March 2010 Vol. 2, No. 2

H O N O R S / S W E E T W A T E R P A R T N E R S H I P L A U N C H E D

In early November, Honors College Dean Lesley A. Northup and College of Law Dean Alex Acosta announced the creation of the FIU

Honors College Accelerated Law Program (HCAP). Under this program, Honors students would enter the FIU College of Law after their

junior year, allowing them to earn both a Bachelors degree and a J.D. in six years. This is the first accelerated, degree-earning pro-

gram between the Honors College and another FIU college. The inaugural class of Honors College seniors will begin the program in

fall 2010.

Applicants must have a minimum 3.5 grade point average, an LSAT score of 155, and must have completed all requirements in their

majors except electives before entering the College of Law. ―Honors students are uniquely positioned to apply successfully for the

program,‖ said Dean Northup. ―Our students are not only high academic achievers, but they tend to be committed early to their

career goals and to have the maturity to handle the rigors of attending law school.‖

The College of Law‘s Dean Acosta said, ―The Honors College provides applicants who are not only highly accomplished, but also re-

present the diversity we are building in the law school.‖ The FIU College of Law emphasizes preparation of students for the ethical

and effective general practice of law, community service, and international and comparative law. Graduates from the FIU College of

Law achieved the highest percentage among graduates of the state‘s ten law schools passing the Florida bar exam in February

2009, according to the Florida Bar Association.

FIU Honors College Fellow and law professor Scott Fingerhut has been appointed Honors Director of Pre-law Programs. Fingerhut

offers a wealth of knowledge and experience as a practicing attorney and mentor to aspiring lawyers. He will serve as liaison be-

tween the two colleges and oversee the new Honors College Pre-Law Community, a student organization that will provide specialized

internship and community service opportunities, exposure to legal research skills, and preparation for applying to and attending the

College of Law.

The Honors College is proud to announce its new partnership with the City of

Sweetwater. The goals of this collaborative community service program are to

engage Honors College students in a variety of projects that improve the quality

of life of Sweetwater residents as well as provide students with opportunities to

develop leadership skills, practice civic engagement, and learn about the

governance of a small city. The partnership consists of four different components

or teams of Honors students participating in different facets of the Sweetwater

community. The Honors College Governmental Team, which will include

students from Honors Professor Frederick Blevens‘s news literacy class, will ori-

ent and train community organizers, develop volunteer recruitment plans and

intern in various Sweetwater government offices. The Honors Pre-Law Community

will assist with the census and offer citizenship application classes for residents.

The Honors Education Team will provide tutoring and plan artistic, cultural and

athletic events for Sweetwater Elementary students, while the Senior Partnership

Team will visit with and organize activities for senior citizens and the Green Team

will spearhead recycling, conservation, and community beautification projects.

3 + 3 P R E - L A W P R O G R A M

Dean Lesley A. Northup with Sweetwater Mayor Manny

Maroño (right) and his chief of staff Frank Lago (left)

P a g e 2

Garth Graham, Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Assistant Secretary of Minority Health,

spoke on October 29 at the fall 2009 Honors College Excellence Lecture in the College of Business Com-

plex at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus (MMC). Graham presented ―Health Care for Underserved Commu-

nities,‖ emphasizing the need for government to adopt health care reforms that positively impact at-risk

minority communities, whose life expectancy is substantially lower than the national average. He highlight-

ed that minority groups have greater disease incidences, lower medical outcomes and higher health care

costs than the general population. ―I make sure that my department considers minority and underserved

communities across the nation when implementing policy,‖ said Graham during his introduction. A 1997

graduate of the Honors College, Graham is a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and serves as a

visiting scientist at Harvard‘s School of Public Health. He has received numerous awards for his leadership

and service in promoting health and is the founder of the Boston Men‘s Cardiovascular Health Project, a

project that seeks to identify why there is decreased adherence to adequate diet and exercise among Afri-

can American men.

G R A H A M D I S C U S S E S H E A L T H O F N A T I O N

H O N O R S C O L L E G E C O L L O Q U I A S E R I E S

On October 1st, FIU Psychology Professor and Honors Fellow Bennett

Schwartz gave the second fall Honors Colloquium on ―Principles of Memory

Improvement" to a packed room of Honors students at MMC eager to learn

tips on how to improve their study habits. Schwartz‘s learning-improvement

strategy was based on several fundamental tools, including meta-memory

(thinking about how you remember and learn), spaced-out learning (as op-

posed to cramming the night before an exam), and mnemonic aids. He also

examined popular myths, such as the supposed benefit of memory-

enhancing drugs, dismissing the claims as false or exaggerated. Following

the lecture, Schwartz and students engaged in discussion regarding indivi-

duals with seemingly superhuman memorization or recall abilities and how

any person can enhance his or her own abilities to tap into the full potential

of memory.

FIU Sociology Professor and Latin American Studies expert Marifeli Perez-Stable was the speaker at the final

Honors College Colloquium of fall 2009. The topic of her talk was ―Intimate Enemies: The United States and

Cuba after the Cold War.‖ The event was held on November 19 at MMC. Perez-Stable gave a brief overview of

the evolution of the Cuban government since Fidel Castro‘s takeover in 1959. She discussed Cuba‘s relation-

ship with the US, contrasting the generally more open approach of the Clinton administration with the more

restrictive policy of the Bush years, as well as providing her recommendations on how the Obama administra-

tion should handle relations with Cuba. She also stressed that for the Cuban people and nation to survive and

thrive in a future, post-Castro era, Cuba must learn to stand on its own two feet without relying on the US or

any other foreign power.

FIU Journalism and Mass Communications Associate Professor Jane Daugherty

lectured on ―TMI, NEN‖ (Too Much Information, Not Enough News) for the first

colloquium of the fall 2009 semester at the Biscayne Bay Campus on Septem-

ber 22nd. Daugherty discussed her most recent research on how students ob-

tain news and the proliferation of different news options. She found that stu-

dents have a cynical view of the mainstream press because of the perceived

notion that traditional media is often not balanced. As a result, students have

shifted to alternative forms of news on the Internet, such as blogs and viral vid-

eo. She ended her lecture by challenging the audience to become more respon-

sible in researching facts before drawing definite conclusions about news items.

―News is relevant and crucial to all citizens living in a democracy. To quote Elea-

nor Roosevelt, ‗We shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never

ends until we die‘," said Daugherty.

P a g e 3 V o l . 2 , N o . 2

Three prominent South Florida leaders have been

appointed to the Honors College Community Advisory

Board. Ricky Arriola, Renier Diaz de la Portilla and Gus-

tavo Martinez Pandiani began their terms in January.

They join a dynamic board of community leaders who work

to support the students, mission and programs of

the FIU Honors College.

Arriola is the CEO of Inktel Direct, a leading outsource

provider of direct marketing services. He has been

actively involved with the Honors College for the past

two years, serving as host for 25 students in the Fall

2007 ―Dinner with Future Leaders‖ and as keynote

speaker at the spring 2008 Awards Assembly. Diaz de la

Portilla represents District 5 on the Miami-Dade County Public School Board. As a member of the Florida House of Representatives in

2001, he was assigned by Speaker Tom Feeney to chair the Education Innovation Committee, where he helped revise Florida‘s Educa-

tion Code. Martinez Pandiani is the Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Argentina in Miami. As a career diplomat, he has represent-

ed Argentina in several missions and consular posts abroad. He has taught at the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires and is the

author of numerous books, including Political Marketing: Campaigns, Media and Electoral Strategies and Homo Zapping: Politics, Lies

and Video, Politics, Media and Audiences. His daughter Tathiana is a freshman in the Honors College.

T H R E E N E W C A B M E M B E R S

H E R N A N D E Z - L I C H T L L E A V E S C A B

U.S. Century Bank (USCB) presented a financial workshop for

students during an Honors Hour on Tuesday, October 6, at the

Modesto A. Maidique Campus (MMC). USCB Vice President and

Honors College CAB chair Ruth Jimenez led the session in which

over 100 students participated. Jimenez was joined by other bank

leaders in a discussion of topics such as the banking system,

credit cards, and student loans. John Lopez, Senior Vice President

for Branch Administration, led an informative discussion about

students and their relationship with money. The event was so

popular with the students that USCB will be holding another work-

shop on March 30.

Honors Hours are held each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays

from 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM at MMC. The programs include lectures,

workshops, concerts, presentations on Study Abroad, internship

opportunities, and community service information. Honors College

student organizations also meet during this time.

