Below is the full version of the most current Green School newsletter – the Green School Update.
Spring 2026
News and achievements at the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
Our outstanding students, alumni and faculty make our success possible. You can read about their accomplishments and those of our programs in this issue of Green School Update.
2026 Green School Medallion Honoree: Ana Botín
We presented the Green School Medallion to Banco Santander executive chair Ana Botín. The Medallion is our college's highest honor, and it recognizes individuals whose careers and contributions advance a more just, peaceful and prosperous world through global engagement, social impact and academic excellence.
More Green School programs ranked top 50
Several Green School programs were recently ranked in the top 50 among U.S. public universities. Politics, sociology, economics and econometrics were ranked in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject, and the graduate public affairs program was ranked by U.S. News & World Report. The Green School has 20 programs ranked in the top 50 among U.S. public universities.
Green School grad student represented Pakistan at COP30
Grad student Sidra Riaz served as a Pakistan delegate to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, joining representatives from more than 190 countries.
World in Focus: Hungary's Elections
Director of the European & Eurasian Studies Program, Tatiana Kostadinova, and Ofelia Riquezes, associate director of the Václav Havel Program for Human Rights & Democracy, discuss the recent election in Hungary and the country’s political trajectory.
Documenting Miami's historic Goombay Festival and Little Bahamas of Coconut Grove
Public Humanities Lab Community Collections Grant documents Miami’s Goombay Festival and Little Bahamas while exploring opportunities and challenges of co-creating archives.
Alumnus appointed to lead the nation's oldest federal law enforcement agency
Green School alumnus Gadyaces “Gady” Serralta was sworn in as director of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) on August 1st. He previously was appointed by President Trump to United States Marshal for the Southern District of Florida in August 2018.
Holocaust survivor took center stage during week of campus observances and events
Green School held its 11th Annual Holocaust & Genocide Awareness Week. Twleve events honored the power of testimony, truth and human dignity, capped off by a conversation between Holocaust survivor Anita Karl and journalist/filmmaker Leslie Gelrubin-Benitah.
World in Focus: Operation Epic Fury
Green School professors Mohamed Ghumrawi and Eric Lob sat down to examine Operation Epic Fury, from its timeline, U.S. objectives and interests in the region and potential impact on global energy markets following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A new generation of FIU historians reimagines student research journal for today's scholars
After nearly a decade of dormancy, a group of graduate students from FIU’s Department of History at the Green School has brought new life to the department’s student research journal, now reborn in a digital format.
Resistance Under Occupation: The Polish Underground and the Struggle Against Nazi Rule
Drs. Joshua Zimmerman and Rebecca Friedman explored the structure and goals of the Polish Underground, examining how resistance efforts operated under Nazi occupation and navigated complex relationships with German authorities and Allied powers.
Water, Culture, Life
In honor of World Water Day, the Green School brought together practitioners, artists and healers for a conversation about and celebration of the multifaceted role of water in sustaining community across cultural and spiritual traditions.