summa cum laude newsletter - summer 2008

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Honors Alumni carry the torch He has authored scientific presentations on cardiovascular disease, AIDS and community medicine. Dr. Graham has received numerous accolades for his leadership and service in promoting health. Frank Ramos received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Florida International University, summa cum laude, in 1993 and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law, magna cum laude, in 1997. In addition to authoring multiple articles and books, Ramos served as the Editor-in-Chief of CABA Briefs, Editor of Eleventh Judicial Circuit Historical Society Magazine, and was named a Trend Florida Legal Elite “Up and Coming Attorney.” Ra- mos, a certified Circuit and County Court Mediator, handles a variety of litigation matters in the state and federal courts throughout Florida. The annual FIU Torch Awards Gala honors distinguished alumni for their positive impact on their profession, the community, and the university. This year, Dr. Garth N. Graham (1997), Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, received the 2008 Honors College Distinguished Alumni Award. Honors College alum Frank Ramos (1993), a partner at Clarke Silverglate & Campbell, P.A. and an Honors Community Advisory Board member, was selected by the Torch Awards Committee as the recipient of the Charles E. Perry Young Alumni Visionary Award. The gala dinner was held on Saturday, March 8 in the Graham Center Ballrooms. Dr. Garth Graham, founder of the Boston Men’s Cardiovascular Health Project, serves as a faculty member at Harvard Medical School where he trained in Internal Medicine and serves as a visiting scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health. Seniors Honored at Awards Assembly July 2008 Vol. 1, No. 3 More than 265 graduates, family, faculty, and community members attended the Honors College Awards Assembly on April 11. After a brief welcome from Dr. Rosa Jones, Vice President of Student Affairs and Undergraduate Education, the graduates were addressed by keynote speaker J. Ricky Arriola, President and CEO of Inktel Direct. Honors College student Ernesto Fernandez entertained the audience with a musical performance as the students prepared for the presentation of medallions and certificates. Following the presentation of medallions, Outstanding Service Awards were presented to Patricia Brooks, Ron Mathew, and Giovana Olivera. Academic Excellence Awards were given to Hanadys Ale, Raphny Alexandre, Dan- iela Gelbspan, Elvis Ramirez, and Teresa Ronquillo. Adel Elsayed received the William J. Keppler Outstanding Citizenship Award for active engagement in the Honors College and greater community, while Rocio Perez earned the Fernando Gonzalez-Reigosa Award for Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the Honors College. Honors graduate Donna Maria Sylvester with Dean Lesley A. Northup and Ricky Arriola

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S e n io r s H o n o r e d a t A w a r d s A s s e m b l y Honors graduate Donna Maria Sylvester with Dean Lesley A. Northup and Ricky Arriola T H E A R T O F CURATING Page 2 Collector Martin Z. Margulies presents his art works to Honors College guests including Professor John Bailly and Dean Lesley A. Northup. NEW TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP CREATED Antonio “Tony” Menendez. (1946-2004) The Honors College will be co- hosting events at the FIJI house shown above. Honors students at Baptist Health Luncheon.

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Page 1: Summa Cum Laude Newsletter - Summer 2008

H o n o r s A l u m n i c a r r y t h e t o r c h

He has authored scientific presentations on cardiovascular disease, AIDS and community medicine. Dr. Graham has received numerous accolades for his leadership and service in promoting health.

Frank Ramos received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Florida International University, summa cum laude, in 1993 and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law, magna cum laude, in 1997. In addition to authoring multiple articles and books, Ramos served as the Editor-in-Chief of CABA Briefs, Editor of Eleventh Judicial Circuit Historical Society Magazine, and was named a Trend Florida Legal Elite “Up and Coming Attorney.” Ra-mos, a certified Circuit and County Court Mediator, handles a variety of litigation matters in the state and federal courts throughout Florida.

The annual FIU Torch Awards Gala honors distinguished alumni for their positive impact on their profession, the community, and the university. This year, Dr. Garth N. Graham (1997), Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, received the 2008 Honors College Distinguished Alumni Award. Honors College alum Frank Ramos (1993), a partner at Clarke Silverglate & Campbell, P.A. and an Honors Community Advisory Board member, was selected by the Torch Awards Committee as the recipient of the Charles E. Perry Young Alumni Visionary Award. The gala dinner was held on Saturday, March 8 in the Graham Center Ballrooms.

Dr. Garth Graham, founder of the Boston Men’s Cardiovascular Health Project, serves as a faculty member at Harvard Medical School where he trained in Internal Medicine and serves as a visiting scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health.

