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Stempel students completed more than 178,819 internship hours in 2017-2018.

U.S. News & World Report ranked Stempel College’s School of Public Health for the first time in the college’s history- ranking 50th among public universities and 78th out of 177 overall.

U.S. News & World Report ranked the School of Social Work 53rd among public universities and 77th out of 261 programs nationally, an 11- point improvement.

Stempel College reaches 90% second-year retention rate for 2017-2018 cohort.

Stempel College increased its research portfolio from $6.2 million in total award actions in 2016, to an amount that is now projected to surpass $23 million in 2019

Dean Guilarte recognized by NBC as Top 20 Hispanic for Hispanic Heritage Month

Dean Tomás R. Guilarte has been selected as one of NBCNews.com and NBC Latino’s top Hispanics for 2019.

Vitamin D supplementation for women during pregnancy

At the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Professor in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition Dr. Cristina Palacios has been studying the effects of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy for more than a decade. Her most recent findings showed that supplementing pregnant women with vitamin D alone probably reduces the risk of pre‐eclampsia, gestational diabetes, low birthweight and may reduce the risk of severe postpartum hemorrhage.

Student Dietetics Association teams up with Common Threads to teach children about nutrition

An estimated one third of all children in the United States are overweight or obese. While the obesity rate is possibly stabilizing, it is still alarmingly high, with more than 17 percent of children considered clinically obese.

One way to help combat this issue is through nutrition education. Unfortunately, many individuals and families do not receive formal or informal nutritional guidance.

Florida International University researchers respond with recommendations to help prevent and correct research effected by invalid data

In a response printed in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, Dr. Craig Garmendia, recent graduate from FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work; and Dr. Purnima Madhivanan, associate professor of Epidemiology at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, recommend there be guidance in the research community that would require researchers to periodically update meta-analysis results, particularly to verify when research has been altered or retracted.

Building construction employer association develops OHS assessment and referral tool

Benjamin C. Amick III, professor and chair of the department of health policy and management at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, has worked with the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) to develop INDICATOR, an assessment and referral tool that will improve job safety in construction. Amick is a senior scientist at IWH, based in Toronto, Canada, and was the principal investigator on the project.

Mentorship program supports junior faculty researchers applying for NIH grants

The Research Center in Minority Institutions (RCMI) at Stempel College recently graduated its first cohort as part of the Investigator Development Core Pilot Grant Program. Four junior faculty members completed the one-year program that helps support them in achieving their research goals, all of which are related to addressing some of our most persistent and complex national health disparities issues.

Fulbright scholar learns about health promotion, returns home inspired to affect change

Donald Yanogo chose to attend FIU to affect change in his home country of Burkina Faso.

A medical doctor, Yanogo applied for a Fulbright scholarship and to the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work to gain the skills and knowledge necessary for him to tackle health issues on a greater scale at home.

The Academy to provide EMT and paramedic education programs

The Florida Department of Health has approved FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work and The Academy of International Disaster Preparedness to provide emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic educational programs.

While drug overdoses are down, opioid epidemic is still a public health crisis

The Centers for Disease Control recently released preliminary data finding that drug overdoses in the United States are down for the first time in nearly 30 years. A severe crisis that affects public health, along with social and economic welfare, drug overdoses hit an all-time high in 2017 with about 70,000 deaths.

EHS professor receives grant to develop an automated device to support the assessment of DNA damage and repair

Dr. Marcus S. Cooke, professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, has been awarded $149,846 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to develop an automated device to support the assessment of DNA damage and repair. Facilitating such measures will help advance our knowledge of the role of DNA damage in health and disease.

The Academy of International Disaster Preparedness partners with Tel Aviv University, expands opportunities for emergency management courses

The Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of Tel Aviv in Israel to collaborate on teaching and research initiatives through the college’s Academy of International Disaster Preparedness (Academy).

The National Institutes of Health awards FIU Stempel College $2.8 million to study the effects of soluble corn fiber on bone mass

The National Institutes of Health’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has awarded Cristina Palacios, associate professor in the department of Dietetics and Nutrition at FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, a $2.8 million grant to study the effects of soluble corn fiber as a dietary supplement to optimize bone mass in adolescents.

Global Health Consortium presents at FIU in D.C.

