YUPA! hosts networking social at Biltmore Hotel

FIU’s young alumni chapter, YUPA! (Young Urban Professional Alumni) hosted a networking happy hour at the Biltmore Hotel on May 15. Alumni enjoyed complimentary appetizers, drink specials and jazz sounds near the hotel’s swimming pool.

YUPA! is currently accepting board applications for vice president of Communications. Interested applicants should send their résumé and questions to chapter president George Corton at gcorton@bus.miami.edu. Deadline for submission is June 30.

Capital Panthers to hold board of directors meeting, host ballpark event

The Alumni Association’s D.C. Chapter’s board of directors will meet on Thursday, July 10, at 6:30 p.m., at McKenna Long & Aldridge (1900 K Street, N.W., Suite 100). To RSVP, by 5 p.m. on July 9, call Ricardo Lasso ’92 at 202-255-7422 or e-mail ralasso@lassoandlasso.com.

The group also will get together at the ballpark Sunday, Aug. 24 for the NY Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles game at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Md.

Deadline to purchase tickets is Monday, Aug. 4. Admission is $20-$25. For more information on these and other Alumni Association’s D.C. Chapter events, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10213873725&ref=ts.

College of Education to host End of Summer Education Celebration

The College of Education invites all alumni to its End of Summer Education Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 16, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., at 9200 S.W. 107 Ave., in Miami.

Information on local community resources will be available, including helpful tips for the FCAT and the SAT. Professionals, including school psychologists, speech therapists and occupational therapists also will attend to answer any questions. There will be plenty of food and fun activities for children of all ages.

Golden Panther stars in HBO film

School of Theatre, Dance and Speech Communication graduate Bob Krantz ‘78 stars in HBO Films’ Recount, a drama about the Florida results in the 2000 presidential election, with Kevin Spacey and Laura Dern.

Krantz plays Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth in a pivotal scene. Butterworth was the Florida chair of Al Gore's presidential campaign and argued in favor of a statewide recount.

“I loved being part of this movie,” Krantz said. “I remember those 35 crazy days after the 2000 election. We thought it was never going to end.”

Krantz has performed in several movies, including My Sexiest Year in 2007, Plato’s Run in 1997 and Shootfighter 2 in 1995.

Among his other credits are the stage productions of Peter Pan, Man of All Seasons and The Contractor, which he starred in with Andy Garcia when they were both students at FIU.

The road to success takes many winding turns and Krantz has enjoyed them all from performing at Giligan’s Island parties to playing a singing Santa Claus at holiday events.

“I’m one of the few local actors working year round,” said Krantz of his gig as the jolly St. Nick, hearty laugh and all.

Recount, which was shot in Jacksonville and Tallahassee, is currently airing on HBO.

Alumna wins Leonardo student art contest

College of Architecture + The Arts graduate Margarita Benítez ’05 has been selected as one of the five winners of the first Leonardo Art/Science Student Contest (Leonardo is the journal of the International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology).

Benítez presented her winning project, “Circadian Capital,” at the Berkeley Big Bang 2008 conference on June 3.

The Golden Panther also will be featured in an upcoming issue of Leonardo.

CBA inducts alumni into Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame

The College of Business Administration (CBA) recently inducted two of its most accomplished alumni into its Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. CBA also presented a third non-alumnus executive with its South Florida Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

The three honorees, recognized during a luncheon ceremony held at Jungle Island on Watson Island, are Malcolm Butters MBA ’83, president and co-founder of Butters Construction & Development, Inc.; Ignacio Urbieta Jr. MBA ’85, co-owner and CEO of Urbieta Oil Co., and Sergio Pino, president and CEO, Century Home Builders, LLC.

For information on how to nominate alumni, click here.

College of Law alumni honor 2008 graduates

The College of Law Alumni Chapter hosted a graduation reception at Mellon Bank in Brickell in May.