S e n i o r s H o n o r e d a t A w a r d s A s s e m b l y

July 2008 Vol. 1, No. 3

More than 265 graduates, family, faculty, and community members attended the Honors College Awards Assembly on April 11. After a brief welcome from Dr. Rosa Jones, Vice President of Student Affairs and Undergraduate Education, the graduates were addressed by keynote speaker J. Ricky Arriola, President and CEO of Inktel Direct. Honors College student Ernesto Fernandez entertained the audience with a musical performance as the students prepared for the presentation of medallions and certificates. Following the presentation of medallions, Outstanding Service Awards were presented to Patricia Brooks, Ron Mathew, and Giovana Olivera. Academic Excellence Awards were given to Hanadys Ale, Raphny Alexandre, Dan-iela Gelbspan, Elvis Ramirez, and Teresa Ronquillo. Adel Elsayed received the William J. Keppler Outstanding Citizenship Award for active engagement in the Honors College and greater community, while Rocio Perez earned the Fernando Gonzalez-Reigosa Award for Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the Honors College.

Honors graduate Donna Maria Sylvester with Dean Lesley A. Northup

and Ricky Arriola

Page 2: Summa Cum Laude Newsletter - Summer 2008

P a g e 2

Honors students and faculty enjoyed a visit to the Margulies Collection at the Warehouse on February 9. The collection is located in the Wynwood Arts District near downtown Miami. It features an extensive collection of contemporary art and seasonal exhibitions of photography, sculpture, video, and installation art from the holdings of prominent collector Martin Z. Margulies. The tour was conducted by Margulies and collection curator Katherine Hinds. The visit to the Margulies Collection is an example of the cultural enrichment programs provided by the Honors College to its students. For more information on the educational and community outreach programs offered at the Warehouse, visit the collection’s website at http://www.margulieswarehouse.com/index.html.

C.P. Ricardo Allicock, Consul General of Jamaica, spoke at the Honors College Colloquium at the University Park Campus on Wednesday, February 20. Allicock delivered an address on the role of diasporas in the development of their home countries. Although the focus of his talk was Jamaica and the Caribbean, Allicock placed the timely topic in a global perspective. Allicock has served as Jamaica’s Consul General since 2002. Prior to this assignment, he served as Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Advisor in Human Rights Affairs, and Director of the Jamaicans Overseas Department. Allicock is also a former member of the Honors College Community Advisory Board.

Collector Martin Z. Margulies presents his art works to Honors College guests including

Professor John Bailly and Dean Lesley A. Northup.

Minister Rasul Muhammad was the spring semester Colloquium speaker at the Biscayne Bay Campus on February 13. Muhammad leads Mosque 29 and is head of the Nation of Islam in Central America, South America, Florida, and the Caribbean. He is also a son of the late Elijah Muhammad, one of the Nation of Islam’s founders, and is a top aide to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Muhammad’s talk focused on the traditional ideals of Islam, including equality and respect among all Muslim believers as well as dialogue among members of all religions.

George Kinghorn, Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, spoke at FIU on Friday, February 15. The lecture, titled “The Role of the Curator in Creat ing D ia logue w i th in Communities,” was sponsored by Gamma Epsilon Phi, the Aesthetics & Values student curators and the

Honors College. Kinghorn spoke to a large audience about issues related to organizing an art exhibit from its conceptualization to its fruition. He also covered more practical elements in exhibition development and design, such as preparing budgets, fundraising, collaborating with artists, publication research and design, and publicity. Since his appearance at FIU, Kinghorn has been appointed Director of the University of Maine Museum of Art.

On February 5, Lee Tiger of the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida met with students from the Honors Amazon Program. Tiger spoke about the history of the Miccosukee in the context of the Native American experience. He shared stories of growing up in the 1960’s as a musician in California and the Everglades and of promoting Native American cultures. He invited the students to participate in the creation of DiscoverNativeAmerica.com, an interactive educational web-site. The idea, inspired by his father, tribal chairman Buffalo Tiger, is to assemble news and information about the culture and history of all Native Americans. Amazon Program students will help Tiger by supplying him with information, recordings, and artifacts they collect this summer while working with the Peruvian Amazon Yagua people. “It is a good beginning,” says Tiger, referring to what is hoped to be a long-lasting dialogue across cultures.

T H E A R T O F C U R A T I N G C U L T U R A L E X C H A N G E

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

C O L L O Q U I A : A L L I C O C K A N D M U H A M M A D

Page 3: Summa Cum Laude Newsletter - Summer 2008

P a g e 3 V o l . 1 , N o . 3

N E W T E C H N O L O G Y S C H O L A R S H I P C R E A T E D

Beginning in the fall 2008 semester, the Honors College will collaborate with the International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) on extracurricular and academic activities. The unique agreement establishes a special relationship between FIJI and the Honors College. There are currently fifteen active FIJI brothers in the Honors College. As part of the new partnership, FIJI has agreed to dedicate one of its annual scholarships to an Honors College freshman. In addition, FIJI and the Honors College will be co-hosting a tailgate for the FIU/USF football game on September 20 for Honors students, FIJIs, and alumni. The fraternity has also agreed to host special events for the Honors College at their on-campus house and to co-sponsor events such as the Excellence Lecture series, Colloquia, Dinner with Future Leaders, and other events. In order to facilitate networking and events coordination, a FIJI brother who is also an Honors College student will serve as a liaison to the Honors Leadership Council.

Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF) hosted a Lunch with Future Leaders event on Friday, January 25 for Honors College students. Recognized as one of the “Top 10 Companies to Work for” by Fortune magazine, BHSF aims to improve the health and well-being of individuals in the communities it serves. Baptist Health executives and recruit-ers met with students interested in learning about the career opportunities in the health care industry, including jobs in the fields of accounting and human resource management. Starting this fall, BHSF will be spon-soring extracurricular activities and networking events for Honors College students and will also be publicizing internship and job opportunities. For more information, please contact Coordinator of Student Enrichment Meaghan Bradshaw at [email protected] or 305-348-4100.

The Honors College has been designated as the beneficiary of a generous bequest by an anonymous donor. The gift of $175,000 will establish and endow a scholarship bearing the benefactor’s name. The donor is an FIU alumnus and has been a strong supporter of the Honors College, attending many of our special events. “This gift will allow us to continue attracting the best and the brightest to FIU and the Honors College,” said Interim Dean Lesley A. Northup. “We are very grateful.”

The creation of the Tony Menendez Technology Scholarship was announced during the spring semester. The scholarship will fund the purchase of laptops for five incoming Honors College freshmen who demonstrate financial need. The donation was made by the law firm Stearns Weaver Miller Weis-sler Alhadef & Sitterson, PA, in memory of attorney Tony Menendez. A computer enthusiast, Menendez was part of a team of lawyers who battled ExxonMobil on behalf of gas station owners for over a decade. ExxonMobil was found liable and exhausted its final appeal in 2004. The case was won because of the extraordinary efforts of Menendez, who while fighting cancer, developed programming to read Exxon computer reports given to the law firm in an unintelligible format. Law partner Gene Stearns stated, “The Tony Menendez Computer Scholarship honors a dear friend and colleague in a very meaningful way. He would be proud that we are providing a tangible benefit in his name to young, energetic, and bright college students who otherwise may not have personal access to necessary computer technology.”

Antonio “Tony” Menendez. (1946-2004)

B A P T I S T H E A L T H A G R E E M E N T

B E Q U E S T F R O M A N O N Y M O U S D O N O R

Honors students at Baptist Health Luncheon.

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

The Honors College will be co-hosting events at the FIJI house

shown above.

Page 4: Summa Cum Laude Newsletter - Summer 2008

Students in Meaghan Bradshaw’s leadership seminar build teamwork and communication

skills. The activity was facilitated by the Center for Leadership and Service.

As part of the Honors College’s commitment to excellence and personal development, the Honors curriculum was expanded to include intensive leadership training for first year students. The course introduces students to the fundamentals of leadership, provides exposure to various leadership styles, and encourages students to examine how attitudes and ethics influence leadership behaviors. Most importantly, students are given the opportunity to develop their personal leadership style through interactive activities and projects.

P a g e 4

Students in Professor M.O.Thirunarayanan’s freshmen leadership course organized a golf scramble this spring to raise money for Honors College scholarships. The event took place on March 29 at the Miccosukee Golf Course. Students received hands-on training in areas ranging from event planning to marketing. Faculty, staff, and community friends of the Honors College participated in the tournament, which raised almost $1,000. A luncheon and awards ceremony followed the event. Professors Thirunarayanan and Charmaine DeFrancesco won the Men’s and Women’s “Closest to the Hole” Awards respectively; while Professors Thirunarayanan, Bill Beesting, and Eric Messersmith had the lowest scores for 18 holes.

G O L F S C R A M B L E

Honors student takes a shot at golf scramble.

Freshmen 2008 Facts

Total Enrollment: Total Enrollment: 350350

Mean High School GPA: Mean High School GPA: 4.074.07

Mean SAT score: Mean SAT score: 12491249

% In% In--State Students: State Students: 84%84%

% Out% Out--ofof--State Students: State Students: 16%16%

% South Fl. Residents: % South Fl. Residents: 71% 71%

First-year Honors students held their Invention Convention at the end of spring semester again this year. Students in the seminar led by Professors Helen Cornely, Charmaine DeFrancesco, and M. O. Thirunarayanan created their own original or “updated” inventions, such as articles of clothing, accessories, and safety equipment for their final projects. Among the cleverest student creations were an excellence-worthy detachable/wearable handbag made of two Honors College duffel bags joined together with Velcro straps made by Shawna Malawskey and Paige Wheeler; an original music composition for solo flute by Federico Baez; and a brand-new high school website designed by William-Jose Gonzalez, complete with tutorials, a visitor’s guide, and social

networking features. Also memorable was Professor DeFrancesco’s own invention, a hand-made decorative broom, which served as a loving tribute to a recently departed family member. DeFrancesco explained that the purpose of the broom was to commemorate a loved one or deal with a difficult moment in life and represent a rebirth after the struggle, symbolized by the burning of the broom. She hopes to eventually mass produce and sell the item on her own recently acquired and soon-to-be operational domain name, www.burnthebroom.org.

