Engineering grad creates Internet of Things startup company

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By Diana Hernandez-Alende Giovanni Giannola, an FIU alumnus, recalls how at the young age of seven, he began upgrading computers for his father’s company. His dad worked as a general contractor in their home country, Venezuela. Giannola would install Windows 95 onto the computers using what would be considered a fossil in this day and […]

Talent, grit and making his own luck: The story of writer Dennis Lehane MFA ’01

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By Evelyn S. Gonzalez For FIU Magazine Controlling the brain. It’s a skill one of FIU’s most famous authors has yet to master. But, it’s a skill he might not want to master. The stories that have made him an award-winning novelist and screenwriter are all woven from the chaos in his own mind. “I […]

Online degree propels education alumna to success against all odds

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By Michael Martin In January 2011, during her first year of college at another university, Lauren Apodaca was struggling with severe anxiety when, one night, she felt a tingling sensation in her legs. As time went on, walking became increasingly difficult. One day, as she slogged her way to class, she passed out. When she […]

Hospitality alumnus goes from busboy to CEO

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Alumnus Regynald G. Washington ’74 was invited back to FIU to speak at this summer’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management commencement ceremony on Sunday, July 29, 2018. In this interview, which originally appeared in FIU News, Washington opens up about the steps he took in life that propelled his career as a restaurateur: […]

Alumna’s life mission: to spread awareness about human trafficking

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By Maria Gil When Karis Williams was only 15 years old she watched a human trafficking documentary that changed her life and gave her a purpose. She decided she would dedicate herself to rescuing lives. After serving in the military, earning her master’s in global affairs (MAGA) from the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs in […]

Journalism, business alumna takes home 8 Emmys®

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By Sarah Hernandez FIU journalism alumna Amanda Ramirez ’05, MBA ’10, WUVG 34 Univision Atlanta Executive Producer/News Anchor, recently took home 8 Emmys® in several categories, including General Assignment Report – No Time Limit; Weather – Feature, Segment, Program or Special; and Continuing Coverage for the station’s outstanding coverage of Hurricane María, throughout the storm’s passage across Puerto Rico and […]

Alumni, community hyped for football season at Annual Cocktail Reception

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Alumni, family and friends gathered at Coral Gables Country Club on May 17 to mingle and network at the 2018 Annual Cocktail Reception. The reception introduces new members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, who are sworn in each year before the event begins, to the FIU community. This year, Sean Gazitúa ’04, Cisely […]

Maria Garcia ’05, JD ’08 elected president of Alumni Association Board of Directors

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Maria Garcia ’05, JD ’08, an alumna of the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs and the College of Law, has been elected the 28th president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. As president, Garcia will work with the Board of Directors to support the university by connecting alumni through networking opportunities; advocating for […]

In honor of National Poetry Month, meet some of FIU’s emerging poets

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FIU is no stranger to the world of poetry. Alumni of FIU’s Master of Fine Arts program have gone on to achieve greatness in the field, including Richard Blanco ’91, MFA ’97, who delivered his poem “One Today” at former President Barack Obama’s second inauguration, and O, Miami founder P. Scott Cunningham MFA ’08. Students […]