Now let’s check out one of the coolest facilities at FIU, civil and environmental engineering PhD student, Kehinde is at FIU Wall of Wind, located at the engineering and computing center, the facility is part of the university’s extreme event institute. Research conducted there has helped inform building practices and codes throughout the region. Kehinde I can’t wait to hear about the work you and your fellow Panthers are doing there.
Thanks Alex, hi everyone, I’m a PhD student at the department of civil and environmental engineering here at FIU. I’m Nigerian, and moving to Miami to start my PhD was a big decision for me. This is because I’ve never been to the country and I’ve only had about the US from the news and interaction with some of my friends who study here. When I arrived on campus, I noticed the diversity in the student population and how nice the staff were in directing new students in the right direction. My doctoral research is in the area of structure wind engineering, and my research group sits within the International Hurricane Restart Center, which is a part of FIUs Extreme Events Institute. The Extreme Events Institute was launched in 2012, to use both a multi hazard and a transdisciplinary approach in understanding extreme environmental events like hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. The goal of the center is to reduce the vulnerability of the community to hurricane events. The Wall of Wind is one of the research laboratories within the center. It is a recognized NSF experimental facility with a six fan open jet wind panel capable of producing category five hurricane wind speed. This unit facility has provided a test bed for both academic and industry researchers, to understand how hurricane winds affect buildings and other infrastructure. Some of the building code changes to the Miami-Dade and Florida building code are direct results of research carried out at our Wall of Wind by our amazing faculty, staff and students. The center also organizes STEM events for kids, including the annual Wall of Wind challenge and other outreaches to inform community members on homes best to protect their homes during hurricanes. Aside from research, I’ve improved on my leadership skills by participating in the Inaugural Academy of Leaders Training. This gave me the opportunity to meet other students with similar interests. I have also been able to connect with many other Nigerian students at FIU. For achieving PhD here at FIU was a great decision, and I’m grateful for the wonderful environment that the university provide and the opportunity to contribute to the work of protecting our community. As you can see, we’re about to fire up the Wall of Wind now. Back to you, Alex.
Wow that blows me away we’re in good hands when it comes to environmental resilience. Thank you for sharing your work with us and the next generations, cheers Kehinde.
Now let’s meet Prachi who is studying international relations with a minor in political science and also getting certificates in Latin American and Caribbean studies, European and Eurasian studies, human rights and political transitions and Peace Corp Prep. Wow that is an impressive resume, take it away Prachi.
Hi everyone, it’s an honor to talk to you today about how to create a just peaceful and prosperous world. I was born in Venezuela, but my whole family is from India. What can I say, I’m living the best of other worlds. I got the chance to travel to India when I was 12, and I saw how women were oppressed how they couldn’t express themselves freely, go to school or even sit in the same tables men do. From that day, I decided I will strive in the best of my abilities to help them, because I want them to experience the same freedom and opportunities I’m blessed to have today in my life. My work is driven by passion for helping and compassion for people. I believe that all of us were created at the image of God and we should support each other. As a daughter of two Indian parents, I realized that I need to prepare myself in order to make a difference. My American dream has started here at FIU. I have the opportunity to travel to different places just as Alabama, Boston, and LA, and create my own community in Faema. My goal is inspire and empower women. We offer mentoring, worship, live webinars and ally resources. And so far we have helped more than 1,200 women around the world. As a Hamilton scholar at FIU, I work as a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, creating and funding my own policy proposal called the Aasha Hope Program, which authors the domestic violence in the South Asian community. My policy has granted a woman in that community, educational resources, shelter, childcare through NGO and community-based solutions. All these experiences have helped me to create a just peaceful and prosperous world. I believe that if I can inspire someone, that person can inspire someone else and like this we can start a change reaction. Well that is my story, thank you so much for listening and get back to you Alex.
Thank you so much Prachi for sharing your story with us. You’re doing meaningful work, makes us feel positive about our future congratulations, cheers Prachi.
Next let’s go talk to Brian, who is an active duty military officer studying law. The military holds a special place on FIUs campus. The office of Veteran and Military Affairs is headquartered in the oldest and most cherished building on campus. A former airport tower where the university got its start, when it was founded on an abandoned airfield. Nearby is the Felsberg Veterans Plaza which pays tribute to FIU veterans. It is named after FIU alumnus Paul Michael Felsberg, who died in 2004 while serving with the US Marine Corps in Iraq. Brian, you’re on.
