FIU experts are available to discuss 2022 elections and a wide range of topics including foreign relations, the economy, voting, immigration and reproductive rights.

If you have any questions or need assitance, contact the Office of Media Relations. 

Kathryn DePalo-Gould University instructor, Department of Politics and International Relations Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs DePalo has extensive experience in state and local government processes and elections both in Connecticut and Florida. She has managed several campaigns, including a successful countywide judicial campaign in Broward County, Florida. Her teaching focus is American politics, including judicial process, gender and politics, and state and local government. DePalo’s primary research interest is in Florida politics. She has published on topics such as state judicial selection, the effects of gender in state legislative politics, and career paths of term-limited legislators.  Cell: 954-608-8368 Email: depalok@fiu.edu

Brian Fonseca Director, Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy  Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Fonseca serves as the institute’s technical expert for national security and foreign policy. He has been featured in local and national media analyzing the 2016, 2018, 2020 U.S. general elections. He currently serves as the political analyst for WSVN Channel 7 (Fox network affiliate). Fonseca is also an international Security Fellow at the DC-based think tank New America. Fonseca joined FIU after serving as the senior research manager for socio-cultural analysis at United States Southern Command. From 1997 to 2004, he served in the United States Marine Corps and facilitated the training of foreign military forces in both hostile theaters and during peacetime operations. Office: 305-348-7420 Cell: 305-218-6323 Email: fonsecab@fiu.edu

Eduardo Gamarra Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Eduardo Gamarra has conducted two polls on Hispanic voters in the U.S. and Florida. He also has done research on the regional dynamics of Latin America, including Cuba’s role. As an expert in Bolivia and the Andean region, he has followed closely the alliances formed by Fidel Castro, Bolivian President Evo Morales and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Gamarra has also studied drug trafficking in the Caribbean and the effects of American policies in regional dynamics. He has testified in front of U.S. Congress several times and is the author of more than half a dozen books and more than forty academic articles on Latin America. Gamarra is available for interviews in English and Spanish.  Cell: 786-253-4898 Email: Eduardo.Gamarra@fiu.edu

Guillermo Grenier Chair, Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Grenier is a professor of sociology and lead researcher in charge of the FIU Cuba Poll, which measures the attitudes and opinions of Cuban Americans in South Florida on issues ranging from their support for the U.S. embargo to their party preference. In addition to the poll, he is the author of books such as “Miami Now: Immigration, Ethnicity and Social Change;” “Legacy of Exile: Cubans in the United States;” and “This Land is Our Land: Newcomers and Established Residents in Miami,” in which he is a co-author. He has also written numerous articles on labor and ethnic issues in the United States. Grenier is available for interviews in English and Spanish. Office: 305-348-3217 Cell: 305-388-6469 Email: Guillermo.Grenier@fiu.edu

Sara Moats  Associate professor, Department of Politics and International Relations Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Moats has an interest in group politics and studies group interactions from several perspectives. Her research analyzes how and why organized interests become involved with foreign governments and intergovernmental organizations, and why a group would expand beyond the domestic political arena to lobby additional venues. Moats is currently examining group involvement in several different policy areas, including environmental policy and human rights. Office: 305-348-4279 Cell: 304-282-5159 Email: sara.moats@fiu.edu

Dario Moreno Associate professor, Department of Politics & International Relations  Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Moreno holds a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and conducts research on Miami politics, Florida politics, and Cuban American politics. He has published over 20 scholarly articles, book chapters, and two books. Moreno is a nationally recognized expert on Florida and Miami politics and is often quoted in both national and local media. He has been a Pew Scholar at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a Fulbright scholar in Costa Rica. He teaches courses on Miami politics, Cuban politics, Florida politics and urban politics Office: 305-349-3854 Email: dario.moreno@fiu.edu or darmrn@aol.com

