Florida Atlantic University was founded in 1961, in Boca Raton on an 850-acre site located near the Atlantic Ocean. The campus is conveniently located halfway between Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale and offers a broad range of academic programs, activities, and services.

The Boca Raton campus provides an exciting and supportive learning environment for students. The Student Union hosts student activities and meetings. In addition, its 2,500-seat Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium enables students to enjoy performances ranging from rock bands to the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra. The campus supports two cafeterias and has an attractive array of accommodations for its residential students. The Boca Raton campus is also home to FAU's Division I Intercollegiate Athletics program and facilities. Its recreation complex includes an aquatic center, gymnasium, tennis courts, wellness center, track, and a variety of fields for club and intramural sports competition.

The five-story S.E. Wimberly Library houses a large collection of monographs, serials, and other academic resources. Computer labs, study lounges, a media center, and tutoring services also provide valuable academic support for students. The Boca Raton campus hosts art exhibits, theatre productions, and concerts in its two galleries and theatre. Visiting performers and speakers add to the artistic and intellectual vibrancy of the campus.

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Florida Atlantic University

Donald and Elaine Singer Frank Lloyd Wright Collection is a transformational gift for Florida Atlantic University and our students in the School of Architecture. Carefully curated over a lifetime, the Singers’ collection includes two original 1956 renderings of Wright’s Fiberthin Air House design for the U.S. Rubber Company and totals 189 books, magazines, U.S. postal stamps, photographs and other memorabilia.
 
“My wife and I donated our collection to enhance the research and teaching of architecture at Florida Atlantic University,” said Singer. “Our hope is that it enriches the lives of generations of students and faculty to come.”
 
Read more about the Singers’ gift: http://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/donald-and-elaine-singer-collection.php#.XEigsYidXlc.twitter

Donald and Elaine Singer Collection

Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business hosted the 27th annual Business Leader of the Year breakfast recently at the Boca Raton Resort & Club to celebrate the accomplishments of Fabiola “Fab” Brumley, Bank of America’s market president in Palm Beach County.

Bank of America’s Fabiola Brumley is Business Leader of the Year

Since the 1940s, when water temps dip below 68 degrees, manatees gather here at Florida Power and Light's Riviera Beach power plant. FPL opened Manatee Lagoon in 2016 for the public to watch the sea cows in action. They hire FAU students to become their manatee experts.

FAU students working as FPL's Manatee Masters

For eight years, FAU’s Stephen Kajiura, Ph.D., has been tracking these sharks using a boat, plane, acoustic monitoring devices, and drones to report their whereabouts. In prior years, the researchers have reported as many as 15,000 sharks on any given day. That’s not the case this year.

Monitor and comparing Shark Migration from 2011 to 2016

Students, faculty and staff celebrate National Compliment Day by spreading the love.

FAU celebrates National Compliment Day

With a watchful eye on the rapid growth and development in this region, Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions (CUES) was contracted by the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to develop a comprehensive metrics report on Downtown West Palm Beach. The objective of “The State of Downtown 2018” report is to track progress and expansion in the area over time.

FAU Develops ‘State of Downtown West Palm Beach’ Report

The housing market in Palm Beach County is 19.76 percent above its long-term pricing trend, while the market is experiencing moderate downward pressure on the demand for home ownership, according to a new study from faculty at the Florida Atlantic University College of Business.

Palm Beach County Real Estate Cycle May Be Nearing Its Peak

Florida Atlantic University has received a $652,820 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish Florida’s first NSF-funded Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning (AIDL) Training and Research Laboratory.

Florida’s First NSF-funded AI and Deep Learning Laboratory

FAU alumna, Kestride Estelle, researches how to solve the housing situation in Haiti while clearing up construction debris caused by the 2010 earthquake.

FAU Research Spotlight: Rebuilding Haiti

Florida Atlantic University faculty discuss their research in this video series. Armin Fuchs, Ph.D. is an associate professor for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences and Physics, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. His research focuses on the analysis of large scale brain activity patterns and combining noninvasive recording technologies, i.e. EEG, MEG and functional MRI.

FAU Faculty Vignette - Armin Fuchs, Ph.D

as-the-gaza-city-ground-offensive-has-begun-fau-has-a-leading-expert-on-the-region

As the Gaza City ground offensive has begun - FAU has a leading expert on the region

Robert Rabil, Ph.D., is an expert in political Islam, terrorism, U.S. foreign policy, and U.S.-Arab relations.