U . S . C E N T U R Y B A N K P R E S E N T S

F I N A N C I A L W O R K S H O P

Ricky Arriola Gustavo Martinez Pandiani

Our sincere gratitude goes out to Javier Hernandez-Lichtl, Chief Executive Officer of South Miami Hospital,

for his service to the Honors College Community Advisory Board (CAB). He has served as a CAB member

since 2006 and has been instrumental in developing the relationships between Baptist Health South Flo-

rida (BHSF) and the Honors College. Hernandez-Lichtl also contributed to the Honors College by sharing his

time and expertise. He brought our students together with top leaders of BHSF as part of our Dinner with

Student Leaders program in 2006 and 2008. As part of that program, Honors College students get a

chance to meet community leaders over an informal meal and a casual conversation. In addition to social

events, BHSF sponsored the Garth Graham Excellence Lecture and our Honors College Polo shirts. We wish

Hernandez-Lichtl much success in his new role as CEO of West Kendall Baptist Hospital!

Renier Diaz de la Portilla

P a g e 4 V o l . 2 , N o . 2

D I N N E R W I T H F U T U R E L E A D E R S

President Mark B. Rosenberg served as the host of

a Dinner with Future Leaders on Wednesday, Octo-

ber 7. Fifteen Honors College students joined the

president and his wife Rosalie for a cookout on the

patio of Reagan House.―It was an excellent oppor-

tunity for the president to meet some of our top

students and for those students to learn more

about the President and his vision for the universi-

ty,‖ said Dean Lesley A. Northup. The Dinner with

Future Leaders program is designed to introduce

Honors College students to leaders in the commu-

nity over an informal meal. The program is coordi-

nated by Associate Dean JC Espinosa. Previous

hosts include Ricky Arriola of Inktel Direct, David

Hitt of Banco Popular, educator Camilla Cochrane, Jose Sariego of HBO Latin America, and Baptist Health South Florida.

CAB member Orlando Gonzales hosted almost twenty

students on Sunday, October 25, for the first Brunch with

Future Leaders. The morning event was held at Ever-

glades Residence Hall. Over bagels, hot coffee and or-

ange juice, Gonzales spoke about his experiences at his

alma mater, Georgetown University. He also talked about

the impact his community service has had on his life and

in shaping his interests in fundraising and development,

communications, and public relations. Gonzales is the

South Florida Account Manager for Jostens Printing and

Publishers.

N C H C I N W A S H I N G T O N D . C .

Last October, seven Honors College students, three Honors

faculty, and two Honors staff traveled to Washington, D.C., for

the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) annual confer-

ence. Participants got to visit historical places in the capital,

develop networking connections with students and faculty from

different universities, hear what other Honors programs and

colleges offer, and more importantly, present their work. Two

Honors College posters were featured during the poster

sessions.―Shapeshifterd‖ by Miryam Rodriguez and Melissa

Pita examined the relationship between art and reality, and

Philip Gregor presented a poster titled ―Fire Ecosystem Man-

agement in the Everglades: The Role of Lightning and Man-

Induced Fires.‖ The Honors College was also well-represented

during the Master Class Showcase, an evening that allows

students to present their poetry, drama, music, and dance

works. Ernesto Fernandez played the flute and received a

standing ovation. Finally, Jairo Pava, Gabriela Garcia-Linares

and Ana-Sofia Navarrette hosted a session titled ―Aesthetics

and Values: Art‘s Transformative Power.‖ During that presentation, students explained how, through John Bailly‘s upper-division Honors

seminar, they curate an art exhibit that challenges social values and allows them to discover and analyze the varied social responses

evoked by art. Finally, all students present participated in City-as-Text in Washington, D.C., directed by Honors faculty fellows Devon

Graham and Peter Machonis, exploring their surroundings via fact-finding missions to learn about the city.

P a g e 5 V o l . 2 , N o . 2

On September 26,

the Honors College

held its Third Annual

Football Tailgate

Party before FIU‘s

first game of the

season against Tole-

do University. About

15 Honors students

volunteered to help

with the set up of

the Honors College

tent, distribution of

food, and clean up

afterwards. In all, about 120 Honors College students and 15 Honors

faculty and staff attended the event. The first 50 students received

free T-shirts donated by the FIU Department of Athle- tics. FIU Presi-

dent Mark B. Rosenberg stopped by and met with students and facul-

ty present at the event.

H O N O R S A T H L E T I C E V E N T S

The FIU Honors College and the FIU Athletics Department are pleased to

announce the launch of a long-term partnership designed to offer student

athletes the best of both academics and athletics at FIU. The Honors College

currently has nine student athletes, all performing well on their respective

teams and excelling in class. We are therefore developing a campaign to

identify and recruit other student athletes with the academic potential to

benefit from the Honors community. At the end of the fall semester, the Ho-

nors College will examine the GPAs of all 130 freshman and sophomore

athletes and encourage those meeting the 3.3 GPA requirement to join

members of the Honors College.

