Texas A&M University President Elsa Murano has been named a recipient of Florida International University's FIU Medallion, which is bestowed upon outstanding alumni.

Florida International President Modesto Maidique informed Murano of her selection and requested the opportunity to honor her at the university's fall commencement exercises Monday. She is a 1981 biological sciences graduate of Florida International.

"The FIU community, as well as the entire greater Miami community, would be deeply honored if you accepted our invitation to receive this award," Maidique said in his letter to Murano, "Your acceptance of this recognition enables FIU to honor you for your outstanding success."

Murano said she was "honored and looks forward to attending the December commencement exercises" at her alma mater.

"Florida International (or FIU) provided me an excellent educational foundation that served me well later in my graduate studies as well as for my career in higher education and in government service," she said.

Murano assumed the presidency of Texas A&M in January as the first woman and the first Hispanic to lead the 132-year-old university and was formally installed at the institution's 2008 academic convocation..

She began her professorial career in 1990 at Iowa State University and joined the Texas A&M faculty five years later. She interrupted her Texas A&M service in 2001 when President George W. Bush asked her to serve as undersecretary for food safety for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She returned to Texas A&M in 2005 as vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences, joint positions in which she served until being named president of the university.

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Posted by: On: 12/18/2008

Comment Title: Who cares...
This is old news. The Eagle already reported on this. Report on something newsworthy.

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