Randy Pestana Associate director of cybersecurity policy, Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Pestana specializes in international relations with a focus on U.S. foreign policy, electoral politics, global security and U.S.-Latin American relations. His work examines governance and security in the Western Hemisphere including U.S. national security strategy, cybersecurity, civil-military relations and rule of law. Pestana was charged with leading the Gordon Institute’s 2016 and 2020 Presidential Election coverage and has conducted numerous interviews with both local and national media. Pestana is an adjunct professor for the Green School and the Honors College.  Office: 305-348-0114 Email: rpestana@fiu.edu

Alex Crowther Visiting professor, Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy  Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Prior to coming to FIU, Crowther worked on cyber and European issues at the National Defense University (NDU) in Washington, D.C. and continues to lecture on cybersecurity at the Organization of American States (OAS) as well cyber law/crime/terror at NDU’s College of Information and Cyberspace (CIC).  Email: gcrowthe@fiu.edu Nagarajan Prabakar Associate professor, School of Computing and Information Sciences Undergraduate director, cybersecurity program College of Engineering & Computing Prabakar has more than 30 years in the field of computing and extensive expertise in the field of cybersecurity. Prabakar can discuss what security vulnerabilities within the U.S. network allow cybersecurity attacks to happen and what can be done to prevent future attacks. Office: 305-348-2033 Office: prabakar@cis.fiu.edu   Selcuk Uluagac Associate professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering College of Engineering & Computing Uluagac is a cybersecurity professor who currently leads the Cyber-Physical Systems Security Lab (CSL). His research focuses on cybersecurity and privacy with an emphasis on its practical and applied aspects. Phone: 305-348-3710 Email:suluagac@fiu.edu

Davina Clarke Instructor, Department of Communication College of Communication, Architecture & the Arts Clarke has more than 15 years of teaching experience in communication and is the director for business communication at FIU. Her interests include persuasion, nonverbal communication, conflict management, and business communication. Office: 305-348-9056 Email: daclarke@fiu.edu

Phillip M. Carter Assistant professor, Cuban Research Institute Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Director, Center for the Humanities in an Urban Environment College of Arts, Sciences & Education Carter is a sociolinguist and a scholar of language and culture in U.S. Latino communities specializing in issues related to language in U.S. Latino communities, including Spanish in the United States, Spanish/English bilingualism, Spanish in U.S. politics, and popular discourses about language. Carter teaches courses at FIU on sociolinguistics, language in U.S. Latino communities, languages and cultures and the world, gender and language, and others. Carter is affiliate faculty in FIU’s Cuban Research Institute, Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, African and African Diaspora Studies Program and Women’s and Gender Studies Program. Office: 305-348-1149 Cell: 213-359-6215 Email: pmcarter@fiu.edu

Jorge Duany Director, Cuban Research Institute Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Jorge Duany is director of the Cuban Research Institute and a professor of anthropology. He earned his Ph.D. in Latin American Studies, specializing in anthropology, at the University of California, Berkeley. He also holds an M.A. in social sciences from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in psychology from Columbia University. Duany has published extensively on migration, ethnicity, race, nationalism, and transnationalism in the Caribbean and the United States. He is available for Spanish language interviews. Office: 305-348-1991 Email: joduany@fiu.edu

Eduardo Gamarra Please see bio above under National Politics.

Deanne Butchey Teaching professor, Department of Finance College of Business Butchey performs research in Environmental, Social, and Governance Investing and Analysis including CEO compensation and sustainability issues. She can discuss short- and long-term changes in markets and stages in investment process. Before joining FIU, Butchey worked as an Investment Banker and Financial Services Stock Research Analyst at Credit Suisse First Boston in their Toronto offices. Prior to this, she was a stockbroker at Scotia McLeod and Merrill Lynch in Toronto. Office: 305-348-7238 Cell: 954-257-4911 Email: butcheyd@fiu.edu

José M. Gabilondo Professor of law College of Law Prior to joining FIU Law, Gabilondo worked in financial market regulation at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the World Bank. Gabilondo teaches tax and corporate finance. His scholarship focuses on debt markets and heterosexual subject formation in law. He is a nationally recognized commentator in Spanish-language media on financial and economic matters. Gabilondo is available for interviews in English and Spanish.  Cell: 305-710-5656 Email: jose.gabilondo@fiu.edu

