SigEp alumni leaders reflect on fraternity’s 35 years at FIU

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Alumni Thomas Jelke, Ph.D. ’90 and Sean Gazitúa ’04 remain actively involved with SigEp and FIU as mentors, fundraisers and volunteer leaders. Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, better known around campus as SigEp, celebrated its 35th anniversary at FIU with an alumni reunion at Cerveceria La Tropical in Miami on April 2. The celebration came on the […]

Two-time alumnus George Corton named FIU Vice President of Development and Innovation Philanthropy

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George Corton, a fundraising professional with more than 18 years of experience, has been promoted to Vice President of Development and Innovation Philanthropy at Florida International University. Corton, an alumnus who received his bachelor’s and MBA degrees from FIU, has served the university for nearly 16 years, including as Chief Development Officer/ Senior Associate Vice […]

Alumnus John McKibbon ’75 makes $5M gift to FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

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–By Ivonne Amor John McKibbon and his wife Letitia have made a $5 million gift to the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management that will enhance alumni outreach, implement formal integration of technology and innovation into the curriculum, and create student scholarships at the top-10 U.S. public hospitality school from which he graduated. The McKibbon […]

Chief Alumni Officer’s Corner: August 2021

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Greetings, Panthers! Seven months ago, to the day, I began my journey at FIU. I packed up the moving truck amid 23 inches of fresh snow in Cleveland, Ohio, and journeyed on down to Miami. As I write this, I think of the theme song from the ’70s sitcom “The Jeffersons.” The song began with, […]

A farewell message from outgoing FIU Alumni Association President Michael Hernandez ’04, MPA ’11

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FIU Alumni Association President Michael Hernandez ’04, MPA ’11 shared the following message with his fellow board members on April 21, 2021, at his final board meeting as president. Hernandez is succeeded by alumna and board member Gina Duarte-Romero ’91, M.Ed. ’08. My Fellow Board Members – It has been a decade since Bill Draughon […]

305 Give Day 2021 beats last year’s record

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The results are in: 673 alumni and other Panther family members from 23 states banded together last week to support our FIU on 305 Give Day 2021! The annual event encourages alumni to give in the spirit of “The 305” on March 5 (3/05) – a day many Miamians affectionately consider Miami’s holiday. The second-annual […]

Brian Breittholz named new FIU AVP for alumni relations

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–By Clara-Meretan Kiah and Todd Ellenberg for FIU News Brian Breittholz is FIU’s new associate vice president for alumni relations and chief alumni officer. Breittholz, an accomplished higher education leader with a wealth of experience in alumni relations, development, student affairs and communications, joins FIU after serving seven years as Cleveland State University’s (CSU) assistant vice president for alumni affairs and executive […]

Alumnus creates film for Amazon Prime Video using smartphone

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–By Zion Sealy for FIU News Award-winning filmmaker Gabriel Rhenals ’16 produced his first full-length feature film “For My Sister”—now streaming on Amazon Prime Video—on his smartphone. In 2019, Rhenals was looking for a simple, cost-effective way of creating the movie; he decided to film the entire production using his Samsung Galaxy S9+. “There was […]

Alumnus shares experience as political analyst for Telemundo during election season

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–By Katherine Dagand for FIU News Alumnus Michael Hernandez ’04, MPA ’11 has had an extensive career in public affairs. He worked both Obama campaigns in 2008 and 2012 and served as the director of communications and senior advisor for Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Giménez for four years. He’s currently a senior vice president […]

New FIU Young Alumni Network hosts wellness, professional development, financial literacy ‘Growth Conference’ for students, recent grads

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On August 15, the FIU Alumni Association and Young Alumni Network (YAN) hosted the 2020 Growth Conference, designed to equip students and recent graduates with tools to succeed in the workplace after graduation. “GrowthCon” brought together prominent alumni and other industry leaders on Zoom to help attendees identify goals and strategize their paths to personal […]