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U.S. Foreign Policy

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Contemporary Middle Eastern and Southeastern Politics

  Israel has launched a massive ground incursion into Gaza City.  Aiming to destroy what the Israeli government has said is one of the last remaining Hamas strongholds.

The offensive will escalate further fighting as the Israeli military indicated this current attempt to remove Hamas strongholds could take months.


 The attack on Gaza City has drawn  criticism from  allies of Israel who are seeking to see a stop the fighting and see peace in a region.

Media are also watching - and looking looking for experts like Florida Atlantic's Robert Rabil who has been commenting and contributing on this topic since the conflict began almost two years ago.

  Florida Atlantic University's political science professor, Robert Rabil Ph. D. is a star expert in political Islam, terrorism, U.S. foreign policy, and U.S.-Arab relations.  His expertise has appeared in major newspapers and academic journals, including the Wall Street Journal, Chicago-Sun Times, Daily Star (Beirut), History News Network, National Interest, CNN, Middle East Journal, Middle East Policy, the Journal of International Security Affairs, Middle East Quarterly, and Middle East Review of International Affairs. He has also contributed several book chapters on political Islam and Middle Eastern politics.


Rabil is available to speak with media. Simply click on Rabil’s icon now to arrange an interview today.



ahead-of-backtoschool-faus-dr-sameer-hinduja-says-instilling-hope-in-teens-can-shield-them-from-bullying-online-and-off

Ahead of Back-to-School, FAU’s Dr. Sameer Hinduja Says Instilling Hope in Teens Can Shield Them from Bullying – Online and Off

Cyberbullying

Safe Social Media Use

Adolescent Mental Health

 Dr. Sameer Hinduja is one of the world’s foremost experts on cyberbullying, adolescent mental health, and digital safety. A Professor at Florida Atlantic University’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, he has advised the White House, testified before federal agencies, and worked with schools and tech companies worldwide to protect young people online. View Full Profile→ Amid the U.S. youth mental health crisis, his latest peer-reviewed study, published through FAU Newsdesk, reveals that hope not only boosts well-being and academic achievement but also acts as a powerful shield against bullying and cyberbullying in adolescents.

Results, published in the journal Frontiers in Sociology, show that students with less hope were 56% more likely to cyberbully others than their peers over their lifetime, and 57% more likely over the last 30 days. Those with more hope were 36% less likely to cyberbully others over their lifetime and over the last 30 days when compared to their peers with lower levels of hope. The key takeaway? Hope matters. It buffers against the urge to aggress against others online and off.

“Hope acts as a powerful protective factor against both school bullying and cyberbullying among youth,” said Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., lead author, a professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice within FAU’s College of Social Work and Criminal Justice, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, and a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University. “When young people believe in their ability to set meaningful goals and stay motivated to reach them, they are far less likely to lash out or harm others. Hope gives them a sense of direction – and that can make all the difference.”  Hinduja's previous research has been featured in The Washington Post, where he emphasized that cyberbullying is not just emotionally distressing—it can cause trauma responses in teens that mirror clinical Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
 

 “As our research clearly shows, cyberbullying in any form — whether it’s exclusion from a group chat or direct threats — can lead to significant trauma in youth,” Sameer Hinduja, a professor in Florida Atlantic University’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the paper’s lead author, said in a news release. “We were surprised to find that no single type of cyberbullying caused more harm than others; all carried a similar risk of traumatic outcomes. This means we can’t afford to dismiss or trivialize certain behaviors as ‘less serious’ — being left out or targeted by rumors can be just as detrimental as more overt attacks.”   Why This Matters Now As students return to school this fall, Hinduja’s research offers a clear reminder: digital harm is real harm. Emotional safety in online environments deserves the same urgency as physical safety in school buildings.  His work calls for: •	Preventive education over punitive responses
	•	Trauma-informed approaches in schools
	•	Support systems that validate and protect victims
	•	Tech accountability and policy reform  

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Dr. Hinduja is available for media interviews on topics such as: Adolescent Mental Health • Cyberbullying • PTSD • Digital Safety • School Culture Click on the icon below to connect. 

north-atlantic-sargassum-bloom-hits-record-levels-and-florida-is-feeling-the-surge-one-expert-says

North Atlantic Sargassum Bloom Hits Record Levels – and Florida is Feeling the Surge, One Expert Says

New record-setting bloom raises concerns for marine ecosystems, tourism, and public health.

Research Professor at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Marine Bioinvasions

Coral Reef Ecology

Algal Physiology

Biochemistry

Seagrass Ecology

Eutrophication

Marine Conservation

  Dr. Brian LaPointe, Research Professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, is one of the nation’s most recognized experts on marine ecosystems. 

