Theme: Unexpected Discoveries

Women’s rights activist Valeriana Chikoti-Bandua ’14
REBUILD Globally founder Julie Colombino ’03
Neurogeneticist Matthew DeGennaro
Financial analyst Omar Durrani ’13, MBA ’
Aquatic ecologist Evelyn Gaiser
Diversity advocate Isra Amin Ibrahim
Spoken word performer Christopher James ’15
Developmental psychologist Lindsay Malloy

Wertheim Performing Arts Center
11200 SW 8th St PC 515J
Miami, Florida, 33199
United States

Christopher James

Christopher James ‘15 is a spoken word artist from South Florida and an alumnus of FIU. Writing has been his creative outlet since he was a kid, allowing him to express his perception of the world. He never showed anyone his writing until he was introduced to spoken word in college; but from day one, his performances were raw and passionate, captivating each audience. He has performed and competed at events and universities around the state. Now a high school English teacher, James hopes to help kids find their own outlets for self-expression.

Evelyn Gaiser

Evelyn Gaiser is an aquatic ecologist who studies long-term dynamics of ecosystems in response to environmental change. She is the executive director of FIU’s School of Environment, Arts, and Society in the College of Arts, Sciences and Education and lead principal investigator of the Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research program.

Isra Ibrahim

Isra Amin Ibrahim is a Sudanese-American and a junior on a pre-medical track at FIU. An active participant in the FIU community, she works to create interfaith events at FIU. She co-founded FIU’s first Muslim Chaplain Office of Multi-Faith and serves as a council member for Students for Justice in Palestine.

Julie Colombino

Julie Colombino '03 is the founder and CEO of REBUILD globally, a nonprofit organization that fights poverty in Haiti through education, job training and business development. A champion for impact-oriented models promoting social change, she expanded REBUILD globally to incubate its for-profit partner, Deux Mains, a Haitian-owned and operated ethical fashion company.

Lindsay Malloy

Lindsay C. Malloy is a developmental psychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Center for Children and Families at FIU. She has devoted her career to improving the treatment of youth in the legal system, including the development of better interrogation methods and investigative interviewing techniques. Dr. Malloy’s research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the Department of Health and Human Services. She was granted early-career awards from the American Psychological Association for her contributions to science and policy concerning children, families, and the law.

Matthew DeGennaro

A neurogeneticist with 20 years’ experience in biomedical research, FIU Professor Matthew DeGennaro has used molecular genetics to address biological questions throughout his career. His work with Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which transmit the Zika virus, has revealed new knowledge about mosquito host-preference, DEET repellency and more.

Omar Durrani

Omar Durrani ‘13, MBA ‘16 works as a financial analyst Monday through Friday. On weekends, he runs his own business, Mister Omar’s Chess Academy in Pembroke Pines. With his family’s counsel, the modern, business-savvy Durrani embarked on a journey to find his soulmate through the arranged marriage process. His story will open your heart and mind to a traditional way of finding love in modern day society.

Tony Succar

Born into a family of talented musicians in Lima, Peru on May 18, 1986, Tony Succar’s very DNA must be imbued with cadence and rhythm. The Succar family moved to Miami, Florida when Tony was just two; at the ripe old age of 13, Tony’s own music career began. He says, “I was privileged to be brought up in a family of musicians: I couldn’t be more grateful.” Succar’s music education began on piano then segued to percussion. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Jazz Performance from Florida International University in 2008 and his Master’s degree in 2010.

Valeriana Chikoti-Bandua

A former refugee of Angola, Valeriana Chikoti-Bandua MA ‘14 has a passion for gender equality and socio-cultural issues that’s inspired a career advocating for the advancement of women and children from immigrant, refugee and underprivileged backgrounds. As a member of the Angolan Mission to the U.N., she worked alongside Southern African Development Committee member states to help successfully pass the HIV/AIDS girl child resolution during the U.N.’s annual Commission of the Status of Women.