Media Relations | FIU News

As one of the nation’s largest, most dynamic universities, it’s no surprise that the great work we do at FIU is making headlines. Our Media Relations and Communication team is central to ensuring that we convey the right message, serving as the liaison between the university and news media and helping the members of our university community tell the FIU story.

Whether you’re a journalist looking to get in touch with an FIU area expert or a faculty member seeking to promote cutting-edge work, Media Relations and Communication can help.

Maydel Santana ’91, MSM ’16

AVP of Media Relations and Communication

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 305-348-1555

Twitter: @maydel

I have worked in and with South Florida media for the better part of the last three decades. I began my career at The Miami Herald in the afternoon of the first day of my freshman year at FIU. I majored in journalism and worked on the student newspaper, while working at The Herald part time, first as an assistant for the social column, then as a weekend assistant on the news desk and later as a junior features writer.

After graduation from FIU, I went to work at el Nuevo Herald, The Miami Herald’s Spanish language sister paper. I worked as a general assignment reporter, covered education and immigration. Among the most memorable stories I covered were the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the Cuban rafter crisis of 1994.

In 1995 I returned to FIU to join the media relations team as the assistant director, where I have been part of FIU’s spectacular transformation into a research institution and one of the largest universities in the country. In my media relations capacity, I lead a bilingual, award-winning team that helps tell the FIU story to local, regional, national and international media and manages crisis communication for our 54,000 student institution.

Recently I went back to the classroom to earn a graduate degree in marketing.