His work spans algal physiology, biochemistry, biodiversity, and coastal conservation — with more than a decade of dedicated research focused on the rise and impact of sargassum blooms across the Atlantic.

 LaPointe confirmed that sargassum levels in the North Atlantic have hit a new biomass record — and much of it is now washing ashore across South Florida’s coastlines.  The scale of this bloom, he says, could have lasting consequences for marine ecosystems, tourism, and public health. LaPointe recently spoke to CNN about why this record bloom is raising alarm bells:

 “Sargassum goes from being a very beneficial resource of the North Atlantic to becoming what we refer to as… a harmful algal bloom when it comes ashore in excessive biomass.”  Ammonia is another problem emitted by the decaying seaweed, LaPointe noted. The chemical compound “strips the oxygen out of the waters along our coastal ecosystems like mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds,” he said.  The scale of the bloom is staggering. According to University of South Florida estimates cited by LaPointe, over 31 million tons of sargassum have been detected this year — a 40% increase over the previous record.

Dr. Brian LaPointe is available to speak with the media on this topic. For interviews, click below to view his full profile and click the connect button.



bepi-poll-hispanic-economic-outlook-drops-amid-tariffs-rising-prices

BEPI Poll: Hispanic Economic Outlook Drops Amid Tariffs, Rising Prices

As households face increasing prices for goods and talk of new tariffs, Hispanic optimism in the economy waned in the first quarter of 2025, according to a poll from the Business Economic and Polling Initiative at Florida Atlantic University.

Associate Professor and Director of the Business and Economics Polling Initiative

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  As households face increasing prices for goods and talk of new tariffs, Hispanic optimism in the economy waned in the first quarter of 2025, according to a poll from the Business Economic and Polling Initiative at Florida Atlantic University.  The Hispanic Consumer Sentiment Index (HSCI) decreased to 85.7 in the first quarter of 2025, down from 89.6 in the fourth quarter of 2024.

When compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, there was a decrease in optimism in four out of five questions used to generate the HCSI.

Looking at the year ahead, 53% of Hispanics said they expect the country to experience good business conditions, a decline from 61% in the prior quarter; and 64% of Hispanics indicated they will be better off over the next year, down from 70% in the last quarter of 2024.

  In terms of the long-run economic outlook of the country, Hispanics are less optimistic in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the fourth quarter of 2024 (52% vs. 58%).

Only 51% of Hispanics think it is a good time to buy big-ticket items, compared to 52% in the last quarter of 2024.

Only one question had an increase in confidence: 63% of Hispanics said they are better off financially than a year ago, which is 8 percentage points (55%) higher than the last quarter of 2024.

 “Sentiment softened in four of the five questions this quarter,” said Monica Escaleras, Ph.D., chair and director of BEPI. “Persistently high borrowing costs and everyday price pressures – together with talk of new tariffs and a possible recession – are weighing on household outlooks. These headwinds are keeping many Hispanic families cautious about the economic outlook in the United States.” The poll is based on a sample of 542 Hispanic adults over 18 years old. The survey was administered using both landlines via Interactive Voice Response data collection and online data collection using Dynata. Respondents were sampled between Jan. 1 and March 31 with a margin of error of +/- 4.21 percentage points. Responses for the entire sample were weighted to reflect the national distribution of the Hispanic population by region, education, gender, age and income according to the latest American Community Survey data. 

Full results can be found here:

 Looking to know more? We can help.

Monica Escaleras is available to speak with media about the BEPI Hispanic Consumer Sentiment Index . Simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.


whats-the-true-story-on-the-state-of-tourism-in-florida

What's the True Story on the State of Tourism in Florida?

Clinical  Professor and Director

Casinos & Gaming

Travel and Tourism

Hotel Guest Services

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Employee Performance

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Tourism is one of the key economic drivers in Florida. The sector is responsible for approximately 10 percent of the Gross State Product (GSP), employs millions, and contributes billions to the state's economy.

But how are things in the sector? It depends on the day, what you're reading or what you're watching: the industry in Florida is either booming or in a vulnerable situation.