Shawna Malawskey and Paige Wheeler present their detachable bag.

I N V E N T I O N C O N V E N T I O N

Prof. DeFrancesco presents her holiday

broom and “burn the broom”

concept.

F R E S H M E N T A K E T H E L E A D

Page 5: Summa Cum Laude Newsletter - Summer 2008

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

P a g e 5 V o l . 1 , N o . 3

This year’s annual Student Research and Artistic Initiatives (SRAI) Conference show-cased both the diversity of research topics and presentation media of the students’ projects. Held on April 4 in the Graham Center Ballrooms, the event consisted of thirty-eight oral presentations and panel discussions, forty poster presentations, a dance performance and a dramatic reenactment of an episode of the French Revolution presented by a second-year class titled Reacting to the Past: La Révolution Française. Students have the opportunity to undertake such projects through the Honors College’s SRAI program, an undergraduate research program directed by Associate Dean John Kneski that pairs students with FIU faculty who mentor students as they conduct in-depth research. The project does not have to be related to the student’s area of academic concentration.

The presentations given at this sixth annual spring conference represent the culmination of at least two semesters worth of directed research, data analysis and synthesis, and/or formal artistic exploration. Representative examples of the variety of this year’s presentations include Photochromism and the Respective Pho-tochromatic Compound (Jacqueline Young, mentor Dr. Watson Lee); NeRvEnDiNg: the Creative Process of a Dance Composition in Working Progress (Crystal Sepulveda, mentor Dr. Gary Lund); Searching for “Reciprocity” at Big Cypress-Patchwork and the Evolving Roles of Seminole Women (Masako Kubota, mentor Dr. Dennis Wiedman); and Lithium: Analysis of AMPA and CaMk mRNA Expression Involved in Learning and Memory (Franchesca Ramirez, mentor Dr. Ophelia Weeks). For more information about the program, please visit honors.fiu.edu/srai. The next SRAI Conference will take place March 26, 2009.

SRAI presenter discussing his research poster

with fellow Honors students.

Dancers rehearse NeRVEnDiNg

Over the last three years, the Aesthetics and Values Art Exhibition has gained popularity and prestige with-in the university commu-nity, and this year was no exception. The third-year Honors students, led by Professor John Bailly, once again raised the bar. The show, which ran from March 17 through April 10 in the Green Library at the University Park Campus, has become more prominent over the years within the greater Miami community. Because of its success, well-known South Florida artists seeking to be chosen for upcoming exhibi-tions are approaching the students. Every year the students manage and organize the exhibition from scratch by forming committees to plan, fundraise, advertise, and install the pieces. Matching the theme of the course, the artists displayed works that convey commentaries on political, social, and religious

issues, challenging authority and initiating social reform. Students, faculty, and staff attended the opening reception and were given the opportunity to meet the artists and discuss their works. Carnival Cru ise L ines, Burger K ing Corporation, Phycare Medical Group, FIU Student Government Association, and FIU Residence Hall Association donated a total of $6,400 for the production of a forty-page, full-color catalog of the exhibition. Student curators Rachelle Galindo and Sarena Bahad will be delivering a presentation on the

exhibition at the 2008 National Collegiate Honors Council Conference to be held in San Antonio, Texas. For more information on the exhibition and the featured artists, visit http://hon.fiu.edu/~av/curators.html. To see an online version o f t h e 2 0 0 8 e x h i b i t i o n c a t a l o g , g o t o http://www.johnbailly.com/edu/a&v.2008/A&V%202008%20Catalogue.pdf.

Third-year Honors student curators with Professor John Bailly pose in front of artwork at exhibit in Green Library

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

Page 6: Summa Cum Laude Newsletter - Summer 2008

A l t e r n a t i v e S p r i n g b r e a k : n e w y o r k

In April, eleven FIU students flew to Buenos Aires to spend their spring break helping others. The group included Honors College students Jeffy Jacob, Lauren Shepard, Maru Lascurian, Amanda Ghetia, Carlos Salguiero, and Alison Garcia Keller, the Alternative Break site leader. The students spent a week building homes for ten poor families in Nicole, a neighborhood just outside of Buenos Aires. The volunteers also spent time playing with local children and sharing their experiences and life goals in the United States.

“I went to Argentina not knowing what to expect. . .It was two days of challenging work: digging and getting down in the dirt. At the end of the day, seeing the families' reactions the first time they stepped into their new homes was more than I could ever imagine,” said junior Lauren Shepard. The trip was sponsored by Un Techo Para Mi Paίs (A Roof for My Country), a youth-led institution that constructs emergency housing and creates social development programs to help the over 208 million people in Latin America living in situations of extreme poverty. Travel to Buenos Aires was provided exclusively by LAN Airlines, one of the main sponsors for Un Techo Para Mi Paίs. For more information, visit http://www.untechoparamipais.org.