Jerry Haar Professor, Department of International Business College of Business Haar was director of Washington Programs for the Council of the Americas, a New York-based business association of over 200 corporations comprising a majority of U.S. private investment in Latin America and served as special assistant to two cabinet secretaries. He can address issues of international business and economics including the economies of Latin America, financial markets, and competitiveness. Haar is available for interviews in English and Spanish. Office: 305-919-4222 Cell: 786-338-5100 Email:  haarj@fiu.edu

Tobias Pfutze Assistant professor and graduate director, Department of Economics Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Pfutze is a professor of economics whose research focuses on health, labor and institutional economics, primarily in middle income countries in Latin America. His research has been published in leading academic journals in these fields. His current work is focused on Mexico’s tax financed health insurance program. Pfutze is available for interviews in English and Spanish. Office: 305-348-231 Email: tpfutze@fiu.edu

Manuel Lasaga Clinical professor, Department of Finance College of Business As a business economist, Lasaga has more than 25 years’ experience advising entrepreneurs, multinational corporations, financial institutions, government agencies and professional services firms. He has a nationally recognized capability for independent analysis of the Florida, U.S., and Latin American economies and financial markets and is an advisor to banks in the areas of strategic planning and asset/liability management. He is also an investment advisor. He has held high-level positions with Citicorp in New York, Wharton Econometrics in Philadelphia and Southeast Bank in Miami. In addition, he has consulted for 18 years with the World Bank, specializing in the evaluation of capital markets and development projects in emerging markets. Lasaga is available for interviews in English and Spanish. Office: 305-348-8307 Email:mlasaga@fiu.edu

Jorge Salazar-Carrillo Professor of economics and director, Center of Economic Research Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Salazar is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a consultant for both the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). His areas of interest include economic integration, international trade and finance and labor economics. He has conducted research on Venezuela’s oil sector and Latin America’s capital markets in the 1990s. He has also published two books on Cuba and has a third coming out this fall from Transaction Press. Salazar-Carillo is available for interviews in English and Spanish. Office: 305-348-3283 Cell: 305-915-0063 Email: Jorge.Salazar-Carrillo@fiu.edu Mihaela Pintea Associate professor, Department of Economics Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Pintea is an associate professor of economics whose research interests span macroeconomics, economic growth and development, as well as demographic economics. She has worked on public policy and the way governments can affect growth through taxation and the provision of public goods; how R&D, learning, structural change and international trade affect labor productivity; and how family structure affects female labor participation and household welfare. Office: 305-348-3733 Cell: 786-546-3802 Email:pinteam@fiu.edu

Mark del Pezzo Associate teaching professor, Department of Finance College of Business del Pezzo is a CFA and former investment banker and portfolio manager for numerous depository institutions and trust departments. The courses he teaches include advanced investments and financial management. He has worked as a portfolio manager at both Raymond James and Deutsch Bank. Office: 305-348-8459 Cell: 904-707-8992 Email: mdelpezz@fiu.edu

Eduardo Gamarra Please see bio above under National Politics.

Jerry Haar Please see bio above under Economy.

Jose Miguel Cruz Director of research, Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Cruz is an expert in criminal violence, gangs, police, democratization, and public opinion in Latin America. He was the director of the University Institute of Public Opinion at the University of Central America in San Salvador from 1994 to 2006 and has worked as a consultant for organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank. In addition to his work at the Green Center, Cruz is a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations. Office: 305-348-2556 Email: jose.cruz6@fiu.edu

Tatiana Kostadinova  Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Kostadinova’s research and teaching interests include Central and Eastern European political institutions with a special emphasis on elections, electoral systems and electoral behavior; institutional reform; democratic transition; political corruption; comparative public policy; and public support for foreign policies. Kostadinova teaches undergraduate courses in Russian and Eastern European politics, electoral behavior, and research methods, and graduate courses in institutional choice, democratic transitions, political parties, and advanced research. She has also conducted field work in Bulgaria, Serbia and Macedonia. Kostadinova has authored and co-authored articles, book chapters and book reviews. Kostadinova can talk about U.S. diplomatic relations with Russia. She is fluent in English, Bulgarian and Russian. Office: 305-348-4493

