas is a founding board member and past president of the International Association of Conference Centers and co-authored “The Uniform System of Accounts for Conference Centers” that established a uniform responsibility accounting system for conference centers. Each year, Benchmark serves as a sponsor of the Shell Houston Open which provides millions of dollars to local United Way charities.
MIKKI CANTON, ESQ. MS ’79, College of Law, Managing Partner, Gunster Yoakley & Stewart, P.A., Miami, Florida
- An accomplished attorney, Mikki Canton has lived her life upholding the values of her mentor, the late Chesterfield Smith, who urged colleagues to “do well by doing good”. Canton mentors others and often speaks to women about leadership through her involvement on the John F. Kennedy School of Government Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University. Currently, she is initiating a similar project at the FIU College of Law. Chairperson of Gunster Yoakley & Stewart’s Corporate Strategic Counseling and Public Affairs division, the title reflects her belief in the importance within the firm and the profession of making strategic decisions, keeping in mind how they affect the public arena and how to effect desired change. South Florida has been a fortunate recipient of her efforts through her service on several boards, including the Public
Health Trust of Miami-Dade County, the Florida Commission on Ethics and the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services.
CHARLES D. ERMER ’81, College of Engineering & Computing, President, Right Way Plumbing Co., Sunrise, Florida
- Charles D. “Chuck” Ermer is president of Right Way Plumbing Co. in Sunrise, FL, a 74-year-old company with three offices and operations throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Widely recognized for excellence and quality workmanship, the company is a pioneer of computer cost estimating and has grown by expanding a new construction division that handles projects of diverse size and complexity. Ermer’s parents Charles C. and Annette G. Ermer purchased Right Way Plumbing in 1968. Chuck became involved full-time after graduating from FIU with a degree in construction management. Ermer has served in volunteer positions as the director of South Florida Chapter of Associated General Contractors and as the immediate past president of the Construction Association of South Florida.
CHRISTINA M. CEBALLOS-LEVY ’97, Honors College Associate, Kenny Nachwalter, P.A., Miami, Florida
- Attorney Christina M. Ceballos-Levy is an associate at Kenny Nachwalter, P.A., in Miami. Her legal practice focuses on professional malpractice defense on behalf of attorneys and law firms, securities litigation, class action defense and commercial litigation. After graduating summa cum laude from FIU with an English degree, Ceballos-Levy earned a juris doctorate at the University of Miami, where she served as the executive editor for the UM Law Review. In 1999 she authored “Adjustment Status for Alien Material Witnesses: Is It Coming Three Years Too Late?” in the University of Miami Law Review. She has been a member of the FIU Honors College Advisory Board since 2003 and serves on the Florida Bar Association International Arbitration Committee and the Cuban American Bar Association.
ROSANNA M. FISKE, APR ’94, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, Principal and Partner, Communique Group/Rise Strategies, Inc., Coral Gables, Florida
- Widely regarded for her multicultural understanding and expertise, Rosanna M. Fiske has developed and implemented local, regional, national and international integrated communications campaigns for a number of companies in a variety of industries including Charles Schwab & Co., MTV Networks, Wells Fargo Bank and MCI. An expert in corporate and executive communications, Fiske was vice president at Ketchum Public Relations Worldwide in
Miami prior to establishing her own practice. An award-winning and accredited public relations professional, Fiske was the first Hispanic woman named president of the Public Relations Society of America's (PRSA) Miami chapter. She serves currently on PRSA’s national board of directors. Her contributions to the national ethnic communities as well as to her South Florida community
include participation as a leader in communications and/or public relations volunteer for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade, the Hispanic Heritage Festival and A Taste of China benefiting Camillus House, among other endeavors.
FRANCES C. NIPE MLA ’91, School of Architecture, Operations Manager, Streets and Highways, City of Hollywood, Florida
- Frances Nipe’s passion for the environment and community-related issues have guided her career and earned her much recognition, including the Ernest and Virginia Makemson Scholarship for Environmental Preservation. As the operations manager of streets and highways for the city of Hollywood, she has re-established the public works nursery, designed and installed landscape improvements throughout the city, implemented replacement programs and assisted
with landscape projects for neighborhood improvement initiatives. In addition to a distinguished career, Nipe has long been a devoted community volunteer. She helped develop the Broward Blueway and has been honored by the 1,000 Friends of Florida and the Florida Urban Forestry Council. She was the chairperson of the Broward County Tree Management Advisory Committee
for five years, spearheading the development of a county ordinance for tree-pruning standards. Recently, her son Bryan graduated from FIU with a master’s degree in landscape architecture.
