People

Sebastián A. Arcos

Interim Director

Office: Modesto A. Maidique Campus, DM 447
Email: arcoss@fiu.edu
Telephone: 305.348.7250

Aymee Correa

Public Affairs Manager

Office: Modesto A. Maidique Campus, DM 445A
Email: correaa@fiu.edu
Telephone: 305.348.7275

Paola Salavarria Romero

Office Assistant

Office: Modesto A. Maidique Campus, DM 445B
Email: psalavar@fiu.edu
Telephone: 305.348.1991

Adriana Pichs

Graduate Assistant

Office: Modesto A. Maidique Campus, DM 446B
Email: apich020@fiu.edu
Telephone: 305.348.1991

Amelia Díaz

Student Assistant 

Office: Modesto A. Maidique Campus, DM 445
Email: amelia.diaz4@fiu.edu
Telephone: 305.348.1991

Erik Camayd-Freixas

Professor, Department of Modern Languages

Areas of expertise: modern and contemporary Spanish American literature, immigration, translation and interpretation

Office: Modesto A. Maidique Campus, SIPA II 229
Email: Erik.Camayd@fiu.edu
Telephone: 305.348.6222

Eduardo Gamarra

Professor, Department of Politics & International Relations

Areas of expertise: Latin American politics, democratization, neo-populism

Office: Modesto A. Maidique Campus, SIPA 409
Email: gamarrae@fiu.edu
Telephone: 305.348.1718

Orlando Jacinto García

Distinguished University Professor, Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts

Areas of expertise: music composition, technology and music, electronic music

Office: Miami Beach Urban Studies (MBUS) 439
Email: garciao@fiu.edu
Telephone: 305.535.2617

Jennifer Gebelein

Research Professor, Department of Earth and Environment, and Director, Academic Initiatives, Division of Academic and Career Success

Areas of expertise: physical geography, environmental change, land cover and land use change, Caribbean landscapes

Office: Modesto A. Maidique Campus, SASC 421
Email: gebelein@fiu.edu
Telephone: 305.348.1859

Guillermo J. Grenier

Professor, Department of Global & Sociocultural Studies

Areas of expertise: immigration, ethnicity, work and labor markets, Cuba/Latin America

Office: Modesto A. Maidique Campus, SIPA 523
Email: grenierg@fiu.edu
Telephone: 305.348.3217

Ignacio Alvarez

President and Chief Executive Officer, Popular, Inc.

Ignacio Alvarez has been president and chief executive officer of Popular, Inc., since 2017. He previously served as president and chief operating officer, and executive vice president and chief legal officer of Popular, Inc. Prior to joining Popular, he was one of the six founding partners of the law firm Pietrantoni Méndez & Alvarez LLP. Recognized by Chambers Global as "one of the best lawyers in Puerto Rico," Mr. Alvarez was an integral part of the firm's success for eighteen years. Among his main practice areas are banking, corporate, and commercial law; corporate and public finance law; securities and capital markets.

Born in Havana, Cuba, Mr. Alvarez earned his J.D. (cum laude) at the Harvard Law School and a bachelor's degree (magna cum laude) from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He was admitted to practice law in Florida and Puerto Rico. Website

Juan Luis Betancourt

Chief Executive Officer, Humantelligence

Juan Luis Betancourt is the chief executive officer of Humantelligence, a consulting human resources and recruitment platform. He was the chief executive officer and founder at Gonza, a leading private equity-focused executive search firm. His experience in human capital advising was developed while a partner at Korn/Ferry International and Heidrick & Struggles. He previously had a global career as a general manager (U.S., France, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Dubai). He also worked at Siebel Systems (now Oracle) and at Procter & Gamble, in both the U.S. and Latin America. While at Puma, AG, as chief marketing officer and strategy officer based in Germany, he was responsible for relaunching the Puma sports brand globally.