A L T E R N A T I V E S P R I N G B R E A K : A R G E N T I N A

P a g e 6

Study Abroad programs in the Honors College broaden students’ horizons by providing exposure to different cultures through an interdisciplinary and interactive curriculum. The programs offer a global perspective going beyond what reading or watching films can accomplish, while giving the students hands-on experience in engaging with the local community.

On May 2, twenty-three students traveled to Italy led by Associate Dean John Kneski and Professor

Stephen M. Fjellman. The students embarked on a trip that would, according to third-year honors student

Nadia Lima, “change our lives forever.” Program participants traveled to Rome, Sorrento, Florence, and Venice. Students focused their studies on the layering of Roman/Etruscan art and architecture with contemporary aesthetics and structures.

Twenty-three students participated in this year’s Spain program, directed by Honors Fellow Professor Manuel Carvajal and Assistant Dean Sharon Placide. Student Jamilla Espinosa reflected on her experience: “I learned so much about Spanish culture and met great people. It was a learning experience that enlightened me with its endless history.” The students traveled to Madrid, Barcelona, and Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Classes were taught by FIU professors and local experts.

(Left to right, top): Jeffy Jacobs, Robert Alter, Frank Reyes, Amanda Gheita, James Ochoa, Maru Lascurian, and Graciela Varela. (Left to right, bottom): Lauren Shepard, Carlos Salgui-

ero, and Alison Garcia.

Spain 2008 class on tour at the Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes in Toledo. Italy 2008 class at the Roman Coliseum.

As part of another Alternative Spring Break Program, a group of eleven FIU students traveled to New York City. The group included three upper-division Honors College students: Teresa Ronquillo, Zachary Murray, and Roxanna Rasekhi. While in New York, they volun-teered at the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) and helped prepare safe-sex kits, served in the food kitchen, and prepared for the NYC AIDS Walk, an event that raises millions of dollars for GMHC. While volunteering at GMHC, the students had the opportunity to learn about diversity, HIV/AIDS prevention, and treatment. “All of the participants came with a positive attitude and genuinely cared about doing a service to the community while learning all that they could from the experience,” said Roxanna. “I was proud to be part of such an outstanding group of students; it was apparent that the FIU group left a lasting impression on the other visiting colleges, the clients, and the supervisors at GMHC.”

Left to right: Sara Feigenbaum, Roxanna Rasekhi, Sky Arota, Zachary Murray, and Kerri Chin

H O N O R S C O L L E G E A B R O A D

Page 7: Summa Cum Laude Newsletter - Summer 2008

P a g e 7 V o l . 1 , N o . 3

2 0 0 8 - 2 0 0 9 S T U D E N T A M B A S S A D O R S

The Honors College Student Ambassador Program welcomed eight newly appointed members on April 18 at the SAA Banquet hosted by the Office of Alumni Relations. Congratulations to our new members: Paul Ashe, Allison Bodnar, William Brown, Ana P. Capaldo, Jeffy Jacob, Giselle Perez, Lissette Perez, and Tahrim Rahman. Also recognized were returning Honors Ambassadors Sarena Bahad, Vignesh Doraiswamy, Laura Fajardo, Mellissa Jayawickrema, Roxanna Rasekhi, and Sara Rasekhi.

Here are some of the highlights of the many successful events and noteworthy distinctions achieved by both Gamma Epsilon Phi (GEP), the University Park Campus Society, and Tau Sigma Alpha (TSA), the Biscayne Bay Campus Society:

• The GEP team took first prize in this year’s Brain Bowl, the FIU Honors Council’s annual trivia competition for university honor societies. Congratulations to our winning team!

• GEP participated in the annual fight-against-cancer fundraiser, Relay for Life, on February 15-16, contributing to the $65,700 total raised by all the honor societies. This year’s event theme was “the 50’s.”

• GEP members took part in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk this year, holding bake sales in the Graham Center to help raise funds for the event.

• The e-board members of TSA are busy preparing their recruitment and promotional activities for the summer orientation sessions at both UP and BBC campuses. These include setting up information booths and making their own society T-shirts. To help out or sign up, contact the e-board at [email protected].

The program allows Honors College students to strive for excellence in academic endeavors as well as in leader-ship and professional development. They go through a highly selective process that involves a series of group and individual interviews with Honors College and Alumni Relations supervising committee members. Each Honors Ambassador will play the role of peer mentor, student leader, and professional scholar and will represent the Honors College and FIU at important events.

Honors Senior and Chemistry and Religious Studies Double Major Roxanna Rasekhi is this academic year’s Student Government Associa-tion (SGA) Honors Representative. Roxanna’s dedication to service and learning is evident in her participation in Alternative Spring Break New York and the National Student Exchange Program as well as her role as Alumni Association Ambassador. As the new SGA senator, she hopes to raise awareness of all the College’s events and opportunities and inspire fellow students to become more involved.

