On behalf of the faculty, students and staff, I welcome you to the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work. At Stempel College, our students get firsthand, real-world experience as they work alongside researchers who positively impact communities here in South Florida and beyond.
As I reflect back to the beginning of my tenure, I was often asked why I came to Stempel College. The answer has always been simple: Florida International University, one of the leading minority-serving urban higher education institutions in the United States. Miami, one of the most dynamic, diverse, and rapidly growing cities in the nation and the gateway to Latin America and other parts of the world. Stempel College, we are small but mighty.
When I first visited Stempel College and met the faculty, students, and staff, I was delighted about the possibilities. As I have often said, Stempel College was a diamond in the rough, and if cut at the right angles, it would shine. AND SHINE IT HAS! From the teaching and research that our faculty and students achieve, we have quadrupled our research budget. We have also developed an impactful curriculum that has elevated our college to greater heights.
This leads me to our students. Our students are second to none, with a high success rate in graduation and employment. All of these achievements would not have been possible without the support of our dedicated and hard-working staff. They are the energy that keeps our engines humming.
Stempel College has also grown in programs and student enrollment. With the excellent work of our Office of Student and Alumni Affairs, advisors, and central recruiting staff, our student enrollment has grown quite significantly even under the most challenging and unprecedented circumstances that we are living in today.
I have never felt more gratified than when I say that I am a member of our Stempel family and our larger FIU community.
Tomás R. Guilarte, PhD
Dean, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
