FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg and his wife Rosalie announced their $1 million donation to FIU for first-generation scholarships at the launch of this year’s Ignite Campaign, designed to encourage faculty and staff to give back to FIU.
“As a first-generation college graduate myself, I understand what it means to receive financial assistance to achieve the goal of obtaining a college degree,” Rosenberg said. “Our hope is that this gift will support the next generation of researchers, leaders and entrepreneurs in preparing for the workforce and to help create good jobs.”
The Rosenberg gift is the largest made by an FIU president to the university. Rosenberg, a political scientist specializing in Latin America, is also the first FIU faculty member to ascend to the university’s presidency. The Rosenbergs are the proud parents of FIU alumni, Ben and Ginelle.
Rosenberg’s career began at FIU in 1976, when he was an assistant professor of political science. In 1979, he founded FIU’s Latin American and Caribbean Center (LACC), which today is known as the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center and is one of the nation’s premier federally-supported research and teaching centers focusing on the region. He subsequently served as the founding dean of the College of Urban and Public Affairs, and as vice provost for international studies.
Additionally, Rosenberg helped lead the expansion and development of FIU into a major public research university currently ranked by Carnegie in the top tier (R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity). As provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs from 1998 to 2005, he spearheaded the establishment of the College of Law in 2002 and the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in 2006.
Rosenberg was named president of FIU in August 2009. Under his leadership, FIU has increased enrollment to 54,000 students, improved graduation rates by 13 percentage points and hired 500 new faculty members. As president, Rosenberg has provided leadership which has helped grow the institution’s budget, improve student graduation and retention rates, expand internships for enrolled students, and coordinate FIU’s emergence as a leading producer of graduates in priority national and state areas focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Under his tenure, the university has been named as a Carnegie Engaged institution, and has developed partnerships with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, JPMorgan Chase, Florida Power & Light and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
“Dr. Rosenberg is committed to making FIU a solutions center for our community,” said Claudia Puig, Univision Senior Vice President, General Manager, Local Media, and chair of FIU’s Board of Trustees. “He is driving the university to the next level by providing our students with the tools to succeed, and I’m grateful for the Rosenberg family’s generous contribution.”
In the South Florida community, Rosenberg is chair-elect of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (GMCC). He also chairs the Academic Leaders Council (ALC) for the Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County’s official economic development organization, and serves on the board of City National Bank. In addition, he has been active with other civic organizations, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Miami and United Way.
Most recently, Rosenberg was named chair of a National Academies’ committee to develop benchmark and tracking tools for STEM education. He is also an appointee to the National Academy of Science’s (NAS) study commission focusing on Barriers and Opportunities in Completing Two- and Four-Year STEM Degrees; is co-chair of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ (HACU) STEM Task Force; sits on the board for National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME); and serves on the Board of Directors of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU) where he is co-chair of the Student Performance Strand.ark