Left to right: Ambassadors Laura Fajardo, Mellissa Jayawickrema, Roxanna Rasekhi, Sara

Rasekhi, Kelly-Ann Williams, Robert Llanio, Sara Feigenbaum, and Vignesh Doraiswamy

Left to right: GEP Treasurer Andrés Rodriguez, VP Meliza Frias, and President Crystal van Orsdel

in front of the Grease-themed GEP tent at Relay for Life.

H O N O R S C O L L E G E S O C I E T I E S

H O N O R S S G A R E P R E S E N T A T I V E

Page 8: Summa Cum Laude Newsletter - Summer 2008

M O D E L U N T E A M R E T U R N S

P a g e 8

This past spring break, seventeen FIU students, nine of whom are also Honors College students (Victoria Cueto, Alex Diaz-Ferguson, Alexandra Acosta, Christian Ochoa, Maria Alvarado, Amanda Fernandez, Greta Martinez, Ezequiel Romero, and Robert Myers) participated in the annual New York National Model United Nations (MUN) Conference from March 18-22. All FIU participants in MUN are enrolled in a three credit hour course offered every spring semester by the Political Science Department and sponsored by the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship Studies. This year’s FIU team represented the Czech Republic. The FIU delegation also triumphed in February at the Harvard MUN Conference held in Boston, winning the Best Small Delegation Award (out of the over two hundred participating universities) for representing Cameroon. In addition, five of the nine FIU team committees received individual awards, including the following Honors College committee members: Robert Meyers (Best Delegation in his committee), Alexandra Acosta (Honorable Mention), and Ezequiel Romero (Honorable Mention).

Honors College students worked as volunteers at the annual meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank (IABD) at the Miami Beach Convention Center from April 3 – 8. The IABD is a multilateral financial institution that provides loans and grants for sustainable economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Leaders from throughout the hemisphere attended the meeting, including officials from fifty-five countries. The keynote speaker was Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

The meeting gave students many valuable opportunities to attend panel discussions and

presentations addressing urgent issues such as natural disaster response and risk management, economic development and investment in low-income and developing regions, and energy conservation. Students also attended a forum titled “Youth as Agents of Change,” which covered international partnerships between celebrities and youth geared toward reducing poverty. The forum featured entertainers Ricky Martin, Juanes, and Juan Luis Guerra as well as executives from MTV Networks Latin America, Microsoft, Youth Venture, Generation Engage, and the Iberoamerican Organization of Youth.

The diversity of the subjects addressed was exemplified by the diversity of the majors represented by the Honors College students in attendance: Danielle Baiz (International Business); Holly Hamilton (Accounting); Nestor Perez (International Relations and Finance); Vignesh Doraiswamy (Biology); Myron Evans (Biology); Kathleen Falgons (Biology); Cedric Jerabek (Economics); Maria Luque (Economics); Florencia Giordano (International Relations); and Julia Kay (Management).

IABD Board of Governors convenes

I A B D Y O U T H F O R U M

2008 MUN team: Top row, l-r: Alejandro-Diaz Ferguson, Ezequiel Romero, Raymond Hernandez, Robert Myers, Christian Ochoa, Matt Cook, Darwin

Rodriguez, and Hunter Whaley; Bottom row, l-r: Diana Pinto, Victoria Cueto, Alexandra Acosta, Maria Alvarado, Amanda Fernandez, Kathleen Black, Gonul Tol,

Greta Martinez, and Aimee Carrero.

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P a g e 9 V o l . 1 , N o . 3

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

Scholarships For Honors College Students

The following are some of the scholarships available only to current Honors College students:

Barbara Bader: minimum 3.3 GPA; financial need; community service potential

Jordan Castellon & Ricardo LLC: minimum 3.3 GPA; accounting/business administration major

FIJI Honors: incoming male freshmen; community service potential

Sherri Anne Graham: minimum 3.3 GPA; arts and science major

William T. Jerome III Community Service: Honors senior; minimum 3.3 GPA; character and community service potential

Tony Menendez Technology: incoming freshmen; minimum 3.5 high school GPA; financial need

Lucille E. Snaith Memorial: minimum 3.3 GPA; preference to incoming freshmen; U.S. citizenship and Miami Dade or

Broward county residency; financial need; character and community service potential

Harvey L. Young Family: minimum 3.3 GPA; Miami-Dade resident; financial need; demonstration of good character

Honors College students are eligible for a number of scholarships reserved for their benefit. These funding opportunities are available for current students as well as for incoming transfer students who meet exclusive eligibility requirements. In addition to the scholarships for tuition and books, funding is available for technological equipment, study abroad, research, and conferences. Without this aid, many students would not be able to participate in special academic and extracurricular activities offered through the Honors College.

