Florida International University

W100 Representative

Anthony Rionda
Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications, Government and External Affairs

Anthony Rionda serves as FIU’s Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications, Government and External Affairs, where he works to support the University’s agenda at the local, state and federal level. In his role, he has helped develop innovative advocacy strategies and campaigns, advocacy communications initiatives, and innovative academic and student initiatives. In 2015 Professor Rionda was appointed a Fellow of the FIU Honors College where he teaches two courses on government and leadership. He is actively engaged in the South Florida community and serves as a member of the Miami-Dade County Historic Preservation Board. Rionda is a Miami native and a three-time FIU graduate, holding a B.A. in Political Science, an M.P.A. from the Green School of International and Public Affairs, and a J.D. from the College of Law.

FIU is Miami’s public research university. Offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, both on campus and fully online. FIU is worlds ahead in its service to the academic and local community.

Designated a Preeminent State Research University, FIU emphasizes research as a major component in the university’s mission. The Robert Stempel School of Public Health and Social Work and the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences’ Discovery Lab are just two of many colleges, schools and setting new standards through research initiatives.

For more than 50 years, FIU has positioned itself as one of South Florida’s anchor institutions by solving some of the greatest challenges of our time. We are dedicated to enriching the lives of the local and global community. With a student body of more than 56,000, we are among the largest universities in the nation and have collectively graduated more than 300,000 alumni, 165,000 of whom live and work in South Florida.

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FIU Follow 38,540 63,091

Home of the #FIUPanthers, Miami’s Public Research University making a real impact in Florida and the 🌎. Follow us: fiuinstagram

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FIU’s core values encompass teamwork, excellence, innovation, and service.

“Half sprawling city, half tropical wilderness, all progress. We’re proud to call Miami our home. It’s a dynamic hotspot for innovation and creation. This multilingual, multinational city puts the “I” in FIU.

Where others see challenges, we see opportunity. Our research and service efforts take aim at the unique issues Miami faces in climate change, globalizing economy, major population shifts and more.”

Mission and vision

  • Mission
    FIU's mission is to provide high-quality teaching, research, and creative activities while engaging with both local and global communities. FIU also seeks to create pathways for underrepresented students to access higher education.
  • Vision
    FIU’s vision focuses on student-centred learning, economic mobility, research, creative activities, and transformative innovations. The university also aims to be recognised as a top 50 public university.

FIU is classified as a Carnegie Very High Research institution.

Florida International University (FIU) aspires to be recognised as a top 50 public university by excelling in student-centred learning and promoting upward economic mobility. The university is committed to producing socially impactful research and fostering creativity while driving transformative innovations on both local and global scales. FIU’s Next Horizon 2025 strategic plan builds on the achievements of previous initiatives, continuing the dedication to exceptional learner success and maintaining the highest standards of university research and innovation.

As South Florida’s only public R1: Doctoral University—Highest Research Activity, FIU is proud of its strong record of service to the community and its students. The university’s research agenda enriches both the intellectual and material aspects of life for students, their families, and the wider community. Building on its BeyondPossible2020 strategic plan, FIU’s Next Horizon 2025 offers a clear path to amplify its research impact, providing solutions to real-world challenges.

FIU’s research is geared towards addressing scientific, social, and economic challenges both in Florida and across the nation. The research conducted by FIU’s faculty directly contributes to local economic development and problem-solving, while also creating high-skill, high-wage jobs for the community. As an urban research university, FIU is committed to investing in the next generation of scientists and innovators, which is seen as essential for global competitiveness, job creation, economic resilience, and achieving key national goals.

Become a Member

The World 100 Reputation Network is a group of the best universities in the world, delivering research that enhances reputation and offering leaders the chance to develop their own careers on a global stage. Members benefit from events and study tours, training, monthly media monitoring, and unique reputation research to provide institutional advantage.

find out more

by Tim Houghton

Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

Heather Ducote W100 representative Virginia Tech

W100 Representative

Heather Ducote

Senior Director of Marketing and Brand Management

Heather Ducote is the Senior Director of Marketing and Brand Management at Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University), with responsibility for marketing, brand creative, and licensing and trademarks. Bringing 19 years of experience in higher education and 30 years overall in marketing and communications, Heather’s work is focused on supporting the university’s institutional goals though brand standards, strategy, initiatives, and protection.

Virginia Tech logo

At Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University), we’re reimagining how education and technology intersect. This approach transforms the ways we teach and learn, perform research, and engage with communities around the world.

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Solving complex problems, pushing boundaries, serving others, & reimagining education & technology. We are #VirginiaTech & you are welcome here. Go #Hokies! 🦃

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Ut Prosim - That I May Serve

Through research, teaching, and service, Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach in preparing scholars to be leaders and problem solvers. A comprehensive institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. 

Virginia Tech offers the widest range of degree choices in Virginia to more than 38,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students on all its campuses. With a main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech has an education and research presence across Virginia and the greater Washington, D.C., metro area.

Virginia Tech is a leading global research institution – externally sponsored research grew by 13.4 percent during the last fiscal year – and boasts seven world-class research institutes. The university has invested in Research Frontiers, bringing together diverse expertise that transcends traditional discipline boundaries. In partnership with industry, government, and foundations, these focus areas address emerging challenges and opportunities that seek to improve the human condition and create a better world for all.

Driven by its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech has a clear vision of how we can serve in our personal, professional, and civic pursuits. The university is committed to making its top-quality education accessible even as we push the boundaries of knowledge to make a difference in the world.

Mission and vision

  • Inspired by our land-grant identity and guided by our motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech is an inclusive community of knowledge, discovery, and creativity dedicated to improving the quality of life and the human condition within the Commonwealth of Virginia and throughout the world.
  • Virginia Tech has a 2,600-acre main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia; a significant presence across the commonwealth, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, and sites in Newport News and Richmond; educational and research facilities across the state; a study-abroad site in Switzerland; and a 1,800-acre agriculture research farm near the main campus. The campus proper is located in the New River Valley and is 38 miles southwest of Roanoke.

4000+ faculty researchers

38,000

students on and off the main campus

5%

increase in applicants identified as first-generation college students

With locations in Blacksburg and Roanoke, Virginia, and the Washington D.C. metro area including the Innovation Campus, Virginia Tech’s research enterprise encompasses over $650 million in annual research expenditures.

Nine colleges and seven research institutes contribute to Virginia Tech’s robust research and innovation ecosystem, with interdisciplinary research capabilities and accomplishments spanning the fields of science, engineering, medicine, social sciences, the arts, and humanities.

The Office of Research and Innovation provides services and support that help faculty, staff, and students to plan, perform, and commercialize groundbreaking research.

Become a Member

The World 100 Reputation Network is a group of the best universities in the world, delivering research that enhances reputation and offering leaders the chance to develop their own careers on a global stage. Members benefit from events and study tours, training, monthly media monitoring, and unique reputation research to provide institutional advantage.

find out more

by Steffi Medrano