CHRISTINE L. KLING ’88 MFA ’93, College of Arts & Sciences, Author, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- A love of boats and a passion for the sea have been guiding forces in Christine Kling’s life. She has spent more than two decades sailing throughout the South Pacific, Pacific, Caribbean and Atlantic. Kling and her family settled in Fort Lauderdale in the mid-1980s, but it was during a two-year voyage cruising the waters of the Caribbean in 1993 that Kling started her first novel, Surface Tension. Within two years of the family’s return, Kling and her husband divorced. Finding herself a single mother, Kling went back to work as a teacher. Writing nights and weekends, she finally finished her first novel. The book was praised widely upon its publication and was a Mystery Guild Featured Alternate Selection. Publishers Weekly called it “a strong suspense debut,” and Booklist raved, “Kling packs her debut with nautical detail, interesting
characters, a well-tangled plot, and detailed descriptions of both the natural beauty and rampant tackiness of southern Florida.” Cross Current followed Kling’s inaugural effort, and Bitter End, Kling’s latest novel, was published earlier this year.
DR. ERIC C. SHAMUS ’92, College of Health & Urban Affairs, Assistant Professor, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Physical therapist Eric Shamus has brought distinction and honor to FIU through his academic achievements as an assistant professor in the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Nova Southeastern University. He earned a bachelor’s degree at FIU in physical therapy, a master’s degree in biochemical trauma from the University of Miami and a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Lynn University. Shamus specializes in biomechanics and therapeutic exercise and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist. He has authored more than 30 publications including two textbooks, book chapters and refereed journal articles. His ongoing research projects have been awarded grants by Nova and the Florida Physical Therapy Association. At FIU, Shamus has given guest lectures on orthopedics and manual therapy and collaborated on production of an educational video tape.
JANET L. HUPP ’75 MS ’83, College of Education, Superintendent, Regional Center V, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami, Florida
- Janet Hupp’s distinguished 30-year career as an educator exemplifies the College of Education’s commitment to excellence in teaching and educational leadership. After a successful tenure as principal of Miami Palmetto Senior High School, a nationally recognized high school in Pinecrest, Hupp was promoted to her current position of Regional Center V superintendent with Miami-Dade County Public Schools. She has worked in the nation’s fourth largest school
system since 1975 as a teacher, department chair, assistant principal, principal and regional superintendent. An award-winning educator, Hupp was selected from among 200 other school principals as Miami-Dade County’s Principal of the Year in 2003. In 1984 and 1988, she won Teacher of the Year honors at Palmetto. She has a lengthy record of community service, volunteering with such organizations as the Chamber of Commerce, South Dade Optimists Booster Club, the Girl Scouts, the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, the Children’s Home Society and the Miami Children’s Hospital.
GERALD H. HUNSICKER MS ’76, Athletics, Managing Director of Star Valley Thoroughbreds, LLC, Houston, Texas, and Former General Manager, Houston Astros, Houston, Texas
- Gerald “Gerry” Hunsicker served as a pitching coach for FIU’s fledgling baseball team and assistant athletic director from 1974-‘78, while completing his master’s in the College of Education during that time. He joined the Astros organization in 1978, filling a number of roles until his departure in 1981. After joining the securities industry for several years, he joined the New York Mets in 1988 as director of minor league operations. He rose to the number two position in that club before becoming the Astros general manager (GM). In his nine seasons as Astros GM, from 1996-2004, few teams in Major League Baseball enjoyed greater success. During that time, the Astros finished sixth in the majors and fourth in the National League with a .544 winning percentage (793-665), the most successful winning percentage of any general manager in Houston franchise history. Hunsicker retired from the Astros following the 2004 season.