Athletics has fostered this partnership with close cooperation in programs

and by supplying T-shirts, pizza parties, and other contributions. The Honors

College will also work with the team coaches at recruitment and Honors representatives will be present during official campus visits.

Incoming athletes with a 3.5 weighted GPA and 1850 on the SAT will be encouraged to apply.

The partnership goes beyond enhancing the academic careers of scholar-athletes. It encourages Honors students to support and appre-

ciate FIU Athletics. Students are participating in ―Honors College Nights‖ at various games and meets, sponsor tailgate parties, and be-

come involved with sports-oriented community service projects through the Honors College – Sweetwater partnership.

H O N O R S / A T H L E T I C S P A R T N E R S H I P

Chanel Araujo is an Honors College freshman majoring in international business/business management. She

is also part of the FIU Volleyball team. As an out of state student, Chanel is facing many challenges such as

adjusting to a new city and state, college life and balancing academics and sports as well as other extracur-

ricular activities. She nonetheless enjoys her new experiences at FIU and in Miami.―I have met some great

people through the Honors College and I hope to continue to meet new friends. I enjoy my professors and

their openness to all opinions.‖

Chanel intends to graduate from FIU and attend law school. Among her many goals is to indulge her passion

for traveling. Chanel says ―I plan to travel extensively because I believe traveling provides knowledge that

cannot be found in the classroom.‖

In line with the Honors/

Athletics partnership, the

Honors College organized

two ―volleyball nights‖ on

October 6 and 23, during

the fall semester to sup-

port FIU Athletics and

more specifically, Chanel

Araujo and Hope Williams,

two freshman Honors students on the volleyball team. During

the first game night, forty Honors students attended the pre-

game Everglades Lounge pizza party. On game night two, twen-

ty Honors students enjoyed a pizza party at the U.S. Century

Bank Arena, received free FIU Athletics shirts, and support-

ed the team throughout a tense, hard-fought match won after

five sets and three hours on the court. After each game, Honors

students congratulated and interacted with the volleyball play-

ers and coaches. More collaborative Honors/Athletics projects

are expected in the coming months.

S T U D E N T A T H L E T E P R O F I L E

Sky Choi made national news when he joined FIU two years ago at age 12 through the dual enrollment program.

Choi is what experts call profoundly gifted, a child who scores higher than 99.9% of the population on IQ and

achievement tests. By age 3, he could read and write English and Korean, his father‘s native tongue. Sky is majoring

in physics and mathematics with an astronomy minor. A third-degree black belt in Taekwondo, he earned a gold

medal at the 2009 World Taekwondo Festival in South Korea. He is also the founder of The List Kids

(www.thelistkids.org), a nonprofit that assists Iraqi refugee children resettled in the US. Regarding his time at the

Honors College, Sky says ―I can't say enough good things about my experience with Honors. Prior to joining Honors, I

would have taken a math or science course over a humanities course any day of the week. But the Honors seminars

have changed my view. The material is interesting and thought-provoking.‖ Among Sky‘s goals are to become a taekwondo master like

his father and earn a PhD in Physics.

David Mayett is a senior at FIU with an exemplary record of academic achievements. He received the Academic Ex-

cellence Scholarship when he first entered FIU. In fall 2008, he was awarded the S.E.A.G.E.P. (South East Alliance for

Graduate Education and the Professoriate) Research Award for his research in gauge theories in physics. In his sopho-

more year, David received a research internship at Michigan State University where he worked on a theoretical nuclear

physics project. He is currently conducting research with his FIU mentor Dr. Rajamani Narayanan. He is responsible for

writing the computer code needed to analyze the data gathered for the study. David has been accepted to Syracuse

University to pursue a PhD in physics and was awarded a STEM fellowship, which includes a full-tuition scholarship and

a stipend. He plans to focus on theoretical particle physics, particularly string theory.

Briana Huggins is a senior majoring in international business and finance. She has been a dedicated and active

student, both in academic and extracurricular pursuits. In her sophomore year, she participated in the Global

Leaddership Service Project (GLSP) in Bangkok, Thailand as Honors Council Representative of the International

Business Honor Society (IBHS). While there, she volunteered her time at a daycare center in the disadvantaged

community of Klong Toey. The following year, she was elected President of IBHS and helped reshape the organiza-

tion to better recruit and serve the needs of its members. In her quest for more international opportunities, she

also participated in the Honors College‘s Spain Study Abroad program. She subsequently spent the fall of her sen-

ior year in the Washington Semester Program at American University in Washington, DC, studying international business, attending for-

eign policy briefings, and studying Chinese business and culture. Briana is currently a mentor for elementary school girls in the Strong

Women Strong Girls program at Sweetwater Elementary and teaches dance at Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church.