Thanks Alex, hi everyone, my name’s Brian Hernandez and I’m a third year evening law student here at FIU college of law and I’m also an active duty military officer. After serving over 20 years in the army I decided to finally pursue my lifetime goal of going to law school. I knew it’d be challenging being an evening student while balancing being a soldier, a father and a husband. Over the past three years I’ve had the opportunity to meet a great group of fellow law students, with similar situations like mine all juggling a thousand things just so they can pursue their dream of being a lawyer. And thanks to the great support here at FIU law, and each other, we can make those dreams a reality. Now lemme tell you a couple of great things about FIU law. First it South Florida’s only public law school and it’s in the top 50 public law schools in the entire country. This is because of its outstanding faculty, its rigorous academic program and its dedication to make sure that students are prepared to pass the bar exam and graduation. One way that FIU prepares its students to become lawyers is through its various experienced learning programs such as our immigration clinic and our community law clinic. These clinics provide students the opportunity to get hands on experience working with attorneys with real clients on real world legal issues. Additionally, the school has a community law clinic which provides general legal assistance and teaches students how to be able to advocate on behalf of clients in areas that have limited means to be able to get the right legal assistance. But one reason why I’m proud to be part of FIU is how supportive the university, the faculty, and the students are for those of us in uniform, our veterans coming out of uniform, and students plan to join our military. FIU has a robust reserve officer training program, which prepares students for service in the armed forces and also following graduation. And for our veterans, FIU is absolutely the right place. The school has an incredible veterans and military affairs office, which helps veterans transition from military life to life as a college student. Throughout my military career I’ve had the honor to lead thousands of men and women in both peacetime and combat. And there is no better feeling than being part of a great team. That’s what you feel here at FIU, back to you Alex.
Great work being done at the immigration and community lawyering clinics Brian, thank you for sharing your experience and thank you for your service, take care.
Next up is Amelia who is balancing her classes in international relations with her philanthropy. With the help of StartUp FIU and Panther alumni, she is working on an app that will centralize donations. Can’t wait to hear more, Amelia take it away.
Hi everyone, my name is Amelia Raudales and I’m a senior here at Florida International University. I’m currently majoring in international relations and pursuing three certificate programs, one in public policy, one in human rights and political transitions, and the last in law ethics and society. And the reason why I chose this university and this educational path is because of its commitment to challenge me to think critically about issues around the world, while also preparing me for a future in public policy. I was born and raised in Miami and over the last three years I have had the opportunity to be involved in five different fellowships, as well as run three different organizations. I was president of our student ambassador program, FIU student philanthropic council tasked with raising funds for our student emergency fund. I also had the opportunity to be the honors college senator for our student government association, captain of our leadership club lead the team, as well as director of our social justice club, the Panther Community Action Board. Now over the past year, I’ve also had the amazing opportunity to work with three FIU alumni in order to create an app that will centralize in kind donation giving. Working with the Center for Leadership and Service, the global learning office, as well StartUp FIU has been instrumental to my success as a student entrepreneur and helping me develop this idea as well as getting the seed funding. Now StartUp FIU is a university wide initiative to foster entrepreneurship as well as innovation. FIU has even been ranked a top 50 US utility patent producer around the world. As an Ashoka Changemaker Campus, a title that has only been given to 42 colleges and universities around the world, this has opened so many doors for me as a student entrepreneur. I was able to compete in placing the Fowler Global Social Innovation challenge pitch competition become a millennium Fowler alumni as well as a Clinton Global University Initiative fellow. On top of this, our college of business even offer its own entrepreneurship certifications for students ready to take their startup ventures to the next level. As Miami’s only public research university, this has afforded me and my peers countless opportunities to conduct research. Now the FIU Honors College has a class called diplomacy lab in which we’re able to conduct research on issues identified by state department officials under guidance of FIU faculty who have years of experience when it comes to diplomacy, as well as the international relations. Now this past year, I was able to conduct research on human trafficking and smuggling laws for the International Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement. Because of this research I will now able to conduct research on different topics and brief my updates to US Southern Command, USAID as well as MITRE. All these opportunities have afforded me the chance to now be a congressional intern, as well as an intern for the Smithsonian. Thank you so much for listening to my story. What’s next Alex?