Mr. Betancourt earned an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in economics from Harvard University. He also attended the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania for an M.A. in international management. Website

Laura Capestany

Founder, La Victoria Miami Collection

Laura Antuña Capestany is a Cuban-Peruvian American real estate developer, writer, and community organizer. With her husband, Jimmy Capestany, she founded the La Victoria Miami Collection, five Art Deco modern short-term vacation rental townhomes in Coconut Grove on Miami’s Underline, honoring her family’s Cuban legacy through architecture, storytelling, and cultural preservation. Her debut historical fiction novel, The Last Prince of Cuba: A Daughter’s Journey (Spring 2026), is based on her family’s untold history, alongside an accompanying screenplay. After 9/11, she founded Together We Build in Seattle, uniting Muslims, Jews, and Christians to build homes for Habitat for Humanity, earning the Bank of America Local Hero Award, while her Muslim co-leader received the Walter Cronkite Faith and Freedom Award. She has served as Executive Secretary for Habitat for Humanity East King County Board of Directors, on the board of Broadway Bound Children’s Theater, and has chaired more than fifteen large-scale fundraisers. She is currently serving as Auction Chair for the Underline Park 2026 Sneaker Ball Gala and a proud mother of four adult children. Website

Erich de la Fuente

Adjunct Professor of Politics & International Relations, Florida International University

Dr. Erich de la Fuente is a senior governance and strategic communications expert with over twenty-five years of experience working in international development with a focus on anti-corruption, access to justice, rule-of-law strengthening, and judicial reform issues. In 2001, Mr. de la Fuente founded EDF Communications, which was acquired by the Spanish-owned agency Llorente & Cuenca in 2015. As the firm's chief executive officer, Mr. de la Fuente has provided strategic communications and public affairs counseling to organizations operating in the United States, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and other emerging markets. EDF has developed a broad client portfolio, including Delta Air Lines, DHL, Siemens, Medtronic, Level 3, Honeywell Aerospace, the World Bank Group, and the American Bar Association.

Professor de la Fuente earned a Ph.D. in governance and policy analysis from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, an M.A. in Latin American affairs from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, and a B.A. in international relations with a minor in Latin American studies from Florida International University. He is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and proficient in Italian and Russian.

Isidro Fernández

Chief Executive Officer, 1PLTFRM

Raised by Cuban immigrants in Union City, New Jersey, Isidro Fernández is currently based in Miami. In 2024 he cofounded 1PLTFRM, a digital alternative investments platform designed for multi-jurisdictional investors and their advisors. For several years he served as director of alternative investors at Santander Private Banking International. 

Mr. Fernández was previously a fund advisor at Hayfin Capital Management LLP, an independent investment firm in London, and co-head of European research at Halcyon Structured Asset Management LP. He was also head of Credit Products and Trading at Caja Madrid, where he specialized in structured credit products and leveraged loan/credit derivatives trading. He holds a B.A. in political science from Harvard University. Website

Ana Gamundi

Writer for Film & Television

Ana Gamundi relocated to Miami after living several years in Los Angeles, where she worked in film and entertainment, as well as received her Master of Fine Arts in "Writing for the Screen" from Loyola Marymount University. Prior, the Miami-raised writer received a B.A. in history from the University of Miami, having previously attended the Honors College at Miami Dade College.

Ms. Gamundi worked for the likes of Univision's then sister-station Telefutura, as well as world-renowned production houses, including the French studio EuropaCorp. She is a current member of the Independent Writers' Caucus within the Writer's Guild of America (W.G.A. West). She also received national recognition for previous works, as well as directed short plays during her time in Miami.

Michael Hernández

Partner, LSN Communications

Michael (Mike) Hernández has over twenty years of experience, expertise, and knowledge in the communications field. His areas of focus are corporate and political messaging, crisis communication management, and communications. From 2019 to 2024, Mr. Hernández served as the on-air political analyst for WTVJ NBC 6 and WSCV Telemundo 51, the top-rated newscast in all of South Florida regardless of language. He is currently a commissioner for District 4 in the city of Pembroke Pines. Prior to joining LSN, he was the senior vice president at Mercury Public Affairs. He led media and public speaking training sessions for corporate executives, public sector leaders, elected officials, and candidates for public office throughout the country.