The Honors College has awarded dozens of scholarships over the years. Each year we offer several academic scholarships, four study abroad scholarships, and fifty scholarships for transfer students from Miami Dade College and Broward Community College. We have also helped students by funding their research. A good example of how investment in students pays off is the case of Tiffany Brannon (2007). She received $500 to conduct research that eventually led to a Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship and a five-year scholarship to Stanford University. In the last few years, over a dozen students received scholarships to present research papers at professional conferences from Philadelphia to Hawaii. Students who demonstrate financial need have also received support to study abroad in Italy, Jamaica, and Spain. This year one of our students, Samantha March (2008), participated in ScholarShip, an international semester at sea for Honors students from around the world. “The semester abroad changed my life,” she recalls, I’ve learned that cultural differences are mostly insignificant when you realize that our similarities are what keep the world together.”

The Honors College can offer these scholarships to our students thanks to donations from our alumni, donors, friends, and sponsors. To help support Honors College scholarships and programs, please go to the Honors College website (http://honors.fiu.edu) and click the “Giving to Honors” link found on the homepage.

In addition to the scholarship opportunities offered through the Honors College, we also advertise other scholarship, internship, and grant opportunities via our weekly e-mail announcements. For more information, please visit the Honors College website at http://honors.fiu.edu.

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• Honors College Senior Fellow Bill Beesting was awarded the U.S. Army Commander’s Award for Public Service in

December 2007. This is the fourth highest award the Army can bestow on a civilian.

• H. Scott Fingerhut received the College of Law Professor of the Year Award for the second year in a row. In addition, Fin-

gerhut currently serves on a number of legal councils and boards and has been named among the region’s top lawyers by

the South Florida Legal Guide and Florida Trend Magazine.

• Honors Fellow and FIU Professor of English Marilyn Hoder-Salmon published a review essay titled “The Hollywood Icons:

Josephine Baker and Marlene Dietrich” in the latest edition of The National Women's Studies Association Journal.

• Scott Kass, University Librarian at the Biscayne Bay Campus, was named Contributing Editor/Writing Consultant for the

Florida International University Hospitality Review, a peer-reviewed journal. He has twice been recipient of the university’s

Excellence in Teaching Award and has taught Hospitality students at both BBC and FIU’s China Campus in Tianjin.

• DeEtta (Dee) Mills, Professor of Biology and Director of the Forensic DNA Profiling Facility at the International

Forensic Research Institute (IFRI), recently organized an all-day workshop to train the next generation of

forensic scientists. In April, forty students from the forensic science program at Everglades High School in

Miramar, Florida, participated in activities including DNA testing and profiling using dog saliva DNA samples,

demonstrations with detector dogs, and lectures on various aspects of DNA analysis and forensics.

• Honors Fellow and painter John Bailly’s latest series of drawings, Civitates Orbis Terrarum (Cities of the World), is now on

display at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Jacksonville. The monochromatic works, on both canvas and paper,

consist of renderings of historically significant cities drawn from ancient maps and atlases. The exhibit will run at MOCA from

April 25 to August 31.

• Professor of French and Linguistics Peter Machonis has been selected to participate in the

American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) Seminar on Francophone Switzerland and Belgium this

summer. Machonis also published an article on Belgian and Swiss French, which appeared in the May 2008

issue of The French Review.

• Honors College Fellow and FIU Professor of Economics Irma de Alonso is retiring after thirty-one years of teaching and

service at FIU. De Alonso began teaching at FIU in 1977 and was inducted as an Honors College Faculty Fellow in September

of 2002. She has won numerous awards for teaching, research, advising, and service to the university community. During

her time with the Honors College, she developed two third-year Honors seminars, titled Women’s Issues Worldwide and

Explorations in Research. After her retirement, De Alonso plans to remain active in the Honors College through the

development of an online course. A large portion of her time will also be dedicated to taking care of her grandchildren.

• Arthur Herriott, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Stephen Fain, Professor of Education, have also retired in the

past year. Herriot has been at FIU since 1973, serving as an Associate Dean for twelve years and as Dean of the College of

Arts and Sciences for thirteen years. Fain was a Founding Professor of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy

Studies and of the Institute for Jewish Studies as well as Director of the Ed.D. Program in Curriculum and Instruction.

F a c u l t y F e l l o w s

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

Rachelle Galindo, a fourth-year Honors student, has joined the Honors team as Development Assistant. She will report to Associate Dean J.C. Espinosa and assist him in all

activities related to development, fund-raising, and external relations. She will also serve as liaison to the Community Advisory Board, the Honors College Alumni Association, and the FIU Foundation. Rachelle is finishing her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

She recently participated in the 2008 Italy Study Abroad Program.

Magna cum laude Honors graduate Meaghan Bradshaw has been promoted from Development Assistant to serve as the Coordinator of Student Enrichment. She oversees all

student organizations and housing communities, coordinates special events, and will establish a career and internship center within the College. Meaghan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2007 and is pursuing a Masters in Mental Health Counseling.

She participated in the 2006 Spain Study Abroad Program.

The new Coordinator of Recruitment, Lilian Hernandez, is a magna cum laude Honors College alum-na. She coordinates a l l r e c r u i t m e n t a c t i v i t i e s w h i l e

providing valuable support to incoming and prospective students and their fam-ilies. In her role, she is able to share her own experiences in Honors, including participation in the 2003 Jamaica Study Abroad Program and Gamma Epsilon Phi. Lilian earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance in 2004.

