Accolades, awards, recognitions, and milestones have come steadily to Florida International University (FIU) for more than a decade. Perhaps the success has to do with Dr. Mark B. Rosenberg, who has been the fifth president of FIU since 2009. He has high expectations of himself and tries to lead by example. But it’s the solid values and life lessons that stem from his upbringing that guide him—he is a lifelong learner whose parents believed in the power of education, respect, hard work, exceeding expectations, and resilience.

“There was a lot to emulate there and a lot to live up to,” Rosenberg said. “They both had a love of life and love of family that were very important.”

Their lives weren’t easy.

Rosenberg’s father was the only child of immigrant parents. “My father had an innate trust of people, was a patriot and loved this country.” He volunteered for the Army and became a captain in charge of all-Black troops even though he was Jewish, Rosenberg explained. Working with diverse backgrounds, he got and gave respect, was not quick to judge, gave others the benefit of the doubt, and tried to help people.

“The principal person he helped was my mother, who was a victim of Auschwitz,” he said. With the number 54326 tattooed on her arm, she was the only Holocaust survivor in her Polish family, likely because she spoke several languages. They met at the concentration camp, fell in love, and he brought her to the United States.

From his mother, Rosenberg learned optimism, resilience, and equanimity—great traits for starting a career path in education.

High Expectations

As the first FIU faculty member to ascend to the university’s presidency, Rosenberg started at FIU in 1976 as an assistant professor of political science specializing in Latin America. He founded the FIU Latin American and Caribbean Center, a federally supported research and teaching center.

In his various positions as professor, dean, chancellor, and provost, the lessons learned in each position prepped him for the presidency. He learned the value of honesty and candor, planning and preparation, clarity to drive intentionality, strategy, and budgeting. “Success is a matter of routine. For individuals to be successful, they have to get the day-to-day stuff right, even if they don’t like doing that.”

He likes doing what is expected of a president. Both his father and mother had high expectations for him. That led to having high expectations of himself.

Now he has high expectations of his students. Stenciled on his office door is “Every Student Counts.” “Even though it’s a large university, most students know we’re really pushing hard for them. If they don’t get those high expectations here, where will they get them? I want the best for them and am demanding the best for them. We challenge them. If they fail, simply learn from the lesson and move on.”

That resilience speaks to the tenacity of the students, faculty, and staff, said Rosenberg. Perhaps that is what led him and his wife, Rosalie, to donate $1 million to FIU for first-generation scholarships. “My father never forgot those who were less fortunate. I wanted to honor that tradition. Second of all, I wanted to make sure that my wife and I were sending the message that we’re deeply aligned with our immigrant community. We’re proud to be associated with that.”

FIU Rises

During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, Rosenberg saw faculty rise to deal with “an extremism we never ever anticipated.” On the negative side, the ripple effects on students included behavioral issues, mental health issues, stress, increases in domestic violence. The community was edgier and jumpier, he said.

Then they made the best of a bad situation. “There was a coalition of the willing. People here know they are part of something bigger.  We were very focused.”

Not only did faculty transition and convert 4,600 classes to Zoom, but their commitment to their students’ success spotlighted FIU’s solid foundation.

According to Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, FIU was ranked No. 3 among 400 U.S. public universities 50 years old or younger. FIU opened its doors in 1972 with 5,667 students—the largest opening enrollment in U.S. history. Today, there are 10,000 faculty and staff.  More than 66% of its 58,000 students are Hispanic.

Offering more than 200 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs, FIU was ranked the No. 1 institution for awarding bachelor’s and master’s degrees to Hispanic students and No. 6 in the nation for awarding engineering degrees to African Americans, according to the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

FIU has earned the highest score—97 points—among the 12 public universities in the state, according to the Florida Board of Governors (BOG). And in the 2022 National University Rankings in U.S. News and World Report, FIU ranked No. 78 with a 17-spot improvement among public universities in the nation.

It also ranked in the Top 50 public universities in 15 categories, such as undergraduate international business program (No. 2), top performer for social mobility (No. 5), and best value (No. 33). On a different U.S. News & World Report list, it ranked No. 75 among best colleges for veterans.

These high rankings are only the beginning of a bigger vision Rosenberg has for FIU’s impact.

Building a Trustworthy Place

Just like his father believed in this country as an immigrant, Rosenberg wants people to believe in their institution as a kinder, gentler place that is trustworthy and dignified, and fosters lifelong learning and discovery.

“To have a bigger impact is our destiny,” Rosenberg said. “Your education doesn’t end when you get your first degree. Students here want more. We don’t take that validation for granted. We are going to keep fanning the flames of learning.” •