As part of a series of FIU faculty visits to FIU in D.C., Carlos Espinal, director of the Global Health Consortium at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health, along with executives from Sanofi Pasteur, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the country and a long-time partner of FIU, recently hosted a seminar about global health collaboration in Latin America.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences awards FIU’s Stempel College $6.6 million to study Parkinson’s disease

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has awarded Kim Tieu, professor and interim chair of the department of Environmental Health Sciences at FIU’s Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, a $6.6 million grant to study how brain cells die in Parkinson’s disease and to develop effective drug therapies for this brain condition.

Brain, Behavior and the Environment Program

One of FIU’s Emerging Preeminent Programs, the Brain, Behavior and the Environment program focuses on factors that affect brain health. The transdisciplinary initiative unites the dynamic and diverse neuroscience community at FIU. Learn more about the program from post-doctoral researcher Dr. Aseel Eid and graduate student Alexander N. Rodichkin.

Social Work student gives helping hand to undocumented families

Today in the United States, nearly six million citizen children live with a family member who is undocumented, usually a parent.

Maryam Rafieifar started working with undocumented immigrants while she was a project manager for the International Committee of the Red Cross in her home country of Iran; she managed a project providing primary health care services to Afghan refugees and undocumented immigrants. The project expanded to include mental health services, referrals and social workers.

Hear it from our students: Ph.D. in Social Work

The field of Social Work allows practitioners the opportunity to improve the lives of people in society and engage in varying communities. By helping people function the best they can, Social Workers strive to improve lives on a daily basis or to change policies for the greater good.
Social Workers may lead the charge for social justice, affect policies that improve neighborhoods or work one-on-one with clients who need assistance and direction.
At Stempel College, studying Social Work is an opportunity to learn from renowned faculty who are on the frontlines of social change as well as community engagement and research.

FIU Research and Stempel College bring together national experts to discuss brain health

The Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, in partnership with the FIU Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED), recently hosted a symposium to discuss research regarding brain health and the promotion of interventions that could help alleviate the crisis related to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Laboratory training enhances science literacy for Dietetics and Nutrition students

Often times, people think of a nutritionist or dietician when they want to change the way they eat to lose or gain weight, or as the result of a larger health issue. When studying dietetics and nutrition at a research university, students quickly learn that nutrition and dietetics is so much more than that.

Health experts convene to discuss prevention and solutions at 2019 Global Health Conference

As part of the mission of the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social, the Global Health Consortium recently hosted the 2019 Global Health Conference, offering three days of cutting-edge workshops and plenary sessions themed around innovative topics and inspiring panelists and speakers. The aim of the conference was to present, analyze and discuss state-of-the art risk analysis and scientific progress on key issues of global health and the serious threats of emerging diseases. This includes new research approaches and innovative scientific and technological solutions to global threats.

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The Stempel College Story

Together for the greater good.

When Dr. Tomás R. Guilarte arrived at Florida International University in 2016, he ignited an exciting new era as dean of the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work. His vision for collaboration, innovation and evolution has elevated the college and its major disciplines—Public Health, Dietetics and Nutrition, Social Work and Disaster Preparedness—to a top-tier status. Our robust research portfolio and initiatives, as well as our emerging preeminent programs, bring our students and faculty to the forefront of their fields.

Stempel College’s unique geography at the intersection of the Americas in Miami, Fla., drives us to solve complicated health and social welfare matters afflicting the most underserved populations. And, this doesn’t change after graduation; alumni continue to contribute in meaningful ways.

Mission

To inspire groundbreaking research and education in public health, dietetics and nutrition and social welfare from within a nurturing academic environment that influences policy and promotes healthy lives—especially for the most underserved—in communities near and far.

Vision

We are shaping the future by integrating our academic disciplines for our students and sharing our innovative research and solutions to promote health and wellness around the world.

Values

We embrace the responsibility to be a force for good for our students and the diversity of our communities through ethical research and problem solving, while educating and serving with courage, integrity, fairness and respect.

Our Research

Stempel College is home to groundbreaking research programs and centers fueled by faculty, staff and students who parse problems to find answers at an accelerated pace. We research and teach to affect positive change in our communities through interventions at every possible level. Our research guides leaders, is translated into policy and processes, and ultimately, serves those who need the most support.

Learn more about research at Stempel College

We are Stempel College

A pioneering spirit drives the college forward. We have a laser-sharp focus on making discoveries—in the lab, the classroom and within the community. To maintain this momentum, we are constantly evolving the way we teach, interrelate and tell the stories behind our findings.