PAUL L. JONES ’78, College of Business Administration, Founder and President, Pyramid Realty Group, Inc., Miami, Florida
Paul L. Jones is an accomplished real estate veteran and founder and president of Pyramid Realty Group, Inc., a national consulting and investment banking firm. Under Jones’ leadership, Pyramid Realty has become a leading advisory firm in the industry with offices in Miami, Atlanta and Denver. Jones has shared his significant experience in real estate and finance with FIU students as an adjunct professor in the College of Business Administration. He has also served
as a trustee of the FIU Foundation, as chairman of the Alumni Association Board of Directors and he was the founder of the FIU Real Estate Alumni Council. In addition to lecturing around the state, Jones has published numerous articles in real estate trade journals and business magazines.
FIU Service Award
AUGUSTO L. VIDAURRETA ’80, College of Business Administration, Founder, RAM Strategy, Inc., Miami, Florida
- A member of the College of Business Administration’s Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, Augusto “Gus” Vidaurreta has given generously of his time and resources to FIU and the College of Business Administration. He is an active guest speaker and lecturer for the College and Business Alumni Chapter. He helped create the College’s Alumni Circle and led the group as its first chairman. Additionally, he assisted in the formation of the College’s Mentoring Program and
continues to serve as a mentor annually. Vidaurreta is also an active member of the College’s Dean’s Council. Recently, he and his wife, Jeannie, became major donors of the College’s “Building for Business” campaign. An entrepreneur, Vidaurreta is the cofounder of RAM Strategy, Inc., a consulting, training and executive coaching firm built around relationship asset management (RAM). He is also an investor in industries as varied as packaging, banking and hotels. A loyal Golden Panther fan, Vidaurreta holds football season tickets and brings his daughters to all of FIU’s home games.
Community Leadership Award
BETH ROSENTHAL DAVIS ’89, College of Education, Educator and Founder, Kids For Kids Academy, Miami, Florida
- In the past 16 years, as a teacher and a community leader, Beth Rosenthal Davis has displayed an extraordinary commitment to others. From 1989-’95, Rosenthal Davis became a Teacher Advocate for the Homeless, coordinating annual school-wide programs to make and distribute meals to the homeless. Along the way, her Youth Ending Hunger Club taught students compassion and empathy. In 1996, she created a club called Kids 4 Kids as a vehicle to
teach elementary students that they can change the world through their acts of kindness. To date, Kids 4 Kids has delivered 45,000 backpacks filled with school supplies and 80,000 new books to children who are living in homeless shelters, migrant camps, foster homes and low-income housing. Married and the mother of two children, she has been the driving force behind many other important and successful initiatives, each stemming from a real need. An award-winning teacher, Rosenthal Davis is currently on leave from the Miami-Dade County Public School system to open her own preschool and after-school tutoring program.
Outstanding Faculty Award
DR. STEPHEN M. FAIN, Professor, College of Education, and Fellow, Honors College, Miami, Florida
- A member of FIU’s founding faculty, Stephen Fain joined FIU as an academic planner and assumed a leadership role in the development of the curricular framework that established the academic programs at the university. In 34 years, he has compiled a record of exemplary service, establishing himself as an eminent scholar in his field, an outstanding faculty member and advocate of faculty governance, and an inspiring educator for all students. An award-winning
teacher, Fain has taught hundreds of students at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. One of the first members of the FIU faculty to work at the doctoral level, Fain has supervised or served on more than 100 successful doctoral dissertation committees. In 2002, Fain was invited to join the Honors College as a Fellow. He developed a third-year honors seminar focused on
discovering the American character. Working with his students, he has raised enough money each year to underwrite a four-day trip to Washington, D.C. In 2003, he was presented with an Outstanding Honors Fellow Award.
Outstanding Achievement Award
DR. STEPHANIE A. BURNS ’77, College of Arts and Sciences, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dow Corning Corporation, Midland, Michigan
- As president and chief executive officer of Dow Corning Corporation, Stephanie Burns is responsible for leading Dow Corning’s major businesses and for driving innovation and growth across the enterprise. Burns joined Dow Corning in 1983 as a researcher, working on water-based and high temperature elastomers. Four years later, she became product development manager for the Electronics Industry, where she led advances in UV curable coatings and materials for device protection and electronics adhesives. She became director of Women’s Health in 1994. Her first assignment outside the U.S. began in 1997 in Brussels as Science and Technology director for Europe. Moving steadily into positions with greater and more responsibility, Burns became president in 2003 and chief executive officer in 2004. The daughter of previous FIU employees, Burns earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from FIU and her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Iowa State University. She is the recipient of a 2004 FIU Distinguished Service Award.
|