Juris doctor candidates for 2008 were presented with achievement awards, sponsored by Bernard and Esther Probst, Mikki Canton in memory of professor Ray O’Keefe, Alex Alvarez, Esq., DeMahy Labrador Drake Payne & Cabeza, Fowler White Boggs Banker and Jackson Lewis, LLP.

Commencement of 91 juris doctor candidates took place on May 18 at the FIU Arena. These graduates were presented with the Excellence in Service to the Clinical Program Award for service to the College of Law Clinics.

School of Public Health to form alumni chapter

The Robert Stempel School of Public Health is organizing an official alumni chapter.

Alumni interested in joining the chapter’s steering committee should contact Dr. Saul Sztam, assistant dean, or Carrie Sanchez, assistant director, at 305-348-7777.

Alumni Career Fair: Panthers for Hire

Grab your best business suit and bring plenty of résumés.

The Alumni Career Fair: Panthers for Hire is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 30, from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. in the Graham Center Ballrooms at University Park.

For more information, contact Vanessa Baldomero, Alumni Association assistant director, at 305-348-1613 or alumni@fiu.edu.

Job Postings

Harada Physical Therapy, located in Oak Harbor, Wash., is seeking a full-time/part-time physical therapist and physical therapy assistant. New grads welcome.

Send a cover letter and résumé to Kathy Harada, at 360-679-8554 (fax) or haradaptrs@verizon.net. For more information, call 360-679-8600.

Interventional Pain Management, located in Georgia, is seeking a full-time nurse to practice under the direction of a fellowship-trained, board-certified physician.

Applicants must be graduates of an accredited nurse practitioner program, be certified and have a current Georgia license. S/he also must demonstrate knowledge and clinical competence in pain management with a minimum two years experience.

For more information, contact Loretta Hencely, at 478-330-5763 or lhencely@actionmedpersonnel.com or:

Loretta Hencely
c/o ActionMED Personnel
3920 Arkwright Road, Suite 275
Macon, GA 31210

YUPA! Labor Day Cruise

Calling all young alumni!

This Labor Day weekend get ready to set sail with YUPA! aboard the Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas.

Embark on Aug. 29 for a weekend packed with plenty of young alumni activities, social networking opportunities and Bahamian destinations including CocoCay and Nassau.

Rates start at $404.85 per person (based on double occupancy) and include taxes, port charges and a private welcome aboard cocktail party. Call Happy Holidays Travel at 305-267-4004 and book today.

For more information, contact Vanessa Baldomero at 305-348-1613 or alumni@fiu.edu.

Golden Panther Getaways head to Mediterranean, China

The Alumni Association is offering three exciting Golden Panther Getaways in 2008: An Ionian Inspiration on Oceania Cruises, an all-inclusive tour of Italy’s magnificent Lake District, and a trip to China.

The 12-day Ionian Inspiration aboard Oceania’s Insignia departs on July 11 and takes alumni, family and friends on a voyage from Rome to Venice. Their host will be FIU Vice President of Student Affairs Rosa Jones.

The Insignia will make overnight stops in Venice, Dubrovnik, Croatia and Sorrento and visit other classic seaports. This trip also calls on tiny Cinque Terre, Italy – an area so unspoiled and picturesque that it is both a national park and a UNESCO protected territory.

Participants will travel in luxury, enjoying some of the finest cuisine at sea inspired by Oceania’s Executive Culinary Director Jacques Pepin. Through the Alumni Association, travelers receive free air and 2-for-1 cruise fares, as well as an exclusive $200 shipboard credit per stateroom. Spots are limited. For more information, call Oceania Cruises at 1-800-404-6313 or visit www.oceaniacruises.com.

In September, alumni can take a 13-day trip to China to see marvels including the Great Wall of China, Beijing’s Imperial Palace and Tiananmen Square. The Sept. 24-Oct. 6 trip includes a Yangtze River cruise and a three-night visit to the cosmopolitan city of Shanghai.

All stays will be in China's best Western-style hotels. There are limited spaces for this trip. To learn more, visit the AHI Travel Web site for FIU alumni at http://fiu.ahitravel.com or call 1-800-323-7373.