A proud Panther, Mr. Hernández earned a master's degree in public administration and a bachelor's degree in political science at FIU. He served as the president of the FIU Alumni Association and is currently an adjunct professor in the College of Communication and the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs. Website

Pedro G. Menocal

Partner, PAG Law PLLC

Pedro G. Menocal is a legal, business, and strategic advisor with over twenty years' experience representing clients, big and small, from all over the world. His domestic and international business practice focuses on general corporate and business law, venture capital investing, private equity funds, real estate financing and syndication, and a variety of investment vehicles.

Mr. Menocal is active in the community and regularly provides pro-bono legal services to several civic organizations. He is the author of Cubanisms: A Look at Cuba through Art and Words (2016), a book about Cuban slang. He earned a law degree from the University of Miami School of Law and a bachelor's degree in international relations and English literature from Florida International University. Website

Lily Prellezo

Writer and Editor

Lily Prellezo was born in Cuba and exiled to Miami in 1960 with her family. She grew up in Miami and attended both Miami Dade College and FIU, where she graduated with a degree in English literature. She is an alumna of the Eckerd College Writers' Conference-Writers in Paradise directed by Dennis LeHane and Sterling Watson. She has also attended the Writer's Institute at Miami Dade College and is the member of a writer's critique group.

Ms. Prellezo has worked as a freelance author and editor for over thirty years. Her first nonfiction book, Seagull One: The Amazing True Story of Brothers to the Rescue, was published in 2010. Ms. Prellezo and her husband, Steve, are involved in The International Kids Fund, which provides life-saving surgeries for children all around the world. Ms. Prellezo and her family live in Miami. Website

Alexandra Serra

Senior Legal Counsel and Vice President for Latin America, State Street Bank and Company Trust

Alexandra (Alex) Serra is a senior counsel with expertise in the Latin American and Caribbean region, including Cuba. She has solid experience in advising senior leaders on matters involving the potential impact of contracts, legal documents, and regulatory compliance on business. She previously served as senior attorney at FedEx and senior counsel and vice president in the Latin America and Caribbean Division at Western Union. During her tenure at Western Union, she completed six business trips to Cuba, conducted several successful financial negotiations, and ensured compliance with U.S. regulations.

She earned her J.D. at the Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. in political science with a minor in English (cum laude) at the University of Miami.

Aymee D. Valdivia

Partner, Holland & Knight LLP

Aymee D. Valdivia is an attorney in the International and Cross Border Transactions Practice of Holland & Knight's Business Group and a member of Holland & Knight's Cuba Action Team. Ms. Valdivia focuses her practice on corporate and international law, representing foreign and domestic clients in joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and a broad variety of commercial transactions, with a focus on Latin America and Cuba. She also advises domestic and foreign clients in connection with U.S. sanctions regulations and compliance matters. Her background and legal education in both common and civil law systems provide Ms. Valdivia with the ability to advise clients on transactions and projects involving multiple jurisdictions, legal systems, and cultures, including the drafting and negotiation of contracts in English and Spanish. 

She earned her J.D. (cum laude) at the University of Miami and a law degree (magna cum laude) at the University of Havana. Website

Cristina Vidal-Artaud

Writer

Dr. Cristina Vidal-Artaud is a writer trained as a scientist and physician. She received a commission from the Ensemble Studio Theatre / Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for a full-length play exploring the interchange between science and society. She is the founder and editor of Cuba Cosmopolita, a media platform presenting Cuban culture and lifestyle content.

Dr. Vidal-Artaud trained at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, the combined hospitals of Columbia and Cornell, and earned an M.D. from the University of South Florida and a B.A. in cell and molecular biology from Harvard University. She received her education in theatre and playwriting at HB Studio in New York City.