P a g e 6

Eleven Honors College students participated in the 13th Annual Americas Conference

held September 29-30 at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. The conference, the re-

gion‘s premier business and political forum on Latin American and Caribbean issues, is

sponsored by The Miami Herald and several partners including FIU. The theme of this

year‘s event was ―After the crisis: Emerging challenges and political stability.‖ The stu-

dents served as note-takers at many of the sessions and helped with media check-in.

As part of their volunteer assignments, four students attended former President Bill

Clinton‘s speech on Haiti. Clinton is the Special Envoy to Haiti for the United Nations.

Other students attended the principal address and luncheon with Dan Restrepo, Spe-

cial Assistant to President Barack Obama and Senior Director of Western Hemisphere

Affairs on the National Security Council.

A M E R I C A S C O N F E R E N C E

B E Y O N D T H E C L A S S R O O M : S T U D E N T S C H O L A R S

S T U D Y A B R O A D I N C H I N A

The Honors College is introducing a new study aboard course in China. The course will be taught at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou—

capital city of Zhejiang Province, described by Marco Polo as ―the finest city of the world,‖ and ―The City of Heaven.‖ Students will learn

Chinese history and culture by interacting with Chinese students of the host university. Zheijang University is the equivalent of Yale,

with a long-standing history of academic excellence. The campus is picturesque and the facilities modern. Guided visits will include

going to the West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Dragon Well Tea Plantation, Song Dynasty Theme Park, Six Harmonies Pagoda, and the Muse-

um of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the cities of Hangzhou, Wuzhen, and One Thousand Islands. The director of the travel-study por-

tion of the Honors College China Program is Professor Li Ma, who is the first full-time instructor of Chinese at FIU.

P a g e 7 V o l . 2 , N o . 2

H O N O R S E V E N T S

Top row, left to right : Honors Place students work on their egg drop project; the materials they used; testing the finished projects. 2nd row, l to r: Honors

students share their opinions on Honors during Student Fish Bowl; Honors student tutors Sweetwater student in L‘il Abner Mobile Home Park; Students

at Honors Football Tailgate; 3rd row, l to r:: Students bearing flags during Honors Convocation parade; student musicians performing South Indian Classi-

cal & Middle Eastern music, respectively; 4th row l to r: President & Mrs. Rosenberg interact with students & faculty during Dinner with Future Leaders;

student volunteers at Americas Conference; Students, faculty, & staff pose in front of White House during NCHC Conference trip; 5th row, l to r: Volleyball

team in position to start match; crowd of Honors students cheers them on and shows their school spirit; Chanel Araujo in mid-serve.

Miami-based writer Edwidge Danticat spoke as part of a special Ho-

nors College event at BBC‘s Mary Ann Wolfe Theater on September

30. A week earlier, the National Book Critics Circle winner received

the highly prestigious MacArthur Foundation ―Genius Award,‖ which

came with an unrestricted prize of $500,000. The event consisted of

two separate programs. The first was exclusively held with high

school students from the Overtown Youth Center (OYC) who had read

her book, The Dew Breaker, as part of the reading component of an

SAT tutoring program run by BBC Coordinator Jayne Klein and Ho-

nors College student volunteers from Tau Sigma Alpha, the Honors

BBC student organization. The OYC students were able to ask ques-

tions and reflect on personal experiences about reading the book

with the author. The second part of the event was an interview by

Klein with Danticat about the themes found in her work, which pri-

marily focuses on Haitian politics and culture. A general question and

answer session with the general public followed.

P a g e 8

Twelve Honors College students served as volunteers at the First Annual L‘il

Abner Mobile Home Park Thanksgiving Day Celebration on November 14.

Park owner Raul Rodriguez organized the event for the 1,000 low-income

families residing in the park, which is located in the City of Sweetwater. The

free event included a barbecue, bounce houses, pony rides, live music,

alligator shows, a turkey raffle, a toy drive and safety demonstrations by

Sweetwater city police. The Honors College students staffed the FIU table

and distributed information about the university and the collaborative part-

nerships between Sweetwater, the Honors College, and the FIU Athletics

Department. Students also had a chance to meet the residents and enter-

tain the children at the park. At the event, Rodriguez and FIU President

Mark B. Rosenberg announced that the L‘il Abner Foundation would be

sponsoring two scholarships to FIU for residents of Sweetwater.

