From startup to $2 billion empire: Alumnus founder to share ‘secrets of success’ on campus

Written by

Image of Gaston Taratuta
Originally published on January 24, 2024, on news.fiu.edu. Written by Michelle Lopez Gaston Taratuta MBA ’98 is eager to share his formula for success with entrepreneurial hopefuls at a presentation, Introduction to Unicorn Entrepreneurship, aimed at developing high-potential ventures. In 2005, he founded Miami-based Internet Media Services, seizing on the explosion of internet access via mobile […]

FIU launches first-of-its-kind Center for Fraternity and Sorority Enrichment

Written by

greek community fiu
Originally published on January 23, 2024 on news.fiu.edu. Written by Clara-Meretan Kiah Fraternities and sororities have a new home at FIU: the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Enrichment. FIU’s is the first center in Florida dedicated to enhancing fraternity and sorority members’ collegiate experience on a holistic level while building affinity that persists long beyond graduation. […]

Don’t junk it! Engineering Ph.D. starts company to repurpose building materials

Written by

Piyush in front of board
Originally written on December 4, 2024 on news.fiu.edu. Written by Irene Ferradaz   Piyush Pradhananga remembers the aftermath of an earthquake that flattened his town in Nepal, one of the world’s most natural disaster-prone countries, when he was in his early 20s. Aside from the pain his family and many others suffered, something else left an […]

Student earns State Department fellowship en route to foreign service career

Written by

Originally published December 20, 2023 on news.fiu.edu. Written by Todd Ellenberg Francisco “Frank” Gamez, a political science major, was born in Caracas, Venezuela and grew up in the cultural melting pot that is Miami. But it was a professional stint in Switzerland that fixed his resolve to become a diplomat – which led to a […]

Ph.D. student shares what’s cool about NASA’s Langley Research Center

Written by

Originally published December 18, 2023 on news.fiu.edu. Written by David Drucker   It can cost tens of thousands of dollars to ship one pound of matter into orbit. FIU Ph.D. student Kazue Orikasa is leading cutting-edge research to help NASA get the most out of every launch. Orikasa is researching how plastics might be able […]

FIU alumni Tina Vidal-Duart and Carlos Duart gift to name wine studies program at Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management

Written by

Originally published on December 8, 2023 on news.fiu.edu. Written by Yvonne Yee-Amor   FIU alumni Tina Vidal-Duart ’02, MBA ’04 and Carlos Duart’94, MA ’99 have announced a gift establishing the Vidal-Duart Wine Studies program at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The only wine studies program in the country named by a Hispanic family, this commitment underscores the […]

Business students’ ‘smart forest’ app takes first place in global challenge

Written by

Originally published on December 1, 2023 on news.fiu.edu. Undergraduate and master’s degree students worldwide showcased their classroom knowledge at the 2023 AIS Software Innovation Challenge, and three FIU Business undergraduate business analytics students won first place. The virtual event tasked students with developing and presenting their software-based information systems solutions to focus on any of […]

Baptist Health and FIU join forces to elevate care, address doctor shortage and boost medical research in South Florida

Written by

Originally published on November 28, 2023, on news.fiu.edu. Written by Dianne Fernandez Baptist Health, South Florida’s largest not-for-profit healthcare system, and Florida International University, South Florida’s public research university, today announced a collaboration that will expand physician training, research, and patient care for the benefit of the South Florida community. Under the new enhanced affiliation […]

Thanksgiving: What does it mean to be grateful?

Written by

Originally published on November 17, 2023 on news.fiu.edu. Written by Gisela Valencia   Thanksgiving Day usually brings with it an atmosphere of exuberance, sumptuous food and great company. But it’s also a time of quiet reflection — a time to celebrate by opening our eyes to the blessings we sometimes take for granted. There’s no […]

International Excellence: How the Pathway to Philanthropist Program can Change Lives

Written by

Greek mythology teaches that Prometheus took fire from the gods to hand to civilization and that made possible the transformative innovations we have today. Though Rahul Mittal ’21 hasn’t taken fire from Mount Olympus, he is providing a gift to Panthers that will be life changing. Mittal’s connections to FIU run deep. He was a […]