David Kramer Senior fellow, Vaclav Havel Program for Human Rights and Diplomacy Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs An internationally known expert on Russia and U.S.-Russia relations, the Ukraine and human rights, Kramer is the former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor under President George W. Bush. Kramer is available to speak on all aspects of U.S. foreign policy toward Russia, including Russian cyberattacks, the spread of “fake news,” and Russian military intervention in Ukraine, Crimea and Syria. He has written extensively for The Washington Post,  Politico,  Foreign Policy and  The American Interest. Office: 214-200-4366 Email: DKramer@bushcenter.org

Markus Thiel Director, EU/Jean Monnet Center of Excellence Associate professor, Department of Politics and International Relations  Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Thiel’s areas of expertise include the politics of the European Union and Western Europe, as well as its political sociology and identity. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on international relations, comparative Western European politics, European Union Politics, international relations of Europe, and international organizations. He has published several articles and book chapters at the European Union Center of Excellence and others. Thiel is a research associate at the Miami-Florida European Union Center of Excellence and is an affiliated faculty member of the FIU European Studies Program. Thiel is available for interviews for European-Union related questions on the immigration crisis in Europe and other topics. Office: 305-348-4493 Email:thielm@fiu.edu

Eric Lob Associate professor, Department of Politics and International Relations Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Lob’s research focuses on the intersection of development and politics in the Middle East. His research specifically examines how state and non-state actors in the region use development to further their political interests domestically and internationally.  He has conducted extensive fieldwork in Iran, Lebanon, and Syria. Lob teaches courses on Middle Eastern politics and international relations, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and political violence and revolution. Lob can speak about the Middle East’s historical and contemporary issues, events, policies, developments, and trends, such as America’s allies and local governments, popular uprisings and regional instability (Iraq, Syria, and Yemen), the U.S. invasion of Iraq and rise of ISIS/ISIL, the Saudi-Iranian rivalry and Iranian nuclear program, and Israeli-Palestinian conflict and peace. Cell: 914-261-3225 Email:elob@fiu.edu

Cyra Akila Choudhury Professor College of Law Choudhury teaches Family Law, Information and Data Privacy Law, Law and Science and Technology, Law and Artificial Intelligence: Robots, Algorithms and Justice, Women in the Law, African American and Minority Jurisprudence, Sales, and Islamic Law. She is co-editor of “Islamophobia and the Law,” a field-defining book conceptualized by her and that brings together scholarship on Islamophobia in the U.S. As an acknowledged expert in comparative and international human rights and gender law, transnational surrogacy, law in Muslim majority countries, and Muslims as minorities, and legal theories of gender and race, she has appeared on television and interviewed by local and national media. Her current work focuses on the role of technology in family, surveillance technology and race and gender, law, and privacy, and technology and democracy. Office: 305-348-1153 Cell: 240-462-1603 Email:choudhuc@fiu.edu

Eduardo Gamarra Please see bio above under National Politics. 

Guillermo Grenier Please see bio above under National Politics.

Ediberto Román Professor College of Law Román is a nationally acclaimed scholar and an award-winning educator. Before entering academia, he specialized in securities and antitrust litigation at several Wall Street law firms. His teaching experience includes contracts, torts, corporations, comparative corporate law, products liability, agency and partnership, antitrust, citizenship studies, law and accounting, race and the law, remedies and street law. He has been asked to testify before governmental bodies on immigration reform and has visited the White House on several occasions to address matters related to immigration policy, and the judicial vacancy debate. His principal research interest involves analyzing the construction and interpretation of constitutional law and immigration policy. His research deals with the intersection of, on one hand, citizenship law, immigration law, public international law, and constitutional law and, on the other hand, theoretical perspectives based on classic philosophy, neo-liberal theory, critical race theory, post-colonial studies, diaspora literature, and social theory generally. Areas of interest and expertise include constitutional law, civil rights and diversity issues. Office: 305-348-7254 Cell: 954-326-6645 Email: romane@fiu.edu