A group of Honors College students has formed a new organization called Help Our World (HOW). The group works year-round to raise

money and collect donations for trips to Nicaragua, Honduras, and Haiti. HOW is an offshoot of the program December of Dreams, a

charitable organization created through a former Honors College service learning project that collects toys and school supplies and

distributes them each December to impoverished children in Nicaragua. Five Honors College students joined the organization early last

fall and went to Nicaragua during their winter break. Since its inception, thirty-five Honors students have joined the cause, meeting

regularly, publicizing the organization, setting up fundraising events, and placing donation boxes throughout the university. In addition

to its work abroad, HOW plan to organize community service projects in the City of Sweetwater.

The Third Annual Overtown Youth Center Lunch-on-the-Bay was held at the Biscayne

Bay Campus (BBC) on October 19. The event celebrates the partnership between

the Center and the Honors College and its Honors Society, Tau Sigma Alpha. This

partnership helps expose high school students to university life by bringing them to

campus to participate in programs and lectures on issues of particular significance

to them. FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg delivered the keynote address for the

event. He spoke of the need for FIU to strengthen its community engagement

efforts. The president recognized the students and staff involved in the partnership,

including Honors BBC Coordinator Jayne Klein. The event took place at the Wolfe

Center Ballroom, named after former FIU president Gregory Wolfe, who was in at-

tendance along with many FIU dignitaries.

O V E R T O W N Y O U T H C E N T E R E V E N T A T B B C

N E W S T U D E N T - L E D C H A R I T A B L E O R G A N I Z A T I O N

S T U D E N T S H E L P O U T A T T H A N K S G I V I N G E V E N T

G E N I U S A W A R D W I N N E R S P E A K S

P a g e 9 V o l . 2 , N o . 1

H O N O R S S C H O L A R S H I P R E C I P I E N T S

Barbara Bader Scholarship

This scholarship awards $1,000 to a current Honors College student who has demonstrated financial need and has shown

evidence of motivation, character, and potential through community service.

Recipients: Veronique Allais, a junior majoring in international business; James Richardson, a senior majoring in internation-

al business and human resources management.

Harvey L. Young Family Foundation Scholarship

This scholarship awards $2,000 to a current Honors College student with outstanding academic performance who has

demonstrated financial need, Florida residency, and evidence of motivation, character, and potential.

Recipient: Phoebe Lee, a freshman majoring in biology.

Lucille E. Snaith Memorial Honors College Scholarship

This scholarship awards $2,500 to a current Honors College student with outstanding academic performance, who has

demonstrated unmet financial need, Florida residency, and evidence of motivation, good character, leadership potential,

and community service.

Recipients: Gissel Hermida, a junior majoring in biology; Muzammil Ali Khan, a junior majoring in computer science; Cody

James Kimmel, a freshman majoring in history.

Sheri Anne Graham Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship awards $2,500 to a full-time entering freshman in the Honors College who has achieved a minimum 3.5

high school GPA and intends to major in the arts and sciences.

Recipient: Tathiana Martinez Pandiani, a freshman majoring in theatre.

Tony Menendez Computer Scholarship

The scholarship awards a laptop computer with all the pertinent programs and IT support from the College‘s computer lab

staff when needed. Scholarship candidates are incoming freshmen of the Honors College who have demonstrated academ-

ic achievement in high school with a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have established financial need.

Recipients: Maria Angarita, a physics major; Gerard Chery, a biology major; Lexa Garvey, undecided major; Stephany

Giraldo, a biology major; Michael Magro, a dietetics and nutrition major.

Jordan Castellon & Ricardo LLC Scholarship

The scholarship awards $1,000 to an entering or current Honors College student with outstanding academic performance.

Priority consideration is given to Honors College students pursuing undergraduate studies in the College of Business Admin-

istration.

Recipients: Marielys Dominguez, a freshman majoring in accounting; Kyle Weisenberg, a junior majoring in accounting and

economics.

P a g e 1 0 V o l . 2 , N o . 2

The 2009 Fall Awards Assembly was held on December 4, 2009, at the Graham Center

Ballrooms to recognize the Honors College summer and fall graduating seniors. Honors

College student Sarena Bahad served as the mistress of ceremonies.

Dean Lesley A. Northup welcomed the 28 graduating seniors and their families. Assis-

tant Dean Jose Rodriguez delivered the keynote speech, advising students by reflecting

on his life and past experiences. He encouraged the graduating seniors to pursue their

dreams. Dean Northup and Associate Dean Juan Carlos Espinosa presented the gradu-

ates with certificates, medallions and tassels.

