Modesto Maidique

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Dr. Modesto A. "Mitch" Maidique (pronounced may-DEEK, born in Havana, Cuba March 20, 1940) has been the President of Florida International University since 1986, making him by far the longest serving University President in the State of Florida. During this time, Dr. Maidique has led FIU as the University's student enrollment doubled to over 34,000 students, and as the University acquired a School of Architecture, a College of Law, and a football team.

Maidique's father, Modesto Sr., was a Cuban politician, and was assassinated when Maidique was still a baby.

Maidique received a B.S. (1962), M.S. (1964), and Ph.D. (1970) in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and in 1975 graduated from Program for Management Development at Harvard.

He also had a recent scuffle with an alumni over a building. The alumnus offered $20 million for a new medical facility, but withdrew his offer after a comment made by Maidique.

In 1989, Dr. Maidique was appointed to President George H. W. Bush's Educational Policy Advisory Committee, and he serves in a similar capacity for President George W. Bush.