In October, alumni can take part in an exclusive educational and travel experience to Italy’s magnificent Lake District. Highlights of this group trip from Oct. 7-15 include: seven-night, lake-view accommodations at Lido Palace Hotel on Lake Maggiore, private boat tours of the great lakes of Italy and visits to Milan, the Borromean Islands and to stunning Lake Orta in the mountains.

Offered through the Alumni Campus Abroad program of premier tour operator AHI Travel, the trip provides security, ease and flexibility in travel. For travel prices and arrangements, visit http://fiu.ahitravel.com or call 1-800-323-7373.

Information on all of the above Golden Panther Getaways can also be seen on the FIU Alumni Association web page under the travel section at www.fiualumni.com.

Advertise in FIU Magazine

Alumni Association now can promote their business in the award winning FIU Magazine, the flagship publication of FIU published by the Division of External Relations in cooperation with the Office of Alumni Relations.

FIU Magazine is distributed free of charge to 120,000 alumni, faculty/staff, donors and friends of the university on a quarterly basis (January, April, August, October).

For more information and to access the ad rate sheet, click here.

Show Your Panther Spirit

Visit our Web site’s “Spirit Page” and get the latest FIU downloadable fight song, screensavers and wallpapers, order the latest FIU Gear and view alumni profiles and our events photo gallery.

Put on your Blue & Gold face today by visiting http://www.fiualumni.com/panther_spirit.htm.

Help us find our Lost Alumni

Are you a Lost Alumni?

Please help us find you so we may reconnect with you and help you stay in touch with your friends from FIU.

Check to see if your name is on the list and if so please fill out all the information on the address update form located at http://www.fiualumni.com/update_address.htm.

As a result, you will start receiving copies of our award-winning quarterly FIU Magazine and monthly NOW@FIU e-newsletter along with a host of other important news flashes from your Alumni Association.

For more information, call 1-800-FIU-ALUM or e-mail alumni@fiu.edu.

Get your Panther Gear

Alumni Association members, it is time to “Feel the Pride.”

You now can find a great variety of styles and sizes of Panther Gear at multiple locations throughout South Florida and online, including the Wallgreen’s store located across from University Park, Aventura Mall (Champs and Lids stores); Broward Mall (Champs and Lids stores), Dolphin Mall and Sawgrass Mills Mall (Lids store); and Miami International Mall (Champs and Just Hats stores).

Panther Gear also is available at Miami Lakes Sports Shop, on Main Street in Miami Lakes, as well as select Sports Authority locations, Boynton Beach Mall and Coral Square Mall.

If you are an online buyer, Lids.com, the No. 1 destination for online hats featuring all teams, all styles and all brands, recently added two new FIU Golden Panthers hats to its collection. Lids.com is now carrying eight different styles of FIU headwear. You can find the new items, which come in navy and white, by clicking here.

FootballFanatics.com recently added an FIU store to their site, which you can browse by clicking here.

Send in your Class Notes

Help build a strong community of FIU alumni by sharing your good news with your fellow Golden Panthers by filling out an online Class Notes form. (You may also send us your information by fax to 305-348-3636 (Attn: Class Notes).

Send us information on your recent career appointments, awards, hires, promotions, births and marriages.

Electronic photos may be submitted to alumni@fiu.edu in .JPEG or BITMAP formats to appear next to your entry as well. Remember to indicate in the e-mail with which class note the photo should appear, along with the full names and class years of all the individuals who appear in the photo.

Snap and share in Panther Sites

FIU alumni, remember to demonstrate your Panther Pride when you travel as you snap a picture of yourself and your family and friends wearing an FIU cap or T-shirt, waving an FIU flag or reading a copy of FIU Magazine – you may be chosen to appear in the Panther Sites section of the award-winning publication.

To be considered, send your high resolution (300 dpi) pictures with a complete description to alumni@fiu.edu.