Sebastian Arcos Assistant director, Cuban Research Institute Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Arco’s father and uncle were active participants in Castro’s revolutionary movement and briefly held important governmental positions but were soon disillusioned by the new regime’s totalitarian nature. His entire family was arrested and sent to prison for attempting to leave Cuba illegally in 1981. In 1987 he joined the Cuban Committee for Human Rights (CCPDH), the first independent Cuban human rights organization, and was part of the CCPDH team who met with the Special Group from the UN Commission on Human Rights who visited the island in 1988. He was finally allowed to leave Cuba in 1992. For three consecutive years (1995, 1996, 1997) Arcos was part of the Freedom House delegation to the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland. He later advised the U.S. Department of State on issues concerning human rights in Cuba between 1998 and 2000. Arcos is available for interviews in English and Spanish. Office: 305-348-7250 Cell: 305-431-4576 Email: Sebastian.Arcos@fiu.edu

Dr. Eneida O. Roldan CEO, FIU HealthCare Network Associate dean for Internal Affairs Associate dean, Master in Physician Assistant Studies Professor, Department of Pathology Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Dr. Roldan is the immediate past CEO and President for the Jackson Health System in Miami, one of the largest safety net health systems in the country. Prior to this role, she was court-appointed as President and CEO of Pan American Hospital, a Miami-Dade community hospital under Chapter 11 that successfully emerged from bankruptcy under her leadership. Roldan has over 30 years’ experience in the health care industry having served in multiple roles both in the private and public sector including administrative roles in the non-for-profit and for-profit sectors; private practice; consulting, and in academia (nationally and internationally). Roldan is a known national and international speaker in the areas of obesity, health policy, health care reform, health care management and systems and leadership. In addition to her medical, public health and business degrees; she has attained Wharton alumni status at the prestigious Wharton (Business) School of the University of Pennsylvania. Roldan is available for interviews in English and Spanish.  To speak with Dr. Roldan, please contact Ileana Varela at 305-348-4926, ilvarela@fiu.edu

Cyra Choudhury Please see bio above under Immigration.

José M. Gabilondo Please see bio above under Economy.

Melba Pearson Policy director, Center for the Administration of Justice  Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs  Pearson is a civil rights and criminal law attorney who oversees technical assistance, training, and community engagement efforts at the Center for the Administration of Justice. Her primary assignment is the MacArthur Foundation-funded Prosecutorial Performance Indicators' project, which aims to improve prosecutorial offices' efficiency, effectiveness and fairness through research, technical assistance, and communications support. Before joining FIU, Pearson served as the Deputy Director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida for three years. She was part of the leadership team who helped pass Amendment 4 in 2018 - the historic voting rights amendment which re-enfranchised people with felony convictions in Florida. Before joining the ACLU, Pearson was an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County for 16 years. She is a frequent guest lecturer on a wide array of law enforcement concerns. Cell: 305-491-2404 Email:mpearson@fiu.edu

Stephen Leatherman Professor, Department of Earth and Environment College of Arts, Sciences & Education Stephen Leatherman is a coastal scientist who is an expert in sea-level rise, storm impacts, beach erosion and rip currents. Leatherman is internationally known as “Dr. Beach” for his annual selection of the “Top 10 Beaches” in the United States. Office: 305-348-6304 or 305-348-1339 Email: leatherm@fiu.edu

Jayantha Obeysekera Research Professor, FIU’s Sea Level Solutions Center Institute of Environment College of Arts, Sciences & Education Obeysekera previously served as chief modeler at the South Florida Water Management District, where he had a leading role in modeling of the Everglades and Kissimmee River and Everglades restoration projects. He was co-author of the sea level rise projections report published by NOAA for the National Climate Assessment. He also co-authored a report on regional sea level projections for Department of Defense facilities across the globe. Obeysekera can talk about hurricanes as they relate to sea level rise, climate change, flooding and water management. He has extensive media experience, including print and broadcast. Office: 305-348-4493 Email: jobeysek@fiu.edu

Edward Glab Director, FIU Global Energy Security and Sustainability Forum Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy  Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Glab has over four decades of experience in the energy field, including 25 years as an international business executive in the oil and gas, coal and minerals sectors. Glab is an expert on various aspects of the global energy industry, including political risk analysis and government relations, and he has conducted business and academic work in every country of Latin America and dozens of other around the world from Asia and Africa to Europe and Australia. Glab speaks Spanish and has published in the areas of energy, Latin American politics and communications. Glab is available for interviews in English and Spanish. Cell: 305-299-7155 Email:ewgjr66@gmail.com

Scott Fingerhut Assistant Director, Trial Advocacy Program, College of Law Fellow, Honors College Now in his 34th year as a trial lawyer and 23rd year of full-time law teaching, Fingerhut teaches Trial Advocacy, Criminal and Civil Pretrial Practice, and Criminal Procedure. He devotes himself in court to criminal defense, trial and appeal, and representing applicants seeking admission before the Florida Board of Bar Examiners and lawyers facing Florida Bar discipline. Consistently ranked among the region’s top criminal defense lawyers, Fingerhut has twice served as chair of The Florida Bar Criminal Procedure Rules Committee and has also served as chair of the Criminal Law Section of the Bar. Currently he is a member of The Bar’s Professional Ethics Committee, the Code & Rules of Evidence Committee, and the Criminal Law Section Executive Council, also serving as section CLE co-chair. Fingerhut also serves on a State of Florida Professionalism Panel for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Most recently, he was selected to serve as a subject matter expert for the Florida Board of Bar Examiners’ Practice Analysis Panel. Fingerhut can speak to criminal and civil justice systems, legal ethics and lawyer regulation. Office: 305-348-3182 Cell: 305-975-3837 Email:Fingerhut@fiu.edu

Tim Goddard Associate professor, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Goddard studies criminal justice and crime policy trends in the U.S, Canada, the U.K., and Australia. He can speak to the subject of releasing non-violent offenders. Although his current research focuses on youth offender interventions and community-based crime prevention, much of his research overlaps with the subject of releasing non-violent offenders. Goddard teaches courses in criminal justice and public policy, and punishment and society. Cell: 305-348-4873 Email: tgoddard@fiu.edu

Besiki Luka Kutateladze Associate professor, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs Kutateladze’s research focuses on prosecution, inequality, racial justice, and LGBTQ hate crimes. He is an internationally recognized expert in the development of performance indicators and played a crucial role in the development of the United Nations Rule of Law Indicators, a tool developed by the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, for assessing the rule of law in post-conflict situations. He is currently researching the nature and scope of hate crimes against LGBTQ individuals in Miami. Cell: 917-637-0844 Email: bkutatel@fiu.edu 

Melba Pearson Please see bio above under Reproductive Rights.

José M. Gabilondo Please see bio above under Economy.

Suzanna Rose Associate provost, Office to Advance Women, Equity & Diversity  College of Arts, Sciences & Education Rose is a professor of psychology and women’s and gender studies. She is the lead investigator for FIU’s NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant that is aimed at improving the recruitment, promotion and retention of women and underrepresented minority faculty at FIU. A key research project associated with the grant includes the development of an evidence-based Bystander Leadership Program to reduce gender and race bias in faculty hiring, promotion, and retention. Rose has published extensively on issues related to gender, race, and sexual orientation, including professional networks, career development, leadership, friendship, and personal relationships. She has consulted with many universities both nationally and internationally concerning strategies for recruiting and retaining women faculty in science and engineering.  Email:srose@fiu.edu

Melba Pearson Please see bio above under Reproductive Rights.

