We want to hear from you!

Share your good news with your fellow alumni by filling out our online Class Notes form at http://www.fiualumni.com/classnotes.htm. We'd love to learn of your recent hires, appointments, births and marriages. The information will be printed in our award-winning FIU Magazine.If you'd rather, you can fax us your information to 305-348-3636, ATT: Class Notes.

Thank you for keeping in touch with your alma mater!

Invitational Scholars alumni reunion on March 9

Join fellow FIU Invitational Scholar alumni and current students for an evening of fun and networking at the First Annual Invitational Scholars Alumni Reunion on Thursday, March 9.

This event is a joint venture between the FIU Alumni Association and Undergraduate Studies, with a special sponsorship by BBC's Invitational Scholars Club. The event will be at the FIU-Biscayne Bay Campus inside the Wolfe University Center, Room 244-A.

Refreshments will be served starting at 6:30 p.m. Attire is business casual.

The Invitational Scholars Program (ISP) is an established university scholarship program which provides academic and financial support to students who successfully complete FIU's pre-collegiate program called Partners in Progress (PIP I and PIP II). For more information, please visit http://www.fiu.edu/~iss/.

School of Public Health alumni reception on March 10

Dean Dev S. Pathak is inviting Public Health, Dietetics & Nutrition and Health Services Administration alumni to share their accomplishments with one another at the Second Annual Alumni Cocktail Reception for the Robert Stempel School of Public Health on Friday, March 10. The event will be at FIU-University Park in the Graham Center, Panther Suite 243, from 6-8 p.m.
Marisol.sierra@fiu.edu.

Miami Herald Corporate Day on March 15

All FIU alumni and students who currently work at The Miami Herald and its affiliates are invited to attend the FIU Corporate Day reception at The Miami Herald on Wednesday, March 15.

The reception will take place in The Herald's Conference Room A from 4:30-6 p.m. You must be a current employee or student intern to attend.

We encourage you to come and learn about the new and exciting things taking place at your alma mater. The reception will include guest speakers, food and beverages, and free give-aways for all attendees.

Please RSVP to Randi N. West, CMP, at westr@fiu.edu or at 305-348-1009.

The FIU Alumni Association is your connection to the FIU community, and we'd like to take this opportunity to reconnect with you and your fellow alumni. FIU is now more than 120,000 alumni strong with more than 75,000 located right here in South Florida. In addition to offers of exciting discounts and events, joining the Alumni Association offers wonderful opportunities to reconnect with old friends and perhaps make some new ones. We are taking our show on the road because we are so proud of all of you and want to bring a bit of Panther Pride to the workplace. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you work at a company or organization that has more than 15 FIU alumni on staff, we would like to hear from you. Please contact Randi N. West, CMP, at westr@fiu.edu or at 305-348-1009 about the possibility of hosting a corporate day at your company.

Alumni Association scholarships now available

The Alumni Association recognizes high school seniors, current undergraduates and transfer students for their academic and leadership achievements. The Association annually awards more than $40,000 in scholarship assistance. Scholarship funds are raised through the FIU License Plate Program and signature Alumni Association events like the Alumni Golf Tournament, Torch Awards, and Fishing Tournament.

To receive consideration for scholarships funded through the Alumni Scholarship Program for the 2006-‘07 academic year, please review the information below and submit the appropriate application.

All Scholarship Applications are due by April 1, 2006.

The Florida International University (FIU) Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship:
Available to incoming admitted freshmen and undergraduate students who are admitted and enrolled full-time (12 credit hours). Recipient must be a student and have a parent/grandparent/sibling who is a graduate of FIU and a current member of the FIU Alumni Association. Several awards are available. Awards are non-recurring.

Click here to Download the Legacy Scholarship Application : http://www.fiualumni.com/downloads/Legacy_Scholarship_Application-2006.doc

The Florida International University (FIU) Alumni Association Panther Pride Scholarship:
Available to undergraduate students who are admitted and enrolled full-time (12 credit hours), and who are U.S. citizens or have permanent resident status. Recipient must be a student who is a current member of the FIU Student Alumni Association. Two awards are available. These awards are non-recurring.'

Click here to Download the Panther Pride Scholarship Application: http://www.fiualumni.com/downloads/Panther_Pride_Scholarship_Application-2006.doc

2006 Baseball Pre-Game Receptions
Sponsored by the FIU Alumni Association

Let's rally our Panther Pride for the Baseball Team. Bring your family & friends to our pre-game receptions and receive free food, drinks and game tickets.

Dates: April 26th
Pre-game reception time for all games: 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Game First Pitch: 7:00 p.m.
Location: FIU Baseball Stadium (First base dugout)
Cost: Complimentary! RSVP required. Please RSVP to Randi N. West, CMP at westr@fiu.edu or 305-348-1009
Details: The Pre-game reception is located near the first base dugout of the opposing team at the FIU Baseball Stadium.

Record crowd celebrates 2005 Torch Awards recipients
A festive crowd of 530 guests saluted the university's best and brightest at the 2005 Torch Awards Gala on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Parrot Jungle on Watson Island in Miami.

The Torch Awards recognized 15 of the university's most outstanding alumni, plus a faculty member, for contributions to their fields, the community and their alma mater. Winners included, among others, Stephanie A. Burns ‘77, president and chief executive officer of Dow Corning; Gerald Hunsicker ‘76, senior vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Devil Rays; Augusto “Gus” Vidaurreta '02, co-founder of RAM Strategy Inc., a consulting, training and executive coaching firm, built around relationship asset management (RAM); and attorney Mikki Canton ‘79, a shareholder in the Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart law firm and chairperson of its Corporate Strategic Counseling and Public Affairs division.

Star Power
Barry Johnson, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, kept the evening moving as master of ceremonies, and FIU alumna Nadia Turner brought down the house with two electrifying performances. A Top 8 finalist on last season's American Idol, Turner opened the second half of the program with a powerful performance that had the crowd standing on its feet. Her beautiful voice, charming personality and stage presence captivated the crowd and added some real star power to the evenings' festivities.

Making it all possible
Wachovia Bank received a plaque in recognition of their title sponsorship. Other sponsors who helped make the evening possible included The Miami Herald, GEICO, Preferred Care Partners, Nelnet, Bacardi, Banco Popular, Parrot Jungle Island, Broward Professional Alliance, Community Health Foundation, Inc./Community Health of South Dade, Inc.,Greenberg Traurig, P.A., and Afrodita's Garden Florist at FIU.

Dr. Susan Webster, chair of the 2005 Torch Awards, and the committee awarded Torch Awards to the following outstanding alumni:

Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna
	School of Architecture	Frances C. Nipe ‘91
	College of Arts and Sciences	Christine L. Kling ‘88
	College of Business Administration	Paul L. Jones ‘78
	College of Education	Janet L. Hupp '75 ‘83
	College of Engineering	Charles D. Ermer ‘81
	College of Health and Urban Affairs	Dr. Eric C. Shamus ‘92
	Honors College	Christina M. Ceballos-Levy ‘97
	School of Hosp. and Tourism Mgmt.	Humberto “Burt” Cabañas ‘76
	School of Journalism and Mass Comm.	Rosanna M. Fiske ‘94
	College of Law	Mikki Canton ‘79
	Athletics	Gerald H. Hunsicker ‘76
Charles E. Perry Visionary Award		Myhosi S. Ashton '02
		Executive Director,
		Safespace Foundation
FIU Service Award		Augusto L. Vidaurreta '02
		Founder- RAM Strategy, Inc.
Community Leadership		Beth Rosenthal Davis '89
		Founder-Kids 4 Kids Program
Outstanding FIU Faculty		Dr. Stephen M. Fain
		Professor, Educational
		Leadership and Policy Studies,
		College of Education
Outstanding Career Achievement		Dr. Stephanie A. Burns ‘77
		President and CEO, Dow Corning

FIU gear now available at lids.com
In yet another sign of our growing presence, lids.com is now carrying an FIU cap. If you'd like to check it out, go to www.lids.com and search under the NCAA options for FIU. The direct link to the hat is http://www.lids.com/pid/20049886.

Let's work together to promote Panther Pride!