That’s a lot of hustling Amelia, as a businessman I recognize that entrepreneurial spirit, you’ve really optimized all the opportunities FIU provides from working with StartUp FIU, to bring your idea to market, to developing pivotal skills for the 21st century diplomat. Congratulations on the congressional and Smithsonian internships, we’ll see you soon.
Now let’s meet Rahul, a native of India, he is an alumnus who just graduated with a degree in computer science and minors in mathematics and physics. Like many FIU students, Rahul had the opportunity to conduct undergraduate research. He focused on AI and he’s gonna tell us more about his work as well as all the extracurricular activities he enjoyed as a student. Take it away or Rahul.
Hi everyone, I still remember my first year at FIU coming from the other side of the world, my transitioning to the US was made smooth with the friends I made while living on campus at Panther hall. To pay it forward I became a resident assistant at Parkview Hall, which was the defining part of my FIU experience. As an RA, I assisted first year honors students to navigate FIU and develop meaningful friendships. One of the best parts about living on campus is that you can be involved right outside your room. I organized the first annual involvement fair for honors students living on campus. And in my junior year, I became the homecoming prince and attended several parades around Miami, representing FIU and meeting the local community. FIU is an emerging preeminent research university, which means it has a huge focus on academic research. As an undergraduate student, I had the chance to work on cutting edge artificial intelligence research at the cognac lab at Dr. Mark Finlayson. The faculty and staff at FIU are committed to the success of their students. My academic advisor gives me a chance to help my peers, by tutoring computer science courses through the academic success initiative. What started as a part-time tutoring job became an opportunity to gain leadership skills. But only did I lead a team of 20 tutors, the ability to have so many fellow students was immensely rewarding. FIU puts an equal emphasis on student involvement, which I saw early on at tabling events in the Graham center. My involvement with various student organizations shaped the way I perceived college. To pursue my passion for music, I joined university of the singers and perform at concerts at the school of music in downtown Miami. This was a dream come true, as I never thought I would be able to do all that while studying computer science. The college of engineering and computing is as real as it gets, put hands on activities like building race cars with Panther Motorsports, and participating in Shell Hacks, Florida’s largest hackathon, student organizations like Upsilon Pi Epsilon and driving the Miami tech movement. I benefited greatly from the practical learning programs, exploitive they recruited an app for the local community and CS4s where we taught elementary school students how to code. One of the best things about FIU is that you can get a world-class education at the same time as having fun. Today I’m a data scientist at Dell technologies, and this wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing experience I had during my time at FIU. That’s my story, what’s next Alex?
Great job Rahul, you really kept busy as an undergrad from working in AI, in the lab, to homecoming prince, I can’t think of a better college experience, and congrats on your new job at Dell we can’t wait to see what you accomplish, take care.
Okay everyone, now let’s head over to the robotics and digital fabrication laboratory, Matheus is waiting for us there. He’s an architecture major who has used the skills he’s learned at FIU to walk on water. Can’t wait to hear his story, Matheus you are on.
Thank you Alex, and hello everyone. I’m so excited to say that I graduated with a master’s degree in architecture from FIU. See, I was born and raised in a farm in the countryside of Brazil, where I was raised around horses, cows, goats, and emus. And when I moved into a larger city in Brazil, I realized that my life goal had become to get accepted into a university in the United States. And I would not stop studying until I fulfill that. Although I shared that I wanted to become an architect, I had no clue that the next five years would mean way more than just designing buildings. What I learned here at FIU is that the role of the architect is to imagine the world we live in. To design the sonography of the play of life that is constantly performing, the unspoken language between humans and spaces which then informs how we move, how we feel, how we connect with others. And the biggest example of that is the building that we’re in right now. This is the policy of school for architecture designed by Bernard Tschumi, anyone studying architecture my know that Bernard Tschumi is a legend in architecture theory. He designed a school for the future architects by splitting the building to two masses, one to the south for the faculty, and one to the north for the students which is our studios. At the heart of the building is the courtyard around which most of the circulation is arranged. So students and faculty lived in different classrooms and find moments of encounter. So the freshly learned material comes up in conversations and then creates new knowledge. We’re not in the era of deconstructionism though, and FIU is committed to preparing us for the problems and shifting roles of the 21st century. I was first introduced to critical thinking design on my second year, when professor Jaime Canaves gave us an assignment to design a pair of shoes that would allow us to walk on water. This tradition goes back over 30 years and the rules are pretty simple. But working on these is actually so much harder than it looks, my partner and I spent countless nights working on it until we could finally walk without getting wet. It’s always a huge festival and everyone comes around to see architecture students battling and sinking. At the end of my second year, I got invited to participate in the project to inaugurate the robotics in fabrication lab. We spent the entire summer in a tiny room with a huge robot and a team of amazing people developing our own system with 3D printing play blocks for a parametric wall. And that was only the start, we spent the following three years working on amazing projects that defined the boundaries of architecture and design. And I can’t wait to see what FIU has there to achieve. That was a bit of my story, now back to you Alex.