S T U D E N T A C H I E V E M E N T S H I G H L I G H T E D

A T A W A R D S A S S E M B L Y

Summer 2009

Jason Allen

Erika Arriola

Veronica Bilbao

Jennifer Borges

Yamaris Diaz

Kimberly Engelhardt

Karissa Lopez

Raissa Molina

Ana Ortega

Daniel Peña

Nestor Perez

Andres Ramos

Anthony Rionda

Olga Santiago

Camilla Vidal

Natalie Zamora

Fall 2009

Andrea Aghlaghanian

Paul Ashe

Danielle Baiz

Markes Brown*

Sudanee Campbell*

Carla Cao

Gabriela Cardona

Gisselle Carrasco

Leilani Chirino

Laura Davis

Marika Delos Reyes

Marilyn Dominguez

Kristen Ellenberger

Boris Escalona

Natalia Escobar

Jamilla Espinosa

Gisell Fiat

Alessandra Giffuni

Juli Gonzalez

Elizabeth Jovel

Andrew Lepage

Maria Luque

Bela Malacsina

Natalie Marin

Carlos Nuñez

Jessica Okaty

Lucia Orozco

Lisette Perez

Osman Perez

Carlos Prays

Roxanna Rasekhi

Alejandra Reboso

Jordan Ricketts

Andres Rodriguez

Corazon Rodriguez

Rodney Rosello

Jessica Sanchez

Kimberly Schmidt

Camilo Silva

Kevin Smith

Mirtha Soto

Valerie Trueba

Patricia Tumelty

Sol Velasquez

Michael Zecca

* Phi Beta Kappa inductees

S U M M E R & F A L L H O N O R S C O L L E G E G R A D U A T E S

P A C K E D H O U S E A T C O N V O C A T I O N

Over six hundred Honors College students, representing almost three quarters of the student

body, participated in the Ninth Annual Honors College Convocation on October 15, 2009. Stu-

dents wearing their new Honors College polo shirts and carrying the flags of their countries or

states of origin marched throughout the Modesto A. Maidique Campus for the traditional Parade

of Nations and States. Following the parade, the ceremony, held in the Graham Center Ball-

rooms, was attended by a record number of faculty,

staff, students and distinguished guests. The first

speaker was Undergraduate Education Dean Douglas

Robertson, who advised the student audience through

his personal stories and poetry to live a life based on

inter-dependence, contemplation, direction, and prep-

aration. After the speech, Honors College Dean Lesley

A. Northup and City of Sweetwater Mayor Manny

Maroño unveiled a sweeping community partnership

that promised to improve the city‘s quality of life while

training Honors College students as future leaders. In his keynote address, Honors College Fellow and Artist John Bailly urged stu-

dents to critically inquire into and dissect unfamiliar ideas in and outside of the classroom while maintaining the level of excellence

found in the Honors College. The event also featured an eclectic array of student musical performances, ranging from South Indian

Classical music and Middle Eastern fusion to Latin jazz. At the end of the ceremony, Honors College scholarship awardees and Convo-

cation contest winners were recognized for their academic and creative excellence.

* Phi Beta Kappa inductees

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Kanchana Marapana joined the Honors College in October as a Program Assistant. She works with Asso-

ciate Dean JC Espinosa on development, fundraising initiatives and Honors College Alumni relations.

She assists with the implementation of Honors College programs and serves as the liaison for relations

between the Honors College and Community Advisory Board.

Kanchana was born and raised in Sri Lanka and migrated to the United States in 1998. She graduated

from Vassar College in New York with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. Kanchana moved to Florida

in 2006. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in International Administration at the University of

Miami. Prior to joining FIU, Kanchana worked at Miami Dade College as a part-time Administrative Coor-

dinator and Academic Advisor.

Devon Graham has dedicated his professional career to educating

people about and preserving the natural world. This passion is evi-

dent in the Honors College course he has taught for over 11 years

with Peter Machonis, ―The Everglades: From Beginning to End?‖

The course, which meets in the Everglades National Park instead of

a classroom, focuses not only on the history and ecology of the

park but also on political and artistic responses to its conservation

and purpose. Originally intended to be a one-time offering, the pub-

licity and interest generated by the Everglades class among stu-

dents and park personnel led to its becoming a permanent course.

