U.S. Congresswoman Donna E. Shalala sent a letter to Green School Dean John F. Stack Jr. congratulating him and the FIU Model UN team on their recent #1 ranking in North America .
"Your hard work and dedication to MUN (and of course the hard work and dedication of your students) has rightfully earned your team such an admirable designation,'' Shalala wrote.
"MUN is a wonderful way to challenge and prepare our future leaders to tackle complex issues in our increasingly connected world,'' she continued. "I am incredibly grateful for your commitment to engaging in education beyond the traditional classroom."
The ranking - a first in FIU's history - puts the university at the top of a highly competitive Model UN circuit that includes Harvard, Georgetown, University of Chicago and University of Pennsylvania.
FIU has been the top team in Florida and the top of any public university in the United States for more than a decade. This year, the team earned the most individual awards (more than 120) and the most delegation awards (nine) of any team this year.
“No other college MUN team came close,'' was the assessment by the editors at BestDelegate, the organization that rates Model UN teams.
At FIU, Model United Nations is centered around an international relations course supervised by Dean Stack, faculty advisor for the program. It is generously funded by the FIU Student Government Association.
Members of FIU's #1 ranked Model UN team, pictured with Green School Dean John F. Stack Jr. and Program Director Michelle Rosario.