Here are two examples:

Rising tariffs, visa delays, and shifting global travel trends have created a perfect storm, leading to a sharp drop in tourist numbers across Florida and several other U.S. states. The U.S. tourism industry is facing unprecedented challenges as international visitors choose alternative destinations amid political and economic shifts. According to recent data from the U.S. Travel Association, international visits to the U.S. saw a 14% decline in March, reflecting a broader global trend. However, the most significant impact has been felt among Canadian travelers, with a staggering 20.2% decrease in the number of Canadians visiting the U.S. This marks a troubling shift for the U.S., which has long relied on its neighboring country as a key source of international tourism.   Florida, which has seen a decrease in tourism since the pandemic, is now facing a compounded crisis. The state, which historically attracted millions of international visitors, is seeing fewer long-term snowbirds, as well as a general decline in international arrivals. The state’s tourism sector, once a booming economic engine, is facing significant challenges. With both fewer foreign visitors and changes in local tourism trends, the state’s economy is under increasing strain. According to the World Travel & Journalism Council, the U.S. is on track to lose more than \$12 billion in international travel spending this year alone due to the decline in visitor numbers. June 06 - Travel and Tour World  Whereas government officials are painting a very different picture.

Florida welcomed 143 million visitors in 2024, setting a new tourism record for the state. State officials said this is the most visitors in a single year in Florida's history. The trend isn't slowing down, as more than 41 million people visited Florida in just the first three months of this year. May 21 - ABC News   So there are questions that need to be answered:

What is the current state of tourism in Florida? Have tariffs impacted visits from abroad? Does the high US dollar have anything to do with fewer people coming to the Sunshine State from outside of America? Has domestic travel increased with more Americans choosing Florida as a destination? If the sector is suffering from a decline in visitors, how can it adapt to be more attractive to tourists?  If you are a reporter following the tourism industry  - we're here to help.

Peter Ricci is the Director of the Hospitality and Tourism Management program in Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business. He is a hospitality industry veteran with more than 20 years of managerial experience in segments including food service, lodging, incentive travel and destination marketing.

Peter is available to speak with the media about tourism in Florida and the potential for gambling. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.


fau-data-analysis-falling-rates-bring-some-relief-to-banks

FAU Data Analysis: Falling Rates Bring Some Relief to Banks

Falling interest rates brought some relief to banks’ portfolios for unrealized losses on investment securities, according to a data analysis from a finance professor at Florida Atlantic University.

Lynn Eminent Scholar Endowed Professor of Finance

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Financial Institutions

Commercial Banking

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  Falling interest rates brought some relief to banks’ portfolios for unrealized losses on investment securities, according to a data analysis from a finance professor at Florida Atlantic University. Only two banks with assets over $1 billion reported unbooked securities losses greater than their total equity in the first quarter of 2025, down from three in the last quarter of 2024, according to the U.S. Banks’ Unrealized Losses on Investment Securities screener. For unbooked losses equal to 50% of Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (CET1) equity, 24 banks were on the list for the first quarter of this year, down from 34 in the fourth quarter of 2024.

 Rates dropped from the end of 2024 through the end of March, providing some relief to banks that had extensive interest rate risk in their investment securities portfolios. The yield on the 10-year treasury bond fell from 4.57 to 4.25 as of the end of March.

“While this would appear to be good news for the U.S. banking industry, with unrealized securities losses declining by $69 billion from the end of 2024 to March, rates have climbed back to where they were at the end of 2024 so that losses today would be back up close to $500 billion,” said Rebel Cole, Ph.D., Lynn Eminent Scholar Chaired Professor of Finance in the College of Business.

The aggregate unbooked securities losses on bank balance sheets declined by $69 billion from $483 billion at the end of the fourth quarter in 2024 to $414 billion at the end of the first quarter this year.

The quarterly U.S. Banks’ Unrealized Losses on Investment Securities Screener, produced as part of The Banking Initiative in FAU’s College of Business, measures banks’ exposure to risk based on their unrealized losses in their investment securities portfolios. To calculate a bank’s risk, Cole uses the most recently available data from quarterly call reports published by the U.S. Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council.

Of the 4,543 banks reporting in the first quarter for this year, Cole focused on 1,042 banks with more than $1 billion in assets to calculate unrealized losses on investment securities and compare those losses to a bank’s CET1. Regulators would force a bank that lost half of its CET1 capital to take remedial actions, such as raising new capital or seeking a merger partner; in the worst case, a bank may face closure by the FDIC.

“It’s likely that unbooked losses will continue to grow as interest rates continue to move higher” Cole said. “Both the 50-day and 200-day moving average rate on the 10-Year Treasury bond are rising so losses are growing, not shrinking. And this is only one part of banks’ balance sheets that are suffering from rising rates. There also are massive unrealized losses on banks’ residential and commercial mortgage portfolios that total to another $500 billion.” Looking to know more? We can help.

Rebel Cole is available to speak with media about banking and the impact on interest rates. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.


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