To expand his teaching and research repertoire, Graham attended

a faculty institute offered by the National Collegiate Honors Council

and subsequently co-organized his own faculty institutes in Miami

and the Everglades. He also applied these new skills in the deve-

lopment of yet another Honors College offering, the Peruvian Ama-

zon Study Abroad Program. Co-led by environmental scientist Jim

Riach, students in this course undertake a research project while visiting and learning about the Amazon ecosystem and its inhabitants.

On what makes Honors a standout program, Graham cites the fact that the Honors College really strives to make the Honors

"experience" a unique and valuable one for students. ―Whether in taking students to regional or national conventions, supporting stu-

dent research and creative endeavors through the Student Research and Awards Initiative (SRAI), or getting students involved with the

community, these are the sorts of experiences and opportunities that set the Honors College and its students apart. I'm fortunate to be

a part of it all.‖ In addition to teaching, Graham currently spends considerable time in Peru working with service, educational and re-

search groups such as Project Amazonas.

Honors College graduate Tina M. Vidal-Smith is currently vice president of business development at Pacer Corpo-

ration, a company that acquires and turns around financially distressed businesses in several industries. She

oversees the evaluation of mergers and acquisitions and executes integration strategies for facilities acquired by

Pacer. Vidal-Smith has been working for Pacer Corporation since its inception. She previously served as Pacer‘s

chief operating officer to assist with the acquisition and integration of non-medical facilities. She also served as

Pacer‘s director of corporate operations, where she oversaw the development of the corporate office and Pacer‘s

facilities, developed marketing initiatives, and managed the initial rebuild effort of South Cameron Memorial Hos-

pital after the facility was destroyed by Hurricane Rita in 2005.

Vidal-Smith graduated from FIU with a Bachelor‘s Degree in international business and marketing in 2002 and a

Master‘s Degree in international business in 2004. As an Honors College student, she participated in the 2000 Spain Study Abroad

program. That same year she started working with the chief of staff in the FIU‘s President‘s office. ―They were very impressed by her

professionalism and maturity as a young student,‖ said Sharon Placide, former Honors College Spain Study Abroad Director and Assis-

tant Dean of Student Services. After two years she was promoted to executive secretary, working in the office of the Board of Trustees.

N E W M E M B E R O F H O N O R S C O L L E G E S T A F F

F A C U L T Y S P O T L I G H T : B I O L O G I S T &

C O N S E R V A T I O N I S T

A L U M N I P R O F I L E

NONPROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE

PAID

MIAMI, FL

PERMIT NO 3675

The Honors College

Modesto A. Maidique Campus, DM 233

Miami, FL 33199

honors@fiu.edu

305-348-4100

Change Service Requested

P a g e 1 2

Claude & Mildred Pepper

Senior Center

Graham Center Ballrooms

Graham Center Ballrooms

Frost Art Museum

Graham Center 243

H O N O R S C O L L E G E A L U M N I C H A P T E R R E V I V E D

S A V E T H E D A T E

April 7, 2010

7:00-9:00PM

April 13, 2010

9:00AM-5:00PM

April 15, 2010

6:00-9:00PM

April 16, 2010

3:00-5:00PM

April 22, 2010

4:00-6:00PM

SRAI Research Conference

Graduation

Awards Assembly

Vice President Andres Gil

Keynote Speaker

Alumna Tina Vidal-Smith

Keynote Speaker

Professor John Bailly/

A & V Honors Class Students

Editors: Juan Carlos Espinosa, Juan C. Lopez, Leif Elliott, and Kanchana Marapana.

For more information about newsletter content or upcoming events, please call 305-348-4100 or visit http://honors.fiu.edu.

The Honors College is pleased to announce the formation of a new FIU Honors College Alumni Chapter. If you are not a member of the

FIU Alumni Association, here are some benefits of joining:

support the mission and students of the Honors College

have an opportunity to meet and network with other FIU alumni

receive invitations to alumni mixers, concerts, exhibitions, lectures, tailgate parties and other special events

receive Summa Cum Laude, the Honors College newsletter

If you are already a member and want to become more active, consider joining the FIU Honors College Alumni Chapter board.

To join the alumni chapter or become a member of our Community Advisory Board, please contact Kanchana Marapana at 305-348-

4100 or email at kmarapan@fiu.edu. For more information, please visit http://honors.fiu.edu/alumni/

Aesthetics & Values Professor John Bailly/ March 9-April 18, 2010 Frost Art Museum

Class Exhibition A & V Honors Class & Artists

Honors College/Sweetwater Honors Leadership Class/

Cultural Evening Sweetwater Elementary Students

Aesthetics & Values Class

Panel Presentation

Honors College Dean Lesley A. Northup

Freshman Reception Honors College