What a fun tradition, your passion for architecture is inspiring, there are a lot of places on campus that are helping you cultivate your creativity. Thanks again for sharing your story, take care Matheus.
Now let’s head over to the academic health complex and meet Brittany, who is a second year graduate student in the masters of social work program. She graduated with a double bachelor’s in psychology and interdisciplinary studies from FIU in 2020. She’s gonna share how field work is helping her prepare for the complex role of a clinician, take it away Brittany.
-Thanks Alex, as an aspiring clinician, it was important for me to find a university with an accredited master’s of social work program with a clinical focus. I was also interested in working across disciplines with students and faculty in the health sciences, as well as the opportunity to do field work. Stumble College checked all of these boxes by offering programs in the fields of public health, social work, and dietetics and nutrition, including dual degree programs and an academy for international disaster preparedness, Stumble College had exactly what I was looking for and more. Something that I noticed right away is the amount of support the staff provide. They brought me some exclusive opportunities which allowed me to expand my network and build my resume. I was able to get a fellowship with the national council for mental wellbeing as well as attend NatCon 2021 the world’s largest convention on mental health and substance use. These opportunities were only available at nine other universities nationwide and less than a hundred students were selected to participate. The fellowship I took part in was focused on the opioid epidemic and allowed me to collaborate with other social work students and professionals from around the country. By far my favorite part of the program is the field experience I acquire as part of the curriculum. The field office works with local businesses and organizations to place students in a practicum placement which meets their individual interests. Because of my fellowship, I was placed in a substance use and behavioral health treatment facility. I had the opportunity to work with people on an outpatient basis doing both individual and group therapy. While all the classes are informative, nothing compares to hands-on experience for learning. A graduate of FIU Stumble College can go on to work in a variety of fields. A social worker can work in hospitals, private practice for government or state agencies and even in policy work. A social work degree is very versatile and allows you to work in both micro and macro practice. The possibilities really are endless and I could not recommend the school enough. That’s all from me, back to you Alex.
Brittany great job, it’s heartening to hear about the great field work opportunities available to you and your fellow Panthers before you start your careers. It sounds like you are prepared to take on whatever comes your way, thanks again.
Now let’s go over to Leeanne, who is at the student run wine spectator restaurant management lab. Where Panthers learned to think like restaurant owners. Leeanne is a hospitality major who has had her college experience enrich through study abroad programs. She’s gonna talk about her semester at sea. From Columbia to Chile she delighted in local food and engaged in local culture, Leeanne you’re on.
Thank you Alex, hello everyone and welcome to FIU. I knew FIU is where I want to study hospitality because everything is happening here. Miami is known for its hotels, resorts, airlines, cruise lines, restaurants and events. The FIU chaplain school is one of the top 40 hospitality schools in the world. Every year, Miami is hosted to the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Students volunteer for a variety of positions. We work with sloppy chefs, pour legendary wines, and apply everything we’ve learned to create a memorable experience for the guest. The festival provides students with experience and industry connections. The money raised comes back to the chaplain school of hospitality and tourism management. FIU has recently partnered with Bacardi as part of our food and beverage program. Through this partnership, I was able to intern with Bacardi’s customer marketing and advocacy teams. This began the one of a kind award winning FIU bartenders guild, which holds weekly meetings, and you can earn your certificate in beverage excellence. FIU also has an amazing study abroad program. The idea is to see the world from an international perspective. I got to go on a study at sea, from Columbia, to Ecuador, Peru, and finally Chile. In chile I took a trip through the desert to a vineyard on the edge of the Andes. There glass carmenet in hand, I fell in love with the process of wines and the lands they come from. This trip opened up to me the hospitality world of beverage. FIU also has pod study trips. Last year, I got to go to Las Vegas where we toured iconic resorts like MGM, Caesar’s palace, the cosmopolitan and Southern glaciers. This one-on-one with industry professionals is a real opportunity to gain insight. After the trip, I reached out to one of the presenters and gained a mentor. The approach at FIU is to grow through traveling and sharing experiences. I grew as an individual learning I could take on the world. I developed confidence putting myself into a completely new setting and being open to what it had to teach me. And when I came home, I had a wider vision of possibilities. I hope to do the semester exchange with FIUs partner school, the University of Tanj in China. And I’m definitely going on another pod in the fall. Thank you for letting me share my story, what’s next Alex?
