Shlomi Dinar has spent more than two decades at Florida International University, first as a professor in international relations and environmental politics, then helping shape development of the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs. Now, as dean, he is working to raise the sch ool’s profile, bring its research to a wider audience and expand opportunities for its nearly 4,800 students. Born in Israel and raised between there and California, Mr. Dinar developed an early interest in international affairs and the perspectives that shape political relationships. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Davis, followed by a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. His research has focused largely on the intersection of environmental politics and security, particularly how countries negotiate, cooperate and sometimes conflict over shared freshwater resources. Mr. Dinar joined FIU in 2004 as an assistant professor and gradually took on a larger role in the academic leadership. In 2012, he became associate director of the School of International Public Affairs, working alongside founding director John F. Stack Jr. to bring together its departments, centers and programs. He also helped develop the vision for the school as it became the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs in 2015, following a $20 million gift from Ambassador Steven J. Green and his family. After serving as interim dean beginning in 2022, Mr. Dinar was appointed dean in 2023. Today, the Green School encompasses eight academic departments, more than 20 centers, institutes and programs, and research spanning areas from international security and economic development to sustainability and criminal justice. Mr. Dinar wants to build on that breadth by making the school a more visible source of research and expertise, strengthening partnerships with government, nonprofit and private-sector organizations, and establishing Miami as a center for global policy discussions. At the same time, he is focused on student access and success, including financial assistance, internships, study abroad and other opportunities to connect classroom learning with professional experience. The challenge, he says, is to distinguish the Green School in an increasingly competitive field while securing the resources to support its growth. Mr. Dinar envisions it becoming a trusted source of expertise for policymakers, local governments and the broader public, with its faculty, research centers and students helping inform conversations and address complex issues locally and around the world. Mr. Dinar spoke with Miami Today reporter Genevieve Bowen. Read the full interview in this week’s print or digital edition of Miami Today. Full access is available exclusively to our subscribers. Click here to access your subscription or to subscribe! This week’s profile will appear in next year’s Book of Leaders. Miami Today publishes a Book of Leaders every year. This book is a compilation of all The Achievers profiled in every edition. The information in this book is available nowhere else – the stories of the women and men who are shaping the development of Greater Miami. If you would like to order a copy of the Book of Leaders from 1997 to 2025 or a complete set, click here to place your order. The post Shlomi Dinar: Dean sees FIU’s Green School as an international authority appeared first on Miami Today. ...read more read less