Dear colleagues and friends,
This year, we proudly celebrate Florida International University’s designation as a Preeminent State Research University, a prestigious honor awarded by the Florida Board of Governors. This recognition reflects our outstanding work across student success, research and top national rankings. As the youngest university to receive this distinction, I am proud that our FIU embodies a community that is forward-thinking, innovative and unstoppable. I am also delighted to share that our university—for the first time in its history—now ranks in the Top 50 public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
We’ve had tremendous wins to celebrate, and some remarkable achievements are happening right here at the FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work. Dr. Wasim Maziak, professor of epidemiology, was named distinguished university professor at our FIU—his research on e-cigarette use is helping to test warning labels and addiction reduction strategies.
From our Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, Ph.D. candidate Gabriela Proaño Caicedo, with support from Dr. Cristina Palacios, chair and professor of dietetics and nutrition, published a paper in the prestigious The Lancet Regional Health-Americas, exploring the effectiveness of national obesity prevention strategies in Colombia.
This year, our researchers also made news waves after their study was published in Nature Medicine. Led by Dr. Diana Azzam, cancer researcher and assistant professor of environmental health sciences, the team’s work garnered widespread media coverage, from Good Morning America to the New Scientist, offering renewed hope to children with relapsed cancers.
At FIU Stempel College, we know how critical it is for our students to get experience in communicating their work to diverse audiences. During our Spring semester, we hosted an exciting competition at our college’s Research Day, encouraging graduate students to present their research across the areas of public health, social work, and dietetics and nutrition. Our students walked away winning first, second and third place awards.
This fall, we also hosted our Global Health Conference of the Americas. This annual event is one of my favorites to attend as it brings together experts from all over the world to discuss the health challenges of today, and to explore possible solutions.
All of this and more can be found in this year’s Impact Report. I hope you enjoy the latest and greatest from our college.
With gratitude,
Tomás R. Guilarte, PhD
Dean, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work
Florida International University
Miami, Florida