– Thank you for sharing your story Leeanne, your travels have undoubtedly prepared you for a rich career in the hospitality industry and it looks like so much fun, take care.
Let’s go back to Biscayne Bay campus to meet Morganne. She is a public relations major who loves spending time on campus. The campuses backyard is the one and only Biscayne Bay, home to programs such as journalism, Marine science, creative writing, and hospitality management. Students brag about the peaceful tranquility that surrounds them while learning and studying. I can’t wait to hear more, Morganne you are on.
Wagwan guys, welcome to FIU BBC. Now, if you love the outdoors, being surrounded by nature, and being directed by the bay, then the FIU Biscayne Bay campus is the place for you. BBC is a 200 acre waterfront campus home to some of FIUS most innovative lab and highest ranked programs. Just like our a main campus, BBC has its own student life, recreation center, library, and of course state of the art student housing that overlooks the bay. Now literally the view is breathtaking. Being at this campus is like being as a mini hotel with activities to help you wind down from a stressful day of courses such as our exciting rope course, kayaking right here on the bay, and of course walking or jogging on our beautiful nature trail. Various programs such as our hospitality management program and the Marine science program are host here at this campus. For you, journalism and communication lover who prefer the hands-on experiences, the Biscayne Bay campus house is a South Florida media network, which also students the opportunity to cover local news and network with professional journalists, and of course FIU alumni. Though my experience was virtual due to the pandemic, BOLD allowed me to have real client experience and a network with some of the best industry professionals. Those of you on the creative side of PR can work with the creative team as a photographer, videographer, or even a graphic design intern for clients. After two semesters in BOLD as an account associate, I got promoted to be an account executive for the upcoming semester and I cannot wait to get started. I got to write my story at the beautiful Biscayne Bay campus, and I can’t wait for you guys to write your story here as well. Back to you Alex.
What a great story Morganne, the student run communications agency is incredible, congratulations on the promotion, cheers Morganne.
Okay, we have one final stop on our tour, the world time performing arts center, we’re theater majors present for full-scale productions per season, and we’re music majors participate in more than 150 performances during the concert season. Shadya is there and she will tell us more about the FIU artsy. She said theater major on the performance track, and now she’s gonna take it away.
Thanks Alex, and hello everyone. I’m a Miami girl born and raised, so FIU was always a school I heard great things about. What I didn’t know until I got here though, were how many opportunities there for actors. It’s extremely important to be exposed to all aspects of theater both on and off stage. We’re offered courses where we get hands on experience, building set pieces, props, costumes, designing lights and sound, and so much more. Our BFA designers have the chance to do internships over the summer in different states with different theaters where they can expand their network and build their portfolio. My favorite part of the year was being able to participate in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. There are my cast and I got to perform in front of hundreds of theater people, do workshops and make amazing connections. There’s also every couple of years, our London study abroad, where you get to travel and immerse yourself in Shakespeare. If you’d rather stay close to home, we do about four productions a year with countless experiences in between. I graduated with five productions under my belt. Right across from theater is the concert hall where I’m standing. The school of music performs here and practices in dedicated music rooms in the back. There are masterclasses throughout the year that are taught from international musicians and scholars. Then there are concerts where you get to show what you’ve learned. If an instrument isn’t calling to you, but sharing music still is, there’s a music business certification. Here you learn how to succeed in the music industry from a business production aspect of it. There’s even a full on recording studio where you get to put your knowledge to the test. If the performing arts aren’t really your scene, there’s a Ratcliffe Art and Design Incubator. There the faculty can teach you about art and history, 3D design and 3D printing, developing alternate solutions to social and commercial challenges, small business coaching, and so much more. There’s onsite studios and mentors there to help guide you throughout the way. FIU doesn’t just want you to succeed they want you to thrive and enjoy the journey along the way, and I know I have. Thanks for joining me, and now it’s back to you Alex.
Great job Shadya, lovers of the arts certainly have plenty to do and learn at FIU. Thank you for sharing your story that was awesome, take care.