16th Annual Torch Awards Gala at JW Marriott Marquis in Miami

Photography by Ryan Troy on April 4th, 2017 in Galas, Lifestyle

Miami, FL – April 1, 2017 – Alumnus Chad Moss ’94 announced a donation of $10 million to FIU’s College of Engineering & Computing at the 2017 Torch Awards Gala, marking the largest donation by an alumnus in FIU’s history. Hosted by the Alumni Association, the Torch Awards honored 17 alumni and one faculty member who make a difference in the community. About 680 guests attended this year’s event, which raised money for first-generation scholarships and the future alumni center at Modesto A. Maidique Campus. Moss’ donation names the Moss School of Construction, Infrastructure & Sustainability and supports multiple scholarships for future Panthers, including the Freedom Warriors Scholarship for those who served in the armed forces; the Sasha Seco Women in Construction Scholarship, named for an alumna Moss hired at an FIU career fair 12 years ago; and the Kevin Love Fostering Success Scholarship, named for an alumnus who now works as a project manager at Moss & Associates’ El Paso office. Held at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami, the gala featured a masquerade theme. Masked entertainers in ornate, rococo costumes danced around the hotel’s ballroom, and attendees were treated to an “hora loca” after dinner.