The Honors College staff, during the annual BBC team-building ROPES course, from left to right (Top): Margo Richardson, SRAI/Study Abroad Program Assistant; Leif Elliott, Institutional Research Assistant; Juan C. Lopez, AV Coordinator; Jayne Klein, BBC Coordinator; Nicole Stratten, Coordinator of Student Services and HC Advisor; J.C. Espinosa, Associate Dean; John Kneski, Associate Dean; Rosie Barredo, Administrative Assistant; Lourdes Pereira, Program Assistant; David Aviles, UP Program Assistant; (Bottom): Sachin Gursahani, Coordinator of Student Services and HC Advisor; Meaghan Bradshaw, Coordinator of Student Enrichment; Lilian Hernandez, Coordinator of Recruitment; Sharon Placide, Assistant Dean; Lesley A. Northup, Dean

H O N O R S T E A M G R O W S S T R O N G E R

F A C U L T Y P U B L I S H O N S P E C I A L E D U C A T I O N

Honors Fellow Peter Machonis was appointed editor of a new NCHC monograph titled Shatter the Glassy Stare: Implementing Experiential Learning in Higher Education. It includes chapters on campus as text, local neighborhoods, study abroad, science courses, writing exercises, and philosophical considerations, along with practical materials for instituting City as TextTM teaching strategies. Among the fifteen essays selected by the Honors Semesters Committee in June 2007, three were written by FIU Honors College faculty—Religious Studies Professor Mary Lou Pfeiffer’s piece involves looking for the sacred and the profane while doing campus as text, biologist Devon Graham’s essay focuses on science-related applications of this methodology and an article by Machonis relates his experiences taking French linguistics students to Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood. In addition, the cover design of the monograph highlights a work by John Bailly, Cienfuegos, taken from his fall exhibition “Place of Mind.” The monograph will be published in summer 2008.

Page 12: Summa Cum Laude Newsletter - Summer 2008

The Honors College University Park, DM 233 Miami, FL 33199 [email protected] 305-348-4100

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2 0 0 8 H O N O R S C O L L E G E G R A D U A T E S

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Congratulations to our graduates! This is what a few of them will be doing:

Sheyla Castillo, a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi, will be attending the George Washington University School of Law.

Dulce Duran, a summa cum laude graduate, has accepted a position in the Transfer Pricing Department at Ernst & Young.

Adel Elsayed, a McNair fellow, will be working in the biomedical engineering field.

Melissa Hernandez will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Ph.D. program in School Psychology.

Jonathan Moser will be working as a resource management technician with the Southeast Environmental Research Center at FIU in cooperation with the National Park Service, Inventory and Monitoring Program South Florida & Caribbean Network.

Elaine Gonzalez will be working as an operations analyst at Goldman Sachs Investment Bank in New York.

Dawid Pozniak will be pursuing a Master’s in Chinese Economy at Fudan University in Shanghai.

Marlen Quintana will be attending Pharmacy School at Nova Southeastern University.

Miguel Serrano will be pursuing a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Melissa Ward will be attending the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services to obtain a Master’s in Global Health and a Graduate Certificate in HIV/AIDS Studies.

Raphny Alexandre will be attending Howard University College of Medicine. James Fins will be attending the Miami Dade Police Academy. Elvis Ramirez will be working as a writer for the Miami New Times.

Graduating with Honors

Summa Cum Laude Summa Cum Laude — 16%16% Magna Cum Laude Magna Cum Laude — 35%35% Cum Laude Cum Laude — 27%27% Phi Beta Kappa Invitees Phi Beta Kappa Invitees — 30%30%

Future Plans

Graduate School Graduate School — 40%40% EmploymentEmployment — 24%24%

Law School Law School — 17%17%

S A V E T H E D A T E

Fall Semester Excellence Lecture

November 6, 2008 2:00PM—4:00PM

Location: TBA

Honors College Fall Graduation Assembly

December 5, 2008 4:30 PM

Location: TBA

G I V I N G T O H O N O R S C A L L I N G A L L A L U M S !

The Honors College will be publishing a special Alumni Edition of Summa Cum Laude in September. If you are an alumnus or alum-na of the Honors Program or the Honors College, contact us so we can share your stories of success and achievement since your graduation. For more information, contact Rachelle Galindo at (305) 348-4100 or [email protected].

You can help nurture the next generation of outstanding scholars and professionals by making a donation to the Honors College. To give, please go to the Honors College website (http://honors.fiu.edu) and click the “Giving to Honors” link found on the homepage. You will find additional information on other giving options on this site.

Medical School Medical School — 15%15% UndecidedUndecided — 4%4%

Honors College/FIJI Tailgate Party

September 20, 2008 4:00PM

Panther Stadium

Eighth Annual Honors College Convocation

October 13, 2008 2:00—4:30PM

GC Ballrooms, UP Campus