Florida Polytechnic President Randy Avent receives award to study in Spain
Florida Polytechnic University President Randy K. Avent has been selected as the 2024-25 recipient of the Fulbright-Schuman Innovation Award, the school announced Thursday.
Avent has announced plans to retire at the end of the spring semester after 10 years of leading the Lakeland school. He previously said that he planned to take a sabbatical before returning to Florida Poly as a professor.
The award is presented annually to one American scholar, with the purpose of supporting research at the intersection of policy and technology that can improve the understanding of issues important to the United States and the European Union, the school said in a news release.
Avent will travel to Spain to begin working on his Fulbright-funded research endeavor at the University of Barcelona, the release said. He will study the role of academic research in driving economic development, with a special emphasis on the contrast between the current European and American models.
“I am honored to be chosen for this award and excited to begin advancing knowledge in an area that has such a profound effect on our global economy,” Avent said in the release.
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The international Fulbright Program, led by the U.S. Department of State, works with more than 160 nations around the globe to increase educational and cultural exchanges to study, learn and pursue academic and professional projects. Since its creation in 1946, the program has created learning pathways for more than 400,000 scholars, the release said.
Avent said he has long been interested in exploring the intersection of higher education and industry, the release said. Florida Poly has sought partnerships with corporate entities and has announced plans for the innovation center on campus to host the Fortune 500 company IFF.
“This award is the direct result of our unconditional commitment to academic research excellence,” said Mustapha Achoubane, senior adviser for international relationships at Florida Poly. “Indeed, it aligns with our promise to cultivate a culture of innovation and our pledge to form an interconnected, distinguished global academic community.”
A search committee is working to find a successor to Avent. The committee was scheduled to interview candidates this week. The candidates will be named when the committee decides on finalists.
Florida Poly, which held its first classes in 2014, specializes in STEM programs — science, technology, engineering and math.
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Florida Poly President Randy Avent receives award to study in Spain
