Aug 3, 2009 5:57 pm US/Eastern
FIU President Mitch Maidique's Final Day
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
-
-
Modesto Maidique officially retired as FIU's president on Monday.
CBS
It was a bitter sweet day for Mitch Modesto Maidique, the man who has led the 20th largest university in the country for the past 23 years. On his last day on the job as President of Florida International University Dr. Maidique welcomed the inaugural class of the school of medicine, it was the perfect culmination to his career.
"It has been, as I like to say, a gift of destiny and I think of all things we've done nothing is more important than today completing the last piece of the medical school," said Dr. Maidique as he sat in a roomful of students and faculty.
Not only is the seeing the School of Medicine come to fruition his dream, but also that of 43 medical students who because of Dr. Maidique are fulfilling their dream. "He is the President of my dreams he put this school together and this is the school of my dreams," said Hanadys Ale, a medical student. The School of Medicine is just one of many accomplishments for Dr. Maidique; since 1986, FIU has grown from 18,000 students to 38,000 with 200 degree programs and a Law School.
Now though, it is the new President-Elect Mark Rosenberg's turn to lead the way. "There is no question he's paved the way. There is no question he's made it easier," said Rosenberg.
After 23 years at the helm of Florida International University during a ceremony Monday at the U.S. Century Bank Arena on campus, Maidique will officially turn over the presidency to Rosenberg.
"I have committed nearly all of my professional career to FIU. I love this institution and there's no place where I would rather be," Rosenberg told the Board of Trustees Search Committee. "We will work to make sure FIU is a leading student-centered urban public research university that is locally and globally engaged. We will energize our alumni network. Our graduates have a hungry heart for FIU."
Rosenberg first arrived at FIU in 1976 as a political science professor. He also served as provost before leaving to become chancellor of the Florida State University System. Rosenberg left that position and was on sabbatical as a visiting research professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee but had planned to return to FIU over the summer as a faculty member.
Maidique will continue as a management professor in the school's College of Business Administration; he will also serve as executive director of the Center of Leadership. He will also be FIU's first President Emeritus, a designation the FIU Board of Trustees conferred on him.
During Modesto's leadership, the Cuban-born President transformed FIU into South Florida's only research university, netting $100 million in grants, and securing an endowment of $100 million.
He also opened schools for law, medicine, architecture; FIU now also fields a football team that is part of the Bowl Subdivision, formerly called division 1-A.
They are huge accomplishments for a man with a vision who says of all the talents needed to lead persistence, energy and commitment are the most important.
CBS4's John MacLauchlan contributed to this report.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
2009 Dolphins Cheerleader Calendar Shoot
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments