A Preeminent Program at FIU is defined as a collaborative endeavor that demonstrates extraordinary success in providing unique learning opportunities, pioneering research and engagement while expanding FIU’s financial base. Designation as a preeminent program is recognition for outstanding contributions to enhancing the University’s reputation at the national and international level.
Each of these programs will receive support customized to their individual needs. Support may include cluster hire priority, marketing, media relations, fundraising priority, travel funds, grant proposal support, government relations assessment and priority, space priority consideration, student support priority, and/or priority for bridge funding between grants. These designations are for five years with annual renewals to ensure continued excellence.
Center for Children and Families
The Center for Children and Families is a nationally recognized, interdisciplinary clinical research center committed to improving the lives of children and families struggling with mental health concerns.
The mission of the Center for Children and Families is to (1) study the causes and nature of children’s mental health problems, (2) to develop intervention and prevention models for evidence-based, cost-effective services that can be used to treat these problems, (3) to provide services for children and families in clinic and community settings, and (4) to educate students, families, and professionals in the U.S. and abroad regarding the causes and treatment of childhood mental health and effective intervention and prevention.
Extreme Events Institute
The Extreme Events Institute (EEI), currently comprising the International Hurricane Research Center and the Disaster Resilience and Climate in the Americas program, has become a globally involved center for research, education, and training in natural hazards and disaster risk management. The Institute conducts multi-disciplinary research on hazards and vulnerabilities of all types, with emphasis on the role of pre-impact "risk drivers.” The Institute includes faculty and researchers from the social and behavioral sciences, engineering, computer science, earth and atmospheric sciences, public health, public administration, business, and architecture.
Global Forensic and Justice Center
The Global Forensic and Justice Center brings together four programs that establish FIU’s deep expertise in the arenas of forensic science, forensic services and justice administration. The institute is an innovative, multidisciplinary resource that supports education, professional training, scientific research, technology transfer, and legal and policy initiatives related to criminal, computer, nuclear and environmental forensics.
The work and goals of the Global Forensic and Justice Center rely on the collaboration of renowned university entities that have for years served as authoritative institutions within the field, including the International Forensic Research Institute, the Center for the Administration of Justice, the Center for Advanced Research in Forensic Sciences and the National Forensic Science Technology Center@FIU.
Institute for Resilient and Sustainable Coastal Infrastructure
The Institute for Resilient and Sustainable Coastal Infrastructure (InteRaCt) identifies engineering solutions for challenges faced by aging infrastructure and develops innovative and economical technologies for the creation of resilient and sustainable communities. The economic prosperity of the United States is closely related to the health of the nation’s infrastructure, which includes transportation, communication, sewage, water and electric systems.
InteRaCt is an umbrella organization that incorporates bridge engineering, the University Transportation Center (ABC-UTC), the Lehman Center for Transportation Research and focus groups for water resources engineering and corrosion engineering.
Institute of Environment
The Institute of Environment brings together one of the largest groups of faculty and students associated with environmental science in the United States. We are taking the uncertainty out of long-term sustainability. A comprehensive solutions center, we are dedicated to combating environmental crises that devastate ecosystems, disrupt communities and destroy natural resources.
This preeminent program includes the FIU Sea Level Solutions Center, NSF-funded CREST Center for Aquatic Chemistry and Environment (CAChE), NSF-funded Florida Coastal Everglades LTER, the Medina Aquarius Program, the FIU International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong, the FIU Tropical Conservation Institute, the FIU Agroecology Program and the former Southeast Environmental Research Center and Center for Coastal Oceans Research. From ridge to reef, institute researchers are addressing both current and unprecedented future threats of environmental change, providing data-driven solutions to society's greatest and most urgent challenges.
STEM Transformation Institute
The STEM Transformation Institute is dedicated to advancing educational research, practice and policy that facilitates educational change across the k20 educational landscape. The Institute leverages multidisciplinary collaborations across the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, College of Engineering & Computing and university to engage stakeholders across our community: students, faculty, administrators, local K12 systems, local colleges, business and industry, foundations and national education organizations.
The Institute situates FIU as a living laboratory for developing future STEM professionals, especially those from statistically underrepresented groups, as a response to national calls for 100,000 new STEM teachers and an additional 1,000,000 STEM professionals by 2020. Through its mission, the Institute simultaneously is increasing the number of well-prepared STEM professionals, including teachers, graduating from FIU and entering the workforce.
Emerging Preeminent Programs
Of course, these are not the only exceptional programs on campus. We know that impactful work is happening university-wide in numerous top ranked programs in a variety of fields. Our focus on these additional strategic programs will help lift the prestige of our entire University as we focus on student success and research preeminence.