Elena Bastida Professor and chair, Department of Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work Bastida’s research focus is gerontology; specifically behavior, expectation, aging norms and aging stereotypes. She led the 12-year Border Epidemiologic Study on Aging (NIH-BESA). Bastida also conducts NIH supported community based participatory research on Latino health. Her teaching has received statewide and national recognition with two national role model awards for research mentoring of minority students. She works closely with Pan American Health and Latin American universities in advancing research and training throughout the region. In 2009 she received the Public Health Hero Award from Research America.  Office: 305-348-7789  Email:elena.bastida@fiu.edu

Walter D'Lima Assistant professor, Tibor and Sheila Hollo School of Real Estate College of Business D’Lima is an assistant professor at the Hollo School of Real Estate. His areas of expertise and research focuses on commercial real estate, information asymmetry, institutional investment, mortgage markets, and housing and urban economics. He has also taught seminars in international real estate. Office: 305-779-7891 Email:wdlima@fiu.edu

Kenneth G. Furton Director, FIU Global Forensic and Justice Center College of Arts, Sciences & Education Furton is the executive director of the Global Forensic and Justice Center and the chief scientific officer of FIU. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors as well as the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. He has received significant attention in recent years for ground-breaking work using dogs and sensors to detect humans, drugs, currency, accelerants, explosives, mass storage devices, invasive species and medical conditions including the coronavirus disease. His expertise includes forensic policy and standards, and global forensic justice issues. Office: 727-395-2511 Email:Furtonk@fiu.edu

Max Houck Research assistant professor and graduate program director, FIU Global Forensic and Justice Center College of Arts, Sciences & Education An international expert in the forensic sciences, Houck has nearly 30 years of expertise in casework, research, speaking, and writing. His committee work includes the White House, the National Academies of Science, the Royal Society, and Interpol. Houck is one of the most published professionals in his field. He is Editor-in-Chief of Forensic Science International: Synergy, a Gold Open Access journal. His expertise covers forensic policy including ghost guns and cold cases, science education, and forensic intelligence. Office: 727-395-2511 Email:mhouck@fiu.edu

Gerald LaPorte Director of Research Innovation, FIU Global Forensic and Justice Center College of Arts, Sciences & Education LaPorte is a forensic scientist and researcher with 27 years of experience in the forensic and law enforcement communities. LaPorte oversees forensic initiatives related to education, training, research, and cyber. He further liaises with faculty from computer science and engineering, nursing, law, and criminal justice to collaborate on forensic science related research and technology innovation. One of his primary responsibilities is to bridge the gap between academic research and operationalization of technology-based tools to enhance criminal justice applications that are usable in the field. His expertise covers forensic policy, forensic practice, and global forensic justice issues. Office: 727-395-2511 Email:glaporte@fiu.edu

Kevin Lothridge Deputy executive director, FIU Global Forensic and Justice Center College of Arts, Sciences & Education Lothridge is a well-respected forensic scientist and business leader with more than with 28 years of experience in the international forensic community. His science and technical background, coupled with his business acumen and natural leadership abilities has enabled his rise from drug chemist to laboratory director to executive roles in both the National Forensic Science Technology Center and FIU’s Global Forensic and Justice Center. His expertise covers multiple areas of forensic science, including global forensic justice issues, forensic policy, and forensic intelligence and practice. Office: 727-395-2511 Email: klothrid@fiu.edu

Aileen Izquierdo Chair, Communication Department Associate teaching professor and faculty director, M.S. in Global Strategic Communications College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts Izquierdo is a communications professional with more than 20 years of strategic communications, branding and crisis communications experience, having held executive, management positions as vice president for communications at Broward College and Florida Atlantic University. Izquierdo was the first vice president for communications and marketing at both of these institutions. She also was the first Hispanic vice president in FAU’s history. Izquierdo is available for interviews in English and Spanish. Office: 305-919-4429 Hugo Ottolenghi Assistant teaching professor College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts Ottolenghi has taught public relations, mass communications and journalism classes at the undergraduate and graduate level at FIU as an adjunct for 12 years. He is certified in online and hybrid instruction. He has worked in public relations for nearly a decade, serving businesses and professionals, and consulting with public relations firms.  Office: 305-919-4411

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