[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 118 (Friday, July 31, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2152-E2153]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING DR. MODESTO ``MITCH'' MAIDIQUE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 31, 2009

  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
honor a true leader, activist, champion of education and a dear friend, 
Dr. Modesto ``Mitch'' Maidique, President of Florida International 
University in Miami, Florida.
  Dr. Maidique is the longest serving university president in the State 
of Florida and the second longest serving research university president 
in the country. For more than two decades, he has dedicated his life to 
FIU, its students, faculty and staff, and has transformed it into one 
of our nation's leading institutions of higher education. As he 
prepares to retire next week, it is a privilege to pay tribute to this 
visionary and extraordinary leader.
  He began his service to FIU in the College of Business Administration 
as a professor of management and in 1986 was named FIU's fourth 
President. Under his leadership, enrollment at FIU has more than 
doubled, growing to more than 38,000 students and today ranks among the 
20 largest universities in the United States. The university added 22 
doctoral programs and 18 undergraduate programs during Dr. Maidique's 
presidency. It serves not only Floridians, but students from across the 
nation and world and has cultivated successful alumni and leaders in 
our community.
  His tenacity and perseverance led to the establishment of the College 
of Law, College of Engineering and the School of Architecture and most 
recently, the historic opening of the new FIU College of Medicine, one 
of only three medical schools established in the last 25 years. The 
university also added a Division I-A football team in 2002. FIU's 
sponsored research funding has also grown from $6 million to nearly 
$110 million and the institution's endowment experienced exponential 
growth from less than $3 million to more than $105 million.
  Prior to his tenure at FIU, Dr. Maidique co-founded Analog Devices 
Inc., Semiconductor Division. He also served as CEO of Collaborative 
Research, now Genome Therapeutics, and as senior partner in Hambrecht & 
Quist Venture Partners. He was also the past chairman of The Beacon 
Council, Miami's economic development authority and has testified

[[Page E2153]]

before Congress on the issues of energy conservation and energy 
financing. President George H.W. Bush appointed him to the President's 
Educational Policy Advisory Committee and he served in a similar 
capacity for President George W. Bush. He later served on the Secretary 
of Energy's Advisory Board and has served for eight years as a member 
of the Commission on Presidential Scholars. The Hispanic Business 
Journal has named him among America's 100 Most Influential Hispanic 
Leaders.
  He received his B.S., M.S., E.E. and Ph.D. degrees from the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed the Harvard 
Business School's Program for Leadership Development. He is also a 
contributing author to ten books and has co-authored a New York Times 
bestseller.
  I have always considered Florida International University to be one 
of the fundamental pillars of South Florida. During my years in the 
Florida State Legislature, and now in Congress, I have enjoyed working 
closely with Dr. Maidique in the efforts to create the College of Law, 
the Engineering Campus, expanding the library and research 
capabilities, and securing millions in federal funding, among other 
accomplishments. I have witnessed the work of this great leader first 
hand and today I thank him for his service. His legacy will endure 
generations and is sure to be felt for decades to come.
  My dear friend Mitch Maidique exemplifies the true meaning of public 
service and has put the needs of the University, our community's 
University, above all else. Madam Speaker, I ask that you join me in 
celebrating his legacy and career, thanking him for his invaluable 
service and wishing him well in the years to come.

                          ____________________